Who Killed Darius Drake? - Rodman Philbrick

Who Killed Darius Drake? 

Rodman Philbrick

Scholastic Canada

The Blue Sky Press

ISBN 9780545789783

eISBN 9780545789806

ASIN B06X9G41KP

A month ago I was having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said this Freak the Mighty, no hesitation, no pause just an immediate answer. I looked it up later in the day and discovered there was two books in that series and also a movie. While working on the review of the first Mighty book, I found at least a dozen I was interested in just from the titles. So this is the fifth volume by Rodman I have read in as many weeks, and every time I read one the list of ones I want to read grows! I have now compiled a list of all books published by Philbrick, under his various pen names. I enjoyed that first one so much I had picked up 3 other volumes by Philbrick before I even finished it! And by the time I had read three I had picked up nearly a dozen. 

I have been publishing reviews for 21 years now, first in papers and magazines and then on my blog and other platforms. I continue to read and write reviews because I must. I am a dyslexic bibliophile. I have tagged Scholastic over 450 times on my blog for reviews of books, or for my Top Ten Lists each quarter or year. I was greatly surprised I had not encountered Philbrick, it was absolutely my loss. Back to the book at hand. The description of this volume state:

“From Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick comes a delicious, fast-paced whodunit about two socially outcast boys who set out to find jewels hidden for a century--and unwittingly flush out a murderer.

In award-winner Philbrick's new page-turning mystery, Arthur "Bash Man" is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius's estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves -- and in the process, they discover that the car crash that killed Darius's parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next? Where are the diamonds? And who is stalking the boys? In his first mystery for children, Philbrick delivers yet another suspenseful, unpredictable tale filled with twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.”

The back cover of the print edition of the book states:

“For Arthur Bash, the mystery all begins with a letter, written in blood, threatening his geeky classmate Darius Drake. For the price of two candy bars, Arthur agrees to his usual job of thug-for-hire, but in this case, Darius is secretly pulling him into a much more dangerous task than scaring kids at school. Orphaned when his parents were killed in a car crash, Darius uncovers clues that lure both boys into a web of lies, corruption, and conflicting tales about Darius’s family and their long-ago connection to a still-missing treasure worth millions. Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick presents a page-turning story that will absorb readers as it reveals the complexities of greed, deception, family ties, and friendship. Who killed Darius Drake? And why?”

About the author in another volume we are informed:

“Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick has written more than a dozen novels for young readers. In 1993, he published his first children's book, Freak the Mighty, which became an instant classic, and was made into a feature film. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. Philbrick's other acclaimed novels include Max the Mighty, The Young Man and the Sea, The Last Book in the Universe, Zane and the Hurricane, and Wildfire. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys. You can learn more about him on his website: rodmanphilbrick.com.”

This story is a little book school story, a little bit buddy story, a little bit broken family and a whole lot of mystery. This is a fast paced mystery. The events appear to take place over a few days, at least the main story. We are led by the indomitable Darius Drake who receives a letter in blood asking who killed him? SO he grabs the school goon who works for chocolate bars, a thug for hire, Arthur Bash. But soon Arthur finds himself drawn into a story a hundred years in the making. The missing Dunbar diamonds, parents killed in a car crash 10 years earlier, A grandfather not long out of jail. When we throw in a step sister and rick business tycoon and a scared and disfigured Excon, you end up with one awesome story. But in their rush to find the diamonds the kids just might forget about safety. Read this excellent story to find out what happens.

This is another excellent story from Philbrick’s masterful pen. It reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements or Gordon Korman, Tony Abbott, and Dan Gutman. All of whom I loved and have read numerous stories. Because of the various genres he writes in I am beginning to think of him as an American Arthur Slade. I am really surprised I had not encountered the author previously. These first five books are so great; I might just end up reading everything from the author. After reading more Philbrick I am also being reminded more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.  

This is one of those excellent stories for middle grade or tween readers. It is even strong enough for us older folks for I am in my mid 50’s and could not put it down and read it over an afternoon, over several mugs of tea. It is an excellent story, one I can easily recommend. And I know I will be reading more by Philbrick and the various names he publishes under!

Books by Rodman Philbrick:

Max the Mighty Series:

Freak the Mighty (1993)

Max the Mighty (1998)

…

 

House on Cherry Street Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. The Haunting (1995)

2. The Horror (1995)

3. The Final Nightmare (1995)

…

 

Werewolf Chronicles Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Night Creature (1996)

2. Children of the Wolf (1996)

3. The Wereing (1996)

…

 

Visitors Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Strange Invaders (1997)

2. Things (1997)

3. Brain Stealers (1997)

…

 

Wild Series:

1. Wildfire (2019)

2. Wild River (2021)

3. Wild Wave (2024)

4. Wild Blizzard (2026)

…

 

Other Books:

Shooting Star (1982)

The Black Moon (1989) 

Brothers and Sinners (1993)

The Fire Pony (1996)

Abduction (1998) (with Lynn Harnett)

The Mighty (1998)

The Last Book in the Universe (2000)

Dark Matter (2000)

Rem World (2000)

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds (2001)

Coffins (2002)

The Young Man and the Sea (2004)

Lobster Boy (2005)

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009)

Listening To Kids In America (2011)

Zane and the Hurricane (2014)

The Big Dark (2016)

Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)

We Own the Sky (2022)

…

Written as William R Dantz:

Pulse (1989) (as by William R Dantz)

The Seventh Sleeper (1991) (as by William R Dantz)

Hunger (1993) (as by William R Dantz)

Nine Levels Down (1995) (as by William R Dantz)

Written as by W R Philbrick:

The Big Chip (1990) (as by W R Philbrick)

…

J.D. Hawkins Series:

1. Shadow Kills (1985)

2. Ice for the Eskimo (1986)

3. Paint It Black (1989)

4. Walk on the Water (1991)

…

 

T.D. Stash Series:

1. The Neon Flamingo (1987)

2. The Crystal Blue Persuasion (1988)

3. Tough Enough (1989)

…

Written as by Chris Jordan:

Randall Shane Series:

1. Taken (2006)

2. Trapped (2007)

  aka Lost

3. Torn (2009)

4. Measure of Darkness (2011)

…

The Quintland Sisters - Shelley Wood

The Quintland Sisters 

Shelley Wood

William Morrow Books

Harper Collins

ISBN 9780062839091

eISBN 9780062839114

ASIN B079WVZGQV

This is one of the summer reads for the book club at work. I recall watching a documentary on the Quintuplets many years ago, and that my maternal grandmother had some of the paraphernalia, she collected spoons and also memorabilia from the Royal’s, so this might have been a cross-over collection. I do not know. 

This book was an interesting read. It has a strong historical basis but enough is switched up that a lot of research was needed to parse fact from fiction. Wood’s inserted a fictional character that cared deeply about the quintuplets. Woven in and among the story are numerous historical articles and records supporting the story. 

Most of the story was fascinating to read, especially being a little familiar with the history. It was interesting following the journal entries, letters to and from, and the insertion of the actual historical records. It is so well written that at time it feels like biography not historical fiction.

The description of the volume is:

“For fans of Sold on a Monday or The Home for Unwanted Girls, Shelley Wood's novel tells the story of the Dionne Quintuplets, the world's first identical quintuplets to survive birth, told from the perspective of a midwife in training who helps bring them into the world.

Reluctant midwife Emma Trimpany is just 17 when she assists at the harrowing birth of the Dionne quintuplets: five tiny miracles born to French farmers in hardscrabble Northern Ontario in 1934. Emma cares for them through their perilous first days and when the government decides to remove the babies from their francophone parents, making them wards of the British king, Emma signs on as their nurse.

Over 6,000 daily visitors come to ogle the identical “Quints” playing in their custom-built playground; at the height of the Great Depression, the tourism and advertising dollars pour in. While the rest of the world delights in their sameness, Emma sees each girl as unique: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Marie, and Émilie. With her quirky eye for detail, Emma records every strange twist of events in her private journals.

As the fight over custody and revenues turns increasingly explosive, Emma is torn between the fishbowl sanctuary of Quintland and the wider world, now teetering on the brink of war. Steeped in research, The Quintland Sisters is a novel of love, heartache, resilience, and enduring sisterhood—a fictional, coming-of-age story bound up in one of the strangest true tales of the past century.”

The story is powerfully written. It is deeply moving. And the incident on the train was disturbing. Also the hints that the father or the doctor may have compromised one of the nurses earlier in the book ends up leaving a sour taste after finishing the read. There were parts of this that were fascinating to read, and some parts were really hard to read. It was unsettling. But also important to read.

It makes me think of some of the children who are used today on reality tv shows, social media, tik tok and other platforms; performing for likes and clicks, and donations, and the parents profiting. It feels like the lesson we should have learned from this story has been lost, and with the web and live streaming it has gone to a whole new level of exploitation. 

I am glad I have read it, and look forward to the discussion during the book club. But I have picked up a biography to read at some point this fall to fill out the picture.

A solid 4 stars.

Books by Shelley Wood:

The Quintland Sisters

The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley

…

The Glitter Murder - William Harrington - TOR Columbo Series Book 5

The Glitter Murder 

TOR Columbo Series Book 5

William Harrington

TOR

Forge

ISBN 9780312861612

ISBN 0312861613

Over nearly a year to be more accurate, I watched the complete run of Columbo, while researching an article I wrote as an overview on the series I discovered this novel and the other 6 in the series. I also found about casebooks, and even a cookbook. I thought I would try tracking down these books and give them a try. They do not disappoint. It was almost like watching an episode, his mannerisms, his process, and even his favourite foods. This was the fifth of 6 I have read in the series. I cannot see any fan of the series not enjoying this book, and if the last remaining in the series is as good I am thankful for some great reads! There is a little sadness that the series is coming to an end. I really wish there were more books available in this series. 

The description of this book states:

“For over twenty-five years, Columbo has been the most popular, and persistent, detective on television. New Columbo TV movies are as popular as ever, while the syndicated TV show episodes still appear on cable. Now the lovable LAPD lieutenant is back at work in the land of the powerful and glitzy, armed with his keen wit, rumpled raincoat, and unlit cigar.

Looking at the scene of the murder and the body, it is obvious to everyone that famed motion-picture director Gunnar Svan has been murdered by someone who broke into his house and bludgeoned him to death in the course of a robbery—obvious to everyone but Lieutenant Columbo.

Columbo has a few questions, even one or two for the distraught widow, the wealthy and exotically beautiful magazine publisher Ai-Ling Cooper-Svan.

Set in the glamour spots of Hollywood and in the world of scandal-sheet publishing, The Glitter Murder offers a fascinating background for another effort by the rumpled, distracted detective, who always innocently asks "just one more little question."”

Another description is:

“Looking at the scene of the murder and the body, it is obvious to everyone that famed motion-picture director Gunnar Svan has been murdered by someone who broke into his house and bludgeoned him to death in the course of a robbery - obvious to everyone but Lieutenant Columbo. Columbo has a few questions, even one or two for the distraught widow, the wealthy and exotically beautiful magazine publisher Ai-Ling Cooper-Svan.”

I have started a rewatching of the Columbo Television Series, mainly while cooking or eating to have something on in the background. I remembered I had this volume on my Kindle but had not got around to it. When I picked it up I devoured it in under 24 hours, over 2 sittings. I spent most of a Sunday reading, and my morning coffee on Monday on the porch finished it. 

The first three stories in this series are based on real people and real events, even if extrapolated further out in time. This story from my research appears to be completely fictional.

This story follows a business woman who discovers not only is her husband cheating on her, but doing so with a minor a prostitute, and others he is also stealing from her. She comes up with a plan for what she believes will be a perfect murder. And it might have been if Columbo had not caught the case. This story has a lot of intriguing elements and is one of the bets in the series, if not the best. Columbo trying to get a connected criminal Jacky Di Giacomo who got off with murder previously. Adrienne Boswell whom we have encountered in other volumes, is pulled in as an alibi and subplot in the story. And a few young women are taken advantage of at least 2 were under age. Overall an excellent plot with great characters and several elements rolled into a great case.  

This is in my opinion the best novel in the series that I have read to date. Unlike the tradition chapter method, each section of the story starts with a date and time or just the time, if on the same date. The story spans from Thursday July 2nd to Friday August 14th 7:11 A.M. The epilogue takes the events at least 7 years out into the future as well.  

While researching for the review of the first volume in this series I discovered that there were also 6 Columbo novels in the 1970; 2 new stores and 4 novelizations of episodes and also a collection called The Columbo Collection of 12 stories by William Link. These 6 novels came out overlapping with the 6 of the last 8 episodes of the TV Movie Special Era. 

This was a great read, in a good series. Fans of the series or for those who just like a good mystery or crime detective novel. I greatly enjoyed 3 of the other 4 novels in this series so far, and I look forward to the remaining story. I can recommend this book and series. 

  

Books about Peter Falk or Columbo:

Beyond Columbo: The Life and Times of Peter Falk - Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes

Columbo Phile - A Casebook - Mark Dawidziak

Cooking With Columbo Suppers With The Shambling Sleuth - Jenny Hammerton 

Just One More Thing - Peter Falk

Shooting Columbo - David Koenig

The Columbo Companion, 1968-78: Investigating Every Detail of All 45 'Classic Era' Columbo Adventures - The Columbophile

...

Related Posts:

Columbo Series Overview

...

Columbo Books:

A Christmas Killing - Alfred Lawrence

The Dean's Death - Alfred Lawrence

Any Old Port in a Storm - Henry Clements

By Dawn's Early Light - Henry Clements

Murder by the Book - Lee Hays

A Deadly State of Mind Book - Lee Hays

The Columbo Collection – William Link

…

Columbo Novels by William Harrington:

Grassy Knoll (1993)

The Helter Skelter Murders (1994)

The Hoffa Connection (1995)

The Game Show Killer (1996)

The Glitter Murders (1997)

The Hover Files (1998)

…

Other Books by William Harrington:

Which the Justice, Which the Thief (1963)

The Power (1964)

     aka The Gospel of Death

Yoshar the Soldier (1966)

     aka One Over One

The Search for Elisabeth Brandt (1968)

Trial (1970)

The Jupiter Crisis (1971)

Mister Target (1974)

Scorpio 5 (1975)

Partners (1980)

The English Lady (1982)

Skin Deep (1983)

The Cromwell File (1986)

Oberst (1987)

For the Defense (1988)

Virus (1990)

Endgame in Berlin (1991)

Town on Trial (1994)

Murder at the President's Door (2001)

     with Elliott Roosevelt published posthumously. 

…

God Awaits You Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister Eckhart - Richard Chilson - Great Spiritual Teachers Series

God Awaits You

Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister Eckhart

Great Spiritual Teachers 

Richard Chilson

John J. Kirvan (Editor)

Ave Maria Press

ISBN 9780877935728

ISBN 0877935726

This is the twentieth volume in the Great Spiritual Teachers series I have read, it is also one of the oldest having released in 1995, it is the fourth based on publication dates. Two Years ago I read my first book in the series, it was Born to Do This: 30 Days with Joan of Arc by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, and loved it and the concept of the series. I have read one almost every month since that first one, and if I can track down all the out of print, will do so until I finish all 25 released to date in the series. After I finished all of them that had eBook editions I have been randomly jumping around. I prefer the digital editions or eBooks with my dyslexia is easier to read. 

The description of this volume states:

“After centuries of obscurity and suspicion, Meister Eckhart is emerging as a mystic whose voice resonates with our own. Take this opportunity to allow Eckhart help you live a more centered life and discover God's presence in the moments of your day.”

The back of the physical book states:

“After centuries of obscurity and suspicion, Meister Eckhart is finally emerging as a mystic whose voice resonates with our own. Take this opportunity to allow Eckhart to help you live a more centered life and discover God’s presence in all the ordinary moments of your day.

When God finds you ready,

no attention is paid to what you were.

God accepts you for who you are,

gladly suffering all the evil, sin, or violence you can do,

awaiting only the chance to convince you of his love.

- Meister Eckhart”

About the series we are informed:

“Each book in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic's writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one's thoughts as the day ends. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.”

About the author we are informed:

“Richard Chilson is the author of over a dozen books on Catholicism and world religions. He currently serves as a chaplain at the University of California at Berkeley.”

I believe there are 19 volumes in this series currently in print, but only 16 of those have digital editions. There is also a new volume releasing in July of 2026. There are also a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the late 1990’s and it looks like they went through a rebranding and format change in the mid 00’s, and they have undergone yet another rebranding beginning in the 2020’s including some new titles available in the series. 

I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to that first volume on Joan. I have however added all of them to my ‘to be read list’. I love the recent rebranding, and hope Ave Maria completes the rebranding across all volumes. I hope also that Ave Maria brings back into print some of the volumes currently not available; specifically the volumes on John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Mother Theresa and others. This specific volume was released in 1996, the first of 5 that released that year. 

The sections in this volume are:

Meister Eckhart 

How to Pray This Book 

Thirty Days with Meister Eckhart 

One Final Word 

While reading this I highlighted numerous passages, some of them are:

“Meister Eckhart is finally emerging from the shadow of heresy cast over him in his own day and reinforced by Pope John XXII before his death. Today he is even quoted frequently by Pope John Paul H, a sign that his teaching is once again in favor. In addition to his acceptance among Catholics, he has also become a significant bridge between the Eastern and Western mystical traditions.”

“But if being a mystic is dangerous, a mystic who commands a following and who lives at a time of spiritual awakening, as did Meister Eckhart, is doubly suspect. Eckhart did not write for the monastic elite. He was a member of the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers, and his audience was the ordinary people to whom he preached.”

“Since he does not disclose personal details in his writings, we know very little of his life. We do know that he entered the Dominican Order during his teens, that he studied for the priesthood, and was familiar with the work of another Dominican, Thomas Aquinas, who had just died.”

“In others words, these are basic counsels concerning the spiritual life and the path which a person follows in drawing closer to God. Here Eckhart is practical and down-to-earth. Many of the things he discusses resonate with questions we have today about beginning a spiritual life.”

“Both Talks on Spiritual Instruction and The Book of Blessings and Comfort, are very practical. They focus upon the nature of the spiritual life. Eckhart, though a true mystic, does not provide poetry and vision for his students. Rather he offers hard, practical advice on how to discern one’s spiritual path, how to follow that path, how to do the work required.”

“The purpose of this book is to open a gate for you, to make accessible the spiritual experience and wisdom of one of history’s most important spiritual teachers, Meister Eckhart.”

“When I deny myself

God’s will becomes the same as my own will.

An obedient person never says,

“This is what I want.”

An obedient person seeks only to deny self.”

“May all my actions point to God.”

“May all my actions

speak of you, Lord.

May my heart show forth

only you.

May my words proclaim

only you.”

“You will come to share

the disinterest, detachment,

and spiritual vision of your heart’s delight,

the ever present God.

You will thirst with a true thirst,

and drinking will be your zeal,

even when you are preoccupied with other matters.”

“Gracious God,

give me the discipline

to seek you in everything

and in everyone | encounter.

Teach me that not one minute

is wasted if I recognize

that it draws me toward you.”

“Thank you for showing

me your presence with me today.

May I come to sense your presence

in everything I do.

May I see all my activities

as filled with you,

and realize that nothing is alien to you.”

“Each time we repent

love is made anew

and increases.”

“Great God,

you are my hope,

you are my trust,

you are my love.

My life is in your hands.

Show me how

you would have me live

to bring me closer to you.”

“Great God,

I thank you

for the assurance that

you will never be far from me.

Help me to find the path

you have set for me,

and give me the courage

to walk it.”

“God, help me to see

your particular path for me.

Open my eyes to what is

happening in my life.

Give me the insight to see

what holds me back,

and the grace to let it go.”

“Tonight again consider the path

God has chosen for you.

What are the issues

you need to work on right now?

How do you imagine

working upon those issues?

Try to be concrete and specific.

What part does the virtue of equanimity

play in your life?

Are you able to be satisfied with what is,

with who you are,

with what you have?”

“Lord, teach me to be satisfied

with myself and my state in life.

Lift me up from every concern

except your will for me.

Show me my faults

and guide me in overcoming them.”

“Be prepared always

for the gifts of God, new gifts continually.

Let God’s gifts wean you away from selfishness

and help you let go of concern

over what is yours by right.”

“Take a few minutes to relax

and look back over your day.

Reflect upon those moments

when you were conscious of your

intention to act out of goodness.

When did you forget to act in this way?

Can you sense what got in your way?

What made you forget your

initial intention?

Bring no blame to this exercise;

you are simply curious

about your behavior.”

“Great God,

help me to see

all that stands between myself

and your will for me.

Wean me away from whatever

comes between us

and draw me solely to you alone.”

“Spiritual work is

learning to cooperate with God.”

“God has never given differently

to anyone, even his mother,

and frequently, in order to impress the lesson upon us,

God removes everything from us,

both physical and spiritual.”

“Be content with God’s will in every circumstance,

so grateful

that his will is being accomplished,

that this becomes more crucial to you

than anything”

“Perhaps you are afraid that you do not give

enough of yourself to your spiritual work.

You are lukewarm about your journey.

Well, take this itself as a practice;

be patient with yourself and let it go at that.

God is understanding and easily endures failure,

if only we who are God’s friends can be at peace.”

“Lord, I thank you

for the gift of my life,

and for accepting me as I am

in my journey toward you.

Be my companion

whatever the journey,

and draw me always

nearer to your love.”

Each day follows the same format with three main sections:

AS OUR DAY BEGINS: “As the day begins set aside a quiet moment in a quiet place to do the reading provided for the day

The passages are short; they never run more than a couple of hundred words. They have been carefully selected, though, to give a spiritual focus, a spiritual center to your whole day. They are designed to remind you, as another day begins, of your own existence at a spiritual level. They are meant to put you in the presence of the spiritual master who is your companion and teacher on this journey. This is especially true of this journey with Catherine of Siena. The readings are her report of God’s words to her, God’s side of the dialogue. And since the purpose of the passage is to remind you that at every moment during you are in the presence of a God who invites you continually, but quietly, to live in and through him, what better source than the words of God himself?”

ALL THROUGH YOUR DAY: “Immediately following the day’s reading you will find a single sentence, a meditation in the form of a mantra, a phrase meant as a companion for your spirit as it moves through a busy day. Write it down on a 3" x 5" card or on the appropriate page of your daybook. Look at it as often as you can. Repeat it quietly to yourself, and go on your way.

It is not meant to stop you in your tracks or to distract you from responsibilities but simply, gently, to remind you of the presence of God and your desire to respond to this presence.”

AS YOUR DAY IS ENDING: “This is a time for letting go of the day, for entering a world of imaginative prayer … This exercise is not meant to last more than a few minutes. End it when you are comfortable doing so. It has two parts. The first, in keeping with Catherine’s model, is a personal response to the words spoken by God in the day’s reading. Just as God has spoken to you, so you speak to God. Second, you are invited to turn to the familiarity of a prayer based on Catherine’s own words. It is an act of trust and confidence, an entryway into peaceful sleep, a simple evening prayer that gathers together the spiritual character of the day that is now ending as it began—in the presence of God.

It is a time for summary and closure.”

And being an older edition a final section with a prayer called ‘Night Prayer’. Many of the highlights above come from those final sections.

A sample day is:

“DAY 13

 My Day Begins

Trust and Confidence

The worse you believe your sins to be,

the more ready God is to pardon them.

God wishes to enter your soul

and drive them out;

for no one is a laggard in rooting out

what is loathsome to him.

The more sins you have

the happier God is to forgive them.

And the more displeasing they are to God,

the quicker God forgives.

As soon as your repentance mounts up to God

your sins are swallowed up

in the abyss of God,

quicker than you can blink your eyes.

You demonstrate true and perfect love

when you have great hope and trust in God.

Nothing proves the fullness of love

better than trust.

When you love another with all your heart

you have confidence.

Whatever trust you place in God

is guaranteed,

and you find your trust rewarded a thousand times.

Just as you cannot love God too much,

you are never in danger of putting

too much confidence in God.

You can do nothing better

than to place your complete trust in God.

God has never let anyone down

who trusted fully.

Indeed through you

God will accomplish great things.

When we have this great trust

we become aware

that it arises out of love.

For love bears not only trust

but real knowledge

and absolute certainty.

All Through The Day

Nothing proves the fullness of love better than trust.

My Day Is Ending

After relaxing, consider the extent

to which you trust God

with your life.

What has helped your trust grow?

What obstructs your trust now?

How does that trust translate

to other people?

Just who do you trust?

Night Prayer

Great God,

you are my hope,

you are my trust,

you are my love.

My life is in your hands.

Show me how

you would have me live

to bring me closer to you.”

I hope those quotes and sample day give you a feel for this volume. I have now read 20 books in this series from the 25 I believe have ever been in print. And this is one is another wonderful volume in the series. I was really blessed by this volume I have recommended it to a number of friends, if they can track it down, my own copy has already been given away. 

I have benefited from every volume I have read in the series and I have now completed most of them. I have now read 20 volumes in this series, and currently working on a twenty-first I can state this is another great offering in the series. I find that some speak to me more than others. I can state I benefited from the month with each person being profiled. If I went back and did a volume again at a different point or season in life I might interact with it differently. I already plan to circle back to the volume on Joan and some of the others and reread them once I have completed the series, and this would be towards the top of that list.

This is a great read, it is one I really enjoyed reading. I can easily recommend this volume, and the series as a whole, and I look forward to reading others in the series. If you can track it down I highly recommend this volume.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Great Spiritual Teachers Series:

Abide in love: the Gospel spirituality of John the Evangelist – John Kirvan 

All Will Be Well - Julian of Norwich and John Kirvan 

Born to Do This - Joan of Arc and Jaymie Stuart Wolfe 

Come into the Silence - Thomas Merton 

Draw Ever Closer - Henri J. M. Nouwen and Robert M. Hamma  

Fear Not the Night - John of the Cross and John Kirvan 

God Awaits You Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister - Richard Chilson 

Grace Through Simplicity The Practical Spirituality of Evelyn Underhill - Evelyn Underhill and John Kirvan 

Hope Without Borders: 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan   

Let Nothing Disturb You - Teresa of Avila and John Kirvan  

Let There Be Light - Hildegard of Bingen and John Kirvan  

Living in the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence and John Kirvan 

Love Without Measure - Mother Teresa and John Kirvan 

Mission to Love: 30 Days with Óscar Romero - Todd Walatka  

Peace of Heart - Saint Francis of Assisi and John Kirvan 

Rejoice in the Lord - Augustine of Hippo and Trenton Mattingly  

Set Aside Every Fear - Catherine of Siena and John Kirvan  

Set Your Heart Free - Francis de Sales and John Kirvan 

Simply Surrender - Thérèse of Lisieux, Caroline Myss and John Kirvan 

Stay with Me, Lord: 30 Days with Padre Pio - Susan de Bartoli     

That you may have life: let the mystics be your guide for Lent - John Kirvan 

True Serenity - Thomas a Kempis and John Kirvan  

We Are Beloved - Thea Bowman and Karianna Frey MS 

Where Only Love Can Go - The Cloud of Unknowing and John Kirvan  

You Shall Not Want: The Psalms - Richard Chilson 

...

At The Risk of Feeling Dumb A Poem - Z.E. McEvoy

At The Risk of Feeling Dumb

Z.E. McEvoy

Grade 10 English Spoken Word Final 2026

Twenty One Pilots has always been my favourite band

They have songs with good messages but fun beats on top 

And they create a form of art that people can genuinely connect with:

At the risk of feeling dumb is simply a song I love 

But is that really all to it 

At the risk of feeling dumb 

Check in

It's not worth the risk of losing a friend

Some people might look over these lines 

As they are simply enjoying themselves in music with a fun beat over it 

Music is music and lyrics mean nothing

But to the person who wrote it, 

They mean everything 

This song is not about having fun all the time

This song is about a genuine issue 

Just because someone looks okay does not mean they are

And just because someone says they don’t want help does not mean they don’t need it

Check in.

That’s the whole message 

To you, a song could be talking about anyone

But this one's not

It's about real people who struggle with real things 

Weather you have a good upbringing or not

Once you reach your teenage years

You struggle 

In one way or another 

Coming of age involves dealing with things you haven’t before

And for some teens

It becomes too much

And then there's this choice 

Stay or don’t 

I know it seems simple to us to stay 

But to other humans 

It’s not 

That does not make them worth less

Or bad 

It makes them human 

Just like everyone around them 

So check in. 

That's the whole  point 

You never know what someone might be facing behind the smile they put on until you ask 

Until you genuinely ask

So do it

Take the bold step 

Be awkward

reach out

And 

Check in. 

Just like you’d hope someone would for you if you were standing in their shoes 

Wouldn't you want someone to be there for you to tell you you are human even though you are facing these struggles 

To tell you you matter and that staying is better than going 

With all that being said,

At the risk of feeling dumb

Just check in

Note: My daughter wrote this for a school assignment in June of 2026, it was a second piece as she was not fully satisfied with the first, Hurry Up!. It is posted here with permission. 

Other posts by Z.E. McEvoy:

I Want ... 

Staplers

At The Risk of Feeling Dumb 

Hurry Up!

...

15 Days of Prayer with Brother Roger of Taizé - Sabine Laplane

15 Days of Prayer with Brother Roger of Taizé 

Sabine Laplane 

Judith Bruder (Translator)

New City Press 

Focolare Media 

ISBN 9781565483491

ISBN 9781565483750

ASIN B003M68XEE

Last year I stumbled upon a different volume in this series, 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati by Père Charles Desjobert, OP, and really enjoyed it. I did some research on the series and this was the twelfth volume I decided to work through. In my research to date there have been at least 40 volumes in this series. Many written in French and then translated, including this volume, this book was first published in French in 2008, the English edition appeared 2010. Then in 2010 the series were rebranded, this is one of only a handful with digital copies currently available. 

I believe as of the writing of this review there have been 40 volumes in the series; the earliest I found was from 1999 through to a volume which was published in 2025. Only about a dozen seem to be in print currently and of those only a handful appears to have eBooks. With my dual form of dyslexia this is disappointing. I greatly prefer eBooks so I can change the font, and the colour of font and page to make reading easier. I have added all the eBook editions I could find to my wish list. About the Series we are informed:

“15 Days of Prayer Series

 On a journey, it’s good to have a guide. Even great saints took spiritual directors or confessors with them on their itineraries toward sanctity. Now you can be guided by the most influential spiritual figures of all time. The 15 Days of Prayer series introduces their deepest and most personal thoughts.

This popular series is perfect if you are looking for a gift, or if you want to be introduced to a particular guide and his or her spirituality. Each volume contains:

• A brief biography of the saint or spiritual leader 

• A guide to creating a format for prayer or retreat

• Fifteen meditation sessions with reflection guides”

The description of this specific volume states:

“Brother Roger (1915-2005) founded the ecumenical Taizé Community, which continues to welcome tens of thousands of young adult pilgrims each year. The Community is familiar to the faithful of many denominations, who use Taizé’s meditative songs in their worship.

Above all else Brother Roger strived not to be a spiritual master or teacher of methods of prayer and meditation but a listener. So this book presents not a program of prayer but an itinerary through the insights at the heart of Brother Roger’s life of prayer and of action, telling the story of the Taizé Community along the way. It allows readers to know and to pray with a figure who touched thousands of lives and helped, as Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said, “Change the whole climate of a religious culture.””

There is no ‘about the author’ section in the book or on the back. But we are informed on the page with the book description that:

“Sabine Laplane, a member of the Apostolic Community of Saint Francis Xavier, knew Brother Roger personally and remains a friend of Taizé. The Taizé brothers themselves encouraged her to write this book.”

The chapters in this volume are:

How to Use This Book

How to Use This Book

Abbreviations

Chronology of Brother Roger’s Life

Brother Roger of Taizé (1915–2005)

1. The Humble Sign of a Community

2. In Our Darkness, Kindle the Flame That Never Dies Away

3. Returning to the Spirit of Childhood

4. God Is Love Alone

5. A Yes for a Lifetime

6. Happy the Simple-Hearted!

7. Living God’s Today

8. A Path Opens

9. A Mystery of Communion

10. Struggle and Contemplation

11. Kindness of Heart

12. Each of Us Has a Pastoral Gift

13. A Passionate Waiting

14. A Wider Outlook

15. A Pilgrimage of Trust

For Further Reading

Also available in the “15 Days of Prayer” series:

I highlighted a few of passages while reading this volume some of them are:

“Like the others in this series, this book is an invitation to spend some time in the company of someone who can become, for a while, like a companion on our journey of prayer—someone who can help us draw inspiration from the sources that gave astonishing vitality to his own life. Brother Roger cannot be taken as an isolated, individual spiritual figure: his life is inseparable from the existence of the Taizé Community in France.”

“So this book is an opportunity to get to know and to pray with a figure who touched countless thousands of lives and helped (in the words of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury) change the whole climate of a religious culture.”

“The book can, of course, be read straight through, but it is best if possible to give each chapter plenty of time. The chapters can accompany the stages of a quiet retreat, for those who have the opportunity. Or they can be read day by day, or week by week, during the course of everyday life. If there is an opportunity to give them quality time, in a place where you know you will not be disturbed, so much the better. Take time for the questions, too, to make links to the realities of your own life.”

“To follow Christ with the gift of his whole life he trusted in something which his child’s eye had glimpsed in his beloved and admired grandmother: that it is within oneself that one begins the process of reconciliation.”

“Along with kindheartedness, simplicity does not exclude a search for beauty nor for a way of harmony which reveals something to us about the tenderness of our God: relying on the generosity of God’s gift in each person; listening, rather than giving advice; living in wonder, and letting our hearts thrill.”

“We are overwhelmed by a great desire to pray, and yet may find ourselves inhibited by our ignorance of how to do so. Without waiting for the Lord to respond, or without knowing how to figure it out for ourselves, we try to put together a fragment here, another fragment there, until a moment comes when we encounter others on the way, who become witnesses for us, guides who help us to focus on Christ and who help us put words to the realities of our inner life.”

“Solitude may be an essential condition of an inner life, but isolation is not.”

“The Creator remains attached to the man or woman whom he has made in his own image, and in whom he recognizes the image of his Son.”

“It is not so much that God is silent, as that we hide ourselves behind a veil.”

““Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us, let not my doubts or my darkness speak to me. Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us; let my heart always welcome your love.””

“To pull off our masks, or not to take them seriously, doesn’t mean being naive or maladjusted to social life. We know that, consciously or not, we are often part of the social game, even within the Church. We can try not to be a part of this game while still remaining in touch with practical reality and a sense of our responsibilities.”

“How marvelous is this faith and this recognition of a God who accompanies human beings, who joins us in our trials. Brother Roger loved to repeat that “in Jesus, ‘God is united to every human being without exception,’ ” restating in his own manner the words of the Second Vatican Council in Gaudium et Spes.”

“Let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ who himself knew the feeling of abandonment, who tasted the loneliness of suffering. In the agony at Gethsemane he experienced human abandonment as well as God’s silence. He joins us in the today of his resurrection: he is here among us, accompanying us, urgently inviting us to believe in his love which is for all time.”

“God our Father, we want to love you with all our strength, with all our soul. But you know that there can be within us inner resistances. Give us the boldness to leap over the walls, to dare to renew again and for always the yes of the gift of our whole life.”

“Throughout your day, let work and rest be quickened by the Word of God. Keep inner silence in all things so as to dwell in Christ. Be filled with the spirit of the Beatitudes: joy, simplicity, mercy. (EN)”

“Are there a few inner priorities which have always marked my life? Can I formulate them? Do I hear the call to live more simply? How can my life become less cluttered, more focused on what really matters? What can I let go of ? How can a simple life remain joyful and not austere?”

“A disposition toward the future that might be called hope, the conviction in the depths of his heart that Christ had transmitted a mission to his Church, that God does not stop caring about every human being, and does not withdraw from history.”

“Good news! It may be late, but there is still time to open our door and invite the stranger to our table, and to welcome the Spirit of the Risen Christ who interprets the Scriptures for us.”

“To go forward and better to understand others, Brother Roger always initiated meetings, going to Rome, to Constantinople, even to Moscow. With Pope John XXIII he experienced a deep accord which gave him a new understanding of the ministry of communion for the universal Church which the Bishop of Rome was called to exercise.”

“These days I often find myself in the little Romanesque church, near the reserved Eucharist. This place is inhabited by a living Presence: the faith of the Catholic Church has testified to it since the first centuries.”

“For disciples of Jesus, it is urgent not to get sidetracked into a meaningless opposition between involvement with people and the inner life (which itself knows struggles and crises).”

“We need only open ourselves to contemplation. It will teach us how to see, and expand the space before us where we will encounter the newness of the Spirit.”

“Mindful of the suffering and isolation of Christians behind the Iron Curtain, some brothers traveled to meet with them. Sometimes Brother Roger went also. Some brothers learned Russian. Any time it was possible to take part in a church camp, go on a pilgrimage such as at Czestochowa, or help at a construction site, some young people were sent to do so.”

“God is always on the side of those who weep. Consequently, during the Second Vatican Council, Brother Roger, before rejoicing over the adoption of a text he favored, which was however not unanimously passed, requested a prayer for the minority who felt unrecognized. It comes about that in opening itself to all the misery of the world in daily prayer, morning and evening, the heart becomes wider and is more generous in its intercessions.”

“Highlight(aqua) - Page 129 · Location 1818

In following them we find ourselves invited to changes in our lives, sometimes ones whereby we seem to be standing still, fruits of inner work or of reflection, sometimes ones marked by encounters which open us far beyond anything we had thought we were looking for.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. I picked this volume because I had it and also the volume ‘Brother Roger and Taizé A New Springtime’ by Father Bryan Wells a biography from The Catholic Truth Society, that I had not read yet. I read it towards the end of working through this volume. 

This is a good volume in an excellent series. Spending these 15 days with Brother Roger, was informative. I will admit I was aware of the name Brother Roger, and Taizé prior to reading this volume and the other mentioned. I do recall the early paperback edition of the Glory & Praise Hymn booklets in church in the late 70’s and early 80’s and the connection to Taizé. But I had not looked much into it. In the early 2000’s when I was a mature student back in university, the Chaplains office often used the music of Taizé. And I recall a few students who even went. But I had never really looked into it with any depth. I am thankful I have done so now with this volume. The written reflections and the discussion questions were engaging. I just really wish all of the 40 volumes were available as eBooks, I would work through them all if so.

A good read in a great series!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by or about Brother Roger and Taizé:

15 Days of Prayer with Brother Roger of Taizé - Sabine Laplane

Brother Roger and Taizé: A New Springtime - Bryan Wells - CTS Biographies

...

Books in the 15 Days of Prayer With Series:

Blessed Chiara Badano - Florence Gillet and Bill Hartnett 

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam - Christian Verheyde

Brother Roger Of Taize - Sabine Laplane 

Charles de Foucauld - Michael Lafon  

Chiara Lubich - Florence Gillet and Bill Hartnett

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Matthieu Arnold

Don Bosco - Robert Schiele

Dorothy Day - Michael Boover 

Henri Nouwen - Robert Waldron

Jean-Claude Colin - Francois Drouilly

Johannes Tauler - Andre Pinet

Meister Eckhart - André Gozier

Peter Joseph Triest - Brother René Stockman

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - André Dupleix 

Saint Alphonsus Liguori - Jean-Marie Segalen

Saint Augustine - Jaime García

Saint Benedict - André Gozier

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes - François Vayne 

Saint Bernard - Pierre Yves Emery 

Saint Catherine of Siena - Chantal van der Plancke 

Saint Clare of Assisi - Marie-France Becker

Saint Dominic - Alain Quilici 

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton - Betty Ann McNeil

Saint Eugene de Mazenod - Bernard Dullier

Saint Faustina Kowalska - John Cleary

Saint Francis de Sales - Claude Morel

Saint Francis of Assisi - Thaddée Matura O.F.M.

Saint Jeanne Jugan - Michel Lafon 

Saint John of the Cross - Constant Tonnelier

Saint Katharine Drexel - Leo Luke Marcello 

Saint Louis De Montfort - Veronique Pinardon 

Saint Martín de Porres: A Saint of the Americas - Brian J. Pierce

Saint Philip Neri - Jean-François Audrain 

Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati - Charles Desjobert

Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven

Saint Therese of Lisieux - Victoria Hebert

Saint Thomas Aquinas - Suzanne Vrai and André Pinet

Saint Vincent de Paul - Jean-Pierre Renouard

The Curé of Ars - Pierre Blanc

Thomas Merton - Andre Gozier

…