An Open Book: January 2025 Reads

The new year is quickly slipping by and it has been pretty intense so far-so I'm doing some rapid-fire reviews from January's books (let's see how long my baby stays happy so I can type haha!). I think the coherent theme of January's books is "Books I'd Been Meaning to Read for A While."  I'm linking up with An Open Book; let's dive in! 

Wake of Malice, by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Hugh Buckley, a reporter, is sent from early 20th century London to his home county of Ireland to cover some of the events that have been taking place over there. A Jesuit priest has been charged with embezzlement, and talk about "black magic" and murder has been slipping across the countryside. Hugh quickly finds himself swept up in a wild adventure that brings together folklore, zombies, and everyone's favorite punning Dominican friary, Fr. Thomas Edmund Gilroy (see: Brother Wolf and A Bloody Habit). This book was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Actually, out of the three books that feature Fr. TEG, I think this one might be my favorite (although I love the other two). The setting is just utterly delightful and wonderful. 

Donkey Bells, by Catherine Doherty

This is a short book of reflections and stories about Advent and Christmastime, gathered from the writings of Catherine Doherty. I really loved the gentleness and simplicity in these, and especially loved the story about "donkey bells" (and kind of want to use that idea in the future...maybe!). This is a great resource-especially for people who love Catherine Doherty's writings-and I really look forward to going through this again next year. 

In the Footprints of Loneliness, by Catherine Doherty

This is a book of Catherine Doherty's reflections and meditations on loneliness and living a life of holiness. All of the reflections are very short but can easily lead to longer, deeper personal prayer and meditation. I particularly loved her thought that "loneliness is the midwife to creativity." There is so much in here to ponder, and this is definitely one that I'll be revisiting (though to be honest, I do that with all of my Catherine Doherty books!).

A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt

I've somehow never seen this movie or read the play, so I'm glad I finally picked this up. A Man for All Seasons follows St. Thomas More as he navigates his relationship with King Henry VIII and their conflicting thoughts on King Henry's marriage. I like how this play takes the conflict and places it within the context of the life St. Thomas More lived and his other relationships-the different characters all bring interesting dynamics to the story and conflict. This was really interesting and makes me want to watch the movie sometime! I think this play (and the movie) could be great for discussion (*future homeschooling activity with my kids???). 

Love in the Eternal City, by Rebecca W. Martin

Following a breakup and betrayal, Elena travels to Rome to dive into a new job, immerse herself in a new life, and heal from trauma. She winds up meeting a man who serves in the Swiss Guard (and his delightful sister) and begins exploring Rome and the possibilities found in friendship-all the while haunted by the past events in her life. Not only that, but there's a Vatican spymaster and lots of gelato along the way ;) Not only that, but there are some great action scenes and fantastic bits of intrigue and suspense. This is a super fun romance novel, while also having some deep character growth. It was really well done and I enjoyed it! 

To Crown with Liberty, by Karen Ullo

Set in the 18th century surrounding the events of the French Revolution, this novel follows Alix, a young noblewoman who tries to find a new life in Spanish-owned Louisiana. The novel moves between two timelines: Alix's past life in France, and her new life in Louisiana. Slowly, the tension and pieces of her story fall into place. This book was wonderful. I love how deftly the author wove together French history, riveting characters and conflicts, and a story that kept me guessing. It was really good, and the nerdy part of me loved the author's historical note at the end. 

Weigh the Odds, by Corinna Turner 

This short novel (a rather dystopian setting with dinosaurs!) follows a teenager named Josh once he's released from jail. Josh needs to bury a deceased friend's remains and help a couple other friends reunite with their father-but his plans are complicated when an old foe shows up. Josh finds himself not only having to content with the brutal and determined Seb, but also has to battle forces of nature-like the weather and dinosaurs. This is part of a series and I hadn't read the prior books, so I didn't have all the background on the characters. I very quickly grew engrossed in the story, though, and the utter suspense kept me glued to the page. It was really exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed it-and I also like how the author included some moral dilemmas throughout the story, too. This book makes me want to pick up the rest of the series sometime-and it's one I definitely want to share with my kids when they are older!

Thanks so much for joining me this month! I am pretty swamped with reading material at the moment, but I would love any and all recommendations as I continue mapping out what I'd like to read in the coming months :)