Tuesday, 22 October 2019

All In Good Time - Carolyn Astfalk

All in Good Time
Carolyn Astfalk
Multa Verba Publishing
ISBN 9780997971835
ASIN B07ZDHLGW2


 When I first returned to the church in the late 1980’s I went to the Christian book store and really wish there had been a book like this back them. I am not the target audience for this book, but it is so masterfully written I could not put it down. I read through my lunch two days in a row, and almost missed my stop on the bus home because I was so engrossed in the story. It is literally a page turner. This was the third novel by Carolyn Astfalk that I have read this year, I have also read her short stories in the collections, Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories and Gifts Visible & Invisible 8 Christmas Stories for Teens. His story is just being released as I write my review. And I think it is an excellent read. 

 This story is in part about relationships. In part about a young widow and her three children. A young man. Family. Temptations. There are issues of pornography. Illness, and even the other type of ‘romance novels’. The main characters are Brian Perella, a young man who has sworn off dating. His plan is to remain the fun uncle. Brian works in IT and after discovering some extreme pornography on a coworker’s computer, he needs to testify in court against the man, but it also brings back temptations he thought he was past. Then he meets Melanie, she is young, has three children and is a widow. She was not looking for romance, and never expected it. The two grow closer and closer together. And when life through Brian a curve ball he wants to save Melanie more hurt and heartache, so he breaks off the relationship. But it is something they both regret. But neither knows how to undo.  

 The book deals with a lot of serious issues. And most of them are counter cultural in this day and age. Carolyn’s appreciation for Saint John Paul II’s Theology of The Body is evident throughout the book. The book gives a great representing of trying to live for God. And That we all make mistakes. It is a romance but not in the traditional sense of the word. In many ways the story reminds me of Madeleine L’Engle’s Chronos books. It is a great Catholic novel, and excellent Christian fiction. The book gives excellent examples of living for God, and trusting even when going through trials. 

 An excellent read, that I highly recommend.


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Monday, 21 October 2019

The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words

The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860825804
eISBN 9781784692841
ASIN B072Q6Z3FW
CTS Booklet D707

The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words

I really do love the CTS books and booklets ! There are so many great reads, and wonderful series. And this ‘Saints of the Isles’ is one of my favorite series to date. This is the eighth book in this series from the Catholic Truth Society that I have read. And I loved it. I have read almost 100 books and booklets from the Catholic Truth Society in the last year and a half. Many have been great reads, and I have read books from several excellent series. I love this series that focuses on the Saints of the Isles. This volume was first published in 1932, it was reprinted in 2009, and the eBook edition was released in 2017.

This volume is not the complete little way, it is a selection of extracts. They are designed to serve as a guide as sign-ports for the Little Way and for those who follow it. These are also taken from the English translation of the Saint’s autobiography and are not new translations for this edition.

The chapters in this volume are:

Preface
Understanding Thérèse
Secret of Sanctity
Spiritual Childhood
Simplicity
The Night of the Soul
Charity
Some Prayers of St Thérèse

In the section Understanding Therese Pope Pius XI states:

“We desire earnestly that all the faithful of Christ should render themselves worthy of partaking in the abundant profusion of graces resulting from the intercession of “little Thérèse”. But we desire much more earnestly that all the faithful should study her in order to copy her becoming children themselves, since otherwise they cannot, according to the oracle of the Master, arrive at the Kingdom of Heaven.

If the way of spiritual childhood became general, who does not see how easily would be realised the reformation of human society... We, therefore, adopt as our own the prayer of the new Saint Thérèse with which she ends her invaluable autobiography: “O Jesus, We beseech thee to cast thy glance upon the vast number of little souls, and to choose in this world a legion of little victims worthy of thy love.” Amen.’”

This book is a fantastic introduction to the way. It is a great little volume. If you have read the full version, it will serve as a refresher. If you have not it is a great place to start. Another excellent volume from the Catholic Truth Society.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

CTS Books and Booklets n the life and spirituality of St Thérèse:
Thérèse of Lisieux - On the visit of her relics to Great Britain (Do 810)
Louis and Zélie Martin, Parents of Thérèse of Lisieux, by Paulinus Redmond (B 709)


The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words

The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words

The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux: In Her Own Words


St Thérèse of Lisieux: Transformation into Love - Jennifer Moorcroft - CTS Biographies

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux - Vernon Johnson - CTS Biographies

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux - Vernon Johnson - CTS Biographies




Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Prayers and Devotions - Donal Anthony Foley - CTS Devotions

Praying for Priests with St Therese of Lisieux - Maureen O'Riordan - CTS Devotions

Seeing the Pandemic with Eyes of Faith - Father Ivano Millico - Seven Prophets for Our Time

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Saturday, 19 October 2019

McEvoy Family Irish Soda Bread

McEvoy's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBS. baking powder
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp Coriander or Cardamom Seeds
     (Best to grind your own with a pestle and mortar)
½ lb Butter Cut Into Pieces
1 Egg
2 Cups Buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.
Cut the butter into 4 1/2 cups flour.
Mix the rest of the dry ingredients well, and folder into butter-flour mixture.
In a separate container mix the egg and buttermilk, whisking well.
Add the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until well blended.

Turn onto floured surface and kneed bread for ten minutes.

Separate dough and shape into two rounded loaves. Score the top into a cross pattern, about a quarter of the way through.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Test with toothpick and when toothpick comes out clean bread is ready.

Can be consumed right from the over with butter, and or jam. Keeps for about a week.

This is a McEvoy Family recipe and a long-time favourite.  It can be doubled to use a whole litre of buttermilk.

Note: I made this with my oldest this year for thanksgiving dinner. It has been a few years since I made it. It was a big hit, as usual, so I decided to share the recipe.
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Friday, 18 October 2019

Jack and Kill - Diane Capri - Hunt For Reacher Book 1.2

Jack and Kill
Hunt For Reacher Book 1.2
Diane Capri
August Books
ISBN 9781940768298
eISBN 9780983729877
ASIN B008O9AMY8


 This was the third of Diane Capri’s Jack books that I have read. This one is more of a short story, or even chapter in the large Hunt for Reacher story. The paperback is listed at 90 pages, but the formatting must be very generous. The eBook is 49 pages. I read this volume one day after my commute home from work, during which I had read Jack in a Box. Having now read the first three Hunt For Reacher stories I am hocked. I have already picked up the eBooks of the other 9 currently available. And plan on reviewing one a week until I have reviewed them all. In the six months before reading this series I read 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child. I stumbled upon these books while preparing one of my reviews and recalled my dad having mentioned them. So, I decided to give one a try. And I am very thankful that I did. I typically read a couple hundred books a year, and the last few years have been over 300 a year. And at the pace I am going I will finish off this series un under a year from my first Reacher read. These stories are great reads for Reacher fans. But they are written well enough that they could be read on their own. But they really ought to be read in order, something I must admit I often do not do, but in this case am sticking to the order. Lee Child himself has even plugged these books in the Reacher Report. And they deserve the applause. 

 It is strange this book is listed as shorter than the previous volume in the series, and yet it fell like a longer story. I was quite surprised when I realized that this story was shorter. In this story FBI special agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are on the way to New Hope, Virgina, on a cold grey winter day. After a traffic slow down they pullover because of a large covered body, and a traffic accident. But the scene is much more than it appears to be. Before slipping away they again encounter Agent Duffy. After coffee in a café and a brief view of a video Otto and Gaspar appear more conflicted then they have been to date. 

 A kidnapped child
A woman beaten in a road rage incident
A man dead on the side of the road
An Reacher no where to be seen

 Otto and Caspar came close this time, just hours behind the man they are tasked with tracking down. But not close enough. They have been on the case 10 days and have come closer to Reacher than many. We will have to read more to see if they ever get that close again.

 Another great short story in an excellent series. 

Books by Diane Capri:
Hunt for Reacher Series:
1.0 Don’t Know Jack
1.1 Jack in a Box
1.2 Jack and Kill
2.0 Get Back Jack
2.5 Jack in the Green
3.0 Jack and Joe
4.0 Deep Cover Jack
5.0 Jack the Reaper
6.0 Black Jack
7.0 Ten Two Jack
8.0 Jack of Spades
9.0 Prepper Jack
10.0 Full Metal Jack
Justice Series:
1.0 Due Justice
2.0 Twisted Justice
3.0 Secret Justice
4.0 Wasted Justice
5.0 Raw Justice
5.5 Mistaken Justice
6.0 Cold Justice
6.1 False Justice
6.2 Fair Justice
6.3 True Justice
7.0 Hunt for Justice
8.0 Night Justice
…

Jess Kimball Series:
0.5 Fatal Enemy
1.0 Fatal Distraction
2.0 Fatal Demand
3.0 Fatal Error
4.0 Fatal Fall
4.5 Fatal Edge
5.0 Fatal Game
6.0 Fatal Bond
6.5 Fatal Past
7.0 Fatal Dawn
…

Heir Hunter Series:
1.0 Blood Trials
2.0 Trace Evidence
…

Jordan Fox Mysteries:
False Truth Part One
False Truth Part Two
False Truth Part Three
False Truth Part Four
False Truth Part Five
False Truth Part Six
False Truth Part Seven
False Truth Part Eight
False Truth Part Nine
False Truth Part Ten
False Truth Part Eleven
…

The Park Hotel Mysteries Series:
1.0 Reservation with Death
2.0 Early Check Out
3.0 Room with a Clue
4.0 Late Arrival
…

Other Books:
Angel of Music
…













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Thursday, 17 October 2019

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book #1 Publication Order
Chronicles of Narnia Book #2 Chronological Order
C.S. Lewis 
Harper Collins
ISBN 9780064471046
eISBN 9780061974151
ASIN B001I45UF


I first read this book in the early 90’s while a student at Queen’s University. Having grown up with a dual form of Dyslexia I never really read children’s books when I was a kid. And buy the time I could read them I never went back. I read this book for personal pleasure in the 90’s and then in the early 2000’s I read it in a children’s literature course at the University of Waterloo. And I have just finished reading it again with my youngest two children.  Two years ago, my son got a boxed set of the books. And we read The Magician's Nephew almost immediately. But we kept reading other things, until this one was on a list for this school year.

 All three of us love this story. After reading Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia by Joseph Pearce I understand even more why this story can still captivate and have a hold on me almost 30 years later. And I love that I am introducing these stories to my children. And that after watching the newest iterations of the movies and the BBC Wonderworks editions, that they want to read the books, and notice so many of the differences. I have read the books in both orders, the order they were published and the chronological order. With my children we are now reading them in chronological order.

 If you have not read the book or seen any of the adaptations on either large or small screen let me tell you about this book. It is a story set in war time England. The four Pevensie children have been sent to the countryside because of bombings. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy find them self in a large old strange home, with an old strange professor as their host. In this volume the door between our world and Narnia opens and there are three tips across the realms. First Lucy, then Lucy and Edmund at the same time but separately, and finally all four children make the trip. Narnia is under a spell of the White Witch, who calls herself the Queen of all Narnia. The story is of the cosmic battle between good and evil. Between choice and responsibility. Between doing what you want and at times choosing what you ought and should. And you will learn about consequences, weather we are aware of them or not.

 My children loved the book. And often we read longer than was needed for their signature for school. They love the incident after the stone lion is unfrozen. The Giant amused them. But most of all they fell in love with Aslan. He might not be safe, but he is good. 

 We loved the book and will soon return to the next volume. And ever after 30 years, and multiple readings, this book easily gets 5/5 stars from me. And so I encourage you if you have not read this book, or you have children to read it to, pick it up and go Further Up & Further In!

Other Reviews of Lewis's Books.
A Grief Observed
The Four Loves
...


...
The Dark Tower and Other Stories
...

Narnia Publication Order:
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Last Battle
...

Narnia Chronological Order:
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle
...

Books about C.S. Lewis:
Planet's In Peril: A critical Study of C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy - David C. Downing
The Man Who Created Narnia - Michael Coren
...










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Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Armageddon - Jack Heath - Liars Book 5

Armageddon 
Liars Book 5
ISBN 9781742993430
eISBN 9781743837474
ASIN B07WYDGZ3H


 This series is got better with every book! This is the firth and final book in the Liars series. (At least that we know of to date. But more on that later.) I am very thankful that the eBooks are available globally. It would have been terribly disappointing to have read the first book and then not been able to get the rest. That has happened to me with a couple of other authors from down under. This book and whole series are great MG/YA reads. It has a very fast pace. Lots of action and Jarli and his friends getting caught in the culmination of master criminal Viper’s plots. 

 This story begins with viper releasing a video stating that they are going to release a biological weapon on the town of Kelton. The town is in the process of evacuating when Jarli realized that things are even worse off than he expected. He bolts from a car and heads back to Kelton. Connecting up with his friend Anya and her father they head back into town to break back into prison to free some abandoned friends and family. But as we have come to learn, when it comes to Viper nothing is as simple as you plan or hope. And soon the team is separated, has been divided. And Jarli finally figures out who Viper really is and why they are doing what they are doing. 

 The whole series has action galore. But this installment has even more. It practically races from the beginning to the final confrontation. The characters are great, and I will be honest and state the main twist took me completely by surprise. One of the strengths of the series are the characters, Jarli, Anya, Doug, and Bess. Jarli and Bess were already great friends but the four of them grew closer together through the adventures and trials they faced. 

 This was a series I loved. It is written for a late Middle Grade or early young adult audience. But it is simply a great series that can be enjoyed by readers of any age. This book and the entire series are very well written. I think the books would make an excellent miniseries on TV. I am sure if you give this series a try you will be entertained! Heath has written a great story, and I honestly hope we encounter the characters again, in either a continuation or another series with them at the center of events. This is a great book and series!

Books by Jack Heath:
Deadly Heist
Flesh
Method Living
The Caretakers
Crossover
500 Minutes of Danger
400 Minutes of Danger
300 Minutes of Danger
Replica
Ink, inc.

Timothy Blake Series:
Hangman
Just One Bite
...

Agent Six of hearts Series:
The Lab
Remote Control
Third Transmission
Dead Man Running

Ashley Arthur Series:
Money Run
The Hit Lits

Countdown to Danger:
Shockwave
Bullet Train Disaster

The Fero Files:
The Cut Out
The Fail Safe

The Mysterious World of Cosentino:
The Missing Ace

Scream Series:
The Human Flytrap
The Spider Army
The Haunted Book
The Squid Slayer

Short Stories:
In Case Of Emergency
Rats

Liars Series:
The Truth App
No Survivors 
The Set-Up 
Lockdown 
Armageddon
…






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Tuesday, 15 October 2019

The Unteachables - Gordon Korman

The Unteachables
Gordon Korman
Scholastic
ISBN 9781443182010
eISBN 9781443170178
ASIN B07T86WKKM


 This was the second Gordon Korman novel we have read in as many weeks. After reading Restart, my son and I each picked two other books by him and picked up the eBooks. My Sone can read on his iPod and I can read on my phone during my commute to work. And we can share about our experiences with the story and have conversations around the books. Sometimes when we really get into one, we will also read it together in the evening. So you might be asking why 4 books by Korman, we each had preferences for which ones we wanted to read. So I gave in a bit and we each got 4 and have a book to read each week for the next month together.

 First this book was one of my picks. I picked this and Ungifted. My son picked Slacker, and Level 13. And we went with this one first because my son had picked Restart. We both loved restart, and to be honest we love this one just as much. The story focuses around the student in SCS-8—Self-Contained Special Eighth-Grade Class, and a teacher less than a year from retirement who his assigned to the class. The teacher assumes he is assigned to this class to make him quit, but with one year until he is eligible for early retirement, he believes he can make it through anything. The kids in SCS-8 are the end of the line. No one believes they can be taught or that they can learn, and it is an odd assortment of kids. And Then there is Kiana Roubini who is here because her mother is on a movie set, and staying with her dad, it is just supposed to be a few weeks. She is a short timer. And her situation is more complicated than any of the other kids in SCS-8 or Mr. Kermit their teacher. 

 The story is told in alternating first person perspectives. From different characters including students, teachers, Jake Terranova, the superintendent. The chapters are:

 One: Kiana Roubini
Two: Mr. Kermit
Three: Parker Elias
Four: Aldo Braff
Five: Mr. Kermit
Six: Mateo Hendrickson
Seven: Kiana Roubini
Eight: Mr. Kermit
Nine: Parker Elias
Ten: Kiana Roubini
Eleven: Barnstorm Anderson
Twelve: Parker Elias
Thirteen: Mr. Kermit
Fourteen: Dr. Thaddeus
Fifteen: Mateo Hendrickson
Sixteen: Parker Elias
Seventeen: Mr. Kermit
Eighteen: Kiana Roubini
Nineteen: Parker Elias
Twenty: Jake Terranova
Twenty-One: Kiana Roubini
Twenty-Two: Mrs. Vargas
Twenty-Three: Kiana Roubini
Twenty-Four: Barnstorm Anderson
Twenty-Five: Kiana Roubini
Twenty-Six: Mr. Kermit
Twenty-Seven: Kiana Roubini
Twenty-Eight: Mr. Kermit
Twenty-Nine: Parker Elias
Thirty: Aldo Braff
Thirty-One: Mr. Kermit
Thirty-Two: Kiana Roubini

 At the beginning the students and Mr. Kermit are just traying to make it through the year. But something happens. First Mr. Kermit goes to bat for a couple of the kids, and the kids once they realize he is on their side, try and do something for him. After the bonding over those events the hearts of both are changed. And We begin to see what can happen with a little hope and work. 

 The story makes me think of a grade 8 version of Welcome Back, Kotter. I have a dual form of dyslexia, and spent grade 3 in a class like the one described in this book. If not for some exceptional teachers, and a special summer program I would not be the reader and bibliophile I am now. This book does an amazing job of capturing the feelings of students in those kinds of situations. 

 This is an excellent book! And as I mentioned earlier, I have picked up 3 other Korman Titles and have added 6 others to my wish list, for future reading. With my son, and if I cannot wait for him rereading with him after I have read them. An exceptional book a Middle Grade read but great for readers of all ages.
 
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)
…

Bugs Potter Series:
…

Jeremy Bloom Series:
…

Monday Night Football Series:
…

Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)
…

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
…
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)
…

Nose Pickers Series:
…
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)
…

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
…
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)
…

Son of the Mob Series:
…

Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
…
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)
…

On the Run Series:
…

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)
…

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)
…

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)
…

The 39 Clues Series:
Flashpoint (2014)
…

Hypnotists Series:
Memory Maze (2014)
…

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)
Hypergifted (2026)
…

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)
...
 
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