June 2023 Book Bracket

Alright: summer has begun! And that means that it is time to get some quality reading time in! Especially since I'm not planning a wedding this summer! Woohoo! (And that is more than the quota of exclamation points for one post.)

Books Read

The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown**

A brand new robot stranded on an island in the Pacific Northwest must learn how to "survive" in the midst of wilderness and wild animals.

Why I picked it up: It has been on my "to read" list for a long time since a student at a previous job first talked about it and said I should read it. It also meets the criteria for the summer adult reading program for listening to an audiobook. 

My impressions: I didn't think this book was going to do too much for me. It looks like all the other flash-in-the-pan books that find their way through the Scholastic book fairs at elementary schools these days...a quick read, but not much substance or enduring power beyond the current fads of publishing.

I think I might be wrong.

The fact that it was a read-aloud in a classroom at a different school should have tipped me off, but that isn't always a good indicator of a book's quality.

I think this book might have the elements of becoming something of a beloved childhood favorite. It may not quite reach "classic" status, but there was a lot to recommend this book. First of all, it was a survival story. Second of all, it wasn't your typical survival story. It was an artificial-intelligence-endowed robot that has to adjust to a life in the wilderness when it was designed for work in a civilized setting. The robot has to learn, and the animals adjust to life and grow in their relationship with the robot. There is an exciting climax, and the ending doesn't resolve the problem - it sets up nicely for a sequel, which - happily - is already out as an audiobook and is reserved on the waiting list for me. Speaking of audiobooks - I listened to the audiobook version and really appreciated the good job the reader did. She had a range of voices, all of which worked. She had an excellent robot voice that wasn't boring or too monotonous. The audiobook started with music, which was a little too much for me, but that quickly faded out and I was able to appreciate the story. 

Back to the story itself: this is very clearly a book that has to be modern, as it is about an AI-endowed robot, but it still had a pretty timeless feel to it. It was an interesting twist to have the robot abandoned on a Pacific Northwest (I'm guessing) island instead of a desert island, and it helped make it feel familiar and yet foreign simultaneously. This story doesn't shy away from animals facing death, but it has a nice balance of happy, exciting, and sad moments. There were some points where I found the tone of narration was an issue: the author directly addresses the "listener" (or probably "reader" for the print version) several times to make a point or emphasize something being unusual and I thought that that was a poor choice. It reminded me that Tolkien regretted his tone in The Hobbit, reflecting that he spoke down to his readers when he did that. The author several times says that robots can't feel emotions in the same way that humans can, but that the robot felt something "like" gratitude, for example. I understand the reasoning behind this, but for the robot to be endearing to the reader, I think it has to basically feel emotions - otherwise, it's just a machine and it's hard to care about a machine that doesn't really care. I spent a lot of time on these two shortcomings, but they are really minor when considering the whole scope of the book's overall solid qualities.

I would recommend this book to students at this reading level - maybe third or fourth grade at the earliest (for advanced readers), but also still good for middle school readers. I think a good number of adults would appreciate this book, and that it would be a good read aloud for a family.

The Betrothed, by Alessandro Manzoni

A young couple, told on their wedding day that they can't wed yet due to the threats of a powerful noble, must endure many trials as a result of this interference and disasters of a larger scope.

Why I picked it up: This was a book I was determined to read this year! I tried last year, failed, and renewed my goal this summer.

My impressions: Think of this as an Italian version of something like The Count of Monte Cristo or A Tale of Two Cities or other Victorian novels of that sort. It's set in the 1600s and, as I learned from Google research, is very well-researched itself - to an annoying degree at times. In fact, it was the overlong explanation of historical documents quoted and treated in the first chapter that prevented me from making progress in my first attempt to read the book. I found out that, once past the first chapter, things improved...at times. There were still slow bits, but many gripping parts to help the story along. I cried, I cheered internally, I couldn't resist flipping ahead once or twice just to figure out what exactly happened in one or two instances. It was a great book even with its flaws. It's one of those books that had me telling my husband about it as I came to new passages that gave me cause to reflect - more thoughts on this book will be in a separate blog post. I've already recommended it to two people today (the day after I finished reading it), and I would recommend this book as a solid contender to take on other literary classics of its type. I read in an article that this could be a good book for a betrothed couple to read, but it is one that is definitely better for me now that I'm already married. There are some pretty heinous deeds committed by ruffians, as well as a character with an extremely checkered past (her story troubled me), so I don't know that I'd necessarily say any high schooler is ready for it; it's a book for a more mature reader. But it is excellent and I think it'd be great if more people read it.

Jack Zulu and the Waylander's Key, by S. D. Smith and J. C. Smith**

This fantasy adventure, part 80's Stranger Things and part The Magician's Nephew, follows some middle schoolers as they discover a portal to fantastic realms and beings, with the fate of the universe at stake to boot.

Why I picked it up: I've read the Green Ember series by this author; fell into Audible Prime for one month with two credits; and was curious about it.

My impressions: It's a pretty good children's fantasy story for it's type, but it is a take on a type, not its own thing. The characters were full of life, the story was engaging, and I got concerned about the choices the main character would make for a while, but I can't say this story has the originality I'd want. I understand wanting to write new stories with an old soul, but...the old soul books have tropes that are somewhat predictable. I don't know if I can give a fair assessment of the story since I found such strong echoes of Lewis' and Tolkien's fiction in it. I think some kids would love this book and some adults enjoy it, but others - myself included - may not be swept away by it. It's not a bad book, and I'm somewhat curious about what happens in the story next, but it's not one that I'm planning on rereading.

The Wild Robot Escapes, by Peter Brown**

The Wild Robot, Roz, is refurbished and sent to work on a farm, from which she attempts escaping back to the island where she originally lived in a community of wild animals.

Why I picked it up: I enjoyed the first auidobook so much that I put the second one on hold through the library. It came in sooner than I expected.

My impressions: This book was well written and stylistically in line with the original...but it just wasn't as good. This wasn't a survival story as much as it was an escape story. It had many of the characters we came to know and love in the first book, as well as many new ones, and a satisfying ending - it doesn't set up for a third book. It's kind of nice to have a story line start in one book and end in the next, especially in an age when everything seems to have to be at least a trilogy or a tetralogy or longer. I will say that I didn't find the climax quite as compelling as in the first book, but it was still good. I wasn't a big fan of how the father farmer is portrayed - it's another one of those books where the kids are more understanding or aware or intelligent in a certain way than the parent(s) and therefore go behind the parents' backs to accomplish something. It was also noteworthy that Roz lied during refurbishment to preserve herself and engaged in other deceptions to escape. Another interesting character employs a bit of deception late in the book as well. How "bad" these acts are is difficult to state...I suppose there are some ethical questions that will come up more frequently depending on how AI is applied, but I have my thoughts on the subject now (although I won't go into them in detail). The main character is well developed and so lovable for a robot. The author did a great job portraying a realistic look inside her decision-making skills as a programmed entity. It was a neat book and probably a good read for anyone who enjoyed the first book, so long as they're aware that there are a few things (noted earlier) that might be worth discussing.

Mandy, by Julie Andrews Edwards

Mandy, a spunky orphan, secretly refurbishes a quaint little cottage behind the orphanage's orchard wall and tries everything in her power to keep the place her own.

Why I picked it up: I remembered writing it on my "to read" list long ago. It came up recently somewhere in one of my Facebook groups, and when I found out my local library system carried it, I put it on hold.

My impressions: This book was both sweet and stomach-turning in spurts. It was lovely reading about how Mandy turned the dilapidated little cottage into a delightful quasi-residence by beating back the weeds, cleaning out the house, and planting flowers. It was painful to read about the measures she took to ensure it remained a secret: lying, stealing, sneakily borrowing items, and refusing to confide in anyone. It is an interesting painting of a person - one who is selfish and willing to do whatever it takes to have her way, but also a child who is hurting and lonely and longing for a home and family so strongly that her desire comes out sideways. The author does well to not really justify Mandy's actions, but sometimes implies how such a child comes to express herself in an unhealthy way. It ends as a story about an orphan should, so the ending hits nicely, as well. SPOILER HERE: It makes a smaller resolution post-illness-climax extremely important because it shows Mandy recognizing her selfishness and trying to not let it affect others when she has to return to the orphanage, which I thought was a good move - especially since there was quite a bit of story left. This book didn't have a strong plot, but it had more than those stories which just follow a season or year in the life of a child or group of children and the everyday adventures they have (sorry, E. Nesbit - not my style). It was a sort of in-between story. So, Mandy is a conflicted character. She's a heroine who makes lots of poor decisions, but I think it's pretty clear that the narrator isn't condoning those decisions when they are made, making this book one that I think would be appropriate for elementary-age readers. It has many sweet moments, so adults might appreciate the story, too. 

You Did It to Me, by Fr. Michael Gaitley

Father Michael explains the importance of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and outlines in detail what specific things Catholics can do to perform those work of mercy.

Why I picked it up: I needed a book to read in the mornings after I meditated on the Mass readings for the day and I saw my husband had all the Fr. Gaitley books in his possession; I hadn't read this one yet.

My impressions: This book has brought the works of mercy more to the front of my mind. I can think of several situations in which I've tried to do an act of mercy because of this book, or consciously thought about making an act I already do an intentional work of mercy. Thinking of those examples reminded me to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory just now. In that way, this is a good book to read. It is straightforward, extremely practical, and conversational. I feel bad about saying this, but I tend to not appreciate Fr. Gaitley's more conversational style of prose. A small chunk of the last part of the book was dedicated to lengthy appendices that I chose not to read; the main content of the book was good for me. I think this is a good book for those who feel like they may be stagnating in their faith life a bit; as in, they're not necessarily falling away from God, but they're not doing anything particularly faith-nurturing from day to day. It's also a great book for those who need practical applications for what they read, as well as the details of how to make it happen.

Ragweed, by Avi

Young country mouse Ragweed catches a train ride to a city, Amperville, learns about city mouse life, and clashes with a cat duo that want the mice element rousted from their city.

Why I picked it up: I needed to read a librarian-recommended book for the adult summer reading program and I wanted an easy read.

My impressions: Yeah, I wasn't too impressed with this book. There were some annoyances - a weak plot that didn't draw my interest; the main character picking up city slang and saying "like" every five words; a strange half-developed love triangle in the last part of the story...but I think what really prevented me from liking the story was I didn't develop any emotional attachment to the tale. I didn't particularly like the characters, although they were all distinct and Avi sometimes walks the reader through characters' backstories and motivations. They were there, doing things, and the problem was solved because main mouse was just a bit more clever - or desperate - than the others. The one part of the story that I really liked was one in which a little girl researched mice for a school project and brought home books - some nonfiction, but several fiction, with Redwall being one of the fiction works! Redwaaaallllll! Although the story ends with Ragweed heading to the forest, and that sounds infinitely more interesting than city life, I'm not really that interested in trying to track down any sequels or related works. This book might be appreciated more by a younger reader, but I wouldn't recommend it as anything some has to read.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, by Lucy Knisley

A young cartoonist grew up in a family of food lovers and created a memoir of her life, as depicted through memories of food.

Why I picked it up: Summer reading program requirement and it was the best recommendation I had from a Facebook book suggestion post. 

(Seeking a recommendation was actually a very funny experience. I went to a FB group that usually has amazing book suggestions, especially in children's literature, which I love. 

This is part of what I posted:

"Any recommendations on an enjoyable, not-too-demanding graphic novel? I enjoy a bunch of British authors (CSL, Tolkien, Austen, etc) and definitely like children’s books, too!"

This is some of what was recommended:

4 books about World War II or those who survived it

1 book about the Great Depression

1 book about growing up in a refugee camp

1 book about if a famous superhero had been raised in the U.S.S.R. instead of the U.S.

1 book about a girl living in the Middle East and the influences of political ideologies and Western culture

The Walking Dead (in jest)

I did not see how the wording of my suggestion question implied anything other than a request for something lighthearted and easy, but here we are, looking at recommendation for reads about the generational impact of war or serious politico-economics.

There were also some books that fell outside my scope of interest, although they met the criteria of what I was hoping to consider. And, there were actually looked interesting enough to me to add to my "to read" list! 

Bea Wolf

Queen of the Sea

Works by Ben Hatke (Zita the Space Girl being one, I think))

My impressions: I think what I liked best about the book were the illustrations of food - it all looked delicious! The author had some fun reflections, like how her chocolate cookies differed from her mother's, and how she didn't write off fast food just because it was unhealthy (after all, some of the best gourmet food, she points out, is pretty unhealthy, too). I didn't find this book particularly life-changing...it was what I expect most illustrated food-based memoirs would probably be. I decidedly disliked Chapter 5 because it involved some more "adult" content. I also found parts of the book sad that the author probably didn't intend to be so - those parts being about the divorce of the author's parents and how that affected her. The book has me looking forward to going out to eat somewhere fancy sometime to relish the delicious food, but also questioning how much I really enjoy fine food when my palate is so uncultured. I wouldn't recommend this book to other people, as I see it mostly as "fluff" reading, and certainly would recommend that no one younger than an adult read it, but I also recognize I'm more on the sensitive side.

Bracket Play

It's been a long time since I made it through eight books in a single month. I definitely have to thank the inventors of audiobooks for that accomplishment.

Really, it was a straightforward bracket, even with there being more competitors than usual. I knew going into this bracket who the winner would be. All the same, we'll walk through the bracket. The original Wild Robot book beat the sequel - as original books so often will do. The new young adult fiction Jack Zulu lost without a fight to the classic, The Betrothed, while the unimpressive graphic novel fell to the spiritual reading work by Fr. Gaitley. Mandy easily beat Ragweed in the first round, but fell promptly to Fr. Gaitley's work. The Wild Robot was a fine book, but nothing compared with The Betrothed, which I've been recommending to other people all month. Manzoni's classic beat the spiritual book, but I have no qualms about that sort of thing this month - The Betrothed is just that good of a book, and it provides lots of content for meditation and spiritual reflection to boot.

It was really satisfying seeing the bracket fill up this month. Some of the books are more "fluff" than I would like, but I was reading them with the intention of achieving prizes for a summer reading program. I don't intend for this to be the case every summer, and I am already putting out feelers for an idea I have for next summer.

ASRP Review Part 2

 Activities for the Adult Summer Reading Program

Today, I'm going to take some time doing an inventory of the enjoyability and feasibility of the activities included in my local adult summer reading program. Then, I'll consider what I would prefer to see. Maybe I'll do my own reading program next summer.

Library Activities

Read a Title Published in 2023

This isn't a bad idea. I don't like it because it means I have to find a book that looks interesting to me, hopefully doesn't have too many sketchy parts, and has been published...in the last six months. That is extremely limiting. I'm sure that there are books that have come out in the last year or two that have found their way onto my to-read list, but keeping it to only the last six is pretty limiting. The books I know I'm interested in I'd probably have to buy because they would probably not be at the library. The 2023 books that the library carries are probably not interesting to me.

I'd keep this activity, but with a change: read a book that has been published in the 12 or 18 months.

Visit a Local Bookstore 

I appreciated this one. It is not specifically a reading activity, but it is certainly related. I love going to Eighth Day Books, so I hope that I can make this one happen. I also like that it supports any number of small local businesses.

Keep this activity!

Let a Book Teach You a New Hobby 

Nope. I have enough hobbies and if I want to pick up a new one, I'll get the books I need in my own time, not because it's on the bingo sheet. I could stretch the meaning on this one and take up origami or something for half a day, but I'm not interested in even that minimal level of effort.

I would get rid of this activity.

Complete a Lesson in Mango Languages 

This is one resource that our local library system makes available to patrons for free. I actually do intend to do this one because I'm going on a trip to Europe this year, but that's the only reason I'm okay with this one this time. I don't plan on doing more than the minimum for this one, but you never know.

I would get rid of this activity, helpful as it is this year.

Take a Tour on the History Walk 

So there's apparently an app (through the library, of course) that gives a guided audio tour of certain parts of Wichita. This is the last one that I have to complete to get my first bingo, but it's hard to make time for it. And go through the hassle of downloading the app and figuring out where to go. It's a good idea in theory - get people to explore their city, advertise a library perk, go out and move - but it's not working for me.

I'd get rid of this activity, too. I might be more amenable to it if there was a tour to take of the library or something book related.

Read a Book by a Local Author 

This was another activity that limited the list of potential reading material. I was surprised to see just how many people from my city are published authors, but it still made for a small pool of reading options. I'm picky, but since I've been frustrated with how hard it is to get a bingo, I decided to find something that hopefully complemented my interests and was a quick read. I lucked out with the quick read part - there's a book about 100 things to do in this city, and each item is about two-thirds of a page of large print. A few stretch to the second page, but it's fast. I feel like I already know my town pretty well, so it's not as thrilling as it could be, but it's getting the job done.

The only reason this one works is because we have a decent number of authors hailing from out city. I like the reading aspect of this activity, so I'd say keep it, but expand it to authors from the state. I think that would broaden the range of potential materials quite nicely.

Leave a Book Review on Our Hotline 

I had to look up more details about this one. It looks like the library-sponsored podcast takes book recommendations on a hotline. So, one calls the number, states some information, and gives a 1-2 sentence recommendation about why they recommend the book. I didn't pay enough attention to the podcast episode I listened to to know if they actually air these recommendations, but I'm assuming that's what they do, not unlike the kid's recommendation portion of the "Read Aloud Revival" podcast.

I did it just now. I typed out the essence of what I wanted to say and stupidly gave my last name. What was I thinking? Anyway, I recommended Manzoni's The Betrothed - no surprise there, as I've been recommending it to pretty much everyone I've talked to about books! I did one take and gave the information requested by the recorded voice. I hope I never have to hear myself say it on air - I'm pretty sure I'd feel self-conscious about my voice and the whole thing, really.

I see how the possibility of being featured on a podcast could be appealing, but it doesn't do much for me. I'd much rather see an activity where you recommend a book to someone else.

Listen to One Episode of Read Return Repeat 

This is the podcast sponsored by my library - another sort of advertisement for little-known library entertainment, I'm guessing. I listened to an episode. That's it. I'm not subscribing to it or planning to listen to it.

I was about to say I'd get rid of this activity, but changed my mind. I think it'd be better to change it to listening to a podcast episode either about books or featuring an author.

Do an Act of Service 

I think I see why they have this one - acts of service are good. But it's fluff. It doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with reading.

I'd get rid of this activity.

Earn Genius Level on the NYT's Spelling Bee 

This activity is one that is free through the public library system - great if you want to spend time on word games, kind of frustrating for those who don't. I completed this one without Googling what other words could be, but this would probably be an easy activity to cheat on.

I'd get rid of this one, too.

Attend a Library Adult Program 

Nope. I don't want to go to an adult program. I mean, it would be fun to learn how to make pickles or bring a handcraft to work on with other handcraft enthusiasts, or even take a class on how to make things with Cricut. But I don't want to dedicate time to going somewhere and doing things when I'd rather be at home with my husband or hanging out with friends.

I see why this activity is here. But I'd still get rid of it.

Read a Book to Someone Else 

I like this one. It could be as simple as reading a picture book to a kid. The only downside is that, if you live alone, it's going to be really hard to do this. 

This works for me, so I'd keep it, but I feel bad for people who don't have anyone to read to.

Check Out an Item from the Library 

This was the free space item, and I thought it was brilliant! It makes sense that a library reading program would have you check out at least one thing from the library. 

Keep this activity!

Watch a Movie on Kanopy 

Library service advertisement! When I looked up Kanopy on the Google, it said that this is a site for watching what I think they called "art movies." When I hear "art movies," I think of movies that are artistic and serious and depressing and not likely that I'll enjoy. Harrumph. However, I did discover that there's a movie on there that looks interesting - The Secret of Kells. I do look forward to watching it sometime...assuming I don't run out of time.

I'd change this activity to be something like "Watch a movie based on a book."

Visit a Local Museum 

I think there is some reading of signs to be done at museums, but I don't really see what this has to do with a reading program.

I'd get rid of this activity.

Read a Book Less Than 150 Pages 

I liked this category a lot. I felt like it recognized the need to have reading in a summer reading program, but honored the fact that adults aren't going to have tons of time. It would have been easy to pick up a picture book (and I still might), but this seems like an activity that's very doable.

This activity is a keeper.

Listen to an Audiobook

As someone who already listens to audiobooks, this worked well for me. It's not reading, but it taps into literacy because of exposure to language and storytelling. This activity would probably be harder for someone who isn't tech savvy, but it's easy for me to get into the library app (and this was a library advertisement activity that didn't bother me). 

I'd keep this activity.

Prepare a Recipe from a Library Book 

I'm already prepping food. I'm gonna use one of the ten-ish cookbooks I have at home. I don't want to go to the trouble of checking out another one from the library.

I'd get rid of this activity. Or actually, I think I'd change it. Make a recipe from a book.

Submit a Short Story/Poem to Library Publication 

This is another advertising activity, in my opinion, but I don't find it too egregious. However, I think it might be asking for a little too much. It's one thing to take in a book - it's another entirely to come up with an original composition.

I think I would ditch this activity.

Visit a "New to You" Library 

I both liked and disliked this one. I think it's a fun idea, but what happens when you've visited all the libraries close to you and you have to drive out of town to find one? This could end up being a lot of trouble...and if the library is in a system that you're not a part of and is far from you, it would just be a tour - it wouldn't be realistic to check something out.

I'm not sure that I'd keep this one. Strangely enough, I think I'd like to change it to something that's actually a bit more restricting. In our area, we have multiple colleges and universities - I think it would be fun to have people see what sorts of books are available at a local university, and then get a community library card, if warranted.

Attend a Book Discussion 

This one was easy for me because I cohost a group that meets to discuss books. This one works for me, and I talk about books informally, so I think I'd keep this one...although maybe I'd make it so you could just talk about books with someone. I'm not sure.

Graphic Novel Time 

This one had mixed results for me. I think with the right book, I wouldn't enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favorite. On one hand, I think graphic novels are a quicker read. On the other, I'm not sure this is my cup of tea. But that's the beauty of a summer reading program, isn't it? Getting you outside of what you usually do?

I think I'd better keep this one.

Take a Class on LinkedIn Learning 

No. No interest and it's in a good spot to skip on the bingo card. I suppose I should actually look up what some of these classes might be.

I just did. Still no. These are all classes that have to do with professional stuff. I don't generally enjoy professional development for my own specific field as it is. I don't want to spend extra time on stuff that I don't need and don't find fun.

As a firm believer that a summer reading program should be fun, I hereby declare that this activity is far too useful and not leisurely enough to keep.

Read a Librarian Recommendation 

This was an interesting one. I was delighted by how the librarian recommendation system works in our library system, and it was cool to learn that there is such a thing. You enter what genre you're interested in, maybe some specific topics or similar books you've read, and presto - just later that day, I received emails (I put in two requests) with about five book recommendations. I didn't actually end up enjoying the one I picked all that much, but it was a cool experience.

I'd keep this activity, or change it slightly to allow for anyone to recommend a book to you.

Take a Tech Class

This was one of my least favorite activities. It was one of the ones that made me feel like the library is just trying to advertise its non-literary services. I'm planning to not do it. I don't need to take a tech class, and the upcoming one that I could find on the library calendar is about Mac computers. I own a PC, not a Mac, so not only would the class take up time that I could be spending on other things, it would be useless information for me. 

I would definitely get rid of this activity.

My Summer Reading Program Lineup

Of course, I now have to record what I think would be good for a summer reading program.

Ideally, I'd have it be like the reading program of my childhood - every 20 minutes of reading gets you closer to a prize. However, as that would be too easy, I'm going to keep the bingo format. I've heard the Read Aloud Revival host, Sarah Mackenzie, speak with podcast guests about their reading programs, and the bingo setup is not too far off the mark.

Keep:

1) Visit a local bookstore

2) Read a book to someone else

3) Check out a book from the library

4) Read a book less than 150 pages

5) Listen to an audiobook

6) Attend a book discussion (or 15-minute bookish conversation)

7) Read a graphic novel

Only 7 of the original 25 activities remain mostly intact.

Change:

Another 7 activities remain, some more recognizable than others.

8) Read a book published in the last 18 months

9) Library scavenger hunt (to tour the library)*

10) Read a book by a Kansas author/author from your state

11) Read a book recommended by someone else, and recommend a book to them

12) Listen to a podcast episode about a book, work of literature, or author

13) Watch a movie based on a book

14) Make a recipe of a food from a story

Add:

I want there to be more reading-based activities. so I hope to bulk up on those with these additions.

15) Reread a book

16) Read a book that's over 100 years old

17) Read for 30 minutes inside a local coffee shop

18) Read a book that was originally written in a different language

19) Read one book that is sitting on your shelf

20) Read an essay

21) Memorize a poem that is at least 12 lines long

22) Read an auto/bio/hagiography

23) Read from a magazine for 15 minutes

24) Research a topic of interest for 30 minutes at the library

25) Write down 10 quotes from the books that you read over the time of this challenge

*Library Scavenger Hunt

I needed a way to think of how someone could give themselves a tour of the library, so I thought a scavenger hunt might do the trick. These are some things one could do.

- Log onto a computer

- Visit the archives section

- Ask a librarian a question

- Find a book that is in a different language, or a book that was translated to English

- Find a book that was originally published over 200 years ago

- Find an encyclopedia (or other reference book, if encyclopedia sets are obsolete even in libraries)

- Look up the word "donkeyman" in the Oxford English Dictionary

- Find a book by an author with a last name starting with "X"

And there are lots of other ideas on lists out there on the interwebs. But this could be a fun way to look at the library through fresh eyes!

Conclusion

I think this would be fun to actually do. I might reach out to friends and family, make it a challenge, and say that at the end, we'll all go out and get ice cream - the ice cream is on me for anyone who completed all 25 activities (got a blackout bingo). It could be a fun way to finish up summer, and maybe this could be a fun activity for our Books and Beverage group.

ASRP Review Part 1

 Adult Summer Reading Program: Fun At Last! Or is it?

When I saw a friend's Facebook post about the local public library system hosting an adult summer reading program, I was so excited that I messaged friends and suggested that we all take a look at it and give it a go! 

After all, it didn't look too bad: load a free app, complete activities on a 5-by-5 digital bingo board, and earn free sandwiches or comparable prizes. It sounded amazing! The prizes, at least, sounded better than what I remembered from teen reading programs - useless trinkets that went to Goodwill in a few years. The possibilities of the program had me signed up and raring to go almost as soon as it started.

Now that the program has reached something like its halfway mark, I thought it was time to review my experience of it so far.

No BINGO Yet

I have completed 9 out of 25 activities and have collected no bingos at this time. Halfway through the program timeline, I haven't cashed in once. It's the vagaries of not being able to choose where the activities fall that I'm more likely to try. I'm so close to having one or two bingos, but some of these activities take time and planning to do. Some are more time-intensive than I want to dedicate the time to complete. It probably works well for the library not having to hand out sandwich vouchers to me every two days, but it's hard for me to maintain motivation and excitement. Maybe things will improve once I get some momentum rolling on claiming prizes.

Activity Choices vs. Reading Options

As a child, I remember that I would earn points or prizes for every so many minutes of reading. The children and teen reading programs this year allow participants to decide their own goals. Not so for adults! Only seven of the 25 activities have to do with reading (or listening to) a whole book; another three are built around the expectation that a book will at least be referenced by the participant or read in part; and another several are at least related to books, although no reading is required there. That means that 50%-60% of the adult summer reading program doesn't really have anything to do with reading books.

I've been thinking about why the library went in this direction with their adult program, why they placed so much emphasis completing activities that are not reading-oriented. One reason that occurred to me is that maybe the library planners figured a reading-heavy program would be a hard sell for adults. Most adults have to work during the day, so there's not much time for reading. But this reason hardly satisfies me. If I don't have two hours to devote to reading at home, I'm going to find it a very hard sell to devote two hours to an evening tech class away from my husband - who I get to see only in the evenings - at a library that isn't just down the street from where I live. I don't need to take a tech class and it doesn't sound fun. Reading sounds fun. Why can't adults set their own goals, like the kids and teens can? Maybe we'd set our bars low and take advantage of the partial meal vouchers. 

Maybe there's another reason. This second one springs from the selection of activities chosen: perhaps this program is actually an advertising scheme. It's a way to promote services that the library supports besides the provision of reading material. I probably would never have listened to an episode of the library's sponsored podcast if it hadn't been on this bingo sheet, and I'm telling you that it's extremely unlikely that I'm going to listen to a second one. I'd rather be reading or listening to a podcast that interests me.

Or maybe there's another reason - a more altruistic one. Maybe the library wants adults to have a little adventure. With kids and teens, the concern is that they'll stop reading over the summer and lose some of their skills, which will set them back a bit when school starts. But with adults, maybe the assumption is that we spend too much time sitting down anyway and we need to get up and move around a bit. I find this line of reasoning unconvincing, but it's a possibility.

Present Summary

More likely than not, there's a combination of factors at work behind the activity options for the adult summer reading program at my local library. I have been somewhat disappointed with how difficult it has been proving to achieve the coveted food prizes, as well as with the dearth of true reading activities. However, I recognize that there are also likely multiple reasons behind why this program has been designed this way. I have more thoughts, but that will come in a different section. Ciao for now!

Thoughts on Manzoni's The Betrothed

 Thought on Manzoni's The Betrothed

Look at me using italics now that I know it's proper!

I kept telling my husband about different parts of the book as I read, so I certainly have some things to say here about it. Some of the thoughts will be short snippets, and others will be more developed. 

Read no further if you wish to avoid spoilers!

I love Fra Cristoforo; he is what I tried to do with my Friar Tuck character in my novel attempt, but executed perfectly. He and one of the monks at the end had some great lines and helped me think about what true humility might look like. 

I was surprised at just how much trouble Renzo could get into in 24 hours in Milan. Really, it's kind of impressive that he goes from "visitor from the country" to "most wanted criminal" narrowly escaping execution in that timespan.

The section about Gertude, or "The Signora," was heartbreaking and disquieting and disturbing all at once. Boy, did Manzoni make that part plenty real enough! I found it quite telling that he referred to her by multiple names - "Gertrude" or "The Signora" or "the nun of Monza" - but never by the name she would have taken on when she professed her vows. She is never "Sister So-and-so." Using the name she would have had in the convent would have indicated that she had taken on a new way of life and become, in a way, a new creation. She never did - her body entered the convent and she vowed herself to living the life of a nun, but in her heart and actions, she did not live out those vows, making it appropriate to call her by the various other names.

I thought the conversion of The Unnamed was dramatic - as in, a bit melodramatic - but at the same time, it worked. My first thought was, "Really? God starts planting seeds of dissatisfaction in this man's life just before Lucia shows up, so that he can convert and help her? After all those years of living an unrepentant life of evil works?" And my second thought was...yes! God's works are providential, in literature as well as in real life. I see God's hand at work in so much of my life - including finding my husband, my vocation. Is it that surprising to see God's hand so clearly at work in a story? Certainly not! Tolkien hid providential workings a bit more in his work, but Manzoni describes it clearly in The Betrothed without ever stating outright that the hand of God was at work. 

Writing of The Unnamed leads onto two more trails of thought. First, Manzoni's characters speak of God without self-conscious embarrassment or in didactic treatises. God is a part of life, and when the characters pray to Him, it is sincere, not showy; natural and not pretentious. It was beautiful, and at times, inspiring, to see characters turn to God in their need, placing their trust in Him.

The second trail has to do with Ignatian discernment of spirits. There were several points during the novel that I felt illustrated different aspects of discernment of spirits. The clearest instance of this was in The Unnamed's conversion. After years of living in sin, the good spirit pricks The Unnamed's conscience, taking away his pleasure in past and present evil deeds. He even tries to bring up memories of acts that once gave him pleasure, but they are no consolation to him now. The evil spirit tries to prompt him to commit suicide, but The Unnamed is preserved from this and the good spirit continues its work by drawing him towards the good via the providential arrival of Cardinal Federigo Borromeo. A conversation with this holy man confirms The Unnamed in his resolution to change his life, release Lucia from her prison, and make amends for his past deeds. It was quite exciting to see this sample of Ignatian spirituality play out in great detail and pathos.

The other slice of Ignatian spirituality that stood out to me was that Lucia pledged herself to give up her engagement to Renzo and take on a life of virginity in a moment of great duress. I learned that we should not make major life decisions when we are Hungry, Anxious/Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT), and Lucia was most if not all of those things when she decided to pledge her virginity to our Lady if Mary would only help her escape the danger she experienced. I loved how Fra Cristoforo resolved the difficulty at the end, stating, "Our Lord, my daughter, willingly accepts sacrifices and offerings when what we offer is our own. It is our heart, it is our will He wants; but you cannot offer Him the will of another to whom you were already bound." (pp. 575-576) This line has returned to me in the days since then, thinking of how I can make personal sacrifices without making them sacrifices for others. Fra Cristoforo goes on to ask her if she ever asked anyone advice about her resolution or opened up to anyone about it; the evil spirit wants us to not disclose some things, but once we speak of them, those thoughts or temptations can lose their power. It was really fascinating to see some of these principles of discernment of spirits play out in the story.

Joseph Pearce wrote about this book in Literature: What Every Catholic Needs to Know, and I believe he pointed out that there multiple characters are contrasted with each other in pairs - the Signora and Lucia, Don Rodrigo and The Unnamed, Fra Cristoforo and Abbott Abbondio, and Fra Cristoforo and several others. In fact, I would go a step farther and argue that much of the conversation that drive the novel forward are one-on-one interactions. There are plenty of group episodes, but the really powerful and impactful parts often happen in conversations between just two people.

I appreciated that Manzoni wrapped up all the loose ends by letting us know what happens to, or at least reaching a good stopping point for, all the characters we came to know by name.

I'm going to end by talking about my favorite part of the book, and one of my favorite characters: Cardinal Federigo Borromeo and his conversation with Abbott Abbondio. I regret to say that Abbott Abbondio, ridiculous and weak-willed and self-centered, is amusing to me and I see a lot of myself in him. I pray that God will help me to be strong in moments when I'm faced with the choice to do right or wrong, but I can absolutely see how I could be like him. He made poor choices from a great desire for self-preservation and mentally dwelt on his frustration with what seems to be lack of consideration for him on the part of everyone else. How easy it is to form an inaccurate idea of a situation when I am the only person I'm thinking about! 

Anyway, I loved the whole conversation between the two men - this was another moment of beautiful contrast, this time, happening between a great man who humbled himself and loved every priest and layperson under his charge, and a small man who exalts himself and his own preservation over the needs of the poor laypeople in his care. This long excerpt comes from a long conversation between the two men; the cardinal is asking Abbott Abbondio about what played out in his heart when Renzo and Lucia were in need of his priestly office to marry them in the face of opposition from a powerful bully.

"Have you forgotten that whenever you need courage to carry out your obligations in this ministry, however you started in it, there is One who will give it infallibly if you but ask for it? Do you think that all those millions of martyrs were courageous by nature? That they naturally held life of so little account? ...They all had the courage, because courage was necessary; and they had trust. Knowing your own weakness and your own duties, did you ever think  of preparing yourself for the difficult situations that might overtake you, that have overtaken you? Ah! If you have loved (as you must have loved) your flock for so many years of pastoral labours, if you have put all your heart and your cares and your delight in them, then courage ought not to fail you in the moment of need. Love is bold. Surely, then, if you loved those who have been entrusted to your spiritual care, those whom you call your children, surely, when you saw two of them threatened together with yourself, ah, surely then love must have made you tremble for their sakes, as the weakness of the flesh had made you tremble for your own? You must have felt humiliated at those first fears, because they were the result of your misery. You must have begged for the strength to overcome them, to expel them as a temptation. At least you must have felt that holy and noble fear for others, for your own children, that fear which must have given you no peace, that must have urged you to do everything possible to avert the danger that was threatening them...What did this fear, this love, inspire in you? What did you do for them? What did you think of doing?" (p. 398)

That's a great reflection for me as I pray one day to have children entrusted to my care.

Manzoni's work made me cry and try flipping forward a few times to find out how things ended up. It was a great work and I hope more people have the chance to read it some day; then they can come and talk to me about it!

May 2023 Book Bracket

I was frustrated when I had as many false starts this month as I had books completed. However, that doesn't detract from how good some of the finished books were, and it is a little encouraging to think that maybe I'm doing better at dedicating time to better books or books that I know I'm enjoying or learning from (for reference, see a blog post from earlier this year where I talked about focusing my reading list).

Books Read

Interior Freedom, by Fr. Jacques Philippe

A fantastic spiritual writer outlines what is necessary to enjoy true interior freedom.

Why I picked it up: I acquired this book at the Spiritual Life Center because I knew I wanted to read more of his works than the St. Therese of Lisieux book and Searching for and Maintaining Peace.

My impressions: I admit that this book was actually finished the last day of April. However, I made it a May read because I already had four books for April's bracket - four being a beautiful number for a bracket, and multiple books already being strong candidates for winning. There were many wonderful quotes that I wrote down.

"Freedom can be diminished by overly strong attachments, by a dependence on someone whom we love too much (and in the wrong way), who becomes so indispensable to us that we partly lose our autonomy. But a refusal to forgive also binds us to the person we resent, and diminishes or destroys our freedom. We are as dependent on the people we hate as on teh those we love in a disproportionate manner." (p. 66)

"Only if we take our own conversion seriously do we stand any chance of seeing out neighbor converted too...It does more good to seek to reform our hearts than to reform the world or the Church. Everyone will benefit." (p. 75)

It was a lovely book and I felt called by it to try to overcome my tendency to try to live justified by the law, rather than living out of a place of faith, hope, and charity. It's a work that I know I should go back to as my morning spiritual reading. It was a small book - very like "Searching For and Maintaining Peace", but perfect for taking in small chunks at a time. Though it did not use the term "spiritual perfectionism" and it was not focused on that subject, it did dovetail beautifully with the book The Heart of Perfection, which I read earlier this year and loved. I recommend this book to any and all Catholic high schoolers and adults as spiritual reading.

Shadows and Images, by Meriol Trevor

This historical fiction novel follows Clem through her adult life, with Saint Cardinal Newman being one of the other key characters, and his life interwoven through the tale.

Why I picked it up: I think this was one of those books that I had on my "try to read this year" list from February. I even accidentally bought it twice.

My impressions: Well, knowing that the author wrote a biography of St. Cardinal Newman in the 1960's probably shaped my idea of the novel. It felt like she said to herself, "I want to write a historical fiction novel about Cardinal Newman," and then realized from her research that his life wasn't quite the thrilling material needed for a book. It was done well, with more focus being placed on Clem at the beginning, but with Newman becoming more and more prominent as the story progressed. There wasn't a plot - following the life of a woman in Victorian England - but I didn't mind too much. There were some parts that I thought were appropriate really only for adults - that surprised me - so I wouldn't recommend this book to high school students. For example, there's an doubly awkward situation where a character is in love with a married man...and it's her first cousin. Yikes. I think the book had the feel of verisimilitude, and I reckon it was well researched. I found it a quick read, even though it was over 200 pages long. I was curious about what was going to happen. Some of the more poetic parts didn't do much for me, but some were rather lovely and demanded a second, slower reading. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't my favorite and probably won't be one I'll look to reread. However, it has gotten me more in the mindset to explore more of Newman's life and/or works, and especially to see if there's a version of his Apologia Pro Vita Sua that has footnotes explaining who is who.

Lead, Kindly Light: My Journey to Rome, by Thomas Howard**

This is the spiritual journey of a Protestant professor and writer from his beginnings as a Fundamentalist, to an Episcopalian/Anglican, to a Catholic.

Why I picked it up: I started listening to the audiobook on the Formed app within the last few months and decided it would be a good long-form break from podcasts during a teacher workday.

My impressions: The account is relatively short (five and a half hours, give or take), but clearly written by a man who did a lot of learning and soul-searching. He was no intellectual slouch. I liked hearing him talk about his experiences as a Fundamentalist and an Episcopalian/Anglican, because he didn't complain about it; he clearly loved Jesus throughout his life and seems to have had good experiences. He came across as having a very balanced approach, appreciating what was good in the different denominations and in Catholicism, as well as pointing out shortcomings of theology or lived faith, respectively. He talked about accepting some doctrines not merely as "blind faith", but as a trustful obedience to the Church he came to know as the safeguard of truth. Listening to his account and some podcasts I listened to around the same timed helped me think, "What would I say to someone about my reason for believing the Catholic faith?" and coming up with the answer, "Because it is true." This man sought Truth, trusted God to lead him, and sure enough, God brought him to it. I think this is a good work for cradle Catholics to read or listen to, because he does a great job of pointing out some things that might be missed or taken for granted for those who have lived the faith their entire lives. After listening about how others welcomed him into the Church, I want to be better at welcoming the "strangers" I encounter at my parish.

Embracing Edith Stein: Wisdom for Women from St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, by Anne Costa

One woman discusses her friendship with St. Edith Stein and outlines what she thinks women today can learn from her.

Why I picked it up: It was sitting on my sister's bookshelf and I felt the urge to snag this one, along with a couple others.

My impressions: I thought that book was a pretty good introduction to St. Edith Stein and hew works. I read a work by Alistair MacIntyre about her philosophical work in phenomenology and that was pretty brain-bending - it was really nice to have a more approachable approach to this woman and her work. I'm still not sure how difficult her works will be to read, but it was interesting to have a kind of overarching framework of what women might learn from her. Note, I said might learn because this book really was one woman's reflections on Stein's life and work. I think a lot of the conclusions she draws from considering the saint's life are the fruit of prayer and likely to be reflective of other women's experiences, but I couldn't help feeling that some of it was more subjective than objective. The parts of the book that I really liked included an early chapter that covered Edith's life in a brief-ish biography (one of my favorite parts), and pointing out a strong connection between Edith's work and JPII, who I've often heard was influenced by her, but always in a way that didn't seem to make an awful lot out of the influence. There were times when, based off the author's comments, I was wondering, if Edith wrote so much that is applicable to women today, why aren't more women, or people in general, familiar with her works? I do hope to read some her actual essays on women in the near future and get to the original source, but I'm glad to have dipped my toes into the water. I think this is a good book for those desiring an introduction to Edith, specifically regarding women.

Bracket Play

Four books makes for a nice, neat bracket! The one work of fiction fell to Interior Freedom, while the autobiographical account of an Anglican converting to Catholicism lost to the reflective work on St. Edith Stein. While I liked various aspects of the book about St. Edith Stein, Fr. Jacques Philippe's Interior Freedom won overall because it was excellent from beginning to end and is a work that I hope to cycle back to again for my morning meditation.

Books Started and Put Down

Tress of the Emerald Sea, by Brandon Sanderson

A young girl finds herself adventuring in a dangerous world of deadly spores and pirates to save her love from an evil sorceress.

Why I picked it up: A gal pal and I agreed to read this as part of our book-club-of-two.

Why I put it down: It was not bearing good fruit in me as I read; I was feeling very off when I put it down, and even when I tried to skim parts to find out what happened. I may just be very sensitive right now, but I didn't like the author's/narrator's tone and found some of his humor off-putting, as well as graphic descriptions of ways characters died. It's a little uncomfortable for me, knowing that I'm going to show up to a discussion of this book and having to admit I couldn't really handle it, but I want to be as present to my husband as possible, and this book was making it difficult. It wasn't all bad; there is a good bit of humor, but also some pretty high stakes for the main character. Sanderson has a great turn of phrase now and then and some cool characterization (I like what he did for Tress's father, for example). It's interesting, and while it has some politics, I thought it was not too heavy and helps advance, not hinder, the story.

May B, by Caroline Starr Rose

A book-in-verse tells the tale of Mavis, who must survive after events leave her alone in a sod house on the prairie with winter coming.

Why I picked it up: I heard the author speak on the "Read Out Loud Revival" podcast and thought it sounded interesting.

Why I put it down: I don't think books in verse do it for me. I don't consider them poetry, but I do think they use language and poetic structures beautifully. Out of the Dust was, from what I remember, somewhat depressing, and I found this one wasn't much better. It's tone sounded so negative to me and carried a strong sense of discontent from the beginning. It felt real, which probably works well for some people and for the story, but it wasn't the kind of real I was wanting. I'm waiting for a book in verse that is real about different emotions, (and settings), perhaps. It was quick reading and I appreciate seeing how much an author can pack into limited numbers of words, but if someone's going to write a survival tale, I'd much rather have it be like The Cay or Call it Courage or Abel's Island.

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, by Meik Wiking

The author explains what hygge is (as well as how it is pronounced), outlining what elements make for a nice, cozy feel in any setting.

Why I picked it up: I commented on it when I saw it at my sister-in-law's house, and she invited me to take it.

Why I put it down: The book wasn't bad. But it started going into candles and it just made me think of "Theology of Home", which I think I'd rather go through again instead of reading this new book which addresses a lot of the coziness, but without the heart or soul of a Catholic perspective. Also, there are simply too many books I want to read - and even more now that I'm listening to the "Read Aloud Revival" podcast and getting mountains of recommendations from that show.

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

The author delves into what happened when the Central Library of Los Angeles caught on fire in 1986.

Why I picked it up: I saw it at a garage sale and it had the look of one of those non-fiction books one finds on display tables at Barnes & Noble. I think one of my friends read it.

Why I put it down: Like so many other books, it wasn't bearing good fruit in me. It's aggravating, especially when some parts of it were so interesting, but some skimming revealed there wasn't going to be a straightforward account of what happened. There was a lot of personal experience from the author, which worked fine at the beginning, but was less interesting to me once I'd kind of lost my taste for the book. There were some personal details about one person I didn't like knowing and, of course, can't unknow now, and when the history of book burning came up...well, let's just say when the Catholic Church was mentioned, it wasn't commendatory. (I'm not saying members of the Catholic Church never make mistakes or act wrongly...it's just I feel like I've got a chip on my shoulder, and by habit feel skepticism about narratives that consistently seem to put the Church in a negative light.) Now, seeing as I skimmed most of the book, it is entirely possible the author made positive mention of Catholics or the Church and I just missed it. All in all, it's probably an interesting book for a lot of people who like libraries and books, but I found some parts dragging a bit - I wanted the action. It's probably just as well that I'm moving on because there are too many books I really want to read!

Further Thoughts on Embracing Edith Stein

One of these days, I'm gonna figure out what formatting I'll do for titles...italics for books and quotation marks for articles, or quotation marks for everything...and where do commas go when quotation marks go around a title? Do they go inside or outside the marks?

Well, I just looked it up on grammarly.com and it seems I've been doing it wrong. Major works are italicized, and commas go inside the quotation marks. Ah. It is good to know.

Alright, I wrote my notes up above for the most part, but some of the more striking quotes are going to be listed here.

"[JP II's] apostolic letters and encyclicals dedicated to the topic of women's issues are based largely on Edith's writings and have energized and inspired a whole new generation of Catholic women." (p. 79)

"In humility, a woman ultimately forgets herself; forgets both her shortcomings and accomplishments equally and strives to remain empty of self to make room for Jesus, just as Mary did." (p. 84) This is what I desire to reach.

"Today's generation of women seems to be asking, 'Can we really have it all? And if we can, do we really want it?' Even as the lives of women are more varied and creatively rich than at any other time in human history, our myriad of choices come with an equal number of distractions. The more responsibilities we have, the more potential stress we have. The more roles we play, the less likely we are to truly know ourselves. Even with the world as our oyster, so to speak, and with no limits to what we can become, women's sphere of influence still begins with our families and extends out into the world like so many concentric circles or ripples in a pond. And yes sometimes that pond feels like a virtual tidal wave when it comes to sorting through everything that needs to get done!

Some women have made the choice to stay at home against the tide of working women. Some are choosing to home school, embracing in a particularly concrete way their roles as the primary teachers of their children. Other women have the desire to carry this out but cannot due to economic responsibilities or other constraints on their families. Some women are raising and supporting children on their own. Others, though fulfilled by motherhood, see the value in also pursuing a profession that utilizes their gifts and talents outside the home. Still other women are not called to physical motherhood but instead take on the role of spiritual mother in the Church or in the community in which they live. And finally, we can't forget the women in our midst who are godmothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers; each on has a vital role to play." (pp. 26-27)

This section spoke to me as a woman who has been aggravated by the very traditional idea the women belong in the home...to the exclusivity of anywhere else, it sounds. This isn't Edith talking, but the author, who sees that every woman has some "vital role to play." In a way, Edith does seem to agree with the idea that women can and maybe should be in the regular workforce with the following line, quoted a little after the previous passage:

"The participation of women in the most diverse professional disciplines could be a blessing for the entire society." - Edith Stein, quoted p. 27

"The duties and cares of the day ahead crowd about us when we awake in the morning (if they have not already dispelled our night's rest). Now arises the uneasy question: How can all this be accommodated in one day? When will I do this, when that? Thus agitated, we would like to run around and rush forth. We must then take the reins in hand and say, "Take it easy! not any of this may touch me now. My first morning's hour belongs to the Lord. I will tackle the day's work which he charges me with, and he will give me the power to accomplish it." - Edith Stein, quoted p. 33

Edith understands! I want to remember that the first moments and routines of my day should be focused on God, not on things I want to check on my phone.

Edith "describes this maternal mission and calls woman 'to war against evil and to educate her posterity to do the same; this has been true of woman including the Mother of the Son who conquered death and hell, but it will have to remain so until the end of the world.'" (p. 87)

Boy, does this make women's vocations sound exciting! Fighting evil and teaching the kids to fight evil, too! Woohoo! It's not something just for physical mothers to do; it is something that is part of every woman's spiritual motherhood, and it seems more exciting and concrete to think of forming children as warriors fighting for God against the forces of darkness. Thank you, St. Edith Stein!

My Thoughts: Tales of Faith

 I don't expect this review to be quite as extensive, but there was enough in the first and last portions that I wanted to record my thoughts on this work.

The first chapter was, by far, my favorite part of this book. It's almost worth buying the book and having it around just so that I can access that first chapter whenever I want.

"Although this book has a practical purpose, I wish to emphasize at the start the importance of encountering literature on its own terms: as an experience that we enter into, and as something that we receive as a good in itself, not merely something that we use for other ends, however laudable." (p. 7)

"We need to be careful never to take a utilitarian approach. If we treat literature as a mere tool to achieve our purposes (however good those purposes may be), we will find that it breaks in our hands. In contrast, when we draw upon works of literature that are beautiful and intriguing in their own right, in a spirit of genuine appreciation, we can confidently invite others to join us in discussing these tales. There is no 'bait and switch,' only the confidence that these classic works of literature also lead us to reflect on the truths of the faith." (pp. 7-8)

I wanted to type out all of pages 8 and 9, for the most part, but I'm not sure that the copyright police would approve of my typing all that up here. Suffice it to say, it's all really good.

"Intellectual hospitality means seeking first to understand and only then to critique as necessary. It's in short supply these days, sadly undermined by our media consumption and by the generally polarized nature of discourse today. Our modern culture is a hypercritical one: our first reaction to anything different tends to be fault-finding." (p. 9)

This hypercritical attitude tends to be my default mode, as well. If anyone has a different perspective than what I think is right, then the judgment immediately starts. 

"It's very easy for an evangelist to end up always on the defensive. If we're only responding to objections, we never have the chance to make a positive case. We need to be able to turn the tables and show the goodness of Christianity." (p. 10)

I love this idea! We spend so much time in apologetics talking about talking points for how to counter questions or attacks on the faith...but as it says in the first letter of St. Peter, "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear..." (1 Pet. 3:15-16). We are called to be ready to give reasons for why we embrace the Church - it's not because of vacuums in reality (e.g., there was nothing better); it has to be because there is a positive, living something - or rather, Someone - that has changed us and our lives.

"Evangelization and discipleship are always slow processes if we are doing them well." (p. 12)

Chapters

Ancient Greek and Roman

And now, I'll spend a bit of time on specific chapters. The first one tackled some myths of the ancient Greeks. These works are super classic in pretty much every sense of the word, but it's not quite the flavor of literature that I enjoy reading for fun. However, I loved that one of the discussion questions highlight realizations I've already have; Jesus, the Lord, acts differently than Greek gods - and the comparison alone says a lot about Christianity. The other questions look like they'd be excellent for getting conversations going, as well. It was fun looking up some of the classical works of art inspired by this mythology. 

The next part of the first chapter addresses Homer's "Odyssey", and specifically, the encounter with the Cyclops. The additional resources listed have me wanting to look up C.S. Lewis' "Preface to Paradise Lost". The best discussion question, I think, asks readers to consider how the faith life is like an odyssey. The next segment of the chapter looks at "Oedipus Rex," most certainly NOT one of my favorite reads from high school. I don't have much to report on this part, so we'll move ahead to the "Aeneid", the classic epic written by the Roman Virgil. It was interesting reading about his journey through the underworld, and seeing where we get the meaning for the word "tantalizing". It was also interesting to think about Dante's "Divine Comedy" and compare the two different takes on Hell/Hades.

Medieval Literature

"The Dream of the Rood" was the first work considered in this chapter, and Ordway's explanation of it blew my mind - I don't remember learning that the speaker for at least part of the poem is actually the Cross. Ordway does a good job of providing necessary background information to help modern readers understand what is happening in the work and I appreciated that it didn't seem like she took too terribly long to explain, although some explanations were lengthy enough. "Beowulf" appears next, and I think it was good to have smaller snippets from different parts of the poem included instead of one long excerpt, because, (as I learned/relearned), Beowulf goes through some character development over the course of the poem. I thought her recommendations about translation choice were interesting - not going with Tolkien's translation because it "focused on linguistic accuracy" and was supposed to be a teaching aid, not a published work - ultimately listing Heaney's version as her preferred translation. That's cool, because I remember hearing Heaney mentioned in my Brit Lit 1 class as a major translator of this work. It makes me more interested in rereading "Beowulf" sometime.

The next part of the chapter talks about the elegy poems "The Seafarer", "The Ruin", and "The Wife's Lament". I didn't spend too much brain power reflecting on these in my review. I was, however, quite fascinated by the Exeter Book manuscript's long poem "Christ". I would be interested in learning more about parts I, II, and III someday. It was also pretty neat to learn about what the "O Antiphons" are (I hear about them every year during Advent, but never took the trouble to learn what they actually are).

The last work considered in this chapter is "Pearl", which I'd long seen on Newman's shelves in the bookstore, but never sat down to read. I was just fascinated by one question in particular, which asks the readers to reflect on the fact that many people find the idea of an afterlife boring. I admit that I've struggled with this myself, and it's led to some really cool discussions with my husband. I want to work on building up a positive idea of what Heaven might be like - for myself, but also for others if it comes up. While I personally struggle with the last "Chronicles of Narnia" book for various reasons, I really love how it makes Heaven sound like a place that would absolutely captivate everyone.

Late Medieval Literature

This chapter focused on the Divine Comedy. It's a work I've read and not really fallen in love with, so I'll skip over it. I'll just say that "Paradiso" is just as ethereal and hard to imagine (and really attend to) in excerpt form as it was reading it the first time all the way through.

Summarizing Last Chapter

Ordway does a nice job of wrapping up the book with ideas about how this book and/or the works in it might be practically discussed in real life.

"As to which texts to choose for your students: select texts that you, personally, find engaging and that you can have fun with. As the instructor, if you are enthusiastic about the readings, you have a good chance of helping the students to be enthusiastic as well. Of course, you should never expect enthusiasm - or at least, not visible enthusiasm. Teenagers and college students often make a substantial effort to act as if they are bored, because they are painfully self-conscious and afraid of the disapproval of their peers if they should do something so socially unforgivable as to enjoy what they're studying in school. But your enthusiasm and interest will not be wasted, and you may well find expressions of sincere engagement on their part coming through in their writing, even if not in person." (p. 171)

I don't plan to homeschool, but I like the encouragement to go with works I'm excited by if I'm going to read out loud or something. It dovetails quite nicely with my reading theory - life is too short to read books you don't enjoy. Of course, one can't realistically stay in one genre forever, so some stretching is good, but at least one is "allowed" to pick favorites from a wider selection to teach. It looks like those who like to practice liturgical living could really double down and work in some of these literary classics pretty naturally. And, of course, all the recommended resources for this final chapter struck my fancy. My to-read notebook is going to be getting pretty full in the next few days.

April 2023 Book Bracket

 April Book Brackets

I love and despise months like this, in which most books I finished were good, if not completely amazing. I wish I could spread the wealth to weaker monthly brackets!

With All Her Mind, edited by Rachel Bulman

This collection of essays by Catholic women explores the intellectual life in many of its facets, including especially its ties to the spiritual life.

Why I picked it up: It sounded interesting to me; what began as me trying to sneak in reading a gift before I gave it to a bridesmaid resulted in me getting a little food on the page and buying her a brand new copy. So now I own this amazing book!

My impressions: You can read all the impressions in the previous blog post. It was fantastic, with this being a conclusion that, although realized, truly came home to me only after reviewing each essay and typing out what stood out to me. I've said this in person and written it down as well, but this is one of the first "directed specifically at women" works that I felt encouraged me to pursue excellence and deep topics in the spiritual life. I highly recommend it to all women, Catholic or Christian and possibly even otherwise; I bet men could take away something from it too, but I don't know that they'd find it nearly as applicable.

Theology of Home, by Carrie Gress, Noelle Mering, and Kim Baile (photograper)

Women consider what a home is from a Catholic perspective.

Why I picked it up: The priest who was giving me and my now-husband marriage prep dropped this title during one of our meetings; I put it on the wedding registry, and one of my cousins very generously got it (and the second one!) for us.

My impressions: I hope to do a deep dive into my impressions of this work later, modeling it on the reflection I did on "With All Her Mind". However, I can summarize here. This book is great. I hadn't even gotten very far into it before I was recommending it to one of my sisters-in-law. This book moves slowly and just about demands that the reader take time to ponder its words. This book is beautiful, from the illustrations lining the inside of the cover to the photographs of real homes and families to the interspersion of text and picture. I make the same recommendation here that I did for "With All Her Mind."

The Blood-Red Crescent, by Henry Garnett

This fictional account of the Battle of Lepanto centers around the coming-of-age adventures of Guido as Europe readies for battle with Turkish forces.

Why I picked it up: I think this one had made it onto my "to-read" list at some point and it was available through the Formed.org app for free.

My impressions: I think the poem by G. K. Chesterton is better. This is a good book for folks who are or were enamored of the tale of the Battle of Lepanto; it's a full novel and has some exciting episodes in it. Although there are chapters here and there that have some very engaging action sequences, there isn't much in this book that's going to make it memorable - at least for me. I think its a solid work of historical fiction, but it was slow to get into and easy to put down after the more interesting bits ended; the pacing was not all that I hoped for, and the final battle felt like it carried equal climactic value with other action sequences. The writing style worked most of the time, but sometimes my progress would be arrested by the way something was worded (I know, I'm not really one who ought to make that criticism). However, there were some writing decisions that I thought worked well, such as naming specific figures, and giving some allusive hints about them (e.g., calling one Turkish captain a "Christian renegade") but not explaining any more - this made me want to learn more about them. Some people might like that certain historical figures appear and have speaking roles in this tale, but I didn't appreciate how Cervantes was portrayed - too much like his creation, Don Quixote, and not enough like the rather ironic person I imagine he was. I'm not sure that descriptions of the Turkish warriors sat well with me - perhaps it was a reflection of the views at the time and historically accurate, but I felt uneasy reading them at times. Some readers might find descriptions of violence and death in this book a little graphic. I think the best audience for this book would be young lads who want action and battles and the victory of good over evil.  I bet GKC would have appreciated this book.

Tales of Faith, by Holly Ordway

Evangelist and college professor discusses how pre-modern literature can provide fruitful ground for discussion and evangelization, building a base with excerpts from select works and discussion questions.

Why I picked it up: You know my story from how I got into reading "With All Her Mind"? Duplicate that, but exchange "food" with "water."

My impressions: This is a good book and makes me wish that I was formally working through literary classics with others. I don't desire that enough to actually go and do it, but it reminded me of some of the joys of being a college student. I absolutely loved the first chapter or so, as Ordway was laying the groundwork - her discussion of "intellectual hospitality" was especially excellent. I can't say that I loved the works she discussed, but it's alright to not love specific works - although it is beneficial to appreciate them. I'd recommend this book to high schoolers, college students, and those teaching them, as well as evangelists. 

Bracket Play

This was a great month of reading. I finished four books, all of which I'd started before my wedding. Three of the books were strong enough to make even part of the first round more difficult than usual. "With All Her Mind" won easily against the weak "The Blood-Red Crescent", which, though an admirable attempt at Catholic creative writing, was not a real delight to read. However, it was a little sad to see Ordway's "Tales of Faith" go down in the first round. I'm confident that the right book won, but I think Ordway's book is well done and has a lot of potential to lead readers and discussion groups towards great pondering. The second round was also a little saddening because I couldn't really pick both. Both of these works led me to slow down, think, and engage more deeply with what I was reading. I loved thinking about "home," as in, what it is, and what we are ultimately pointed to by our desires for a more perfect home. That hit me in all the right places. But I also loved considering what the intellectual life is, how it can be so well integrated with the spiritual life, and what I might consider doing to deepen it - and more importantly, my spiritual life. "With All Her Mind" won in the end - almost every essay having some delight to ponder or quote to take away - but "Theology of Home" was similar in that sense. It easily could have won in a different month. Well fought, books of April! Well done!