If there was any doubt that God teaches us through our pets, this book would remove that doubt. This dog-lover’s journal provides the easy reading of “Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s soul”, but with a reflective tone and emotional depth. Me, Ruby & God is a collection of essays written about the lessons that one special Siberian Husky teaches her ambitious, sometimes wayward and stubborn musher. Each chapter ends with a beautifully written poetic prayer that I have found myself going back to just as often as I would a prayer card. There is something for everyone here: “A Prayer for Surrender to God;” “A Prayer for Healing;” and even “A Prayer to Shut Up and Listen.”

Imagine a garden without scary bugs or thorns. this is the garden that Eve walked in but all that changed when she was deceived by a serpent and disobeyed God. When God created the world, He entrusted it to man’s care. Today we are still the caretakers of this beautiful gift but because of sin, the earth cries out to God. However, there is hope! This children’s book explores how “Eve was a thorn fastening death upon all; Mary a rose restoring all to the heritage of salvation” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux). Mary as Mystical Rose was created to be more beautiful than even the angels. She has been made Queen over all of creation and as such, understands the needs of her children with a particular tenderness to the cries of the poor. She accompanies us in our lives beset by the thorns of suffering, and is ever ready to aid us. 

Set in a future America where dinosaurs roam the wilds and most people live in cities behind high electric fences, the unSPARKed series portrays the consequences of mankind doing something they found they could do—but should not have done. Mammals have been decimated and the ecology changed by the return of the huge predators and herbivores. At the same time, surviving mammal species have adapted and so have people. Some humans strive to protect the new balance of life— like eighteen-year-old hunter Joshua and his Uncle Z, who thrive in the wilderness. When they find a Momma Allosaurus who has hatched her chicks far too early, they give up their Christmas plans in order to try and get the little family to safety. Meanwhile, farm kids Darryl and Harry face disruption to their Christmas too, as raptors keep the priest from arriving and then extreme weather moves in.

A collection of short stories exploring how greed destroys lives and land alike, and the restoration of one requires the other.  In the foreword Powers writes that he was inspired by his many years spent working for the Peace Corps and then the Church in Brazil. Powers introduces the reader to the wild backlands, where priests come visit so sparingly that couples can only get formally married once a year, where rich land owners employ gangs to scare rural farmers off their land, and where organizing labor unions goes hand in hand with catechesis. Apparently in Brazil, it is a common practice for rich men to steal land from poor farmers when it becomes valuable. This often happens far from the cities where the police, if there are any, are easily bribed, and lawyers fear for their lives if they even decide to take the farmers on as their clients. Then, when the farmers are displaced into the cities, they face the same plight. There is one story where a whole ghetto is burned down by a gang in a rich man’s employ, rendering the whole neighborhood homeless so that gentrification can spread. Against this evil stand the humble actions of poor priests, sisters and laity. 

If you’re a Tolkien fan and a Catholic, Scott L. Smith, Jr. has written an approachable book for you. Lord of the Rings & the Eucharist is a brief volume exploring the similarities between Middle Earth and Catholicism. Topics include understanding the Eucharist, the Garden of Eden, Kingship, Ents, and more. It bridges events from the Trees of early Middle Earth history to Frodo’s need for lembas waybread, the Tolkien parallel to the Eucharist. Tolkien’s respect for nature and how he saw much of Catholic reality reflected in it is important to know for understanding his fantasy world. 

In Talitha’s world, the only thing stronger than the need for water is the working of the Holy Spirit. Water poverty and trafficking are two social justice issues of keen interest to most Catholics, and twenty-five percent of Sarah Robsdottir’s personal proceeds from this book are pledged to those in need. Both themes are eloquently handled. The way water-carrying dominates the life of teen girls like Talitha is perhaps most powerfully conveyed in a scene where Talitha has a tiny window of opportunity to help a kidnapped girl (the kidnappers being in a vehicle and she on foot). Yet she must turn and walk away, carrying her precious water, because it is needed so badly by the children waiting for her back at her hut, kilometers away. Similarly, the gut-wrenching helplessness of the villagers in the face of the kidnappings also brings home just how serious a problem trafficking can be in areas where a few armed men with a vehicle can operate with near-impunity.

Linsey Davis has created a delightful children’s poetic tale inspired by the Psalm: “This is the day the Lord has made.” The story begins as a young brother, sister, and their dog joyfully look out their living room window and admire all the beauty that they see. They eventually venture out into their backyard and notice that “even the rocks would sing if they could.”

The planet of Treelight’s charter has changed hands. A colony that was once kept in artificially medieval-like levels is grappling with preparations for rapid industrialization. But do they really want it? And are their new corporate owners telling them the truth about their ultimate plans? A scifi story that asks, if we could do it all over again, would we do it differently?