Showing posts with label DonalAnthonyFoley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DonalAnthonyFoley. Show all posts

Saturday, 30 September 2023

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2023

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2023


It has been a very good year for reading, in fact I think it is my best to date, and not likely ever to be matched. I have read 371 books read to date, and 102 of them this quarter. A lot of great reads, and a few new authors that I had not explored yet.  I have read just over a book and a quarter a day. I read 109 books this quarter, in comparison with the last 7 years:

     2022 – 87
     2022 – 79
     2021 – 79
     2020 – 61
     2019 – 89
     2018 – 91
     2017 – 64
     2016 – 94

But back to this quarter by the numbers:

Books Read: 102
First Time Reads: 76
Fiction: 47
Non-Fiction: 55
5/5 Stars: 70

So right about on par with most of the years. 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 fourth quarter of 2020.

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

1. Vision Books for Young Readers from Ignatius Press
An American Little Flower - GinaMarie Tennant 
Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family - Cheri Blomquist and John Herreid
3. CTS Biographies from the Catholic Truth Society
Martyrs of Uganda - Joanna Bogle
8. Books by Alice Curtayne
10. Books by Mary Fabyan Windeatt from TAN Books

Top Ten Fiction Books:

4. Dreams of the Storyteller - Richard Paolinilli
6.  Glaston Chronicles Books by Donal Anthony Foley
9. The Harwood Mysteries - Antony Barone Kolenc - The Lucy Short Stories
10. Royal & Ancient - Amanda Lauer

Bonus Books:

My reading has been up over each of the last few years. And I thought last year would be a high watermark. But this year is proving me wrong. Which 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 with a planned return to hybrid work things will change again soon.  

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
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


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Friday, 29 September 2023

The Excalibur Mystery - Donal Anthony Foley - The Glaston Chronicles Book 3

The Excalibur Mystery
ISBN 9781733258159


I am very thankful this long teased third volume in this series has finally been released. The books are now with a new publisher, and the first two volumes have been rebranded and reprinted. I reread books one and two before reading this one. 

I have read a several of Donal Anthony Foley’s nonfiction works and have loved them all. Both books he has written and books he has edited. This was the third of his fictional works I have read, and it is an excellent story. It is an awesome story, in a classic style and genre. 

The description of this book states:

“Matt Bergen and his cousins, Luke and Annie, learn more about the Abbey at Glastonbury, King Arthur and his legendary sword. Soon they find themselves in a battle with evil accomplices fascinated by the sword, who want it for the occult power it will give them.”

It is another story packed with action, danger, risk, and figuring out your faith. This one add’s in another cousin. And brings back a previous villain. I would say this book is written with the teen or young adult audience in mind. And yet also state that because of how compelling the writing is readers of any age will fall in love with the characters, and be captivated by the story. This is one of those books that friends and family will get tired of hearing about. It is a story I will be talking about for months and recommending for years to come. 

This story ties together a lot of elements that are important to our family. My son and I are big fans of Richard III, for both of us the fascination started with Colm Feore’s playing the role at the Stratford Festival in Canada. For myself in 1988 and for my son in 2023. So, when the cousins go back in time to just prior to the battle of Bosworth. But there is also mention of Saint David of Wales and St Patrick of Ireland, both of which are favourites in our family. There is also speculation about what the world would look like of Richard had won. 

““In fact, the Catholic Reformation wasn’t simply a reaction against the rise of Protestantism, even though the Protestant Reformation had the effect of greatly stimulating the Catholic reform. Rather it was really another example of the type of work of spiritual reform undertaken by men such as St Bernard in the twelfth, and St Francis and St Dominic in the thirteenth centuries. 

But all that didn’t happen, and the Reformation was a real turning point, and not just for this country, but for the whole world. This was because England was destined to have such a huge influence on how America developed. If England had remained Catholic then North America would have been entirely Catholic. And that would have meant a completely Catholic ‘New World’. And that’s probably what God intended, given that Our Lady appeared in Mexico at Guadalupe in 1531, as the Reformation was unfolding.””

This thought has got me wondering about an Alternate History where this has happened. And finally, the links to Arthur and legends around him and Joseph or Arimathea are masterfully executed. So much history was brought into this story. 

If you have read and enjoyed books like Narnia, The Chime Travelers, and the lesser know Mr. Baker’s Book Series will love this book. But geared for older readers than the last two. If you appreciate historical fiction with a twist. This is one for you. If you just love a very well written story, give this one a try. It was masterfully executed. This is another amazing story in an excellent series. 

My only regret is that there are not currently eBook editions available of the series, I have a dual form of dyslexia and greatly prefer eBooks so I can change the font, and colour of font and page. My Son has eye tracking issues and prefers eBooks as well. Foley has written a great story and series in the time and space travel genre.  In it we follow 4 youth being transported back to England during the end of Richard the III’s reign from the Tor in Glaston. It is a great adventure story about friendship, family and faith. But be warned it will leave you desperate for the next volume. I can easily recommend this book and this series. A great read!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Donal Anthony Foley:
Christian Living: The Spirituality of the Foyers of Charity
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion?
Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World
Medjugorje Revisited: 30 Years of Visions or Religious Fraud?

Fiction:




Nonfiction titles from Foley:








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Monday, 25 September 2023

Journey to Castle Raven - Donal Anthony Foley - The Glaston Chronicles Book 2 Reprint Edition

Journey to Castle Raven
ISBN 9781733258180
Originally published as:
The Dark Tower
Donal Anthony Foley 
Theotokos Books
ISBN 9780957496934
ASIN B074KKP98D


I have read a few of Donal Anthony Foley’s nonfiction works and have loved them all. Both books he has written and books he has edited. This was the second of his fictional works I have read, and I was blown away again. This is an awesome story, in a classic style and genre. As soon as I finished reading the first volume I picked up this book and bumped it towards the top of my reading list. I also reached out to the author about the announced book three. If you enjoy historical fiction with a twist, and an epic battle between good and evil. This is one for you. If you just love a very well written story, give this series a try. It is masterfully written. The beginning of the description of this book states:

“The Glaston Chronicles continue with this, the second in the series of books involving Matt Bergin and his cousins, Luke and Annie Martin. Safe back from their time-traveling exploits in Second World War France, the cousins find themselves drawn into a new adventure in the twenty-first century, but one involving their old adversary, Emil Schwarzen, who is now an aged and extremely wealthy entrepreneur styling himself as Lord Edgar Blackly.”

From the beginning this story is packed with action, danger, risk, and growing deeper in your faith. I would say this book, and series, is written with the teen or young adult audience in mind. But also state that because of how compelling the writing is readers of any age will fall in love with the characters, and be captivated by the stories. This is one of those series that friends and family will get tired of hearing about. They are stories I will be talking about for months and recommending for years to come. 

It is an excellent story, it continues after travels in the time and space. We meet more of the family. And find out some of what happened to those left behind in France in the first book. Their old adversary, Emil Schwarzen, now known as Lord Edgar Blackly, has amassed wealth, titles, and properties around the world. And spent the last 70 years trying to replicate what he experienced with this group. But he has turned to dark arts, dark magic, the occult, and esoteric knowledge to try and find a way to travel in time and to become immortal. He has spoiled his grandson. And together they try and manipulate and control Matt and his cousins. But with the help of their aunt, Father Richard Peters, and a surprising ally they meet along the way. 

But this volume must come with a warning that the first book did not. There is a lot of information about the occult and magic in this book. I would be far more selective about who I would recommend this book to. There are many younger readers who I would have suggested book 1 to that I would not think ready or mature enough to read this book with discernment. The occult is clearly presented. Both how it hoodwinks practitioners and how it is a very slippery slope. But it counters that with the power of faith, the cross and the name of Jesus. 

It is another wonderful adventure story about friendship, family and faith. But be warned it will leave you desperate for the next volume, which has just been released yet.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Donal Anthony Foley:
Christian Living: The Spirituality of the Foyers of Charity
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion?
Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World
Medjugorje Revisited: 30 Years of Visions or Religious Fraud?

Fiction:




The Original Covers


Nonfiction titles from Foley:








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Wednesday, 20 September 2023

The Glaston Secret - Donal Anthony Foley - The Glaston Chronicles Book 1 Reprint Edition

The Glaston Secret
ISBN 9781733258166
Originally published as:
The Secret of Glaston Tor 
Donal Anthony Foley 
Theotokos Books
ISBN 9780957496910
ASIN B01LZRK6IP


I have read a few of Donal Anthony Foley’s nonfiction works and have loved them all. Both books he has written and books he has edited. This was the first of his fictional works I have read, and I was blown away. What an awesome story, in a classic style and genre. As soon as I finished reading this volume I picked up book 2, and reached out to the author about the announced book three. If you have read and enjoyed books like Narnia, The Chime Travelers, and the lesser know Mr. Baker’s Book Series will love this book. But geared for older readers than the last two. If you appreciate historical fiction with a twist. This is one for you. If you just love a very well written story, give this one a try. It was masterfully executed. The beginning of the description of this book states:

“Fifteen year old Matt Bergin is staying in Glastonbury for Christmas with his cousins, Luke and Annie Martin. Matt feels drawn to Glastonbury Tor, and St Michael's Tower, which crowns its summit. The cousins learn the secret of Glaston Tor and find themselves propelled back in time to 1940s France and the Second World War.

They are given a mission by an enigmatic stranger, who asks them to help a young German couple and their son escape from wartime France. But the fearsome Gestapo are on their trail.”

And it is a story packed with action, danger, risk, and figuring out your faith. I would say this book is written with the teen or young adult audience in mind. And yet also state that because of how compelling the writing is readers of any age will fall in love with the characters, and be captivated by the story. This is one of those books that friends and family will get tired of hearing about. It is a story I will be talking about for months and recommending for years to come. 

Foley has written an excellent story in the time and space travel genre.  In it we follow 3 youth being transported back to France during WWII from the Tor in Glaston. After making a wish on a very special crèche. That Nativity set has a history and they step back in time to encounter others with a link to it. It is a wonderful adventure story about friendship, family and faith. But be warned it will leave you desperate for the next volume. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Donal Anthony Foley:
Christian Living: The Spirituality of the Foyers of Charity
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion?
Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World
Medjugorje Revisited: 30 Years of Visions or Religious Fraud?

Fiction:




The Original Covers


Nonfiction titles from Foley:
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Monday, 10 October 2022

Apparitions of Mary Their Meaning in History - Donal Anthony Foley - CTS Christian Shrines

Apparitions of Mary Their Meaning in History
CTS Christian Shrines Series
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 1860820824 
ISBN 9781860820823 
CTS Booklet Do 662


I read and reviewed a different edition of this book back in 2006. The one I read back then was a reprint from Lifehouse Catholic Media, I believe, and I had picked it up at the back of a church or on retreat, I do not recall. It was a great read and I enjoyed it. But never really returned to it or looking deeper at books from either the CTS or Lighthouse. Since that time I have discovered the books and booklets from the Catholic Truth Society, I have read over 300 in the last few years. And I have read another dozen works from Foley’s masterful pen, both his non-fiction and fiction. I tracked down a newer edition of this book and gave it a reread, and this is a new review based on that reread. You can read the original review here. The description of this volume is:

“Many shrines throughout the world are associated with Mary, the Mother of God. What meaning do her apparently random apparitions have? This booklet sets out the links that exist between the nine major apparitions of Mary, accepted as authentic by the Church, and correspondingly important revolutionary events in modern Western history. Fascinating parallels are also drawn between these apparitions (Guadalupe 1531, Rue du Bac 1830, La Salette 1846, Lourdes 1858, Pontmain 1871, Knock 1879, Fatima 1917, Beauraing 1932 and Banneax 1933) and various biblical figures and events.”

The chapters and sections in this volume are:

Introduction 
Guadalupe, the Reformation. and Secularisation 
     The Reformation 
     The Apparition~ at Guadalupe - 1531 
The Enlightenment, French Revolution, and Catholic Revival 
     The French Revolution 
     The Apparitions at Rue du Bac - 1830 
     Jacob, Joseph and the Miraculous Medal
     La Salette Apparition - September 1846 
     La Salette and Moses 
Lourdes and Darwin's theory of Evolution 
     Bernadette and Lourdes - 1858 
     Moses and Bernadette 
Pontmain and Knock Apparitions 
     The Apparition at Pontmain - 1871 
     The High Priest 
     Knock Apparition - 1879 
     Fatima and the Russian Revolution 
     The Apparitions at Fatima - 1917 
     The Miracle of the Sun · October 1917 
     Fatima and Elijah 
Beauraing, Banneux, and the rise of Nazism 
     The Apparitions at Beauraing, 1932-33 
     The Eastern Gate and Beauraing 
     The Apparitions at Banneux - I 933 
     Beaurning, Banneux, and Nazism 
Conclusion 

I highlighted many passages this time through this book. Some of them are:

“This booklet looks at the nine major Marian apparitions that have occurred during the last five centuries or so, and which the Catholic Church has decided to accept as authentic.”

“It is argued that the major modem apparitions of the Mother of Jesus, as approved by the Catholic Church, and particularly Fatima, are not random or historically inconsequential events, but actually seem to follow a preordained plan.”

“In answer to the threat represented by these successive revolutions. Mary has repeatedly appeared and asked for repentance, a turning away from sin. if the most awful disasters are to be avoided. As the spiritual Mother of mankind she cannot stand idly by and watch humanity destroy itself through sin and selfishness. Her apparitions have played a large part in the major Catholic renewals of recent centuries, and if the message of Fatima is heeded then the Church can again experience a renaissance. As the details of the Fatima message make clear, this is necessary if we are to have true peace in the world.”

“Bernadette’s later years were increasingly marked by sufferings, and thus she lived out the '"hard saying" she had heard from Mary: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the next.” She died on 16th April 1879, at the age of thirty-five, at the convent in Nevers, and was finally canonised in December 1933, becoming St Bernadette.”

“Pope Pius IX prophetically condemned communism and socialism in 1864, correctly foreseeing that they were capable of destroying the whole moral basis of society if implemented.”

“All of this seems to indicate that Pontmain has a very clear typological link with this particular biblical account, that of the high priest and the sanctuary in the desert.”

“In terms of biblical typology, Knock seems to be concerned with the urk of the covenant. A number of the Church Fathers have compared Mary with the ark, including St Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235), St Andrew of Crete, and St John Damascene. St Athanasius too compared Mary with the ark in very fulsome terms: "Truly, 0 noble Virgin, you are great above all greatness; who indeed can compare with your greatness; 0 dwelling place of the Word of God? With whom shall I compare you among all creatures? You are evidently greater than all of them. 0 Ark of the covenant surrounded totally and purely on all sides with gold! You are the Ark containing all gold, the receptacle of the true manna, that is human nature wherein the divinity resides.''”

“Fatima should be regarded as the most important Marian apparition of the twentieth century, if not the most important event in its own right, not least because of the tremendous "miracle of the sun" which was seen by a crowd of at least 70,000. Fatima also occurred just as the Russian Revolution was unfolding during World War I, a war that essentially resulted from the desire of Germany to have an empire of its own to match. if not exceed, the British Empire a desire spurred on by fear of being encircled by a newly industrialising Russia.”

“Given all this, it is interesting that there seem to be important links between the rise of Nazism and the apparitions of Mary at Beauraing and Banneux. Beauraing is a small town in the southern, French speaking, part of Belgium, and it was here that the Blessed Virgin appeared to a group of children between late November 1932 and January 1933. The five children came from the nominally Catholic Voisin and Degeimbre families.”

“On the evening of Sunday 15th January 1933, Mariette Beco, an eleven year old girl from Banneux a Belgian village fifty miles north-east of Beauraing, also saw the Blessed Virgin. This was only a few weeks after the events at Beauraing, and so there was some scepticism, but subsequent events were to show that this new set of apparitions would also be accepted by the Church.”

“Banneux was investigated from 1935 until 1937 by an Episcopal commission, after which the evidence collected was submitted to Rome. Meanwhile, growing numbers of pilgrims came to the shrine , and in May 1942 Bishop Kerkhofs of Liege approved the cult of the Virgin of the Poor. In 1947 the apparitions themselves received preliminary approval, with this becoming definite in 1949. Like the children at Beauraing. Mariette married and had a family, being, like them, content to remain in the background.”

“Mary revealed herself at Guadalupe as the new Eve, and at Rue du Bae as the Mediatrix of all Graces and the ladder of Jacob which unites mankind to God. At La Salette she came as a new Moses, warning humanity of the need for repentance. At Lourdes she proclaimed herself to be the Immaculate Conception, while at Pontmain and Knock she came as the new ark of the covenant. At Fatima, like a new Elijah, she again warned mankind of the dangers it faced, particularly the “errors of Russia,” and at Beauraing and Banneux appeared as the new “Eastern Gate,” the Virgin Mother of God, to beg for fervent prayer. These types arc not just pious titles but represent the truth of Mary's intercessory role, which in reality is almost infinitely greater. She is the spiritual mother of mankind, the mother of the mystical body of Christ, and thus she is the mother of every human being in the order of grace.”

I am very thankful I traced down and reread this volume. I have read much on Mary’s appearances in the 16 years since I first read this volume. And I have read most books by Donal Anthony Foley. Now I should note, the older edition of this volume that I originally read is labeled as part of the CTS Christian Shrines Series, which is one of my favourite series from the CTS. And this is an excellent read, either as a standalone volume, or as part of the series. Foley writes in an engaging manner. This volume is well researched and wonderfully put together. I can easily recommend this volume!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For reviews of other books in the CTS Christian Shrines series click here.

Other Books in the CTS Christian Shrines Series:
Message of Assisi
Message of Fatima
Message of Guadalupe
Message of Walsingham
Santiago: Santiago de Compostela - The Pilgrim Way of St James

Books by Donal Anthony Foley:
Apparitions of Mary (2006 Review)
Christian Living: The Spirituality of the Foyers of Charity
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion?
Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World
Medjugorje Revisited: 30 Years of Visions or Religious Fraud?

Fiction:
















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