Book Reviews and More: GeorgesChevrot

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Thursday, 29 December 2022

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Fourth Quarter 2022

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Fourth Quarter 2022

It was a great year for reading, and a very good quarter. So many great reads. I have read just over a book and a half a day. I read 94 books this quarter and 438 for this year. Part of it is due to my youngest two children’s reading skills really growing and they read to/with me for 20 minutes four or five days a week. In the spring of 2016, I worked through Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now (now available on ClaitasU). I had also removed all games from my phone and tablet. I have slowly added a few games, but mainly for social play with my brother and our wives.

But back to this quarter by the numbers:

Books Read: 94

First Time Reads: 64

Fiction: 43

Non-Fiction: 51

5/5 Stars: 54

Here is my top ten fiction and non-fiction books of the fourth quarter of 2022.

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

1. Icon of Trust: Mary in the Gospels of Luke and John - Fr. Slawomir Szkredka S.S.D.

2. Portraits in Faith and Freedom Series from Bethleham Books

Padre Pro Mexican Hero - Fanchon Royer and James J. Fox

So Young a Queen: Jadwiga of Poland - Lois Mills

3. Companion to the Sunday Gospels - Year C - Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB - CTS Companions

4. Doctors of the Church: The 33 Great Catholic Teachers - Jerome Bertram - CTS Biographies

5. For All Their Wars Are Merry: An Examination of Irish Rebel Songs - Declan Finn

6. Roses Among Thorns: Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey - Francis de Sales

7. Introduction to the Devout Life - Francis de Sales, Gregory Pine, Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, Matthew K. Minerd - Ascension Catholic Classics

8. Rescued - True Stories for Catholic Kids - Kathryn Swegart and John Folley - Catholic Stories for Kids Book

9. Daily Christian Living with John Henry Newman - CTS Books

10. The Gospel in the Home - Georges Chevrot

Bonus Books:

The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350–1650) - Joseph T. Stuart and Barbara A. Stuart - Reclaiming Catholic History Book 5

Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families - Sarah A. Reinhard

What Is God? Answering the World's Most Important Question - Kevin Vost

Top Ten Fiction Books:

1. unSPARKed books - Corinna Turner

A Different Kind of Camouflage - 8

A Different Kind of Freedom - 9

2. Saint Tommy NYPS - Declan Finn

Principle Necromancy - 6.5

Lightbringer - Declan Finn - 10

Dark Web - 11

Blue Saint - 12

3. Leaps of Faith - edited by Karina and Robert Fabian

4. The Fort - Gordon Korman

5. DCI Logan Books - J.D. Kirk

Colder than the Grave - 12

Come Hell or High Water - 13

City of Scars - 14

Here Lie the Dead - 15

Also:

Eastgate - Robert Hoon Book 4

6. Christmas Spirits - Karina Fabian - DragonEye, PI Book 4

7. Camp St. Innocent Series - Eric Thomas Ruthford

Voice in the Storm - 1

A Voice is Born - 2

8. This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall! - Gordon Korman - Macdonald Hall Book 1

9. The Last Holiday Concert - Andrew Clements

10. Vessel - Josh Griffing, Declan Finn - St. Tommy NYPD Short Story 4

11. Cold Snap - Maureen Jennings - Paradise Café Book 3

Bonus Books:

The Juvie Three - Gordon Korman

Room One: A Mystery or Two - Andrew Clements

Too Secret Service: Part One - Declan Finn and Margot St. Aubin - Too Secret Service Book 1

It has been a very good year for reading. So many great reads, both fiction and non-fiction.

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 favorite books year by year list.

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2020

Top Ten Fiction Books 2020

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2021

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2021

Top Ten Fiction Books 2021

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2022

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2022

Top Ten Fiction Books 2022

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2023

...

All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More

Statistics Books Read By Year:
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

Tuesday, 15 November 2022

The Gospel in the Home - Georges Chevrot

The Gospel in the Home

Georges Chevrot

Scepter
ISBN 9780906138762

eISBN 9781910644133

ASIN B075S7WW1D

This book was originally published in French in 1951, in 2017 editions were released in translation by Scepter UK and Scepter US. There is no indication who the translator was. I have read The Prodigal Son a few times and loved it, and have read The Well of Life, but can find few of his works available in English. A few others are starting to show up, and for that I am very thankful. Each of the books I have read by Chevrot could easily become Christian, or at least Catholic Classics. The description of this volume is:

“The Gospel in the Home is a series of radio talks broadcast by Monsignor Chevrot in 1951. It was first published in French in that year. Based on texts from the Gospel, each chapter teases out considerations which are as relevant for developing family life and improving personal relationships in the home today, as when they were first broadcast.”

Much like C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity as indicated above this volume is based on a series of radio broadcasts. Based on content we can discern when some of them originally aired. And they span the church year. The specific talks/chapters are:

1. The house built on rock

2. The woman who makes bread in her home

3. An inventory of the cupboards

4. The lamp under a bushel

5. The lamp in the lampstand

6. They call at the door

7. The father’s home

8. The house in mourning

9. The well-guarded house

10. Mealtimes

11. The best moment

12. The goblet and the plate

13. The moment for prayer

14. The child is hungry

15. Beside the cradle

16. Invitations to dinner

17. The Holy Family in Nazareth

18. As the children grow

19. The age of ingratitude

20. The wedding at Cana

21. As the spouses grow old

22. The salt which has become insipid

23. Within Christ’s hearing

24. The woman who swept her house

25. The servant whose work never finishes

26. The landlord returns home

27. The Lord’s Supper

28. In the house of Cleophas

Prior to the text of the book we are informed about the author that:

“Georges Chevrot was born in 1879 in Paris, where he died on 4 February 1958. Ordained in 1903, he held various pastoral ministries in the diocese. He was appointed curate of St Francis Xavier Church, where he remained until his death.

A man of deep inner life, an acute and intelligent observer, he was a priest totally dedicated to his ministry, refusing all honorary titles out of humility. Having the gift of also being a brilliant speaker, he was invited by several bishops to lead diocesan retreats throughout France. Cardinal Verdier appointed him to be the Lenten preacher at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in 1938, 1939 and 1940.

He was appointed Canon Emeritus in 1933 and prelate of His Holiness in 1939. During the occupation, he worked for the Resistance for the independence of France. He was elected member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 1947.

Among his works published in English are Our Mass, Simon Peter, On the Third Day, The Prodigal Son, The Well of Life, The Eight Beatitudes. The Gospel in the Home was a series of radio talks broadcast in 1951.”

I only highlighted a few passages my first time through this book. Two that stand out to me are:

“The action of the Gospel on men has to continue without pause: it really has to start again within each person in particular.”

And:

“To summarize: the minority which Christians form in the world can and ought to have an influence on public opinion. The handful of Christians which we are, can and ought to straighten out and to renew our country.”

I will admit this book was more effort than the previous two by the author I have read. It part, it may be the format in that these are 28 different talks, and even the transcript format of the talks. In part it could be the translator. But even with it taking more effort this was a most excellent read. A volume I was blessed to have read and one I know I will return to again. Because of the style of this book, you can read it from beginning to end, or randomly pick chapters to read as they grab your interest. I believe the book would greatly benefit from an index, maybe in a future reprint.

This book is a great little read. And I can only hope that Scepter bring back to print his other titles in English. I can easily recommend this volume.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Georges Chevrot available in English:

The Gospel in the Home
The Prodigal Son
The Well of Life

On the Third Day

The Easter Impact
Simon Peter
The Eight Beatitudes

Our Days Are Numbered: Getting Ready for Eternity
…

A great piece on Georges by James K. Hanna.

Monday, 17 February 2020

The Well Of Life - Georges Chevrot

The Well Of Life
Georges Chevrot
Translated by J. Ardle McArdl
Scepter
ISBN 9781594173493
eISBN 9781594173509

This book was originally published in English in 1960, by Scepter Dublin. There was an edition available from Sinag-Tala in 1983. And now again after 60 years it is back in print from Scepter. I have read The Prodigal Son a few times and loved it but could not find any of his other works available in English. So when I found out that this book was available I immediately added it to my to be read pile. And it did not disappoint.

Monsignor Chevrot in the introduction states:

“The episode of the Samaritan woman in St. John’s Gospel (John 4: 1-42) is a passage that is most dear to those familiar with the Gospel. In a wonderful short sketch, St. John lays before our eyes the whole personality of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Man so far above us, and the God so close to us.

All the tenderness in the heart of Jesus is revealed in his unforgettable appeal by which he shows us the need that he feels to give himself to us. And can we resist his advances, when we see how they transform the heart of man?

Here we see the immediate and unexpected conversion of a woman who gives up indifference and sin in order to become the Savior’s apostle. Here we see a crowd of her compatriots who in the space of a few hours pass through all the stages of life. Here, in the background, are the Lord’s first disciples who are preparing for the time when the Gospel must be sown.

No one will ever exhaust all the riches of this episode in the life of Jesus. We, no more than anyone else, can claim to have done so. In these pages you will thus find neither an academic commentary on the thought of the sacred writer nor any strict sequence among the subject dealt with. I have simply followed St. John’s text, verse by verse, trying to extract from it, for the Catholics of the present century, some useful thoughts and images.”

And that is exactly what he does in this volume. He breaks down that passage verse by verse. Providing historical context. And illuminating the relevance to us today.

The chapters in the volume are:
Introduction
1 Tired
2 Providential Meetings
3 The First Steps
4Prejudice
5 The Gift Of God
6 Who This Is
7 Our Need Of God
8 Of What Use Is Religion?
9 The Knowledge Of Sin
10 The New Worship
11 Unity In Truth
12 Adoration In Spirit And In Truth
13 The Messiah’s Work
14 Do Not Be Shocked
15 God’s Pardon
16 Confession Of Our Sins
17 Our Reason For Living
18 Christian Obedience
19 Christian Optimism
20 Sowers And Reapers
21 Witnesses To Christ
22 Prayer And Faith
23 Experience Of The Faith
24 The Savior Of The World
Epilogue: The Supreme Testimony

This book will draw us deeply into the story of the woman at the well. It will open our eyes to the story in a deeper and fuller level. And in doing so will help us encounter Jesus in anew way ourselves. The most powerful part of this boo was the Epilogue, the ‘what happened afterwards’. Drawing from church tradition and the Roman Martyrology We are told what happened next. We are told of her persistent faith and that of her children. And that is an example we can try and emulate.

“By a virtuous life, by a noble apostolate, let us preserve in our hearts, as the Samaritan woman did, an ardent love for the Savior. Let us be from now on truthful witnesses of Jesus Christ.”

This book is a wonderful little read. And I can only hope that Scepter bring back to print his other titles in English.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Georges Chevrot available in English:

The Gospel in the Home
The Prodigal Son
The Well of Life

On the Third Day

The Easter Impact
Simon Peter
The Eight Beatitudes

Our Days Are Numbered: Getting Ready for Eternity
…

A great piece on Georges by James K. Hanna.

Monday, 4 December 2006

The Prodigal Son by: Georges Chevrot

The Prodigal Son
Georges Chevrot
Translated by Helena Scott
Scepter
ISBN 0906138485
ISBN 9781373015556
ASIN B0069AUJ60

This is another great little booklet from Scepter Press It is a real eye- opener. Chevrot approaches the parable of the prodigal son like no other author I have encountered. He helps us to see ourselves in each of the roles in this parable and helps us to see the significance of the real conversion in the repentant son's life.

The Chapters are:

1. The Younger Son
2. The Elder Son
3. Self-Reflection
4. Realization and Conversion
5. The Father
6. A Change of Heart

Considering this book has fewer than 60 pages, it has more content than many ten times that size. This book almost demands that you put it down and meditate on what you have read, or to take time to reflect before moving on, or even to pray about what you have read and the impact that that can have on your life.

Chevrot states: "And it is no exaggeration to say that our whole Christian life is one continual conversion.
Conversion is, not as some people imagine, a precondition for beginning a Christian Life, a sort of antechamber through which one must pass to be admitted to the kingdom. It is the permanent state of the Christian Life. And this radical transformation, which is aimed at making us into God's children, is never complete." p.49-50 (at least here on earth).

This booklet will open your eyes, and help you to open your heart to God's grace and love. For as Chevrot says: "The prodigal never thought how happy he was going to make his father. And we too forget that God is happy when he sees us coming towards him. It's unbelievable, I grant you. We could never have known this truth if the Son of God had not come down from Heaven to tell us so." p.55-56 This book will help you grow in experiencing this truth.

Books by Georges Chevrot available in English:

The Gospel in the Home
The Prodigal Son
The Well of Life

On the Third Day

The Easter Impact
Simon Peter
The Eight Beatitudes

Our Days Are Numbered: Getting Ready for Eternity
…

A great piece on Georges by James K. Hanna.