Welcome to the April 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Progress in my Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge has been abysmal! I’ve been trying to get back in the game these last couple of weeks, zipping through some books I’d been wanting to pick up. First, I needed a book to listen to on my way to pick my son up from college. Sadly, as I think I’ve lamented here before, I no longer have access to Hoopla Digital through our libraries. That was my go-to source for borrowing audiobooks. Luckily, we’ve got a free Audible trial going, and I was able to find a Jody Hedlund book to listen to for free.

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Welcome to the March 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

My husband has been attending That Man Is You at our parish for years now, and each year the members receive a book. This year’s is The Hinge of the Hail Mary: The Art of Praying the Rosary by Mark Hartfiel.  Inside are contributions by twenty authors, including Deacon Harold Burke-Slivers, Jason Evert, and Father Dave Pivonka. Four sections, with five lessons in each, cover the spirituality of the Rosary, intentions, and praying with others. The following sections offer reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary. Lessons are short, helping to make this a practical Rosary companion.

We’ve been experiencing some spring-like weather in February, and the warmer temperatures made me eager to dive into Margaret Rose Realy’s A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them. What a wonderful gardening book! Filled with beautiful illustrations by Mary Sprague, it is a guide to various plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers organized for ease of use in planning a garden with Catholic symbolism suited to your local environment. Find my full review at CatholicMom.

I’ve been reading Newearth: A Hero’s Crime by A.K. Frailey. This is the third book in a science fiction series. I’ve read the first and not the second, but I’m not having difficulty following along. I’m not too far in, so I’m going to give you the book blurb: “A planet-eating monster is heading to Newearth, and Cerulean is determined to find the one person who can save the planet. Allies living at home, investigating a distant planet, and flying through the universe must coordinate their efforts to fight off hostile enemies. Can human and alien worlds unite and build a future together?”

Amanda Lauer’s A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended, the fourth book in her Heaven Intended series of historical romances, straddles the line between sweet romance and historical nonfiction with a wealth of history concerning the Civil War-era South, particularly Georgia. Notable in this novel, which I’ve only recently begun, is the protagonist is a plantation slave.

For a cybersecurity class, my oldest son is reading The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll. Interestingly, the book was published in 1989, before the internet was as accessible to us as a glass of water. The author discovered at 75-cent accounting error that alerted him to an unauthorized user at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. From there he tracks the hacker “Hunter,” an international spy. The case eventually garnered the attention of the CIA.

For her Humanities class, my oldest daughter is reading Oedipus Rex, the first of the Theban plays by Sophocles. Ever so sympathetic, she said to me, “Poor Oedipus Rex. He didn’t know he was marrying his mother!” She had some previous knowledge of the play from her older brother and is truly enjoying it. Nothing says tragedy like unwittingly killing your father and marrying your mother, does it?

Both of my daughters quickly read and enjoyed Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl written and illustrated by Kim Hee-ju. Neither daughter seeks out graphic novels, been when one comes into the home, they will enjoy it. From the description: “Clare is a wealthy noblewoman with a handsome fiancé, but all she wants it to belong totally to Jesus. Her friend Francis preaches about giving up everything to follow Jesus, but Clare’s father wants her to get married and stop causing trouble.”

My youngest son picked out Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic! by Stephan Shaskan at the school book fair. I think he read it four times the day he got it. He even asked for Pizza and Taco on his birthday cake! I had no idea this book existed let alone was part of a series. I’m sure he’ll be asking for more. It’s a pretty simple graphic novel in chapter form. It’s well below this kid’s reading level but seems harmless.

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.

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Welcome to the February 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I’ve shared my love for Hoopla Digital here several times, but, sadly, our local libraries no longer support it. So, when I was looking for a short audiobook to accompany me on my drive from Virginia back to Pennsylvania, I turned to our Audible books. Stephen Crane’s classic The Red Badge of Courage fit the bill. I admired Crane’s use of imagery, but overall, this Civil War novel about a young man who romanticized battle then fled under pressure was a good but not great read. The main character, Henry Fleming, is referred to as “the youth” throughout, creating a distance from the character that I’d rather didn’t exist. Still, I thought the author did a great job of getting inside the youth’s head and experiencing his guilt, shame, pride, and nobility. Interestingly, the book is lauded as being a realistic war story, though Crane himself had no battle experience.

My oldest daughter and I both read The Merchant’s Curse by Antony B. Kolenc this month. She received the paperback for Christmas, and I read the e-book. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think it may be my favorite book in the Harwood Mysteries series thus far. Xan (Alexander) has left the abbey to be a merchant’s apprentice to his Uncle William but is doubting that this move was God’s will for him. A witch has cursed the son of his uncle’s partner and then Xan himself is cursed. (As a result, there’s a lot of retching going on in this novel.) There’s also a minor romantic thread between Xan and Christina, who assists Xan’s uncle. I really didn’t expect the witch’s curse to persist throughout the novel, which I guess I should have, based on the title, but I love that it did.

My college son is reading Sir Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, a utopian story. His opinion thus far is that it could’ve used an editor. Apparently, there is a lot of detail he thinks could be pared down. According to the description, Bacon’s depiction of an ideal college, Salomon’s House, “envisioned the modern research university in both applied and pure sciences.”

Intermission by Serena Chase is one of my all-time favorite Christian Young Adult romances, and my fifteen-year-old can hardly put it down. My review when I read it in 2017 says, in part, “This beautifully-written, gut-wrenching story is not only a touching, tender, and chaste love story, but an examination of obedience, an exploration of faith, and God’s magnificent plans for our lives – which may not follow our plans or our timelines.” Musical theatre buffs will love it, but I’m not one of those, and I still adored it!

My fifth-grade daughter is reading Lizette Lantigua’s Mission Libertad with her class. It’s the story of a 14-year-old boy who escapes communist Cuba. He comes to America and is embroiled in a mystery. It’s a fun combination of adventure, suspense, history, and faith. It’s availability has become limited, so visit Good News! Book Shop to find it.

Based on Patrice Fagnant-MacAthurs’ An Open Book recommendation last month, I borrowed Lacey’s Story by Bruce Cameron from the library for my daughter too. She’d been wrapped up in a long, ongoing series, but now she’ll be looking for something new. This story in Cameron’s series of puppy tales regards a special needs puppy who gets around with a mobility cart following an accident. So far, my daughter thinks it’s a little sad, but I think it will end up being heartwarming.

My youngest son picked up a Star Wars Boba Fett Clone Wars novel at a library sale last year. When he discovered The Fight to Survive by Terry Bisson in the school library, he realized he’d read book two and not book one. He borrowed the book and problem solved! My children all seem to enjoy the Clone Wars era of Star Wars most, and Boba Fett is this particular child’s favorite character. In this first novel, Boba Fett is a teenager on his home planet, Kamino—an especially rainy, watery world.

In fourth grade, he continues to read more in the I Survived series. Most recently, it’s I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis. I’m starting to think I should read this series to get a thumbnail sketch of all the history I’ve never learned about. This snowslide in the Cascade Mountains is the deadliest in American history. Ninety-six people were killed when lightning struck the mountain and sent a ten-foot wave of snow down its slope.

A Prayer from the Heart is Tammy Fernando’s debut picture book. It’s not yet available, but I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy. The main character, Chris, touches a soft spot in my heart. He prays for a friend, something I think all of my children—and I—have done. The way God answers his prayer is touching and demonstrates God’s intimate care and concern for each of us. Illustrations are bright and inviting. Tammy hasn’t yet done a cover reveal for this book, so follow her website or social media to get the first look!

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.

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Welcome to the January 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

It’s such fun to see my kids enjoying the books I got them for Christmas! But first, a couple of books I read.

Her Stand-In Christmas by Crystal Walton is everything that’s been filling my social media feeds this season. It’s a contemporary rom com Christmas road trip with an illustrated cover. I’m starting to weary of the similarities among them, but I tip my hat to authors who are more savvy and less stubborn than I am about writing to market. I’ve enjoyed so many of this author’s books, including the first (non-Christmas) book in this series. The writing felt a little forced to me, and some of the many pop culture references were whizzing by me, but it hits all the marks for the genre and delivers a light Christmas romance with warm holiday themes of love, family, and forgiveness.

My friend Theresa Linden is about to release another book in her West Brothers series, Summer at West Castle. This one is a straight-up sweet romance filled with romantic moments and light humor but also a powerful Christian message about seeing yourself and others through God’s eyes, not holding onto past sins or prejudices. Summer at West Castle provides the backstory to Linden’s new adult mystery Anyone But Him. Having gotten acquainted with Jarret West over eight books now, I think he’s one of the most memorable characters I’ve read and a testament to the transformative power of Christ.

My oldest son has an interest in mythology and has lately been focused on Old Norse myths and legends. I purchased a book he’d had his eye on for Christmas: The Saga of the Volsungs wiith the Saga of Ragnor Lothbrok translated by Jackson Crawford. These translated sagas recount seven generations of a heroic family, including Viking Chieftain Ragnor Lothrbrok. I think these sagas gained popularity in the wake of the TV series Vikings. My son has found that series a bit hit or miss, but I think it reinvigorated his interest in all things Norse.

My high school daughter received The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott as her prize for completing the local library’s summer reading program. There are three short Christmas stories contained in this pretty hardcover that’s perfect for reading on a cold night in the light of the Christmas tree, which is pretty much how my daughter enjoyed it. It’s the kind of simple book that makes for a lovely Christmas tradition.

For her literature class, the same daughter read the The Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the world’s oldest epic, the tale of Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, and his companion, the wild man, Enkidu. From the description of this Babylonian epic: “A timeless tale of morality, tragedy and pure adventure, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a landmark literary exploration of man’s search for immortality.”

But back to mythology. This freshman class is also reading portions of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, which includes a variety of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths. It is praised as a readable classic, sharing the tales of Olympus and Valhalla that are so influential in Western culture.

My fifth grader was excited to receive The Sisters of the Last Straw: The Case of the Missing Maps by Karen Kelly Boyce. She has thoroughly enjoyed the entire seven-book series and was eagerly awaiting this new book. This one involves more mystery with clues for finding gold—but can the sisters find the treasure before their sourpuss neighbor, Mr. Lemon?

My youngest son read through Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde in a couple of days. I can hardly believe this is Book 17 in the series! I haven’t read any recent books in the series, but my kids tell me the author has managed to maintain the quality and feel of the early books. Even the smell of them is nostalgic to my 19-year-old! This one is about Roderick, the older brother of the main character, Greg, and his band, Löded Diper.

For class, he also read I Survived the Attacks of September 11 by Laura Tarsis. It’s a little surreal to have my child reading about a historical event that still seems so fresh in my memory. It’s the story of a boy named Lucas, who arrives at the New York City firehouse where his uncle works on the morning of 9/11.

On the recommendation of Catholic Mom and Daughter, I reserved a copy of The Christmas Story from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke with artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art from my local library. This is a lovely book to read and re-read each Christmas with your family. The Gospel stories are simply retold, and the medieval and Renaissance paintings that accompany them—from the Annunciation through the Flight to Egypt—are beautiful to study.

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.

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Welcome to the December 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

It’s been a season of sickness over here and the reading has taken a hit. For all of us. But, here’s what we’ve got, going into the Advent season:

If you’re looking for a clean, fun Hallmark-esque Christmas novella, I recommend CeCe Louise’s Christmas After All. The enemies-to-lovers story plays out much as you’d expect with a couple misunderstandings, but the journey is an enjoyable one with smooth writing and as well-developed characters as you can create in a novella. Melissa and Tucker have some bad blood from her rejection of him in high school. But now he’s back in their hometown, a country singing star, and apparently his old feelings for her haven’t completely disappeared, despite the song he wrote about her that propelled him to stardom.

I started listening to The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb because the premise intrigued me. My library loan ran out, and someone else is in line to borrow, so I don’t know whether I’ll get back to this one. Ray McMillian’s heirloom violin is stolen before the international Tchaikovsky Competition. Can he get it back? (I’m guessing he does, even if I don’t get the audiobook loan back.)

With a group of honors students, my son read the introduction to The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. I don’t think they are reading the entire book, but now my interest is piqued by a book that slipped by me while still in high school. This descriptor, from a book written in the late 1980s, seems accurate in 2022: “Bloom argues that the social and political crises of contemporary America are part of a larger intellectual crisis: the result of a dangerous narrowing of curiosity and exploration by the university elites.” Have you read it?

My daughter’s class is reading the Book of Job and then Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite, a modern look at the biblical character. Based on how few reviews of editions are out there, it doesn’t seem to be a widely read play. Maybe it’s more often viewed; I don’t know. Straight from the description: “Successful Long Island businessman Joe Benjamin is a modern-day ‘Job’ with a demanding wife, ungrateful children, and wise-cracking household employees. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, he is visited by Sidney Lipton, a.k.a. A Messenger from God (and compulsive film buff) with a mission: test Joe’s faith and report back to ‘the Boss.’” I like that this teacher often uses plays in the classroom, something I had little experience with beyond Shakespeare and a few others.

My younger daughter recently read Roald Dahl’s Matilda for a school book report. Matilda is a sweet, smart young girl who faces off with a mean school head mistress—Miss Trunchbull. In the course of fending off the Trunchbull, as they call her, Matilda discovers some remarkable powers. My fifth grader enjoyed this book, though she said she prefers books with more action.

My youngest son has been reading more of Big Nate, specifically In the Zone, book six in the eight-book series by Lincoln Peirce. The book description doesn’t say much, at least not in the way of a plot, and I think this series has cashed in on Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s popularity. Not to say it’s not good in its own right, but it’s a similar illustrated story of a middle school boy’s shenanigans and mishaps.

My son’s class is also reading I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 by Lauren Tarshis. The books are a handy way to teach history, and his teacher has timed this read well for the bombing’s anniversary. The story is from the perspective of an 11-year-old American boy playing on his favorite Hawaiian beach when the attack by the Japanese commences.

I’ve begun reading The Curious Christmas Trail by Haley Stewart (The Sister Seraphina’s Mysteries), though I think it will be more fun to start over with the little kids next to me on the couch. The illustrations by Betsy Wallin are cute, cozy, and make me want to crawl into the adorable little mouse world. The book itself is a lovely hardcover chapter book that would be a nice addition to a child’s Christmas collection. I’ve only read one chapter, but it seems to be a sweet, pleasant story centered about the Christmas pageant and the mystery of missing Sister Dymphna at Saint Wulfhilda’s Abbey.

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.

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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!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to the July 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

My husband has been doing a bit more work travel again, and that means time for listening to books. Luckily, he travels alone since most of the books he listens to relate to either politics or religion. He’s been listening to Mark Levin’s American Marxism, which explains Marxist ideology and names those elements present in American culture today. I find Levin’s voice rather dull, so I was glad to know that he’s not the primary narrator for this book.

Morning by Morning by Jennifer Rodewald is the penultimate book in the extensive Murphy Brothers series. This is the second book devoted to Connor, whose first book ended well but with his wife in precarious health. This book revisits Connor and his son, still grieving the loss of Sadie, but pairs them with divorced mom Jade, trying to make a new start apart from her borderline abusive husband. Both Connor and Jade have good reasons to avoid letting the other into their life, yet it seems God has other plans for their healing. This author never fears digging into all the hard emotions her characters experience, and it pays off here.

The cover of this book makes me eager to take a trek on the Appalachian Trail! Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter starts with Katie’s car hanging over a cliff, which is where she meets and makes an instant connection with the local deputy, Cooper. Turns out, Cooper is brother to her new boyfriend. Uh-oh. Cooper and Katie want to do the right thing. They try to do the right thing. But there’s an imprudent slip, and it has big ramifications.

Turn to Me by Becky Wade is the final book in her novels about the Miracle Five, a loose association of friends who miraculously survived an earthquake while on a mission trip in middle school. Luke, fresh out of prison, is the bad boy of the bunch, bound by a promise to a fellow inmate to keep an eye on his daughter. Finley is Luke’s polar opposite, a sunny hippie-chick running a dog shelter. Luke’s painfully honest thoughts about Finley’s lifestyle are humorous as he little by little lets down his guard enough to admit his feelings for Finley. The writing style put me off this book a bit, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped.

I was in the mood for something light and easy, and Sarah Monzon’s Molly fit the bill. After being fired from a Montessori school for her bluntness with the children, Molly accepts a nanny position for one of those students. Ben, widowed dad to said student, needs help in caring for his adorable daughter due to the heavy demands of being a medical resident. This story rolls along easily between two likeable characters. You know how it’ll end, but the way there is so enjoyable.

I can’t remember the last time I dragged my Kindle all over the house, using every spare second to read a book, butThe Great Date Experiment by Ashley Mays had me tapping through the pages at a rapid pace. This YA rom-com is fun and funny. Egan did something stupid and hurt his best friend Callie in their freshman year of high school. But a couple of years have passed, he’s sorry, and he’s devised a way to resume their friendship. He’ll take Callie on a series of dates that he’ll record and post online to beat his brother in contest of who can get 1,000 views first. Of course, more than friendship is rekindled between Egan and Callie, but this whole online thing is a problem. Viewers are mean, and it looks like Egan cares more about amassing viewers than he does about Callie. There’s a lovely message in there. This quickly became one of my favorite Christian YA books.

Loving Gabriel by T.M. Gaouette was a re-read of sorts for me. I’d read an early version of the book that differed slightly from the final product. This novel ends the Faith & Kung Fu series and focuses on the romance between former pop starlet Tanner Rose and pious Kung Fu teacher Gabriel. This is great for helping teens think about relationships and marriage. There’s also an element of suspense in this book that raises the stakes for the young couple.

I read Miracle at the Mission by Joseph Lewis in advance of its blog tour, which I participated in. Joe and Pete, high school friends, head to California where they’ll meet up with Pete’s Marine brother Luke and attend a ceremony at the Catholic missions. The president of the United States will be there too. And some Russian bad guys and their unwitting accomplices are up to no good. The author includes a lot of California natural and religious history with a lot of good information about St. Junipero Serra. It’s a nice mix of adventure, suspense, friendship, and faith.

Guest description by my college son, whom I’ve now decided shall write all of my book blurbs:

A thousand years before the rise of Emperor Palpatine, Dessel stands on the precipice of unlimited power. But as he becomes Bane of the Sith, will he be strong enough to learn from the long-forgotten teachings of the ancient Sith and claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, or will his abusive past and the Brotherhood of Darkness rise up to swallow him? Only one thing is certain, the future of the Jedi and Sith rests in Banes hands.

This is the essence of the Darth Bane Trilogy (Star Wars) by Drew Karpyshyn, of which my son read Rule of Two and Dynasty of Evil in June. He described some interesting moral dilemmas in these books, such as a clingy crustacean that strengthens and protects the Sith but also poisons its host if removed. And the Sith path to succession, which involves the apprentice defeating his master.

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell is a series of interviews with Bill Moyer regarding themes and symbols that cross time, cultures, and religions. Campbell heavily influenced Star Wars creator George Lucas, among others, which is what drew my son to this book, which he purchased for a couple of quarters at our parish’s flea market.

My almost-high school daughter requested A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan from our library based on the An Open Book recommendation by Barb Szyszkiewicz and is glad she did! Jamie made a big mistake and must spend her summer vacation volunteering at the library. My daughter loved the themes of forgiving yourself and turning the page as well as the many literary references—especially to Jane Eyre.

A New Auntie’s Fear by Angela Lano is a very simply illustrated book for young children that could help initiate conversations about physical disabilities, especially cerebral palsy. It’s clearly written and can help build empathy in children by showing the fears and challenges of those who look and behave differently than they do.

My three youngest kids are either re-reading favorites or books their siblings read that have already been shared in An Open Book, so they have little to report this month. There are, however, some children’s books I had the opportunity to review.

What I love most about the Ascension Press book Pray and Think Imaginative Rosary Book by Candace Camling is how it teaches children how to mediate on the mysteries of the Rosary. Any number of books explain how to use rosary beads, recite prayers, or even focus on related images—including this one, but not how to meditate. Using a simple illustration for each mystery, it helps children focus on a specific part of the image (i.e., a dove, lilies, the Blessed Mother) and think about each, its connotations, and its symbolism with questions to prompt deeper thought. I found it helpful even as an adult.

The Gospels for Young Catholics from Pflaum Publishing is another book I may snatch from my kids’ bookshelf. After some introductory information, the book presents each of the Gospels using the Good News translation. While not my preferred study translation for adults, it seems easy to read for children. What I especially love about this book is its presentation. Yes, it’s colorful, organized, and well-illustrated. But it’s eminently useful. It presents the familiar Gospel stories referenced by page and chapter and verse but also a summary, reflection, and prayer. It even tells you when you’ll hear the Gospel at Mass. It also lays out several easy plans for reading the Gospels according to liturgical season or as part of a 40-day plan. Did I mention I’m going to steal this book from my children? It also includes a Gospel timeline, maps, and information about prayers, sacraments, the Mass, and lectio divina.

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.

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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!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.