Closing Up Shop

I find I am just so overwhelmed with school work, a 1 year old and one due in a few months. I am just going to stop posting her and will only update my other blog, Book Reviews and More. The few posts that are here that do not show up there I will migrate over the next few days. And then I am going to just let this blog go fallow. It started because I had some readers of my Christian reviews who wanted to only read those reviews. Some of that readership has wained over the two years I have been blogging as I have focused more and more on my Catholic heritage. Now I find just keeping up new content on one blog is a stretch. So Thanks for dropping by, but if you want to stay up to date with my reviews or read my current stuff drop by BRAM and take a look.

So, so long and thanks for all the fish on fridays!

Peace and Strength!
Yours, learning to be
Steven R. McEvoy

http://mcevoysmusings.ca My Homepage
http://bookreviewsandmore.ca My Blog

"Among all the aims of our lives, there is only one which is truly necessary: it is to reach the goal which God has set for us; to attain to heaven, by living our own individual vocation to the full. In order to achieve this we have to be ready to lose everything else, to clear away anything which would obstruct our way. Everything must be a means for reaching God, and if anything whatever proves not to be a means but an obstacle, then we must put it right or give it up in sacrifice."
-Francis Fernandez
-In Conversation With God Vol #1 p.121

Catholic Carnival 136 - School Daze

The Carnival is up at 'Mommy Monster Inc.' this week's is called 'school daze' It is large and it is good. It almost seams that everybody showed up for the pregame bbq. There are some amazing posts this week, so be sure to check them out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

In Conversation With God: Volume #4: Ordinary Time: Weeks 13-23 By: Francis Fernandez Carvajal

In Conversation With God
Volume #4: Ordinary Time: Weeks 13-23
By: Francis Fernandez
ISBN 090613823X
Scepter Press
7 Volume Set
ISBN 0906138191

When I started writing the reviews of this series last year, I did not think it would be that hard to write separate reviews on each book in the series. I think the books are awesome and would benefit any Christian in their spiritual life. The volumes that deal with special feasts or Easter & Christmas were easy to write about. But the volumes covering ordinary time are much harder to write about, so see my write-up below about the series as a whole, or check out some of the specific reviews linked below. And God bless.

Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.

About the Complete Series:

The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.

This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.

There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.

The 7 Volume's are:
Volume #1 Advent and Christmastide
Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide
Volume #3 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-12
Volume #4 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-23
Volume #5 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-34
Volume #6 Special Feasts January-June
Volume #7 Special Feats July -December

Complete Set 7 Volumes

Catholic Carnival 136

The Carnival is up at 'just another day of Catholic pondering' this week's is called 'Catholic Carnival 136! Game Day!' It is large and it is good. It almost seams that everybody showed up for the pregame bbq. There are some amazing posts this week, so be sure to check them out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

Sad News Weekend

It has been a weekend of sad new. Madeleine L'Engle has passed away at the age of 88. L'Engle most known for her two Newbury Award winning children's books, also wrote adult fiction, theology and poetry. I had the opportunity to meet her at a conference a few years back and found her as delightful and charming as many of her characters. I have to date only read 31 of her books and can say I enjoyed each of them. L'Engle's books have inspired children and adults alike. She was often on the forefront of pushing the limits in confronting social issues. Many Waters raises questions about Women in Old Testament narratives, A Live Coal in the Sea deals with a male victim of sexual abuse. She was a creative and literary genius who will be missed by many.

Another genius Kathy Shaidle has closed the lid on her 7 year old blog relapsedcatholic.com fortunately for use she has started a new one Five Feet of Fury to continue her daily postings and to raise many questions that need to be asked. Hopefully her genius and creativity will be with us for years to come.

2nd Anniversary of my first blog.

I have written a post about the 2nd Anniversary of my primary blog. stop by and check out my rambling attempt to explain the past two years of my life. This blog is just the Christian or specifically Catholic book reviews pulled out from that blog for those readers who wanted just the spiritual stuff.

Sacred Visions Ed: Andrew M. Greeley & Michael Cassutt

Sacred Visions
Edited by Andrew M. Greeley and Michael Cassutt
TOR
ISBN 0312851731

I have found that it is hard to review a collection of writings from different authors. In part, because it can be trite to state which is your favorite story and which is your least. It is also unfair to compare the writing styles of the different authors. Collections serve a variety of purposes; the first is to give you samples of a number of authors' writings, and the second is often that those writings are grouped by type or style or purpose. This collection fits both categories. It is a collection from 12 authors writing about the universal questions of faith and ethics, within a Catholic context and of a science fiction of fantasy theme. Four of the pieces were specifically commissioned for this volume and the other eight are classics of Science Fiction, including the short story form of two award winning novels.

• The works included are:
• Gus - Jack McDevitt
• The Pope of the Chimps - Robert Silverberg
• Curious Elation - Michael Cassutt
• Trinity - Nancy Kress
• Saint Theresa of the Aliens - James Patrick Kelly
• Our Lady of the Endless Sky - Jeff Duntemann
• The Seraph from Its Sepulcher - Gene Wolfe
• A Case of Conscience - James Blish
• Xorinda the Witch - Andrew M. Greeley
• A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr.
• The Quest for Saint Aquin - Anthony Boucher
• And Walk Now Gently Through the Fire - R.A. Lafferty

I first read this book years ago. Now I pick it up from time to time and randomly read stories. The stories are varied and powerful; they will evoke emotions, faith, doubt and awe.

This collection is some of the best religious science fiction I have ever read. It will be a good read for any Catholic, or a Christian who would like a different look into the Catholic faith. It will also be a good read for fans of science fiction, for some of the works included are considered masterpieces in the genre.

Catholic Carnival 135

The Carnival is up at 'A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars' this week is simply called 'Catholic Carnival 135'! A great is somewhat smaller than normal Carnival, maybe everyone is busy with back to school.

I feel like a cad but I have missed the last 5 Carnivals, I also did not get any blogging done in that time frame.Sorry to all the bloggers who put the time and effort into the carnivals. Here they are:
Catholic Carnival 134
Catholic Carnival 133
Catholic Carnival 132
Catholic Carnival 131 A Delayed Work in Progress
Catholic Carnival 130

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

The Valiant Papers by: Calvin Miller

The Valiant Papers
Calvin Miller
Zondervan
ISBN 0310292913

This book looks from the cover like it would be part of Singer Trilogy from its unusual shape (4 ½ X 8 ½ inches) and pen and ink drawings on the cover and throughout the book. Yet it is written in a completely different style.

Instead of being a narrative poem, it is the story of a life - the story of a life told from the perspective of the person's guardian angel. The story is written as though it were true, and Miller found this strange manuscript that disappeared as he copied it.

The book chronicles the life of a businessman who lives an unsavory lifestyle, until just before the end when he becomes a Christian. It tells of the changes he attempts to make in his life, both the successes and the failures.

It is an interesting read. Yet I doubt the 'Angelic' perspective in the book. The Angel seems too whiny and human to have been an angel and the actual author of the book. I would state that it is an OK book by an author who has achieved greatness in some of his other writings.

Other Miller Books:
The Singer
The Song
The Finale
The Valiant Papers
The Philippian Fragment (Currently OP)

The Least Among Us by Martin O'Shea & Tony Wright

The Least Among Us
Martin O'Shea & Tony Wright
Ascendant Press
ISBN 0955294509

I must admit I do not read a lot of graphic novels. Nor do I read comics all that much anymore. I was asked if I wanted to review this one, and thought I would give it a try. I have read it a few times, because I do not like to give negative reviews, yet with that said, this book has strengths and weaknesses.

The artwork is great. The variety of frames used, and styles is both visually pleasing and easy to read. Some of the graphics, especially of the inside of churches, would make amazing posters or prints.

The story on the other hand is a little confusing. Is the intent of the book to say that the church covers up sexual abuse, or that Christians should all be vegetarians and involved with animal rights, or that Catholics are not good Christians? The story seemed incomplete; I felt like I started a book in the middle and got to the end to find out that it was missing the last pages.

I find I cannot say what the story was really about because I could not figure it out for sure. If more volumes become available I would pick them up for the artwork and see if the intent of the story becomes clearer.

I would give the book 5 out of 5 for the artwork and 2 out of 5 for the story.

Catholic Carnival 129

The Carnival is up at 'Living Catholicism' this week is 'Prayer . . . and Spring Break' Check it out!

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

Free Ebooks from S. William Shaw

S. William Shaw is running a promotion at his blog that I think you should take him up on. He is currently offering free ebook version of both of his books The Santa Mysteries and Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato.

I have read both and can highly recommend each of them. I reviewed Sherman Oak a while back. And am publishing a review of The Santa's Mysteries next week in the Imprint.

So stop by his blog and request the ebook's, they will be great for reading from a palm or pdq while traveling this summer as a family.

swilliamshaw.com

The books will leave you waiting for more of his books to become available!