Welcome to Litsy!

Listened to this one for #nunlitqquarterly and enjoyed it very much. The audio was excellent, and not ever having been a member of a church that had nuns, I found it very interesting, the modern practices of an ancient tradition. I liked the author‘s questions, because honestly, I‘d have had the same ones.
#nunlit

Finished the July #nunlitquarterly yesterday, just slightly behind schedule. I don't think this quite worked for me as much as it did for many others. There were definitely bits I found interesting, but I just didn't vibe with Jane Christmas herself.

#nunlit

I‘ve known nuns my whole life, but this book made me understand some intricacies in new ways. In particular, Lent. For years, we attended a House of Prayer deep in the woods about 40 minutes from our house. There was a huge feast on Easter Sunday before all its members dispersed for 2 weeks on personal vacations. I now understand how mentally grueling were thiose 40 days of prayers.

#NunLitQuarterly

“ … I call it the Star Wars prayer. All that language referring to interstellar space and galaxies; you half expect Darth Vader to pop up.”

I enjoyed this book. I never thought Jane would actually decide to become a nun, but I think she was able to find a good balance in her secular and spiritual lives.

#NunLit #NunLitQuarterly

So enjoyed this memoir—engaging, amusing and heartfelt. Jane‘s journey of discernment (at age 57) takes her to some unexpected places physically, mentally and spiritually. Also, loved the peek into modern-day convent/monastery life.

#NunLitQuarterly

“Fulton Sheen, the late U.S. archbishop, once said that hearing nuns‘ confessions was like being stoned to death by popcorn.” 😆

I loved the wit and humor Jane sprinkles into her account of recovering herself with the help of monastics and especially silence. Silence can be an uncomfortable space when we have a plethora of ways to avoid it via distractions.

I skimmed the passages relating to doctrine and church politics. 😏 #nunlitquarterly

#NunLit #TBRTarot #Bookspin

This is a low pick for me as I didn‘t really connect with Jane, maybe because I have never wanted to be a nun. I do admire anyone who has the courage to take a dramatic detour from their life to explore a different path.

I finished And Then There Were Nuns yesterday. Overall, I really liked it. I had some quibbles with what seems to be her attitude that Christians are somehow viewed as “less than,” but I enjoyed her search to find a meaningful spiritual life for herself; it was a witty and fun journey, with a little bit of horror thrown in that I was glad she was able to come to terms with. #nunlitquarterly

While this book explores the sacred in the author‘s life, her wit & humor shine through to add light & levity to the book‘s tone.😂😂🍫 #nunlit #buddyread #summerspecial #chocolateday

https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2021/04/the-queens-chocolate-biscuit-cake.html

She‘s right! Why isn‘t Miss Clavel in the Madeline books called Sister Clavel when it‘s clear she‘s a nun? Christmas is prone to generalizations. She makes an observation about the nun‘s habits at one convent; that maybe they‘re wearing them because they‘re Catholic. My aunt, who died in 2012, was a Catholic nun; I never saw her in a habit. I know she once wore them because I‘ve seen pics but that‘s all. #nunlitquarterly #audiowalk

Meet our memoirist, Jane Christmas! Just getting started on our latest #NunLitQuarterly read and thought I‘d share a TVO interview with the author and a couple of other related links in the comments below. Happy Reading, Sisters!

My #weekendreads

Read 213/604 pages of Wolf Hall on the train to & from NYC today. #bookedintime #Cromwell #HenryVIII
Plan to finish section of Messy Lives #sundaybuddyread
Plan to Finish Nuns on 215/292 #nunlit
Continue reading A Life on 59/259 #ninewomenwritersbeginagain
Start to peruse To See Takes Time #MOMA #GeorgiaOKeefe
Read chapters for A Room #pemberlittens #achapteraday

Started reading this tonight. My sister gave this to me years ago & I am finally getting to reading it thanks to #nunlit #buddyread #TBR #14books14weeks

I understand the author‘s wish to try out a cloistered life, as I‘ve experienced that pull. What I absolutely cannot get behind is her insistence that Christianity is the only religion that gets no respect. I live in a country (the US) that is currently being taken over by right-wing Christians who are enacting laws to suppress the rights of others. I can‘t attend a pity party for anyone who thinks Christians have it bad. #NunLitQuarterly

Only a few chapters in and it‘s hilarious! If all memoirs were this witty & laugh out loud funny I would read the genre more often.
#NunLitQuarterly

So glad the #TBRTarot prompt works for one of my planned July books. I have overbooked myself a bit.

#NunLitQuarterly 🔔 July 2023 reminder 🔔

Dear Perpetual Reading Sisters of Litsy,

Hope you‘re all having a wonderful summer so far. It‘s almost time for our group read of And Then There Were Nuns by Jane Christmas! Read the book sometime in July, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

repost for @jlhammar

#NunLitQuarterly 🔔 July 2023 reminder 🔔

Dear Perpetual Reading Sisters of Litsy,

Hope you‘re all having a wonderful summer so far. It‘s almost time for our group read of And Then There Were Nuns by Jane Christmas! Read the book sometime in July, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

Thank you @PatriciaU for my #JolabokaflodSwap package! And an extra thank you for the surprise extra book! I‘m doing a #NunLit buddy read in 2023 so Illuminations will be a great companion read and glad to know you really liked it! Happy Jolabokaflod and happy reading!

And thank you to @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting this beloved swap!
#Jolabokaflod

📖 11-30-22 || I bought this #NunLit book and just couldn‘t wait until next year to buddy read it for #NunLitQuarterly🤭 This is a witty and irreverent account of a year spent visiting and living in convents in order to discern her true calling. I wasn‘t really expecting the past trauma details, but overall I found this a very enjoyable read. I will save more of my thoughts for reviewing it with the group next year!

FYI for you Kindle folks! @EvieBee noticed that there is a deal on our #NunLitQuarterly July 2023 read today. Looks like The Land of Spices (our April read) is also currently $2.99.

#alphabetgame #letterT

Take away the “And”and you have two books that begin with the letter “T”

“At some point — and it can happen a few times in a lifetime — we are called not only to try something new but to *be* something new.”

📸 by: Valeria Luongo

I majored in English Lit & Religious Studies, so I was thrilled to learn about Christmas‘ memoir, in which she explores the cloistered life before deciding whether to get married to her longterm partner or become a nun. At the beginning, she views nuns as having “an air of secret agent cool…their floor-length black habits swoosh[ing] & billow[ing] like approaching storm clouds, while the edges of their white veils fluttered like angel wings.” 👇🏻

“It made me wish that more people were aware of such stunning spiritual oases but also that they recognized the abundant calm that an office such as vespers affords. Vespers, a mere fifteen-minute office, provides an elegant transition between a frantic day in an office cubicle or on a factory floor and the soothing familiarity of home. It would be a nicer world if churches resurrected vespers and people attended in enthusiastic droves.”

“The thick, sweetly pungent scent of a century‘s worth of incense had permeated every inch of the church — its bricks, mortar, & stone floors — & as if recognizing a fresh & available receptacle, it rushed toward me, penetrating my skin & bones. My body welcomed it happily, as if reuniting with some long-lost opposite.”

Pictured: A scene at a local abbey. My friend, Matt, & I sometimes used to wake early & attend lauds before heading to school.

“Prayers are not portals to instant gratification; they are meditations.”

📸: Laura Husar Garcia

“I privately wondered whether the nuns would consider installing an outdoor pool in the courtyard garden. You know, just for exercise. A large bbq was already set up…& when I allowed my imagination off the rein, I could conjure up a scene of white umbrellas & teak patio tables…a covered bar…manned by a couple of cabana boys -cabana monks?- who would serve gin & tonics & nibblers while I sat on a chaise lounge in my tankini habit & pondered God.”

Started this yesterday on the plane home.

Hilariously, my husband is currently playing a game in which his character is wearing a wimple.

Also, I just realized that it‘s blurbed by AJ Jacobs on the back, who I love. He wrote, “Get thee to a bookstore and buy it!” Classic.

I kinda wish I‘d bought this copy, as the previous patron left an unidentified substance on the front. I will call it coffee & pay no mind. And probably clean it next I rise.

Vacation reading! 🌴

I‘m a third of the way through the top book, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, & I‘m pleased as punch. Romance? Ghosts? Cheese curds? I mean, really…what more could one need?

Oh! I‘m remembering that I promised to repost my #JolabokaflodSwap wishlist so it wouldn‘t get buried in the #NewYearWhoDis match posts.

I‘ve already purchased my match‘s book. Just hoping for some Black Friday/Cyber Monday chocolate sales! 🤞🏻🍫🌲

A deeply affecting memoir of one woman's spiritual journey. As she decides whether or not to become a nun, Christmas considers the nature of her faith, her relationship with organized religion, and the way she engages with the world. I was moved to spend even more time than usual thinking about my own (non-Christian) beliefs.

Christmas also relives her rape during a prayer session and deals with PTSD, so please read with caution if necessary.

I took a small reading break to do my first ever jamicure (with many thanks to whoever donated their Jamberry hostess gift pack to the thrift store). I got the hang of it with these wee monsters, so I'll be ready to do some holiday themed wraps at the end of the month.

I bought AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS a couple weeks into my Canadian nonfiction reading project, immediately read the first 1.5 chapters, and got distracted by library books. This morning I started over. Gonna add an explicitly Christian perspective to my #canada150 reading list.

(Unless I bounce off it, but I've managed to finish every other title I've started for this thing of mine so I think I'll be okay.)#bookandbreakfast