Book Review: Now What?

Fifteen years ago I was preparing to enter the Catholic Church.  At that time, I was a mix of excitement at finally becoming Catholic and more than a little worried that I stuck out like a clueless Lutheran in a Catholic church.  That feeling of being a bit lost didn't magically go away once I was Catholic.  In fact, it took me years to really feel like I wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb.  Something tells me that if Patrick Madrid's Now What? A Guide for New (And Not-So-New) Catholics had been around in 2000 and a copy had found its way into my hands, that I would have felt a lot more at ease and would have had a far better understanding of what it means to be Catholic.

This book really is the answer to that "Help!  I converted to Catholicism and now that I'm here I have no idea why Catholics do half of what they do!" feeling that I'm sure many of my fellow converts have also felt.  I can recall different practices being addressed in RCIA, like why we genuflect, or what's the deal with the gesture everyone does before the gospel reading, but there was a lot that just wasn't covered.  For example, I had been a Catholic for nine years before I had ever heard of Eucharistic adoration.

As a jumping off point, this book is a wealth of information for someone who is in RCIA or has just been received into the Church.  It will help to fill in the gaps that may not have been covered in an RCIA class.  But this book isn't just for new converts.  Let's say you're a cradle Catholic who spent eight years in CCD pencil fighting when you should have been, I don't know, paying attention during class.  Well, this book will help to bring you up to speed on those things you missed while you were busy learning that the made in China pencils were stronger than the others.

In short, this won't be the only book you'll ever have to read if you are serious about practicing your faith, but it's an excellent start.  If you know someone who is in RCIA, do them a big favor and buy them this book.

I was provided with a review copy of Now What? by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Amazon to take a peek inside this book or to purchase a copy.

Book Review: The Joyful Spirit of Padre Pio

Over the years I've read several books about St. Padre Pio, and while I like him a lot, he's yet to become on of those saints I could say I feel connected to, at least, not in the way I feel connected to some of my favorite saints.  I have, however, found him to be more approachable since reading Patricia Treece's The Joyful Spirit of Padre Pio.  The book is a collection of stories, letters and prayers.

I've had this book sitting out for the past several months and I find myself picking it up nearly every day to read a bit of it.  The book is arranged in such a format that you could really just open it up to any page and find a short piece that is either a recollection about Padre Pio or a quote or excerpt from on of his letters.  These little sections can be read in a few minutes or less.  Reading it is like grabbing a little spiritual recharge.

This book has left me wanting to read more about Padre Pio.  After reading through this book, I can see why Padre Pio appeals to so many people.  If it weren't for this book, I don't know if I would have realized that he actually had quite a sense of humor.  My perception of him prior to reading this book was that he was on the more serious and rigid side, but apparently, that's not the case.  I was pretty surprised when I found a few stories or quotes that left me chuckling.

I was provided with a review copy of The Joyful Spirit of Padre Pio by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Amazon to take a peek inside this book or to purchase a copy.

Book Review: Joyful Witness

I wasn't sure what exactly to expect when I picked up Rany Hain's Joyful Witness How to Be an Extraordinary Catholic.  Once I started reading this book I had the hardest time putting it down.  When my little ones took naps, I reached for this book.  It was such an enjoyable book that I zipped through it in just a few days time.

The book is less of a how to for being an extraordinary Catholic and more a collection of stories about people just like you or me who do things that make them extraordinary Catholics.  The key is, they joyfully embrace their faith and seek to answer the call to holiness and from there they radiate it and ignite others.

The stories of those who are featured in this book are nothing short of inspiring.  I know sometimes you can look at someone and say "Wow, so and so is so holy!  I wish I could be like that but she's just in a totally different class.  I can't do that."  The thing is, you can.  You just have to start.  Everyone of these extraordinary Catholics featured in this book are all just like you or me.   Each story begins with a quote either from scripture or the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Their stories illustrate a real life example of that scripture or catechism reference in action.  At the end of each story there are steps you can take to emulate the example of the person featured along with a series of questions for reflection.  So if you're thinking that you're just an ordinary Catholic and you can't do what they have done, think again.  Holiness is for everyone.  You just have to want it and be willing to pursue it!

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for inspiration to become an extraordinary Catholic.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

I was provided with a review copy of Joyful Witness by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can lear more about this title or purchase a copy of this book here.
 

Book Review: The Holy Land

A while back I received a copy of Fr. Mitch Pacwa's The Holy Land An Armchair Pilgrimage.  The book is essentially a tour of the Holy Land in pictures and commentary.  It's really a beautiful book that will leave you wanting to visit the Holy Land to see all of these amazing places in person.

Throughout the book you'll find loads of full color photographs of places and artwork found in the Holy Land.  Fr. Mitch's commentary gives the reader background on the historical significance of the place that is being visited as well as scriptural tie ins.  Throughout the book you will also find many prayers that will allow for further reflection. In short, the book is just really well done.  His experience of having led many tours of the Holy Land shines through in this book.

The book is filled with beautiful and inspiring photographs all of which tie in nicely with the text and the scriptural accounts that are presented alongside them.  I only wish that this book contained more photos.  There were several sections where I would have liked to have seen more pictures of an area that was being presented.

The book takes you on a tour by region and is separated into the follow eight sections:

• Bethlehem and Ein Karem
• Jerusalem Old City
• Mount of Olives
• East of Jerusalem
• Mount Zion
• North of Jerusalem
• Western Galilee
• The Sea of Galilee

The sections of the book are broken down into chapters, the number of which varies by region.  In all, there are thirty chapters of beautiful pictures, art, commentary, and scriptural and historical background.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.  I initially read this book over the course of several weeks last year during Lent and I felt like it offered a lot of opportunities for reflection.

I was provided with a review copy of The Holy Land by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about this title or purchase a copy at Amazon.

Book Review: Encounter Jesus

These days a book needs to grab my attention in order to be read from cover to cover.  My time is pretty much at a premium as I try to meet the needs of my family and still carve out time for one of my favorite past times--reading.  There are lots of books I want to read, but with limited time only books that stand out to me in one way or another get read.  When Encounter Jesus showed up in my mailbox I wasn't sure if it was going to grab my interest, but the book just kept showing up in various locations of the house and I figured I needed to crack it open and give it a look and I'm glad I did.

At the start the book reminded me of so many other books like it that I've read before and I just wasn't sure if it was going to go anywhere for me.  It took me a few chapters of reading for me to really find myself sold on the book.  In many ways this book reminds me of Fr. Mark Mossa's Already There, which I reviewed a few years back.  In Encounter Jesus From Discovery To Discipleship you will find a guide to intentional discipleship and a deeper relationship with Jesus through the anecdotal stories of Fr. Dave Pivonka and Deacon Ralph Poyo.  But, the book is so much more than that.  

Each of the book's fourteen chapters begins with scripture which correlates with the chapter's topic.  From there the authors offer an explanation which is easy to relate to in order to help the reader understand how to apply this to his or her life, whether it's the call to evangelize or how to embrace the crosses that come with this life.   The book offers practical insight and can be a valuable source of inspiration.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable read that is practical and approachable.  It's certainly worth reading.

I was provided with an advance copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review by the publisher, Servant Books.  Encounter Jesus is set to be released this Fall.  You can pre-order it from Amazon.

Book Review: Thirsting for God

A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of Thirsting for God.  The book is a collection of daily meditations taken from the writings of Mother Teresa.  When it comes to daily meditation books such as this I find that they can be hit or miss.  Some feel tiresome after reading them on a daily basis and others just quickly lose my interest.  This book, however, seems different.  Instead of paging through it a couple of times to get a feel for it prior to reviewing it, I've found myself drawn to this book pretty much every day, but like my brother with a family sized package of cookies, I can't read just one daily meditation.  Instead, I find myself reading a handful at a time.

Mother Teresa is one of those holy souls who never ceases to amaze me the more I learn about her through stories told by those who knew her or through reading what she has written.  She was a woman who was just filled with a wisdom and understanding of how to see our Lord in others and serve Him through them.  Through this collection of short stories, meditations and prayers you can be inspired to follow Mother Teresa's beautiful example of coming to love Our Lord through serving others.

This beautiful padded hardbound book would make a lovely gift.  I particularly like the layout of this book and the beautiful pages that look a bit like blue linen.  The book follows the calendar year with a daily meditation for each day of the year.  The selections for each day nicely highlight many set feast days of the liturgical year.  I like books that are laid out so thoughtfully.  And an added benefit of a book set up in this way is it can also serve to enlighten readers who may not have been previously aware of a particular feast day.

Overall, it's a beautiful volume that will not only draw the reader closer to Our Lord, but will also help you to understand and know Mother Teresa better, as well.  Her example is certainly one worth emulating.

I was provided with a review copy of Thirsting for God by the publisher, Servant Books in exchange for my honest review.  To learn more about this book or to purchase a copy visit Amazon.

Book Review: The Miraculous Medal

When a copy of Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's The Miraculous Medal showed up in my mailbox I tossed aside the other books I was reading and delved into this book.  I love to read books about our Blessed Mother and I simply couldn't move this book into a pile of books waiting to be read when I wanted to read it now.  Outside of the story of how the Miraculous Medal came to be, I really didn't know what I was going to find inside. And no, I really didn't even bother to flip the book over to read the synopsis on the back of the book.

The Miraculous Medal is just one of those books that I simply didn't want to put down.  The book begins with the story of Saint Catherine Laboure.  Donna-Marie does a beautiful job of retelling St. Catherine's story, Our Lady's apparitions to her, and the origins of the Miraculous Medal including the many miracles associated with the medals once they had been struck and distributed.

A good portion of this book relates to modern day miracles associated with the Miraculous Medals.  Donna-Marie tells us the story of how she came to be friends with Blessed Teresa of Calucutta and how the Miraculous medal was a conduit to that friendship.  From that friendship with Mother Teresa, Donna-Marie was inspired to start giving blessed Miraculous Medals to those she met.  Throughout the remainder of the book, she relates the stories of how these Miraculous Medals have worked in the lives of those who have received them as well as how they have affected her.  

The end of this book focuses on devotions to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and contains prayers, and novenas.  Of particular interest to me, this chapter had the Miraculous Medal novena.  After reading this book, this particular novena which our parish prays every Wednesday that had previously been a stumbling block to me, became a devotion which I now embrace.  I suppose you could say all it took was reading this book to win me over.  I had written only a week or two before this book arrived about how I couldn't get into praying this novena and then this book was in my hands and my perspective had shifted.

I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the Miraculous Medal.  I know for me the book definitely made an impact.

I was provided with a review copy of The Miraculous Medal by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a peek inside this book at Amazon.

Book Review: The Catholic Prayer Book

A few months back I reviewed the paper back version of  The Catholic Prayer Book and while I liked it, my chief complaint that it wasn't exactly made for the long haul.  I recently had the opportunity to review the leatherette bound version of this prayer book and I find this version to be more to my liking.  In terms of content the book is exactly the same, just in a better format.  

The book is set up in an easy to use format.  The prayers are categorized according to type or specific situations.  Many of the prayers have a modern feel to them, but there are several that are more traditional or old-fashioned feeling.  Several of the prayers contained in this book are the same or are a variation of the ones found in my pre-Vatican II prayer books.  There are plenty of new prayers in this book as well.  Something that stands out to me about this book is the source of the prayer is noted for many of the prayers.



I was surprised at just how much is packed into this prayer book.  While some of my pre-Vatican II prayer books have a lot to offer, in some ways they're limited.  I'd say this book is close to being a modern version of Blessed Be God.  As such, I think this prayer book would be an excellent confirmation gift.  It's also great for someone who is going through RCIA.  You even have the option of personalizing this prayer book at The Catholic Company.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I was provided with a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Catholic Prayer Book. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

Book Review: Raising God-First Kids In A Me-First World

When it comes to parenting our children, I think it's safe to say that there isn't a one size fits all approach to raising good kids.  Oftentimes with parenting books, you get the impression that the author's take on parenting is to do it their way or your kids are doomed to turn out badly.  I'm not a fan of those sorts of books.  And really, that's part of why I'm not exactly into reading parenting books.  That said, I was interested in reading Barbara Curtis' Raising God-First Kids in a Me-First World because the title intrigued me.  As with any parenting book, I didn't know when I cracked it open whether it would be one that would resonate with me or if it would make me want to toss it aside.  I'm happy to report that I found the book to be well worth my time.

Barbara's approach to parenting closely mirrors my own in many regards, particularly in limiting media exposure.  I'm that parent who restricts all of the TV programming that I feel has the sole purpose of inculcating the values of consumerism and self-centered shallowness that seems to be the trend of today's me-first culture.  So when I read her chapters mastering the media and consumer proofing your children, I felt that a key area of my parenting style was being affirmed.  Honestly, I don't really need anyone to affirm our parenting decisions, but it is nice to read the words of a seasoned mother of 12 who has raised children to adulthood confirming that we're on the right track.

From the title of this book you might wonder if this book is going to be pushing religion down your throat at the turn of every page.  The book didn't come across that way to me (I have read others that have).  There is plenty of talk of how their faith has played a role in their parenting decisions and throughout the book as she relates stories from their adventures in parenting she references those instances in which they felt the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

What I appreciated most about this book is the author's acknowledgement that what worked for her family may not, in fact, work for your family or even for every child.  She encourages the reader to be flexible in those situations and adapt your parenting to the individual and cautions against rigid one size fits all forms of parenting.

Overall, I found the advice in this book to be very sound.  If you're not sure where to begin with regards to shifting your children from the worldly me-first mentality to a having a God-first mindset, this book would be a good jumping off point.   Barbra presents her advice in a way that does not come across as preachy or judgmental.  Throughout her book she gives plenty of backstory for her own journey in parenting, including her amazing conversion story.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books in exchange for my honest review.   You can see inside this book at Amazon.

Book Review: Geekpriest

About a month ago an advance copy of Geekpriest Confessions of a New Media Pioneer by Fr. Roderick Vonhogen showed up in my mail box.  I don't know about you, but when I see a book with a picture of a priest holding his lightsaber on the cover (Yes, I said lightsbaer) I can't help but think it's a book that I have to read.  So never mind the fact that this book won't be released until September, I had to read it right away.

I was fairly certain when I picked up this book that it would be an entertaining read.  Perfect for summer, but again, it's not coming out until September.  So I guess really it's perfect for some nice fall reading.  The book certainly did not disappoint.  In fact, I pretty much devoured the book over the course of a few afternoons.

Geekpriest is filled with lots of anecdotal stories from Fr. Roderick's life.  But this isn't just a book of his amusing memoirs, no it's got a great underlying message of how to utilize new media to evangelize.  Fr. Roderick pretty much lays out how he started using pop culture rallying points like Star Wars, Harry Potter and video games to evangelize.  He illustrates how finding a common ground with people who shared a particular interest, such as Star Wars, gave him an opportunity to share his faith with them.

I found so much of what Fr. Roderick had to say in this book to be incredibly helpful with regards to using new media for the purpose of new evangelization.  So as a Catholic blogger, I felt this book had plenty of great takeaway points that I could use to improve the way I blog with regards to sharing my faith.  But this book isn't just for someone like me out in the blogosphere.  It's really for anyone who is utilizing new media or is interesting in doing so as a way to share their faith and evangelize.  Fr. Roderick discusses some of the difficulties you might encounter as you foray into new media and gives great advice on navigating through those circumstances.

I also think this book has the potential to be of use to clergy.  Not just for the great information on reaching people using new media, but also on thinking outside the box when it comes to the ways in which you try to reach them.  It's the idea meeting people where they are and evangelizing from there.  So if drawing parallels between the plot of say the Harry Potter books and the Gospels enables you to connect with your intended audience so that they're able to connect the dots and grasp what you're trying to convey, then why not?  So more or less, Fr. Roderick lays out ways in which you can think outside the box to evangelize.

Overall, I found Geekpriest to be both informative and entertaining.  It's an engaging book that is packed with lots of helpful advice on navigating new media as part of new evangelization.  It's certainly worth reading.

I was provided with a review copy of Geekpriest by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can pre-order a copy of this book at Amazon.com.

Book Review: Wrapped Up

Just this past week I delved into Teresa Tomeo and Cheryl Dickow's Wrapped Up God's Ten Gifts for Women.  In many ways, this book had a lot of parallels with Tammy Evevard's Becoming the Woman God Made You to Be.  Both include engaging and inspiring anecdotal stories drawn from the authors' personal experiences.  The underlying message, of course, is empowering women to see the beauty of God's plan for them.

I found Wrapped up to be a beautifully inspiring book.  Teresa and Cheryl beautifully illustrate God's gifts for women while exposing the "feminism" of our secular culture for what it is.  They'll help you to see that that God want's so much more for us as his beloved daughters than our modern culture offers us when it tries to homogenize us with men.

The book is filled with timeless and timely truths that are found throughout the chapters of this book.   These truths are inspirational quotes and scripture verses that in and of themselves will give readers plenty to ponder.  Readers will also find "Timeless Takeaways" throughout the book which also provide plenty of food for thought to take to heart as you unlock the beauty of God's gifts for us.

In the case of Cheryl and Teresa we get to see how their lives were transformed as they came to recognize and embrace God's radical love for them.  Their stories will leave you feeling inspired and will hopefully help you to better understand the amazing gift of love God has for each of us as His daughter.

Wrapped up, is much more than just a collection of anecdotal stories from the authors.  They also masterfully illustrate God's gifts for us through scripture as they explain how God's love transformed many women from the bible.  They're take on many of these stories helped me see them in a different light.  I had more than a few moments where I was amazed at how a bible story I knew pretty well was presented with a different perspective that uncovered another facet that I had never considered before.

Wrapped Up is a great book to read on your own, but you can also use this book in a group setting.  There's even a companion journal for this book to help you get even more from this book.  The companion journal gives you additional scripture passages, excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, additional insights from the authors and a series of discussion questions for each chapter.  There's even room for you to journal what you have taken away from each chapter.  Combined with the companion journal, I think this would be an awesome book to use with a women's group.  Used in group setting this book would require ten meetings to discuss the chapters and delve into the catechism and scripture verses for each section.  

I was provided with review copies of Wrapped Up and it's companion journal by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a sneak peek into the book and the companion journal at Amazon.

Book Review: Becoming The Woman God Made You To Be

Sunday afternoon I found myself with a little bit of spare time while the baby napped and I went looking for a book to read that was light reading.  I had just finished St. Francis De Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life and I wanted something that I could read over the course of a few days.  I came across Tammy Evevard's Becoming: The Woman God Made You to Be and thought it seemed like just the sort of book that would fit the bill.

I really had no expectations of this book when I sat down to read it, but I quickly found myself engrossed in the book.  Tammy weaves personal stories and practical advice together for an inspiring book that encourages women to be who God made them to be.  Her approach is one that most women will find easy to relate to.  She finds a common ground such as make-up, shoes, cooking or ordering take-out and from there ties in inspiration that surely will resonate with many women.  I honestly had a difficult time putting this book down.  I felt like I was following the author along a transforming spiritual journey.  I enjoyed the book so much that I devoured the entire book the same day I picked it up.

No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, there's sure to be something in this book that will help to inspire you to see yourself as a beloved daughter of God.  This book is a gem of empowerment for women.

I was provided with a review copy of Becoming: The Woman God Made You to Be by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a sneak peek inside this book at Amazon.

Book Review: The Catholic Prayer Book

A lot of my non-book review reading as of late has been centered on various prayer books.  I have a few books that are reprints of pre-Vatican II prayer books that I like a lot.  So when I received a copy ofThe Catholic Prayer Book from Servant Books I couldn't wait to see what it contained.

The book is set up in an easy to use format.  The prayers are categorized according to type or specific situations.  Many of the prayers have a modern feel to them, but there are several that are more traditional or old-fashioned feeling.  Several of the prayers contained in this book are the same or are a variation of the ones found in my pre-Vatican II prayer books.  There are plenty of new prayers in this book as well.  Something that stands out to me about this book is the source of the prayer is noted for many of the prayers.

I was surprised at just how much is packed into this prayer book.  While some of my old-fashioned prayers books have a lot to offer, in some ways they're limited.  I'd say this book is close to being a modern version of Blessed Be God.

When it comes to prayer books I actually prefer them to be leather bound or hardback.  My copy of The Catholic Prayer Book is paperback, but this title is available in a leatherette version.  Personally, I think it's best to have a more durable type of binding for a book that is presumably going to see a lot of use.  So I was happy to see that the leatherette binding is an option.  One of my first thoughts as I paged through this book was that it would be a great gift idea for confirmations in the leatherette version.

I was provided with a review copy of The Catholic Prayer Book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Servant Books for more information on this title.

Book Review: Tweet Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago a copy of Mark Hart's Tweet Inspiration: Faith in 140 Characters (or Less) arrived in my mail box.  Immediately I was intrigued by the concept of the book.  I thought to myself, seriously, how much inspiration can one back into a mere 140 characters?  As I paged through the book I found myself both amused by many of the tweets as well as surprised by how deep many of them were.

What I like about this book is you don't need to commit an afternoon or any significant length of time to reading this book.  Sure you could sit down with this book and read all of the tweets in a short bit of time, but I think this book is best approached reading a few here and there as mini jolts of inspiration.  As I read through this book I found so many tweets that resonated with me.  One of the tweets in this book that really jumped out at me as I read through this book in a house filled with the chaotic sounds of kids running around loudly being kids was this: "If the Lord didn't want us to grow in patience, He would never have given us families. :)"  So true, and so perfect for me at that very moment.

Overall, Tweet Inspiration is a fun book.  It will make you laugh, it will make you think and it will challenge you to live out your faith.  The book is certainly worth a look if you need a source of bite sized inspiration.

I was provided with a review copy of Tweet Inspiration by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Servant Books for more information on this title.

Book Review: Legacy of Love

I've had Kimberly Hahn's Legacy of Love: Biblical Wisdom for Parenting Teens and Young Adultssitting in a stack next to my bed for probably a year or more.  It was a book that I had meant to read but always seemed to stay right where I put it.  When I finally did get around to reading it I had a hard time putting it down.

I don't quite have a teen in my home yet.  I'm eighteen months away from having a teenager (Eeek!) so I figured now was as good a time as ever to read this book to get a jump on what lies ahead.  In this book Kimberly Hahn, drawing on biblical wisdom, tells you how to create a culture within your family that will nurture your teen through young adult child.  Let's face it, parenting isn't for the faint of heart, and Kimberly tackles the incredible task of raising teens and young adults and steering them along the right path.

This book takes you beyond the years during which your children live at home.  I know of people who take the stance that once their child is legally an adult at 18 that their job of parenting is complete.  I don't think that's the case and neither does Kimberly Hahn.  In fact, earlier this week I heard a homily at a daily Mass where Father said that those parents/grandparents who wash their hands of parenting their adult children by not speaking up when they see them go awry, are nothing short of cowards.  I whole-heartedly agree!

So what are you going to find in this book?  Well, there's loads of sage advice for raising teens and setting clear boundaries.  Teens/young adults and dating typically go hand in hand and you'll find plenty of advice for encouraging healthy dating and courtship.  I loved that the advice on dating meshes so well with the groundwork we're already laying with our girls that the purpose of dating is to find your spouse and not to let someone use you.

As I read deeper into this book I remarked to my husband that this book should be required reading for mother-in-laws to be.  There is so much in this book that is relevant to the mother of a married child.  I love the author's advice on bringing your child's spouse into your heart as one of your own.  Just imagine how wonderful life would be if all women were as welcoming to their sons and daughters-in-law as she describes.  Her perspective on the addition of sons and daughters-in-law is one that many would do well to consider.  Interestingly what she had to say echoes very closely what our pastor had once told me about how whether or not they realize it or choose to acknowledge it, when a son or daughter gets married his or her spouse is in fact a member of the family.  Honestly, for the chapter that addresses "The Mother-in-law dance" alone this book is well worth reading.  I will personally ensure that a copy of this book will find it's way into the hands of any mother who will one day call any one of my daughter's her daughter-in-law.

There's another chapter that has wonderful advice for mentoring young mothers whether it your own daughter or in-law as well as advice on grandparenting.  Again, a wonderful chapter with great advice for parenting through this season of life.  It all goes to show that the job of mothering doesn't end once your child becomes an adult.

Overall I found the book to be packed with amazing advice that will take you from parenting your teen through young adult.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Servant Books for more information on this title or to purchase a copy.

Book Review: The New Evangelization and You

A few weeks ago an advance copy of Greg Willits' new book, The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid,which will be available in May, showed up in my mail box.  Because I enjoy listening to The Catholics Next Door podcasts and had thoroughly enjoyed the book he co-authored with his wife, The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living, I simply had to dive into this book.

Blogging out in the Catholic blogosphere, you encounter a lot of blurbs about the New Evangelization and using new media to carry out this mission.  Personally, I have wondered on many occasions whether I'm doing enough or what more I can do in the area of new evangelization.

In his book, Greg gives a great explanation of what New Evangelization is so if nothing else, I was able to walk away from this book with a better understanding of just what the phrase "New Evangelization" entails.  But Greg, then goes on to detail a variety of ways that each of us can bring this New Evangelization to fruition.  And something that surprised me is that New Evangelization and new media aren't mutually exclusive.  For a while there, I had been under the impression that New Evangelization was contained to online media and podcasts but it's really so much bigger and all encompassing that that.

After having read through this book I found myself with newfound inspiration to plunge deeper into the work of New Evangelization.  And some of the chapters in this book provide you with so many different ways to get your feet wet.  One chapter in particular, gives fifty two suggestions (enough for every week of the year) to know your faith better and another fifty two suggestions for sharing your faith with others.  So no excuses for saying you're stumped and don't know where to begin.  With that many options everyone is bound to find at least a few that will resonate with them.

The overall format of the book is very approachable.  You won't feel like you're being preached to, instead you get a book that reads in an easy going manner that will leave you feeling ready to take action.  Each chapter ends with questions and a prayer.  I could see this book being used in a group setting.  While the questions are great for introspection, they'd also be great discussion topics as well.

This book certainly gets my recommendation.  It won't be released until May, but you can pre-order
it from Amazon.

I was provided with a review copy of The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid,
 by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Padre Pio's Spiritual Direction For Every Day

For what seems like ages, I've had the book Padre Pio's Spiritual Direction for Every Daysitting in my stack of review books.  It was one of those books that I really wanted to read, but with about a dozen other books that I really wanted to read in the queue this one kept waiting for me.  

A couple of months ago I finally picked up the book.  It became the book that I might not read every day, but I find myself paging thorough it here and there and either reading the entry for the day or reading a week's worth of entries.  I'm amazed at how many times I pick up this book and find just the nugget of wisdom that I needed in that moment.

The entries in this book are comprised of correspondence from Padre Pio to his spiritual directors, spiritual sons or friends, his spiritual daughters and even Pope Paul VI.  Reading through this book feels a bit like a journey.  I feel like the more I read from the book the more I'm coming to know this great saint better.  His advice is timeless and inspirational.  

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a peek inside this bookat Amazon.com.

Book Review: Yours Is The Church

I just finished reading an advanced copy of Mike Aquilina's Yours Is The Church How Catholicism Shapes Our World.  It was one of those books that I really had a hard time putting down.  Mr. Aquilina writes in such an engaging way that it's often hard for me to peel myself away from his books until I come to the final pages.

Yours Is The Church gives a brief and engaging look at how the Catholic Church has shaped Western Civilization.  There are many people in secular society who seem to view the Catholic Church as an outdated, irrelevant organization that oppresses rather than contributes.  This book is a breath of fresh air that shows just how relevant our Holy Mother Church is and how much modern society is indebted to the Church for all it has done.

Even though this book isn't exactly designed as such, you could almost use it as an apologetic resource for when you encounter someone who wants to rant and rave about how the church is backwards and oppresses women and is opposed to science and reason.  I know a small handful of people who have a twisted and sadly misinformed view of what they think the Catholic Church is that I wish would read through this book.  I think it could certainly inform and possibly change the negative outlook some people have about the Church.

For those of you who aren't exactly huge fans of reading history books, I can assure you that this book does not read like a "boring" history text.  You won't feel weighed down with overwhelming historical accounts or anything of that nature with this book, but you will walk away with a good understanding and hopefully an appreciation for all that Catholicism has done for our world.

Yours Is The Church will be available in October 2012.  Look for it at your favorite Catholic bookstore.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Saint Who?

Just about every time I pick up a new book on the saints I find several that I have never heard of before.  With Brian O'Neel's Saint Who? ~39 Holy Unknowns~I met about 37 saints I didn't know existed.  I had read O'Neel's other book 39 New Saints You Should Knowa while back and I have to say that I enjoyed Saint Who? every bit as much as his previous book.

As with many books on saints that devote an entire section or chapter to each individual saint, this is a book that you can pick up and zero in on reading about the saint of your choice and not feel like you should have read the book from cover to cover.  Something I really appreciated about the table of contents for this book is that there was a little subtitle next to each saint's name so you could scan the list and see if there was a particular saint that jumped out.

The stories for each of the saints featured in this book are all well written.  I really enjoyed getting to know some of these lesser known saints, and came away wanting to know more about some of them.

This book also caught the attention of my almost eleven year old daughter.  She loves reading about the saints and kept paging through the book whenever I would put it down.  While I chose to read the book from cover to cover, she chose to scan the table of contents to see who she wanted to read about.  She was excited that Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were in this book.  She has been very interested in them since watching The Story of Saint Perpetuaand seems to be eager to read about them whenever she can.  Since I'm on the subject of writing about my middle schooler reading this book, I have to say that it's not a book I would just hand off to her and let her read from cover to cover.  There are a few saints in this book who have stories that I think are a bit too mature for her.  For example, I don't think a middle schooler needs to be reading about a saint who is listed as "The Cuckold".  So as she read through this book, I made sure she told me what she wanted to read before I let her read it just to make sure she wasn't reading anything that I felt had a more adult theme to it.  But don't mistake me for saying that this book has any kind of sordid details or anything of that nature, I just think that the stories for some of the saints are too mature for a child and I am not ready for the questions that some of the stories may evoke.

Overall, Saint Who?is another great book from O'Neel on some of the more obscure members of the Church Triumphant.

I was provided with a complimentary review copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.

*This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.  If you purchase through these links Amazon gives me small percentage of the purchase price.