ŷ������

It is time to vote for a book of the month again!!

- You may vote for two of the books on the following list.

- The book with the most votes will be our July 2020 BOTM. If two or more books are tied with the highest vote, we will read them all, one a month, and the randomizer will decide the order.

- The randomizer will also select one book from among those that receive no votes to be removed from the voting list. The following two books were added after our last vote and as first-timers on the voting list, they are exempt from the randomizer: The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis, nominated by John, and The Light: Who Do You Become When the World Falls Away?, by Jacqueline Brown, nominated by Madeleine.

Voting will run through 11:00 AM Eastern time on June 18.

The list of books to choose from are:

American Catholics: A History of the Roman Catholic Community in the United States, by James J. Hennesey.
Written by one of the foremost historians of American Catholicism, this book presents a comprehensive history of the Roman Catholic Church in America from colonial times to the present. Hennesey examines, in particular, minority Catholics and developments in the western part of the United States, a region often overlooked in religious histories.

The Ascent of Mount Carmel by Juan de la Cruz
Written between 1578 and 1579 in Granada, Spain, after John's escape from prison, the Ascent is illustrated by a diagram of the process outlined in the text of the Soul's progress to the summit of the metaphorical Mount Carmel where God is encountered. The work is divided into three sections and is set out as a commentary on four poetic stanzas by John on the subject of the Dark Night. John shows how the Soul sets out to leave all worldly ties and appetites behind to achieve "nothing less than transformation in God".

Bodies and souls, by Maxence Van der Meersch, nominated by Fonch.
This dramatic novel about doctors, students, nurses and patients, has become a classic. It seems to be difficult to obtain in English (it doesn't even have a page in ŷ������), but it can easily be got in other languages (French, Spanish or Italian). This is their page in ŷ������: /book/show/2...

The Divine Milieu, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Teilhard de Chardin -- geologist, priest, and major voice in twentieth-century Christianity -- probes the ultimate meaning of all physical exploration and the fruit of his own inner life. The Divine Milieu is a spiritual treasure for every religion bookshelf.

Europe and the Faith, by Hilaire Belloc, nominated by Fonch
In this book, pivotal to all his historical insights, Belloc answers the question: What made Europe? He shows it was not the barbarians nor the Protestant Reformation, but the Catholic Faith that made Europe (and the worldwide civilization produced by Europe). Protestantism gravely wounded this our civilization, and only the Catholic Faith can rejuvenate it. It must return to that Faith or perish! This is a tremendous eye-opener on where we are today and where we must go from here!!

The Mango Murders, by Mara Campos, nominated by Madeleine
All is not what it seems in Old San Juan, in the Pio Nono home for boys, in the life of the island's most famous artist, or in the memories of his models. Detective Sergeant Julio Ramos and gringo FBI agent Steve Halloran work in uneasy alliance to catch a serial killer with a penchant for mangoes and a need to avenge lost love and lost innocence. To come to truth, the investigators have to face their own painful issues, and even their targets must choose between light or darkness. In language, memory, race, and blood, the novel tells the story of the burden and the promise of identity.

Doors in the Walls of the World: Signs of Transcendence in the Human Story, by Peter Kreeft, nominated by Vicky
With razor-sharp reasoning and irrepressible joy, Kreeft helps us to find the doors in the walls of the world. Drawing on history, physical science, psychology, religion, philosophy, literature, and art, he invites us to welcome what lies on the other side of these doors, and to begin living the life of Heaven in the here and now.

The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany, by David G. Dalin
In 1999, John Cornwell excoriated Pope Pius XII as "Hitler's Pope." In this book, Rabbi David G. Dalin provides a ringing defense of the wartime pontiff, arguing that Holocaust-era Jews justly regarded Pius as their protector, not their tormentor.

Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, by Anthony M. Esolen
What do you do when an entire civilization is crumbling around you? You do everything. This is a book about how to get started.
Providence College professor Anthony Esolen, blunt and prophetic, makes the case that the decay of Western civilization is alarmingly advanced.

Scarlet Pimpernel Of The Vatican, by J.P. Gallagher
To thousands of people escaping- Allied prisoners, refugees, Jews and others wanted for various reasons by the Nazis - one of the greatest heros of WWII was a tall, jolly Irish Priest, Monsignor Hugh Joseph O'Flaherty. Working throughout the war at the Vatican, he organised, unofficially, an incredibly efficient underground system which gave shelter to inumerable escapees. This very readable account of his adventures is an exciting story and throws some interesting light on one of the lesser-known aspects of the war.

The Secrets of Successful Financial Planning: Inside Tips from an Expert, by Dan Gallagher
There are six interrelated segments to a complete financial plan: Cash & Budget Planning, Insurance & Risk Management, Tax Management, Retirement Planning, Investment Planning, and Estate Planning. What aspects of the financial plan require sophisticated planning by a professional, and what can savvy, well-educated consumers handle themselves? The Secrets of Successful Financial Planning empowers readers to take charge of their financial present and future, regardless of where they are financially, by presenting technical jargon in a way that's easy to understand.

Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought, by Garrigou-Lagrange Reginald 1877-1964, nominated by John
Dominican Garrigou-Lagrange was one of the most prominent thomistic neoscholastic theologians of the early and mid-twentieth century. This volume is his attempt to summarize a philosophical and theological worldview by interpreting the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas and his successors: Reality is seen in light of the central doctrines of the Trinity, of Creation, and of the Incarnation of the Son as Jesus Christ, in Whom humankind is drawn into the intimacy of the inner life of the Triune God.

Paul: A Biography, N.T. Wright, nominated by Jill
In this definitive biography, renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright offers a radical look at the apostle Paul, illuminating the humanity and remarkable achievements of this intellectual who invented Christian theology—transforming a faith and changing the world.

The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis, nominated by John
The Four Loves summarizes four kinds of human love--affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. Masterful without being magisterial, this book's wise, gentle, candid reflections on the virtues and dangers of love draw on sources from Jane Austen to St. Augustine. The chapter on charity (love of God) may be the best thing Lewis ever wrote about Christianity.

The Light: Who Do You Become When the World Falls Away?, by Jacqueline Brown, nominated by Madeleine
A blinding flash �� then darkness. Bria Ford and her three closest friends are stranded on a country highway in the middle of a November night. No phones. No car. No lights. Helpless and hundreds of miles from home, they put their lives in the hands of handsome Jonah Page and his flinty sister, East, strangers who somehow know Bria better than she knows herself. As the group bonds to adapt to a new, yet old, way of life, the secrets of Bria’s past provide them with the means to survive the extremes of Mother Nature, and the even more frightening extremes of human nature.

Reality : A synthesis of Tomistic thought

Paul: A Biography, by N.T. Wright

The Mango Murders, by Mara Campos

Ascent of Mount Carmel by St. John of the Cross is perfectly suited to these times.

My vote is for "The secrets of successful financial planning: Inside tips From an expert" by Dan Gallagher and "Bodies and Souls" by Maxence van der Meersch.

My vote is for Out of the Ashes...

The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany, by David G. Dalin

Europe and the Faith
Doors in the Walls of the World

The Divine Milieu
The Ascent of Mount Carmel

The light: who do you become when...

Hitler’s Pope

Paul: A biography

-“The Ascent of Mount Carmel��
-“The myth of Hitler’s Pope��

The myth of Hitler's Pope
The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican

My votes:
Paul: a biography
The Four Loves

Scarlet Pimpernel
Mango Murders

The Mango Murders
The Light

The Four Loves

The Ascent of Mount Carmel

Europe and the Faith
Paul a biography

The Ascent to Mount Carmel by St John of the Cross

The Ascent to Mount Carmel
Europe and the Faith

The myth of Hitler's Pope
Doors in the Walls of the World: Signs of Transcendence in the Human Story

- "The Divine Milieu"
- "Europe and the Faith"

The Ascent of Mount Carmel; and
The Four Loves.

The Four Loves!

Out of the Ashes

Voting is closed. Results are here: /topic/show/...