It is amazing how much I do not know. I came back to the Church seven years ago tomorrow (which was Ash Wednesday that year, too). I am a joiner by nature, so when I decided to become a practicing adult Catholic, I went in full-tilt. That led me to my current lifestyle, where I… [Read More]
Flying High and Falling Fast (Review: “Mockingjay”)
Dear readers, the end has arrived. That is, the end of this series of reviews has arrived. I dove back into the Hunger Games trilogy at the beginning of this calendar year, and I shared that journey with you all in my reviews of The Hunger Games and of Catching Fire. Moving at a speed… [Read More]
The Heat Is On (Review: “Catching Fire”)
While I was home for Christmas, I saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows with my mom and sister. I loved it. It was one of the best sequels I’ve ever seen, because it didn’t strictly require knowledge of the first movie, but it built beautifully on what had been established. Reading Catching Fire, the… [Read More]
Playing with the Girl Who Was on Fire (Review: “The Hunger Games”)
This may be the hardest review I’ve written for ACNM. This is not because I didn’t read the book. I did; I’ve read it twice now, and I would never try to review a book I hadn’t finished reading. This is not because I didn’t like the book; it was amazing. This is because the… [Read More]
Trusting in the Truth (Review: “How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul”)
I hate to begin blog posts with apologies, but I feel I must offer mine for the tardiness of this review. I spent the day after-Christmas shopping with my mom and sister. I don’t see my family very often since they almost all still live in Maryland, so I try to make myself available to… [Read More]
Presbyterian Lies and Literary Truths (Review: “The Wednesday Wars”)
As a happy Catholic who is involved in media, I try to keep my ears open for positive portrayals of religion in any setting: movies, television, and especially books. Religion in literature tends to be more honest than movies or TV. It’s very easy to toss a cross around a character’s neck or pan past… [Read More]
The Long View (Review: “A Canticle for Leibowitz”)
I’ll admit it: I like sci-fi. My mom and I used to tease my dad endlessly about how much he liked to watch Star Trek. I finally sat down to watch an episode with him one day, though, and I was hooked. It’s not just the scientific aspects that draw me in, though, it’s the… [Read More]
Happy to be a Dummy (Review: “Catholicism for Dummies”)
Most people don’t know that I haven’t been this religious all my life. I experienced a major conversion in my first year of college that brought me back to the Catholic faith of my middle school years and my first year of high school. At around that time, I combined my love of learning with… [Read More]
Real Role Models (Review: “Saints Behaving Badly”)
Happy All Saints’ Day! Remember, today is a holy day of obligation, so if you are Catholic, you must attend Mass sometime today if you didn’t go last night. Check out the parish locator, call for Mass times, and take advantage of the graces of such a fantastic feast! (Snag our communion of saints coloring… [Read More]
Deep in the Shallows (Review: “The Giver”)
We Americans live in a world where choice reigns supreme. Everything from what exotic fruit to enjoy at any given time of year to when and whether to have children is up to our choosing. Whether we should make those choices is an entirely different question. That requires wisdom, faith, and a well-formed conscience. But… [Read More]
The Most Efficient Family in the World (Review: “Cheaper by the Dozen” book)
Kids don’t always understand why their parents do what they do. I have seen and vaguely enjoyed both Cheaper by the Dozen movies. After watching the remake of Yours, Mine, and Ours and reviewing Who Gets the Drumstick? last month, I was eager to read Cheaper by the Dozen, the first of two books featuring… [Read More]
This One’s for Everyone (Review: “Who Gets the Drumstick?”)
Do you have a favorite childhood movie? Mine was probably one of my Disney Sing Along Songs videos. I also remember the real movies my mom made me watch: Grease (which I was definitely too young for), The Sound of Music (which is always awesome…when you have 3 hours to spare), and Stephen King’s It… [Read More]
Really Knowing Both Sides (Review: “Unplanned”)
I pray every time I pass a Planned Parenthood. I have also prayed outside Planned Parenthood clinics that do abortions here in Austin and back home in D.C. I pray for a world where no one will desire abortion. I don’t think making abortion illegal will change hearts, but it might be a start. By… [Read More]
A Balm in Gilead (Review: “The Handmaid’s Tale”)
I knew Bumped reminded me of something. Various other reviewers online have mentioned the similarities between the premise of Bumped and that of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. I knew I’d read The Handmaid’s Tale, and besides being more contemporary and having younger characters, I knew something was off with that comparison. Logically, I… [Read More]
The Search for Real Men (Review: “Wild at Heart”)
I am not sure that men and women will ever truly understand one another. I am a woman of faith, though, so I know that there are some things I accept and believe without understanding them; they’re called mysteries. Similarly, I can’t quite pin down why I had such a different reaction to Wild at… [Read More]
More Like “Drab” (Review: “Captivating”)
As a Catholic woman, I like to read books and articles about Christian femininity. I have many friends who are wives and moms. Their Facebook links to articles from places like Faith and Family Live keep me from getting too complacent in my singlehood. One of my old housemates recommended Captivating, by John and Stasi… [Read More]
Inconceivable! (Review: “Bumped”)
Last week, I read a book that I could not put down. Even when I paused to gasp or to ponder what I’d just read, I only stopped long enough to process my thoughts, and then I immediately went back to turning pages as fast as I could. I was stunned and excited, and it… [Read More]
Review: “Elsewhere”
Imagine waking up dead. I’ve always had a soft spot for the ludicrous nature of that question, but it’s worth pondering. If you went from this exact moment and suddenly found yourself dead, how would you react? MercyMe treated the question of the afterlife in their hit song “I Can Only Imagine,” but Gabrielle Zevin… [Read More]
Review: “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
I love reading. These days, I read mostly blogs, but I do pick up the occasional magazines of my alma maters, and I usually get in some pleasure reading at lunch at work. I also find plane reading a lovely way to pass the time…especially when I sync my iPhone wrong and am therefore unable… [Read More]
How Will They Know Who We Are?
Hello, ACNM readers! My name is Lindsay Wilcox; I’m the campus minister at the University Catholic Center over at UT, and I was recently invited to join the ACNM family. I’m very excited to share some of my perspectives on Catholicism in Austin with all of you. I am new to Austin, being from Maryland… [Read More]
