My Blog has soared to Top 36 in worldwide ranking of Catholic Blogs this February. Barchester Towers, by Anthony Trollope. Father Thomas Weinandy, OFM, Cap.’s latest book is Jesus Becoming Jesus: A Theological Interpretation of the Synoptic Gospels. Three books by three terrific writers on three very different sorts of fighters. Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick J. Deneen. Not only did Campbell publish Hubbard, he helped him create dianetics, his “science of mental health,” forerunner of his invented religion, Scientology. May all words of truth draw us more deeply into the light the Incarnate Word, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Never was such beautiful English prose expended on such seemingly inconsequential stories. The stories themselves—by turns funny, horrifying, grim, exciting, and baffling—demand to be read aloud. I have benefitted tremendously from these efforts in my own discovering of Mother Loyola this past year. But not in Father Bouyer’s little book. As is too often the case, I’ve read very little fiction this year. This is a deceptively simple book. His balanced criticism of Pope Francis meshes well with the reportage and analysis in Ross Douthat’s To Change the Church and Henry Sire’s The Dictator Pope, both eye-opening books in different ways. The sum of Socci’s well-premised mini-conclusions will surprise even the most cynical—and the most skeptical—reader. Each day there is one-two pages about a saint and their feast day. The most common word in the gospels used to describe the reaction of the crowds to Our Lord’s words and works is “thauma,” that is, “wonder” or “awe.” No version of the life of Christ has instilled this sentiment within me as much as Mother Loyola’s. St. Augustine Academy Press is a small family apostolate located in the Chicago area, dedicated to finding and republishing out-of-print classics of Catholic literature. In far too many biographies, there comes a moment when you realize the author has started to despise his subject, the project, himself, and probably you. $9.99 Retail: $12.99 Save 23% ($3.00) Availability: In Stock. The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Scott Hahn (Doubleday/Image, 1999). He’s only just shaken off the horrid “roman” experience when he learns that a very annoying acquaintance of his has been brutally murdered, his body found ripped open as if by an animal. The array of available Catholic books is vast and I wish I could hit pause on my life, curl up on my patio, and read for eleven years. While some Thomistic background may be needed, Legge clearly presents, in all of its facets, how the Incarnation of the Son of God finds it source in the Father’s abundant life and the Spirit’s all-pervading love. Such a rejection seems difficult to sustain in light of the Holy See’s approvals of prayers invoking Mary as coredemptrix during the pontificate of St. Pius X and the multiple uses of the title by Pius XI and St. John Paul II. In one of Pym’s most perceptive remarks, she quipped, “There are some things too dreadful to be revealed, and it is even more dreadful how, in spite of our better instincts, we long to know about them.” Perhaps next year I’ll spend more time reading and less time keeping watch over the latest buzz in world news. I had read the Dorothy Sayers translation of Dante’s Inferno many years ago, and profited both by Esolen’s excellent translation (at least, it seems excellent to me, but I’m far from an Italian scholar) and his thorough and deeply insightful literary, philosophical, and theological notes. Every year, I look forward to watching holiday-themed movies on the Hallmark Channel. They are in no particular order but are organized by genre. My Utmost: A Devotional Memoir, by Macy Halford, an oddball pairing in which a writer for The New Yorker pays tribute to Oswald Chambers, Evangelicalism’s low-flying literary gadfly. We all know that depression and anxiety seem to be ubiquitous these days. His Grant lives. This is the only book that collates all of Ratzinger’s most significant speeches and essays on political themes inside the one volume. Lewis. Let me mention a few titles I literally have on my desk which I have read and now am quoting in my upcoming book on St. 10 Best John Grisham Books 2020 Before he was known as the master of legal 10 Best Interior Design Books 2020 Many seem to prefer design books as a form 10 Best Spanish Books 2020 Spanish is the official language of 20 countries around 10 Best Anatomy Books 2020 One of the primary sciences for any health-related program 10 Best Study Bibles 2020 The Bible is one of the most debated books An absolute “must have” book for any serious student of Scripture. The results, you can imagine, were not good. It is an excellent book, historical, entertaining, touching, and 100% Catholic. Maybe they went to Mass after the story? The terrain Royal covers is vast and includes philosophy, theology, scripture studies, and the Catholic Literary Revival. A wonderful book to read along with the Morse book is Leon Kass’ Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Times. O’Donnell’s biography—meticulously researched and years in the making (it exceeds 500 pages)—thankfully remedies that. And darker. The annual disclaimer: I don’t list Ignatius Press titles I have read in the year, whether in published form or in ms., even if I regard them as among the “best books I read.” Otherwise they’d dominate my list! I’d recommend what I did: get a good translation and a good audiobook. When I first read the book 40 years ago that would have seemed impossible—although Muggeridge often wrote with warnings about the West’s moral collapse. Legutko sees in modern liberal democracy a subtle, yet real, overlap with the Communism he experienced in Poland. The range of his mind is amazing. Another book I enjoyed on media from days gone by was American Pastimes: The Very Best of Red Smith. I returned to the practice of the Catholic faith around 15 years ago, and this was the book that “sealed the deal” for me, so to speak, and I have enjoyed reading it again. Whether you are looking for a lighthearted romance or a story to read aloud to your children, here are six Catholic books to enjoy, as we slow down, savor the Advent season, and try not to rush Christmas. Anyway, the Christ-haunted South in full affliction and violent redemption. Basilica: The Splendor and Shame: The Building of St. Peter’s by R.A. Scotti. The book I’m really proud of reading is Fr. The book also recounts the miraculous healing of one of Brien’s parishioners through Father Jerzy’s intercession. What we do in this moment, Lewis argues, transforms or abolishes our future. John Bew’s Clement Atlee: The Man Who Made Modern Britain is fascinating, showing many charming characteristics of a vastly under-rated figure overshadowed by Churchill. Back in January, Jordan Teti in Los Angeles gave me a copy of Co-Workers of the Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year. A bull is a bull and not a cow. Seth Abramson, Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America (Simon & Schuster, 2018), Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (W.W. Norton, 2018), Robert Arp, Steven Barbone, and Michael Bruce (eds. I do not have space to elaborate on China and Ukraine, but I think I did pretty well this year. Thank you for your generosity! Couldn’t have said it any better! Thomas L. McDonald is a Catholic journalist who writes about the unusual side of Church history at WeirdCatholic.com. Linda Rawlins (Goodreads Author) 4.58 avg rating — 65 ratings. The third of three Copleston books I read as follow up to last year’s reading of his Memoir. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. I recommend (as does Percy, actually) skipping the lengthy digression on semiotics in the middle of the book unless the nitty-gritty linguistics of modern philosophy happen to be one of your hobbies. With a memorable plot and artfully drawn characters, the story also offers a sobering and intimate portrait of European recovery from World War II, a topic often neglected by American depictions of the period. Their special focus is the work of Mother Loyola. Columnist Joe Bobb Briggs, who winkingly managed to condense Michael McClymond’s massive two-volume History of Christian Universalism down to a 1,700 word dissent. Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” The perfect CCM single, with powerhouse vocals and production flourishes to match improbably impeccable lyrics. Catholic Social Thought: 20th Century. I am also an avid re-reader of old favorites, and seldom turn to newly published books. This entertaining book (that is fortunately reflective as well) by a fellow Catholic educator here in the Archdiocese of Washington is for youth and their parents alike, as it portrays beauty, truth, and goodness in a creative way. 2 (Hildebrand Press, 2018), Peter Kreeft, The Platonic Tradition (St. Augustine’s Press, 2018), Christopher S. Morrissey, The Way of Logic (Nanjing Normal University Press, 2018), Josef Pieper, Don’t Worry about Socrates: Three Plays for Television (St. Augustine’s Press, 2018), Donald Robinson, Stoicism and the Art of Happiness: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life, Second Edition (McGraw-Hill, 2018), Roger Scruton, Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition (St. Martin’s Press, 2018), Roger Scruton, Music as an Art (Bloomsbury Continuum, 2018), Roger Scruton, Souls in the Twilight (Beaufort Books, 2018), John Sellars, Hellenistic Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2018), Seneca translated by James S. Romm, How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life (Princeton University Press, 2018), Timothy Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America (Tim Duggan Books, 2018), Gregory Allan Thornbury, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? This book was also a nominee for the Dragon Award, a feat in and of itself for Indie & Catholic book. Michael Federici’s collection of The Catholic Writings of Orestes Brownson comes at an opportune time, as Catholics once again reassess their relationship with the American variant of modern liberalism. The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholicism by Taylor Marshall. Prof. Brugger provides a compelling case for recognizing that Trent did indeed define the indissolubility of marriage and not merely the Church’s authority over the sacrament. In Bel Ami, Maupassant paints a vivid portrait of late 19th century Paris, but there’s hardly any of it that isn’t recognizable or really that foreign. I had the pleasure of reading most of St. John Chrysostom’s Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew for a course I’m teaching on the New Testament and found a wonderful devotional to our Blessed Mother from Father Edward Looney, entitled A Heart Like Mary’s. was a hardly-noticed but encouraging ecumenical anthology by another Jesuit named Thomas P. Rausch. Nonfiction How Can You Still Be Catholic? Anyone interested in preparing to receive the Word proclaimed liturgically, or looking for help in preparing to preach on the Word proclaimed, will greatly benefit from Carl’s work when it appears. Rather, as Guardini says in his introduction, the book is a set of spiritual commentaries on the gospels “undertaken with the sole purpose of obeying as well as possible the Lord’s command to proclaim him, his message and works.”. Author Dennis Lambert links two different eras in an incredible journey through Church history to the present day. Astute pattern-spotter Michael Burleigh outlines the power structures upholding Yi Jinping, Putin, and Trump in The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: A History of Now (2017). Last and least on the year’s favorite booklist was Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (1951). Bad boy Jarret West is a difficult character to like. Rachel is insane. Given his precise, dispassionate handling of his book’s explosive content, Mr. Antonio Socci has become one of my very favorite Italian public intellectuals. This past year I discovered the works of Mother Mary Loyola, an English convert and sister who served for a time as headmistress and Mother Superior of Bar Convent School in York, one of the finest in England. It’s a history of the early years of BBC television as much as it is Attenborough’s own story, and it details the practical, physical, and financial hurdles involved in making the nature documentaries that have earned the BBC much acclaim. So the novel, even as it weaves many stories together, is essentially about Big Angel: his journey, his sins, the gifts he’s leaving and, in the end: his gratitude. The Outsiders by S.E. The philosophical stuff was, I am sorry to say, hardly worth the effort to read. I revisited Gondolin with Tuor, with a final farewell from Christopher Tolkien after a lifetime of curating his father’s work, and grazed in the fertile fields of his twelve-volume History of Middle Earth, as well as the three volumes of The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide by Hammond & Scull. He reminded me of some of Chesterton’s comedic characters. Brian Jones the Coordinator of Liturgy at St. Anthony of Padua in the Woodlands, Texas. Published as a special edition of Lux Vera. Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford (1949-1971) and a leading member of the Christendom movement within Anglicanism. This one’s been around for a while, but it piqued my interest and I bought a copy. People compliment Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, which I edit and to which you should subscribe, for being a substantive intellectual and academic journal filled with readable and even stylish prose. Anthony E. 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