Trusting God with St. Therese Book Review

When I decided to try Kindle Unlimited, I looked for good Catholic books to read during my last month of vacation. Starting grad school at the end of this month, I wanted "easy" reads (so nothing too heavy) and thought that Trusting God with St. Therese by Connie Rossini sounded like it would be a good fit. I imagine it wouldn't be too heavy and that I would be able to breeze through it. Boy, was I wrong.

I'll be perfectly honest with you, this book made me uncomfortable... in the best way. Why did it make me uncomfortable? Because it made me look at certain parts of my life (especially spiritual) that I don't like thinking about. I was reading a chapter that touched on death on the day my mother's birthday rolled around and I sat up that night, tearing up about the prospect of my mother dying. I know it's part of life and it will eventually happen but I don't like thinking about it. However, despite the reluctance I felt reading some chapters, it was good for me because it really emphasized how important it is to trust God in all circumstances of life.

I highlighted a lot of things in this book. A LOT. I'm going to take some of these highlights to spiritual direction with me tomorrow because I feel like they'll help me in my spiritual slump. That spiritual dryness I talked about two months ago? It still comes and goes. Thankfully, this book reminded that even great saints, like St. Therese and Bl. Mother Teresa, go through periods of spiritual dryness and that all I have to do it trust God, even when I don't understand what's going on.

Throughout this book I had moments where I said "I've felt/feel/have experienced that!" Connie is so candid about her own experiences (shared in order for us to better understand each chapter's theme) that I felt like someone who understood me and what I went through was talking to. It was a sort of "I've been there and I've been able to come out of it in one piece thanks to God's mercy and grace" pep talk one would get from an older family member / friend.

The book covers every big topic you could think of tackling in your own personal life -- forgiveness, resignation, suffering, love, loss, etc. The two that stuck out the most for me were forgiveness and, of course, lack of trust. As I've been doing for the last couple of years (with the help of my spiritual director), I saw that there were more things that I needed to undo and unlearn from both my childhood and the years following my father's death.

I'll be the first to admit that I picked up a couple of bad habits that have taken time to slowly get out of my system. This book reminded me that occasionally failing didn't mean that I was a hopeless case. Instead I need to focus on God's love and mercy instead of my failure. I need to take the focus off of myself and place it back on God.

I felt closer to St. Therese as well. I connected with her on a different level because I finally felt like she and I are kindred spirits. I've always gravitated towards her and her Little Way but I never understood why. I usually get the sugarcoated version of her life but Connie talked about a side of St. Therese that made her seem more human. Like St. Therese, I was a sensitive child who cried easily whenever someone criticized me. Like St. Therese, I occasionally struggle with scruples, worried that I'm offending God during my moments of weakness instead of remembering His infinite love and mercy. These are just some of the examples that made St. Therese feel more like a sister than a heavenly friend.

Would I recommend this book to everyone? Yes! It doesn't matter if you aren't drawn to the Carmelite spirituality. I myself have been going back and forth between Carmelite and Dominican third orders for years. Even if I do end up going down the Dominican route (or ultimately discern that joining a third order is not part of God's will for me), this is one book that I will want to re-read every couple of years. I don't know Connie (though I think she may be following me on Twitter; have I mentioned how slow I am to follow people back?). She didn't ask me to review her book. While I did get this book free via Kindle Unlimited, I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my personal library, it's that good.

And I think that's all I can say without spoiling the book completely. ;)

I'm currently on a two week vacation but I also have some reading and study questions to get through so I should try to get some of that done... after I do some housework and other things. What's a "vacation"? lol.

I hope y'all had a great weekend and that you have a wonderful start of week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati DVD and Book Reviews

These will be quick, spoiler-free reviews on a DVD and a couple of books on Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. If you want more info on them, feel free to ask me; fangirl is always looking for a reason to talk about one of her favorite (soon-to-be) saints. ;)

Sanctity Within Reach: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The DVD, which is an EWTN production, is broken down into three section: Family Life (26 minutes), Social Life (27 minutes), and Spiritual Life (almost 27 minutes). In those (nearly) 90 minutes, you get a good portrait of who Bl. PGF was. His niece, Wanda Gawronska, gives us details not found in books (such as the origin of his full name -- Pier Giorgio Michaelangelo Frassati -- and how the family life was). For those of you who are visual, there are plenty of photographs not found in books written about him. For someone who isn't a bookworm like yours truly, this would be a great way to introduce to this soon-to-be saint (last miracle currently being investigated) to someone.

Pier Giorgio Frassati: Letters to His Friends and Family did not disappoint one bit. The book is basically a compilation of letters, postcards, and telegrams he wrote from ages 5 until the day before his death. As I wrote a couple of days ago, a lot of what was written sounded very relevant to our times. I felt like I got a really good portrait of who he was; his sense of humor, his humility, his selflessness, and his love for God and his country. The last letter (which was a message) was written with his hand half-paralyzed, to a friend, asking the friend to please deliver some injections to a poor man who needed them. If I do end up becoming a lay Dominican (which I'm currently discerning), I'm going to give credit to this book.

I've already given a mini review of My Brother Pier Giorgio: His Last Days by his sister, Luciana Frassati, earlier this week. This was a really hard book for me, personally, to get through because (as I mentioned in the mini review) a lot of it reminded me of what I went through with my own father. Having seen my father slip away and die (I was in the room when he took his last breath) brought out some PTSD symptoms that made it difficult for me to get through this book. However, I did and it was well worth the read. Yes, I sobbed but it was also inspirational. I highly recommend it to all. Have your tissues ready, especially if you're sensitive.

While I do own (and have owned, for many years) A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati by Luciana Frassati, I haven't actually finished reading it. In fact, I'm going to have to start all over again because I've forgotten what I've read thus far. I lent it to a friend (who then kept it for a very long time) but it is on my list. I'll review it when I eventually finish it. Not sure when that will be since I have a queue from the library but it will be fairly soon if the Los Angeles Public Library keep taking their time trying to get the other books to me. ;)

The only fictional work based on his life, To The Heights by Brian Kennelly, was a good, engrossing read... but there were moments when I questioned whether Bl. PGF would actually act in a certain manner or say certain things. Of course, the dialogue is partly based on his (Bl. PGF's) letters and other facts but the other part of it is based on the author's imagination. After reading the books by his sister, reading part of the letters he wrote to his family and friends, and watching the DVD, I had created a portrait of who Bl. PGF was that image didn't fit with what was written a couple of times. However, I kept reminded myself that this was meant to be "based on" and not "fact based" so I was able to enjoy it nonetheless.

And that's it for now. I'm still hoping to have my Spanish-language blog up and running tomorrow so I need to go work on that as well as tomorrow's blog post for this blog.

As always, thanks for reading and God bless. :D

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati and My Father; Mini Book Review

Catholic Memes is responsible for this awesome meme.

This post was supposed to be published yesterday, for Bl. Pier Giorgio's feast day, but I didn't get a chance so here it goes today.

I'm usually a fast reader. My Brother Pier Giorgio: His Last Days was supposed to be an easy read at only 120 pages. I should've finished it in less than 24 hours. How long did it take me? Four days. Why? Because I had to stop more often than anticipated. And why did I stop so often? Because it reminded me way too much of what I went through with my own father. The PTSD kicked in at times, leaving me feeling faint and anxious at times. I don't regret reading it and would gladly endure the PTSD symptoms if it was longer because I truly liked it.

First the quick book review: as I said before, I liked the book. I didn't enjoy reading about Bl. Pier Giorgio's suffering. I didn't enjoy reading about his family's sorrow. What I enjoyed was the intense love for God and our Blessed Mother that Bl. Pier Giorgio had until the end. I won't spoil anything for those of you who want to read it but I will say that I was deeply touched by Bl. Pier Giorgio's devotion and yearning for heaven, even into his last moments on earth. The book is written by his sister, Luciana, and it covers the last couple of days of his short life. She writes with such feeling and detail that I felt as if I personally experienced it with them. If you have yet to read it, I recommend that you do.

Now for the rest: the parallels between Bl. Pier Giorgio's and my father's last days. If you haven't been a reader of this blog for long (or weren't a reader while I chronicled my father's last months), I'll provide links so you can catch up. Warning: I've been told tissues are necessary in some places.

I became an admirer of Bl. Pier Giorgio's before my father's last cancer diagnosis. When we heard that dad's cancer was terminal, I asked for Bl. Pier Giorgio's intercession. "Please let this be the miracle that you need to be canonized," I pleaded. "Please, help him stop suffering! Please!" I selfishly wanted my father to live. 4 years ago yesterday, I had a Mass dedicated to Bl. Pier Giorgio on his feast day. As you may read, I stayed behind and prayed for his intercession (along with intercessions of other saints for other prayer request I'd received). I went to visit my father after Mass. It was one of the last times he would be able to hold down his food and coffee... just like Bl. Pier Giorgio did. On Bl. PG's feast day, my father savored his favorite drink (coffee) just like Bl. PG did towards the end of his life (as per the book).

A few days later, and two days before his death, I wrote this post about how I was handling the news that my father had a week or so to live. Watching my father looking more and more thin every day (the cancer had spread to his liver and stomach at the end) was hard for me. Luciana, Bl. Pier Giorgio's sister, wrote a similar account with the same feelings I experienced about seeing Bl. PG deteriorate. It was hard but I prayed for a miracle, just like she, their family, and friends did for Bl. PG.

My father died, like Bl. Pier Giorgio, on a Saturday... exactly one week after Bl. PG's feast day. I didn't get the miracle I wanted but I did get the strength I needed to get through the funeral preparations and the funeral itself. A year later Bl. Pier Giorgio would intercede for me in a big way (which I will talk about in a bit). The book reminded me that life is short and precious, how we never know how or when we will go, and how we should try to live a life of the Beatitudes (like Bl. Pier Giorgio did). While my relationship with my father was similar to Bl. PG's with his father, I was reminded that my father died being proud of me as I know Bl. PG's father must have been of him when the word of his good deeds came to light.

Though my intercession plea to Bl. Pier Giorgio didn't happen (as it was not God's will for my father), he did come through for me a few months later when I applied to transfer to that horrid CINO college (seriously, I didn't know how bad it was before I attended). I received the news that I wouldn't need an enormous loan to pay for school. The year that my father died, I was supposed to enter the school with a $20,000+ (per year) loan. I withdrew and reapplied for the next year and received grants and scholarships. I ended up graduating with a small loan of $2,000 (total) for the two years I was there. Through his intercession I was able to graduate (from a $40,000 per school year college) with a savings of over $40,000 (I'm counting some interest there). Thank you for your intercession, Bl. Pier Giorgio!

Anyway, the whole point of this post is that I am incredibly grateful to Bl. Pier Giorgio for everything he's done for me. He (along with St. Therese) was my "heavenly buddy" during my imprisonment (haha!) at the CINO college, as he was before and continues to be to this day. While the book about his last days reminded me (in detail) about my father's last days, it also reminded me (through Luciana's words) that life goes on but that doesn't mean we forget those who have had a great impact on our lives. There is always time to fix any bad habits and strive for a more saintly life.

Okay, I am about two seconds from going into ugly crying face mode so I'm going to stop here. :) Oh! One last thing before I go: I will work hard to get that second miracle Bl. Pier Giorgio needs to become a saint... even if it means spreading the word of his life and his good deeds to people who have never heard of him. He will be declared a saint one day and I hope that it happens in my lifetime. :)

And now I am off to try to distract myself because I am in danger of get thrown into a depressive funk. It happens every year around this time since the 4th anniversary of my father's death is coming up next Thursday.

I hope you all had a great week and have a wonderful weekend. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless! :D

From Someone Who Actually Read The Book

That is a screenshot of my Goodreads book tally. Yes, I have read the book that has everyone talking this week. Yes, I hated it (which is why I gave it 1out of 5 stars -- I would've given it a zero if I could). And, yes, I agree with the statement that the Vatican issued on the book.

It should come as no surprise that this book was assigned for my "Sexual Christian Ethics" course my junior year at the CINO college. The professor (the same one who spoke ill of the Holy Father) raved about the book. To be quite honest, I didn't read the entire thing because it would make me feel nauseous. I would read come exam time... and only read what would be on the test because the few pages I did read made me upset.

Let me just tell you the gist of the class -- which was taught according to what was in Just Love by Sr. Margaret Farley and A Lily Among the Thorn: Imagining a New Christian Sexuality by Miguel de la Torre. Homosexuality is fine because God wants us all to love. The Church is terrible patriarchy that wants to oppress women and minorities (including homosexuals) -- and this would start rants about the Church and the Holy Father that I would offer up. My prof would say that she was not in agreement with the Church and that she was in agreement with the books instead of the Church.

I found my old notes so now I'm going to add straight quotes. "Patriarchy (alluding to the Church from my understanding in class) creates sexism, homophobia, and hypocrisy." "Why are things reduced to what you do in bed?" "Notion of virginity is culturally constructed and not from God." "At various times of your life you fluctuate between hetero- and homosexuality." "You experiment with yourself, men with men, and women with women." "Virgin Mary didn't remain a virgin." "Hell may not exist." "(talking about nuns) Smarter than priests and they admitted it." Had enough yet? That is just part of it. There are things I don't feel comfortable writing that were covered in the book that go against Church teachings.

Do I agree that this book will confuse those who know little to nothing about the Catholic Church? Yes. Will what is written lead many astray, especially if taught (like we were) in classes? Definitely. The words "yeah, it was all part of the liberation theology taught at that school" just came to mind. I am personally happy the statement has been issued though I think that it won't do much at the schools where this book is assigned. Though I hope she doesn't, I feel like my former prof will rant about how the Vatican is on a "witch hunt" because they're scared of nuns the next time she uses this book.

For the record, this is from my point of view and what we covered when I was at the CINO college. I definitely don't recommend this book. I prefer Theology of the Body which, not surprisingly, my profs didn't agree with when I brought it up in class.

Anyway, just wanted to add my two cents and let y'all know that, coming from someone who actually read part of the book, I agree with everything the Vatican has said. Avoid at all costs if possible.

I am a bit behind on a few book reviews of Tiber River Review so I'm going to get offline and try to finish at least one of them before the day ends. :)

I hope you all have a great weekend. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

Book Review: How to Get to "I Do" A Dating Guide for Catholic Women

Whoever said using Twitter was pointless was wrong. If it hadn't been for Twitter, and author Amy Bonaccorso sending me a friend request, I wouldn't have heard of this book when I was in the midst of (sort of) questioning my vocation. I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason so when I was re-thinking my vocation after a particular difficult time for me this, for me, was like a sign from God to have patience and that what I was experiencing was just a little bump in the road. Now, I don't particular like talking about my relationships and that part of my life but I will disclose some things that I think will helpful when reviewing this book. By the way, for me to do this means that the book was actually helpful which is more than I can say for other books aimed for single Catholic women whose vocation is marriage.

First off, I actually ended up loving this book a lot more than I had anticipated. I've read (and reviewed) other books dealing with the same subject but I felt like this book was the only one that was realistic in how relationships truly are. Others tend to romanticize relationships. Although I am a hardcore Janeite and am a hopeless romantic, I do know that real life is not a Disney fairy tale. I like to call myself a romantic realist. A lot of books play up the romance once you find the person with whom you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with. They don't tell you about all the frogs thrown against the wall (instead of kissing them) or about how we should not have our minds clouded by visions of engagement rings and wedding bells. What I liked the most of this book is that it covers everything from the dating to after the wedding which most other books won't even go into. Amy acknowledges that we are human and that we do make mistakes and she works with us instead of preaching.

When you get to be my age (golly, that makes me sound old doesn't it? lol), people begin to question why you aren't married or with children. Especially in the Hispanic community, it's almost unheard of for a young woman to not have at least a significant other at 25. I often get questions on whether I feel my "biological clock ticking", especially since there are more complications during pregnancy as a woman gets older. I must admit that I do occasionally think about it because I do have a strong desire for children (a far cry from my "no children, thank you" stance at 20 years-old, before my reversion). At the same time, I don't want to rush myself or things so I've had a "slow and steady" view. This book covers that... and how! The chapter of "Secular Sisterhood", as well as the entire book, made me realize that I was relying way too much on having God put the guy in my path. I was stuck in the same little rut and that if I want to meet people I have to actually get out there (while still maintaining my morals and beliefs.) There were some things that were advised that I wasn't entirely comfortable with because of my temperament.

I'm actually pretty shy at first, especially when around people of the opposite sex, so of the suggestions to get out there and mingle are a bit daunting for me. It's not as easy for me to be so open right off the bat. It isn't until I feel comfortable enough with someone that I act like the goofball that I am with friends and family. I felt like my personality wasn't compatible with some of the advice in which she encourages us to actually get out there and date. I occasionally felt as if I were almost being pushed into acting in a way that is very outside my comfort level. I actually had to look within to figure out why that was and even after I figured it out, I was still not entirely sure it was for me... but that's okay. I did see where she came from and I can see why she would advice some things but I'd have to modify it to fit my own personal comfort level. I liked that I got this out of the book as I hadn't with any other before. It made me feel more confident about how I feel about dating and who I was as an individual person.

Throughout the entire thing I kept thinking about recommending it to various people, Catholic and non-Catholics alike, because it's full of great advice. Amy mentions setting a time limit with the vocation discernments which I, from personal experience, found to be excellent advice. When I was discerning my own vocation I didn't set one for myself but Fr. Leo did... at I was glad he did. He saw something in me that I was still figuring out and advised me to wait 2 years before I decided on becoming a nun. Before the two years were up I knew in my heart that the religious life wasn't for me. Discerning a religious vocation should be taken seriously and not delayed which many young women and men do. I LOVED (yes, it needed to be in caps) that she mentioned that the single life should not be the "last option" if you're not called to the religious life and can't find a person. I have seen many friends seriously consider the priesthood/religious life or becoming a consecrated single because they can't find anyone and their patience isn't the best.

This book really goes into online dating which I was a little wary on. I'm not knocking it but I've always been friends with someone before dating them and I feel like a lot of people just want to jump into relationships because they're physically attracted to someone (and only for that reason). Some people also try to present themselves in a way that they aren't (putting their best foot forward... even if it's not who they really are) which makes me a little nervous. At the end I have come to consider it because it may a little easier as I blush and stutter easily when I first meet people. I still haven't done it because I'm very cautious (hi, mostly Phelgmatic here, remember?) but I'm more open minded to the idea of using it.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I was actually going through a bit of a weird time in which I was questioning whether I had discerned my vocation properly. I had actually begun the second 54 day Rosary novena (which ended yesterday) to pray for not only my vocation but also that of a couple of my friends. It was a time when I wasn't the only one questioning their vocation but I was the only one who was sure that their vocation was that of marriage and not religious life or of being a consecrated single. Without going into much detail, I was dealing with feelings for a friend who was (and still is) discerning his own vocation while having another fella from my past show up and thus reminded me of a time in which I seriously considered becoming a Carmelite nun. It was a lot of fun. lol. I also had other things that contributed to my confusion. Since I don't have a spiritual director at the moment (and haven't had one since Fr. Leo passed away a little over a year ago) I was trying to make sense of everything without much help. The novena (which is always hard at first) was something I started hoping to either be at peace with my vocation or to help me figure things out. I didn't like that I was going into a spiritual desert (which I endured throughout most of Advent almost up until Christmas). A couple of days into novena came friend request and the eventual purchase on Amazon. It was the best decision I made during my time in the spiritual desert and it helped me make sense of the feelings I had for a friend with some amazing epiphanies that helped me greatly.

If I had to summarize this book in a nutshell I'd call it advice you'd get from an older sister who wants the best for you... without being preachy. A lot of dating/courtship/relationship books aimed for Christian women are a little too much. While I do agree that God should have a place in a relationship, this book doesn't shove it down your throat. It didn't have a "if you don't do this and this and that then you're displeasing God and thus ruining your relationship" vibe. Again, she acknowledges that everyone is different and that we're not perfect which takes the pressure off of feeling like we must behave in a certain way. I would definitely recommend this book for single women AND men (and I was mentally making a list of which guy friends I'll personally speak to about this book) of all ages. :D

I don't think this is the last time I will write about vocations as I'm taking a Theology of Marriage and Family class, but I think this is it for now. ;). lol. I hope y'all have had a great week thus far... and that I've peaked the curiosity in some of you enough to make you want to read this book. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

I'm a Phlegmatic-Sanguine, What's Your Excuse?

When Delaney lent me this book, The Temperament God Gave You by Art and Laraine Bennett, it had been on my amazon wishlist for at least a year and a half. I've always been interested in these kind of personality tests because they've proven to be very insightful... and the fact it explained things from a Catholic point of view made it that much more appealing to me.

I had previously taken the Four Temperaments test on Catholic Match (a couple of years ago when I was briefly on the site). The first time I received Sanguine-Phlegmatic as my result but it didn't really sound like me. There more things I disagreed with than not. When 4marks split from CM (or at least that's how I remember it) and allowed us to keep our profiles without having to stay on CM, I did just that and re-took the temperaments test. This time I received a 63% Phlegmatic and 37% Sanguine. After reading it, I knew that I had finally taken the test properly and had gotten it right.

After receiving the book I decided to once again do the test and it revealed that, indeed, I am a Phlegmatic-Sanguine. So what exactly does that mean? Well, in a nutshell, that I'm an introverted, empathetic gal who has to be careful not to get easily discouraged (I never do but...) or even fail to attempt something out of fear of failure (which I sometimes do). What I appreciate about this book is that it is honest but doesn't make you feel like you're completely flawed or weird. Though it does point out your weaknesses, which were pretty spot on with my own temperament, it also offers great advice without being preachy.

One of my favorite sections (though, it's hard to choose THE favorite) was definitely the chapter on your temperament and your spiritual life. It offered prayers one could recite to help with the spiritual weaknesses one has. As my primary temperament is Phlegmatic, my spiritual gifts are: peace, understanding, counsel, and meekness. On the flip side, my spiritual weaknesses are: sensuality, sloth, and complacency. I'm not even going to lie, I do struggle with sloth especially lately with all the blues I've been feeling. The saint who shares my temperament is St. Thomas Aquinas (who is a buddy of mine, as my good friend Angelica would say) so I know who to look up to when I feel myself slipping. For someone with my temperament the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the brown (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) scapular and Miraculous Medal are all recommended to enhance my spiritual life. I actually found this beautiful Miraculous Medal (which they were apparently giving away to whoever got there first and it was the last one) at my parish when I returned to the Church a couple of years ago and I believe it has helped me.

After I told my mom about how much I loved the book, we tried to find the Spanish language equivalent of it for her but there wasn't one. I ended up translating both the test and results to her. She ended up being a Sanguine-Choleric and my father (which we collaborated on to see if we would get his temperament right; we did) was a Choleric-Sanguine. Apparently I inherited my Phlegmatic side (as well as my multi-colored hair) from my paternal grandmother seeing as how both my parents are/were incredibly extroverted. We would laugh while I was translating things because they were spot on with all of us. I went back to the Parent-Child section, which advises parents on how to better motivate their child according to each's temperament, and read advice for my mom. Again, it was like the authors had been observing the interactions between my mother and I and I think it helped both of us understand the other better. It's certainly helped the relationship between her and I greatly as it really opened my mother's eyes to a problem we were having; our differing temperaments were clashing when it came to a certain issue but now my mom understands as do I.

I can't really go into a lot without writing entire paragraphs straight out of the book. If you want to learn more about yourself I would definitely recommend you checking out this book. If you've taken the test on 4marks, this book goes into more detail than on the site. (Btw, according to 4marks I am part of the minority of people that are phlegmatic-sanguines.)

Alright, well, I don't think this was much of a book review but I don't really think this book is one that can be reviewed properly without actively reading and engaging in it. Again, I highly recommend it and I think it will definitely help understand yourself and others. I definitely took a lot out of it and I know you will too. :D

I guess that's all for today. It's 100 degrees Fahrenheit (it was 101 yesterday) so I'm going to find a nice cool place to sit down and continue reading a book on Catholicism. :) I hope everyone is staying cool and out of the heat. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless.

Book Review: The Shadow of the Bear

First off, thanks to my little (adopted) sister, Delaney, for lending me this book. She said it was one of her favorite books and, as she is a fellow Janeite, I trusted her to not steer me wrong with literature. It was a good thing I did because I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book.

The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman is a modern day retelling of the Grimm Brothers' version of the Snow White and Red Rose fairytale. What I appreciated the most was that it was unabashedly Catholic. I found no cliches or stereotypical characteristics associated with faithful Catholics. The female protagonists, Blanche and Rose Brier, are devout Catholics who stay true to the Church's teachings while recognizing their own faults (Blanche's jealousy towards her sister, Rose's carelessness). Unlike some Catholic fiction novels that only show the positive qualities in their characters, this novel showed the teenage girls in a very believable and likable manner. The antagonists were also great; I know so when I wish they were real life people I could kick in the shins. lol. I won't go into more detail because I really want others to read this novel. Some things were predictable (for me; I'm not easily surprised and am a seasoned veteran when it comes to mystery novels) throughout the story but I was completely enthralled during the denouement and I was excited to find out what would happen next. I will not say any big spoilers in case anyone wants to read the book for themselves but let's just say that the ending was completely satisfying and that Mrs. Doman wrapped up the novel very nicely.

Though this novel is aimed at teenagers (and, I am guessing, specifically teenage girls), I found it entertaining and thrilling. I honestly couldn't put it down and read the last 80-90 pages without getting up from my bed. I was tired and I wanted to sleep but I was really sucked into the story. At the end, the 2 a.m. bedtime was worth it. It also gave me confidence that I had made the right choices with my own characters in the novel I've been working on.

In a nutshell: If you appreciate good Catholic literature with positive messages, and don't mind the whole fairy tale aspect of it, then I highly recommend it. Again, it is aimed for teenagers but this 25 year-old sincerely enjoyed the book from start to finish and can't wait to start reading the sequel. :) I hope some of you end up reading this novel. :)

Alright, I need to get the book review for one of the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati books ready so I'm going to spend the rest of my day reading and writing. I hope y'all have a great day. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Being a Hepburn in a Hilton World

After finally having a chance to hang out with my adopted "little sister", Delaney, (who, btw, is an absolute doll, I'm so proud to call her my little sister) at Borders, I picked up a book I'd been wanting to read since I saw it on amazon.com. The book is called How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World... and the book definitely lives up to its expectations.

Just like the title promises, this books gives really great tips on how young women can live as classy and modestly as the great Audrey Hepburn did. From the first page to the last, author Jordan Christy does an amazing job offering advice in a witty manner that makes it sounds like a letter from your cool, older sister that you look up to. (side note: Though the author is my age, I did feel like she was the older sister I wish I had, imparting wise advice to her younger sister.) I actually felt like I knew the author and that this advice was actually tailored to me (being a big fan of old fashioned manners and morals). Everything from fashion to relationships, both personal and professional, is covered. That is actually very rare. I'm uber picky with the non-fiction books (my review on Jane Austen's Guide to Dating anyone?) because the advice given is usually... well, not good... at all! I didn't have that problem with this book.

I am so glad that she really gets "it", what it means to be a modest young woman... and she doesn't care about stepping on the so-called feminists' toes. Jordan really emphasized the fact that our culture is overrun with the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of the world that make our gender look like a bunch of "Stupid Girls." She uses real life examples to show us both sides so we can see why their way of living should become extinct, and why the way of Audrey Hepburn and our great-grandmothers should be brought back.

I loved the advice she gave on relationships -- both platonic and romantic. Everything from dealing with the toxic friends that won't leave you alone to how to handle yourself with grace and dignity in other social situations... it's pretty much what I would tell my "little sisters" and nieces. The issue of sex comes up, and she handles it very well. It doesn't feel like yet another person "forcing" the idea on us. She uses reason and common sense, fused with "old fashioned" morals, in a way that I wish was presented more often to young women.

One thing that this book has that others sorely lack is that it's actually very fun and interactive. There are quizzes that you can take such as the one that determines your true style (I am a heart - my style is sweet and romantic with laces and ruffles and light colors) as well as recipes to make of yourself or with friends (the Tennessee French Toast is so good!). And, bonus, she encourages young women to better their lives and to go ahead with the dreams that most people would want to squash.

I think the thing I loved the most about this book is that she really makes you feel like you're a) awesome for wanting to be (or already being) more modesty and classy and b) that you should totally embrace who you are because that girl is amazing. I had such a boost of confidence after reading this book because I really identified with it.

Have I mentioned that she actually advocates for young women to get more involved in their community and to do something for someone in need... without getting anything back in return (except for that lovely feeling one gets when we do good)? Want to start? Please do something for those who have suffered due to the Haitian earthquake. (I personally love the American Red Cross).

In a nutshell, at the end of book, I was thanking God that I'd finally read something that I could recommend to my fellow Maidens of Modesty. I would definitely recommend this book to any young woman who, like me, is a little old fashioned and wishes she lived in an era like that of the incomparable Audrey Hepburn. Who knows, maybe if we get enough young women to start acting this way (and passing it on to our younger sisters, nieces, daughters), we'll see women regaining the respect and dignity we are more than worth of.

Alright, I am going to go continue planning on how to revamp my own wardrobe a little more (since I've decided to embrace the girly side of myself.)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!