Reading Catholic

Reading Catholic and catholic

books

First, What are You Reading? Volume 12, August 2011 UPDATED

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Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:
first, what are you reading?
what do you like best about it?
what do you like least?
what’s next on your list to read? 

As always, I hope you’ll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook.  Happy reading!


What are you reading?


I’m reading many, many books, which makes me happy.  Summer, especially with the hot days we’ve been having, is a great time for staying inside and reading .  Just a few of my recent favorites:


A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz. 


We’ve discovered a “new to us” children/young adult book author at our house:  Wendy Mass. We’ve been reading quite a few of her books, but my hands-down favorite has been Every Soul a Star.


What do you like best about them?


A Jane Austen Education is subtitled, How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things that Really Matter, and it is so enjoyable.  Deresiewicz is a professor and Austen scholar, who at first thinks Austen has nothing to teach him, arrogant graduate student that he was.  Over time, each of the Jane Austen novels teaches his something central and beautiful about life & maturity.  I especially loved his take on Emma, which teaches him to “pay attention to everyday things.”


I read an article about a older Franciscan friar who considered Jane Austen one of his favorite authors, and he said something like, “Reading Jane Austen makes you a better person.”  I hope that’s true for me, since I’ve read and re-read Jane Austen so much, and perhaps that’s why I like it.  There is something ennobling about reading Austen, and Deresiewicz distills that nicely in his own memoir.


Every Soul a Star is a beautifully written and emotionally insightful novel about the lives of three young teens and their summer growing-up, interwoven with an eclipse of the sun. 


I loved Every Soul a Star at “hello,” because a title like that is just wonderful, and the book does not disappoint.    The three teens mature in unexpected and sweet ways.  A bonus is that the book is not wrapped up perfectly, with everything resolved tidily; I’d love to read a sequel to this book to see how the characters lived out their next year.  A postscript of the book lists numerous books and websites about eclipses and other astronomy.   Our family has had fun exploring some of these resources and learning more about astronomy, which makes my stars-loving husband happy.


What do you like least?


Deresiewicz does fairly well with writing about Jane Austen novels and what they teach him, but the memoir part woven through doesn’t always seem consistent.  I think I would find a memoir difficult to write, deciding what to share and what not to share, but it seemed to me Deresiewicz was holding some things back that might have helped us understand him and his transformation better.


UPDATE:  I take back nearly everything I said in the previous paragraph.  When I write “What Are You Reading?” I usually have finished the books I mini-review, but in this case I had not yet finished A Jane Austen Education.  Perhaps then my title is more accurate, because the book was actually what I was reading, but it didn’t give me the chance to see the whole of Education up to the end.  I finished the book yesterday and now believe the narrative held together well.  The last two chapters, on true friends (Persuasion) and falling in love (Sense & Sensibility)  were especially insightful. I closed the book nearly as happy & refreshed as when I read a Jane Austen novel.  Well done.


There’s really nothing I don’t like about Every Soul a Star, and I’ve very much enjoyed the other books I’ve read by her, like 11 Birthdays (kind of like the movie “Groundhog Day” in book form for tweens, and just as fun as it sounds).  I didn’t care at all for Mass’ Heaven Is A Lot Like the Mall, partially because of its content, which is a little more grown-up than her other work, but because the book is written in first-person poem form.  Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work in this context.


UPDATE:  Treasure Chest for Tweens has an interesting caution of some new-age content in Every Soul a Star here.  I’m grateful for the information and will definitely bring it up with my teen & tween who have read this book. 


What’s next on your list to read?


I’m reading and re-reading a number of 9/11 themed books for next month’s column.  


On my Kindle App, in addition to the very funny Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Crime (that I reviewed here). I’ve also been reading on my Kindle App some Lucy Maud Montgomery, including Anne of the Island and Anne’s House of Dreams.


What are you reading?  I’d love to hear all about it!

Q&A with Colleen Swaim, author of Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints

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Following is my interview with Ablaze author Colleen Swaim (you can read my review of Ablaze here).  I was delighted to get the opportunity to find out more about her book and writing, and I sincerely hope to read more books in the future from this engaging young author.  In the meantime, I’ll be keeping her and her husband Matt in prayer as they expect their first child later this year.

First of all, well done on Ablaze. All the readers in our family found this book super engaging. I had trouble getting it back from my 13-year-old so I could write a review of it. Did you plan for it to be so widely enjoyed by a variety of ages, or were you primarily writing for teens?

A. The primary intended audience is indeed teenagers, but I chose the saints with a view toward capturing the sense of adventure that sanctity entails, and I believe that that is something that is appealing to people of all ages who seek Truth. I myself am 29, and I chose saints who first caught my own interest.

Q. What gave you the idea for the book?

A. Liguori Publications approached me with the idea for a book on saints for teenagers, and from there we came up collaboratively with the theme of teenagers who pushed the boundaries and radically lived for Christ, even if their own cultural milieu was working against their best intentions. Liguori and I both were very much looking to incorporate interactive elements that would take print material to the next level, and I believe that was achieved through building in the references to Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as applicable prayers and reflection questions

Q. You’re a high school teacher. Other than this book, how do you challenge students immersed in the popular culture to pause and really take a look at these saints and their lives?

A. From my perspective, the most difficult part of that challenge is the call to pause – silence and reflection are difficult to come by for anyone, adults included, so the most impacting thing that I can do is to model deliberate contemplation. Sometimes that is through recalling powerful experiences I’ve had while on silent retreat, while other times it’s discussing slower forms of entertainment, such as book reading, as cogitating a passage or collection of passages can be very difficult if it is broken up by intervals of multi-sensory stimulation, such as video gaming or tweeting. If they can take some quiet time, students will quickly realize that even the most contemplative saints lived very active lives beyond their wildest dreams.

Q. I love the cover design and the design elements throughout the book. Did you have a hand in that?

A. I really cannot take any credit for the illustrations, although I agree that Liguori’s team did an amazing job! It really communicated to me that they are very in touch with the book’s audience, as its graphic appeal is relatable to both male and female adolescents. They even had temporary tattoos made up of the front cover art, which have been a big hit.

Q. How did you discover the saints you write about? Some are relatively well-known, but some are less popular and yet deserve a hearing.

A. Researching for the book was one of the best parts of the experience. My goal throughout the process was to seek out saints of both genders who are representative of the worldwide vitality of Catholic youth lived to incredible heights. With some saints and blesseds, that meant scouring Vatican resources for newly recognized individuals, while others fell into my lap through the recommendation of a friend of a friend. I tried to include both classics and those who I felt Americans need an introduction to, and I believe the book succeeded on those fronts.

Q. Who is your favorite saint from the book, and why?


A. I very much enjoyed learning about the life of Chiara Luce Badano, as she was beatified right in the midst of my writing the book, in September 2010, so I got to watch her beatification live on television and really get a better sense of the excitement felt by those close to her cause. She died in the 1990’s so she really is an individual contemporary teenagers can relate to on a variety of levels.

Q. How did you get the idea for the “saintly challenges,” such as the recipes, prayers and other challenges for readers to implement?


A. Some of the more unique aspects of the book, those came to me as I examined each saint more closely in an attempt to help the readers come to a deeper appreciation of the saint through concrete activities. I wanted to have an answer to the inevitable question of “Now what?” that can crop up after one has heard a particularly powerful story. The challenges are meant to be an answer to that question through encouraging the reader to delve deeper into the saints’ struggles, motivations, and methods of seeking aid.

Q. I wrote in my review of Ablaze that my only critique of the book is that I wish you covered more saints. Were there any saints you wish you could have included, and why?


A. The most difficult aspect of the project was paring down the list of prospective saints and blesseds! It was whittled down by considering which saints’ stories we as a Church know enough about to dedicate a chapter-long section and interactive selections to, as well as American Catholics’ current familiarity with the individual and his or her region of origin.

Q. On the same topic: Do you have plans for Ablaze 2? Any other projects you are working on?


A. I would very much enjoy creating a follow-up to Ablaze that would feature more of the saints I wasn’t able to include in the current edition, because as you pointed out, there are many more stories to tell. My husband and I are currently expecting our first child, so that is the ultimate project which we are looking forward to. That being said, I had an excellent experience working with Liguori Publications on ‘Ablaze’, and so would welcome any future projects with them.

Catholic E-Book Spotlight: The Ironic Catholic

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Do you need a good laugh?  I always do, and that’s why I’m so grateful for the newest book by the ever-humorous Ironic Catholic.


Felow Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin is the long-titled but very, very funny new book from The Ironic Catholic.  Longtime Catholic Post Book Group readers may remember my interview with IC, as she is known, last year.

Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin (let’s agree that I can shorten it to Felon from here on out) may be slightly awkwardly named, even off-putting to some, but trust me, it is hilarious, faithful Catholic humor.  There’s not a bit stuffy or mean about IC’s humor, which I think is why I enjoy her work so much.

From the description of the book:

In the style of The Onion, Stephen Colbert, and occasionally Jonathan Swift, the writer of “The Ironic Catholic” website offers light satirical takes on the world of Catholic news. The fake news stories (Attendees of Flannery O’Connor Conference Meet Dire End, Tired Mother Announces ‘Come and See’ Weekend, Re-gifting Chia Pets Not Considered Lenten Sacrifice, etc.) both entertain and teach.  


Okay, now for my take.  Many “news” stories in Felon, but in particular”Attendees of Flannery O’Connor Conference Meet Dire End,” had me literally in tears of laughter.  This is because my secret shame, as a Catholic book lover, is how much I detest the writing of the esteeemed O’Connor.  There, I’ve said it, once and for all, so I can be removed from the serious Catholic readers fraternity.  I don’t necessarily believe my distaste comes from O’Connor’s writing–I’m sure it’s wonderful–as much as my trouble with  Southern fiction. As much as I try, and try again, to appreciate Souther fiction, I just keep thinking when I read any of them, okay, here comes the stifling heat, the weird violence and the big ol’ cast of quirky Southern characters.  I’m convinced that my purgatory will be a room full of Southern books–and nothing else–to read.

Every other story is also truly funny, so that you will be laughing out loud and the people around you will be asking, hey, what’s so funny?

Felon is available as a Kindle e-book and a Barnes & Noble Nook book, making it effortless to download and read on a Kindle, Nook or other device.  And the price is right–$2.99 on Amazon, $1.99 on B&N.  I found it super easy to download and read, now that I have the hang of how Kindle works.   The book is also available at Smashwords, and while I had no trouble downloading Dear Communion of Saints from Smashwords last year, when it was only available in that format, I couldn’t easily figure out a way to get it off the computer.  I’m sure it’s quite easy, but now that IC’s books are available as Kindle books, I’m all set.


Have you read any Catholic e-books lately?  I’ve downloaded a few titles recently, as the prices can’t be beat, and it’s handy having them on multiple devices.   In fact, I downloaded a copy of the book I’ll be reviewing in August, since my review copy went missing for several weeks, and I’ve found it really convenient.  I’d love to find out about new titles available for e-readers or your experiences with them.

Meet a Reader: Dana Garber

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I’m excited to be able to feature one of the many young people from our diocese traveling to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day next month.  You can read the Catholic Post article about the ISU group here.

How you know me:


I’m Dana Garber, a student at Illinois State University in Normal, and involved with the John Paul II Newman Center at ISU.  I am part of a group called “Witnesses to Love,” that recorded a song, “Planted,” for World Youth Day (WYD), and I will be one of a group of 29 students from the Newman Center attending WYD in Madrid next month.

Why I love reading:

I love to read because I love to learn. Learning and understanding more about God and our Faith helps me to grow as a believer and to love Him more.  I usually get recommendations from my friends or family.

What I’m reading now:  

I am reading Transforming Your Life Through the Eucharist by Father John A. Kane.  This book has been really good because it explains the beauty and grace of the sacrament. I am also reading Benedict of Bavaria by Brennan Pursell.  I’m reading it so I have a better understanding of the Pope and his life before I see him in Madrid for World Youth Day.

My favorite book:

One of my favorite books is The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis.  This is more of a devotional book and is very rich.  It focuses on the interior, every-day life.  Another one of my favorite books is Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence.  He was a French Monk in the 1600s.  This book is an easy, simple read.  It explains in practical terms how our lives are a constant prayer and how to live that out.  I also love all Scott Hahn books; the last one I read is Rome Sweet Home, which is one of my favorites.

Meet a Reader: Father Don Roszkowski

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How we know you:  I’ve been a priest of the diocese for nearly 14 years, and I’ve had a number of assignments, from Peoria to Clinton to Bloomington to Odell to my current post of pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Metamora, and St. Elizabeth, Washburn. 

Why I love reading:  As many people know about me, I have a form of dyslexia.  Throughout my school years, I worked hard at remedial classes, partially to prove wrong those people who thought I wouldn’t do well.  Because reading was so difficult at first, I have a great love for learning and reading and finding out about so many things. 

My favorite book:  I primarily like reading theology, and I especially enjoy Father Robert Barron’s writing style and his analogies.  Probably my favorite book of Barron’s is The Priority of Christ: A Postliberal Catholicism. Another classic I really love is Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ. 

What I’m reading now: Right now I’m reading two books.  One is what I call a “popcorn book,” an easy read with a short reflection for each day: Spirituality You Can Live With: Stronger Faith in 30 Days by Chris Padgett.  I’m also reading Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week. 

Meet a Reader: Sue Wozniak, R.N.

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How you know me:  I retired this month as COO of OSF St. Francis Medical Center, after a long career in nursing and hospital administration.  My husband, Ken, and I are members of St. Vincent parish in Peoria, and we have five children and four grandchildren.
Why I love reading:  Reading reduces stress and can take you away to fantasy land.  For me, reading, especially biographies of famous leaders, helps me to understand how other people make decisions.  Reading history helps me learn about living in the past.  I just love to read.
What I’m reading now:  I just finished reading Decision Points by George H.W. Bush, and I’m currently working my way through The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
My favorite book: My all-time favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  I also loved all the Cherry Ames mystery books (Cherry is a nurse) when I was a girl because I wanted to become a nurse, and I did!