A Collection of Ideas From What I Listened To, Read and Watched This Month.
BOOK REPORT
BOOK: The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple
This book was our March Book Club selection. It is the sweet story of two people facing the same challenges at opposite ends of life. It reminds us that it is never too late to learn and love; sometimes, we must learn how to do it. This book will make you giggle and cry and re-evaluate your daily life.
AUDIOBOOK: Good Time Girl by Heather Gay
This is the second book by my favorite, “Real Housewife” (of Salt Lake City). It continues her story after she separated from the Mormon Church. She tells stories of her childhood, which impacted and developed her worldview. Her honest and forthright way of expressing her experience is believable and relatable.
I am still unpacking the experience of watching this movie. Adrien Brody won the “Best Actor” award at this year’s Academy Awards and deserved all the accolades. It is a remarkably heart-breaking story that will suck you in and hold your attention for the entire three hours and thirty-five minutes. Every scene is intentional and gripping. There is not one wasted moment. I hung on to every word of dialogue.
The movie tells the story of Nazi concentration camp survivors after their release at the end of World War II. These refugees attempt to rebuild their lives in America and face much of the same bigotry they suffered while imprisoned. It is a reminder that art imitates life and the truly creative always have a story behind the things they create.
BOOK: Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
This is the Book Club selection for April. I didn’t know anything about it when I picked it, but the moment I realized it was about the plague in the 15th Century, I knew I would love it, but it may not be popular with the Book Club girls.
This book tells the story of a young mother and widow who helps a community navigate an entire year under quarantine to stop the spread of the plague to other villages. This girl faces tremendous loss and devastation and uses the lessons learned to forge ahead. A fantastic twist at the end kept me in my seat until the book was finished.
BOOK: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had neither read this book nor heard of the author. Since finishing it, I’ve discovered several references to the story and the author.
The book was loaned to me by a friend, born in Holland near the end of World War II. It tells the story of a Christian woman who did what she could to save people during the Nazi occupation. It is not often that we hear the stories of World War II told from a Christian perspective. And knowing the story was true kept me rapt until the end.
COMMONPLACE
“Examination of conscience: a daily task. Bookkeeping is never neglected by anyone in business. And is there any business worth more than the business of eternal life?” – St. Josemaría Escrivá
“Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or we shall never find Him.” — St. Josemaría Escrivá
“The quality of your thoughts is determined by the quality of your reading. Spend more time thinking about the inputs.” — James Clear
“In killing silence, man assassinates God… The death of silence is apparent. God will always help us to rediscover it.” — Cardinal Sarah
“God is turning a mess into a message.” — Vickie Lemos
“Take all the energy you spend on…
worrying about the past
worrying about the future
worrying about what others think
worrying about if you might fail
… and channel that energy into one useful action within your control.” — James Clear
“Success is largely the failures you avoid.
Health is the injuries you don’t sustain.
Wealth is the purchases you don’t make.
Happiness is the objects you don’t desire.
Peace of mind is the arguments you don’t engage.
Avoid the bad to protect the good.” — James Clear
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock, Banker and Archaeologist
English teacher Elizabeth Stone on how becoming a parent changes you:
“It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
Matthew McConaughey – Lyrics of Livin’ – March 21, 2025 – Joy vs. Happiness
“To begin is for everyone, but to persevere is for saints.” — St. Jose Maria Escriva