I didn’t quite hit my Goodreads reading goal this year. I usually do. But circumstances were different this year, and that meant less reading and almost no writing. I’ve also become pickier and pickier about what I read and more and more critical, a hazard of being a writer and consuming many books.
In looking back over the 90+ books I read last year, these five-star books stood out. I didn’t double-check, but I’m fairly certain these are all 2021 releases. (Or, in the case of The Work of Our Hands, late 2020.)
Teenager Evie Gallagher is stunned when her 45-year-old father dies tragically and suddenly. Too many unanswered questions accompany Evie’s challenging journey to adulthood. When she finally discovers the reason her father led such a troubled life, shock turns to anger. She is determined to find justice for her father.
Nervous about the first day of his freshman year, 14-year-old Hank Gallagher steps inside Holy Archangels High School for the first time in September of 1954. Although the majestic Holy Archangels statues inside the school’s grand lobby present an air of protection, it is not long before Hank passes right under them and into the hands of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Confused and cornered by threats, Hank attempts to abandon his secret to the past, but a horrible wound on his heart eventually leads to a catastrophic breakdown.
Based loosely on actual events, chapters alternate between Evie and Hank to reveal a life haunted by betrayal and a revelation of true justice and hope.
Welcome to the December 2021 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
Life has conspired to limit both my and my family’s reading time lately, but I still have some books to share! First, The ChristmasLights, a collective story written by six members of Catholic Teen Books, including myself, is now available as a 99-cent e-book. Following a prompt, each author contributed a segment to the story then passed it on to another author. Only the final author knew the ending until we read it aloud on the Reading With Your Kids Podcast. It was such fun! I re-read the story in preparation for publishing the e-book, and I could still hear each author’s voice in my head as I read it. Camilla and her family are on her way to visit her newly widowed grandfather for Christmas, but a hazardous snowstorm sends their vehicle into a ditch. Camilla must find help for her injured parents and little brother. Encouraged by a vision of her late grandmother, Camilla does find help—in the most unexpected ways. All profits from the e-book will be donated to Cross Catholic.
I’m about halfway through Ellen Gable’s soon-to-be-released Where Angels Pass, a story of a boy’s abuse by a priest and the ramifications for him and his future family loosely based on the author’s experience. I love that Ellen Gable deals frankly with the ways in which both the victim, Hank, and in particular his daughter, Evie, are harmed. The value of fiction shines in this story that allows the reader to understand how Hank’s trauma results in lifelong consequences.
Corinna Turner writes faster than I can read, I think, and her latest (coming soon!), A Saint in the Family, includes an addition to her I Am Margaret series. I’ve read the short stories and novellas contained in this edition separately, but I appreciated reading those that feature heroine Margo’s brother Kyle all in one place. Kyle is a hero in his own right in these side stories. I don’t know of any author writing as effectively about the day-to-day sacrifices that sanctify us as Corinna Turner.
My eighth-grade daughter finished Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson. I thought I’d entertain her by singing a poem to “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” but, even better, we discovered the poems, because of their meter, can also be sung to the Pokémon theme song. (I’ll spare you a link.) She’s not generally a big poetry fan, but she did enjoy these poems, which she read between her continuation of Edgar Allan Poe short stories from last month.
My fourth-grade daughter has picked up her older brother’s Jedi Academy series. She’s read the first three books in the series, written by Jeffrey Brown. (The subsequent books are written by a different author.) Star Wars Jedi Academy, which includes lots of illustrations among its chapters, is best described as Star Wars meets middle school.
I read Tomie dePaola’s David and Goliath aloud to my two youngest. The hardcover picture book has recently been published by Magnificat-Ignatius. The book sticks to the story in 2Samuel and goes a little deeper than the short, familiar retellings of David slaying the giant. (My daughter pointed out that she’d never heard the part about David beheading Goliath.) It makes clear the message that God is the one, true God, who comes to the aid of the small and lowly.
The Adventures of Loupio: Volume 6, The Quest by Jean-François Kieffer is part of a series of graphic novels from Magnificat-Ignatius that follow an orphan boy, Loupio, befriended by the wolf tamed by Saint Francis. In this volume, Loupio travels throughout Italy, dependent on Our Lady of Providence, braving cold, hunger, theft, and discouragement as he seeks a bell for Saint Francis. The illustrations are lively, and the text is simple enough for young readers (seven and up). A map in the back traces the path of Loupio’s adventure, and music and lyrics are provided for the melody Loupio sings trying to earn coins to purchase the bell. Books in this series would make a lovely gift.
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Welcome to the November 2021 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
The Halloween/All Saints/All Souls ‘spooky season’ means we broke out the Edgar Allan Poe collection. I rummaged through thirty, yes, thirty boxes of books in the attic several times until I found my lovely little Poe collection, Tales of Mystery and Imagination. This book was a gift to me many years ago. It’s small and portable and has a lovely ribbon bookmark and gold edging. My teenagers have been reading various stories, my daughter for pleasure, and my son for his short story reading group. I’m determined to at least revisit a few of my favorites, including “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
I finally moved The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden to the top of my list after hearing of so many people who loved it. The book is set in turn of the 20th century Washington, DC, and concerns the nascent workings of the Department of Agriculture in attempting to regulate processed foods. The history and politics surrounding that effort fascinated me, recalling some of what I’d seen in The Food That Built America (which I recommend). The wealthy spice company siblings in the book also intrigued me, but the romance between spice king Gray and civil servant Annabelle fizzled instead of sizzled.
A World War II debut novel with Catholic themes by a local author had been waiting on my to-read pile for some months. The Cross Our Compass by Mary Rose Kadar-Kallen surprised me in a good way. What started as an idyllic family story evolved into a war story of some depth, focused on the value of suffering seen through the lens of Christ’s death and resurrection. I would’ve preferred the story in a closer point of view, but I was still moved by the main character’s experiences in the European trenches.
Author T.M. Gaouette will soon release the final book in her Faith & Kung Fu series for teens, Loving Gabriel. I read an advance copy of the story that showcases the maturing relationship of Hollywood starlet Tanner Rose and devout country boy Gabriel. The novel will give teens lots to think about in discerning marriage and the importance of honesty and communication in intimate relationships. There’s also an element of danger and suspense that adds some excitement to the story.
I’m only a quarter of the way through a lengthy debut novel written by a teenager—Morning Star by Bennett J. Bauer. There seems to be limited availability—only through the publisher—but its completion is quite a feat for someone so young. It’s a little early to tell, but although the mechanics of writing are well executed, I think the story could use some tightening and revision for it to really grab the reader. Morning Star will appeal to young fans of historical adventure and piracy.
My kids all seem to be reading the same books the last couple of months. Two of them are reading Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. It’s interesting to compare the covers of the books. The more recent, pictured here, has a completely different feel and appeal than the original cover featuring a sleepy dog, which my son borrowed from the school library. My oldest also once enjoyed this story of a rabbit draining the juices from vegetables much as a vampire drains blood from its victims. Some silly fun for the season.
Honey in a Hive by Anne Rockwell provides kids (and adults) with a very thorough education in the lives and workings of honeybees. I recall someone telling me that they educated themselves on a variety of topics by reading children’s nonfiction books, and this one is a great example of what a valuable practice that might be.
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Welcome to the October 2021 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
We have a kiosk of Catholic books in the narthex of our church with rotating titles. My husband frequents it. A lot. Last month, he picked upMarching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ by Dan McGuire is a military-style guide to evangelization from Catholic Answers. The author mines his experience as a Marine officer and applies it to sharing the Gospel by planning, using the correct tools, overcoming obstacles, and more.
Rhonda Ortiz’s debut novel, historical fiction set in colonial America, is a romance populated by rogues, spies, gossipy hens, and crusty sailors. In Pieces, with its polyglot sailor who has a passion for theology, Josiah, and a strong, sensible, creative heroine in Molly, is a great start to a series I’m certain I’m going to love. Strong characters, solid writing, and attention to historical detail make for an excellent novel.
I enjoyed the second installment in Georgiana Daniels’ KC Crum Mystery series even more than the first. Crumb and Punishment picks up where the first book left off in Beaver Bluff, with KC and her mostly elderly pals stumbling across dead bodies. Their stealth investigation will take them to bingo, of all places, but even that can’t keep Office Hamson from discovering their involvement.
I read an advance copy of one of the stories in the yet-to-be-released 99-cent bundle Dangerous Pursuits: 15 Stories from Today’s Most Popular Mystery and Suspense Authors. Sleep Deprived by Therese Heckenkamp is ultimately a story about reconciliation between a grief-stricken husband and wife. The plot centers around a kidnapped infant and whether Mae, sleep-deprived and depressed, is the perpetrator. I’m looking forward to reading the entire collection.
The Party Planning Committee by Amy Matayo was just plain fun. And while it seems like an easy, superficial read (nothing wrong with that sometimes), there’s more beneath the surface, revealed when reality-TV life is scrapped in favor of real life. Charlotte and Lance are adorable, and like all Amy Matayo’s characters, their charm, biting wit and laser-sharp interior thoughts make them super fun to read about.
Susan Peek, who specializes in adventurous stories about little-known saints, recently released Saint Cloud of Gaul, The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms. This short novel has plenty of excitement, a lot of jeopardy, and a wee bit of romance. Cloud’s escape from his murderous uncles will keep your turning pages.
Speaking of saints, Corinna Turner’s Old Men Don’t Walk to Egypt is the second in her Friends in High Places series and demonstrates how relevant the virtues of St. Joseph are to modern youth. The author deftly tackles a pervasive issue among teens, sexting, in the most inoffensive way, focusing on virtue and modesty. Readers will recognize characters from the first book in the saint series.
In his first semester at college, my oldest son has been reading several short stories. One is Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Streetby Herman Melville. I read this one in college as well, and my only memory is that I preferred it to Melville’s longer work, Moby Dick, which I intensely disliked. Other stories he’s reading are The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet and The Birth-Mark by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
My eighth-grade student is reading The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare with her class. The novel, set in colonial Maine, is a Newbery Honor book. Thirteen-year-old Matthew is left to guard his family’s cabin in the wilderness and meets a Native boy, Attean, who teaches him about his culture.
My daughter also read The Fire of Eden by Antony Kolenc, which I covered here in August, and moved on to White Fangby Jack London, a book her older brother loved. (I’ve now been doing An Open Book long enough that we’re going to be cycling through books older siblings have read!) If you’re not familiar with the classic book or movie adaptions, White Fang is the story of a wild wolfdog. Fun fact: It was first serialized in a magazine.
I started reading Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes aloud to the kids. I learned of this award-winner in An Open Book post by Read-At-Home Mom. The story centers around the Pye family, headed by Mr. Pye, a “famous bird man.” We’re only a couple of chapters in, as the children, Jerry and Rachel, contemplate buying a pup, Ginger. Somewhere along the way, beloved Ginger is stolen, and I’m looking forward to seeing what ensues.
My younger daughter’s fourth-grade class will be reading a lot of books in the I Survived series this year, and they began with I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis. The story, set at the Jersey shore, features a 10-year-old, Chet, and his friends, that dramatize the real-life event. Let me just say that I’m glad they are reading this in September and not in the spring, in advance of everyone’s beach vacations.
Contributing to our apparent dog theme this month, my fourth grader is also reading a Magic Treehouse book, Balto of the Blue Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne. Some of my kids have enjoyed these books more than others. My oldest read dozens of books in the fun but educational series built on the premise of time-traveling siblings that get a lesson in a variety of historic events and cultures. This one takes them to 1925 Alaska, where they meet the Siberian husky charged with the final leg of the journey to get the diphtheria serum to Nome in time.
My youngest, a third grader, recently read Stuart Little by E.B. White. My husband, in particular, has a fondness for the little mouse adopted into the Little family. We recently re-watched the movie adaption starring Geena David and Michael J. Fox, and I was reminded what a lovely little story it is.
All three of the kids in the house have been spotted reading or re-reading various books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The latest to come home is The Getaway, the twelfth book in the popular illustrated series. I read the first several books before my oldest started reading them and thought that author Jeff Kinney had a keen, if a bit cynical, insight into childhood and family life. I’m not sure if the series has sustained its magic, but my kids, at least, seem to think so.
Saint Joseph, Watch Over My Family by Sabine du Mesnil is a beautiful board book from Magnificat US and Ignatius Press that I hope my children will turn to again and again. It introduces children to St. Joseph using scripture, shares the many and varied circumstances in which to call on St. Joseph, and includes prayers and miraculous tales. The prayers and recommendations for going to St. Joseph are beautiful and perfect for fostering devotion to this eminent saint.
Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!
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I’ll admit that I like a good rock star novel. Maybe it’s left over from my teen years, when I adulated some musicians a wee bit much. Maybe I like the grand gesture of someone giving up all the things the world prizes – fame, fortune, and celebrity status – for things more lasting, like love, faith, and family. At any rate, here are some novels with rock star characters that I’ve enjoyed over the years. Oh, and I’m interpreting “rock star” loosely here. Country stars count too.
This sturdy board book with bright, simple illustrations is an ideal introduction for very young children. It accompanies Mary, Mother of Jesus and Jesus, Savior of the World, so that toddlers can meet each member of the Holy Family.
