Carol Grund

In the Shadow of Sunrise

Outside my window: There’s a sparrow on the post of the clothesline, the sky a pink explosion behind it. In the mornings here in my new house, I am greeted by the sunrise (when I’m up early enough). And after all the reflecting I’ve done on sunsets over the years, because my old kitchen was west-facing, I am delighted to see the others side of the sky at the beginning of the day.

Around the house: My six-year-old has a new habit. When she hears any indication of things going on, she gets up. Today it was at 5:15. She doesn’t stay up; she curls on the couch and goes back to sleep. She doesn’t want to miss Daddy, you see, and she wants him to kiss her goodbye before he leaves for work. So she’s on the front couch, I’m in my office, and everyone else is still (wisely?) in bed.

In my kitchen: The coffee’s made, the window’s open, and the dishes are put away. Did I mention that I have a dishwasher now? For the first time ever in my married life?

In my thoughts: I’m full, this morning, of conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, there are the deadlines this week. Big ones. On the other hand, there’s the first week of Confirmation boot camp that I’m helping to teach.

In my plans: This week and next week, I have 12 hours of Confirmation boot camp. I have writing projects and some parish projects as well, but the beginning of both weeks are consumed with these 25 young people. I haven’t taught religious education in six years, and I’m excited. It’s a reminder to me of why I have that degree in education.

In thanksgiving: For the blessings of the past week, when, despite the impossibility of my to-do list and circumstances beyond my control, I experienced peace of mind and the rather miraculous completion of a few things, along with the humility to ask for help.

In my prayers: To be an instrument of the Holy Spirit during this Confirmation instruction. (Will you pray for us?) A special intention. My family, near and far.

Nose inserted: Save the Date, by Jenny B. Jones, a book I heard about from Katharine at 10 Minute Writer a while back. It’s total chick lit, but…I like it. I’m whipping through it and realizing (as I do so often) that fiction feeds me. Especially when it’s a good story!

Recent reads: I can’t wait to share more about the books I’ve finished recently. Here are snippets:

A Biblical Walk through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy, by Edward Sri – I thought I’d have to endure this book, and I started it because I’m fascinated with the upcoming changes in the Roman missal. Having heard the author interviewed, I had hopes, but nothing prepared me for the passion and beauty of this book. Sri writes with a tenderness about the Mass and reminded me of what I so love about the Eucharist. Behind the facts contained in this book is the deep water of true love for Jesus. Highly recommended.

Disorientation: How to Go to College without Losing Your Mind, edited by John Zmirik – Julie brought this to my attention quite a while ago (she does that a lot), and so I signed up for it from not one, but two review programs. Um, oops. Lucky for me, they’re understanding people, these Catholic reviewer program people, and I have a copy to give away at CatholicMom.com with my review there. ANYWAY, I loved it. It was a dose of philosophy for the distracted and is the kind of book I won’t have any problem lending, rereading, and talking about. It summarizes exactly what was “wrong” with my college education, and I plan to gift this to every graduate in the future. Even though it’s Catholic, I’d recommend it for anyone–the truths it points to are universal. Highly recommended.

Anna Mei, Escape Artist, by Carol Grund – What a delight to have my old friend Anna Mei back! I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed its predecessor, and I can’t wait until my six-year-old, who has just discovered Junie B. Jones, is old enough for Anna Mei. In this, we’re faced with more of the difficulties of friendship and discerning how to treat people, especially close friends who are hurting and confusing you. In the face of a big misunderstanding, Anna Mei finds herself battling feelings and learning to grow in interpersonal skills. (Can you tell I’m trying not to spoil it?) I enjoyed it, and I’ll bet your intermediate reader will, too! Highly recommended.

Marriage: Small Steps, Big Rewards, by Dr. Ray Guarendi – Dr. Ray is one of the only authors I’ll take parenting advice from, so I was interested to see his new book about marriage. This book was not only peppered with his usual flair of self-effacing humor and insight, but full of practical advice that every single married couple should employ. Whether you’re struggling in your marriage or sitting quite content, Dr. Ray’s small steps will give you something to think about and something else to try. It was designed to be a fast read, but also to be the sort of thing you can pick up and put down without any danger of forgetting or losing your momentum. This isn’t just a book you should read, it’s a book you should share with your family, your parish, and your friends. Highly recommended.

Prayer in the Digital Age, by Matt Swaim – Wow. I just finished this book this weekend, and I’m still left with that overwhelming impression: wow. It was not only what I needed to read when I needed to read it, it was a gem of a book. Swaim doesn’t try to be a theologian, but comes at his topic with all the practicality and sensibility of someone who struggles just like the rest of us. His observations ring true, because he’s speaking what’s been niggling in the back of my mind. I especially enjoyed how he suggests solutions, as opposed to just ranting about how bad things are now. One of my favorite books so far this year. HIGHLY recommended.

A favorite thing: The Among Women podcast, which is celebrating 100 episodes! Congratulations, Pat!

Food for thought: “And when our ideas of how the world should be run meet with opposition, our conclusion is that we are being attacked by the devil; we rarely conclude that we ourselves might not have the best set of ideas for the situation at hand.” – Matt Swaim in Prayer in the Digital Age

Worth a thousand words: The view from my kitchen window

Great Reading No Matter Your Age

Meet Anna Mei, a New Friend of Mine

Anna Mei: Cartoon Girl, by Carol A. Grund, is middle grade/intermediate novel that introduced me to a world that felt familiar, but distant. Remember late grade school?

I do. I have a LOT of memories of those 5th grade through 8th grade years (I know, that bleeds over into junior high, but living it felt that way too).

Boys were icky, and yet…interesting. Girls were friends and…horrible. Parents were alien life forms and everything was changing.

Eleven-year-old Anna Mei faces all of this AND a total upheaval of her world. She finds herself in a new school, the outsider, trying to fit in.

She ends up being someone she’s not, but it takes a while before she will admit it out loud. I forgot about the courage that takes. It’s good to be reminded, because I have kids this age in my life. I think I’ll be sharing this book with them, in fact.

Woven throughout (but NOT shoved down your throat) are Christian/Catholic values, including Anna Mei’s own struggles with relating to God. She finds herself discovering unexpected things about herself and those around her. I found myself remembering how important fiction like this was to my own formative years. I’ll be passing it on for sure.

Highly recommended.

*Received as a review copy from the publisher.

The Little Flower for Little Girls (and for the Young at Heart)

I had heard plenty of rave reviews about Olivia and the Little Way, by Nancy Carabio Belanger, a middle grade/intermediate novel that’s been out a while, but it wasn’t until I received a copy for some review work I do for the Catholic Writers Guild that I finally had a chance to read it.

Boy, I wish I hadn’t waited!

This is a novel that, middle grade or not, is perfect for a wide range of readers. My mother-in-law saw me reading it and asked me about it. My raving convinced her that she would be borrowing it next. Her reading it has convinced my eight-year-old (non-Catholic) niece that she is next. I have an idea of about three other girls who will love it, if I ever get it back long enough to lend it to them.

What makes it so compelling? First, it’s that although fifth grader Olivia seems too good to be true at first, we find out that she’s as human as we are. She wonders where God is and why in the world she has to struggle the way she does. She tries hard, but thanks to her grandma, finds that through devotion to St. Therese, the Little Flower, that she’s able to better grasp some of the more difficult aspects of living.

Throughout the book, we get glimpses of St. Therese’s philosophy (which is worth reading all on its own, by the way) and of a real person’s approach to it. For those of us who are not as used to this whole saint thing works, we find that it’s neither inappropriate nor inaccessible.

Just as Anna Mei reminded me about the trials of this age, Olivia made me appreciate my adult status all the more. (Not gloat about it, mind you, but appreciate it.) It also made me understand, a little more clearly, some of the struggles that face today’s youth.

Highly recommended, and sure to be a well-worn favorite in my house (though I may have to get a second copy!).

*Received as a review copy from the author.

Christian Frank, Get WRITING!

Trespasses Against Us (John Paul 2 High), by Christian M. Frank, is the second in the John Paul II High series, and I must have forgotten how excited I was back when I read the first in the series. Since putting it down, I’ve been contemplating writing a letter to the author. The letter starts, Dear Mr. Frank, GET WRITING! As a writer myself, I know that’s no easy mandate. As I understand it, he has a new baby and a grueling schedule.

But the way this book ended, I’m pretty much unable to think of much else. Once again, we have a plot that’s edgy and engrossing and characters who are concrete and likable (except for the ones who aren’t, of course). We have Catholicism as a seamless part of the fabric of the book; it’s more than incidental, but very much NOT shoved down the reader’s throat. Though my first thought on sharing these books are Catholic teens in my life, the other teens I know aren’t far behind.

This book has all the ingredients of a great novel, and I’m going to be just as eager to read the next in the series as I was to get the latest Fairy Tale Novel (#1 in my Seven Summer Reads).

Highly recommended for you AND the young people in your life.

*Received as a review copy from the publisher.

Beautiful and No Disaster

My Beautiful Disaster, by Michelle Buckman, is the sequel to Maggie Come Lately, which I raved about in #3 of my Seven Summer Reads post a few weeks ago. I’m a big fan of Buckman’s, and Beautiful Disaster did not disappoint.

You probably already know that the characters were flawless. (By that I mean that they were as messed up as you and me, made big mistakes, and lived life like you expect real life people to.)

You won’t be surprised to know to hear that the writing was fabulous, that the settings were detailed without gagging, that the dialogue could have been overheard in my sister-in-law’s living room (if her kids were old enough, that is).

What you might be surprised to hear is what this book’s main topic is. I can’t tell you, though, because it will destroy the plot. (Well, it would have destroyed it for me. I’m sure, if you look at enough reviews, you’ll find one that will tell you.)

Buckman’s tag line is “fiction that rethinks life.” Now that I’ve read four of her novels, I feel like I can nod vigorously and write her thank you notes for the difficult work she’s doing. She’s not picking an easy writing route with this kind of fiction, but she is speaking to the heart of the matter.

She does it without shoving anything down your throat too. (Have you noticed that I’m just a wee bit sensitive to that?) She does it without painting a picture of a life that does not exist, and she makes me want to read more-more-MORE of what she writes.

This book (and its predecessor) get my very highest recommendation. They’re the kind of books I would almost buy extra copies of, in order to make sure that I don’t lose the original to a friend.

*Purchased with my own money, even though my library had it. (I’ll be sharing it, rest assured.)