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Phillip J

Crepusculi@bookwyrm.social

Joined 1 year ago

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Review of 'O pioneers!' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I think this is the slice of life book I've been looking for for a very long time. Its pace is slow; not drudging, but leisurely. It tells the story of a family moved to the Great Plains at the turn of the century, and the few folks who weave in and out of their lives. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

Francis de Sales, Saint: Roses among thorns (2014, Sophia Institute Press) 4 stars

Review of 'Roses among thorns' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Introduction to the Devout Life was a literal life changing book for me. I was very excited to pick up this book as a consequence. Well, this one I feel wasn't as good as the former, that may just be my place in life right now. There were lots of good small pieces to pull out of this that you can apply to your own theology and to your own life. I feel St. Francis de Sales is a more optimistic theologian than others, as he always focuses on the positive and God's mercy, and the joy we can have through Him.

Review of 'Justice League of America : the Nail' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A good, tight story. It's nice to read a Superman story with a twist that isn't "Superman, BUT EVIL!!!"

Like the writer, I do agree it could have either been shorter, or longer. I like the first part more, and the second half took me much longer to read than a comic typically does. I understand the desire to show Supes learning the hero ropes as an adult than a child, but I didn't think it was necessary.

Still good, still worth reading! It was fun to read the Silver-age incarnations of the DC canon, as I haven't had much interaction with them.

Hiroshi Sakurazaka: All You Need is Kill (2014) 4 stars

All You Need Is Kill is a Japanese science fiction light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka …

Review of 'All You Need is Kill' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This was my first manga I've ever read, so I'm trying to be generous in my enjoyment of the style and format.

This was a good book, and I can see why/how Hollywood made an adaptation in "Edge of Tomorrow." The story here is slightly different, but good in its own way. It almost seemed like the author was going to make Rita a Damsel in Distress, and I'm glad that wasn't the case.

The illustrations were difficult to follow, but I don't know if that is because of this particular illustrator, or my inexperience with the medium.

Pope Benedict XVI: The spirit of the liturgy (2000, Ignatius Press) 4 stars

Review of 'The spirit of the liturgy' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was my first book by Ratzinger, and it was wonderful! The connections he made between the historical parts of Christianity and Judaism with the Catholic mass were incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and learned plenty!


As an aside, I love that whenever he mentions another book, either one of his own or another's, he always calls it a "little book."

F. X. Schouppe: Purgatory (Paperback, 1986, TAN Books) 4 stars

Review of 'Purgatory' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is between a 3.5 and a 4 for me. At times, it read like a hagiography of Purgatory, with a lot of repetition. However, there are points that illuminated different aspects of theology, related to Purgatory, that made this book well worth it.

I will warn people that are prone to scrupulosity to beware the first part of the book, as it could send them down that path of despair if they're not careful.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien: The shaping of Middle-earth (Paperback, 1993, Grafton) 5 stars

In this truly indispensable reference, trace the development of the early lore of Middle-earth. Poems …

Review of 'The shaping of Middle-earth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

An excellent follow-up to The Lays of Beleriand. The evolution of writing flows well from the previous book to this one. With this book, I can start to see how the stories intertwine and affect each other, from Tolkien's earliest writings to the Silmarillian.

Sunyi Dean: The Book Eaters (Hardcover, 2022, Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom) 4 stars

Truth is found between the stories we're fed and the stories we hunger for.

Out …

Review of 'The Book Eaters' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A pretty good book overall. I didn't expect it to veer so much into horror territory! The only thing that bothered me was the book kept too many secrets from the reader for too long. There were a couple points that I didn't know what was going on, only for them to be revealed completely out of the blue a couple chapters later. However, I enjoyed this, and will be wary of people saying they're hungry for a while now!