Reading Year in Review 2023

Some of my reading goals for 2023 were sidetracked by the unexpected rabbit trail of the Arthurian legends, but it was a happy detour. Of the five versions I read, Howard Pyle's The Story of King Arthur and His Knights was the one that most captured my heart, making it my favorite book of the year. Some of my other top picks were:

Best devotional book: My Utmost for His Highest. I dust off my copy every few years for a re-read. Chambers doesn't pull any punches about the cost of being a disciple. Very heart-strengthening.

Most difficult, but worth the effort: Norms and Nobility by Hicks. Although it is a book on education (the classical tradition), it is also a book on what it means to be fully human. Lots of food for thought. 

Non-fiction: Supper of the Lamb by R.F. Capon. I loved this cooking memoir for its "joie de vivre." Life is beautiful (and hard). Don't waste it.

YA books that were delightful: Miracles on Maple Hill by Sorenson and The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson

Biggest surprise and second favorite: The Bridge of San Luis Rey. (No one ever told me how wonderful this 1928 Pulitzer prize winner is. Review is forthcoming.) 

What about you? What were your favorites of the year?

All 84 books that I read this year are listed on my Goodreads page. 

Blessings,

Satan's "Nothing" Strategy by Tony Reinke

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

In order to keep my earlier review of 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You from being too long, I opted to put this lengthy quote in a separate post. In this passage, Reinke recounts scrolling through his newsfeed after a tiring day of work. 

On and on I flicked down a list of disconnected and fragmented items, most of them only barely important or interesting. I was not edified or served, only further fatigued because of missing a nap I should have had or a walk I could have taken.... What I am coming to understand is that this impulse to pull a lever of a random slot machine of viral content is the age-old tactic of Satan. C.S. Lewis called it his "nothing strategy" in Screwtape Letters. This nothing strategy is very strong, strong enough to steal away a man's best years - not in sweet sins, but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why in the gratifications of curiosity so feeble that the man is only half aware of them. A hamster wheel of what will never satisfy our souls. Lewis' warning was prophetic to our digital age. We are always busy, always distracted, diabolically lured away from what is truly essential and truly gratifying. In our digital idleness, we fail to enjoy God and we fail to love our neighbor. We give our time to not what is explicitly sinful, but also to what cannot give us joy or prepare us for self-sacrifice. Satan's nothing strategy aims at feeding us endlessly scrolling words, images and videos that dull our affections instead of invigoration our joy and preparing us to give ourselves in love. 

(This is the exact same thing that Francis de Sales addressed in my previous post on his advice to Philothea: It is a pity to sow the seed of vain and foolish tastes in the soil of your heart, taking up the place of better things, and hindering the soul from cultivating good habits.) 

Lots to think about!

Blessings,

Reading as a Spiritual Discipline - Quote from Jessica Hooten Wilson

Reading is a spiritual discipline akin to fasting and prayer and one that trains you in virtues, encourages your sanctification, and elicits your love for those noble, admirable, and beautiful things of which St. Paul writes in his Letter to the Philippians. We read because without books our world shrinks, our empathy thins, and our liberty wanes. We read for the same reason that people have read - and shared poems and stories - for thousands of years: because our eyes are not enough by which to see. The time and place in which we live blinds us to other perspectives and ways of being that are not our own experience. We read because we have been given the gift of imagination and intellect, and we exhibit our gratitude by using it.

(from p. 62 of Reading for the Love of God by Jessica Hooten Wilson)

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in November

When I'm overwhelmed, I do more movie viewing than book reading, so November was light on books. I finished the excellent Norms and Nobility by David Hicks, which is a marvelous book primarily about the fundamentals of classical education, but secondarily about what it takes to be a flourishing, virtuous society. (It's pricey so I'm glad my library had a copy.) Next came Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey, which I really liked after getting past the feminist intro and reading the actual diaries (last 1/5 of the book);  then came Rose-Garden Husband (a fluffy vintage novel), which fit the reading mood I was in. Edith Schaeffer's Hidden Art was not difficult reading, but my brain couldn't quite take it in.  

I enjoyed all the films I watched this month. We like the older Hitchcock movies because they are less grizzly and have a good dose of humor in them. Dan and I watched Foreign Correspondent (1940) and The Lady Vanishes (1938) on YouTube. On another date night we enjoyed I am David (2003) for its good acting and filming. By myself I watched the classic holiday film, The Shop Around the Corner, with the wonderful Jimmy Stewart. I also chuckled through Signed, Sealed and Delivered for Christmas.

Ever have months when reading just seems impossible? With less deadlines in December, I'm hoping to improve! 

Blessings,

Reading for the Love of God by Jessica Hooten Wilson

Why and how we read matters as much as what we read. 

It is not enough to read the Bible; you must eat the book 

(quoting Eugene Peterson and Ezekiel 3:3).

The premise of Reading for the Love of God is that words must get inside you and change you. This is transformation vs. information. If you want to know how to "eat the book," learn how to read – not only the Bible but other great books as well – as a spiritual practice.

Wilson’s book often reminded me of the Literary Life Podcast because both she and they emphasize the folly of reader-centered education (where students are asked how the text makes them feel thereby missing most of what the text is actually saying). She suggests that one way to avoid that is to use the ART metric. In it, the Author, Reader and Text are given equal emphasis. Yes, the readers emotions are involved, but only after he begins to pay attention to what the text is actually saying - all the while being respectful of the author’s point of view.

To be a critic is to stand over the text making the reader judge and master over the text. This standing over prevents the understanding necessary to be transfigured by the reading. The reader should approach the book in the way a student draws near a teacher, with a willingness to learn, to receive, from the books. (p. 11)

Wilson places a strong emphasis on how medieval Christians saw deeper meanings in everything they read in the Bible, and criticizes Luther (and the Reformation) for making the literal meaning of the text paramount thereby excluding the other “senses” (allegorical, tropological, and anagogical). I find this to be problematic because it leaves too much room for heretical interpretations. One of her main examples of a saint whose reading style we should imitate is Juliana of Norwich. But Wilson doesn’t mention that Juliana’s zeal to see the love of God in every verse of Scripture caused her to negate the possibility of wrath, judgment or hell.

Apart from that caveat, I appreciated Wilson’s deep love for the written word and her encouragement to keep reading deeply.

A life of reading counteracts the malformation of screen and digital technology…. In contrast to many other pastimes, reading demands engagement. It asks something of the participant. It cultivates that person’s imagination and increases their vision of the world. (p. 15)

Blessings,

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson

I started Miracles on Maple Hill many years ago and couldn't get past the heaviness of the first few chapters (which didn't seem appropriate for a children's book). BUT I kept hearing good things about it and am glad that I gave it another try. 

As soon as the story begins, we sense that something is not quite right with Marly's father. We learn later that he was a prisoner of war during WWII and returned with PTSD symptoms. Her mother is moving Marly (age 10), her father, and her older brother Joe to live in the country to aid her father in his recovery. Marly is hoping that the present stresses of her family life will be relieved by this change, but she has no idea of the many good things that are coming her way. 

The word "miracles" in this story can easily be translated as the acts of kindness that bring comfort and peace to this hurting family. This abundance of grace is conveyed through kind neighbors, the beauty of the changing seasons and even, on occasion, from Marly's brother who normally doesn't have time to bother with her. 

This was the 1957 Newbery winner so it assumes that kids were semi-literate and would understand references to Thumbellina, Joseph in the Bible, Shakespeare, etc. It also gives a gentle nod to differences between males and females, which I found refreshing, but which I know would not be acceptable in present-day stories. It also treats kids with respect by not talking down to them about hard subjects. Living in the country Marly discovers some hard realities about life and death. Why are their poisonous plants and mushrooms in the midst of so much glorious beauty? 

Though written for children, I got some strong Wendell Berry vibes with regard to rootedness and the healing power of community. Yes, the beginning is heavy, but it sets up the stage for the miracles that will need to happen to restore Marly's family. It is a beautifully told story and I loved the gentle way it teaches kids that though life can be hard, it can also be very good.

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in October 2023

Our rented apartment has no television so I continue to get a remarkable amount of reading done. The books I read in order of most-to-least appealing were 1) The Bridge on San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (simply astonishing in its breadth of understanding of the human condition), 2) The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson (a delightful fairy tale with a strong, yet feminine heroine), 3) Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson (1957 Newbery winner), 4) Reading for the Love of God by Jessica Hooten Wilson, 5) When the English Fall by David Williams (dystopia in an Amish community), 6) On Asking God Why by Elisabeth Elliot (collected essays), 7) Out of a Far Country (non-fiction redemption story), 8) The Gabriel Hounds by Mary Stewart (I love her suspense novels, but this one droned on for 150 pages before my heart rate even mildly accelerated.)

The movies that I watched on my computer were: The African Queen (via Hoopla), which was a fun classic that my husband and I both enjoyed. On YouTube I started to watch a Hallmark mystery called The Curious Caterer, but turned it off after 5 painful minutes of poor acting, banal script and odd situations. The Carrot Cake Murder is a sequel of sorts to the Murder, She Baked movies that I've raved about, but was so badly done that I barely hung on until the end. Finally, I watched another Hallmark mystery (via Frndly TV), The Dancing Detective. The male character was over-the-top ridiculous, but he kept me laughing. Plus, the footage of Malta was breathtaking. 

I linked to the books so you could read more about them, but I read all of them from library, thrift store or loaned copies. Hopefully, so can you. 

Blessings,

Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis

Lovers of great literature will revel in Surprised by Joy, the biography of a man who was led to salvation by his reading diet. The progression of “great books” in Lewis’ life worked on him like drops of water on a stone. Eventually their Christian themes made a groove in his heart that he could no longer ignore.

The “joy” he writes of is not happiness as the world defines it, but the pang of inconsolable longing (p. 62) This longing for joy led Lewis to finally embrace theism and, soon afterwards, Christianity. Interestingly, once he became a Christian, he no long sought after those stabs of joy as before. He still had moments of intense feelings (“tastes of heaven”), but he no longer idolized those experiences. He took them as moments of grace pointing to an eternal reality yet to be experienced.

The book recounts his miserable days as a school boy, his difficult relationship with his father, his first friendships, and the heart change brought about by books.

In his penultimate chapter called “Checkmate”, he writes: All the books were beginning to turn against me. Indeed, I must have been as blind as a bat not to have seen, long before, the ludicrous contradiction between my theory of life and my actual experiences as a reader. George MacDonald had done more to me than any other writer; of course, it was a pity he had that bee in his bonnet about Christianity. He was good in spite of it. Chesterton had more sense than all the other moderns put together; bating, of course, his Christianity. Johnson was one of the few authors whom I felt I could trust utterly; curiously enough, he had the same kink. Spenser and Milton by a strange coincidence, had it too. Even among ancient authors the same paradox was to be found. The most religious (Plato, Aeschylus, Virgil) were clearly those on whom I could really feed. On the other hand, those writers who did not suffer from religion and with whom in theory my sympathy ought to have been complete – Shaw and Wells and Mill and Gibbon and Voltaire – all seemed a little thin… It wasn’t that I didn’t like them. They were all entertaining; but hardly more. There seemed to be no depth in them. They were too simple. The roughness and density of life did not appear in their books.

One of my favorite books of 2023.

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in September 2023

I enjoyed everything that I read this month. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh (#8 in the series) was delightful, and I enjoyed A Child's Anthology of Poetry (edited by Elizabeth H. Sword, a thrift store find for 99 cents) as my bedtime book. C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy (another 99 cent purchase) was my hands down favorite. Because of it, I downloaded (and paid way too much for) Volume 1 of his letters. The book I almost didn't finish was Stories of King Arthur and His Knights by U. Waldo Cutler, but it took a turn for the better in the last half. I finished a Bible study called God's Blueprint for Bible Prophecy, which was a deep dive into the book of Daniel. Not an easy study, but worth the effort. I appreciated Madeleine L'Engle's views on faith and art in her book, Walking on Water.

We didn't have much time for movie viewing this month. After I finished Cutler's version of the Arthurian legends, I watched Camelot (1982 HBO available through my Hoopla app). I remember hating the 1967 movie when I saw it 40 years ago, but now that I am familiar with the stories, I could appreciate the nuances in the HBO version. The lyrics by Lerner and Loewe were absolutely brilliant. Dan and I enjoyed A Puzzle to Die For (Hallmark Mystery, also via Hoopla). Dare I admit that when we had a short span of time for visual amusement we watched a few episodes of Petticoat Junction? Not having a TV in our present living situation has certainly enhanced my reading life!  

Blessings,

The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

I have never understood the allure of food memoirs, but The Supper of the Lamb may have converted me. Capon, an Anglican priest, author and home chef, opens the book with self-deprecating honesty: I am an amateur. If that strikes you as disappointing, consider how much in error you are. Amateur and nonprofessional are not synonyms. The world may or may not need another cookbook, but it needs all the lovers – amateurs – it can get. It is a gorgeous old place, full of clownish graces and beautiful drolleries, and it has enough textures, tastes and smells to keep us intrigued for a lifetime. Unfortunately, however, our response to its loveliness is not always delight: it is, far more often than not, boredom. And that is not only odd, it is tragic; for boredom is not neutral – it is the fertilizing principle of unloveliness. In such a situation, the amateur – the lover, the man who thinks heedlessness a sin and boredom a heresy – is just the man you need.

He continues: The world looks as if it has been left in the custody of a pack of trolls. Indeed, the whole distinction between art and trash, between food and garbage, depends on the presence or absence of the loving eye. 

Hence his emphasis on the importance of slowing down and paying attention to life’s myriad details, including the delights of cooking from scratch. At times he uses a wise grandfatherly tone; at other times he is more like a back-slapping older brother who loves a good joke and a good cigar. Some passages were hilariously funny. He waxes eloquent on the beauty of onions, the necessity of sharp knives and (most memorable of all) the glory that is baking soda.

Capon uses cooking as a metaphor for life. Don’t go for the processes pre-cooked garbage that passes as food because it’s more convenient. The best things in life take time and care and may even give you heartburn. “Real life” will cost you.

We were given appetites not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great. That is the inconsolable heartburn, the lifelong disquietude of having been made in the image of God. All man’s love is vast and inconvenient. It is tempting, of course, to blunt its edge by caution. It is so much easier not to get involved – to thirst for nothing and no one, to deny that matter matters and, if you have the stomach for it, to make your bed with meanings which cannot break your heart. But that, it seems to me, is neither human nor Divine. If we are to put up with all other inconveniences out of love, then no doubt we must put up with the bother of love itself and not just cut and run for cover when it comes.  

The last 25% of book is recipes, which are a pleasant, but non-essential addition. The main "recipe" is in the first 250 pages and it is on how to live life to the fullest.

 May your eyes be open “to see the bounty of small things.” 

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched this Summer 2023

We were on the road most of July and didn't watch anything. But in August we settled into our apartment and had a few evenings free to use my Hoopla account. I like Hallmark mysteries but the Darrow and Darrow pilot was a huge disappointment. Not only was it cheesy, the acting and script were embarrassingly bad. The way the case was solved went against one the chief rules of detective fiction: a true mystery must include clues that the reader (or viewer) can see for themselves. The resolution of the mystery cannot come out of nowhere. Secondly was Dog Jack (a true Civil War story), which was also poorly acted and scripted.  On the bright side, we really enjoyed C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert, which we watched at a friend's house.

My reading choices paid much bigger dividends. Except for Le Morte d'Arthur, which I ditched after 15 hours (of the 30 hour audiobook), everything else I read in July was good: Thornyhold by Mary Stewart, The Musgraves by D.E. Stevenson, The Truth and Beauty by Klavan, and the vintage novel, The Clue of the Twisted Candle, by Edgar Wallace. In August I enjoyed Deborah Crombie's A Share in Death. Because it was an audiobook, I could not skip over the swearing, but I thought Crombie's prose was exceptionally beautiful. I liked her detective and his sidekick too. Finally, I read Robert Farrar Capon's The Supper of the Lamb, which I loved. (review forthcoming)

All of these titles are reviewed on Goodreads, but I cannot figure out how to link to my reviews with their new configurations.

Blessings,

The Duchess of Bloomsbury by Helene Hanff

Consider this a belated review of 84 Charing Cross Road which I enjoyed in 2021 and again in January of this year. I am a fan of epistolary novels so the 20 years of correspondence (1949-1968) between Helene Hanff (book lover from New York) with Frank Doel (a book seller from London) was pure delight.  The audio version is spot on in highlighting their differences of manner. And the 1987 movie, with stellar performances by Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, is one of my favorites. (You can watch the trailer here.)

Because of her success with the book 84 Charing Cross Road, Helene is finally able to afford a trip to London. The Duchess of Bloomsbury recounts her dream-come-true:

All my life I've wanted to see London. I used to go to English movies just to look at streets with houses like those. Staring at the screen in a dark theatre, I wanted to walk down those streets so badly it gnawed at me like hunger. Sometimes, at home in the evening, reading a casual description of London by Hazlitt or Leigh Hunt, I'd put the book down suddenly, engulfed by a wave of longing that was like homesickness. I wanted to see London the way old people want to see home before they die. 

Marks and Co., the bookshop that had been her main supplier, has closed and so she meets a host of new people who offer to show her the town. She's a bit overwhelmed with the modest fame that her book has brought her and jokingly calls herself "The Duchess of Bloomsbury" since that is where her hotel is located. Many of the characters she meets are as quirky and endearing as she is. 

This is a must for every bibliophile if only to identify with how easy it is to go off on to rabbit trails while reading a good book. Helene remarks that one set of books by Arthur Quiller Couch took her eleven years to read because of all the books she read in between to better understand his comments. She so identifies with Couch that she nicknames him "Q" (which explains the title of her next book, Q's Legacy.) 

I was fascinated by the fact that though she had not read as widely as she would have liked, she had read deeply; My problem is that that while other people are reading fifty books I'm reading one book fifty times. I only stop when at the bottom of page 20, say, I realize I can recite pages 21 and 22 from memory. Then I put the book away for a few years.

I'd love to be able to do that. 

I was able to get these first two books via digital download from my library, but it looks like Q's Legacy may cost me $6!

Blessings,

15th Anniversary of Worthwhile Books

How did 15 years of blogging go by so swiftly? When my sister-in-law, Diane, suggested that I start a blog to point people to the classics, I never dreamed it would become my new favorite hobby. Many of my blogging friends have stopped posting because their lives have taken different tracks. And I have slowed down to twice-a-month. So why do I even keep going?  

I don't do it for the stats, although I am always pleasantly surprised during my 5-year checkups to see which posts have garnered the most attention. And I don't do it for the accolades, although I love it when readers comment. I do it because I love stories that nurture the heart and mind. I read a book more carefully and thoughtfully when I know I have to write about it. Writing then helps me to sift out the main ideas and cement them into my brain. A much needed help as I grow older!

By the way, the top five posts are still Code Name Nimrod, The Horse and His Boy, Recommended Librivox Recordings, The Two Towers and Aesop's Fables although a dozen other posts have reached a thousand views. Small potatoes in the blogsphere, but still gratifying.

Thank you to those who have been reading my posts through the years. I hope we can keep encouraging one another to read the best books.

Blessings,

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

(Be aware that some mild spoilers are inevitable in this review.)

I avoided Uncle Tom's Cabin for years anticipating caricatures, bad writing, and preachiness. Frankly, it was much better than I expected. Yes, there are some stereotypes, but there are also many nuanced, well-drawn characters. I had to read all 300 pages before I could decide in which group to fit Uncle Tom. It would have been easy to write off him for his unusually placid outlook on life, which is why I think Stowe was wise to create a needed contrast in the character of George. 

Sometimes Stowe was preachy, but she also worked hard to show different points of view on slavery.  It was fascinating to see every possible Scripture verse (both to defend and denounce it) coming out of the mouths of the main characters. Some, like Maria, hold to their views of slavery no matter what they see with their own eyes. Others, like Ophelia, grow in their understanding of the problem. Though Ophelia is convinced that slaves have eternal souls and should be educated and treated well, she is initially horrified when Eva kisses one of the black servants. She slowly evolves, becoming a tender and true woman of faith. 

Three drawbacks: Stowe, in her effort to be gracious toward blacks, unknowingly writes condescendingly, often making blanket statements about them as "a sensitive and impressionable race," or describing a person as acting "after the manner of their race." It doesn't wear well today, but I'm sure that at the time of her writing, it was seen as sympathetic. Also, the "N" word is used frequently by both whites and blacks. Last of all, the saintliest person in the book was, to me, the least believable. 

I was intrigued by the fact that even though slavery was the primary issue in the novel, a strong secondary theme was theodicy. Is it possible to trust God in the midst of extreme suffering? Very thought-provoking!

Blessings,

Lord Peter Wimsey Books 11-15 and One More

It took me three years, but I have finally made it through all of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. And what a wonderful ride it was! I had my favorites along the way, but I can see myself revisiting ALL of them again.

9. (#11 was accidently reviewed in my previous Wimsey post.) Hangman's Holiday - All of the stories in this book had me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the protagonist, Montague Egg. My full review is here.

12. Gaudy Night - The 3rd novel with Harriet Vane. Lovely to watch their relationship deepen. Review here.

13. Busman's Honeymoon - the last official Lord Peter novel. My very favorite. Reviewed here (w/ spoilers).

14. In the Teeth of Evidence - Good stories, but not enough Lord Peter.

15. Striding Folly - A quick fun read. Only three stories, but two of them are about Lord Peter as a father. Very endearing.

The Wimsey Papers - A collection of letters and documents supposedly written by the Wimsey clan during the first year of WWII. I enjoyed eavesdropping on many of the characters from the previous novels. Though it was all too short, I thought it was a great way to conclude the 15 books in the series.  

The novels are quite pricey at Amazon, but I was able to get all of these through my library via digital download. I bought a compilation of the short stories (books 4,9,14, & 15) when it was on sale for $2.99. Also, I saw that you can buy the first three novels and a dozen short stories for 99 cents. (the price at the time I wrote this post.)

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in June 2023

This was a hectic month as we taught our classes, kept up with ministry responsibilities, and tied up loose ends before leaving our apartment for six months of home assignment. I am looking forward to easy access to libraries and cheap books in the U.S!

The books I read in June are listed in order of favorite to least favorite, although I enjoyed them all:

All the Light We Cannot See by Doerr, which I reviewed at Goodreads. (some foul language, but what an amazing story!)

Holy Happiness by Kinlaw - a superb series of sermons on Genesis 1-3 

Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney seemed a little hokey at first, but when I began to put it into practice, I received rich dividends. Still learning how to pray through the Psalms. 

The Way to Pentecost by Chadwick was another devotional book that encouraged me to trust in Christ's strength and not my own.

The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis - I learned a lot, but it was uphill climbing.

A Maid in Arcady by Ralph Henry Barbour - Vintage fiction that I read when sidelined by a bad cold.

I finished up three books that I have been reading for months: All Things Wise and Wonderful has been our date night read-aloud since September of last year and evoked much laughter and a few tears. I started Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories in January, but finished it early because I couldn't just read one a day. I also finished Living a Life of True Worship, my favorite 40-minute Bible study from Precept Ministries.

 All our Friday night movies this month were via my library's Hoopla app. Lilies of the Field with Sidney Poitier (for which he won an Oscar) was delightful. The Hallmark Hall of Fame, Harvest of Fire was also excellent. (The trailer makes it look a lot more melodramatic than it was. And I got a kick out of seeing Eric Mabius from the Signed, Sealed, Delivered movies as a gawky teenager.) Finally, we watched the Hallmark mystery, Abracadavar, which had just the right amount of suspense for me (very little. ha!) 

What about you? Did you read or watch anything commendable?

Blessings,

Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

Introduction to the Devout Life has been on my TBR list for at least 20 years so when I heard that the Catholic Classics podcast was going to cover it, I jumped on board. What better way to understand a Catholic classic than through the eyes of two priests? I ended up getting "two-for-the-price-of-one" because they not only commented on each chapter, they read the chapter at the beginning of each episode.

The book is based on actual letters written to Madame Louise de Charmoisy, the wife of one of St. Francis' cousins, who had asked him for spiritual guidance. He was later encouraged to compile his advice into a volume aimed at a more general audience. In the book, he addresses his letters to "Philothea" (lover of God) and it is written in a wonderful, fatherly tone.

Therefore, my daughter, I say that although it is lawful to amuse yourself, to dance, to dress, to feast, and see seemly plays, - at the same time, if you are much addicted to these things, they will hinder your devotion, and become extremely hurtful and dangerous to you. The harm lies, not in doing them, but in the degree to which you care for them. It is a pity to sow the seed of vain and foolish tastes in the soil of your heart, taking up the place of better things, and hindering the soul from cultivating good dispositions.

One of the great strengths of the book is its powerful imagery. After he advises Philothea to read and ponder over Scripture each day, he writes, At the end of your meditation linger a while, and gather, so to say, a little spiritual bouquet from the thoughts you dwelt upon, the sweet perfume whereof may refresh you through the day.

Sometimes the chapters were meaty enough to require no additional comments. At other times the chapters were "just okay," but the commentary that followed was stellar. On Day 16, for example, the subject was on the necessity of humility and Father Gregory remarked, We can enter this life of humility because we realize it is not ours to create, but ours to enter into. There's a beauty to that. There's a difficulty, but also a beauty and a confidence that we ought to have as Christians that God is at work. He loves you. He wants to share His life with you. And that's what the devout life is all about. Full stop. That's what we are chasing after. Like Holiness, it's His gift to give and ours to receive.  

Even though I underlined something on almost every page, I'm not sure why I am not more enthusiastic about Introduction to the Devout Life. The Catholic emphases were off putting at times, which may be why I don't recommend it wholeheartedly. It could be because my top book in 2022 was William Law's A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, which I think is more accessible. 

While I couldn't always keep up with the podcasts, I managed to read one short chapter from the book each day and was enriched by each one. I'm very glad I finally tackled this devotional classic.

Blessings,

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle

I had been primed for Howard Pyle’s King Arthur and His Knights by two previous retellings of the Arthurian legends (Green’s and Knowles’). But I wasn’t prepared for how deeply I would love this third version.

From the very first page, I was captivated by Pyle’s affection and reverence for this legendary king. In the introduction he wrote, I believe that King Arthur was the most honorable, gentle Knight who ever lived in the world. And those who were his fellows of the Round Table – taking him as their looking glass of chivalry – made, altogether, such a company of noble knights that is hardly to be supposed that their like will ever be seen again in this world.

Truly his heart was “stirred with a noble theme.”

Unlike the two previous authors I read, Pyle manages to weave the legends together into a cohesive and beautiful adult fairy tale, which I found enthralling and at times achingly beautiful. Because he was unconcerned with brevity (this is the first of four volumes), he also includes many details that the others left out about Guinivere, Sir Pellias, Excalibur, Merlin, and much more.

The rich language made my heart sing! At times it was something simple like the black knight being called the “Sable” Knight. At other times it took on fabulous fairy tale tones such as, Thus died that wicked man, for as King Arthur drave past him, the evil soul of him quitted his body with a weak noise like to the squeaking of a bat, and the world was well rid of him.

I normally hate moralizing in books, but I thought Pyle was very effective in making connections between the knight’s actions and his expectations that his readers would also live lives of faithfulness and honor:

So endeth the story of the winning of Excalibur, and may God give unto you in your life, that you may have His truth to aid you, like a shining sword, for to overcome your enemies; and may He give you Faith (for Faith containeth Truth as a scabbard containeth its sword), and may that Faith heal all your wounds of sorrow as the sheath of Excalibur healed all the wounds of him who wore that excellent weapon. For with Truth and Faith girded upon you, you shall be as well able to fight all your battles as did that noble hero of old, whom men call King Arthur.

This is a book that I can’t wait to own so that I can underline it to my heart’s content. I listened to the audio version by Stuart Langton (via Hoopla) and then read the chapters on my kindle to savor them a second time. Though the language is occasionally difficult, most of the old-fashioned words can be deciphered within their context. Highly recommended if you love beautiful storytelling.

 I am only on the beginning of this fantastic journey. There are no less than 456 books listed at Goodreads of Arthurian Legend retellings!

Blessings,

King Arthur and His Knights by Roger Lancelyn Green

My entire knowledge of the Arthurian legends is based on movies from my childhood (“Camelot” and Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone”), so this book was bound to be enlightening. I must admit the first fifty pages were tough going with countless knights being named on one page and countless unnamed knights being killed on the opposite page. But I’m glad I persevered.

In the introduction to King Arthur and His Knights, Green states that although he used Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte D’Arthur” as the basis for his retellings, he also includes stories from half a dozen other sources. I was disappointed that Green told the stories quite simply without any beautiful language, but discovered that the legends themselves are so compelling that they don’t need much embellishment. I thoroughly enjoyed the book once I adjusted my expectations in that regard. As I read, I was reminded of other favorite stories. The lion that meets Sir Percivale had Aslan-like characteristics and the Enchanted Ship and the Quest reminded me of Lord of the Rings. At times I felt I was immersed in a sad and beautiful fairy tale. The Christian symbolism throughout was also fascinating.

Green does his best to weave the separate stories into a single timeline, but don't expect the same cohesiveness as a novel. The first group of stories introduce Arthur and the evil Morgana le Fay. Book Two is about the noble knights of the Round Table. Book Three focuses on the quest for the Holy Grail, and Book Four is about the final days of King Arthur’s reign.

My nephew named his new daughter Columba (after a woman in the Arthurian legends) and I wanted to know more about her. Sadly, she appears in only one sentence in this book, but I am delighted that my curiosity led me to take the plunge into these fabulous tales.  It is easy to see why they have captured the imagination of fans for centuries. 

P.S. When I finished this, I immediately devoured Sir James Knowles' version which was a bit longer and in King James English (which seemed more fitting). I loved both versions.

Blessings,

These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon (Mitford #3)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Mitford books, but there is something very special about These High, Green Hills. Maybe it's because I feel like I know the townspeople well enough to really care about them. Or maybe it's because this book (even more than the others) shows deep suffering while still offering plenty of solid hope (not to be confused with fluffy optimism).

The other books hinted at Father Tim's childhood, but Book Three digs a little deeper into that subject and we begin to see some necessary healing take place. In fact, quite a few people in the book are dealing with past hurts.

But it's not primarily a sad book. The Mitford folks band together to support one another. Laughter is interwoven with tears. Written 25 years ago, there are jokes about adapting to life with computers when hardly anyone knew how to use them. Delightful literary references are sprinkled throughout such as C.S. Lewis quotes, snippets of poetry and an occasional quote from The Book of Common Prayer.

Karon has a gift for balancing suffering with hope, and lighthearted banter with more serious conversations. Quite a trick, but the end result is delightful.

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in April 2023

Does anyone iron anymore? Since dryers are a rarity here in Brazil, I set up my ironing board every few weeks to spruce up my husband's dress shirts, and my task is often lightened by the viewing of an old movie. This month I found a little comedy gem called The Peterville Diamond (1943), which though not Oscar-worthy, had some fun one-liners and a clever little plot. Later in the month my husband and I watched the classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, (1939). Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur are two of my favorites and they were in rare form in this film. My library has started carrying some Hallmark Hall of Fame movies (precursors to the cheesy present-day Hallmark films), and I enjoyed Remember Sunday about a man whose aneurysm causes him to wake up each morning with no short term memory. The acting was excellent, and despite the fact that it is a love story with comedic elements, it is definitely not a romantic comedy. 

I had an amazing reading month beginning with King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, which started me on a huge Arthurian legend rabbit trail. I followed this up with James Knowles' Legends of King Arthur and His Knights, which I enjoyed even more. I have been an avid reader of classic literature all my life. How am I so late to this party?????

Uncle Tom's Cabin was my audiobook of the month. Not a perfect book, but much better than I was expecting.(review forthcoming) The other books I read were Out to Canaan, A New Song and A Common Life by Jan Karon (books 4-6 in the Mitford series). I also finished the excellent Prayers in the Night by Tish Warren, Preparing for Easter (readings based on C.S. Lewis' writings), and Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days by Kay Arthur. 

It seems like I read a lot, but I had been reading three of the books for some time and happened to finally finish them up in April. 

Any King Arthur fans out there? Any other thoughts on this film/book list? 

Blessings,