Lent invites us to refresh our souls, to refocus our lives, to set things right. Rejoice! by Louis Evely, has a way of growing us out of our comfort zones into the light. It challenges us to lift our crosses and follow Jesus. Evely writes: “There were times when Jesus […]
True Radiance, Finding Grace in the Second Half of Life
The subtitle of True Radiance: Finding Grace in the Second Half of Life, reflects Lisa Mladinich’s way of relating her experience and encouragement to women. Readers find grace here in her wisdom and insight. Lisa covers all aspects of menopause and asks searching questions about inner and outer beauty. She […]
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert
Elizabeth Kolbert’s journalistic style offers an exciting and thorough case study of humanity’s impact on life, and the likelihood that human behavior may extinguish all earthly life, including human life. Not one to research in dusty museums, Kolbert meets the current extinction experts in the ecological hotspots that serve as […]
Something Worth Waiting For
By Janice Lane Palko Advent is upon us – a season of waiting. I hate to admit it, but I’m a bad “waiter.” I’m not too deficient with the day-to-day waiting of standing in line at the grocery store, or cooling my heels at the post office, or idling in […]
Learning to Love with the Saints
In the secular world, Jean Heimann could write a book, “The Three Romances of Jean Heimann,” since she tells her story from the perspective of three main romantic interests in her life. No, Learning to Love with the Saints: a spiritual memoir is far from a romance novel. Jean wrote […]
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, by Sebastian Junger
“The United States is so powerful that the only country capable of destroying her might be the United States herself, which means that the ultimate terrorist strategy would be just to leave the country alone. That way, America’s ugliest partisan tendencies could emerge unimpeded by the unifying effects of war.” […]
Gary Zimak talks about Find a Real Friend in Jesus
While interviewing Gary Zimak about his new book, Find a Real Friend in Jesus: Ten Amazingly Easy Steps, I found a fascinating backstory of how a conversion experience propelled him into a career as a full-time Catholic evangelist. Nancy: How did God guide you into a career as a Catholic […]
St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone by Dave Palmer
“St. Thomas is the greatest doctor of the Church,” author Dave Palmer said, “and I assert that children can be taught his basic philosophy, as I do with my 11- and 7-year olds.” Let’s Go Find God is the enticing teaser of Volume I. The full title of the series […]
Writers as Tour Guides
I’m involved in a project to organize a reading plan for students. It has made me aware, in a new way, of the value of the riches stored in my head from past reading. No machine could correlate a lifetime of reading, experience, attendance at conference talks, and digging for […]