St. Therese Book Club

February & March 2010: The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton

2010-03-03T10:16:00.008-05:00

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century. It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders-the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it.

The Seven Storey Mountain has been a favorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire Booth Luce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-century since its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome has been published in over twenty languages and has touched millions of lives.
--description courtesy of Goodreads.com

January 2010: The Scarlet and the Black: The True Story of Monsignor Hugh O Flaherty, Hero of the Vatican Underground, by J. P. Gallagher

2009-12-27T16:52:00.006-05:00

Published by Ignatius Press, November 2009.

November 2009: My Life with the Saints, by James Martin, SJ

2009-10-29T10:37:00.008-04:00

Published by Loyola Press, 2009.

Preview this book at Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com .

Find this book in a library.

October 2009: Ten Commandments for the Environment: Pope Benedict XVI Speaks Out for Creation and Justice, by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker

2009-10-18T21:16:00.005-04:00

Seasoned author and journalist Woodeene Koenig-Bricker skillfully weaves together Pope Benedict's key statements on environmental justice into one volume. Additionally, she offers commentary that helps to unpack the Ten Commandments for the Environment, which were recently released by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
--synopsis from barnesandnoble.com

September 2009: The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen

2009-08-18T12:19:00.004-04:00

Exhausted from a six-week lecture tour across the U.S. in 1983, Nouwen seeks rest in the L'Arche community in France. During his stay, a painting of Rembrandt catches his attention: The Return of the Prodigal Son. Sustained reflection on the painting slowly emerges into awareness of a new vocation coming to flower in his heart, his own personal call to "come home," to make his home with L'Arche. Identifying with each of the three main figures in the painting, Nouwen crafts a fresh interpretation of a classic story, concluding: "Though I am both the younger son and the elder son, I am not to remain them, but called to become the Father." A miniature of the painting on the memorial card for Nouwen’s wake marked its special place in the memory of the L’Arche Daybreak community where he served as pastor for the last ten years of his life.
--synopsis from HenriNouwen.org

Doubleday, 1992, Pp.142

Click here for a reading guide for this book, provided by HenriNouwen.org.

August 2009: The Resilient Church: The Glory, the Shame, & the Hope for Tomorrow by Mike Aquilina

2009-08-17T12:06:00.000-04:00

Beginning with the earliest martyrs and ending with the twentieth century, The Resilient Church offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Short selections in each chapter highlight some of the great heroes who influenced the course of history. Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves readers with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with his church always.
--synopsis from Word Among Us Press

Publisher: Word Among Us Press, The
Pub. Date: May 2007
ISBN-13: 9781593251048

July 2009: Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life by Amy Welborn

2009-08-16T11:57:00.000-04:00

There's a voice that will always tell you the truth. The voice that belongs to the One who created you. The voice that belongs to the One who loves you the most deeply and who wants nothing but the absolute best for you. The voice that belongs to the One who knows where your personal path to true peace and happiness lies.

Among all those voices, amid all those voices, is God.

God has the answers for your life - with God's presence in the richness of Catholic faith and belief. This is the place where the living God dwells, waiting for you, waiting with the peace you are looking for. Here. Now.
--synopsis from barnesandnoble.com

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor, Publishing Division
Pub. Date: May 2005
ISBN-13: 9781592761432

June 2009: Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat

2009-06-07T17:08:00.005-04:00

From the age of four, award-winning writer Edwidge Danticat came to think of her uncle Joseph as her “second father,” when she was placed in his care after her parents left Haiti for America. And so she was both elated and saddened when, at twelve, she joined her parents and youngest brothers in New York City. As Edwidge made a life in a new country, adjusting to being far away from so many who she loved, she and her family continued to fear for the safety of those still in Haiti as the political situation deteriorated.

In 2004, they entered into a terrifying tale of good people caught up in events beyond their control. Brother I'm Dying is an astonishing true-life epic, told on an intimate scale by one of our finest writers.
--Synopsis from Barnes and Noble.com

This heartbreaking true-life account has won multiple awards, including the 2008 Christopher Award in the category Books for Adults.

Click here for a discussion guide for this book, published by the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

May 2009: Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession by Anne Rice

2009-05-15T16:07:00.003-04:00

Anne Rice has written magnificent tales of otherworldly beings: novels that explore the realms of good and evil, love and alienation, pageantry and ritual, each a reflection of her own moral journey. Now, in a powerful and haunting memoir—her first work of nonfiction—she writes about her own life as a Catholic.

Click here to learn more about this book.

Click here to read reviews, excerpts, etc. at Anne Rice's website.

April 2009: Charming Billy by Alice McDermott

2009-03-31T12:30:00.004-04:00

Alice McDermott tells the story of Billy Lynch within the complex matrix of a tightly knit Irish American community in modern day New York City. Themes of alcoholism, faith and family are explored in this work of fiction, published in 1998.

Click here to find this book in a library or to purchase online.

Click here to see a reading guide for this book.

February & March 2009: Apostle in a Top Hat: The Life of Frederic Ozanam, by James Patrick Derum

2009-01-27T11:16:00.004-05:00

A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being, Frederic served the poor of Paris and drew others into serving the poor of the world. As founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, his work continues to the present day.

This book is a biography of Frederic, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

Click here to find this book in a library or to purchase it online.

January 2009: Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, by Anthony DeStefano

2009-01-14T14:11:00.008-05:00

Anthony DeStefano has once again drawn his readers into the mystery of God's love and invited us to reflect more deeply on our relationship with Him. In a simple yet profound way, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To offers insights, and indeed a practical wisdom, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with personal prayer. I recommend this book to any and all who are searching for a fresh perspective on the meaning and value of a life of prayer, and, ultimately, for a more fulsome encounter with the Living God.

Cardinal Renato Martino
President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Vatican City, Rome

For more information on this book, see the official website: http://www.tenprayers.com/home.htm

Click here to find this book in a library or to purchase online.

December 2008: Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy, by Rumer Godden

2008-12-14T10:49:00.005-05:00

Find this book at Amazon.com.

Find this book in the Allen County Public Library catalog.

November 2008: The Diary of a City Priest, by John McNamee

2008-10-23T14:50:00.011-04:00

Find this book at Amazon.com.

Find the film version of this book in the Allen County Public Library catalog.

October 2008: Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, by Raymond Arroyo

2008-09-21T21:44:00.005-04:00

For more than twenty-five years, Mother Angelica has dispensed spiritual wisdom and practical advice to millions around the globe through her lively broadcasts on EWTN. Now she shares with you her personal life lessons and hilarious counsel as never before. Raymond Arroyo, author of the bestselling biography of Mother Angelica, has assembled an inspiring collection of her powerful insights, comic musings, and no-nonsense guidance for everyday living. Culled from never-before-seen interviews, private conversations, and recorded lessons not heard in over thirty years, to which Arroyo had exclusive access, these selections capture Mother Angelica’s spunky spirit and profound wisdom at their zenith.

Click here to check the Allen County Public Library catalog for this title.

Click here to view more information about this book at Amazon.com.

September 2008: The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day

2008-08-25T23:12:00.006-04:00

"Here, in her own words, this remarkable woman tells of her early life as a young journalist in the crucible of Greenwich Village political and literary thought in the 1920s, and of her momentous conversion to Catholicism that meant the end of a Bohemian lifestyle and common-law marriage and the beginning of a life-long dedication to the poor and disenfranchised."

--Quote taken from back cover.

Catholic Information Center

2008-08-16T11:09:00.003-04:00

I just found a cool site that could be a great resource for book club titles -- the Catholic Information Center, based in Washington, D.C. Under the Books and Resources tab, it lists major reading categories, and also includes a "Lifetime Reading Plan" of 100 great recommended titles for Catholic reading. It looks like a reputable source -- any comments?

August 2008: The Book of Jane, by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

2008-08-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

The Book of Jane, set in modern day New York City, is presented as "clean chick-lit", a humorous and uplifting story based on the Old Testament Book of Job.

Here's an excerpt from a review in Booklist:
"Jane has it all--a career in public relations, the perfect boyfriend, a great West Village apartment, and a strong faith in God. That faith is tested when, in quick succession, her boyfriend leaves her, an untrue rumor costs Jane her job, and a storm floods her apartment..."

Click here to read an interview with authors Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt on CatholicMom.com.

Book Club Break

2008-07-15T22:19:00.002-04:00

During the month of July, the Book Club is taking a summer break -- but if you just can't wait for another read, we'll be discussing The Book of Jane, by Anne Dayton, at our August meeting.

June 2008: Mr Blue, by Myles Connolly

2008-05-28T11:23:00.008-04:00

The mysterious and magnetic J. Blue spends his inherited wealth as soon as he gets it and lives in a packing box on a New York City rooftop. This beloved novel about a contemporary St. Francis figure, first published in 1928, has intrigued countless readers for decades.

May 2008: Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, by Immaculee Ilibagiza

2008-05-25T22:20:00.013-04:00

"Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them.
It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.

The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss." -- Front Flap

April 2008: Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? by John R. Powers

2008-05-25T22:09:00.009-04:00

John Powers' classic comic novel of the 1960s Catholic subculture stars Eddie Ryan, a Chicago boy who learns about the important questions in life in his years at an all-boys Catholic school on Chicago's South Side. He views it all through the prism of his Catholic mentality, which often deepens the mystery but sometimes clarifies it.

Read more about this book at Google Books.

February & March 2008: A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories, by Flannery O'Connor

2008-05-25T21:59:00.009-04:00

"This now classic book revealed Flannery O'Connor to be one of the most original and provocative writers to emerge from the South. Her apocalyptic vision of life is expressed through grotesque, often comic, situations in which the principal character faces a problem of salvation: the grandmother, in the title story, confronting the murderous Misfit; a neglected four-year-old boy looking for the Kingdom of Christ in the fast-flowing waters of the river; General Sash, about to meet the final enemy" -- back cover.

January 2008: The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis

2008-05-25T21:51:00.013-04:00

"C. S. Lewis takes us on a profound journey through both heaven and hell in this engaging allegorical tale. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis introduces us to supernatural beings who will change the way we think about good and evil" -- back cover.