CWG Book Review-o-Rama by Karina Fabian

One of the great things about the Catholic Writers Conference Live is getting books from authors…and knowing those authors are friends.  One of the worst things is catching up on the HUGE pile that I bring home in the suitcase.  I’m not much of a reviewer. I know what I like and if the book doesn’t click with me, I don’t take time to analyze or give it a second chance. I move on.  As a result, my reviews tend to be short and of the “this is why I liked it” variety. Having said that, here are three books I received during CWCL that I loved:

God’s Bucket List by Teresa Tomeo:  Theresa wrote this reflecting on her own crisis time, when her career was falling apart—or more accurately, metamorphosing—and as a result, it’s a great book for those in middle age. However, it’s also an excellent book for someone in their 20s, who is on the cusp of entering the real world of career and family. Teresa gives strong, insightful, spiritual and most of all USEFUL advice for finding a path that gives you a fulfilled life on earth as well as in heaven.  Read it, and pass it on to your college-age kids.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Erin McCole Cupp:  I really need to stop saying something isn’t my genre, because my friends keep proving me wrong.  Case in point: Erin.  Sorry, sweetie, I promised to read your book because we were having such a good time at the booth, but I wasn’t sure I would like it.  I’m so glad you proved me wrong.  It was delightful.  The plot had plenty of twists but you tied them in so well together, I didn’t see them coming as I read, but looking back, I could say, “Oh!”  I liked the characters and the setting was described enough to get me into it without making me want to skip paragraphs.  Erin, I want the next one.  Surprise me again!

The Girl Who Learned to Kneel by Sr. Patricia McCarthy: Having read about Edith Stein for a series of articles I wrote, I got caught up in the story of Etty Hillesum, a Jewess in Nazi Occupied Holland. She seemed to have started out in a secular humanist crowd in college, but one day gave into the urge to kneel and pray, and that changed her life and how she handled everything. This is a small book and Patricia writes it something like a book report, but that in no way takes away from the power of Etty’s story of finding faith and developing a bright, loving relationship with God in the middle of a dark and hateful time. If you are looking for a fast, Inspiring read, then pick it up.

Palace of the Twelve Pillars by Chris Weigand:  I need to get this one on my son’s Kindle. Did you grow up on fairy tales of the good prince and the bad prince? Here’s one written for the more modern reader, with more adventure, but still the same sound principles. I did feel in the start of the book that the bad brother was a little too obviously bad and the good brother too obviously good, but I did find myself thinking about them now and again even after I put the book down. And (a total aside) the covers are amazing.  I get serious cover envy when I see them.
There are more books on my pile still, and who knows if I’ll get through them all before next CWCL. However, it is a joy to have good friends who are also great writers.