April and May 2021 Book Reports

The Sacraments: Discovering the Treasures of Divine Life by Fr. Matthew Kauth - link to my post (purchased copy)

Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemosolai Lekuton - link to my post (library copy)

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare edition) - I wanted a short fun Shakespeare play for First Daughter's third term in eighth grade, when she was hoping to audition for our local Shakespeare in the Park company. This play fit the bill. It's silly and ridiculous, often making me laugh out loud. Two sets of twins, each identical pair sharing a name, meet as adults. Despite the travelers (one of each set of twins) being on their journey for the purpose of searching for the other pair, it never occurs to them the local townspeople might be confusing them with the twins who live in the town. Almost complete nonsense from beginning to end, but fun nonsense. It's optional for First Daughter, as she read two plays and Doctor Faustus already this year, but she loves Shakespeare so she might make time for it. I'll probably assign it to Second Daughter in the next couple of years. She loves Shakespeare, too, but reads quite a bit more slowly, so shorter plays for the middle school years are good options for her. (purchased copy)

Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow - link to my post (library copy)

The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus by Dorothy Day, edited by Carolyn Kurtz - link to my post (requested from  PaperBackSwap)

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas - link to my post (library copy)

My Heart Lies South: The Story of My Mexican Heritage (Young People's Edition) by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño - link to my post (purchased copy)

The Ghost Keeper by Natalie Morrill - link to my post (purchased copy)

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear - link to my post (purchased copy)

The Saint Makers: Inside the Catholic Church and How a War Hero Inspired a Journey of Faith by Joe Drape - This book reveals a bit of the process of completing the research, interviews, and paperwork for telling the story of a person's life in order to prove to the Vatican offices and the Pope that a person deserves to be called a blessed or a saint. Mr. Drape followed that process for Servant of God Emil Kapaun, a military chaplain from rural Kansas and our own home diocese. I am interested in anything about Servant of God Emil Kapaun, but I found the book a bit difficult to read. The author, despite being raised Catholic, began the exploration with a rather limited understanding of the faith and the process, which is fine, but he didn't seem to understand his faith any better by the end of the book, continuing to make statements that were out of step with the catechism and liturgy. After all his investigations, interviews, and reading, he came to believe very strongly that Emil Kapaun deserves to be a blessed (and also a saint), but I did not believe his own faith in God or the trustworthiness of the Church was any stronger for the example. (borrowed copy)

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat - link to my post (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post or any linked post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.