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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Looking for Gift Ideas for the Book Lover in Your Life?

I love to read! Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, lives of the saints, history, mystery. Nothing pleases me more (besides cuddling with my grandchildren) than wrapping myself in a blanket with a cup of tea and a good book. So here are a few suggestions for Christmas presents for the book lover in your life:

My Battle against Hitler by Dietrich von Hildebrand -- The von Hildebrand Project is offering a special -- $10 off and free shipping. The price makes it $2 cheaper than Amazon with free shipping thrown in. Can't beat that! Go here for the deal.

Windows into the Life of a Priest by Fr. Robert Lange --
lovely little book that would be great for the high school and college students in your life. Are you wondering how to keep your kids Catholic? Walking in the footsteps of a priest who struggled with many difficulties in his life may be just the inspiration to help them experience the love of Christ and His Mother Mary. Available at Amazon

St. Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset -- My husband and I recently listened to this wonderful biography on our trip to Texas. It is based on primary sources and is a gripping story! Catherine was an amazing person who dedicated her life totally to Christ. Like Padre Pio, she battled the devil first hand and wasn't afraid to take on politicians or popes to achieve peace and unity among people. I've purchased the book and plan to read it (Listening to a book and reading it are such different experiences.).

There's plenty of good Catholic fiction out there as well. If you've never read Father Elijah by Michael O'Brien, it's an exciting apocalyptic tale. His Children of the Last Days trilogy is also excellent, especially the first, Strangers and Sojourners.

I recently read a Catholic novel by T. J. Doran, Toward the Gleam. that is both a mystery and an adventure. As I read on I realized that the hero was walking in familiar territory with some literary greats. Half the fun of reading was recognizing the characters helping to sort out the puzzle. And along the hero's journey are many obstacles and frightening encounters to prickle the spine. It's a great novel for any adult or older teen.

Have you ever read G.K. Chesterton's fiction? Many people are familiar with Fr. Brown, but Chesterton wrote other novels as well. I'm still puzzling over the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday, but I particularly enjoyed The Ball and the Cross and Manalive.  (At $4.95 Manalive is a real bargain!) Besides Fr. Brown, Chesterton created another sleuth named Horne Fisher whose adventures appear in The Man Who Knew Too Much. He is a particularly fascinating detective! I downloaded the book to my Kindle for free. You certainly can't beat that price! Some people find Chesterton's non-fiction difficult, so introducing friends to him through his fiction is a good starting point.

What favorite books can you recommend for Christmas?







2 comments:

  1. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson.

    All of Larson's books are excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not familiar with Erik Larson. I will look forward to becoming acquainted. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete