Welcome to the July 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I’m supposed to have more time for reading in the summer, right? I’m not working outside the home and the kids’ activities are diminished. Or they’re supposed to be. So far, my kids have had ample time for reading. Me, not so much, but I’m hoping to make room for more books as we ease into summer.

I quickly read Karen Witemeyer’s latest, To Love a Beast, a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in late 19^th-century Texas. It read so smoothly and was such a pleasant diversion. While the plot and characters had nods to the classic fairy tale, it was infused with a realism I enjoyed. As always, Karen Witemeyer’s books are well-written and include faith themes that resonate.

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Welcome to the June 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

We’re slipping into summer reading mode here. Several of the kids are re-reading familiar favorites or family-favorite classics I’ve shared here before. I’ve gotten everyone signed up for the local summer reading programs, and we’re looking forward to a summer where the students, at least, get a little more say in what’s being read. I’ll also be less inclined to tell anyone around here to put down their book and go to bed.

My husband has been listening to The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise by Robert Cardinal Sarah off and on. The book is presented as a conversation between Cardinal Sarah and Nicolas Diat and examines the importance of silence in hearing the voice of God and the detriment of a world filled with near-constant noise. (Is it too much to hope my husband will decrease the TV and podcast volume more often or turn off the white noise machine at night when he’s done reading this?)

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Welcome to the May 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

The Tire Swing by Crystal Walton is the light read I needed after slogging through some other books. It’s a small-town romance set in scenic Virginia. Ellie returns to Willow Creek to take care of her Aunt Bev’s estate—including a willful stallion. Cole, her high school love, never left Willow Creek, but a business opportunity might lure him away. They need to work through their past before they can build a future.

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Welcome to the April 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

March was a slow reading month all around in our household. As Lent progresses, I’ve been reading the short reflections in The Little Black Book: Lent 2025 by Bishop Ken Untener. The short book provided to our parish includes both a story or informative section on a saint, Catholic practice, etc., and then a brief passage of John’s Gospel with a reflection. Since I didn’t select any other Lenten reading, this has been a useful resource for me.

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Welcome to the March 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Courtney Wash’s My Lucky Charm is the second in her Holidays with Hart series of low-spice rom-coms featuring professional hockey players and the Hart sisters. This one, tied loosely to St. Patrick’s Day, uses the grumpy/sunshine trope to good effect. Gray’s grumpiness would make him unlikeable were it not for how the author allows the reader a look behind his scowls and reticence. He’s a man of few words and few smiles, but Eloise, in all her babbling hilarity, can see through his facade. Eventually. When it comes to her sunshiny attitude and her attraction to Gray, she just can’t help herself.

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Welcome to the February 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

After seeing the most recent Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, my husband’s interest in the folk singer/songwriter was renewed. He’s been listening to Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night that Split the Sixties by Elijah Wald. It covers not only Dylan’s artistic evolution from folk to rock and his relationship with other folk musicians but the political and cultural milieu.

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Welcome to the January 2025 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

For weeks, my husband has been sharing interesting facts from the book he’s been reading. Yes, it’s another book about alcohol, but this one has broader appeal, I think —Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by Camper English. Sure, if you’re at all familiar with history, you know whiskey was used medicinally. But what about an Old-Fashioned cocktail? From ancient to modern times, alcohol has been used to treat and cure a variety of ailments.

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Welcome to the December 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Following our Kentucky Bourbon Trail summer vacation, my husband has been listening to Buffalo, Barrels, and Bourbon: The Story of How Buffalo Trace Distillery Became the World’s Most Awarded Distillery by F. Paul Pacult. It recounts the distillery’s history from the early exploration of Kentucky to present day. It tells the story through American wars, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and more. Includes a variety of personalities and information about a variety of whiskey brands. This was one of our favorite distillery visits. Very family friendly and a great customer experience.

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