If you’re like me, when you hear the topic of Mark Shea’s book The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ, you might wonder how it can be (a) enticing, (b) non-preachy, and maybe even (c) interesting.

The topic, you ask? The corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

My first thought, I’ll admit, was that it can all be summed up in a poster. Who needs a whole book?

Find out the answer in the rest of my review and enter to win a copy at CatholicMom.com!

A book I’ve been looking for

Over a year ago, I started searching for Catholic business resources, specifically books. I found seven, but I felt like there was something missing. Something current, for one thing.

My husband suggested I pitch an idea or two to write such a book. I shook my head and gave him a few reasons why that wouldn’t be feasible for the publisher or for me (platform, anyone?). I also admitted that my heart wasn’t in writing such a book. It was in reading it.

It was a delight then, to have my review shelf sprout not one, but TWO, Catholic business books recently. (I wrote about the other one, The Catholic Briefcase, by Randy Hain, a while back.)

The book is one that I enjoyed immensely: Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck, by Kevin Lowry.

(Kevin was around here quite a bit last week: focusing on WOMB as part of Looking Closer at the Hail Mary, answering my questions in 140 characters or less, and reviewing my book.)

Yes, but does it apply to ME?

Working from home, juggling small children, writing, and doing laundry and dishes and other such makes me sometimes wonder if there’s any point to reading business books.

Yes, I’m still interested, but shouldn’t I focus on my faith life?

My reading time is so limited, shouldn’t I read the novels and fiction I long for?

There’s usually nothing new or life-changing in the business books, and I can’t help but be cynical about many of the premises: is there any point?

The answer was on page one of Faith at Work:

My goal in writing this book is to encourage you along the path of conversion. Whether you are a CEO, a homemaker, a clerk, a teacher, or a laborer, I want you to think about your work just a little bit differently. Work is an opportunity, not only to earn a living but also to live your faith in its fullness. The only way this is possible is to completely integrate your faith and your work.

Making it real

This book is high on practical advice, even as it doesn’t compromise the high ideals. After each chapter, there are action steps that you can read and ignore or attempt. There are questions for reflection that are low on the eye-rolling touchy-feely stuff and high on the “examine yourself and make a tiny step RIGHT NOW” element.

We all work, period.

I love the fact that Lowry acknowledges the work of everyone–and not just in the introduction. The fact is, we all work. Even if you’re blessed to have your work look a lot like play to the rest of the world (guilty), it’s still work.

Our work is from God–or it can be. It can be for God, too, no matter where or how or when we work. We can bless it and use it to achieve holiness (or get closer, anyway).

Humility, gratitude, patience, oh my!

Through insightful and humorous anecdotes from his years of work and home life, Lowry weaves a few lessons that always seem to hit me close to home. In fact, having a spirit of humility, gratitude, and patience seems about as possible to me most days as climbing the big oak tree in the back yard.

It takes humility to be a team player, and what team is closer to home than the one that begins in your own home? Without gratitude, you miss a lot of beauty in life, but it requires you to look beyond yourself. Patience might seem impossible to some of us (me), but when it comes right down to it, patience is about trusting God.

Faith is inseparable from work.

I knew that, I know I did. Faith at Work, though, reminded me that it doesn’t have to be shoved down anyone’s throat, it doesn’t have to be un-fun, and it doesn’t have to be old news. The beauty of our faith is part and parcel of everything we do, who we are, how we live. Lowry gives us all a resource for being more intentional with our efforts.

Want a copy of your own?

I happen to have a copy here on my desk that you could own. Leave a comment by Friday, May 25 at midnight PST with the biggest work challenge you face, and you’ll be entered to win. I’ll notify the winner sometime next weekend.

There are more Quick Takes, just as there are every week, at Conversion Diary.

“Sharing Mary” at New Evanglizers

Sometimes, it’s far easier for me to talk about my faith than it is to live my faith.

Take Mary, for example.

I have a huge and ever-growing devotion to the Blessed Mother, and I’ve even written quite a bit about her. Most weeks, at my blog, I do a whole post about her or inspired by her.

So you might have the (false) impression that my kids know all about Mary. You might assume (wrongly) that my family prays the rosary. You might (mistakenly) think we do all sorts of Marian things in May every year.

Truth is, this year is the first time I’ve actually set up a May altar.

Join me there.

Tech Talk at CatholicMom.com: A Great Rosary App

Without my iPad, my prayer life is vastly different. For one thing, I lose my prayer book.

I added the Rosary HD app from ESB Solutions to my essential apps folder just last week. At $2.99, it’s a bargain. Take it fromsomeone who continues to search for the perfect rosary app.

(No such thing, sorry to say, but this one’s definitely a keeper!)

Let me walk you through Rosary HD and tell you what I love about it.

Read it all.

Review of Great Resources for Kids at CatholicMom.com

Excuse me if I sound a little hurried in this review. My seven-year-old returns from school soon and when she sees this pile, I’m going to lose them all. There’s no way my four-year-old will remain oblivious when her older sister shows interest.

And how could they NOT be interested in the beautiful books Pauline has sent to me for review? I’m still debating if I want to share them…

Read the rest for three great new titles from Pauline.

Celebrating May with Flowers

I’ve been Catholic long enough to know better.

I’m surrounded by blooming flowers: on the side of the road, in various flowerbeds, in the yard.

And I have young kids.

So what’s my excuse for not having a May altar of some sort before now?

Read the rest at Columbus Catholic Women.

Blog Talk at Catholic Writers Guild Blog

There’s something appealing about a good picture with a good blog post. I started using images as a matter of course when I noticed some of my favorite bloggers doing it.

It’s like a challenge, sometimes, finding the picture that expresses the post. Sometimes it’s a way of sending another message in the post.

In the rest of the post, I share my favorite free photo and image sources and a few tips for image use.

Two Little Words, Much Appreciated

It was a strange-looking envelope, made even more so by the fact that no one in the house has a birthday in early May.

Who could be sending a card?

Read the rest at Amazing Catechists.

Today, I’m focusing on three recent nonfiction reads, but I promise to talk about the piles of fiction I’ve been enjoying. The thing is, some of that requires brain cells I can’t tap into right now. So you get nonfiction first.

Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers

By Kate Hopper

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I got this book through the Amazon Vine program, though I’ve stopped getting as many books (or even really looking at the books available) because, well, I am buried in books. (I’m not complaining, mind you.) Plus there are tons of other cool things I can get through Amazon Vine, so why add to the books I can’t get to yet?

This book, though, caught my eye and I broke down and ordered it. I’m a writer, after all, and a mother! This book looked like it was for me!

And…it was. I’ll admit, I was a bit afraid this would be too much “do this, do that” and not enough advice or help I could actually use, but Hopper, as it turns out, is a talented teacher. She doesn’t just tell you what to do, but uses a wide variety of examples–from mothers, no less–and she’s down-to-earth in her approach. For example, she doesn’t suggest you get up every morning at 3 AM to write (though that may be what works for you). She advocates writing, yes, and gives you tools for doing that, but she’s not militant or unrealistic. I appreciated that.

One of the best parts of this book, for me, was getting encouragement from a fellow mom-writer, someone who has multiple kids, is working in the world and in writing, and who has a life beyond the page. Some of the writing books I’ve read, while excellent, seem like they don’t apply. Hopper has combined her expertise in writing with humor and practicality.

Have you ever thought of writing? Not sure how to start or where to begin or what to do? This book will be a great guide for you.

If, like me, you have a clue but need a cheerleader or a refresher or hey, a break from a certain kind of reading you might find yourself constantly immersed in, I’ll bet you will love and appreciate this book just like I do.

Overall, highly recommended, especially for fellow mom-writers.

Wish You Were Here: Travels through Hope and Loss

By Amy Welborn

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

How could I not pre-order this book? It came highly recommended from all my favorite people, and so I did. And then, then it sat for quite a while on my to-read shelf. And then it took me far longer to read than it should have, given its length.

It hits me a little close to home. It gets me crying and sentimental and unable to be in my own company.

What makes this book great is not just the fact that Amy Welborn is a young widow who traveled with her kids to Sicily in the wake of her husband’s unexpected death. It’s great for the fact that Welborn shares herself candidly, with no icing or halos. It’s great for the fact that there are others, like Welborn, who are mired in grief and forging forward anyway, invisibly, silently. It’s great for the fact that Welborn makes everyone and every place a character, with texture and depth and feeling.

What makes this book readable is not just that Amy Welborn is a master of the craft, a wordsmith of awesome proportions, a woman who knows how to say what she means to say. It’s readable for the good writing, the expert editing, the weaving and plotting and feeling that’s in every word.

What makes this book heart-wrenching and real is not just that Amy Welborn is brave and honest and colorful. It’s heart-wrenching and real because of the word choices, the phrases, the heart that comes through at every turn. Did she relive things as she wrote? Was it torturous to bare her heart to the world?

I’m not usually a fan of memoir, but this book breaks through my prejudice and forces me to consider life. It doesn’t preach, and yet it shares a message that’s wholly Catholic, completely Christian, and absolutely provocative.

Highly recommended, just like everyone said it would be.

Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva

By Eric Sammons

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’m a big fan of Eric Sammons and his book-writing. When he wrote me and asked me to take a look at this one, I couldn’t say no. His last book was one of my favorites, after all, and I was curious after seeing the title to this one.

It’s not a biography, but more like a braid of St. Josemaria’s wisdom and spirituality and the life we all struggle to live. Sammons does a great job of keeping it real, of making the theories into practices that apply even to me.

I found myself marking this book, thinking of the people I would share it with, and considering rereading it, right away, so that I could tackle it more slowly, in a more devotional way.

I have a copy of The Way around here somewhere (I think it’s tucked in a drawer of devotional stuff), and I remember enjoying the little tidbits within it. It ended up tucked away because…well, we moved, I had other things to focus on, and on and on.

Sammons compiles St. Josemaria’s writings and thoughts into his own, using them to punctuate the point he’s making and demonstrate the example we should strive to set.

I was a bit surprised how I enjoyed this book, honestly. I agree with the premise: holiness IS for everyone, yes. But I don’t necessarily want to be told how to be holy. I don’t quite have enough humility within me to accept a sermon, but the way Sammons and St. Josemaria pair up, it’s like a talk with a good friend.

Sammons reclaims the word “spirituality” from the wet-behind-the-ears and rather lame approach so many people have to it and makes it something tangible. It’s not easy, he makes clear, but it’s also not any harder than so many other things. “Holiness is not,” he writes, “a matter of following certain rules set down by a superior. Nor is it a predestined result that God determines for certain members of his creation. Holiness, rather, is a living relationship between a loving child who wants to please his father and a father who gives his child everything he needs to succeed.”

Holiness is about family, and our family, he reminds us, using the in-the-dirt-of-life rationale of St. Josemaria, is comprised first and foremost of God himself.

Highly recommended, especially if you’re weary of spiritual reading, looking for a light in the tunnel, and maybe just looking for refreshment in your faith journey.

— 1 —

I’ve been a fan of Greg and Jennifer Willits since their podcasting days. It’s been a delight to see them get bigger and better…now they have a show on Sirius/XM and also a new book, The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living.

— 2 —

I wasn’t sure what to expect from their book. Would it be a how to? Advice? Just silly stuff? Or would it be a memoir type of book?

And, even more importantly, would I love it as much as I wanted to?

— 3 —

As it turns out, YES.

— 4 —

It’s equal parts laughter, insight, and advice. You get perspective from a couple who admits their imperfections with a smile and a humility I can’t help but admire.

— 5 —

Every chapter, except the parent-specific chapters, is written in a back-and-forth conversational style. Greg might start, Jennifer will pick it up, and Greg continues a few paragraphs later. I often felt like I needed to pass the chips and refill some coffee as I was reading…it’s reading that’s casual and relaxed, even though it deals with some of the heaviest topics in Catholicism (read as: NFP).

— 6 —

There’s a lot packed into 141 pages. There’s sex, marriage, kids, parenthood, sacraments, prayer, schooling, and technology, to name a few.

Some of these stories will be familiar to those who have followed the Willits through the years, but there are others that, if you don’t or can’t listen to their daily radio program, will be new to you.

— 7 —

Bottom line: highly recommended. It’s a quick read and you’ll leave it a better person.

You’ll find more Quick Takes over at Conversion Diary.

When it’s written from a Catholic worldview, that’s a bonus.

When it includes tough nuns who have a sense of humor that makes me want to know them in real life, that’s gonna keep my attention.

When it has a mystery, adventure, and humor, it might just have most of the elements that will make me like it.

Live and Let Fly, the latest by Karina Fabian, has all of those and more. It has great writing. It has a dragon detective, minus the weirdness I associate with fantasy writing.

I’ve raved about Vern’s adventures before (have even interviewed him), but you don’t have to be familiar with the the unfortunately stuck-as-a-PI dragon to delight in his antics this time around.

Among the things we learn…oh wait, this is the part of the review where I start to worry about spoiling the treats and twists throughout the book. Let’s focus instead on what I love about the book in general.

Great plot. I say that as someone who’s struggled through some  fiction in my time, as someone who doesn’t give praise faintly, and who prefers to keep quiet rather than waste space sharing negativity. The plot is good, has twists and turns without being confusing, and keeps a sense of its purpose throughout.

Humor. I suspect that Karina Fabian is the kind of person who likes to laugh. How else would she be able to write the character of Vern?

Relatable. Faith without preaching. It’s who they are, a Catholic nun and a Catholic dragon…it seems unlikely and maybe even strange, I know, but it works and it’s entertaining. Vern, the dragon, goes to confession and the priest isn’t quite sure how to handle it: for some of us, that might be a lesson in examining our consciences. If you’re not Catholic, though, those are just details that define them, not stumbling blocks. The challenges they face as people…they’re real and imaginable. You and I face them (minus the made-up beings).

Why you should read it:

1. It’s entertaining and keeps you on your toes.

2. At $5.95, you can’t beat the price. (It’s only an e-book right now.)

3. Great writing.

4. You’ll laugh at least twice a chapter, if not more.

5. Why NOT?

It’s five stars on my scale, which makes it something I highly recommend and share all around.

It’s available as an e-book right now. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

More about the book and DragonEye, P.I.:

Here’s a sampling from the book, read by Karina Fabian herself. And it’s a great scene she chose to share.

{embedded video link here}

The book tour calendar is full of interesting stops…check it out and learn more about it.

Interested in the DragonEye, P.I. series? It has its own website, with new stories, a newsletter, and more!

New Evanglizers and Smiling

I link to a speech from Dolan, share some thoughts of my own, and use a picture that can only be described as cutesy.

The New Evangelization is a dare? I can’t help but think back to the games of Truth or Dare I played in my younger, wilder days, and it certainly gives this work we’re all out to accomplish a different feel.

If it’s a dare, then there’s risk. Possibly a lot of risk.

Join me there.

Mary Moment at iPadre

My latest Mary Moment is a bit of a trip down memory lane.

It’s hard to believe that, in mid-April, I celebrate my 11th year as a Catholic.

When I think of my ongoing Catholic journey, which began about 15 years ago, I can’t help but think of Mary’s role.

And Father Jay Finelli’s Divine Mercy homily is just great.

Listen here.

Tech Talk at CatholicMom.com

I discovered some serious coolness when I found CatholicApps.com, and my Tech Talk column this week shares it with the world.

I discovered my new favorite website quite by accident: I was procrastinating on something I should have been doing and lo and behold! The answer to my Catholic appaholic dreams!

Read it all.

Review at Integrated Catholic Life

I’ve talked with Emily Stimpson and about her book quite a bit in the last week (which got me dubbed her unofficial #1 fan!), and here’s more of that in my column at Integrated Catholic Life.

Emily Stimpson’s new book, The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide for the Single Years: The Nuts and Bolts of Staying Sane and Happy While Waiting for Mr. Right might seem like an odd choice for my reading list.

Believe me, no one was more surprised than I was when I put my novel down for a couple of days so that I could turn the pages faster. (And it was agood novel!) You could have never told me that not only would I love this book, I would mark passages, dogear pages, and want to share it with a lot of women, both married and single.

Read it all.

Review & Giveaway at CatholicMom.com

My latest review and giveaway at CatholicMom.com is of a great book:

It probably reveals way too much about me that, a chapter or two into Marge Fenelon‘s new book, Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home, I was struggling with feelings of inadequacy and wondering if I could hire Marge to come and mother my children.

It speaks highly of this book, then, that I was able to feel pretty hopeful about myself and my future after I finished reading it.

Read it all and enter to win.

Blog Talk at Catholic Writers Guild Blog

I’m not sure when I became an expert on blogging, but I find myself, most weeks, sharing some tidbits over at the Catholic Writers Guild blog. This week, I share some of what I’ve been doing to promote my book through my blog.

Now that I have a few books under my belt, I can speak from experience about using my blog to promote my book.

At least, I think I can.

Read the rest.

At CatholicMom.com: 

Tech Talk: Laudate, An App Worth Downloading

A while back, when I was looking for Rosary app recommendations for Droid users, a friend of mine called Laudate (then Catholic One) her “one stop” app for all things Catholic.

I felt sort of sorry for her, truth be told. I’m an Apple user, and my iPad apps are just, well, prettier than what I saw then on Droids.

The folks at Catholic One changed their name to Laudate (which, near as I can tell, is Latin for “Praise”) and now they’re billing themselves as the #1 free Catholic app on iTunes, too. –> Read the rest.

A Survival Guide & Giveaway You Don’t Have to Be Single to Appreciate

In early March, I was blessed to be participating as a blogger at the Behold Conference in Peoria, Illinois. While I was there, I met a delightful woman who, it just so happened, had a personality that made me want to read her book. She had just penned an article that week that grabbed my attention, and meeting her made me pick up her book right away, despite a review shelf that’s begging to be emptied soon.

How had I never heard of Emily Stimpson before? –> Read the rest.

At the Catholic Writers Guild blog: 

What I Love about Being Catholic Online

Every week, I encourage you to keep going with your blogging. I share tips and advice to the best of my ability. I try to be candid and not too idealistic.

Blogging’s hard work. But, as I was reminded recently, so is life. Period.

Last week, I had a bit of a family emergency. It took over my life, and it also made me appreciate, once again, why I so treasure my online Catholic community. –> Read the rest.

At New Evangelizers: 

Making an Old Story New

When I stand in front of my fifth grade class as a catechist, animated and enthusiastic, and mention “Easter,” I can see their eyes start to glaze over.

“Isn’t Easter just about coloring eggs and icing cookies?” their initial reactions seem to say. ”Isn’t it a chance to eat chocolate and see family? Isn’t Easter just an old story we talk about over and over every year?”

I found this reaction when I started to talk to these kids about the wonder of Christmas, too.

If you haven’t heard of Christina Ries, you’ve surely heard of a website that she’s highly involved with: Catholic Match.

If you’re like me, you follow her Twenty Something columns in your diocesan newspaper (which still have her maiden name, Capecchi, on them).

The official scoop: Christina’s an award-winning writer and editor from St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her master’s in journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She has a love for the Twins and grilled cheese, from what I understand.

I got my hands on Christina Ries’s new book, The Catholic Playbook: Lenten Reflections for Singles, but didn’t have time during Lent to do anything with it.

It’s a great book, though, and Christina was kind enough to entertain a few of my questions.

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve been compelled to tell stories since I was a young girl, even before I could write. It’s a way to make sense of my world, to figure out how I feel and why and to share my most dearly held hopes and ideals.

What advice would you give other Catholic writers?

Let creativity flow! Read great stuff, study it, pass it on. Dwell in that place of inspiration.

And don’t save your best stuff for later. Use it today. It could open doors and spark new ideas.

If you were to share one piece of wisdom, what would it be?

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It opens our eyes and our hearts to life’s blessings, which can then multiply.

Mary Oliver described gratitude as a way of living: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” That is the charge of a writer and of a Catholic.

I’m proud to come from a long line of women who send handwritten thank-you notes. They’ve taught me that gratitude isn’t a state, it’s an action. In our age of texting and tweeting, I find it therapeutic to pick up a pen, seal an envelope, press a stamp and drop my thoughts into the mailbox.

And don’t rule out the people closest to you. This past December was the first time I’ve ever sent my parents a thank-you note for my Christmas gifts. I guess they were just never on the list. They were the ones I could skip, you know?

To prepare I jotted all the presents they’d given me on a scrap of paper so I wouldn’t leave anything out – they’re very generous – and the day the card arrived my dad made a special trip to give me a hug and tell me it was the best thank-you note he’d ever received.

Totally worth 44 cents.

What do you hope people take away from your book? 

I’m pleased with the variety of reflections contained in The Catholic Playbook: Lenten Reflections for Singles. Bishop Kevin Rhoades said they express “the full range of human emotions,” and he’s right.

I hope the book reminds people that wherever they’re at, however they feel, whatever they’re struggling with, there’s a place for all those emotions in prayer and in the Christian life. We can fold all our trials and triumphs into Lent – or any liturgical season. As Catholic mothers across generations have been known to say, we can “offer it up.”

What’s your favorite part of the book?

The second reflection, which begins on page 15. It was written by a Wisconsin widow named Barb who lost her husband and son in a short period and is now welcoming her second grandchild, Grace Elizabeth, and trying to rediscover joy.

“God is good all the time,” Barb writes, “we just have to read between the lines.”

Barb contributes to the CatholicMatch blog, which I manage. We publish original material every day, and her essays are lovely. You can read them here.

In daily life it’s easy to forget about widows and widowers. That’s why they are so grateful for CatholicMatch’s supportive community, where they can heal and pray with others who have been through the loss of a spouse and are hoping for another great love.

— 1 —

Today’s the first official day of the Catholic Family Fun Book Tour! Yay!

Jen Fitz, she of the “I hate Cute Jesus, but Sarah’s book is good” endorsement, is the hostess at her blog, Riparians at the Gate, today.

I have no idea what she will say (because she hasn’t told me), but I’m sure it will be at least:

a. complimentary

b. entertaining

c. inspiring

d. worthy of quoting

So, with that, let’s all head over and see what she said, shall we?

— 2 —

While I’m sending you to other places, this is your friendly reminder that, if you like the idea of Catholic Family Fun, there’s a Facebook page to like, too! On it, I am trying to share (and hoping other people will too) ideas, encouragement, and tips.

— 3 —

I’m going to be updating the book’s website with new activities each month.

In case you were wondering, that TERRIFIES me. I feel like I maybe stretched myself to max capacity on the “family fun idea” pool, is a bit.

“Every good idea I could have had is already in the book,” I whined to a friend.

“You’ll be fine,” she replied, not even batting an eye. (She was one of the poor people who had to deal with my frantic phone calls when I was writing the book. Pray for her.)

— 4 —

I just loved this post at Catholic Vote: The Glories of Being Weird, by Emily Stimpson.

Incidentally, we’re giving away a copy of Emily’s book over at CatholicMom.com. You can read my rave review and enter to win, simple as that.

— 5 —

Here’s something cool: National Pro-Life T-shirt Week, Tuesday, April 24, 2012 through Monday, April 30, 2012. They have t-shirts for $8 (plus S&H) or buttons.

— 6 —

I’ve been working my way through the Hunger Games trilogy. I finished the second book last week, and am hoping to start the next one in the next couple of weeks.

I’m a little ashamed to admit I like them. Kind of a LOT.

To offset that lingering feeling that I should hate them (which is crazy, I guess), here’s a link to some brilliant commentary by Fr. Robert Barron, with videos below, courtesy of Brandon Vogt and Karen Edmisten. (Be warned: spoilers included.)

(click here to see embedded video on YouTube)

(click here to see embedded video on YouTube)

— 7 —

Here’s a bonus (via the link above from Fr. Barron’s written piece): the Shirley Jackson short story “The Lottery” is in the public domain.

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!