33 Days to Morning Glory

...yeah... This is my third (?) time reading this (because I read it, or some version of it, every year). I love that we get the thoughts of Maximillian Kolbe...cause he's a boss. 
195 Pages

Don't Know Much About History...

Heavenly Bodies by Paul Koudounaris

In the late 16th century, a new section of the Roman Catacombs were discovered. The Church recognized the skeletons as those of Early Christian martyrs, and sent them to Catholic churches as saints across Germanic Europe. The relics were then richly adorned with jewels and costumes, and the laity came on long pilgrimages to pray at their shrines. While the tradition fell out of practice by the 19th century, many of these relics are still found in churches across Europe. Koudounaris presents this photographic history with his beautiful, and enthralling images. This book is just way too cool!

189 pages


Kinloch: Missouri's First Black City by John A. Wright

Longtime resident John A. Wright has collected photos and interviews to tell the story of Kinloch, located north of St. Louis. Going from wealth and luxury, white flight, school desegregation, as well as church and community life, the book gives an overview of this city's history. While Kinloch itself is in decline, a population shift has retained much of its heritage in nearby Ferguson.

128 pages




An American Plague by Jim Murphy

I wasn't sure I wanted to read a plague history right now, given.... you know. But this book on the 1793 Philadelphia plague felt distant enough that I didn't mind reading it. Although it is technically juvenile nonfiction, this is definitely a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Murphy is very good at telling the stories of the main doctors and public officials involved in the crisis, as well as the vital role of the Free African Society. The discussion on the various theories of causes for the (pre-germ theory) plague were telling-placing blame on foreigners is certainly not new. This book is an engaging and informative read. I've also read his book, The Great Fire of Chicago, which is also fantastic!

165 pages


Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

You know, for the most part I really liked this one. You see Laura really start to grow up and participate in the social conventions of the era. The sociable! Lunatic fringes! Name cards! I couldn't imagine having to wear a corset. I made the mistake of googling "corset damage" and the images gave me nightmares. The story is quite pleasant until the end. That minstrel show... Yikes.

307 pages



Don't know much Biology...
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

This book is definitely not to everyone's tastes, but I freakin' loved reading about the history and cultures around fungi, mushrooms, lichens-everything! Did you know fungi were the first to colonize land, forming giant towers as prototaxes? Or that mychorrhizal fungi form vital connections in a forest, swapping nutrients and "feeding" younger and weaker trees? Scientists are testing the chemicals in psilocybin mushrooms for potential treatments for anxiety and depression! And yes, Star Trek collaborated with Paul Stamets, an actual mycologist, to develop Discovery's fictional mycelial network, designed by Lt. Commander... Paul Stamets.

352 pages



Conservation Trails by Teresa Kight/ MO Dept. of Conservation

So many great trails and Conservation Areas to explore in Missouri! While this publication is a bit dated, most of these trails haven't changed much in the past decade or so... It gives me some ideas of places to explore once this whole mess has blown over...

96 pages





A Guide to Missouri's Snakes from the MO Dept. of Conservation

Sneks. Everybody loves snakes, right? No? Only me? ... okay. We have sooo many watersnakes. And unfortunately they get killed for no good reason because folks assume any snake in the water is a cottonmouth. Copperheads are nasty. I remember killing one once with a garden hoe. And baby rat snakes are the cutest thing ever!

59 pages





The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane

This oversize book focuses on words disappearing from children's lives, pairing poems with pages and pages of colorful paintings. Each poem focuses on a word-bramble, wren, acorn-that may or may not enter children's vocabularies with our increasingly indoor culture.Beautiful poetry. Gorgeous artwork.

128 pages





Don't know much about geography...

Yellowstone: A Journey Through America's Wild Heart by David Quammen

Quammen combines tales of his adventures in America's first national park with breathtaking images of wildlife and the landscape. The nature photography is phenomenal! I enjoyed reading about the history of the park and challenges it faces today. I've never been able to visit, but I definitely want to take a road trip now...

222 pages

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I've been recommended this book many times. Then DBRL chose it for the One Read... and I caved. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it! It follows the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest by the Bolsheviks in the Metropol. Across from the Bolshoi, the Metropol is a grand hotel (I've been there, it's huge) yet I'm sure it would feel tiny after 40-ish years. I enjoyed how the Count watched the passage of early Soviet history. The author definitely did his research, which I appreciated. The hype around this novel is not over exaggerated!

462 pages

 
Don't know what a slide rule is for...
Me neither, dude. I had to look it up. Makes me real grateful for calculators.

This song is now stuck in your head!
That, or you're trying to look up the reference.
You're welcome.

What a wonderful world this would be.

Eight Doors of the Kingdom by Jacques Philippe

I love that Philippe broke down the beatitudes into their own chapters and went into detail about how to live them out.

Yeah, I've underlined like a third of the book....

224 Pages

33 Days to Merciful Love by Fr. Michael Gaitley

Sooooo I love St. Therese, and I love her way of looking at Jesus... She's a freaking Doctor of the Church. How sick is that?
(Yes I have a 6 inch statue of her that hangs out at my desk; she's amazing).
I just relate to her a lot, and I love getting to know her better every year. I love getting to know Jesus with her help. She's brilliant.
212 Pages

33 Days to Greater Glory by Fr. Michael E Gaitley

I loved the analysis of the Gospel of John. I'm fine. I'm not crying. I didn't underline like the first half of the book... I loved that it was focused on growing in relationship with the Father. It was really appropriate reading for Lent.
224 Pages

Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)

This was a really good book to read during Lent. I loved how much he went into detail about Holy Week (I mean obviously he went into detail; the whole book is about Holy Week). But he brought in scripture passages from the Old Testament and customs and practices from the time of Jesus. I love how thorough his research is (like obviously, he's a scholar and a theologian, but still).
384 pages

On the Eucharist by St Pope John Paul II

The Eucharist is my favorite thing ever (I mean it's Jesus, sooooo).
John Paul II talks about the importance of the Eucharist, "the source and summit of Christian life," and how crucial it is to growing in holiness, the spiritual life/journey, and keeping a community together, and because of that why the Eucharist deserves so much reverence. Seriously this encyclical slaps.
68 pages

Humanae Vitae by St. Pope Paul VI

Human dignity.. It's great. I loved finally getting to read the actual document. St. Pope Paul VI. He's great.
48 pages

Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe

So I love Fr. Jacques Philippe.
His writing and wisdom wrecks me. I may or may not have underlined, like, half the book.
134 Pages

Roses Among Thorns: Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey by St. Francis De Sales; Edited by Christopher Blum S.T.J.

St. Francis de Sales in easy to read bites. I didn't underline the whole book.. That would be extra.
128 Pages

The Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen

I love Fulton Sheen's writing; it has a more artistic style, and I love that he ties Catholic teachings to the events in the scripture.
Also chronological order. I know that's a duh, but having all four Gospels together in order. And tying in the Old Testament. *Angel choir noises*
658 Pages

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)

I love Pope Benedict. He so smart. I love that he looked at other people's analyses of the texts, and discussed what each of the Gospel writers was intending to do when they wrote their respective books.
144 Pages

Bible in A Year- Tim Gray (Editor)

I love the way they've divided up the readings, so that there's a reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and something from the Psalms/Wisdom Literature, so it's not like you're reading all of Genesis in one go.
The reflections were awesome too.
I loved that they put Esther in order in terms of the story, rather than in order of when they were found and translated.
P.S. It's a Catholic Bible (so there's 73 books, not 66), RSV translation.
1344 Pages

True Devotion to Mary: With Preparation for Total Consecration by St. Louis de Montfort

Just a heads up, my Catholic brain is getting on a chair of excitement.
I loved doing this devotion. I've done the 33 days to morning glory consecration, but I loved getting back to the roots of the Marian consecration. It took a bit of planning for me to be able to not be overwhelmed by the reading every day. I loved the repetition of the prayers, and all the mic drops about how Mary is the best Mom ever and is the best advocate for us, and how Mary always wants to bring people closer to Jesus. .... I love getting to know Mom more. I could literally go on for hours about how amazing Mary is, and how the consecration has changed my life in the past...five?...years
...I may or may not have underlined a lot of the book.
I love my Mom.
332 Pages

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson

"Our Lady of Guadalupe’s only words of spiritual guidance are her gentle but persistent reminders to Juan Diego about love: a love that can be trusted, a love that gives dignity, a love that is personal. If we are to see in her words an answer to a spiritual problem, the spiritual problem it answers is a lack of love and a lack of understanding about love as relationship rather than as practice. The Guadalupan message is, in its originality, a spiritual education, an education in love."
I love Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I loved learning more about the history...the apparitions, the tilma... Just the analysis of the image and all the meanings. Literally just read any of the scientific and artistic studies of the tilma.
So many Ratzinger and Karol Józef Wojtyła quotes.
I'm fine... I love my Mom. 
272 Pages

Catechism of the Catholic Church-Image Book (Editor)

I love learning more about the basic beliefs of my faith and knowing more precisely why we believe things. I love how it's organized and how many references to the scripture and to Church writings there were.There are so many quotes!
I think I have like a third of the book underlined.
St. Augustine, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Thomas Aquinas, y'all!

825 Pages