Welcome to the March 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
My husband has been listening to Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists See & What We Should Know by Charles Fraune. This spiritual warfare book gleans from the wisdom of a variety of exorcists, some of whose names are familiar, some not. The book’s stated purpose is to “help enlighten Catholics to the spiritual war in which we all find ourselves.” It has a nihil obstat and the recommendation of the actor (Jonathan Roumie) who plays Jesus on The Chosen, so there’s that.
Goodness! This next one has so many things that I love: a creepy Gothic vibe, a happily ever after, and a marriage of convenience. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise (whom I interviewed last year) is the fourth book in the Forest Tale series for Young Adults, but it’s a standalone. I’m only a couple of chapters in, but I don’t want to put it down.
One Blessing at a Time: All for One by Leslea Wahl is a short series of stories about characters from the Blindside Series and Where You Lead (as well as some short stories), whose lives intersect. (Sophie from The Perfect Blindside and Ryan from Where You Lead are cousins.) The stories are set before the two couples (Jake and Sophie, Ryan and Josie) have formed and are linked by an object that passes mostly unwittingly from one to the other. It’s a fun look at the characters and gives fans of the series a glimpse of what happened first.
The first book I’ve read from Christian romance author Nadine Keels is Reviving the Commander, a book I chose because I’d seen it recommended and was intrigued by the fact the hero wasn’t a young twentysomething but a mature, widowed father. I’m not a big fan of fantasy, but this is the kind of historical fantasy I can readily get into—essentially historical but in a fictional realm (like The Forest Tales above). I enjoyed both the story and Keels’ writing, and I’ll look for more from her in the future.
Leigh Ebberwein’s debut novel is The Blessing of the Celtic Curse. I love the cover, which captures the settings so well—two locations that really shine in this split-time story: Savannah, Georgia, and Ireland. I’ve visited neither, but both felt familiar by the end of the book. Young Kathleen leaves behind her fiancé to visit Ireland, chasing independence and a recurring dream. There she finds not only the peace and answers she seeks, but also Quinn, with whom she develops a close but short-lived friendship/romance that will have repercussions for her and her Savannah family decades into the future. This one needs another round of proofreading, so if you can’t turn off your inner editor, be forewarned.
My oldest son is finishing Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy at college. He’s reading The Last Command by Timothy Zahn. Interestingly, he’s found many tie-ins with the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. In The Last Command, the Republic has been attacked by Grand Admiral Thrawn with what’s left of the Imperial forces and clone soldiers.
In eighth grade, my daughter picked Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman to fulfill one of her genre requirements. Poetry is always the quick read when a student is looking to meet a quota. Short verses, short books. But when I read poetry, at least, I re-read so many passages that I doubt I save any words. I’m pleased that a short biography an a few poems in, my daughter has recognized the very American character of the poems.
My fourth-grade daughter snatched my review copy of Carlo Acutis: God’s Computer Genius by Ellen Labrecque. She discovered how much she has in common with Blessed Carlo including a love of Pokémon, ice cream, and—her favorite!—Nutella. She enjoyed that the book isn’t merely a biography. There are a lot of sidebar additions explaining related topics such as guardian angels, computer coding, leukemia, and links to Blessed Carlo’s websites.
My third-grade son picked up My Otter Half by Michelle Schusterman at the school book fair. He’s only just begun, but the description likens the book to a cross between Homeward Bound and Finding Nemo. Oliver, a determined sea otter, and Franklin, an energetic dachshund puppy, have to make their way through Puget Sound. But watch out! There’s an oil spill. I’m not sure I’d enjoy this one, but he’s enjoying it so far.
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Thanks for including One Blessing at a Time! As usual, all the books you listed sound so interesting – especially In a Dark, Dark Wood and the Carlo Acutis book – may have to check those out!
I’m almost finished with In a Dark, Dark Wood and have enjoyed it so much. I think I need to read more Gothic books!
I’m only going to read religious books for Lent, so I’ll be using your blog as a resource! 🙂
Great! I hope you find some good ones here.
That Blessed Carlo book sounds delightful-it’s neat that it’s engaging with sidebars, instead of only being a straight-up biography. (my children are currently obsessed with Pokemon and video games, so he is a favorite around here)
Everywhere I turn in my house lately I see a Pokemon. Books, cars, stuffed animals, video games, figures. It’s a Pikachu overload!
All the books you are reading this month sound intriguing! My youngest would probably love the otter book–she is obsessed with otters.
They are so cute! We have them at our local zoo and love to see them sliding and splashing. (Unfortunately, last time we visited they were only pooping.)