What are you currently reading?

[red solo cup]

El Camino. Walking to Santiago de Compostela by Lee Hoinacki.

How is it?

The Camino and more so the Via Francigena have always been on my bucket list

Very good. The author was nonpractising since childhood. While on the journey he began saying the rosary, had a profound experience and returned to the faith.

[Bernadette]

Getting ready to start The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco.

[Prayerful]

Getting ready to start The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco.

It is perhaps a bit unfair on aspect of the Spiritual v Conventual Franciscan and the efforts of Bernardo Gui OP, who endeavoured to always emphasise mercy and repentance. Perhaps the film or drama recreations exaggerate it still further. Yet it is a fascinating book, and quite an outing for semiotics.

[Christina_S]

Getting ready to start The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco.

Man, I guiltily enjoyed that one.

[maryslittlegarden]

Rereading  In This House of Brede

[Bernadette]

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. So far it's good.

[Bernadette]

Taking a break to listen to Lulu's Christmas Story, by Ludmilla Bollow. I love this book.

[Tennessean]

The Red and The Black

"Beware, my son, of what is passing within your heart," said the curé with a frown, "I congratulate you on your mission, if that is the only reason why you despise a more than ample fortune. It is fifty-six years since I was first curé of Verrières, and yet I shall be turned out, according to all appearances. I am distressed by it, and yet my income amounts to eight hundred francs. I inform you of this detail so that you may not be under any illusions as to what awaits you in your career as a priest. If you think of paying court to the men who enjoy power, your eternal damnation is assured. You may make your fortune, but you will have to do harm to the poor, flatter the sub-prefect, the mayor, the man who enjoys prestige, and pander to his passion; this conduct, which in the world is called knowledge of life, is not absolutely incompatible with salvation so far as a layman is concerned; but in our vocation we have to make a choice; it is a question of making one's fortune either in this world or the next; there is no middle road. Come, my dear friend, reflect, and come back in three days with a definite answer. I am pained to detect that there is at the bottom of your character a sombre passion which is far from indicating to me that moderation and that perfect renunciation of earthly advantages so necessary for a priest; I augur well of your intellect, but allow me to tell you," added the good curé with tears in his eyes, "I tremble for your salvation in your career as a priest."

Julien was ashamed of his emotion; he found himself loved for the first time in his life; he wept with delight; and went to hide his tears in the great woods behind Verrières.

"Why am I in this position?" he said to himself at last, "I feel that I would give my life a hundred times over for this good curé Chélan, and he has just proved to me that I am nothing more than a fool. It is especially necessary for me to deceive him, and he manages to find me out. The secret ardour which he refers to is my plan of making my fortune. He thinks I am unworthy of being a priest, that too, just when I was imagining that my sacrifice of fifty louis would give him the very highest idea of my piety and devotion to my mission."

"In future," continued Julien, "I will only reckon on those elements in my character which I have tested. Who could have told me that I should find any pleasure in shedding tears? How I should like some one to convince me that I am simply a fool!"

Three days later, Julien found the excuse with which he ought to have been prepared on the first day; the excuse was a piece of calumny, but what did it matter? He confessed to the curé, with a great deal of hesitation, that he had been persuaded from the suggested union by a reason he could not explain, inasmuch as it tended to damage a third party. This was equivalent to impeaching Elisa's conduct. M. Chélan found that his manner betrayed a certain worldly fire which was very different from that which ought to have animated a young acolyte.

"My friend," he said to him again, "be a good country citizen, respected and educated, rather than a priest without a vocation."

I'm reading Burton Raffel's translation, I like it more, but I wanted to share this part because its so ominous to me.

[red solo cup]

A Pride of Lions. Joshua Chamberlain & Other Maine Civil War Heroes by William Lemke

[Heinrich]

A Pride of Lions. Joshua Chamberlain & Other Maine Civil War Heroes by William Lemke

Please give some anecdotes when done.

[Bernadette]

The Thousand and One Nights. A new translation. I''ve had these for a while, but never got around to reading them.

[Christina_S]

The Ways of Mental Prayer by Fr. Lehodey.

[LausTibiChriste]

The Ways of Mental Prayer by Fr. Lehodey.

Solid book

[red solo cup]

Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford. The author contends that Lucrezia's history is unfair as it was written mostly by her enemies.

[Melkor]

Three men in a Boat, to Say Nothing of the Dog. One of the funniest books I have ever read.