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JamieBeu

Books with a Beu

Jamie Beu, owner and co-author (with his wife) of CatholicFamily.info, is a "cradle Catholic", devoted husband, and father of two girls. He is a regular contributor to his parish newsletter, as well as an impassioned defender of the faith who is able to both support and challenge others as necessary -- all in an effort to build-up Christ's Kingdom on Earth. To this end, he does a lot of reading - not just of religious books (for education and research), but also of secular books, both to decompress as well as to keep a finger on the pulse of pop culture (the better to relate to others, as well as to help restore the culture).

Currently reading

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
Meg Meeker, Meg Meeker
Hyperion
Dan Simmons
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
'John Townsend', 'Henry Cloud'
Boundaries Face to Face: How to Have That Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding
Henry Cloud
Jesus of Nazareth
Pope Benedict XVI, Adrian J. Walker
Permutation City
Greg Egan
Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions
Pope Benedict XVI
Is Jesus Coming Soon?: A Catholic Perspective on the Second Coming
Ralph Martin
Prelude to Foundation (Foundation: Prequel, #1)
Isaac Asimov
Autobiography of a Saint: Therese of Lisieux
Thérèse de Lisieux, Ronald A. Knox, Vernon Johnson

Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints

Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints - Thomas J. Craughwell Excellent "random" find at the library!
This tells the stories behind a score of saints "before they were saints".

It helps put a little more human flesh onto the "saintly" pictures we grew up with - we get to hear about the murderous deeds of some Ukrainian/Viking monarchs; the financial cheats and scandals prior to eventually being elevated to the episcopacy (or even papacy); the jealousies and rumor-mongering that would plague otherwise intelligent and devout people; and, above all, the graces and life-transformations that turn these horrible people into the heroes of our faith.

Each chapter is a mini-biography of a saint, so they can be read as short stories, a single chapter at a time (even bouncing around, if you so wish), although a few are actually interconnected (e.g., a pope and his anti-pope; a queen and her grandson, etc.).

Highly recommended for anyone who feels like they cannot measure up and be a saint (in other words, everyone!).