--- title: "An Open Book: September 2016" description: Join us for An Open Book, where avid readers share what they’ve read recently by linking to their blogs or commenting on this post. Carolyn Astfalk hosts this monthly linkup. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/09/07/open-book-september-2016#) # An Open Book: September 2016 Sep 7, 2016 7:00:03 AM  |  by [Carolyn Astfalk](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/carolyn-astfalk) ![An Open Book CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AN-OPEN-BOOK-720x340-15.png?width=720&height=340&name=AN-OPEN-BOOK-720x340-15.png) **Welcome to the September edition of An Open Book, now hosted both at My Scribbler's Heart AND Catholicmom.com!** An Open Book is all about what my family is reading this month, from the adults down to the little kids. Share what you're reading by linking up your blog post below. Simply write about what you're reading. You can make it personal or, as I do, extend it to the whole family. Your post can be as simple as a few lines about the book or as in-depth as a 700-word review. That's entirely up to you. You can even forego writing all together and record a video or simply post cover photos. No blog? No problem. Please share what you're reading in the comments. [Tweet "Join #OpenBook linkup & share your current reads! Hosted by @CMAstfalk & @CatholicMomWeb"] --- ![Fellowship of the Ring Tolkien](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/614EpzUuUqL__AA300_-100x100.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=614EpzUuUqL__AA300_-100x100.jpg)My husband has been subjecting us to *[The Fellowship of the Ring](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0099SNQYG/catholicmom)* audiobook by J.R.R. Tolkien. While my two older kids seem to enjoy the story in limited doses, I say "subjected" because it's been the soundtrack of his choice for our recent travels. The little kids get bored. The big kids are okay with it if there's not something else they'd rather be doing, and I must repeatedly slap my husband's thigh while he's driving and insist he open his eyes. That's not to say this production isn't well done. It seems to be. I think the particular times at which it's being introduced to us is the biggest problem. For myself, I sincerely wish I enjoyed Tolkien more than I do. But, hey, I loved the *Lord of the Rings* movies! ![Scarlet Marissa Meyer](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/4106saYKL-L__SX332_BO1204203200_-67x100.jpg?width=67&height=100&name=4106saYKL-L__SX332_BO1204203200_-67x100.jpg)I'm slowly making my way through *[Scarlet](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1250007216/catholicmom)* by Marissa Meyer. I zipped through the first book in the Lunar Chronicles (*Cinder*) quickly, but have slowed on this one. It's not grabbing me right off that bat, but more to the point, I've had too many other obligations pulling me away from reading. I will return to it soon! ![The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/51XU4u2cRcL-71x100.jpg?width=71&height=100&name=51XU4u2cRcL-71x100.jpg)I've also been reading [*The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion*](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B01JGMTS1Y/catholicmom), edited by Lisa Hendey and Sarah Reinhard, in order to review it. This is the one and only book I've reviewed without completing it, but, honestly, to read this book straight through seems to defeat its purpose, which is to provide short and simple ***daily*** meditations. So, I read a couple of months to inform myself of the quality, but I'm going to finish it day by day. *And* I'm going to be handing out a lot of these to Catholic moms at Christmas! ![Treasure Island Stevenson](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/615gE2lhKAL-67x100.jpg?width=67&height=100&name=615gE2lhKAL-67x100.jpg)My son has been reading *[Treasure Island](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0084AZXKK/catholicmom) *by Robert Louis Stevenson. Interestingly, he borrowed a paperback copy from the library even though we have it on Kindle. These kids and their paper books. Go figure. I read the book for the first time about a decade ago after pulling it off of the shelf at the beach house in which we were staying in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I'd always wanted to read it, and enjoying it so close to where real pirates sailed made it that much better! ![Roland West Theresa Linden](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/51MKSptwm7L-63x100.jpg?width=63&height=100&name=51MKSptwm7L-63x100.jpg)My boy's also reading *[Roland West, Loner](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B01ASFJEFI/catholicmom) *by my friend Theresa Linden. The book was one of our Christmas gifts to him, and I'm happy to see him reading something I enjoyed so much. I love that he asks me questions about the characters and other books in the series as if I have the inside scoop. My daughter is STILL reading Trixie Belden, so no news to report there. ![Honeybee's Busy Day Richard Fowler](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/61GvFAWeMQL__SX471_BO1204203200_-95x100.jpg?width=95&height=100&name=61GvFAWeMQL__SX471_BO1204203200_-95x100.jpg)We did a little bit (very little bit) of cleanup, and shifted some boxes of books that were in my son's bedroom. They are temporary storage for some of our favorite picture books. The littlest of our kids have no memory of these books, so they were excited to discover them. All of our children have loved* *[*Honeybee's Busy Day*](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0152000550/catholicmom) by Richard Fowler. That little bee on the front cover is made of durable cardboard. Slip her out of her plastic pouch and take her through each page's adventures by sliding her through the slots. There's so much excitement over this book in our house that I have to strictly enforce taking turns. I've noticed that the author has a similar book, *A Squirrel's Tale*, which is available at the gift shop in Shenandoah National Park, where we recently visited. I'm tempted to give that one a try too. ![Little Black Sambo Helen Bannerman](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/51v8lRx5hJL__SX361_BO1204203200_-73x100.jpg?width=73&height=100&name=51v8lRx5hJL__SX361_BO1204203200_-73x100.jpg)The kids have also been enjoying one of my childhood favorites, *[The Story of Little Black Sambo](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00HTJZEIS/catholicmom)* by Helen Bannerman. I barely recall the controversy over this book when I was young. It didn't dim my love for the story, and I'm happy to see that all of my children love it as much as I do. Something about those tigers zipping around the tree so quickly they turn to *ghi* is simply magical! I haven't revisited the hullaballoo over this book, but to say that the text is racist seems absurd to me. The characters are bright and industrious and in any case, they are not even African or African-American. They are Indian. With its tiger sounds and repetitive dialogue between Sambo and the tigers, it's a delightful story perfect for reading aloud. --- [inlinkz_linkup id=659180 mode=1] --- Want [more details](http://carolynastfalk.com/2016/02/22/reading-link-up/) on An Open Book? You can also [sign up for An Open Book reminder email](http://carolynastfalk.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c315a0999a1db9b7fb756ad89&id=eb3e9373c4), which goes out one week before the link-up.   Check out the archives of [An Open Book](http://catholicmom.com/tag/open-book)! *Copyright 2016 Carolyn Astfalk* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F09%2F07%2Fopen-book-september-2016%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F09%2F07%2Fopen-book-september-2016%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F09%2F07%2Fopen-book-september-2016%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=An%20Open%20Book%3A%20September%202016) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F09%2F07%2Fopen-book-september-2016%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F09%2F07%2Fopen-book-september-2016%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Carolyn Astfalk](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/CAROLYN%20ASTFALK.jpeg) ### [Carolyn Astfalk](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/carolyn-astfalk) Carolyn Astfalk is a wife, mother of four young children, and a writer. Her contemporary Catholic romances are available at Amazon.com. She is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild, a Catholic Teen Books author, and blogs at My Scribbler’s Heart. Visit [CarolynAstfalk.com](http://www.carolynastfalk.com). ## Related Blog Articles [ An Open Book: August 2017 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2017/08/02/open-book-august-2017) [ An Open Book: June 2017 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2017/06/07/open-book-june-2017) [ An Open Book: May 2017 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2017/05/03/open-book-may-2017) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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