Book Review: Doctors of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI

The Doctors of the Church is my latest review book for The Catholic Company, and I’ll tell you up front why it’s taken me so long to get through it: Because it requires peace and quiet.

I don’t mean like holed-up-in-a-monastery-for-three-weeks peace ‘n quiet. More like, “two to three paragraphs without interruption, and ideally as much as a page or more, all at once, before someone asks you how to spell a word, or where is the milk, or . . .” you know what I mean*. I say this not to discourage the other housewives out there, but rather to encourage you to not give up just because it’s taking you a little longer than a Hardy Boys mystery, or whatever it is you other people read.

What it is: Pope Benedict did a series of talks at his weekly general audiences on each of the Doctors of the Church, and the text of those talks was put into book form. (St. Peter Chrytologus is missing — there was no talk as yet at the time the book went to print. But you get all the others.) Each person gets his or her own chapter, and certain heavy-hitters have double- or triple-sized chapters if it took two or three sessions to cover the topic.

The focus of the talks is on the development of doctrine. Sorry, no fun stories about St. Thomas Aquinas’s family’s colorful attempts to dissuade him from his vocation, or St. Therese’s heroic willingness to eat the peas and fake it that she liked them. You get to be a Doctor of the Church due to your contribution to our understanding of the faith. So that’s where the book focuses: What did this person contribute to our understanding of Christ and of salvation? How did this person respond to the needs of his or her time, and re-present the faith in a way that was needed then, and that continues to be valuable today?

–> A brief biography opens each chapter, and there is enough information to give you a clear picture of the life and times of the individual. There is relatively more biography for lesser-known saints. If you don’t know the general St. Thomas Aquinas story, you aren’t ready for this book yet; but if you never can keep straight all your St. Cyrils and Gregories, the Holy Father has you covered, no worries.

What are the prerequisites?

Before reading this book, you need to:

Know the broad outline of Church history, and of course that means having a decent grasp of world history as well.
Be familiar with the who’s who of major saints.
Have a clear understanding of Church teaching.
Be comfortable with technical language at about the level of The Catechism of the Catholic Church. This one:

If that’s not you, be patient. Come back to The Doctors later. Because the focus of the book is specifically on doctrine, and on the development of doctrine, this is a little harder of a book than some of the other collections by the Holy Father.

Who is this book for, and what good is it, anyway? I recommend this book if you . . .

. . . Want an introduction to the topic of Development of Doctrine. When read cover to cover, in sequence, this is an excellent first look at how the faith has blossomed over the centuries.

. . . Need a reference book on hand for all your Doctors of the Church needs. Great resource for catechists and others who need to quick know something intelligent about obscure-but-essential saints. Each chapter stands on its own, and I found this to be very useful in preparing for class.

. . . You want a devotional that is built around reflections on theology and the lives of saints. (Don’t laugh you Prayer of Jabez people, some of us like this stuff.) You could either work through it a chapter at a time, or just have it on hand to browse at random when you need a little retreat into that happy place where you get to think about this stuff.

Verdict: Well of course, it’s excellent. If you are the target audience, there’s nothing else like it. Worth the effort to work through it, not because then you’ll get to sit with the cool kids (though you will), but because even if the distractions of your vocation mean you can’t read through it quickly, it’s very meaty and satisfying. A sure preventative against brain rot, and not so bad for your soul, either. Great book.

***

Thanks again to the kind people at the Catholic Company, who would like me to tell you that not only do they do a work of mercy providing good books for bloggers in exchange for nothing other than an honest review, they are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.

*No family members were injured in the writing of this post.

7 Quick Takes: Lent-o-matic Reading List

This time next week, we’ll be all penitential, right? In anticipation, I’ve slidden my Lent Links to the top of the page in the sidebar. As you find more Lent-o-rama goodness around the internet, please let me know and I will add your links to the list.

Meanwhile, I present to you 10,000 offline reading choices for your Lenten edification, most of which I’ve reviewed or mentioned previously, and loved enough to remember even now.

–> If you’re sick of hearing me go on and on about these same great books over and over and over, might I suggest you offer it up? (It is Friday, a day of penance even in ordinary time, ya know.) Or click the post-it notes and find something new to read.

For everyone else, here’s my list:

1. Pure Lenten Fiction Poke-n-the-soul:

The Gargoyle Code. I love this book. Readable, fun, insightful. It is designed to be read an episode a day through Lent, but that would take more Lenten discipline than I could ever muster. Every time Fr. L. asks people about this or that new idea of his, I tell him, “Write more fiction.” One day either he’ll cave and give us more, or maybe just ban me from his combox.

–> To see a few samples of the genre — not from the book, but written as bonus material, check out the Slubgrip Instructs Series on Patheos. Suitable for teens and adults.

2. If you only buy one devotional, this is the one:

For G-rated daily Lenten reflections that will kick your sorry slothful rear, you can’t go wrong with my friend Sarah’s booklet Welcome Risen Jesus. It is like its author – cute out on the outside, farm-woman practical realism on the inside. Good for elementary-age and up, independently readable from about 3rd grade. Very inexpensive, probably the best Lenten value going this year. My original review is here, and you can see my slightly less self-centered Amazon review here.

3. Sex, Money, and Everything Else:

Who am I? What are my priorities? How do I make my actions match my values? You don’t think of it as a “Lenten”, but the Theology of the Body for Teens series will get your head on straight. Strong PG-13 warning. If your brain has been warped by the wider culture, this is the antidote. Not just for teens.

If you struggle with money problems, this book will not teach you how to budget, choose good investments, or pay off your house and credit card debt in ten easy steps. It will teach you how to put money into it’s proper place spiritually — how to live your vocation fully, and not let money get in the way of becoming the person God wants you to be.

–> If you don’t struggle with money, this the perfect book, because it uses the example of something you do understand (cash!), to help you then see how to address the vices and stumbling blocks that plague you in other areas of your life.

My original review of Why Enough is Never Enough is right here. I say the same thing only in more detail.

4. Proof that some people can watch TV without rotting their brains:

We’re not supposed to be gloomy when we fast and pray, right? Good spiritual reading, not how you’d expect it. Highly recommended. My Amazon review of Happy Catholic is here.

5. If you have a crush on Ronald Knox:

Msgr. Knox is who you read after you’ve sailed your way through Chesterton and CS Lewis, and are still hungry for more. He’s readable, and hilarious, but listen if you don’t say the same think about Lewis and GKC, forget it. If you are new to these authors, you can see a ton of GK Chesterton for free at the Christian Classics Etheral Library. [You do not need to love Chesterton’s longer fiction. Skip that. Skip skip skip.]

I can vouch for The Hidden Stream because I’ve read it and loved it. Currently in my reading pile is A Retreat for Lay People, which promises to be more of the same, but I’ve only just cracked the book. Also in my personal backlog is A Biblical Walk Through the Mass by Edward Sri, which comes very well-recommended but I can’t make any promises yet.

6. Because you aren’t dumb, and you don’t need big words to prove it:

I suspect Eric Sammons is smarter than almost anybody. But his book is written for normal people, and to prove it I tested my copy on the parish secretary, my ten-year-old, and the owner of my local Catholic bookstore. Who fell in love and next thing she knew it was the book club book for her shop, again attended by regular Catholics who just want to know more about God. Interesting, readable, well-written, can’t-go-wrong Lenten pick. It won’t feel penitential, it will help you grow closer to Christ. Great book. My original review of Who is Jesus Christ? is here.

7. Pure Popery Goodness for Everybody.

For normal people, I am told the book you want is Come Meet Jesus by Amy Welborn.

If you run to the geeky end of the spectrum, here are my reviews of The Apostles, Illustrated Edition and of The Fathers, either of which would make good Lenten reading if you are the right type.

For about seven people I know, The Doctors of the Church, which I’ve almost finished, would be just the thing. But don’t even think about touching Doctors until you are 100% at home with The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and have a firm grasp on the broad outline of Church history and the lives of the more well-known saints.

Normal people wanting a decent, approachable Catechism, don’t let the goofy name fool you, The Youcat is a great book.

***

That’s my list. What did I miss?

Curmudgeon Gets Comeuppance, Enjoys Cute-Jesus Book

Here’s my weird day:

1) Dropped kids off at Grandma’s house.

2) Stopped in at local Catholic bookstore to say hello to owner, give update on catechist booklet progress, pretend I was there to buy books.

2a) Of course I knew I’d find books to buy, so I wasn’t dissembling.

3) My friend Sarah Reinhard’s lenten booklet, Welcome Risen Jesus, was smack in the center of the Books-for-Lent display. Yay for Sarah!

4) Well it isn’t expensive, and my DRE will like it, so I pick up a copy.

5) I read it.

See, here’s the situation. Look at this cover:

Do you not see the problem? I’ll give you a second to observe.

Cute-Jesus.

I am a curmudgeon. I’ve been grumpy and old at least since the age of reason, and I expect much, much earlier than that. My favorite people in the world are 80-something and crotchety. [They keep dying. I have to make new friends pretty often. Luckily other people get promoted. There seems to be something magic about the big 8-0 that really brings out the critical thinking skills in a new way. It gets even better at 90, but not everyone makes it that far. The world can only bear so much common sense, I guess.]

My favorite weather is foggy. Silent. Nobody around. My religious art runs to icons and creepy gothic statuary. This is a book cover: Gargoyles.

I don’t do Cute-Jesus.

Happy? Okay sure. Friendly? Yes. I like people. Even cute people. Jesus loves cute people as much as He loves anyone else. But I would not see Cute-Jesus and think, “Look at that cover! There’s a book I need to read.”

And that’s awkward, because it turns out? It’s a book I need to read.

I should not have been surprised by this. I know Sarah R. Yes, she is undeniably cuter and perkier than me. But she’s on the mark. Head on straight, clear-thinking, no-holds-barred normal Catholic lady. Of course she’d write a great book. And if it takes Cute-Jesus to get her message into the hands of people who need it, bless those Liguori artists who make it happen.

I have commissioned my children to make a Curmudgeon-Approved stamp to put on the front of these types of things, to assist any of my readers who might have been likewise thrown off by the artwork. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know:

There’s a meditation for each day of Lent and the octave of Easter. Practical, no-nonsense Catholic spirituality.
Each day comes with a different suggested prayer, personal sacrifice, and act of charity.
I’d say it’s best suited to maybe ages 5-and-up.

The suggested sacrifices are very Thérèse. Don’t complain one day. Drink only water one day. Sleep without your pillow, and offer up your discomfort. I really really like the changing up of the sacrifices, because it gives some realistic focus for those of us who want to do everything, but actually we’d completely stink at even doing a couple things all Lent long.

It’s a Lent for normal people. I love it. I repent of ever thinking grumpy thoughts about cartoon-y Bible-story pictures.

Okay never mind I did not really repent I am not that holy. But seriously. Good book. 100% buy-recommend for readers who want some good solid achieveable Lenten goals, no saccharine, no goofiness, just reliable practical advice grounded in every thing that one particularly sensible parish priest you had* was trying to tell you all those years. You could cover it with some nice gargoyle stickers if that would help you.

UPDATE: The boy has applied the stamp of curmudgeon-approval:

*He’s 80 now. Or was for a while. Or looks younger but actually, yes, he’s fully grown-up on the inside, don’t let the smooth skin fool you.

3.5 Time Outs: Paying Attention

Thanks once again to our host Larry D. at Acts of the Apostasy, who is proof dark lords must have many skills.

There’s a short list of things I can only do with 100% concentration:

Clean my desk.
Order a new toner cartridge.
Read Pope Benedict.

I’m sure there are others, but those are the one’s I’ve noticed.

Which is why it is taking me 10,000 years to get my review done for this book:

So I’ll just tell you it’s a good book. At least, the first half is.

–> But last week, St. Alphonsus Liguori was our saint for the chapter for religious ed, and of course I knew he was going to rock, but I secretly thought he might be a boring saint, but look, he’s a Doctor of the Church, and hey I have this partly-read book and maybe he’s in it. Sure enough, yes, Liguori rocks. Seriously cool saint. Definite patron-to-catechists action going on.

Funny story though: I always research our saints because usually kids prefer a good re-telling with lots of dramatic (but censored) details, and I didn’t want to show up at class and just read from the textbook. But I told the kids to flip to the page in their book with the big picture so they’d have something to look at . . . and they just wanted to read aloud. So I let them.

Today I discovered one thing I can do with a steady flow of distraction and interruption: Work on the homeschooling book. Indeed, sitting on the couch staring at the backs of two children who have to be watched constantly in order to get their homework done? It practically inspires.

I think I can knock out a 1,000 words a day just between 11am and noon, after littles have been sent to recess, and I’m sitting there playing overseer to the big people.

3.5

The other thing I do to keep from going barking mad while kids are doing school homework and can’t really be left alone but also don’t need help the whole time? Mindless cleaning jobs.

Which is how I finally got around to asking what I’d started to ask last time I attempted to clean the porch: “Why do we have a bread bag full of dirt stuffed in a pillowcase?”

7 Quick Takes: Nday Ithway Ouryay Iritspay

7 Quick Takes Post-It Notes — Look! The Post-It Notes! I Finally Remembered! Click to see 7 x 77 Quick Takes

Resisted the urge to flee to 3.5 Time Outs, which would have been more realistic, except that Tuesdays aren’t any better than Fridays. Due to the plague, I didn’t see it until Thursday anyway.

Dear Son Whom I Love,

Please do not make fake retching noises while you do your homework.

Sincerely,

The Person Who Assigns Grades.

An Advent novel! Back before we had kids, SuperHusband observed that among his colleagues, the parents of young children were constantly getting sick. Now we have young children. So I use these special parenthood moments to catch up on my homeschooling reading. Which is why I read The Bronze Bow this week while other responsible adults were doing things like going around upright, and speaking without coughing. It’s Mr. Boy’s new literature selection.

And wow, a good book! If you haven’t read it, it is awesome, and I mean that with all the italics of a crazy person, awesome Advent reading. Highly recommended.

I went ahead and bought the Kolbe literature questions. Pretty useful, and not a bad deal for what will be about a collective decade worth of literature for my kids. And I thought, “Hey, how cool, reproducibles!” So I made copies. And then just to be sure before I posted on the blog something like, “Hey, how cool, reproducibles!” I double-checked. Oooh. Noooo. Red all-caps on the back cover: IT IS ILLEGAL TO PHOTOCOPY THIS BOOK.

So I guess I’ll chain it to a desk and bookmark the pages select children (who cannot be trusted with a book — see “retching noises” above) need to view.

Grumble grumble. Publishers trying to make a living. What, they need to eat or something??

Here’s what happens when you foolishly invite an SCA friend (who said, “I was thinking of coming to your church”) to come to your church: The choir director chooses a 9th Century hymn for communion. Ours didn’t sound as impressive as the link (whose does?), plus it was in English (full disclosure: English is one of my favorite languages), but that did not stop me from pointing to the note at the bottom of the hymnal and whispering, “Look! 9th Century!”

So if I get fired, that’s why.

(PS: It isn’t just me. My friend says she kept noticing the Byzantine scrollwork on the Catholic Update pew cards with all the translation changes. I believe good art may be a near occasion of sin for us.)

Out on the playground after mass, discussing the new translation with a different friend, a realization: To be Catholic is to complain.

–> If we were Protestant, we’d take our protesting seriously and go start our own church. Instead we stick around. And that, I think, is why Catholics have such a well-developed Theology of Suffering. We live with each other.

(Ever notice the heavy emphasis on Not Complaining in the lives of saints? It is as if the writers of these things wish to inspire us to heroic silence. Apparently one could be canonized, even declared a Doctor of the Church, if only the art of Not Complaining were practiced wholeheartedly.)

Don’t forget to pray for Allie Hathaway.

Dear Son Whom I Love,

There is no approved translation of the Roman Missal into Pig Latin. Nor will there ever be. Stop. Now.

Sincerely,

The Person Upon Whom You Depend For Room And Board.

5.2

So what if I gave up complaining?

Wipe that smirk off your mouth.

Seriously. Do you know someone who isn’t a Doctor of the Church, but pulled it off anyway? Even half the time? What do you do when someone asks your opinion of, oh, you know, something? Do you say, “I’d tell you except that I gave up complaining for Advent?” Or maybe you just pinch the baby or drop a vase or do something to change the subject?

Smirk. Off.

7 Quick Takes: Things That I Like

This makes two weeks in a row. Bizarre internet writing goals. Feels like the time I almost starting wearing lip gloss every day as a Lenten penance.

I got all intellectual and selected a Pope Book for my new Catholic Company review item. Checked the mailbox every day. It took FOUR DAYS. I learn perseverance and patience this way.

So far so good. It is much easier to read a B16 talk written for normal people, than to read what he writes when left to sit down alone in some quiet place for a very long time. I think as a general rule, theologians should not be left unsupervised.

I can’t wait to get to say “Consubstantial” on Sunday. I know, I already blogged about that the other day. I am so excited it’s silly. And look, Pope Quote from new book, just in time for the head-scratching during the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. [As apparently it is called? I guess “Nicene” Creed is just a nickname?]:

In this fundamental text — which expresses the faith of the undivided Church and which we also recite today, every Sunday, in the Eucharistic celebration — the Greek term homoousios is featured, in Latin consubstantialis: it means that the Son, the Logos, is “of the same substance” as the Father, he is God of God, he is his substance. Thus, the full divinity of the Son, which was denied by the Arians, was brought into the limelight.

[Italics in the original, typos all mine. The one thing I don’t like about this new look here on the blog is that all the italicized words are bumped up a font size. I may need to re-decorate. But it is teaching me not to italicize like a crazy person*.]

I keep being surprised by how much I like to write. I am always thinking I ought to swear it off and do something useful for a change. And then I end up back at it again.

I re-wrote the catechist booklet proposal this week. Marked it up with the pen of death. I need to put in the last couple changes, re-proof, and stupid-check it with a friend or two. Hopefully get the green light from People Who Want Me Not To Embarrass Myself That Much, and submit to publisher #1. It’s a great booklet that test readers are impatient to see on the market, but that doesn’t guarantee it will fit anyone’s publishing plans for the year ahead. We’ll see.

Dear Man Whom I Love,

I am the person who has been cooking that food you find waiting for you at 6pm when you get home from work. All by myself with no help. It is not necessary to spend your holiday weekend hovering near the stove and running to me nervously every time you hear a beeping sound.

Sincerely,

The Person Who Arranges All Those Other Hobbies For You.

Our Advent Countdown Schedule:

Friday: Clean out the house. Including Deskavation.

Saturday: Advent Decorating and Other Things We Want To Do.

Sunday: Consubstantial! Under My Roof! And With Your Spirit!

I can’t wait.

I managed to think up 20% more quick takes than last week. Unless you disqualify the double-posting on consubstantial, in which case I’m holding steady with a solid C- / D+, depending on your grading scale.

*Long ago while working in state goverment, my department used to get letters from real live crazy people. The kind who make up fake legal documents and genuinely believe they are real. We pretended to file them as requested. Crazy people italicize. Very much.

Think eternally, shop locally

Sarah R. on Reasons to Support Your Local Catholic Bookstore.

Yes. Yes.

If there is not a local store you are able to shop at, mail order is the next best thing. For that reason, I’m 100% behind all catholic retailers. But you’ve got to support your local shop, because they do a work the mail-order folks can’t do. Mine:

Provides real live friendly clerks to answer questions about the faith from passersby.
Opens a whole world of catholic thought to people who just stopped in a for a first-communion card.
Lets you look at the books! It’s way easier to size up a book in person than on the pc.
Supports local catholic events with a bookshop presence.
Turns out for parish sales, allowing Catholics who would never even know great Catholic books exist to browse at their leisure.
Provides a venue for authors to sell books and meet readers.
Offers free book study courses — authentic, faithfully Catholic religious ed that reaches an audience your parish may not be equipped to teach.

This is not a profit-making venture. No one is getting rich stocking GKC and nun-of-the-month calendars. Book stores have miserable margins, small dealers face higher costs than the big guys, and the Catholic niche is tiny. These shops are run as a ministry.

If you knew your parish religious education program was evangelizing hundreds of non-Catholics and fallen-away Catholics, wouldn’t you put a few bucks into the special collection for that ministry?

If your parish had a full-time staff person whose only job was to answer questions about the faith from people too shy to darken the door of a church, don’t you think a little contribution towards that person’s puny salary would be in order?

Support your local Catholic bookstore.

***********************************

Here are the ones I know about in my corner of the universe:

St. Anthony’s in Greenville and Spartanburg

St. Francis Shop in Columbia

Pauline Books and Media in Charleston

UPDATED to add:

Queen of Peace Bookstore in Vancouver, WA

If you know of others, please add them in the combox. Or write a post with your own links.

Booklet Review: The Mass Explained for Kids

The Mass Explained for Kids is my latest Catholic Company review item, and as usual it is a good one. I’ll cut to the chase: This is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to make sense of the Mass.

What it is: A short, affordable booklet from Pauline Press that walks through the new translation of the Mass. Even-numbered pages contain the text of the Mass and all the necessary instructions (sit, stand, kneel, rise, bow, beat chest, ~~shut up~~ priest says . . ., etc.). On the facing page are notes explaining what is happening, what difficult vocabulary words mean, and all kinds of other useful information.

Why I like it:

I’m always looking for a good Missal to give to non-Catholic grown-ups who come to Mass, that makes it easy to follow along. This one wouldn’t stand out as a kid’s book, if you put a sticker over the “for kids” on the cover. At $1.95 retail, you can afford to send them home with your guests as souvenirs. It would be pretty easy to put post-it notes at key places when your guest needs to pick up the hymnal.
The explanations are great. Tons of good info. But the format makes it easy to read as much as your brain can take, and leave the rest for another day.
There are definitions or explanations for all the new words showing up with the new translation (“consubstantial”, “incarnate”, etc.). In addition, all the changes are in bold face.

Who is it for? People who can read pretty well. Other than the cover art, there are no pictures. All the explanations are written clearly, and my very average-reading 4th grader says she had no difficulty understanding them. But you do need to be ready to tackle big words and gather useful information from your reading. Words like “epiclesis” and “anamnesis” have pronunciations (“ep-ih-CLEE-sis” and “an-am-NEE-sis”).

Useful for catechists? Absolutely. The format makes it super easy to find the info you need for class, and the explanations are already translated into plain English. Much easier than tearing through a pile of Scott Hahn books trying to remember where you found that quote that one time, and/or trying to translate The Catechism into something ordinary mortals can understand. Plus I learned some things I didn’t know.

Other important info: It’s 5.5″ x 8.5″, with a flexible heavy-paper cover, very trim, so designed to be stuffed into your purse in doled out during Mass. But note the cover is not paperboard, so don’t let the baby put it in her mouth. Also there’s some info about the Daughters of St. Paul in the back, who have got to have the coolest charism in the universe. Nuns that run bookstores and a publishing company. How awesome is that?

****************************************************************

Thanks to the Catholic Company for filling the mailboxes of bloggers with excellent products; this one is coming to Mass with us this Advent, no question about it. In addition to asking for an honest review (check), our sponsor would like me to also tell you that if you need a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible, they sell those too.

Book Review – Emporer of North America

John McNichol kindly sent me a review copy of his new Young GKC book, and I keep forgetting that I still have not posted a full review. I also keep forgetting to get Mr. Boy to write his review. Mine is here for you now.

What it is: Emperor of North America is the second in the series, following Tripods Attack. It’s an alternative history in which Young GK Chesterton is an American trying to make it as a journalist in steampunk England. In book one, Martians invade. In book two, Martians are back to Mars (for now?), but there is big trouble from a certain earthling who’s gotten hold of martian technology. If I were to give it a sub-genre, I’d vote “fast-paced epic catholic action-adventure alternate history”.

Who reads it: Mr. Boy was, my goodness, eight? really?, when he read the first book. Thereabouts. He’s not a normal reader. I’d vote 10-11 is the earliest normal boy age, or whenever your child picks up Lord of the Rings and won’t put it down. Target audience is middle school and up. [Young GKC doesn’t require nearly the endurance you’d need for epic Tolkien. You do need to be able to read big words and keep track of a complex plot, but the writing is very action-packed, doesn’t bog down at all.] Grown-ups who enjoy a good story will find plenty of fodder for the intellect — GKC quotes, literary references, and of course trying to figure out the intrigue.

Mature Content Rating: Mild PG for the violence. Language is clean (expletives like “blast!”, and all sorts of genuinely colorful but never off-color insults). The romance and discussions of romance are clean as you could manage and still get close enough to kiss; my 11-year-old tells me he just skips those parts anyway, which are written for young men who think girls are no longer gross. The evil violence is chilling, but there’s no lingering on graphic descriptions, and despite the intensity of the opening pages, the overall proportion of such scenes throughout the book is modest. (FYI, the alien scenes in Tripods are super gross. Not for squeamish middle-aged ladies. But no trouble for boys.) There’s a couple of bar scenes, including a cautionary tale about drunkenness.

What if steampunk and/or sci-fi are not my genre? The GKC is awesome. McNichol recreates young GKC superbly. The other historical and literary references are just as good, and fun to figure out. Some have, like GKC, an alternate past, and I was especially impressed with how McNichol nailed the “What if _________ hadn’t _________?” with one of the main characters. Just perfect. Loved it.

[FYI: All my friends love sci-fi, but I think it is kind of boring. I do not find this series boring, not for a second. More like, “fighting with my son over who gets to read it first,” and “I know I should go to bed, but . . . .” My taste in fiction runs to Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, Jane Austen, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, etc. And Wodehouse, of course. If you sort of mash those together, the young GKC series fits right in.]

What if GK Chesterton and literary puzzlers are not my genre? There’s spaceships. Giant robots. Chase scenes. Intrigue. Mysterious pasts. John McNichol is really good at writing action. And bad guys. I’m going to see if I can’t beg him to teach a class on writing bad guys at the next CWG online conference.

Who shouldn’t read this book? People who have to be so serious about everything. Also if you can’t stand genre fiction.

I heard it is ‘preachy’. Um, no. Catholic? Yes. I suppose it’s one of the troubles with a book written by a guy who teaches middle school — normal teens talk about love, God, angels, apparitions, all that stuff. It’s only adults who think these things are taboo. I *think* non-Catholics who are comfortable with Catholic characters being noticeably Catholic should be okay; someone correct me if you disagree, I haven’t read it with a protestant lens on. [I’ll post an update on that if need be.] Most of the could-be-preachy stuff is things like “what’s the difference between love and infatuation?” or “is religion merely a crutch for the despicable weak?” — topics of general interest, not strictly Catholic.

Final Recommendation? I give it a ‘buy’ recommend if there’s room in your book budget and the genre sounds at all interesting. It’s very readable, and McNichol has the keep-the-plot-moving thing down pat. I do strongly recommend you buy both in the series if you haven’t already read Tripods.

Where to get your copy: Barnes and Noble has Emperor of North America in stock in paperback and Nook version, and Tripods Attack in paperback. Amazon has Emperor in paperback and Kindle version, take a look at the Kindle preview to get started on the story and see if you want to buy. Amazon has Tripods in the Kindle version, and again the Kindle preview is your reality-check.

Sophia originally published Tripods, and I see they have it back in stock in paperback. This has brought back down used prices, which had briefly gone silly-high — shop around on B&N and Amazon if your budget is tight, ignore the weird artifacts floating in the cybermall. Bezalel is the publisher for Emperor, and you can buy the print version direct on their site. (As I write, Bezalel is offering free shipping on McNichol’s book — nice!)

Aquinas & More has copies of Tripods in stock (paperback — and you can add it to your wedding or ordination registry, I love that), and so does The Catholic Company (no registry, write Santa I guess). But if you love all that is good and true, of course you will first ask if it can’t be stocked via your local Catholic bookstore. They can order these things, you know.

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Things you need to know re: the famous ‘full disclosure’: I’m a total Tripods/Emperor groupie. The kind of person who gathers up godchildren and treks across town to get a book signed, and totally thinks that is the highlight of a trip to the Pacific Northwest. The whole “my niece is being confirmed” was just a pretext — I mean, yes, sacraments were administered, relatives visited, every good thing. But wow! A signed copy! Yes! Pizza with Author & Family! Woohoo! Also John writes for the Catholic Writers Guild blog, and generally gives evidence of being a Pretty Nice Guy. But you may recall from ancient blog history that I liked the first book long before I had any reason to like the author.

The Bad Catholic’s Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins

This:

Is a good book.

Also a near occasion of sin. Recommended.

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