Maybe Evert stole my heart when he mentioned that his wife would be there, except that she had just given birth to their first child.

More likely, though, it was Evert’s reference to John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and his enthusiastic endorsement of Christopher West. I followed his advice and purchased a CD downstairs.

Father Pat would tell you he hasn’t heard the end of it since then. My husband would tell you it’s a bit of an obsession of mine.

I would tell you that these three men–Jason Evert, Christopher West, and John Paul II–changed my life by changing my heart. They showed me the beauty of God’s design for our bodies and they made me dig into my Bible, Church teaching, and the world around me with a new appreciation.

Before I knew it, I was leading a book study on Good News About Sex and Marriage and listening to Naked without Shame. It wasn’t long before my Adoration time had me immersed in the text of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and cross-referencing it with Christopher West’s companion, Theology of the Body Explained. I read the text a second time and then there was an updated version of TOB (which I have not, sadly, yet read).

All of that brings me to the latest book by Christopher West, At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization, which I read as part of the Patheos Book Club.

–>Read the rest of my review and comments over at the Patheos Book Club blog.

Want to win a copy? It’s part of my big February book giveaway, so be sure to enter!

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 put it down after finishing it and feel pretty hopeful.

I can do this, I thought to myself.

I credit this book for my new mommy policy: I will make something homemade once a week for after-school snacks (or end up at my mother-in-law’s, where she will make something homemade). The reason has to do with that warm feeling I get when my kids delight in eating freshly baked cookies and with the light in my seven-year-old’s eyes when she walks in the door and sees the goodies.

Much of what I read in Strengthening Your Family was not news to me, but it was refreshing and well-ordered. Fenelon speaks from experience, but she also commiserates with those of us still very much in the trenches of young motherhood. She offers suggestions, but she also offers prayer. She provides many ideas, but she also provides many caveats. Her foundation is not “being an awesome family,” but rather “getting your family to heaven.”

There’s a big difference between being awesome and getting to heaven, and I don’t know that I spent any time considering that before I picked up this book. It’s designed for Catholic families with kids, though I wouldn’t restrict it to kids of any age. If you have teens, you’re sure to find help within its covers, and if, like me, you have grade school and younger, you will get bolstered and emboldened.

Strengthening Your Family is a wonderful resource and guidebook for Catholic families. I’m glad to have read it, and plan to reference it in the coming years!

Yeah, me neither. It’s the longest short month of the year in my part of Ohio, where the weather is always icky (even if nicely so). So how about we all cuddle up with some books and read the month away?

I have a stack of books here to give away! Quite a few of them are new releases, two or three of them are freshly dusted off, and a couple are just odd books I had doubles of.

Here’s what you do to enter by February 21 (Fat Tuesday):

1. Spread the word. Each time you tweet, post it on Facebook, blog about it, or hey, tell a friend or colleague about it, you can enter in the comments. (Yes! You can enter more than once!)

2. Read a book. I won’t be picky. You can read to your kids or you can read a book of your own. And you can enter every time you read a book!

I’ll put names in a basket and have one of my kids pull out names on Ash Wednesday. Then I’ll aim to mail them to you before Easter. :)

Wondering what you could win? Well, here’s the minimum (I reserve the right to add more–and I have added more!):

At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization, by Christopher West

I Just Can’t Take It Anymore! Encouragement When Life Gets You Down, by Anthony DeStefano

Jesus, Career Counselor: How to Find (and Keep) Your Perfect Work, by Laurie Beth Jones

Looking for Mary: Or, the Blessed Mother and Me, by Beverly Donofrio

Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit, by Paula Huston

The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ, by Mark Shea

Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship, edited by Ellen Gable Hrkach and Kathy Cassanto

Aquasynthesis: Splashdown Vol. 1, edited by Grace Bridges (ebook only)

The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul, by Lisa Hendey (signed copy)

Grace Before Meals: Recipes & Inspiration for Family Meals & Family Life, by Father Leo Patalinghug (signed copy)

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul, by Lisa Hendey

The Journey Home: My Father’s Story of Cancer, Faith and Life-Changing Miracles, by Joseph Hanneman

Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt

You’re Late Again, Lord!, by Karen Phillips Goodman

New addition: Stealing Jenny, by Ellen Gable

So there you go…now, get entering! :)

The blurbs included below are from the back covers or from other book information and not my own, except as marked in italics.

The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work, by Randy Hain

The only book on this list that I’ve started, though I’m only just past the introduction as I type this. Randy Hain calls on us to examine our priorities, evaluate our lives, assess our values, and–ultimately–answer the question: “Am I faithfully living the call to be a good Christian and a light for Christ?”

At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization, by Christopher West

The sexual revolution brought a terribly disoriented vision of the body and sex into the mainstream. How should Christians respond? West leads us into the depth of Christ’s “nuptial union” with the Church, demonstrating how authentic Catholic teaching on the body and sex saves us from both the libertine perspective of popular culture and the cold puritanism that has sometimes infected Christianity. In the process, West provides a blueprint for reaching our sexually broken world in the “new evangelization.”

Dragon’s Tooth: Ashtown Burials #1, by N.D. Wilson

The only fiction on this list. In this first installment of the middle-grade series, Wilson brings his unique voice and vision to the story of two siblings’ discovery of a secret order of explorers and their legacy within the ancient society of Ashtown. It is a story that will take readers on a journey of mythic proportions.

Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship, edited by Ellen Gable Hrkach and Kathy Cassanto

I’m LONG overdue on reading this one, to which I am a contributor. This compilation contains 12 courtship/dating stories which will inspire, captivate and entertain readers. What all the stories illustrate is that God is the ideal matchmaker.

Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ Not Conformed to the Culture, by Teresa Tomeo

Tomeo pulls together the latest research on social behavior and trends in order to demonstrate that women are harming themselves and their chances for true happiness by adopting the thoroughly modern, sexually liberated lifestyle portrayed in magazines and movies. Packed with not only persuasive statistics but also powerful personal testimonies.

How about you? What’s on YOUR reading list?

— 1 —

So last week, as I was jumping up and down about the cover of my newest book, I neglected to mention one key thing:

It’s not available for pre-order yet.

Don’t you worry. I will let you know when it is!

— 2 —

I have a whole pile of Lenten books to review, and the first of them, Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit, by Paula Huston, blew me away. (I reviewed it earlier this week.)

So if you can buy only one Lenten book, buy that one.

If you have room for another book or you’re looking for something for your family to use during Lent, could I suggest Welcome Risen Jesus?

It’s available at your local Catholic retailer or in a number of other places.

— 3 —

I’ve been thinking already about my Lenten plans. For whatever reason, my New Year didn’t ring in with any resolutions. I still feel sort of flat about it.

But Lent, LENT! I am formulating a plan.

(A plan, it should be noted, is almost always destined to fail. I know this. And yet I continue to persist, because it helps me to have a starting point, at least. Or that’s what I tell my planning-obsessive self.)

— 4 —

The crazy idea came to me to go offline during all of Lent.

It’s made even more crazy by the fact that the work I do means I have to be online at least some almost every day.

AND I have a book I’ll be promoting.

AND…well. You see where this is going, right?

Was that the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit?

So being a bit more conscious of my online time is definitely part of the plan.

— 5 —

Do you have Lent reflections to share? I was thinking of doing a series of guest posts here on my blog, and if you’re interested, feel free to email me your ideas at blog -a-t- snoringscholar .d.o.t. com.

— 6 —

In the “too cool not to share” category: My husband came home from work the other day and shared this with me. It’s a video of a baby’s reaction to hearing his mother’s voice for the first time. We watched it about four times in a row, and our almost 14-month-old just loved it. And so did I. (I’m going to go watch it just one more time…)

— 7 —

Here’s my pick of the week (an idea shamelessly stolen from Catholic Weekend, where, rumor has it, I’ll be appearing tomorrow morning!): Catholic Family Night.com. The idea is that you spend some time each week with your family studying the upcoming Mass readings.

From their website:

Want a fun and simple way to bring the Sunday mass readings alive? With just a few minutes’ preparation, your family can enjoy fun activities, discussion time and even a creative snack, but best of all, your family will remember the time spent together learning more about God.

After hearing the interview with Jeff Cavins on The Catholics Next Door podcast for January 3, I think this is something my family can actually handle. Maybe we’ll start it during Lent…

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

I sat down to read Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit, by Paula Huston, with the intention of just reading the first section. Then I decided I could read the first couple of sections.

And then I read the whole book.

In my defense, I had a whole evening before me and I needed to get the review written for the Patheos Book Club. What I found with this book, though, was much different than what I expected.

I don’t know what, exactly, I expected, but I’m sure it had to do with preaching and a feeling of insignificance at the end. I was excited at the premise and what the book jacket promised, but maybe a little sure that I would not be able to approach Lent using this book as an actual resource.

“It will be good for someone, though,” I thought, “and I can surely read it and see what I have to look forward to.”

(Negative much?)

I was gloriously, wonderfully WRONG. I found myself reading, shaking my head, and looking forward to Lent, when I can dig in.

Will I fail? Yeah, probably. I do every year. In the failure is the kernel I need from Lent, I think, and success isn’t usually about what I plan, but about what graces I allow God to work.

Each day of Lent has a task, with a reflection by the author from her own experience, and then an brief description of the task or practice for the day.

Throughout the book, you get to know Paula Huston as your guide, someone walking beside you and encouraging you, even as she doesn’t settle for less than what you can at least try to do. She’s gentle, but tough. She weaves humor in with what I can only call teaching: she makes the Desert Fathers and Mothers an accessible crew, even for a busy mom in the Midwest.

Not only will I be embracing this book to the best of my ability this Lent, but I encourage you to do the same. It’s not too much, but the seed it will plant and tend during Lent, I believe, will grow into habits that make me a better Christian.

This week, I used an object lesson to introduce my fifth-grade class to the sacraments during our parish’s evening religious education classes. I wrote about it over at Amazing Catechists, and there are already some great ideas in the comments. Hope you find it useful, and please do share your ideas or suggestions if you have them!

image credit

Over at Catholicmom.com, I wrote a review of a book that I dub a must-read for all Catholics, Women, Sex, and the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching, edited by Erika Bachiochi.

Take a moment and check out that new photo at the top of my blog (copied below so that those of you in feed readers and on email can just stay comfortably there).

It comes courtesy of my four-year-old, who loves lining up her horses. And her brother’s cars. And her sister’s markers. It may be my favorite blog-topper EVER.

My reading included a friend’s manuscript and an advance copy of a novel that’s not out yet, so I think, with these four, I set some sort of personal best, at least for my one-a-week-if-I’m-lucky trend of the last few years.

Mind Over Mind, by Karina Fabian

A friend, whose taste I highly respect, predicted that Mind Over Mind would be Karina Fabian’s breakout novel.

After savoring it, rushing through it, and all but writing the author to demand the sequel, I have to agree.

It has all the elements of a good story, a bit of romance, a mind-tickling plot, and characters who are fun to spend time with. Oh, and there are regular names for the characters.*

As a thumbnail review, I know this lacks a lot, but I so hate ruining a story for other people. This earned all five of the stars I gave it at Goodreads, and I’m waiting impatiently for the next installment.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson

I keep an eye on YA, in large part because of the younger readers in my life. I also agree with a friend who once said that, with good YA you get a good story minus some of the adult material that you don’t really need in mainstream fiction (explicit sex scenes, etc.). Two of these younger readers have been raving about the Maximum Ride series, and I was really looking forward to joining the discussion.

Wow, was I ever disappointed.

Not only is this book poorly written, but it presents an unreal picture of the young people I know. For one thing, they don’t talk that way. Maybe the young people I know aren’t representative of the ones this book is marketed to, but it smacked of “adult trying to write for teens” to me.

Though I was curious about some of the outcomes that will surely be revealed in future books, I was so disgusted with the writing that I won’t be reading them. I can live without knowing.

I don’t know that I have any real objections to the books aside from the fact that I am always annoyed to spend time reading something that’s not good.

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

In fourth grade, Little Women was the one book my mom would let me buy from one of those book flyers. I was so disgusted and disappointed that I sulked and pouted like a champ.

And then I proceeded to read the book until the cover came off. I think I clocked at least four readings before sixth grade.

I wanted to revisit my old friends, the Marches, after having a conversation with one of the young people in my life that went something like this.

“Oh! Little Women! Have you read it?”

“I saw the movie.”

“But…but…it’s a great book. You should READ it!”

“Yeah. Hey, have you read Maximum Ride yet?”

I started this about midway through my tour through the first Maximum Ride novel and it was probably the only reason I was able to plow through that book.

It was delightful and just as wonderful as I remembered it being. The March family held all its appeal, I still sided completely with Jo and wanted to be her, wondered at the curious femininity of Meg and Amy, and loved Beth, though I shook my head at her.

I paid more attention, this time around, to the role Mrs. March played, and since I’m also the mother of girls, couldn’t help but take a few pointers from her. My girls won’t be playing Pilgrim’s Progress, mind you, because I threw the book across the room more than once early last year when I tried to read it. Then again, the idea of it doesn’t demand reading the book…

I want to reread Jo’s Boys and Little Men sometime this year too. And did you know Louisa May Alcott has a whole host of other books? (I didn’t…but now I do!)

All in all, as fantastic a reading as could be had.

Women, Sex, and the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching, edited by Erika Bachiochi

Now here’s a book that needs its own post, and it will get that sometime soon. It’s a compilation of essays by highly-qualified contributors about the Catholic Church’s teaching about issues related to women, including abortion, contraception, sex, infertility treatments, and even balancing work and family. There were two chapters that were so good I marked them and asked my husband to read them. On the back cover, Kimberly Hahn calls it a “tour de force” and that nails it. A great read and it gets my highest recommendation.

*I find myself sensitive to character names of late. Forgive me, ye of the SFF bend, but why can’t people just have names like Henry and Maude? Remembering that Lacklehivey is a girl and that she’s married to Hineyhovey is, well, hard. I’m going to need many years to get over my initial annoyance.

Around the house: Kids in the front room, scuffling around on the last day of vacation. Husband, on the couch behind me, snoozing on the last day of vacation. Me, at the kitchen table, pecking away at a keyboard and sipping coffee.

What I’ve been writing: Nothing. Not a thing.

In my thoughts: Ringing in the New Year with Mary, the Mother of God, and what our very wise priest had to say about it in this weekend’s homily.

In my plans: A whole list of things, from taking in the mountains of recycling to picking up the house to getting back in the work groove.

In thanksgiving: For family. For a newly-minted seven-year-old. For a week offline.

In my prayers: Those who grieve in a special way right now and who feel the pain and the blessing at the same time.

Nose inserted: Oh joy: Darkling Fields of Arvon, by James Anderson and Marc Sebanc. It’s the second in the Legacy of the Stone Harp series, and I’m SO enjoying it. I reviewed the first book, The Stoneholding, a while back.

Recent reads: I’m going to do a post this week with summaries of my recent reading, but here are some short excerpted thoughts from last week’s binge of reading:

• Mind Over Mind, by Karina Fabian – Wow. Wow. WOW. So good I suspect I’ll be rereading it when the sequel comes out. Not because I’ll need to, but because I’ll want to.
• Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson – Read at the behest of young people in my life. Bottom line: I didn’t like it.
• Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott – I started this because it was on my list for 2012 and because I was disliking the aforementioned Patterson book so much. It was just as wonderful as I remembered from the four or five times I read it in my youth.
• Women, Sex, and the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching, Edited by Erika Bachiochi – A book I’d love for every Catholic to read. It will get its own post, either here or at CatholicMom.com.

Links I like: 

• Putting Mary Away – Elizabeth Esther writes beautifully, as usual, and shares why she won’t be putting her Mary away after Christmas.
• A Dad at Christmas – A great reflection on Joseph and fathers by Elizabeth Foss. (Hat tip to Pat Gohn at Among Women.)
• Merry Christmas, Baby – Gina Loehr writes about how Jesus as a baby helps her relate with a faith that is sometimes crusty and dusty.
• Whose Name Is Written on Your Foot? – Mike Hays uses one of my favorite movies to point out that we should all remember whose we are.

A favorite thing: New-fallen snow.

Food for thought: “Christmas helps us understand that God never abandons us and always comes to meet our needs. He protects us and is concerned with each one.” – Benedict XVI, January 4, 2008 (via BenedictEveryday.com)

2012 Reading

Darkling Fields of Arvon

by James G. Anderson

Who’s There

by Seth Godin

Catholic/Christian Nonfiction

Tears, by Gloria Winn (advance reader copy)