As The Orange Leaves Fall Around Us In The Low Sun

Viganò vs The Vatican: The Uncensored Testimony of the Italian Journalist Who Helped Break The Story by Marco Tosatti

Paperback: In an explosive August 2018 document, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò implicated many Catholic bishops - and Pope Francis himself - in a decades-long cover-up of the sexual crimes of the now-disgraced serial predator, former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, long the most powerful figure in the American Church.

Shocking faithful Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis refused to deny the accusations that Archbishop Viganò made against him in that ten-page document.

Stunned himself, Marco Tosatti, the Italian journalist who first broke the story of the cover-up, here recounts the whole sordid tale. 

In this alarming report, you will learn of McCarrick’s long-time abuses of seminarians and young priests, his inexplicable promotions to the highest ranks in the Church (despite widespread knowledge of his crimes), and the scandalous cover-up that has traumatized the Catholic world and continues to this day.

It is all here - the names, dates, and damning documents - details that lead many to conclude, with Archbishop Viganò, that far from finally drawing to a close, the cover-up of clerical sexual crimes continues apace and appears to reach to the very highest offices of Holy Mother Church.

Viganò vs The Vatican (2019) is translated from the Italian - Viganò e il Papa - by Giuseppe Pellegrino. 

About the author: Marco Tosatti was born in Genoa in 1947. He is a renowned Italian journalist. Since 1981, he has covered the religious and political activity of the Holy See at the Vatican and also writes for the daily newspaper "La Stampa." He has written numerous books, including "Enquest on the Devil" (2003), "The Prophecy of Fatima" (2007), and "Investigation of the Holy Shroud" (2009).

Here Comes Autumn

 

A Time For Everything

 

It Is Okay To Not Be Busy

 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg (1933-2020)

 

They All Seem To Be Selling

 

Murder On The Half Shelf (A Booktown Mystery Series) by Lorna Barrett

Paperback: Stoneham, New Hampshire, is a haven to bookstores, including Tricia's own mystery shop, Haven't Got a Clue, but is sadly lacking in bed and breakfasts. Pippa and Jon Comfort's Sheer Comfort Inn opens its doors to the public in a week and the couple has offered some locals a free night as a trial run.

But what should have been a pleasant overnight stay for Tricia becomes a nightmare when she makes two startling discoveries: Pippa's murdered body in the backyard, and the fact that her husband Jon is actually Harry Tyler, a man Tricia loved - and believed dead - for nearly twenty years.

Now Harry is the prime suspect, but Tricia doesn't believe him capable of murder, regardless of her own feelings toward him. And even though Harry's led a life of lies, Tricia's learning that Pippa had her share of secrets that some people may have not wanted revealed.

Murder On The Half Shelf (2012) is the sixth instalment in the cozy Booktown Mystery series by Lorna Barrett. 

It includes recipes such as sausage and vegetable strudel, thumbprint cookies, crepes flambé à l'orange and simply crackers candy. 

About the author: The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorna Barrett's name on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it is her talent - whether writing as Lorna, or L L Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett - that keeps her there. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square Mystery series and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s).

Rating: 3/5

Devonshire Scream (A Tea Shop Mystery Series) by Laura Childs

Paperback: Theodosia Browning is serving up heists and homicide alongside herbal teas.

Devonshire Scream (2016) is the seventeenth instalment in the shining gem of the long-running Tea Shop Mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Catering a high-class trunk show at Heart's Desire Jewelry is a shining achievement for Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop. After all, a slew of jewelers, museum curators, and private collectors will be there to showcase their wares and sip some of Theo's best blends. But just as Theo settles in to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the party is crashed by a gang of masked muggers who steal the precious gems and jewels on display. The thieves disappear almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving shattered glass, scattered gemstones, and a dead body in their wake. 

 

Although the last thing Theo wants is to get involved, she can't help but intercede when her dear friend Brooke, aunt of the victim and owner of Heart's Desire, begs for help in figuring out who committed the brutal burglary. Though the FBI believes this daring "smash and grab" is the work of an international gang of jewel thieves, Theo is convinced that the felon is someone much closer to home.

Devonshire Scream includes delicious recipes and tea time tips including Drayton's devonshire cream, prosciutto and fig butter tea sandwiches, Haley's beef stroganoff and Waldorf tea sandwiches. Yummy!

About the author: Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr  Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Shar-Peis.

Rating: 5/5

On This Fresh Morning

 

Endless Mercy: God's Way To Holiness by Bishop Henryk Ciereszko

Paperback: Mercy is the flower of love, God is love, and mercy is His deed, in love it is conceived, in mercy it is revealed. - Diary of St Faustina, 651.

St Faustina and Blessed Michael Sopoćko, two lives inextricably linked in bringing the message of Divine Mercy to the world. 

St Faustina was the visionary and recipient of the revelations, chosen by God for her boundless faith.

Blessed Sopoćko was the messenger, chosen by God for his extraordinary holiness and intellect and the ability to bring these revelations to the attention of the Church and the world. 

Endless Mercy is an attempt to follow the spiritual life of Fr Michael Sopoćko starting from his childhood, through the rich history of his priestly life, reaching a culmination of Christian perfection. This book is not expected to be capable of revealing all his characteristics, but rather is an attempt to present his extraordinary life, hopefully catching a glimpse of the wonder spirit of the man that was Fr Michael Sopoćko. Another great source about Fr Sopoćko has been the records of his conferences and studies on the Divine Mercy and on the theology of spiritual life. This book is also compiled from some of the memories of people who knew him personally, and other biographical sources. 

Endless Mercy was first published in 2013 by Divine Mercy Publications in Co Dublin, Ireland. More information can be obtained from www.divinemercy.org

About the author: Bishop Henryk Ciereszko, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Białystok, Poland, PhD in Theology, was born on 9 September 1955 in Hermanowka in the Białystok province. He is also Professor of the Archdiocese Seminary in Białystok and the author of numerous books and articles on fundamental theology, the theology of spirituality and the study of other religions. Part of his research into the Divine Mercy revelations focuses on the person of Blessed Michael Sopoćko and his theology of the Divine Mercy. Bishop Ciereszko has published several other books on Fr Sopoćko including:

God's Servant Fr Michael Sopoćko, Białystok 1998;

Fr Michael Sopoćko's Path To Sanctity, Cracow 2002;

Fr Michael Sopoćko, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, Cracow, 2004;

The Life and Work of Blessed Michael Sopoćko, Cracow, 2013.

People Who Read A Lot

 

Steeped in Evil (A Tea Shop Mystery Series) by Laura Childs

Paperback: Steeped in Evil (2014) is the fifteenth instalment in the tantalising Tea Shop Mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina.

Theodosia Browning has never considered herself a wine connoisseur - tea has always been her forte. But that does not mean she is going to pass up an invitation to a fancy wine-tasting party at the upscale Knighthall Winery, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina.

But a sweet evening takes on a bitter aftertaste when a dead body is discovered in one of the wine barrels. 

The son of proprietor Jordan Knight has been murdered.

Dissatisfied with the police investigation, Knight turns to Theo for help. She has heard through the grapevine that there are both family and business problems at Knighthall. They say in vino veritas, but everyone at the winery seems to be lying through their teeth. Sorting through the guest list as well as family and staff, Theo has her pick of suspects. It may look like the killer has her over a barrel, but cracking tough cases is vintage Theodosia Browning.

Steeped in Evil includes more delicious recipes and tea time tips!

About the author: Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr  Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Shar-Peis.

Rating: 5/5

Ming Tea Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery Series) by Laura Childs

Paperback: Ming Tea Murder (2015) is the sixteenth instalment in the cozily delightful Tea Shop Mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Normally Theodosia wouldn’t attend a black tie affair for all the tea in China. But she can hardly say no to her hunky, handsome boyfriend, Max, who directs public relations for the Gibbes Museum in Charleston. Max has organized an amazing gala opening for an exhibit of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese teahouse, and the crème de la crème of Charleston society is invited.

In the exotic garden staged in the museum’s rotunda, a Chinese dragon dances to the beat of drums as it weaves through the crowd. The guests are serenaded by a Chinese violin as they sample an assortment of tempting bites. And to give them a memento of the occasion, there’s even a photo booth. But Theodosia makes a grim discovery behind the booth’s curtains: the body of museum donor Edgar Webster.

While Theodosia prefers tea service over the service of justice, this case is difficult to ignore - especially after Max becomes a suspect. Now she must examine the life of the fallen philanthropist and find out who really wanted him to pay up.

Ming Tea Murder includes delicious recipes and tea time tips!

About the author: Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr  Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Shar-Peis.

Rating: 5/5

Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn Series) by Steve Cavanagh

Paperback: Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other. Who do YOU believe?

Alexandra Avellino has just found her father's mutilated body, and needs the police right away. She believes her sister killed him, and that she is still in the house with a knife.

Sofia Avellino has just found her father's mutilated body and needs the police right away. She believes her sister, Alexandra did it, and that she is still in the house, locked in the bathroom.

Both women are to go on trial at the same time. A joint trial in front of one jury.

But one of these women is lying. One of them is a murderer. Sitting in a jail cell, about to go on trial with her sister for murder, you might think that this is the last place she expected to be.

You would be wrong.

Fifty Fifty (2020) is the fifth and latest instalment in the brilliant Eddie Flynn legal series set in New York. 

About the author: Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for Dublin at the age of eighteen to study Law.  He currently practices civil rights law and has been involved in several high profile cases;  in 2010, he represented a factory worker who suffered racial abuse in the workplace and won the largest award of damages for race discrimination in Northern Ireland legal history.  He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy and lectures on various legal subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes). 

His novel The Liar won the 2018 CWA Gold Dagger award while his follow-up novel Thirteen won the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2019. Twisted was a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. He is married with two young children. 

Follow Steve on twitter @SSCav or on his website at www.stevecavanaghauthor.com or on Facebook. 

Rating: 5/5

Confessions by St Augustine

Paperback: Confessions (Latin: Confessiones) is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by Saint Augustine of Hippo, written in Latin between 397 and 400 AD. The work outlines Saint Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of Saint Augustine in order to distinguish the book from other books with similar titles. Its original title was Confessions in Thirteen Books, and it was composed to be read out loud with each book being a complete unit.

Confessions is generally considered one of Augustine's most important texts. It is widely seen as the first Western Christian autobiography ever written (Ovid had invented the genre at the start of the first century AD with his Tristia), and was an influential model for Christian writers throughout the Middle Ages.

The work is not a complete autobiography, as it was written during Saint Augustine's early 40s and he lived long afterwards, producing another important work, The City of God. Nonetheless, it does provide an unbroken record of his development of thought and is the most complete record of any single person from the 4th and 5th centuries. It is a significant theological work, featuring spiritual meditations and insights.

In the work, Augustine writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about his friend Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and Saint Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity. The first nine books are autobiographical and the last four are commentary and significantly more philosophical. He shows intense sorrow for his sexual sins and writes on the importance of sexual morality. The books were written as prayers to God, thus the title, based on the Psalms of David; and it begins with "For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee." The work is thought to be divisible into books which symbolize various aspects of the Trinity and trinitarian belief.

Confessions was not only meant to encourage conversion, but it offered guidelines for how to convert. Not only does Confessions glorify God but it also suggests God’s help in Augustine’s path to redemption. 

Written after the legalization of Christianity, Confessions dated from an era where martyrdom was no longer a threat to most Christians as was the case two centuries earlier. Instead, a Christian’s struggles were usually internal. 

Augustine’s conversion was quickly followed by his ordination as a priest in 391 CE and then appointment as bishop in 395 CE. Such rapid ascension certainly raised criticism of Augustine. Confessions was written between 397-398 CE, suggesting self-justification as a possible motivation for the work. 

 

Much of the information about Augustine comes directly from Augustine’s own writing. Augustine’s Confessions provide significant insight into the first thirty-three years of his life. Augustine does not paint himself as a holy man, but as a sinner. The sins that Augustine confesses are of many different severities and of many different natures, such as lust/adultery, stealing, and lies.

Considering the fact that the sins Augustine describes are of a rather common nature (eg the theft of pears when a young boy), these examples might also enable the reader to identify with the author and thus make it easier to follow in Augustine's footsteps on his personal road to conversion. This identification is an element of the protreptic and paraenetic character of the Confessions.

Due to the nature of Confessions, it is clear that Augustine was not only writing for himself but that the work was intended for public consumption. Augustine’s potential audience included baptized Christians, catechumens, and those of other faiths. Furthermore, with his background in Manichean practices, Augustine had a unique connection to those of the Manichean faith. Confessions thus constitutes an appeal to encourage conversion.

(The above excerpts are taken from Wikipedia)

Confessions by St Augustine was translated (with an Introduction) from the Latin by R S Pine-Coffin. R S Pine-Coffin, a Roman Catholic, was born in 1917. He was educated at Ampleforth and Peterhouse, Cambridge and died in 1992. 

About the author: St Augustine of Hippo, the great Doctor of the Latin Church, was born at Thagaste in North Africa, in AD 354. The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, he was brought up as a Christian, and at the age of sixteen went to Carthage to finish his education for the law. In 375, on reading Cicero's Hortensius, he became deeply interested in philosophy. He was converted to the Manichean religion, some of whose tenets he continued to hold after he had founded his own school of rhetoric at Rome in 383.

At Milan, he was offered a professorship and came under the influence both of Neoplatonism and of the preaching of St Ambrose. After agonizing inward conflict he renounced all his unorthodox beliefs and was baptized in 387. He then returned to Africa and formed his own community; but in 391, he was ordained priest against his wishes and five years later, he was chosen bishop of Hippo.

For thirty-four years, St Augustine lived in community with his cathedral clergy. His written output was vast; there survive 113 books and treatises, over 200 letters, and more than 500 sermons. Two of his longest works, his Confessions and City of God, have made an abiding mark not only on Christian theology but on the psychology and political philosophy of the West since the Dark Ages. He died in 430 as invading Vandals were besieging Hippo.

The Other Woman (Gabriel Silva Series) by Daniel Silva

Paperback: And what does anyone know about traitors, or why Judas did what he did? - Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasson Sea

She was his best-kept secret.

In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West - a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power.

Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel’s vaunted secret intelligence service. Gabriel has battled the dark forces of the new Russia before, at great personal cost. Now he and the Russians will engage in a final epic showdown, with the fate of the postwar global order hanging in the balance.

Gabriel is lured into the hunt for the traitor after his most important asset inside Russian intelligence is brutally assassinated while trying to defect in Vienna. His quest for the truth will lead him backward in time, to the twentieth century’s greatest act of treason, and, finally, to a spellbinding climax along the banks of the Potomac River outside Washington that will leave readers breathless.

The Other Woman (2018) is the eighteenth instalment in the world-class Gabriel Allon spy fiction series. 

About the author: Daniel Silva is an American journalist and author of thriller and espionage novels. He is also the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of his long-running thriller series starring spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon. Silva's books are critically acclaimed bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages. He resides in Florida with his wife, television journalist Jamie Gangel, and their twins, Lily and Nicholas.

Rating: 5/5

Love Is A Radiant Light: The Life & Words Of St Charbel by Hanna Skandar

Paperback: “A man who prays lives out the mystery of existence, and a man who does not pray scarcely exists.” Thus writes St Charbel Makhlouf (1828–1898), a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon whose reputation for sanctity spread widely during his life, and whose heavenly intercession has worked countless miracles after his death. 

St Charbel’s homilies and proverbs are reminiscent of the sayings of the Desert Fathers: simple, homespun, and direct, yet shining and profound. 

“Success in life consists of standing without shame before God.” This holy monk speaks from a reservoir of silence about the fundamentals of the Faith and targets the temptations facing all Christians today: the flight from suffering, excessive attachment to comforts, pride over accomplishments, complacency, factiousness, substituting talk for action, fear of proclaiming the truth in an age of hostile unbelief. 

Alert to the reality of spiritual warfare, St Charbel calls each one of us to hold fast to the Cross, “the center of the universe and the key to heaven,” and defy the devil who seeks our ruin.

This collection of some of the most beautiful words spoken by St Charbel is augmented by a short biography that will bring him to the attention of those who have not yet made his acquaintance or profited from his wisdom.

Love Is A Radiant Light was first published in French as Paroles de saint Charbel in 2014 and subsequently translated into the English by William J Melcher in 2017.

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