What to Read by the Fireplace



The staff of Crisis has compiled a list of the best books they've read in the past couple months. You'll find an eclectic mix — something for every taste.

Reviews by Brian Saint-Paul

The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco, by Marilyn Chase

I know, this seems like an odd choice — a bit too esoteric for general interest. But don't let the title fool you: this is a riveting piece of medical history. In the early 20th century, San Francisco experienced a horrific outbreak of the Bubonic plague. In Chase's hands, the story becomes a scientific mystery with heroes, villains, and a truly gruesome murder weapon. But even more than that, the book is an examination of the clash of cultures, loyalties, and the early immigrant experience (especially among the Chinese community).

An Instance of the Fingerpost, by Iain Pears

I don't generally go for novels, but I do have a weakness for literary historical mysteries. An Instance of the Fingerpost is easily the best I have read. The book takes place in Oxford in the 17th century. A professor is murdered and a woman blamed. The story unfolds as four separate witnesses give their unique — and often wildly different — perspectives on the crime. Only at the end is the truth revealed. Impossible to put down and packed with twists.

Life at the Bottom: The Wordview That Makes the Underclass, by Theodore Dalrymple

British psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple demonstrates in chapter after readable chapter how the liberal establishment's “solutions” to poverty, crime, and familial breakdown have only increased the problems they were intended to solve. Through statistics and personal anecdotes, he assembles a case that's awfully difficult to refute, and his chapter, “What Is Poverty?” should be required reading for every thinking American.

Reviews by Deal Hudson

Embers, by Sandor Marai

Crisis film critic Terry Teachout called this book a masterpiece and I echo his recommendation. Marai is a Hungarian writer from the mid-20th century whose works are being translated by Alfred Knopf; they are not to be missed. This work presents a meditation on friendship and betrayal that matches the power of Ford Madox Ford's novel on the same theme, The Good Soldier.

The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Game of Golf, by Mark Frost

Skip the recently released video on the life of Bobby Jones, played by Jim Caviezel, and read this. Frost is able to weave the personal story of the man who had the most elegant swing in the history of golf with a portrait of Twenties America, where sports figures were even more celebrated than our own Tiger Woods.



Reviews by Margaret Cabaniss

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

On Thomas Hibbs's recommendation (see the January “Books” section of Crisis), I decided to pick up a copy of the latest translation of Anna Karenina by the husband-and-wife team Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. If you've ever found yourself daunted by the tomes of the Russian masters, as I have, then you won't want to miss this selection. Pevear and Volokhonsky have done a superb job bringing this complex portrait of Russian society to life — you'll be surprised by how quickly 800 pages will pass. Also be sure to check out Pevear and Volokhonsky's translations of the works of Dostoevsky and Chekov.

Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry

Berry's latest novel in his series on the fictional Kentucky town of Port William doesn't disappoint. He has a unique talent for capturing the loves and losses found at the heart of every ordinary life. The title character, nearing the end of her time, turns back to her memories of Port William, a once-strong community now suffering its own decline. Reading the novel is like reminiscing with an old relative — comforting, moving, and inspiring.

Reviews by Elena Cardenas

Mayada, Daughter of Iraq: One Woman's Survival Under Saddam Hussein, by Jean P. Sasson

Jean Sasson recounts the life of Mayada Al-Askari, a member of a prominent Iraqi family, who in 1999 was arrested by Hussein's secret police for printing anti-regime pamphlets. As a consequence, she was imprisoned for a month in the brutal Baladiyat prison. The book describes her ordeal, frequently weaving in the history of Iraq and details of her family life. One also learns of the torture inflicted on the other 17 women imprisoned in Cell 52 and the inhuman cruelties suffered by generations of Iraqis under Saddam's regime.

Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes, by Henry C. Lee

Cracking Cases introduces the fascinating world of criminology and forensics. Henry Lee takes the reader through the investigative process of five domestic homicide cases. He relates the investigation of the murder and the proceedings at trial, describes the case's relevant scientific facts, and offers a summary. The reader gets an excellent lesson on how forensic evidence such as DNA, blood samples, gunshot residue, and the stages of body decomposition are used in investigations and their subsequent trials.



Reviews by Zoe Romanowsky

April 1865: The Month That Saved America, by Jay Winik

As a Canadian not particularly drawn to depictions of war, I almost passed on this book. What a mistake that would have been. Focusing on the “perfect storm” of events during the Civil War in April 1865, Winik's confident prose keeps you riveted from beginning to end. And he succeeds in making the case that one month in history — April 1865 — changed the course of America forever.

The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose, by Matthew Kelly

Fresh from the New York Times best-seller list, this book is a perfect gift for one seeking greater happiness and purpose. Author and motivational speaker Matthew Kelly explains how we can choose a “rhythm” that will help us be who God intends us to be. He uses story-telling, cognitive psychology, Catholic theology, and Christian principles to challenge the reader to build better habits (and, as a result, character). For those serious about making a life change, there's also a workbook available.

Reviews by Allison Small

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

I confess that I found the first sections of this novel pretty dull. But it does pick up. Jane is a believable, thoughtful, courageous woman of the 19th century, and her experiences with Mr. Rochester are as entertaining now as they were when the book was first published in the 1840s.

The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry

My favorite Christmas book. Set in New York City in the 1920s, newlyweds Jim and Della both sacrifice personal treasures in order to purchase gifts that the other will love — only to find out that by Christmas, these gifts will have different meanings than those originally intended.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

The best novel I've read in months. The narrator and main character, Suzie Salmon, speaks from the grave, telling the story of life on earth after she was herself murdered. A sad but imaginative book, and impossible to put down.

Reviews by Agnes Bunagan

The Importance of Being Earnest,by Charles Osborne, adapted from the play by Oscar Wilde.

Ridiculously funny. A delightful, easy read guaranteed to give you a laugh.

He Leadeth Me, by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J.

Sentenced to hard labor in Siberia and prevented from performing his priestly duties, Fr. Ciszek recounts life in the gulag. A touching story of one man's abiding faith in the constancy of God's promise.



Review by Trang Lam

The Restless Heart: Finding Our Spiritual Home in Times of Loneliness, by Ronald Rolheiser

Father Ronald Rolheiser takes a deep look at the loneliness so many feel today. Using Saint Augustine as a launching point, he explains why our ultimate happiness lies with God alone and how this simple fact gives hope in the unhappiest times.

Reviews by Elizabeth Ascik

The Path to Rome, by Hillaire Belloc

The charming travel journal of a very human Catholic intellectual as he walks from France to Rome. Full of irony and exuberant humor.

Very Good Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse

A hilarious collection of short stories involving the bumbling Bertie Wooster and his considerably wiser butler, Jeeves. I read them on the Washington subway and it takes great effort not to laugh out loud.

This article courtesy of CRISIS Magazine.

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