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Book Review: Before I Was Born, Jesus Knew Me
by Fr. Edward Looney
Karin Niemeyer has penned her first children’s book.
Tag: "book review"
Book Review: Therese, Faustina, and Bernadette
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Elizabeth Ficocelli, raised as a non-practicing Lutheran, did not become Catholic until she was preparing to marry her Catholic boyfriend, but even as a child, she felt that God was leading her to a special mission. To fulfill that mission, Ficocelli states that “God had in store for me amazingly heavenly helpmates who would be […]
Book Review: Tiny Blue Lines
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
When Chaunie Marie Brusie faced an unplanned pregnancy in her senior year of college, she didn’t know where to turn for help. Now an obstetric nurse, married mother of three, and founder of TinyBlueLines.com, she is working hard to make sure that other young women have resources to help them cope with this unexpected and […]
Book Review: Dear God, You Can’t Be Serious!
by Jake Frost
Have you ever found a really good series of kids’ books, something the kids love to hear read aloud and to re-read on their own (or for our kids, to leaf through and look at the pictures again), but wished that there was something more in them than a light adventure story? I love reading […]
Book Review: Six Sacred Rules for Families
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Why should your family have sacred rules and what should they be? Those are the questions Tim and Sue Muldoon set out to answer in Six Sacred Rules for Families: A Spirituality for the Home (Ave Maria Press, 2013). As the Muldoons state, “Rules keep everyone on the same page; rules help us plan for […]
The Book Whisperer: God Found Us You
by Heidi Hess Saxton
In Handle with Care, Picoult refers to a “language of loss” that parents and children endure in the most intimate family relationships. Within adoptive families, these losses can be especially complex — if for no other reason, because of the number of people involved in the family bond. As parents, however, we must be willing to see – and […]
The Book Whisperer: The Art of Spiritual Writing
by Heidi Hess Saxton
At Ave Maria Press, I enjoy working closely with authors to help them “develop their craft.” Rewriting and platform-building are two of the most challenging tasks for any writer, so I am always looking for helpful resources. Vinita’s new book, The Art of Spiritual Writing, is one I highly recommend for those new to the spiritual […]
The Book Whisperer: Two Special Books on Adoption
by Heidi Hess Saxton
To kick off my first “Book Whisperer” column, I thought I would share some wonderful adoption resources. If you have other recommendations, why not send me a note? My first favorite is Ten Days and Nine Nights by Yumi Heo (Random), for families with older children who are awaiting the adoption of a younger sibling (in this case, […]
The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning: I Hate NFP, But I Love This Book
by Rebecca Frech
Can I be honest here for a sec? This is a review about a book about NFP –Natural Family Planning- and in the interest of disclosure, I feel like I need to tell you something up front – I hate NFP. My husband hates NFP. Hate. It. Oh, but the bluebirds of sunshine say, think […]
Book Review: My Sister, St. Therese
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
My mother always considered St. Therese to be one of my patron saints and so I have always had a great devotion to her. From my earliest years, I knew the story of her life and at age nine I first read her Story of a Soul. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit, I wanted […]
Book Review: Walking With Mary
by Genevieve Kineke
After decades of distracted catechesis on the faith, many contemporary Catholics have discerned two pressing needs: to learn why Marian devotion is such an integral element in the life of the Church, and to find a comprehensive (but accessible!) written work to offer to others who believe that there is no need to include Mary in […]
Treason: Catholic Fiction at Its Finest
by Ellen Gable Hrkach
Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England by Dena Hunt Published by Sophia Institute Press (2013) “It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls.” (Blessed Pope John Paull II, Salvifici Doloris) This quote by Blessed John Paul II could well be the theme of Dena […]
Book Review: In the Custody of Words
by E. L. Core
The book comprises twenty poems, and leaves one wishing there were more.
Book Review: Sisterhood of Saints
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Are you in need of some daily inspiration? Do you love to learn about the saints? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then Sisterhood of Saints by Melanie Rigney (Franciscan Media, 2013) is a book you will want to keep close by. Rigney writes that researching all these women changed her life. […]
Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
The First Commandment is probably the one of the ten that we worry about the least. “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.” After all, most of us haven’t spent time worshiping any of the Roman or Egyptian gods recently or paid homage to any pagan spirits. In […]
There Was More to Saint Monica Than Tears
by Genevieve Kineke
St. Monica is always on the near horizon for Catholic mothers, because the heartfelt prayers she offered on behalf of her wayward son, Augustine, were instrumental in his conversion. I must confess, though, that my admiration was limited by my narrow understanding of her life. I saw her less as a well-rounded Christian and more […]
Big-Hearted: Inspiring Stories from Everyday Families
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Patti Maguire Armstrong and Theresa Thomas, who previously paired up to write and compile the wonderful “Stories for the Homeschool Heart,” have now come together to create Big-Hearted: Inspiring Stories from Everyday Families (Scepter Publishers, 2013). What makes a family big-hearted? It is a spirit of generosity with a focus on putting God first. “The […]
Do You Feel Worthy of God’s Love?
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Do you see yourself as worthy of God’s love? Many women don’t. Due to sin, disappointments in life, and voices in the outside world, Satan is often able to convince women that they have lost God’s love and these women in turn give up hope. “Satan wants nothing more for us than for us to […]
Pray for Me: The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis
by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Pray for Me: The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope from the Americas (Image Books) was published a mere six weeks after the election of Pope Francis. As a writer, I can only imagine what a monumental task that must have been for Dr. Robert Moynihan, but the founder and editor of […]
Book Review: Rapunzel Let Down
by Ellen Gable Hrkach
Please note: Spoiler alert. Like her other novels, Regina Doman’s new book is based on a fairy tale, this time Rapunzel. As usual, Doman puts a modern spin to the story. To her credit, though, she is able to give us a totally different story filled with twists and turns while at the same time […]
The Crisis of Idol Worship
by Russell Shaw
In one of his typically simple, direct, and forceful homilies, Pope Francis warned recently against idols and idolatry. “We have to empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge, on which we often seek to base our security,” he told a congregation in Rome. The […]
Catholic Names and Tugboats
by Cheryl Dickow
I was named after a tugboat. Seriously. I was born in the late 1950s and many girls I went to high school with shared that tugboat’s name: Cheryl Ann. Apparently in the mid 1950s there was a popular show called “Waterfront” which starred Preston Foster as the captain of the L.A. Harbor tugboat. To this […]
Book Review: The Things Lily Knew
by Leticia Velasquez
Few novels are rich enough in characters to become a series, but the Lily Trilogy belongs in this rare company. The characters around Lily, a woman with Down syndrome who has a profound affect on the world around her, are so vividly drawn, so realistic and multifaceted, that they become friends with whom you want […]
What I Love About You, Mom
by Lisa Hendey
Imagine giving your mother a gift that is born of the emotions in your own heart and hand-created simply for her, to share not only the love you feel, but the many ways in which she has touched and shaped your life. You may think you’re not creative enough to come up with such a […]
