If I could suggest only two books about the current landscape of America right now they would be Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson about our prison system and the recently released Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America by Chris Arnade. I first heard of Arnade from my husband, Daniel, who started following him on Twitter ages ago. “Have you heard of the guy who sits and talks to people who … [Read more...]
Tyler Blanski’s An Immovable Feast Is the Spiritual Memoir of Our Generation
(For our podcast conversation with Tyler Blanski for the Fountains of Carrots podcast, click here). Tyler Blanski is one of my favorite living writers, so his spiritual memoir An Immovable Feast: How I Gave Up Spirituality for a Life of Religious Abundance being published by Ignatius Press has been my most anticipated read of 2018. A few years back I reviewed his fantastic book When Donkeys … [Read more...]
Why You Needn’t Bother with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Yes, I read it. And I’ve had a couple of weeks to process Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, this big disappointment of a play that picks up where the epilogue in the final book of the Harry Potter series ends. I love Harry Potter. I have always been stridently against Rowling continuing the story that was so perfectly completed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The series wraps up so … [Read more...]
A Must-Read Book (and Giveaway!): Diary of a Country Mother
Cynthia Montanaro’s exquisite book Diary of a Country Mother: A Year Remembering Tim chronicles the year following the death of her teenage son who took his own life. Although the grief of this great loss is woven through the pages, it is not a book of sadness. It is a brave and beautiful celebration of life. Anchored in the rhythm of the liturgical seasons, Cynthia recalls with joy the little … [Read more...]
Angel in the Waters: A Children’s Book Celebrating Life (Review and Giveaway)
When I'm pregnant, the older kids love watching little videos of babies in utero. I love to explain how big the baby is compared to objects they know and whats happening with our baby. Is the tiny heart beating? Can it hear their voices yet? Are it's eyes open? They're always fascinated to learn how the baby develops. They love a new sibling months before meeting her. It's one of … [Read more...]
I Bribed My Children With LEGO So I Could Read This Book (and a GIVEAWAY so you can read it, too!)
I've never pre-ordered a book. But when Jen Fulwiler's spiritual memoir Something Other Than God was available for pre-order on Amazon, I went for it. I've been a devoted reader of Jen's blog Conversion Diary for years and I've followed her process of writing and re-writing and then teaming up with an amazing publisher (Ignatius Press!) to release this story. But when my copy finally arrived, I … [Read more...]
Preparing for a Child’s First Confession (And Giveaway)
I don't know the first thing about how to prepare a child for the Sacrament of Reconciliation which is why I'm glad there's people like Kendra who are a few years ahead of me in the journey of motherhood and know what they're doing. And, because she's helpful like that, Kendra wrote a book about it! AND IT'S AWESOME. And she sent me one to give away! Hurrah! The crowd goes wild! My oldest child … [Read more...]
When Donkeys Talk: Book Review and Giveaway!
Soon after delving into Tyler Blanski’s new book, When Donkeys Talk: A Quest to Rediscover the Mystery and Wonder of Christianity (Zondervan 2012), I knew I had found a kindred spirit. And it wasn’t just because mutual friends kept showing up in the text: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Anne of Green Gables, Jane Austen, and even Martianus Cappella. You see, like Blanski, I have always been a … [Read more...]
