Monday 7 October 2024

The Twisted Breath of God - Cedar Sanderson

The Twisted Breath of God
StonyCroft Publishing
ISBN 9781301163069
ASIN B007I4CZI6

The Twisted Breath of God - Cedar Sanderson

This is the twenty-third volume from the masterful pen of Sanderson that I have read. To start at the beginning I first encountered the works of Cedar several years back in Cracked: An Anthology of Eggsellent Chicken Stories, and after reading her piece there knew I had to track down and read more from her pen. I was asked recently why I keep mentioning this anthology in my reviews of Cedar’s books, in part it was just an excellent anthology, in part there are several contributors whom I am trying to read all their books now, and in part because I am so thankful to have stumbled upon Cedar’s works in it! To date everything I have read has been entertaining and some have just been amazing stories. I since found out that she is friends with a number of authors I love and respect. I am working my way through her back catalogue. This is another excellent story. 

The description of this volume states:

“A short story of the second contact with an alien civilization. Trade is good, luring humans into rushing their translations and contact with the aliens. A young man and a classroom of alien children are caught in the misunderstandings that ensue.”

About Cedar at the back of this volume we are informed:

“Cedar Sanderson, mother of four and aspiring author, grew up without television in the Alaskan bush. This and learning to read at age four have skewed her world toward books. A house full of books and a part-time librarian job keep that going to this very day. She writes what she wants to read herself, and hopes someday her children will like her books. Until then, they all live together on a farm in New Hampshire and read late into the night. She writes because she can't help it, gets a story stuck in her head and has to write it out or it bothers her. Which has led to enjoying the crafting of stories over the years, but she didn't seek to become published for a long time - she was content just to write. Now, she'd like to share some of her work. She has been published in the ezine Something Wicked.”

And Cedar gives us the background to this story, she states:

“I have the pleasure of being a professional balloon twister and face painter in addition to everything else I do in life. I wrote this little tale years ago, when I first learned to twist balloons, and the idea of combining the light-heartedness of twisting with my love of science fiction seemed like a good idea. I do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, and then rediscovering it in my files almost a decade after I'd written it, long enough after writing that I looked at it and felt like I was reading someone else's work.”

This was a very moving little story. A young man is allowed to interact with Aliens during a second contact situation. The person they assume is the schoolmistress is as eager as he is for him to interact with the youth. But things go sideways quickly. And it is an experience none on the mission are likely to ever forget. To find out what happens you need to read this excellent story. 

This was another excellent read from the pen of Sanderson. I have been very impressed with all of Sanderson’s writing that I have read including those published under the name of Lilania Begley. I can easily recommend this story if you like it a story told in a classic science fiction manner. In some ways in reminds me of Frank Herbert’s The Green Brain or The Eye's of Heisenberg. An excellent story I can easily recommend.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:
Warp Resonance
The Dwarf's Dryad
One-Eyed Dragon
Memories of the Abyss
Stargazer
Plant Life
Snow Angel
Inktail & Friends: A Coloring Book
Voyageur's Cap
Fairy Little Sister
Milkweed
Mindflow
Crow Moon
Zombie Maggots
Poor Gregory

The Groundskeeper Series:

Pixie for Hire Series:
Dragon Noir
Pixie for Hire: Omnibus Edition

Children of Myth Series:
Vulcan's Kittens 
The God’s Wolfling

The Tanager Series:
Jade Star
Tanager's Fledglings 

Witchward Series:
Possum Creek Massacre
… 

Illustrated by Cedar:
Something Wicked #15
Jormungandr's Venom (Fenris Unchained Book 3)
Hunted Behavior
A Time To Die
Legion

Contributed to:
The Hearts' Enchantment
Calexit- The Anthology
Supernatural Streets
Something Wicked Anthology, Vol One
Something Wicked #15
Mythic Delirium Magazine Issue 0.4
The Haunted Library Anthology: Volume 1 
But Not Broken - Hope and Healing Book 2
Postcards From Mars - Postcard Stories Book 1
Space Cowboys - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 4
Space Cowboys 2: Electric Rodeo - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 5
Twisted Tropes
Steam-Powered Postcards - Postcard Stories Book 2
Space Marines - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 6
Fanta-Fly Postcards: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Postcards from Foolz: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Falcons of Malta
Space Marines 2 - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 9
Single Servings of Liberty - Postcard Stories Book 5
Tales From The Occupation: A Fae Wars Book 4

Books as Lilania Begley:
Slice of Pie
...

Sumire Series:

Bluehills Series:

Contributed to as Lilania Begley:
He Was Dead When I got There
...




Saturday 5 October 2024

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing

St. Raphael Prayer for Healing
Prayer of the Day  

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing

Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the “medicine of God” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favour (here mention your special intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.  

Amen. 

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing Votive Stations St Michael's Waterloo, Ontario

A friend shared this on twitter and I immediately liked it. I added it to my daily prayers in the summer of 2024.

Friday 4 October 2024

The Voice of Angels - Nydia Hadi

The Voice of Angels
ISBN 9781987970685
ASIN B0DD4N2LMW

The Voice of Angels - Nydia Hadi - Full Quiver Publishing

First I will state this is not a genre I read much. In fact the only books I have read in this genre have either been by other Catholic authors or Cedar Sanderson writing as Lilania Begley. But I am a father of three daughters and open to a wide range of books. I was asked if I wanted to give this one a go for review purposes. The description was intriguing and I was open to giving it a try. It obviously did not end up on me ‘did not finish’ pile.

The description of this novel is:

“Olivier’s life is turned upside down after a car accident. Aside from the injuries to his body, his relationship with his girlfriend has also turned sour. When everything seems to be against him, he discovers a Catholic choir group that inspires him to see life in a new light. Although he is not religious, he helps the choir and ends up learning what selfless love means.

Regina is a professional violinist and a soprano in her church choir. She is also very devoted to her faith. When she meets Olivier, a nonbeliever, her faith is challenged in a new way. Most importantly, she has to define what it really means to have faith. When her feelings for Olivier grow deeper, she’ll have to decide what to compromise—and what not to.

Will Olivier and Regina end up together? Will love conquer all?”

About the author we are informed:

“Nydia was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to Canada when she was 18 years old. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, then moved to Calgary, Toronto, and finally to Montreal in 2021. Living in various cities in Canada has broadened her perspective as a Canadian author.

Although she was born and raised Catholic, it wasn’t until 2018 that she experienced God’s love firsthand and decided to serve God through writing. When she is not writing, she spends her spare time reading and playing piano.
The inspiration for her writing includes Montreal and Canada’s beauty, her Asian roots, classical music, her travel experience, and her faith and spirituality.”

Having grown up in Kingston, Ontario I spent a lot of time in Montreal in my youth, attending games, concerns and just enjoying the city. So there was a lot I could relate to in the story about appreciation for the city. I am also a revert having left the Catholic church twice once in my teens and again in my mid-twenties. So there is a lot I can relate to in Oliver’s beginning to question his assumptions around the Catholic Church and faith. 

The story is told through a series of first person point of view chapters. Three of our characters provide our perspective.

Olivier Lefebvre – 28 chapters
Regina de Luca – 26 chapters
Ethan O'Sullivan – 4 chapters

Usually each chapter switches but on a few occasions we get back to back chapters by Olivier and Regina, and once we get three chapters from Olivier in a row. Oliver is recovering from a serious accident that has altered his life permanently. Ethan is questioning his call to be a surgeon or the priesthood. And Regina is trying to find her place in the world of professional musicians. Ethan and Olivier grew up going to the same schools and often competed for top marks. But when Ethan is on the trauma team after the accident they reconnect and develop a true friendship. Ethan also conducts a choir at his church, and Regina is a member. When Regina is in need of a new place to stay Ethan connects her with Olivier. The story from that point is one for friendship, romance faith and finding out what really matters in life.

The story is not a white washed Christian fiction. All of our characters have flaws and make mistakes and assumptions. But they also grow and grow in faith. The characters are very well written. And reading this could be like catching up with old friends you had not seen in a long time. It is realistic fiction but with a clear faith foundation.

This was a wonderful read. I read it over the first few days of vacation at the end of summer and it was an excellent story to start some time off with. I can easily recommend this book. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan

Books by Nydia Hadi:
Romance Concerto
Dear God


Thursday 3 October 2024

Sugar Skull - Cedar Sanderson

Sugar Skull
StonyCroft Publishing
ISBN 9781311558091
ASIN B00HMA1LQS

Sugar Skull - Cedar Sanderson

This is the twenty-second volume from the masterful pen of Sanderson that I have read. To start at the beginning I first encountered the works of Cedar several years back in Cracked: An Anthology of Eggsellent Chicken Stories, and after reading her piece there knew I had to track down and read more from her pen. And to date everything I have read has been entertaining and some have just been amazing stories. I since found out that she is friends with a number of authors I love and respect. And working my way through her catalogue has been wonderful.
But back to the short story at hand. The description of this volume states:

“Sally, whose full name was Alessandra Padilla Rivera, and who had been raised by a grandmama on stories of El Cucuy, the chupacabra, and the jaguar god who hunts in the night, knows how hard good jobs are to find, and keep. She has a mother to support, and a new job to prove herself at. A couple of problems, though… She is working in a morgue where strange things are happening. The only person she can talk to is her boss, her mother just turns the television volume up, and her friends are grossed out by her job. But Sally is convinced her boss isn't fully human…”

This was a really intriguing story. It feels like it could fit very well in the world of the Groundskeeper Trilogy that began with Raking Up the Dead. And I cannot help but wonder if Mr. Cruor from that series and Pedro Enriquez in this volume have encountered each other before and if they might in a future story? And I can easily picture Sally and Chloe sharing stories about their various work adventures. 

This is a very moving an powerful story. Especially if you know some of Cedar’s past, or have experienced domestic violence, or have supported others who have. It is an intriguing story about finding your place in the world, even if that place might be a morgue at a large hospital, and with an even more unusual boss than normal. I knew I would love this story when it began with:

““Hi, my name is Sally, and I work in the morgue. I’m a diener, which means I move bodies, clean them, and generally assist. It’s not that I’m obsessed with death or anything, it’s just that I really needed a job, and this one pays pretty well, because, as you can imagine, it’s not for the faint of heart. You know how the hospital assigns each department a color of scrubs? Well, ours were supposed to be black, but my boss, who, by the way, isn’t human, I’m pretty sure... Anyway, he laughed at that, and the next day I came into work to find hello kitty skull scrubs in my locker.””

The characters are well written. Sally is a strong character and has a deep commitment to her work. Even after finding out surprising things about her boss. In this one she plays mediator and becomes a confidant. This short story moves at a steady pace. It is another intriguing world Sanderson had created. 

To date I have been very impressed with all of Sanderson’s writing that I have read, and have very much enjoyed her recently works published under the name of Lilania Begley. I can easily recommend this story if you like it and have not read them check out her Groundskeeper Series.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:
Warp Resonance
The Dwarf's Dryad
One-Eyed Dragon
Memories of the Abyss
Stargazer
Plant Life
Snow Angel
Inktail & Friends: A Coloring Book
Voyageur's Cap
Fairy Little Sister
Milkweed
Mindflow
Crow Moon
Zombie Maggots
Poor Gregory

The Groundskeeper Series:

Pixie for Hire Series:
Dragon Noir
Pixie for Hire: Omnibus Edition

Children of Myth Series:
Vulcan's Kittens 
The God’s Wolfling

The Tanager Series:
Jade Star
Tanager's Fledglings 

Witchward Series:
Possum Creek Massacre
… 

Illustrated by Cedar:
Something Wicked #15
Jormungandr's Venom (Fenris Unchained Book 3)
Hunted Behavior
A Time To Die
Legion

Contributed to:
The Hearts' Enchantment
Calexit- The Anthology
Supernatural Streets
Something Wicked Anthology, Vol One
Something Wicked #15
Mythic Delirium Magazine Issue 0.4
The Haunted Library Anthology: Volume 1 
But Not Broken - Hope and Healing Book 2
Postcards From Mars - Postcard Stories Book 1
Space Cowboys - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 4
Space Cowboys 2: Electric Rodeo - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 5
Twisted Tropes
Steam-Powered Postcards - Postcard Stories Book 2
Space Marines - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 6
Fanta-Fly Postcards: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Postcards from Foolz: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Falcons of Malta
Space Marines 2 - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 9
Single Servings of Liberty - Postcard Stories Book 5
Tales From The Occupation: A Fae Wars Book 4

Books as Lilania Begley:
Slice of Pie
...

Sumire Series:

Bluehills Series:

Contributed to as Lilania Begley:
He Was Dead When I got There
...


Raking Up the Dead - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 1

The Hoodoo That You Do - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 2

My Ghoul - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 3

Wednesday 2 October 2024

Artificial Condition - Martha Wells - Murderbot Diaries Book 2.0

Artificial Condition
Murderbot Diaries Book 2.0
ISBN 9781250186928
eISBN 9781250186935
ASIN B075DGHHQL

Artificial Condition - Martha Wells - Murderbot Diaries Book 2.0

I read the first volume in this series over three years ago, I had picked up this second instalment but it got lost in the plethora of new books from Christmas and birthday gift cards. I stumbled upon it late one night when I couldn’t sleep and was scrolling way down in my ‘to be read pile’ and started reading it. I finished it in under 20 hours reading during three sittings. And now I am desperate to read the next instalment in the series. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

Prior to reading that first book I had never heard of Martha Wells, but author Arthur Slade mentioned his on social media. And specifically, he mentioned that first book, which he had just finished. I have read a few books over the years that Art has plugged and have never been disappointed. And that was the case that time as well. I bought and read book 1 while sitting in PICU after my son had spinal surgery. When I picked it up, I did not realize that it was part of a series. Let alone this long. A series, but it gives me several more books to look forward to that year, or at least that was the plan. It is in many ways a classic science fiction tale. It reminds me of stories I read a lot of in my youth but only pick up from time to time now. The description of this second instalment is:

“It has a dark past―one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…”

Our hero was formerly property. But It was being given some freedom, and decided just to go on a quest. It is in search of answers and answers that can only be found one place. The answers will hopefully unlock some memories and help us understand why it calls itself Murderbot. But in order to facilitate the journey it goes through some physical alterations, and it takes on some clients acting as security personnel. But wait that is after an encounter with a very intelligent and powerful ship!

Yet again very quickly things go wrong, the humans have data they desperately want to recover. And Are willing to risk a lot for that data. Soon Murderbot finds itself looking out for them in ways well above and beyond the contractual agreement. The story uncovers some of the past, but not all questions are answered and maybe even more are raised. 

There is some great action, but not as much as this first, in many ways this read more like a space noir. It is more detective and leg work, and lots of time to think between periods of action. Some more excellent character development, and a very sound story line in this second volume. 

In the first book I highlighted a few passages:

“I COULD HAVE BECOME a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”

And the second:

“The sense of urgency just wasn’t there. Also, you may have noticed, I don’t care.”

That one alone made me think of James Bolivar diGriz, Slippery Jim aka The Stainless Steel Rat. And as you can tell from the first, it is a thinking book. Not just fluff to entertain. That feeling was even stronger with this second offering.

The story in some ways reminds me of the Stainless Steel Rat Series by Harry Harrison. And in other ways it reminds me of Starship Troopers by Heinlein.  The action and mystery reminds me of the rat. And the deep reflective internal dialogue of Rico. It was another great read in what is shaping up to be an excellent series.

Books by Martha Wells:
The Murderbot Diaries:
0.5 Compulsory
3.0 Rogue Protocol 
4.0 Exit Strategy
4.5 Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
5.0 Network Effect
6.0 Fugitive Telemetry
7.0 System Collapse
...

All Systems Red - Martha Wells - Murderbot Diaries Book 1.0

Artificial Condition - Martha Wells - Murderbot Diaries Book 2.0







Tuesday 1 October 2024

Are You Saved? The Catholic Understanding of Salvation - Fr. Mike Schmitz - Homilies Collection

Are You Saved? 
The Catholic Understanding of Salvation  
Sunday Homilies with Fr Mike Schmitz Collection
ISBN 9781954882041
eISBN 9781954882058
ASIN B0CL8P9VBN

Are You Saved - Fr Mike Schmitz Homilies Collection

This is the Fifth of the 6 volumes currently available in the ‘Sunday Homilies with Fr Mike Schmitz Collection’, that I have read, though it is in fact the first one that was released. It is an excellent resource! Over the last several years I have read and listened to a lot of Father Mike Schmitz’s offerings. This is one of 8 volumes of Homilies that have been released by ascension press. The first four volumes seem to have had eBook releases in 2022 in a series called ‘The Curious Catholic’. They were then rebranded and rereleased in the fall of 2023 as ‘The Sunday Homilies with Fr Mike Schmitz Collection’. I believe there were four in the original collection and there are now 8 in the new editions released late in 2023 and 2024, with this being the first of the original set. It is hard tracking down all the works published by Father Mike as they are published under a few variations of his name:

Mike Schmitz
Fr Mike Schmitz
Father Mike Schmitz
and even
Michael Schmitz

But back to this volume. The description of this book states:

How Catholics respond to the common Christian question: "Are you saved?" 

Salvation is not just an event--it's also a process of transformation into being like Christ. Are You Saved? The Catholic Understanding of Salvation, a booklet in The Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz Collection, was created to invite Catholics closer to God by outlining the theology of salvation in everyday language through Fr. Mike Schmitz's homilies. In Are You Saved?, Fr. Mike Schmitz presents a clear explanation of salvation while encouraging Catholics to take these truths to heart and apply them to their everyday lives. 

In five short chapters, this booklet introduces the reader to: 

How someone is saved 
What a person is saved from 
Whether salvation is an event, a process, or both, 
How the sacraments fit into salvation, 
What salvation means for Catholics and how that should be reflected in the way they live.

Complete with thought-provoking questions, prayerful meditations, and real-life challenges after each chapter, this booklet is perfect for individual devotion or group study.

The chapters in this volume are:

Welcome to The Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz Collection
Chapter 1: Are You Saved?
Chapter 2: Saved from Fatherlessness
Chapter 3: Saved from Hopelessness
Chapter 4: Saved from Lifelessness
Chapter 5: Saved from Lovelessness
Notes

We are informed that this booklet and I assume the others in the series as well are adapted from a series of Homilies given by Fr. Mike Schmitz. It would be nice if there was a list of the homilies so we could go back and listen to them either in the podcast, youtube, or now even the Ascension App. The welcome message in the booklet states:

“Each booklet in this series has been created to invite Catholics to grow closer to God through reflections from Fr. Mike.

These booklets are short and relatable, with features that will help you apply what you read to your own life.

Quotes and Bible verses throughout the booklets will help you zero in on the key points.

Questions after each section prompt you to reflect and help you to dive deeper into the topic being presented. We recommend that you pray or journal with these questions as you make connections to your everyday life. (They also make great prompts for small group discussion, while keeping in mind that not everyone in your group may feel comfortable answering those of a more personal nature.)
Meditations are provided after each reflection to help you take the topic directly into prayer. We recommend setting aside some time after each chapter to read the meditation and pray or journal with it.

Each reflection ends with a challenge to put what you have learned into action. These challenges invite you to enter into prayer, serve others, make a resolution for the week, and more.

It is our sincere hope The Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz Collection helps you along the way in your journey toward holiness. May God bless you!”

A sample Reflect, Pray and Act section from the end of the second chapter is:

Reflect
Have you ever collected anything? If you haven’t, what is something you might like to collect? Why?

Can you think of a recent experience where you decided not to do something because you didn’t think you were going to get anything out of it (going to class, going to Mass, getting together with family, prayer, etc.)? Did you regret not doing it?

Have you ever had a discussion with a non-Catholic about the question of “faith and works” and the differences between Catholics and many Protestants with regard to salvation? How did it go? If you were to have a discussion now, what would you emphasize or say?

Thinking about the basketball analogy, where does grace fit into your life? Do you try to do it all on your own, or do you let God help you? Are you letting his gift of grace pick you up and give you life? Are you letting go of the ball instead of keeping the gifts you’ve been given for yourself? Are you asking him to pick you up and to help you again?

Even in our most broken moments and deepest sufferings, through grace we still have something to give. Have you ever thought about how your sufferings can be an opportunity for self-giving rather than self-serving? What strikes you most about that?

Have you ever fallen into thinking that you’ll give when you have more, but not right now? What’s wrong with this way of thinking? How can we switch our mentality?

Pray
As you meditate on today’s chapter, be prepared to write down any answers you receive from God during your prayer. One of the beautiful things about life with Jesus is that he is always showing us how to be more like him—if we ask!

You may have heard that we are called to give Jesus (and the Church) our “time, talent, and treasure.” This is a clever way of saying everything—we need to give him our “all.” As we learned, God doesn’t need our help, but he wants us to join him in fulfilling his will. So ask the Holy Spirit today to show you how you can give the Lord more of your time, talent, and treasure.

Start by thinking in terms of more “ones”: one minute of service, one action where you use a talent you have been given, one dollar you can offer to God. Then, move on to “threes”: three minutes of service, three “talented” acts, three dollars given to God. Then, increase this to “fives.” The best way we can be saved from lifelessness is to live fully in Christ—by sharing this life with the corner of the world he has placed you in.

Act
Write down a list of the places you usually go to receive something. Then, ask God what you can offer in those places and write down the answers.”

Each of the chapters has a section like that at the end. Some longer some are shorter. While reading this volume I highlighted a number of passages. Some of them are:

“The question “Are you saved?” brings up another question: “Saved from what?””

“Salvation is not just about past forgiveness or a future hope of heaven. Have you ever thought of salvation as also being a part of your present, day-to-day life? Can you see it in your own life? In what ways?”

“In Christ, all of us have been saved from fatherlessness. Whatever the weaknesses and mistakes of your earthly father, your heavenly Father makes up for them. Whatever wounds your earthly father caused your heavenly Father can heal. Whatever love your earthly father lacked your heavenly Father will lavish upon you. In this prayer time, seek to enter into the presence of the perfect, loving Father you have always looked for. After spending quiet time with your heavenly Father, pray to him in the words Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father, who art in heaven …””

“An ancient saint, St. Cyril of Alexandria, said this. Jesus took to himself our humanity so he could give us his divinity. Jesus took to himself our weakness so he could give us his strength. Jesus took to himself our brokenness and lowliness so he could give us his wholeness and make us like himself. He took our debt so he could give us his mercy.”

“Remember, the heart of salvation is being saved from being un-Christlike. Salvation is being saved not just from owing a debt but from walking through this world and not looking like God or living like God or loving like God.”

“It isn’t fair that you and I wake up every morning with all these pains in our hearts, but it also wasn’t fair that God was completely innocent and took upon himself for every single one of us our brokenness, our pains, our sufferings, our temptations. He took all of those into his own heart on purpose.”

“It’s not fair that it’s broken, but it’s also not fair that you’ve been made whole. Salvation is a gift. It’s undeserved. It’s unmerited. It’s unearned. It’s just given. Actually, that’s what the word “grace” means.”

“People who ask, “Are you saved?” often misunderstand what we believe as Catholics. Many times, they think that Catholics believe we work for our salvation. That’s not actually the case. Here’s what we believe about how salvation works: we believe that we are saved by grace through faith working itself out in love.”

“We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is our response to grace, which is just a yes to God. It’s an obedience to God working itself out in love. That’s the core, the whole heart of everything. It comes down to love.”

“You know the little action figures in packages that people collect, like Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker? Don’t be like an action figure that’s still in the box. God has been giving you his grace your entire life in order to save you from lifelessness—so use it.”

“When he extends that particular cross to you and you embrace it and rejoice in your sufferings for the salvation of the world, that’s actually his grace to you.”

“Realize the power of looking like the Son. The Son came to give his life as a ransom. Imagine this week being saved from lifelessness because you and I decided to show up and to ask, “Where can I give?” That is another way to say, “How, in this situation, can I look like Jesus?””

“Why do we put up walls and turn away from the sacraments? Because this gift of love has been wasted on us. We see it as a burden.”

“Jesus has saved you from sin, fatherlessness, hopelessness, lifelessness, and lovelessness. Ask him to help you live in a way that reflects the freedom he has won for you!”

I hope those few quotes give you a feel for this volume. This book a really great tool for Catholics; especially for dialogue with other Christians and even non-Christians. 

This is another wonderful little volume. It is one I will likely return to again and read again and again. When I was in university, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, there was a series of booklets by the founder Bill Bright, called Transferable Concepts, and by reading them many times you could almost memorize them and the message so that you could share it. This volume reminds me a lot of those books, but specifically geared for Catholics. But to be honest any Christian would benefit from reading this book.

This is another great resource from Fr Mike, I have used his Bible in a Year Companions, and am currently using the Catechism in a Year Companion and read some of his other offerings. What I love about this book and this new collection is you can pick and choose. Read a booklet from beginning to end or jump around and read the different topics as you are inspired, or as they seem relevant. Because they are based on Father Mike’s actual homilies the text flows well, is engaging and keeps your attention. They would be great to work through as a group study or for personal reading, reflection, or spiritual reading. 

I highly recommend this volume and look forward to reading others in the set. It is another great resource from Father Mike and Ascension. And at the time of this review volumes 7 and 8 have been announced in this series, we there are even more great resources from father Mike to track down. An excellent book for any Catholic!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan

Books By Father Mike Schmitz:
Made for Love: Same-Sex Attraction and the Catholic Church
Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike
Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike Volume II
The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II
The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume III


Contributed to:
Pray, Decide, and Don't Worry: Five Steps to Discerning God's Will
Don't Be Afraid to Say Yes to God! Pope Francis Speaks to Young People

Audio Talks by Father Mike Schmitz:
Living Life by Design, Not by Default
Love - Sacrifice - Trust He Showed Us the Way
From Love, By Love, For Love
True Worship
The Four Last Things
Jesus Is …
Changed Forever - The Sacrament of Baptism
We Must Go Out - The Sacrament of Confirmation

Are You Saved - Fr Mike Schmitz Homilies Collection

Ordinary Time - Fr Mike Schmitz Homilies Collection

Untroubled by the Unknown - Fr Mike Schmitz Homilies Collection

It's Personal - Fr Mike Schmitz Homilies Collection




Sunday 29 September 2024

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2024

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2024

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2024 My Den 2024

It has been a good year for reading so far. I am still averaging about a book a day. It was slower this year than the last few, but both work and home life have been much busier. 

In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more. 

This quarter I read 85 books and had 2 in added to the ‘did not finish’ list, low compared to the last few years, below is the comparison with the last 8 years:

     2024 - 87
     2023 – 102
     2022 – 87
     2022 – 79
     2021 – 79
     2020 – 61
     2019 – 89
     2018 – 91
     2017 – 64
     2016 – 94

As you can see this is right about on par, and last year was a serious outlier. But back to this quarter by the numbers:

Books Read: 87
First Time Reads: 70
Fiction: 36
Non-Fiction: 47
5/5 Stars: 60

I will note a few of the books I read this year are unpublished manuscripts. They will be released next year but this list is based on when they were read. A dip over the last few years overall so far this year, but this quarter was close to average. I can state again that looking back 2016 is a bit of an outlier as late that year I switched jobs and have since had much better work – life balance. In the spring of 2016, I worked through Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now (now available on ClaitasU). The year before that I removed all games from my phone and tablet and my reading had doubled.  

Here is my top ten fiction and non-fiction books of the third quarter of 2024

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

1. Books by Pope Benedict XVI
2. Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra Di Pasqua
3. Are You Saved? The Catholic Understanding of Salvation - Fr. Mike Schmitz - Homilies Book 1
4. The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey,  Matthew Doeing, and Ann Koshute
5. Hearing Christ’s Voice: A New Lectionary for the Church - Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB
6. Visions of Mary: Mother of God - Sandra DiPasqua and Barbara Calamari 
7. CTS Children's Books by Juliette Levivier 
Praying with the First Christians
10. Saints Around the World  Early Reader Collection - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders
Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World
Talented Saints Around the World
Unshakable Saints Around the World
Adventurous Saints Around the World
Young Saints Around the World 
Ordinary Saints Around the World
(Note available individually or as a set.)

Bonus Non-Fiction Books:

Saints: Ancient & Modern - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua
Ministering the Word of God - Fr Allen Morris - CTS Books  
My Simple Prayer Book - Pierpaolo Finaldi - CTS Children's Books
My Simple Mass Book - Pierpaolo Finaldi and David Belmont - CTS Children's Books
  
Top Ten Fiction Books:

 1. Shadows Visible & Invisible - Catholic Teen Books Anthology
 2. Honeymoon from Hell - Declan Finn
The Neck Romancer 
Blood Country 
Wyverns Never Die 
(Forthcoming books available in 2025)
 3. Little Red-Hood and the Wolf-man - Cedar Sanderson
 4. Pop - Gordon Korman
 5. The Voice of Angels - Nydia Hadi
 6. Trickster Noir - Cedar Sanderson - Pixie for Hire Book 2
 7. Snow in Her Eyes: A Paranormal Police Procedural - Cedar Sanderson - Witchward Book 1
 8. Columbo The Grassy Knoll - William Harrington - TOR Columbo Series Book 1 
 9. Artificial Condition - Martha Wells - The Murderbot Diaries Book 2
10. Ennia in Faerie - Manuel Alfonseca

Bonus Fiction Books:

Memories of the Abyss - Cedar Sanderson
Born to Rock - Gordon Korman
Schooled - Gordon Korman 
Plant Life - Cedar Sanderson 
Stargazer - Cedar Sanderson 
Faker - Gordon Korman

My reading has been up over each of the last few years, but it is staying pretty consistent at about a book a day over the year. I attribute in part to Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now, removing all games but 1 brain game from my devices. And I was commuting to work on a bus and read on the bus every day. Working from home reading took a little more discipline, and we are now back to a hybrid model with 5 days a month in the office, so things are changing again.  

Note: I do not include books that have been read in previous years and were reread this year in my top ten lists, they are sometimes in the bonus section. But if you want more options check out my favourite books year by year list. Or this year not to flood the list with one specific author.   


Relates Posts: 
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Reading Goals for 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2010

Top 10 Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2010 - Recap

Top 10 Fiction Books 2010
Top 10 Picture Books of 2010
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010

Top 10 Graphic Novels for 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2011
 

Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals for 2011 Update
 
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2011 
Top Ten Fictions Books 4th Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals 2011 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2012

Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books  4th Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2013
Top 10 Books Second Half 2013
Top Ten Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2013 
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2014
Top Ten Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2015
Top Ten Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2016
Top Ten Non- Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Catholic Books
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2017
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2018
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2019
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020 
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2024
...  

All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More

Statistics Books Read By Year:

283 - 2023 January-September
455 - 2024
438 - 2022
365 - 2021
317 - 2020 
392 - 2019
359 - 2018
380 - 2017 
272 - 2016 
177 - 2015 
130 - 2014 
88 -  2013
176 - 2012 
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
98 - 2008
83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
60 - 2004
52 - 2003
97 - 2002
50 - 2001
41 - 2000
71 - 1999
73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996