Reading Round Up

I have not been keeping up with posting about books as I read them, so I decided to do a post with a quick review of books I read late 2017 and so far in 2018 (or at least the ones I can remember).

Completed

From Islam to Christ: One Woman's Path Through the Riddles of God

by Derya Little

I am interested in the journeys of different people - how they construct their identity and how they navigate life. Lately, I have had a specific interest in seeing stories through the lens of faith, such as the glimpses into the lives of those featured on Convinced from Ignatius Press//Runaway Planet Pictures available on Formed.org. From Islam to Christ is an autobiographical book about Derya Little's experiences navigating faith through different phases in her life, considering the influence of the faith that she grew up with and how she eventually converted to Catholicism with a lot of questioning in between. From childhood to adolescence to her current life as an adult, Little considers those different layers of how her life experiences intersected as she was drawn towards the Catholic faith. It also shows tensions with other relationships as her beliefs shifted and building a sense of confidence in her faith over time, despite clashing with the popular culture where she grew up and the beliefs of others in her family. 

When Women Pray: Eleven Catholic Women on the Power of Prayer

Edited by Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S.

I bought this book because it was selected for a WINE book club. I slowly read it from time to time over a stretch of months, rather than following along with the book club schedule as intended. I appreciated seeing glimpses into the prayer lives of a range of women from different backgrounds, with a specific focus on how they have grown in their lives of prayer over time. Each chapter ended with a Ponder, Practice, Pray section with questions to prompt individual thinking and growth about the role of prayer in the reader's own journeys. Then, there was a one page Feminine Wisdom section that highlighted different people - often Saints - with a short look into something they said about prayer to provide additional food for thought and inspiration. 

Not of this World: A Catholic Guide to Minimalism

by Sterling Jaquith

I have been interested in the concept of minimalism for at least a few years. I enjoyed this book because Sterling Jaquith was talking about a lot of the resources (blogs and books) that I have heard of or enjoyed but then added a Catholic specific layer to the discussion. She also talked about shared her personal experiences as examples throughout and how she has grown over time with striving towards minimalism. She has a Facebook group for readers to share pictures, exchange ideas about challenges and celebrate successes. 

Found: A Story of Questions, Grace, & Everyday Prayers

by Micha Boyett

This was a book that I originally read back in 2015 and just happened to be skimming back through my Kindle books and was drawn in by re-reading the first few pages. Boyett is not Catholic, but she is writing about a time in her life where she was drawn to St. Benedict and the Benedictine lifestyle. She shares experiences from a couple of retreats with the monks and how she tried to apply concepts she learned back in her everyday life as she sought to relearn how to pray within her new context of being a mom. The book is about seeking and identity construction over time. It is also about prayer, trust, and discernment. While there were some layers where our beliefs did not align completely based on differences with her Protestant background, for the most part, I could connect to a lot of her thinking. It was interesting to see how just two years ago I appreciated the insight but rereading it after some experiences in between helped her ideas to resonate even more this time around. I checked to see if she had another book out but did not see anything. Her blog gave some glimpses into what has happened in her life since this book though. 

Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom

by Colleeen Duggan

*Advanced version prior to official release

Coming soon - a separate post on my thoughts about this book. 

In Progress

I am currently reading Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales and Created to Relate: God's Design for Peace and Joy by Kelly Wahlquist. Once completed, I will see if I am able to get back into posts about individual books or if I end up doing another reading round up.

On-going

This year I am also starting my days with the daily readings using Reading God's Word: Daily and Sunday Mass Readings Church Year B - 2018, followed by reading and dedicating 15 minutes to prayer with Forty Weeks: An Ignatian Path to Christ with Sacred Story Prayer by Fr. William Watson, SJ.