May Favorites  Summer Sweethearts edited by me and Rachel Lawrence My friend Rachel and I put together this collection of sweet romances written by friends from our flash fiction writing community, and we're giving it away free in our newsletters on June 10th! This was such a fun experience, and everyone's stories are so adorable. (You can subscribe to my writing newsletter on Substack if you want to receive the book in your email on Monday.) The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir by Priscilla Gilman This author was my professor in college, and I really enjoyed her previous book about her son ..read more

If you're looking for authentically Catholic historical fiction, To Crown with Liberty is the book you need to have on your bookshelf. This well-researched, beautifully written tale by Karen Ullo follows Alix de Morainville Carpentier, a former lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette, across two timelines.  From the publisher: New Orleans, 1795. In the wake of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, Alix de Morainville Carpentier—a former lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette, now married to her gardener—seeks peace and security in the Spanish colony of Louisiana. But her journey into the man ..read more

It's been a long time since I read a YA novel that wasn't a omance, but Because of You is like a breath of fresh air. From the publisher: Sixteen-year-old Chloe Gabriels has dreamed of going on an overseas mission trip for as long as she can remember, so when the opportunity arises for her to go to Thailand with Teen Missions International she jumps at the chance. Working at an orphanage, learning new skills, experiencing a different culture, making lifelong friends—what better way could there be to spend her summer vacation? Of course, the trip will have its challenges—living in close ..read more

March Favorites I had quite a few five-star favorites in March.  This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett This wasn't a memoir as the title suggests, but a retrospective collection of the author's essays, along with a couple of new ones. I disagreed with some of her thoughts on Catholicism (I bristled when she suggested divorce could be a sacrament), but I really admire Patchett's writing and there were quite a few pieces in this collection I would want to read again.  The Dutch House by Ann Patchett I completely understand the hype for this book, and for the audio ver ..read more

Group Activities  Geography/Art  From The Complete Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton, Dad read these sections, and the girls watched accompanying videos:  Carcassonne, City of Romance [video] Mount St. Michael [video] Reims Cathedral, Holy Monument [video] Matterhorn, Tiger of the Alps [video] St. Bernard Monastery [video] St. Peter's, Church Supreme [video] Vesuvius, Famous Volcano [video] Pompeii, City of the Past [video] Blue Grotto, Cavern of Loveliness [video] C. also learned the locations of the continents using this game.  Latin  We continued our lessons ..read more

February Favorites These were some of my five-star reads in February:  Silas Marner by George Eliot I read this with the episodes from the Literary Life podcast, and they were very illuminating. I never would have recognized the Rumpelstiltskin references without help. I also loved the writing and found the story very satisfying.  Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham I don't read many graphic novels, but I love this author and illustrator, and I couldn't pass up a graphic novel YA romance! There are some wonderfully authentic Catholic details in this book (wh ..read more

January Favorites In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden My book club picked this for January, and I re-read it and took notes and everything only for book club to be canceled due to illnesses among the members. So now it's the book for our February meeting. I loved it the first time I read it, but I loved it even more the second time.  Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren  These two short stories from the Improbable Meet Cute series were the best of the bunch by far. I have never been able to get into any of Sally Thorne's books, bu ..read more

Group Activities Geography/Art  From The Complete Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton, Dad read these sections, and the girls watched accompanying videos:  Fort Jefferson, Coral Outpost [video] Popocatepetl, Smoking Crater [video] Chichen Itza, Mayan Capital [video] Christophe's Citadel [video] Panama Canal, Mammoth Ditch [video] Machu Picchu, Inca Fortress [video] Iguazu Falls [video] Rio de Janeiro, Glittering City [video] Gibraltar, Rocky Sentry [video] Latin  We continued our lessons in Getting Started with Latin: Beginning Latin for Homeschoolers and Self-Taught Stude ..read more

Reading Plans I'm not making any drastic changes to my reading life this year. I set my Goodreads goal to 200 books, but I won't be surprised if I exceed it, and I decided to stick with seasonal TBRs.  I have just a few goals:  Read at least one short story per week. I intended to read more short stories last year, and I did read a few anthologies, but I often found it tedious to stick with one theme or author for too long. By committing to one story per week, I can feel free to jump around between different collections and authors without worrying about finishing a book. Read 30 mi ..read more

It's that time of year again! In 2023, I read 294 books, and from those I have chosen a top 23 plus a bonus list of my favorite children's and teens books I read this year. Books that were published in 2023 are marked with *.  My Writing Community  This year, several of the friends I have made through Flash Fiction Magic on Instagram have published novels. Though these are not necessarily in my preferred genres, it was wonderful to be able to read their work and share my thoughts with them in real time.  Unleashed* by Amber Kirkpatrick is a fantasy romance with a grumpy co ..read more