Review: Faustina The Mystic and Her Message

Faustina The Mystic and Her Message by Ewa K. Czaczkowska
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I began the Extraordinary Year of Mercy by trying to read St. Faustina's Diary. Sadly, I struggled, and attributed my inability to make any headway due to a poor translation of the work. I mentioned my lack of success to my parish priest, who happens to be Polish, and after admitting that he had difficulties reading the text even in his (and St. Faustina's) native language, he loaned me his copy of Czaczkowska's book.

Faustina is an incredibly detailed look at the saint's life, from her infancy up to the Church's declaration and celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, the first Sunday following Easter. Due to Czaczkowska's research and writing skills as an accomplished journalist, I learned everything I ever wanted to know about St. Faustina, her revelations, the two confessors she relied on to guide her with her visions and the theology behind the Divine Mercy.

Since St. Faustina moved around quite a bit in her order's convents, the book looks at the events of her life primarily from a geographical point of view. I thought this was an odd way of structuring a biography, but in this way Czaczkowska successfully gives us a sympathetic and fascinating account of the mystic's life.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in St. Faustina's amazing life.

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Review: The Blade Artist

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel could be subtitled: the biography of Frank Begbie or; When Will Begbie Lose Control?

This is by far one of the most tense and graphically violent novels I have ever read. The tension starts in the first chapter and continues until the very last page. The novel combines some of the most surprising yet also predictable elements found in one story.

I enjoyed Welsh' explorations of the morality of a psychotic character like Frank Begbie. I'm not convinced the supporting psychology is all that sound, and neither is the morality for that matter, but seeing a supposed well-adjusted Begbie react to different emotional situations such as the funeral for his son is highly entertaining drama.

The reader knows Begbie will eventually snap, the fun is in trying to figure out if it will be over his poorly-functioning cell phone or any one of the cast of characters from his past (and there are many) who pick on an emotionally torn Begbie when he returns to Leith to bury his son and to investigate the boy's murder.

Overall, I think Welsh has done justice to the Begbie character. Due to one obvious dangling loose end, I sense a sequel on the horizon, but we shall see.


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Random Thought #42

Today's random thought:

Compost bins (composters) were initially created by raccoons too lazy to forage for food. #justsayin

Proclaiming the Kerygma

In this Eastertide, I proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ: ‘Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you, and now he is living at your side to enlighten, strengthen and free you.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 164)

March for Life 2017

Praying today (and every day) for everyone marching for the protection of all unborn babies - and especially for the pregnant mothers considering abortion.

image copyright: Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LC

You are not alone: Choose Life!

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

 – his people, the sheep of his flock. Ps 99(100)

Happy 2017 - New Release!

I wish everyone a happy, joyful and blessed 2017.
I also want to thank all the readers who have enjoyed my fiction. I look forward to providing you with more worthwhile reading material in the upcoming year.

And I also want to take this opportunity to promote my latest Fine Form Press release: Chip: A Shadow the Black Lab Tale #4.

Chip: Shadow #4 by JT Therrien

Blurb:
It's the day before Halloween and Matt wants candy. If he can just keep his balance standing on the chair and if he can just reach a bit further, he'll get his hands on all the Halloween candy his mother hid. Before he can reach it, however, he falls off the chair and wakes up with a broken arm. This event will turn Matt's world upside down!

This is the fourth story in my Shadow the Black Lab middle grade series. With many other stories planned, I hope that Fine Form Press will release one or two more in 2017, between releasing two new Catholic-themed novels and (hopefully) installment #4 in my Dr. Farkas paranormal romance series.

As you can see, it's going to be another busy year, but the projects are all so exciting, I can't wait to return to work after taking some time off to celebrate Christmas.

Here are the other stories in the Shadow series. The first three are available as ebooks and in print formats. Chip will eventually be released in print, hopefully before the summer.

   

The series can be purchased from Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, itunes or your favorite e-book retailer.

Thank you for your continued support!

~JT~