Rediscover the Rosary - Matthew Kelly - The Modern Power of an Ancient Prayer

Rediscover the Rosary:
The Modern Power of an Ancient Prayer
Matthew Kelly
Wellspring Publishing
formerly
Beacon Publishing for
Dynamic Catholic
ISBN 9781929266500
eISBN 9781929266524 
ASIN B0772WH865

In the last two years I have read 14 books by Matthew Kelly. And I have found that all of them have helped me grow in my faith. From reading 'Why Am I Here?' with my children, many times over to just finishing this read and devouring it in 4 sittings over 2 days.  It all Started with 'Rediscover Advent' back  in 2015, and now in the fall of 2017 I am reading 'Rediscover the Rosary' and absolutely loved it. There are a number of books currently available in the Rediscover series, it Started with 'Rediscover Catholicism' and this books mentions another forthcoming volume 'Rediscover the Saints'. The books in this series are:

Rediscover Catholicism 
Rediscover Advent
Rediscover Lent
Rediscover Jesus
Rediscover the Rosary 
Rediscover the Saints

And to be honest this book was so good I look to see if I could find a release date for the Saints book, and went back and bumped 'Rediscover Catholicism' up to the top of my to be read list. But back to this specific book. The sections in this book are:

Prologue
Part One
1. My Journey with the Rosary
2. A Unique Perspective
3. Praying with Beads
4. Dynamic Prayer
Part Two
5. The Joyful Mysteries
6. The Luminous Mysteries
7. The Sorrowful Mysteries
8. The Glorious Mysteries
Part Three
9. A Scriptural Rosary
Part Four
10. Every Family Needs a Prayerful Giant
11. Beautifully Aware
Appendices
The Basics: How to Pray the Rosary
Quotes, Prayers, and Hymns About Mary and the Rosary
Marian Feast Days

Kelly in the first chapter mentions that the first book he wrote was 'Prayer & the Rosary' and he intended to sit down and rewrite it many times. For Matthew first wrote and published it when he was just 18 years old. But Many times he came back to reworking that book. And it often fell to the side. But this is finally the book he wanted it to be.

Now you might ask why another book on the Rosary?  A quick search on Good reads returns over 1100 results, Kindle almost 600, and books on Amazon returns over 4000 titles. And I have read 3 books on the rosary this year almost a dozen over the last 10 year. And I have two others I plan on reading that have been sitting in my 'to be read pile'. So why would I read another one? Well To start with everything I have read by Matthew Kelly has been excellent, he writes in such an engaging and succinct style. I find that when I read his books I often feel like he was writing directly to me. It was the same with this book. I have been praying the rosary almost every day for a few years now. And I feel this statement by Matthew is bang on: 

"Prayer makes me a better person. It makes me a better friend, a better father, a better husband, a better son and brother, a better employer and leader, a better citizen of this country, and a better member of the human family. Prayer makes me a-better-version-of-myself."

And on why he prays the Rosary:

"It just works. When I pray the Rosary, I am a better person. It makes me a better son, brother, husband, father, employer, neighbor, citizen, and a better member of the human family. It brings an incredible peace; it teaches us to slow down, calm down, let go, surrender, and listen. The Rosary teaches us how to just be, and that is not a small or insignificant lesson. In some ways it is the perfect prayer for busy people in a busy, noisy, confused world."

And those two quotes sum up why we pray and why we pray the Rosary! I also really appreciated this statement:

"I don't know how often you should pray the Rosary. There are some people who think everyone should pray the Rosary every day. In my own life, there have been months, even years, when I have prayed the Rosary every day. At other times, I have gone weeks and months without praying it. Generally I have discovered that when I make time for this simple but profound practice of prayer, I am a better person. When I have the discipline to pray the Rosary regularly, I seem to have a certain calmness and a heightened awareness, which makes me more readily disposed to living a life of virtue."

Kelly does not present a formula, but he speaks from his own experience and the benefits from praying it more often. The book also focuses some on prayer life in general and the Rosary being a great tool for prayer. There are three appendices, the first is the predictable How To Pray The Rosary. The second is a series of quotes about the Rosary, and a collection or prayers to Mary. And the Final is a selection of Marian Feasts.

This book was an excellent read. Before I had finished it I had already purchased another from Kelly to start next. I know that I will also likely reread this book again in a few months. And I can think of dozens of people I would love to hand this book to. This is another great read by Matthew Kelly, and I know reading and applying the advice in it, will help transform your prayer life, your life, and help you become the best version of yourself!

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

Books by Matthew Kelly:
I Know Jesus
The Long View
Decision Point: The Workbook
Decision Point: The Leader Guide
The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic
The One Thing
Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction
Why Am I Here?
Perfectly Yourself: 9 Lessons for Enduring Happiness
Perfectly Yourself Discovering God's Dream For You
Building Better Families: A Practical Guide to Raising Amazing Children
The Dream Manager
The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved
The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
Building Better Families - 5 Practical Ways to Build Family Spirituality
The Book of Courage
The Shepherd: A Modern Parable about Our Search for Happiness
Mustard Is Persecution, Matthew Kelly Foundation
A Call to Joy - Living in the Presence of God
The Rhythm of Life: An Antidote For Our Busy Age
Words from God
Resisting Happiness
The Narrow Path
Our Father
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity
Why I Love Being Catholic
Good Night, Jesus
In a world where you can be anything ...

Coach: 365 Days of Inspiration for Coaches and Players 

I Heard God Laugh: A Practical Guide to Life's 

Life is Messy

Difficult Teachings

The Rocking Chair Prophet

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory

Best Christmas Ever - Worst Christmas Ever

The Three Ordinary Voices of God

Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy

33 Days to Divine Mercy

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory for Kids

The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality 

The Forgotten Way 

33 Days of Miracles, Wonders and Grace 

...

Beautiful ... Series:

Beautiful Hope
Beautiful Mercy

Beautiful Eucharist

...

Rediscover Books by Matthew Kelly:
Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose
Rediscover Advent
Rediscover Lent
Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation
Rediscover the Rosary: The Modern Power of an Ancient Prayer
Rediscover the Saints

Audio by Matthew Kelly from Lighthouse Media:
Becoming The Best Version Of Yourself
The Best Way To Live
Don't Just Try, Train
Faith At Work & The Holy Moment
The Four Signs Of A Dynamic Catholic - Excerpt
The Jesus Question
My Spiritual Journey
Our Lives Change When Our Habits Change
Raising Amazing Children
The Seven Levels Of Intimacy
The Seven Pillars Of Catholic Spirituality

Broken Birthday - Courtney Sheinmel and Jennifer A. Bell - Stella Batts Book 10

Broken Birthday
Stella Batts Book 10
Courtney Sheinmel (Author)
Jennifer A. Bell (Illustrator)
Sleeping Bear Press
ISBN 9781585369225
eISBN 9781634724173
ASIN B01HIMFM5K

My oldest daughter and I have been reading the Stella Batts books together for a few years now. It was almost 3 years ago when we read our first and we have fallen in love with Stella, her friends, her family, and her adventures. We have read the whole series, though not in order. My daughter did one of her first book reports on a Stella Batts book. And when she found out that there was a book 10 she kept asking me every week if it was out yet or if I had got an advance copy so we could start reading it. And this book made my top ten list this past quarter. But this book was a major change for reading with my daughter.

My daughter is or was a very reluctant reader, but she loves this books. When we first started reading together daily we would alternate pages, or if she was really struggling I would read two for every page she read. While reading this book I came down with a very bad cough, and could barely speak. But she wanted to keep reading so for three nights in a row she read two or three chapters to me so we could keep reading and finish the book. Often reading well beyond the 20 minutes the school expects each night. And in my opinion that is the greatest compliment to this book and this series. A reluctant reader literally could not stop reading it!

In some ways this book is part retrospective. It looks back over the previous 9 books in the series. Stella likes list and her books usually include a list or two. And this book begins with a list of things she wrote about when she was 8. In fact the first chapters of this book is a brief summary of each of the other books:

"Things I Wrote About When I Was Eight

Hi, it's Stella Batts again!
I've written nine books since I turned eight years old. That's because a lot of things happened to me that I wanted to write about, such as:
1 Joshua in my class started calling me Smella, so I changed my name. But then I changed it back again.
2 I taste-tested magic gum, which was fun. But then I got it stuck in my hair, which was NOT fun at all. Plus, my best friend Willa moved away, which was the most not-fun thing ever.
3 But I got a new best friend, named Evie, who moved here from London. She has a cool accent.
4 My baby brother, Marco, was born.
5 I got to babysit Evie's dog, and I lost it! Luckily, my sister, Penny, helped find it.
6 Penny and I were flower girls, we got a new uncle and a new cousin, and we all went swimming in our flower-girl dresses!
7 My friend Lucy and I made a secret newspaper. I wrote about the secret new Candy Carnival at our store, Batts Confections. (It's not a secret anymore.)
8 I got to be on my favorite show in the whole entire world, called Superstar Sam.
9 I slept over in my school library.
In this book I'm going to write about the amazing trip my family and I are about to take. And guess what? By the time I finish this book, the other thing that will have happened is I will have turned NINE YEARS OLD!" And in case you couldn't tell the books are written as if Stella herself wrote them. 

In this book Stella is about to turn 9, and her family is travelling to visit her best friend Willa who moved away a year earlier. But on the day before they are to leave for their cross country trip Stella has a mishap. And not a mishap like getting gum in her hair, and not a mishap like using her sisters pony tails as paint brushes. And not a mishap like a lost dog. And now instead of visiting Willa, Stella is stuck in the hospital. To find out the how's and why's you will need to read the book! 

My daughter and I have started a number of different series geared for her reading level and that are age appropriate. This is the only one she eagerly awaits new titles. It is the only series that we have read the whole series. And it is the only book that she has started reading to her younger sister. That is the power of the Stella Batts stories, the magnificent writing of  Courtney Sheinmel, and the wonderful illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell. Every chapter in this book has a 'Remember When' illustrations that captures a moment from each of the earlier books.

It was great reading books that are so realistic. Stella could be your daughter, the kid next dory, or a friend of the family. I think these books are great reads to share with my kids and friends of the family. I just really hope this is not Stella's last adventures, because we love these books so much. And if it is then it is time to move on and try some other books by Courtney Sheinmel. A wonderful book in am amazing series!

Books by: Courtney Sheinmel:
Stella Batts:
Stella Batts Needs A New Name
Stella Batts Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Stella Batts Pardon Me
Stella Batts A Case of the Meanies
Stella Batts Who's in Charge?
Stella Batts Something Blue
Stella Batts None of Your Beeswax
Stella Batts Superstar
Stella Batts Scaredy Cat
Stella Batts Broken Birthday
…

The Kindness Club:
The Kindness Club
Designed by Lucy
…

Agnes and Clarabelle Series :
Agnes and Clarabelle
Agnes and Clarabelle Celebrate
…

Other Books:
Edgewater
Zacktastic
My So-Called Life
Positively
Sincerely
All the Things You Are

Perfectly Yourself Discovering God's Dream For You - Matthew Kelly

Perfectly Yourself: 

Discovering God's Dream For You
New and Revised Edition
Matthew Kelly
Wellspring Publishing
formerly
Beacon Publishing for
Dynamic Catholic
ISBN 9781635820126
eISBN 9781635820133
ASIN B0746S76L1

The story of two books. A few weeks ago I reviewed Ordering Your Private World Revised and Updated 2017 Edition by Gordon MacDonald my biggest complaint was the publisher was seeking reviews and yet the book had been through over 20 English language editions over the last 34 years. And overall I felt the book was very dated.  There are numerous editions of this book, by Matthew Kelly but from the first words I was hooked and already have plans to reread it again in a few months. If my research is correct this book was originally published in 2006 as Perfectly Yourself: 9 Lessons for Enduring Happiness. And this new edition has a different subtitle of: Discovering God's Dream For You. To be honest I have had this book on my to be read pile for a few years. But when a new edition came out I grabbed it and literally could not put it down. I now own two different eBook editions of this title but it was more than worth it!

This section from the first chapter really hit me when I was reading the book. I stopped and reread it three times:

"From time to time my best friends will get this look on their faces, and I know exactly what I am about to hear: "Matthew, get honest with yourself!" I love that. They don't say it that often, so when they do it means something. 

I think we all need moments of honesty from time to time. We need them as individuals, as couples, as families, and as nations. In the area of personal development, we are in desperate need of a moment of truth. We need to get honest with ourselves. 

The truth is this: Diets don't fail. We fail at diets. Savings plans don't fail. We fail at savings plans. Exercise routines don't fail. We fail at exercise routines. Relationships don't fail. We fail at relationships.
This may seem harsh, but until we face this difficult truth, we will never seriously ask the really important questions that loom in the back of our minds: Why do I fail every time I go on a diet? Why can't I stick to my budget and savings plan? Why can't I be consistent about working out? Why am I constantly in and out of relationships? And so on."

A few other quotes from the book to give you some sampling of Kelly's wisdom:

"But over the years in my personal reflection, I have constantly asked myself: What do I respect? And at a deep level, I think there is only one thing I truly and deeply respect over and over again in time, and that is virtue. I respect virtue. Virtue inspires me. Virtue in other people challenges me. Virtue raises me up. Virtue allows me to catch a glimpse of what is possible. Virtue gives me hope for the future of humanity."

"Character is built one habit at a time. Good character is built one virtue at a time. Virtue is a good habit, a habit that leads us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. The cornerstone of character is virtue."

"Self-control is always accompanied by self-awareness. As we become more and more aware of ourselves and of the way we react to certain types of people and situations, our ability to control our response increases. The moment between event and response is where we choose how we are going to react. People with short fuses are almost completely oblivious to the moment because their temper-filled reactions have shortened with practice."

There are only nine chapters in this book. But each chapter has between 4 and 9 sections not counting the final section on applying the chapter. The chapters in this book are:

One: Are You Making Progress?
Two: Perfectly Imperfect
Three: Looking Into The Future
Four: 86,400 Hours
Five: What Do You Believe?
Six: Beyond Instant Gratification
Seven: Unburden Yourself
Eight: What Is Your Mission?
Nine: Why Worry?

And the application sections at the end of the chapters are:

Applying the First Lesson: Celebrate Your Progress
Applying the Second Lesson: Just Do The Next Right Thing
Applying the Third Lesson: Put Character First
Applying the Fourth Lesson: Find What You Love And Do It
Applying the Fifth Lesson: Live What You Believe
Applying the Sixth Lesson: Be Disciplined
Applying the Eighth Lesson: Focus On What You Are Here To Give
Applying the Ninth Lesson: Patiently Seek The Good In Everyone And Everything

This is one of those book that I kept planning on reading but it also kept getting bumped down my reading list. Because of that I have a few regrets. I really wish I had read this book a few years ago. Particularly around lesson 4. I stayed at a former job about a year or a year and a half too long. If I had read this book it might have helped me make the move sooner, which would have been better for me, my family and likely the organization. 

Chapter 4 begins with these words:

"If you graduated from high school at the age of eighteen, went to college and graduated in four years, then went out into the real world and got a real job working forty hours a week and worked forty-eight weeks a year, took four weeks' annual vacation (two weeks more than most people), and retired at the age of sixty-five, you will have worked 86,400 hours by the time you retire."

Read that quote again and let it sink in. And then the book finishes with this advice:

"So, let me leave you with this single thought. God has an incredible dream for you, he wants you to become all he created you to be, the-very-best-version-of-yourself. Take God's dream seriously and you will quickly realize another truth:Anyone or anything that doesn't help you become the-best-version-of-yourself is too small for you."

Of the twelve books by Matthew Kelly that I have read 11 have received a 5/5 Stars rating. And this one is an amazing read. This is one of those books that after reading it I want to put it in the hands of everyone I know.

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

Books by Matthew Kelly:
I Know Jesus
The Long View
Decision Point: The Workbook
Decision Point: The Leader Guide
The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic
The One Thing
Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction
Why Am I Here?
Perfectly Yourself: 9 Lessons for Enduring Happiness
Perfectly Yourself Discovering God's Dream For You
Building Better Families: A Practical Guide to Raising Amazing Children
The Dream Manager
The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved
The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
Building Better Families - 5 Practical Ways to Build Family Spirituality
The Book of Courage
The Shepherd: A Modern Parable about Our Search for Happiness
Mustard Is Persecution, Matthew Kelly Foundation
A Call to Joy - Living in the Presence of God
The Rhythm of Life: An Antidote For Our Busy Age
Words from God
Resisting Happiness
The Narrow Path
Our Father
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity
Why I Love Being Catholic
Good Night, Jesus
In a world where you can be anything ...

Coach: 365 Days of Inspiration for Coaches and Players 

I Heard God Laugh: A Practical Guide to Life's 

Life is Messy

Difficult Teachings

The Rocking Chair Prophet

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory

Best Christmas Ever - Worst Christmas Ever

The Three Ordinary Voices of God

Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy

33 Days to Divine Mercy

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory for Kids

The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality 

The Forgotten Way 

33 Days of Miracles, Wonders and Grace 

...

Beautiful ... Series:

Beautiful Hope
Beautiful Mercy

Beautiful Eucharist

...

Rediscover Books by Matthew Kelly:
Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose
Rediscover Advent
Rediscover Lent
Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation
Rediscover the Rosary: The Modern Power of an Ancient Prayer
Rediscover the Saints

Audio by Matthew Kelly from Lighthouse Media:
Becoming The Best Version Of Yourself
The Best Way To Live
Don't Just Try, Train
Faith At Work & The Holy Moment
The Four Signs Of A Dynamic Catholic - Excerpt
The Jesus Question
My Spiritual Journey
Our Lives Change When Our Habits Change
Raising Amazing Children
The Seven Levels Of Intimacy
The Seven Pillars Of Catholic Spirituality

(Note: this books is part of a series: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)

Harley Quinn: Wild Card - Liz Marsham and Patrick Spaziante - DC Backstories

Harley Quinn: Wild Card
DC Backstories
Liz Marsham
Patrick Spaziante (Illustrator)
Scholastic
ISBN 9781338030716
ASIN B01CPM825K

I came across this book while at the bookstore looking for a different title as a Christmas present for my daughters. But as soon as I saw this one I picked it up, flipped it over and read the back. I was hooked. I did not even bother opening but immediately bought the eBook version. I read it in one setting after getting my kids down to bed, and bought 2 more in the series. I even reached out to the publisher to verify I had a full list of books available in the series.

This book and the other two I have checked out have a similar format. A forward written by the subject of the profile. Then a section of Friends, Foes, and Family brief profiles of a number of characters. A time line of the character and then a number of chapters, followed by a section of Fun Facts, a Glossary and a very extensive index. Interspersed throughout the chapters are a number of full page illustrations, clippings or news reports and profile boxes. The profiles are of people, places or events. These profile pages would make an amazing set of collector cards. But the difference with this book and the others I have checked out is that this one has hand written annotations by Harley throughout the book. 

I must admit Harley was one of my favourite characters in the DC universe, or at least my favourite villain. But there was a lot of information in this book that I was not aware of. There are some great facts, and it is an easy read. It looks like it will be an awesome series.

I have already started reading this with my oldest daughter and my youngest wants me to read it to her as well. One of the things I appreciate about this book is it stays close to the traditional story lines. As opposed to the Super Hero High where Harley is a hero. The illustrations are wonderful and really add to the book.

An excellent read in what looks to be an amazing series.

Backstories Series from Scholastic:
DC:
Batgirl: New Hero of the Night
Batman: Gotham City's Guardian
Harley Quinn: Wild Card
Supergirl: Daughter of Krypton
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
Wonder Woman: Amazon Warrior

Star Wars:
Darth Vader: Sith Lord
Princess Leia: Royal Rebel

DC Backstories:

Star Wars Backstories:

Beyond The Black Hole - Manuel Alfonseca

Beyond The Black Hole
Manuel Alfonseca
ISBN 9781540850874
ASIN B00DABA67I

So far this year I have read 5 books by Manuel Alfonseca.  Four of those five have been from The Sleuths of the Spanish Transition Series, but I actually read this book second. This book was a very interesting read. In many ways it reminded me of the works of Alfred Bester or Philip K. Dick. Or like Frank Herbert's non Dune books. Or even Edgar Rice Burroughs's Warlord of Mars Series. It is a science fiction story but without a lot of details about the science. It is a time travel story or a place shift story. But after I finish this book I thought about it often over the next few days and weeks. 

This book was translated from the Spanish by the author himself. And unlike his other works I could hardly tell it was a work in translation. It is a well written novel, and will cause the reader to think. And to be honest the twist at the end completely caught me by surprise. The description of the book is:

"A group of scientists in a secret investigation take the responsibility of caring for a drug-addict boy in danger of death from overdose. Drug withdrawal pushes him to interfere in a dangerous experiment, falling into a black hole that sends him to another place and another time, where he is helped by people with very different traditions."

The book is interesting on many different levels. First the group of scientist secluded and working on a world changing experiment, who end up helping a young man with a drug addiction. The man going through the black hole to some place, sometime else, and learning to integrate, and maybe finally turn his life around. Even knowing he will likely never get back to where he is from. The concept of hospitality, and responsibility once you have helped someone, as seen from more than one tradition and culture. In many ways it is like a modern version of the parable of the Good Samaritan. If you consider that comparison after reading the story you will wonder were you more of a Rosario Perez, Jaime Valladolid, Fernando Manzano, and Julia Mus? Or would you be the recipient of their help, and suffer the consequences of your rashness like Pepe Ortega? And the ending of the book is open to a few different interpretations.

This book was an interesting read. Like I stated before in many ways it reads like some of the masters of classic science fiction. But with some very interesting twists and possible interpretations of the story as a whole. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. 

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

Books by Manuel Alfonseca in English:
Jacob's Ladder
The Ruby of the Ganges
The Last Dinosaur
Ennia in Faerie
The Heirloom of King Scorpion
Beyond the Black Hole
The Water of Life

Albatros

A face in Time: 1789-2089

Hidden Hand

...

Earth-9 Colony Series:

The History of the Earth-9 Colony

The Earth-9 Colony Revisited

…

Solar System Series:

Under an Orange Sky

Descent into the Hell of Venus

Operation Quatuor

Operation Viginti

...

The Sleuths of the Spanish Transition Series:
Quetzalcoatl's Zahir
The Mystery of the Haunted House
The Mystery of the Sapphire Bracelet
The Mystery of the Honeymoon
The Mystery of the Egyptian Vulture Country House
...

Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle Series:
The Journey of Tivo the Dauntless
The Mystery of the Black Lake
The Silver Swan
The Secret of the Ice Field

The Lost Continent

…

The Chronicles of the Aeolian Family Series:

The Seal of Aeolus

The Emerald Tablet

The Tartessian Crown

…

Non-Fiction:
Human Cultures & Evolution
World Population: Past, Present, & Future

The Fifth Level of Evolution

...

The Autopsying of Michael Edward Morgan - Barry Lyga - A Short Story

The Autopsying of Michael Edward Morgan: 
A Short Story
Barry Lyga
ASIN B0772MFMS4

This the 11th of 12 instalments in Barry Lyga's year of short stories. For 9 of the 11 so far it is the first time that they have seen publication. This is one of those, and according to Lyga it is one of his earliest works. But I am getting head of myself. The year of short stories is a collection of short stories each being available for a limited run of one month. But they are more than just limited availability short stories. They are being released with a purpose, and all the proceeds are going to the ACLU. The purpose of these stories is defending free speech; for Lyga is donating the proceeds of the sales of the short stories to the ACLU. You can read more about why he is doing this on his site. This story was written in the early 1990's. Lyga states:

"Of all the stories written for this project, this is the oldest. It dates back to the very early nineties, to my second and most worthwhile creative writing class at Yale. The professor was Tom Perrotta, now famed for Little Children and The Leftovers, but at the time those were still in his (and our) future. Tom was a terrific creative writing teacher, though."

So this story was written 27 years ago. And yet it has an immediate impact. I read this story, and then thought about it overnight and the next day reread it. From this story I can see where some of the stuff from the I Hunt Killers series has percolated down from. Reading the story is a little jumbled. The Dr. performing an autopsy is reflecting on how he got there, and remembering events back and forth through time. From his childhood, collage days, being in Vietnam, Iraq and more. It is the sort of ruminations I am sure many of us make throughout the day about whey we are where we are, and what brought us to this career or this point in life. But for him the memories all revolve around bodies being processed. 

The memories are far more details then we ever say in Quincy M.E. but in a post Dexter world they seem pretty tame. But what really got me was the intense personal introspection, and self-understanding of our protagonist. 

Barry is a favorite contemporary author of mine who has written some incredible books, and amazing series. Both his I Hunt Killers series and his Brookdale High books are excellent reads and books that I have read and reread. But going back and seeing one of Lyga's earliest pieces is truly a privilege for a fan of his works. With this specific story and the whole series we are getting to see some of the greater range that Lyga has as an author and a wordsmith. As the first of each month draws near I have been checking and rechecking to see when the new story would be published so I could grab the eBook and read it right away. Of the 11 of them then release so far I would say I appreciate Four Minutes, Trading Worlds, and this one were the most impactful for me. 

This is a great short story. And if we had not been told that it was one of his earliest works I would never have guessed that. 

This year of short stories by Barry Lyga is great for fans of short stories, but especially for fans of his works. We are receiving 12 new short stories from His masterful pen are a blessing this year, even if his reason for releasing them is a cause for concern. It started in the fall of 2016 after the US General Election, for the very next day Barry asked himself what he could do, and as a writer he decided to use his words. For as an author words are his craft. And freedom of speech is core to him being able to write about what he wants to write about. He decided to publish a short story each month this year and to donate the proceeds to the ACLU. You can read about why he is doing this on his site. 

But be warned each story is only available for a month so you need to get it while you can. And this one is especially worth grabbing!

Books by Barry Lyga:

I Hunt Killers:
I Hunt Killers (2012)
Game - I Hunt Killers #2 (2013)
Blood of My Blood - I Hunt Killers # 3 (2014)

I Hunt Killers Short Stories:
Down Time (2018)
Lucky Day (2014)
Career Day (2012)
Neutral Mask (2013)
Blood Boy (2014)

Brookdale High:
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (2006)
Boy Toy (2007)
Hero Type (2008)
Goth Girl Rising (2009)
Bang (2017)

Archvillian:
Archvillain #1 (2010)
The Mad Mask - Archvillian #2 (2011)
Yesterday Again - Archvillian #3 (2013)

The Flash Series:
Hocus Pocus (2017)
Johnny Quick (2018)
Tornado Twins (2018)

Other Books By Barry Lyga:
Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A definitive Guide (with Alison A.W. Lyga - 2004)
Wolverine: Worst Day Ever (2009)
MangaMan (with Colleen Dorren 2011)
Unsoul'd (2013)
After The Red Rain (2015)
The Secret Sea (2016)
Thanos Titan Consumed (2018)
The Hive (2019)

...

Short Story Project 2017
The Ghosts at 95
Loving The University
The Ideas of March
Four Minutes
Pulse vs. the Killing Fiend
Her Decade
The Life Cycle of Stars (Ignition)
Bobby
Trading Worlds
When I Die
The Autopsying of Michael Edward Morgan
Meet Me Tonight
...

Contributed to:
Geektastic (2009)
Who Done It? (2013)

Author Profile and Interview with Barry Lyga
Author Profile and Interview with Randall Banner

Product Review - Personal Humidifiers Cool Mist Oil Diffuser from hysure

Baby Humidifier, Personal Humidifiers Cool Mist Oil Diffuser
300ml
hysure
ASIN B01I1H54OA

We currently have 4 diffusers in the house, I have tried 3 other models and given a few away as gifts to family. I really had high expectations for this diffuser then it arrived. This product is marketed as both a humidifier and a diffuser. I have no way of testing but comparing it to other models and brands we have tried I am not sure how the claim it is a humidifier, especially for babies. Comparing the amount of water it consumes over time it seems on part with the other models and brans I have tried that do not make that claim.

Pros:
Cover over water basin less likely to spill by bumping
Study base with good clearance for intake fan
Intermittent mode, 2 minutes on 30 seconds off
Auto shuts off when water gone

Cons:
It is either On, Intermittent or Off
No Option to set for set length of time
Only auto shutoff is when water is gone
Twist lock lid
Lack of any kind of lighting feature

This diffuser does the job. It has a much narrower opening than many of the models I have tried. It works at about the same pace. I really struggled with the twist lock lid. Every time I took it off or put it on it took multiple attempts. And when checking was always worried about it tipping and any water left getting in the intake manifold.

Of the seven different diffusers I have tried I would put this in the middle of the pack. Which based on its price point is where I would expect it. My biggest complaint is the difficult getting the cover on or off. But I love the internal cover on the water basin, that is a brilliant design feature. This is a good product for the price, and I would be willing to give other diffusers from Hysure a try