Author: Deacon Nick

Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson

Book Review / Books and Reading

Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson

‘In olden time,’ said Hugi, ‘richt after the Fall, nigh everything were Chaos, see ye. But step by step ’tis been driven back. The longest step was when the Saviour lived on earth, for then naught o’ darkness could stand…’ Three Hearts and Three Lions is one of those classic heroic fantasy novels that satisfies on almost every level. Published originally in 1953 and expanded in 1961, it tells the story of Holger Carlsen, an engineer from Denmark who is suddenly transported from a World War II battlefield...

The House on the Borderland

Book Review / Books and Reading

Classics Club Book #2: The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

The House on the Borderland is an eerie novel that ultimately leaves many questions unanswered. Written in 1908, it is often cited as an influence on writers like H.P. Lovecraft and Terry Pratchett, and it is listed in Fantasy: The 100 Best Books, edited by James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock. It also becomes my second finished book in the Classics Club Challenge. I really wanted this book to be good. The beginning starts off promising: two men on a fishing holiday in a remote part of Ireland discover...

Nonfiction November

Books and Reading

Nonfiction November Week 1

Nonfiction November looks like a fun event to participate in, plus it gives me an incentive to keep writing, so count me in. Here is this week’s discussion prompt: Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of...

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

Book Review / Books and Reading

Classics Club Book #1: The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

Strange to say, although in times of immediate danger, in face of an enemy, the image of death always breathed new spirit into him and filled him with angry courage, the same image appearing to him in the silence of the night, in the safety of his own castle, afflicted him with sudden dismay. For this time it was not death at the hands of a mortal like himself that threatened him; not a death that could be driven off by better weapons or a quicker hand. It...

Classic Books

Books and Reading

50 Classic Books in 5 Years for My 50th Birthday

Since today is my 50th birthday, I thought I would start my next 50 years off right by joining the Classics Club and committing to read 50 classic novels by October 25, 2021. The idea behind the club is to read at least 50 classic books within five years, and to blog about each one. My main purpose in this project is to read more books from my Summary of Great Books Lists and my Catholic Classics List. I’ve selected books from those two lists along with a...

Ship in Stormy Sea by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

Books and Reading

Don’t Miss These Ice Waves, Nautical Paintings and More from the Aubrey-Maturin Appreciation Society

The amazing videos and links below come from one of my favorite Facebook groups. If you’re a fellow Patrick O’Brian fan and you’re not a member of the Aubrey-Maturin Appreciation Society on Facebook, you’re missing out on good fellowship, discussion, and amazing shared content. The group is for those of us who have read most or all of the Aubrey/Maturin books. From the group’s description: From Master & Commander through to the 21st incomplete instalment, this group is for those who have shared in the long ocean voyages,...

The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) by Alessandro Manzoni

Books and Reading

Reading The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

I’ve been enjoying The Betrothed in a mellow sort of way, the way one enjoys a beer or glass of wine. Rather than gulping it down, I’ve been taking it in small sips. It’s that kind of book. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni is one of the books on my Catholic Classics Reading List. It appears in Fr. John Hardon’s Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan, in Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages, and it is number 94 in Daniel Burt’s The Novel 100: A Ranking of...

St. Luke icon

Spirituality

Life without St. Luke?

As I was thinking about today’s Feast of St. Luke, I began noting all the events we wouldn’t know about if not for his writings. Imagine what would be missing from our understanding of the Faith if we didn’t have The Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles: The Birth of John the Baptist The Annunciation and the Visitation The Magnifcat and the Canticle of Zechariah The Parable of the Good Samaritan The Parable of the Prodigal Son The Emmaus Encounter Pentecost The Martyrdom of St. Stephen...

Used Book Store

Books and Reading

Transform Your Life for Less Than the Cost of a Cup of Coffee

When I was younger I didn’t have a lot of money. But I always had enough to afford a book. I could always ride my bike to the used book store and find something interesting, something potentially life-changing, for a dollar or two. There are many ways to spend money on transformative experiences: travel, college, spiritual retreats. But for sheer cost-to-impact ratio, nothing beats a book. A good book is the best bargain in transforming one’s life. But don’t take my word for it. Check out how books...

Moses and Amalekites

Homily

C.S. Lewis, Joy, and Persistent Prayer: Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

The dramatic scene from the first reading, with Moses raising the staff of God during battle, and Joshua mowing down Amalek, almost feels like a scene from The Lord of the Rings. But it’s not Tolkien that I find most helpful in breaking open today’s scripture, but rather one of his best friends, C.S. Lewis. Lewis, as many of you know, was the author of the Narnia series, that wonderful set of books about Aslan, Prince Caspian, and the magical world on the other side of the wardrobe. Lewis...

Bob Dylan in Toronto

General / Music

The Spirituality of Bob Dylan, Nobel Laureate

Today Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” In honor of this recognition I’ve collected a few resources that explore the spirituality of his works. You’ll find articles from America Magazine, videos from Bishop Robert Barron of Word on Fire, and concert footage of Dylan himself singing one of his spiritual songs that always moves me. America Magazine Shortly after the announcement today, Fr. James Martin posted the following links from America Magazine on his...

Reading by the lake

Books and Reading

This Is Your Brain On Books

What happens to the brain one hour after opening a book? That’s what The University of Virginia Library set out to explain in the following infographic.  It describes reading’s effect on the brain after ten minutes, thirty minutes, sixty minutes, even hours and years later (click the image to make it larger): For a more thorough exploration of the effects of reading on the brain, check out these articles: What Reading Does To Your Brain Is Truly Fascinating Reading Fiction Improves Brain Connectivity and Function 10 Benefits of Reading:...