Book Reviews and More

Friday, 7 April 2017

Genius Under Construction - Marilee Haynes

Genius Under Construction
Marilee Haynes
Pauline Books and Media
ISBN 9780819831262
eISBN 9781306807319
ASIN B00JJ5PIIQ

Genius Under Construction was the third book I have read by Marileee Haynes and because I loved the other two, a.k.a. Genius and Pictures of Me, so much I had very high expectations for this book. I really like this book, it is a great read, but because it is so focused on one of the three friends from the first book, it just did not hit as high for me. It is a great book about and for kids. It really captures inner struggles, discerning your path, and the transition from middle school. And it does a wonderful job of some of the frustrations of trying to learn when you have a learning disability. It is in the genre of realistic fiction. It is a story about kids that you could know, the brain, the one who wants to be an athlete, the smart girl, and the one struggling in school.

This story focuses more on Gabe, and what he is doing. We see changes in Maya, clothes, make up, and changed behavior. We also have Linc trying to convince his parents to allow his to engage in sports. Gabe has a lot on his plate, peer tutor to a boy who is getting 0 on his spelling tests. Trying to become the team statistician for the school’s basketball team, figuring out what is up with Maya, and biggest of all, his application to Carolina Science and Math High School. That is a lot of plates to keep spinning for a young man, weather he is a genius or not.

Gabe loves numbers and while doing his in person interview for his application to the Carolina Science and Math High School, he intends to share his basketball stats and how he has helped his team. But because he is flummoxed by Maya, and seeing her kiss Linc he messes up and ends up handing over the workbook with his basketball numbers, but by mistake he also passed over a notebook tracking his farts, for Gabe struggles with being odoriferous and is trying to use his brain to solve that problem also. But he did not intend to share it with two professors from the school he is hoping to attend.

But to find out how Gabe deals with his mistake, his best friends kissing, and helping someone else learn how to do better on spelling tests you will need to read the book.

This is another great read from Pauline Books and Media and written by Marilee Haynes. It deals with friendship, using our gifts, serving others, friendship and changes at the body and mind starts to develop and change during puberty. I highly recommend it and if you have not read a.k.a. Genius read it first. I really hope we get to see more of the gangs adventures as then enter High School!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Marilee Haynes:
a.k.a. Genius
Genius Under Construction
Pictures of Me

Author profile and interview with Marilee Haynes.

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Cedarcrest Retreat 2017

Cedarcrest Retreats

If you are looking for a retreat to go to in Ontario I highly recommend this place.

Follow the link and check out the offerings.

Related Articles:
Opus Dei Part II
Cedarcrest Retreat 2017
Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2018
Cedarcrest Retreat 2018

Cedarcrest Retreat 2025 Notes

...

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

Saint Magnus The Last Viking - Susan Peek

Saint Magnus The Last Viking
Susan Peek
Seven Swords Publications
ISBN 9780997000504
ASIN B0184SEPNM
Catholic Vitality Publications
First Edition
ISBN 9780979630125

This book is the first that I have read from Susan Peek, but it will not be the last. In fact I picked up another minutes after finishing this one. I could barely put this book down and devoured it. And even though it is a little beyond my son right now, I told him about it and said we would read it together in a year or two. This book moves at a quick pace. It has amazing characters and is very well written.

This story takes us back 900 years. To a much darker time, but a time when the light of Catholicism had spread and was being embraced in different ways in different parts of the world. It is the story of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, also known as Saint Magnus the Martyr. It is the story of a kingdom that was to be ruled by brothers upon their father's death, and from that time forward one of their sons. It is the story of battles. It is a story of strife and ultimately a Christian story.

I was not familiar with this saint before reading this book, but will need to do some further research and reading. In many ways this book reminds me of Andrew M. Seddon's Saints Alive II, Celtic Paths New Stories of Old Saints. Except it is a full length novel instead of a collection of short stories. This book brings a few saints back to life. It brings them alive in the imaginations, minds, and hearts of readers. The story is wonderfully written. There are battle scenes without being over the top. There is conflict and strife without it being ridiculous. And there are a number of characters who exhibit strong faith and end up having influence on those around them.

When I read books one of my keys to judging them is would I share it with my children, now, or when they are older. And would I recommend it to others. This book gets a resounding yes to both of those questions. This was an excellent read and though written for the teen market, I loved the book and plan on giving it to my father to read, and when they are older reading it with my children as well. I highly recommend this book!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Susan Peek:

Novels:
Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades
Saint Magnus The Last Viking
A Soldier Surrenders: The Conversion of Saint Camillus de Lellis
The King's Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland

Saint Cloud of Gaul, The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms

...

Picture Books:
Animals of God
Animals of God, Volume Two
The Forgotten Christmas Saint: Saint Anastasia
The Man God Kept Surprising
Small for the Glory of God
...

Books published by Susan Peek:
Daily Pilgrimage to Purgatory
…

Contributed to:
Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories - Catholic Teen Books

Gifts Visible & Invisible 8 Christmas Stories for Teens
Treasures: Visible & Invisible 8 Stories for Teens

...

Tuesday, 4 April 2017

In Conversation With God Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January to March - Francis Fernandez

In Conversation With God
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January to March
Francis Fernandez
Scepter Press
ISBN 9780906138519
ASIN B006DEP5X4

I have been a long-time fan of this series. But I absolutely love that it is now available in eBook format. There are a number of features in the eBooks that I consider an advantage over physical. I love highlighting when I read the eBook, I also like being able to select from a number of different colors. I use a different color each year I read. I also love that you can click on the link for a reference for a quote and jump to it, and also with one click jump back and keep reading. And with the eBook you can change the font, color, size to make it easier to read, and as someone with a dual form of Dyslexia this is my favorite feature of eBooks. Another great feature is using accessibility features on some mobile devices and some dedicated eReaders and use text to speech, and listen to the text.

This specific book, Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March, Has a number of meditations for different special feats. Each reading is roughly 6 pages long, and each days reading is separated into three sections, roughly equal in length most days. This volume has a two special series of meditations. The first is the Christian Unity Octave that runs from January 1st-18th. There are also meditations for the Seven Sunday's of Saint Joseph. Because of overlapping feasts there are a few days with more than one Meditation, or when one of those two special series overlap with other feats. The dated feasts span from January 1st Mary the Mother of God to March 25th which has two readings The Annunciation of the Lord and also The Vocation of Our Lady. In total we have 30 meditations in this volume, and while reading I highlighted numerous passages this year.I will share a few of those as samples of the writing in this book:

"Pertransivit benefaciendo ..., he went about doing good ... This is an appropriate summary of Christ's life on this earth. This should be the description of the life of every baptized person since our lives are subject to the influence of the Holy Spirit. This ought to be so in our daily work, in our times of rest, whenever we help other people in our family or community."

"Union with Christ is the foundation for unity among the faithful. We are all bound together and strengthened in the Mystical Body of Christ."

"Christ lives in heaven in a resurrected and glorified state. He also lives in his Church in a mysterious way. The Church is not merely a religious movement inspired by Christ's teachings. The Church is Jesus Christ. Christ is to be found in the Church."

"The faithful participate in the priestly mission of Christ when they lead lives centred on the Holy Mass. Yet their eucharistic participation is not limited to the duration of the liturgy or to liturgical celebrations alone. The principal field of activity for the laity lies in the realm of professional work, in the fulfilment of family and social duties."

"If we live our lives counting upon the help of God's grace, we will find ourselves able to overcome any defect or disappointment. The Lord is constantly calling to us to begin again, to convert our hearts, to walk in peace and joy along the divine ways of the earth. Like Saint Paul, we have to respond to the Lord's invitation. What shall I do, Lord? In what areas do you want me to struggle harder? In what ways do you want me to change my behaviour?"

"What shall I do, Lord? Let us ask this question from the depths of our hearts many times during the course of the day. Jesus will show us where our love has fallen short or has not deepened as God has wanted it."

"We know in our hearts that the faith is a great treasure. We have to use the means necessary to conserve the faith in ourselves and in those around us. We need to be humble. We have to be on guard that we do not catch the contagion. We have to be prudent with regard to what we read, what we watch, where we go. We should get guidance about films, television shows, books, magazines, etc. The faith is worth more than anything else we can imagine."

"Learn to join your poor offerings to those of Christ. Join your prayers with his prayers, your tears with his tears, your fasts with his fasts. In this way you will take something of little value and give it an infinite worth."

"We need to make God a participant in the thousand little moments of ordinary life. This can be done by the way in which we offer up our work, the manner in which we take our vacations, how we choose to rest. The Faith should penetrate all of our actions so as to enrich them and make them pleasing to God. We will find that this supernatural effort will help to make our activities more human."

"Saint Joseph is a great saint because he corresponded in a heroic way to the graces given to him. We should contemplate about how well we are corresponding to the grace in our own vocation in the middle of the world."

This was the fifth volume that I have finished in electronic format. It is highly unlikely that I will return to the physical ones. In fact if they did not have so much underlining and notes I would pass them on to someone else.

Across the 7 Volumes in this series; or 14 eBook volumes because each book is split in two there are over 450 meditations. There is a meditation for each day of the church calendar, Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Eastertide and of course the 34 weeks of Ordinary time. There are also 2 volumes dedicated to special feats, specific feats, novenas, Saints, and holy days that fall on specific calendar days.

These books are incredible food for your spiritual life. Every time I read them, every day I am challenged, challenged to become a better version of myself, challenged to live more joy, more hope, more dedication. These books will change your life, and as you read them again and again you will only grow to appreciate them more.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books edited by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Year of Faith Treasury: Prayer

Year of Faith Treasury: Holy Communion

Year of Faith Treasury: The Roman Pontiff

Year of Faith Treasury: The Sacrament of Confession

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Faith

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Fortitude

In Conversation with God:

Volume #1 Advent and Christmastide

Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide

Volume #3 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-12

Volume #4 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-23

Volume #5 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-34

Volume #6 Special Feasts January-June

Volume #7 Special Feats July -December

Complete Set 7 Volumes

In Conversation with God eBooks:
Volume 1 Part 1 Advent
Volume 1 Part 2 Christmas and Epiphany
Volume 2 Part 1 Lent and Holy Week
Volume 2 Part 2 Eastertide
Volume 3 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-6
Volume 3 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 7-12
Volume 4 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-18
Volume 4 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23
Volume 5 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-28
Volume 5 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 29-34
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March
Volume 6 Part 2 Special Feasts April-June
Volume 7 Part 1 Special Feats July -September
Volume 7 Part 2 Special Feats October -December

Books by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Overcoming Lukewarmness

Through The Winds and Waves

The Day that Changed My Life

Life of Jesus

...

Monday, 3 April 2017

Product Review - Canon MAXIFY MB2720

Canon MAXIFY MB2720
Wireless Color Printer with Scanner, Copier & Fax
Canon
ASIN B01LVTS5KY

This printer was a mixed blessing. There are a number of pros and a few cons and when it came down to it, my wife decided not to keep it and we have passed it on to someone else in the family. As someone who works fulltime in IT I have supported a lot of printers over the years. This is a very solid printer.

Pros:
Great 4 color cartridge system
Double sized Black cartridge
Amazing print quality
Excellent scanning
Double paper trays
500 Sheet capacity if both trays have same paper
Better price and same speed as many of the other more expensive printers in the line.
Excellent wi-fi range

Cons:
Very large footprint
Takes up a lot of space if on the desk
Every time you reload paper delay for recognizing and confirm paper size

If it had just been up to me I would have kept this printer. But the size and re-registering paper every time the tray was opened was just too much for my wife. This is an excellent printer for a small business or a non-for-profit. But it is by no means an industrial printer. This printer had a better price than many in the same range for speed or printing and other features.

Sunday, 2 April 2017

20 Answers Divorce & Remarriage - Jim Blackburn - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

20 Answers Divorce & Remarriage
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers
Jim Blackburn
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781941663929
eISBN 9781941663943
ASIN B01HCJJZYI

I am now more than half way through the 20 Answers challenge. The goal was to read all 20 books in the 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers during Lent this year. Currently during lent 2017 you can get all 20 books for 50% off, an amazing deal, and you still have time to get them! This was another really hard read in this series. This book was hard because it speaks hard truths. Truths that many today would like to soften. Truths that for the most part the Catholic Church is one of the last holdouts in standing firm on, specifically the sanctity of marriage. Part of what makes this book so hard is that I doubt there is a reader out there who has not been touched by divorce and likely remarriage. How many of us do not have divorced parents, grandparents or friends? How many of us do not know a same sex couple who is married or planning on getting married?

Two quotes by Jim from the introduction should help show how he approached writing this book, and the value it has for us

"But not every remarriage can or should be recognized as a true marriage. Indeed, many first marriages ending in civil divorce are still actually valid, indissoluble marriages."

"It is my hope that this booklet will help equip Catholics and other Christians to validly enter into authentic marriages that are divorce-proof for life. By approaching marriage and the family as the image of Christ and the Church, may couples grow to appreciate and embrace the beautiful reality that their relationships truly are."

When my wife and I met and started dating two of her closest friends were going through divorces. In each case a spouse had been unfaithful, in one it was the husband and the other the wife. I am still amazing my wife was able to trust and start a relationship with all that was happening around us. And looking to today, I have friends going through divorce, some for the second or third time. How can I speak to them in love, and in truth and stand firm for what the Catholic Church teaches? This book goes a long way to helping us be able to answer some very tough questions. The specific questions Jim answers in the volume are:

What is marriage?
What specific attributes are inherent to the institution of marriage itself?
What purposes of marriage are essential in order for a marriage to be valid?
How does the Catholic Church view mixed marriages and marriages to non-Christians?
What is the Catholic "form" of marriage, and why is it important?
What other factors may invalidate a marriage?
Is there a way for an invalid marriage to be made valid?
What does the Church teach about divorce?
What about the so-called "exception clause" for divorce in the case of adultery?
What does the Church teach about after divorce?
May a divorced Catholic receive Communion?
Can any marriages be dissolved?
What is an annulment?
What are specific grounds for annulment?
What aren't grounds for annulment?
What is it like to go through the annulment process?
What about attending weddings?
What about same-sex weddings?
What are other offenses against the dignity of marriage?
What can a husband and wife do to ensure that their marriage is valid and divorce-proof?

As I stated this book is not an easy read, in part because it will arm us with the truth. And knowing the truth we might end up in the position of having some hard conversations. And in part it is hard because these truths are not always comfortable.

Having read 11 of the 20 books in this series, I can state that there is no fluff in these books. These books are also not just cold hard facts. They take into account the reality of the world we live in, the relationships, and friendships we may have. But they are written to give us the truth in short, quickly digestible packets. This is another of the harder reads so far but that is not a bad thing. If you want to know the Catholic view on Divorce and remarriage than this books with be the quick and easy Guide. And if you want to go deeper, Jim also wrote 101 Quick Questions with Catholic Answers: Marriage, Divorce, and Annulment, which is about twice the length of this volume.

This is a good book in a great series, I highly recommend both.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Note 2: Lent 2017 this is an amazing series of books is being offered at a 50% discount through the end of Lent 2017. But the challenge is to read the 20 books in the 20 Answers series over Lent. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 eBooks for just $34.95! If you want a way to go deeper this Lent give this series a try! #20AnswersChallenge

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals - Shaun McAfee

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers Eastern Catholicism - Father Daniel Dozier

20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash

20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers New Age - Michelle Arnold

20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley

20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem

20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor

20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro

20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn

20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas - Dr. Kevin Vost

...

Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
...

Saturday, 1 April 2017

Four Minutes - Barry Lyga - A Short Story

Four Minutes:
A Short Story
Barry Lyga
Barry Lyga LLC
ASIN B06XXRQPB8

Wow! What an incredible story. This is the fourth short story by Barry Lyga released in 2017, though from reading it, it was intended to be the first. These are short stories with a purpose. With the changing political and social climate in the USA after November 2016 election Barry wanted to know what he could do, as a writer and as a wordsmith he decided to use his voice, his words to draw attention. So we his fans benefit, because he has decided to donate the money to the ACLU in response to all that is currently going on in the political sphere. You can read about that more here. This is the first of the 2017 Year of Short Stories that was written specifically for this purpose.

Barry states about this specific story:

“This is the story that started it all, the one that was supposed to start it all.

Let me explain:
In November of 2016, after the election, the story that you’re about to read occurred to me. It wasn’t entirely fully-formed, but I knew its nuances and its general shape. I thought I would write it and post it online as a fundraiser.

Then I thought: If one story is a good fundraiser, why not do more than one? And thus the idea of monthly stories was born.

My intention was to have “Four Minutes” ready to go on January 1 as the kick-off. But that dastardly beast Real Life intervened. Things were chaotic. The holidays interfered. A project with a tight deadline came out of nowhere.

So I dropped back and punted, posting another story as the first, figuring “Four Minutes” would be second. Real Life interceded there, too, necessitating a different story in February.

And in March.

But hey! Better late than never, right? Please enjoy “Four Minutes” (at last!) and stick around at the end for some more talk about the story.”

I need to state that the story was well worth the wait. In some ways it reminds me of Noah's Castle by John Rowe Townsend or like the back story that V in V for Vendetta shares about how they got to where they are. It also brings to mind “First they came …” by Martin Niemöller. This story will stir deep emotions in the reader. Especially parents or grandparents will question what would they do in the same situation. The description of the story is:

“The place: The suburbs.
The time: Tomorrow, maybe.
The situation: Ray is just trying to get by in the newer, greater America. With a wife and a new baby, he can’t afford to get mixed up in politics or the fight for civil liberties. But as the world shrinks and darkens around him, Ray finds that the safe harbor he’s crafted for himself and his family may not be big enough or strong enough to stand.

And then one night, there’s a knock at the door. Now there’s nowhere to hide, and soon Ray will have to make the hardest decision of his life.”

There are times that art predicts the future, the flip phone, the iPad, man landing on the moon. But this is one of those stories we hope, and if we are a person who prays, we pray that it does not come true. Also read Lyga’s afterwards about where the idea of the story comes from. It is a powerful story in and of itself.

If you are a fan of Lyga’s get this short story while you can. It is only available for 30 days. If you do not know Lyga’s writing but love good short stories this one might just rock you, for it is an incredible piece of writing!