Tag Archives: Books

Book Review: Where There Is Love, There Is God

March 23, 2012

Where There Is Love, There Is God by Mother Teresa, Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk (Image, 364 pages, 2012) Mother Teresa was one of those rare people that seemed to exude holiness with each step she took. I’ve long admired her for her simple way of life, her extraordinary management skills, her love of God, her compassion for others, and her deep humility. She was the living saint with a public face—the small feisty nun who was coach, mentor, and mother [...]

Book Review: The Buddha in the Attic

December 29, 2011

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (Knopf, 144 pages, 2011) I read a lot of books in 2011, but my favorite was Julie Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic. Prior to reading the novel I read a review in my local newspaper and was interested in the book’s setting—the West Coast, San Francisco, towns and cities in a state I know and love. But, the novel is not about San Francisco and therein lies the beauty. The names [...]

Book Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1

December 29, 2011

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1 Edited by HitRECord and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (It Books an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 88 pages, December 2011) The title says it all. This book is a tiny book of tiny stories—a book that can be read in a matter of minutes. Despite its size, however, this book packs a punch. Written through the collaboration of 60 contributors, culled from a contributor pool of 8,569, the stories and artwork in the book [...]

Book Review: Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life

December 11, 2011

Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by James Martin, S.J. (HarperOne, 272 pages, 2011) How many times have you walked into a church and seen a smiling saint? How many times have you heard that Jesus used a little humor to get his point across? I bet the answer to those questions is “rarely” or maybe even “never.” I’ve long said that I think God has a sense of [...]

Book Review: mental_floss: The Book – The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory

November 25, 2011

mental_floss: The Book – The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory Edited by Ethan Trix, Will Pearson, and Mangesh Hattikudur (HarperCollins Publishers, 320 pages, 2011) Did you know that the term “tween” was coined by J.R.R. Tolkien or that Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was originally called Catch-11? Why are Bellinis called Bellinis? What was the original purpose of Play-Doh? True to the magazine’s quirky and engaging style, the folks at mental_floss have released a compilation of some of their best [...]

Book Review – The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day

November 22, 2011

The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day, Edited by Robert Ellsberg (Image, paperback, 752 pages, 2011) June 19, 1973 We feel so powerless. We do so little, giving out soup. But at least we are facing problems daily. Hunger, homelessness, greed, loneliness. Greatest concern of the Bible is injustice, bloodshed. So we share what we have, we work for peace. (571) Dorothy Day’s words can easily be echoed today by the many working on the front [...]

Celebrating the Haul-idays With Books!

November 13, 2011

Yes, you read it right! Happy Haul-idays 2011 from our friends at Chronicle Books! Once again, Chronicle Books is giving bloggers and blog visitors the chance to win a haul of books worth $500. If I win, one of you wins too! And, this year the Haul-iday is even better. The winning blogger will be able to choose a favorite charity to receive up to $500 worth of books too! I can’t think of a better way to spread some [...]

Book Review: The Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Paintner

August 29, 2011

The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner (Sorin Books, 192 pages, June 27, 2011) Paintner’s book is written as a 12-week journey that shares the wisdom of monastic practice, especially Benedictine—of which Paintner is an oblate. It is a book meant to be read as part of one’s creative journey. The difficulty in reviewing Paintner’s book is that I didn’t have twelve weeks to sit with it, absorb it, learn from it, and [...]

Book Review: The Betrayal of Charity by Matthew Levering

August 12, 2011

The Betrayal of Charity: The Sins that Sabotage Divine Love by Matthew Levering (Baylor University Press, 225 pages, August 1, 2011) It is always refreshing to read from a young theologian bringing new perspectives and exploring topics in a new light. Matthew Levering certainly does not disappoint with his newest theological work, and recent Patheos Book Club pick, The Betrayal of Charity: The Sins that Sabotage Divine Love. In bringing together the works of contemporary theologians and scholars in other [...]

Book Review: Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers

August 9, 2011

Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers (288 pages, Harper Perennial, paperback edition, August 9, 2011) A funny thing happened while reading William Powers’ book about our constant connectivity—my Blackberry Bold became unusable for a few days. Timing is everything. In Hamlet’s Blackberry, Powers carefully observes what we’ve become in this digital age. Walking down the street we see every other person, if not every person, using some sort of handheld device. On public transportation you might see someone with an e-reader, [...]

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