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June 25, 2005Re-arranging my bookshelf with recommendationsHere at home, I have just spent two days rearranging my bookshelves, getting rid of some books to make room for others. I decided that while I’m in a shuffling mood, I would make a few changes in my cyber-bookshelf as well. The Anchoress Bookshelf (see sidebar) is stacked with books, videos and music I either own, or anticipate owning, and often in the course of blogging, I may mention them in my posts, even if (as with Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place) only in passing. I do try to keep a mix of Catholic and non-Catholic books and some secular stuff. When you purchase anything thru Amazon via my Bookshelf, it generates a small kickback to me, all of which gets donated to the hospice which took such loving care of my brother. Currently, there is a balance of over $120.00 in the Amazon account, and I look forward to writing the check. I thank all of you who have ordered thru me, most heartfully. That said, let me give you my quick impressions of what is currently on the shelf: Benedictine Daily Prayer - An absolute gem of a breviary. It’s not meant to replace the Christian Prayer Liturgy of the Hours, but it easily could, and it would please both non-Catholic and Catholic devotees of the Divine Office. It is easy to use, pleasant to hold and it is rich with scriptural and non-scriptural writing from everyone from the early church fathers, to Terese of Lisieux, to Merton, to John Paul the Great. If I wanted to give stars, this one would get five. I only started using it last week, and I don’t know how I ever did without it! A Revolution of Love - Another really good one - a quick read in plain language, it nevertheless inspires some very elevated meditation in the reader. I like this book, especially, because it’s something a parent can read and pass on to a teenager, and they’ll be able to enjoy it, too. It is not pedantic. Our Lady of the Lost and Found - I only received this today - bought it used via Amazon. It was highly recommended to me by a friend who found it poignant and funny and particularly useful to women. Introduction to Christiantiy - written by Pope Benedict XVI when he was still Joseph Ratzinger, I’m taking this one on faith. It hasn’t arrived yet, but friends have told me it’s remarkably readable and compelling, and since I like everything I am reading thus far from our new pope, I’m looking forward to it. The End of Time - Just finished this last weekend. One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read - parts of this are sheer poetry, and you wouldn’t expect it from a writer of screeds and polemics. Horowitz writes of life, his father, his loves, his errors, his agnosticism, his sort-of faith, his cancer and treatment. It dragged a little at times, when he was writing of his passionate love for his wife, but I’m not going to gainsay it. The man has things he wants to say, particularly to his wife, and I’m for letting him say them! Nine Innings from Ground Zero - (DVD) Get it, get it, get it, GET it. Get it to remember what it was like in the autumn of 2001. Get it to feel your heart moved. Get it, even if you don’t like baseball, because this is the stuff of which dreams and nightmares are made. Just get it. In This House of Brede - My all-time favorite novel, recently re-released by Loyola Press. I’ve written about it a few times, and it’s not leaving my bookshelf. Let me just say I own THREE copies of this book from it’s original printing in the 1960’s. One to read and re-read. One to lend out to careful friends. One to keep on the bookshelf in case my friends are not careful! The Hiding Place - the remarkable and readable life story of Corrie Ten Boom, her sister, her father and their heroic efforts to save Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland, and their subsequent arrests and imprisonment in various concentration camps. I routinely give this book to teenagers because I love the way they read it and get slack-jawed, awe-struck and finally, inspired. No Wonder They Call it the Real Presence - The Catholic Church is celebrating this as the Year of the Eucharist, and this is a complilation of interviews with people from various walks of life (and some of their stories are harrowing) who have embraced Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the changes that embrasure has made in their lives and their hearts. A Catholic Woman’s Book of Days - Not yet released. I’m not big on “women” stuff. I get bored dwelling on female perspectives, after a while. But this is Amy Welborn, who is no shrinking violet and who tends to write with muscularity and lucidity, so I’m looking forward to reading it, and expecting that I will find it useful, sensible and faith-filled, like Amy, herself. The Force of Reason - Not yet released. I have ordered it because it is Fallaci, and to Fallaci attention MUST be paid! I wrote a little about it, here. If you need no other reason to consider buying this book, consider that Fallaci, dying of cancer (and drinking champagne) is being charged with a hate crime in Italy, for daring to write it. Also, I enjoyed The Rage and the Pride very much, and I am looking forward to this one. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - Don’t bother emailing me and telling me why this is a devil-book - I have found every volume of this series to be full of Christian imagery and allegory, and there are parts of it that are profoundly Eucharistic. If you write to me saying I’m going to hell for reading it, I will not pay you any mind. When this book arrives in the mail, Buster and I will fight over who gets to read it first. Buster will win, but I’ll manage to finish it before he does! http://theanchoressonline.com/2005/06/25/re-arranging-my-bookshelf-with-recommendations/trackback/ 21 Responses to “Re-arranging my bookshelf with recommendations” |
Those Anchoress readers who have bought it and read it have written me back that yes, indeed, they did love it as much as I had said they would. Benedictine nuns, pre-and-post Vatican II. England. It’s SO well-done! A classic!
June 25th, 2005 at 12:48 am
Yey Anchoress! Its about time someone said something positive about the Harry Potter series. I have been a fan for a couple of years and I have read all five that have come out and of course I will be reading the sixth (I’ll be working that night though..I work in a bookstore..so…we have something special planned). The books are fascinating and they do make one think. They are satires on the world of today and yes..they do offer moral lessons. So..if anyone is in the area of Orange Park Florida..look for Luna at the bookstore..she’ll be there
June 25th, 2005 at 6:46 am
Double yea from me about Harry Potter. Those books have gotten more children hooked on reading that anything I can think of. And they are most emphatically not devil books.
And Anchoress, if you ever find a copy, I can highly recommend Lord of the World by R.H. Benson. It’s an apocolyptic novel written in 1907, where a charismaric man becomes the ruler of the world and some of the attitudes in it are uncomfortably close to home.
June 25th, 2005 at 7:59 am
A third “thumb’s up” for Harry Potter, I can’t wait for the new book! I certainly agree with you about Christian values, imagery and allegory in them.
June 25th, 2005 at 8:21 am
I have debated many parents about the value of these books, and I think I’ve won. The important point, I think, is that the wizards and witches ARE MADE THAT WAY. They haven’t sold their souls; they are simply developing their (dare I say God-given?) talents.
The Biblical allegory is obvious throughout for those who know the Bible. For those who don’t, the books are wonderful storytelling of the battle of good againt evil, where even good people have to overcome their flaws in order to triumph.
In Book 5, Luna Lovegood and Harry discuss eternity, hidden in their world behind a torn veil (ring any bells?). I read that passage at my father’s funeral.
June 25th, 2005 at 11:07 am
A friend couldn’t believe such a woman as “Catholic” as myself would allow Harry Potter for my kids to read and watch. “She calls herself a GOOD Catholic??” I personally could care less for the movies, but have read each book at least five times apiece. Except #5. I found it to be depressing and angry. I’ve only read that one twice. But, the Devil loves confusion and adores inciting anger. I consider them fiction… I don’t really believe in the books reality of witches and wizards ,cause I don’t think I know any and doubt they’d celebrate Christmas or Easter. We’ll be lovin’ #6. I will pick up House of Brede sometime and I think that DVD, as well. I don’t HAVE a DVD player, maybe we’ll get one of those, too!!
June 25th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
I really like the first four books, especially the third one, which has the first really good teacher (not to mention the only Defense Against Dark Arts teacher worth his salt). By the fifth, the adults are clearly behaving like children (e.g. the Snape/godfather name-calling) and the luster is wearing out.
However, my nephew and I have discussed the flaws of the characters at length; e.g. how Harry lies all the time with relative impunity, how Hermione does all the work so she can fit in (prompting a discussion of how some girls have sex to be liked), and Mr. Weasley stealing from the workplace. But after the last book, my nephew said, “Harry is growing like the Slitherin guys he hates. I think he gets mad and Dumbledore is so sad by the end because Dumbledore should have set limits. Sometimes the only time you know people really care about you is when they stop you from doing the wrong thing.” My nephew is emotionally impaired and has a LOT of trouble dealing with anger, so I found the discussion profound.
All in all, the series is good. There’s a lot of humour in them and often sly commentary.
June 25th, 2005 at 7:28 pm
Harry Potter is great, and inspirational to kids. People who see the devil in it are missing out on the ultimate battle of good vs evil, of family vs power, of love over hate…
Too bad for them.
June 25th, 2005 at 8:46 pm
I’m a staunch Protestant(Baptist, even!) and I love In This House of Brede.
June 25th, 2005 at 10:51 pm
I haven’t read Harry Potter - my niece absolutely adores those books and I gave her #4 and #5 as birthday gifts a few months ago. Maybe I should borrow them from her!
I’m presently working my way through C.S. Lewis. What a wonderful, wonderful man. When I was reading “Mere Christianity” I felt as though a wise and scholarly friend had dropped by my place to chat about faith. His faith and humanity and good sense shine though every page.
June 25th, 2005 at 11:14 pm
Anchoress, I haven’t read the Harry Potter books so I cannot judge them, but even if I did not approve of them I wouldn’t agree to burn them, for burning books is foolishness to me. I also haven’t read the Narnia series, which also deals with magic, but I do intend to do so soon. I will try to find The House of Brede, you make it sound inviting.
I did read most of the Left Behind series of books and found them only lightly interesting and quite a bit long on the Reformed Theology interpretation of Scripture. Many of the books not written from a Christian perspective offer more to think about and help me firm up my faith in God. A lot of Christian writing is obviously denominationally biased and can be more dangerous than the so called “devil books” others harp about. Imagination and fantasy, properly used, can invigorate the mind and help us learn to step out of our mental box once and a while. Thanks for your list.
June 25th, 2005 at 11:59 pm
I ordered two copies of “Benedictine Daily Prayer”, one for myself and one for my best friend and prayer partner. I spoke with my nephew about it and he highly recommended it as well. He’s been attending a Benedictine Seminary College for two years and intended to go on to seminary to become a diocesan priest. But he began feeling a calling to the monastic life. He applied and was accepted to the monastery and begins this summer.
He was thrilled that I was interested in this book of prayer.
June 26th, 2005 at 12:21 am
Gracie, I hope you love the book as much as I am loving it…and how wonderful about your nephew, which monastery is he headed to, St. John’s Abbey? Belmont Abbey? Conception?
June 26th, 2005 at 2:29 am
So glad you’re a Potter fan, Anchoress. It depresses me a bit that EWTN, in their “Catholic Q&A” (scroll to the bottom and click on “General Questions”) posts a link to an anti-Harry essay and cautions us about “pre-occupation with the occult.” They do add “Parents who have found the Harry Potter books useful may be inclined to disagree,” but the point of an imaginative book is not to be useful - it’s to stretch us, take us away, expand our horizons. Sure it’s “better” to read the lives of the saints, but show me a kid who will consent to reading nothing else!
I further like HP because the one place where the books do intersect real life is in the area of divination - fortune-telling, tea leaves, palm-reading, etc. - and J.K. Rowling almost goes out of her way to discredit these things!
June 26th, 2005 at 2:33 am
Another fan of HP.
“In This House of Brede” sounds fascinating: I shall have to look for it. Thank you for this list: I adore books, and it is always a blessing to read what others enjoy.
[By the way, I've been reading your wonderful blog for a few weeks and thought I should pop my head over the parapet. Hello from Sydney, Australia, and thank you for a very interesting blog.]
June 26th, 2005 at 9:02 am
Anchoress, my nephew is at Conception College. He just completed his second year of college there this May. He has been feeling this calling since the completion of his first year, but was asked by the Abbot to pray and meditate for a year before applying to the monastery itself, which he did. He’ll now be a part of the monastery and begins as a postulate in July.
Our home diocese in Texas was sponsoring him. The priest in our parish had been mentoring him all through high school. Even though we’ll not have him back in our diocese, which needs priests desperately, I know the Holy Spirit has grand plans and needs him elsewhere.
His Mother (my sister-in-law)will have a special place with the Lord. She is a convert to the faith and has encouraged Matt to follow his vocation. She’ll only see him for two weeks per year now. May God bless her.
June 26th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
Gracie, how wonderful! What a blessing for your family - and all those whom God will put in your nephew’s path, whether physically or spiritually.
June 26th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, my nephew is a special young man. He worked for my husband while in high school and my husband said that Matt was one of the few geuinely kind & good persons he’d ever known. I’m certain that many will be blessed by knowing him.
June 27th, 2005 at 10:47 am
I just finished In This House of Brede last night. It was wonderful! Thank you for recommending this book via your blog because I may have not otherwise known about it.
June 27th, 2005 at 12:53 pm
Another who took the Anchoress’ book recommendations to heart.
Benedictine Daily Prayer and House of Brede arrived in the mail last week.
A Catholic born and raised. I never tried to read? pray? the Divine Office. Attempting to get the hang of following the Benedictine Daily prayer format.
June 28th, 2005 at 1:02 am
OK, Anchoress, that’s it! I have got to stop my addiction to your site before I go broke buying what’s on your bookshelf!
I just purchased the Nine Innings to Ground Zero DVD and placed an order for something about the curse of the Bambino so I could get free shipping. Now, how stupid is that? I spend an extra 13 bucks to save $3! LOL I’m still addicted and will visit every chance I can. You’re the greatest!
June 28th, 2005 at 1:53 pm
In This House of Brede — I remember seeing the movie years ago, but didn’t realize it was based on a novel till reading your post. I’ll have to add the book to my ever growing wishlist! When I was a child, I read about every book about nuns I could find.