Category: On Books

Book Review: <em>Breakfast in Bethlehem</em>
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Book Review: Breakfast in Bethlehem

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This is a heartwarming children’s book, but it will make readers of any age feel closer to the birth of our Savior. In 40 pages, Edward Looney crafted a story giving a message that does good to the soul: Christmas is about Baby Jesus. It’s about going with the Holy Family as they journey through […]

Book Review: <i>Yes, God!</i>
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Book Review: Yes, God!

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Have you ever looked at a priest or religious and wondered how it was that he or she came to be there – what made that person willing and able to say “yes” to God’s call? Susie Lloyd, author of Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water and Bless Me, Father, For I Have Kids, decided […]

Shakespeare’s Nativity Scene
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Shakespeare’s Nativity Scene

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The works of William Shakespeare abound with the truths of the Catholic faith. Especially in his later plays (often called the “romances”), Shakespeare focuses his poetic imagination on the mysteries of grace, redemption, and resurrection. The results are surprising, strange, and wonderful stories that can do far more than entertain us. When he needed to […]

<em>The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning</em>: I Hate NFP, But I Love This Book
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The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning: I Hate NFP, But I Love This Book

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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: <i>Pope Francis: I Believe in Mercy</i>
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Book Review: Pope Francis: I Believe in Mercy

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Known for their work on the Manga Hero edition of Habemus Papem which told of Pope Benedict XVI, the creative team of Regina Doman as writer and Sean Lam as artist has once again joined to tell a pope’s life story. This time the attention is on Pope Francis. Intended for teens and young adults, […]

<i>Young in the Spirit: Spiritual Strengthening for Seniors and Caregivers</i>
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Young in the Spirit: Spiritual Strengthening for Seniors and Caregivers

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According to Statistics Canada, the years between 2010 and 2031 will see an accelerated rate in the aging population since this is the period when all baby boomers will have turned sixty-five. By the year 2036, between twenty-three per cent and twenty-five percent of the population will comprise of seniors aged sixty-five and over. The […]

Hope for the Workplace: Christ in You
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Hope for the Workplace: Christ in You

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Do you bring Christ to your workplace? If you work for a faith-based organization, the answer to that question may be an easy “yes.” However, the vast majority of Catholics and Christians work in secular institutions. What happens then? Should Christians leave their faith behind when they enter the office door. In Hope for the […]

Teens and Dating
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Teens and Dating

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It may come as a surprise to many, but dating is a relatively recent phenomenon. So says Jason E. King, author of Dating: A Practical Catholic Guide, published by the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service. Prior to our modern conception of dating, which arose in the 20th century, says King, a family was much […]

7 Secrets of Confession
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7 Secrets of Confession

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Fear not. The title, 7 Secrets of Confession, is designed to grab attention not break the seal. In fact, Vinny Flynn has penned his own “books of numbers” as author of 7 Secrets of the Eucharist and 21 Ways to Worship. This latest book serves as a helpful guide to Confession for those who have […]

Book Review: <i>My Sister, St. Therese</i>
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Book Review: My Sister, St. Therese

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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 […]

Levin’s "Liberty Amendments:" Struble’s Critique, Part Two
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Levin’s “Liberty Amendments:” Struble’s Critique, Part Two

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Links to part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 After seven weeks on the market, Mark Levin’s blockbuster book, Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic (Threshold Editions, Simon & Schuster, 2013) remains in the top ten of the New York Times bestseller list.  For the first three weeks after debut (August 13th) it stood […]

Book Review: <em>Walking With Mary</em>
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Book Review: Walking With Mary

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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 […]

<i>Treason</i>: Catholic Fiction at Its Finest
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Treason: Catholic Fiction at Its Finest

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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: <i>Small Steps for Catholic Moms</i>
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Book Review: Small Steps for Catholic Moms

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The hugely successful Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss was originally published in 2010, but fell victim to a publisher closure and went out of print. Ave Maria Press has re-released this popular book as part of the CatholicMom.com series of books. […]

Book Review: <i>Totally Catholic</i>
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Book Review: Totally Catholic

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Our children are often the impetus that draws us closer to God.  In between diapers, sleepless nights and planning for college, parents contemplate something more. For many poorly catechized Catholics, however, the “something more” is a bit intimidating. Our children have souls that need more than the ABC’s and a good college fund, but where […]

In the Custody of Words - Carousel
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Book Review: In the Custody of Words

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The book comprises twenty poems, and leaves one wishing there were more.

Bad Reviews are Good for the Soul
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Bad Reviews are Good for the Soul

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I vividly recall the first really negative review I received on a book. It was for a particular title in the All Things Girl series and the young person who wrote it was fairly scathing in what she said. She identified herself as one of three sisters who ranged in age from 10 to 15. […]

The Miraculous Medal: Author Interview with Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
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The Miraculous Medal: Author Interview with Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

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Today I’m very happy to share my recent interview with my friend and mentor Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle. We congratulate Donna-Marie on the release of her newest book, The Miraculous Medal: Stories, Prayers and Devotions. Enjoy! Q: Please briefly introduce yourself and your family to our readers. Hello, Lisa. Thank you very much for your interest […]

Woman In Love: A Love Story Worth Reading
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Woman In Love: A Love Story Worth Reading

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I’m sort of a sucker for love stories. But then again—aren’t we all?  Love is the most basic human need.  The music we listen to, the TV shows we watch… everything about the culture we live in testifies to the fact that we are starving for real love that satisfies.  Because of this, I believe […]

Book Review: <i>Sisterhood of Saints</i>
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Book Review: Sisterhood of Saints

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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. […]

<em>Liberty Amendments</em>, by Mark Levin: A Five Part Series of Commentaries, Part One
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Liberty Amendments, by Mark Levin: A Five Part Series of Commentaries, Part One

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Readers of “Farewell to Apostate America,” my four part series advocating for an Article V Convention (among other avenues to restoration of the written Constitution) can imagine my interest in seeing Mark Levin’s just released book, The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic (Threshold Editions, Simon & Schuster, 2013).  Currently it is number one on the […]

Talking Catholic Fiction with Marcus Grodi
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Talking Catholic Fiction with Marcus Grodi

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How many books have you read in the past year or so? (This doesn’t count the ones that you started but did not finish and now languish on a shelf gathering dust.) I’m talking about books that you have read cover to cover. That may reduce the number by as much as half if you […]

Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life
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Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life

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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
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There Was More to Saint Monica Than Tears

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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 […]