Win a copy of "The Good Thief"

We had a few print and several electronic editions of “The Good Thief” by Robert Vall to give away at our Oct. 30 book club gathering, and we know the rain kept some of you away. But that means we still have a few copies we can share! The book is a modern retelling of the story of Dismus, the thief who died on a cross next to Jesus and whom Jesus promised to meet that day in heaven.
We’ll give away the remaining copies to winners of a random drawing. Send your name, mailing address, phone, parish and whether you prefer a print or electronic edition to The Observer Book Give-Away, P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125. Make sure it’s postmarked by Nov. 30.
Or click here to enter.  (From The Observer webpage, click on the Click here above the blog window.)
Contest closes Nov. 30.

Here are a few questions about "The Vatican Diaries"

As we get ready to talk about John Thavis' "The Vatican Diaries" tomorrow (see previous post), here are a few discussion questions to think about.

1. Why do you think Thavis opened the book with the story about the bells?
2. If you think of the book as you would a novel, who is your favorite "character"? Why? Likewise, your least favorite "character." Why?
3. What was your favorite line (or lines) from the book?
4. Thavis said on his website -- www.johnthavis.com -- that he wrote the book "to chronicle the human side of the Vatican -- warts and all ... ." How well do you think he succeeded?
5. Thavis has something of a dry wit. What did you think was the funniest part of the book?
6. What was the most inspirational part of the book?
7. After reading the chapter about Pope Pius XII, how do you feel about his sainthood cause?
8. How did Thavis' chapter "Sex" influence your thinking about the church sex abuse scandal?
9. How do you feel about Vatican "transparency" after reading this book?
10. Thavis published the book and retired from Catholic News Service shortly before Pope Benedict XVI also stepped down. If Thavis wrote a sequel, what would you like to see in it?

Please bring your own comments and questions to our discussion at Barnes & Noble in Cherry Vale Mall at 7 p.m., Oct. 30. Remember, the first 10 who arrive will win a free copy of "The Good Thief" by Robert Vall.

Join us Oct. 30 for a chance to win a book

(Observer graphic)

‘The Vatican Diaries’ Last Book for Year of Faith, Meeting Oct. 30 at CherryVale Barnes & Noble

(CNS photo)

When John Thavis gathered with fellow journalists at the Catholic Media Conference in June, he told them the book has some of the stories he couldn’t put in the Catholic News Service articles he was filing from Rome.
Thavis is the now-retired Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service, and his book, “The Vatican Diaries,” does live up to its subtitle — “A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church.”
Released last spring, “The Vatican Diaries” is the final selection for The Observer Book Club during the Year of Faith.
It came out just about the time Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI announced his retirement. That earned Thavis a spot as a “talking head” on several network news shows, sharing his  Vatican insights with television audiences across the U.S.

'The Vatican Diaries' goes beyond ‘papabili’ with insider’s look

(CNS photo)

John Thavis, now-retired Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service, removes any doubt that “The Vatican Diaries” would, in fact, live up to its entire title, when he writes in the introduction: “The real Vatican is a place where cardinals crack jokes and lose their tempers, where each agency of the Roman Curia jealously guards its turf, where the little guys and big shots may work at cross-purposes and where slipups and misunderstandings are common.”

When it comes to power, personalities and politics, “Diaries” is reminiscent of Father Andrew Greeley’s “Making of the Pope 1978” and Peter Hebblethwaite’s “The Year of Three Popes,” both published in 1979. However, where they differ is that the people to whom Thavis introduces readers go beyond “papabili,” i.e., those who could be elected pope.

Msgr. Barr's book wins Readers Favorite award

Msgr. Eric Barr, vicar general of the Rockford Diocese, is a silver medalist in the 2013 Readers Favorite book awards.The book won in the Christian Fantasy/Sci-Fi category.

Writing as E.R. Barr, his Roan: The Tales of Conor Archer, Volume One, (Telemachus Press, ISBN 978-1937387662), twines Celtic and Native American myths to tell the tale of Conor Archer. (See our May 8 blog posting for more.)

The Readers Favorite awards will be presented in November in Florida. 

Read more about the book at www.erbarr.com.

Summer reading: Book brings new information to arguments against capital punishment

(CNS photo)

In the foreword to "Where Justice and Mercy Meet," Sister Helen Prejean, the Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet famous for "Dead Man Walking," promises that readers will learn new information in every chapter.
She is not exaggerating; every chapter drives home with documented data the need to abolish the death penalty once and for all in the United States. The text examines the death penalty from every conceivable angle, presenting arguments from history, sociology, Supreme Court decisions, economics, Scripture, church teachings, international thought and stories. The information is profoundly impressive and should convince even the most ardent supporters of the death penalty to change their position.
The intellectual arguments against capital punishment are laid out clearly and logically; it would be difficult, if not impossible, to argue against them.