A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

I have read the beginning and the end of this book several times before, but have never made it all the way through. Until now. In case you don't know, the novel follows the story of the French Revolution through the lens of Dr. Manette, who is released from the Bastille at the beginning of the novel; Lucie, his daughter; and her eventual husband, the French aristocrat, Charles Darnay. Dickens also spends a good deal of time in France, among the peasants, who are simultaneously oppressed and bloodthirsty.

I found Dickens's narration of history very hard to get through, both because it is dense and wordy and because I am not much of a history person. I wanted to take a pen and slice out a third of the words he used. Especially when he went on about kings and aristocrats and massacres and politics. Again, though, that is in part due to my interests. On the other hand, I fell in love with his good-hearted scoundrel character (a tendency of mine), and, in general, enjoyed the plot lines and the way Dickens wove them together. Mostly though, I just feel better read for having actually worked my way through the entire novel at last.

And You Are Christ's: The Charism of Virginity and the Celibate Life, Thomas Dubay, S.M.

I borrowed this book from a friend who is reading it as prep for a retreat. The sub-title really tells it all. Fr. Dubay writes about people who dedicate their lives to Christ as celibates. He explains it in terms of love, self-gift, and prayer, and contrasts this approach to ideas of freedom for service. He offers the idea that virginity for Christ is a radical, rich, and loving. The virgin remains single because she is completely given to God, totally in love with Him, and can't imagine anyone else as the focus of her life. He of course goes into detail and pulls on Scripture and the saints, but that is the long and short.

I enjoyed the book, but I think that's mostly because of where I am in life right now. It's an accessible read and insightful, however, if you are interested in the topic.

Gregor the Overlander, Suzanne Collins

Okay, so I have a new favourite fifth grade boy fantasy series obsession.  (I know, you're shocked.)

If you are one of those people who believes that there must be a colony of gargantuan rats and cockroaches living under the streets of New York City, consider yourself vindicated. When Gregor's baby sister crawls into an air vent in the basement of their apartment building, he follows her down a long dark chute and into the Underland.  Fortunately, they are found by the friendly giant cockroaches and not the evil rats.  The cockroaches bring them to the city of the Underland humans.  There Gregor learns that his father who disappeared two years earlier fell down the same chute and ended up prisoner of the rats and that Gregor himself may be the warrior hero mentioned in an ancient Underland prophecy.  Together with the snobby young queen and her insufferable cousin, two loyal bats, two kind cockroaches, and the snarky, bitter traitor rat Ripred (my personal favourite character!), Gregor sets off on a quest to save the Underland human race from destruction. 

The book is dark but awesome and ultimately has a pacifist message, which is interesting for a fantasy questing book.  I'm so excited to read the rest of the series!