This Savior we are waiting for. Meditations for Advent and ChristmasBrother Cyrille, osb, Éditions Sainte-Madeleine, 2024, 120 pages, €9. Beautiful meditations by a monk from Barroux to rediscover the peaceful joy of Christmas and prepare well for it.
Never without my Mother. Presence and Grace of MaryA Benedictine monk, Éditions Sainte-Madeleine, 2024, 96 pages, €9. Jesus gave us Mary as our Heavenly Mother: with this book rediscover the presence of Mary in your life.
Counter-History of France. Neither romance nor repentancePhilippe Delorme, Via Romana, 2024, 314 pages, €25. In 45 entries, the author presents a very broad panorama of French history with a laudable concern for truth which makes it, for the youngest, a good antidote to the prevailing cancel culture! Finally, the subtitle well sums up the spirit of this popular work.
Cultural dictionary of the sea and the navyPascal-Raphaël Ambrogi, Honoré Champion, 2024, 1024 pages, €38. With more than 16,000 entries, this clear and precise dictionary is a fascinating reference on these subjects.
Selection on Faith and Creed
The Christian faith for the curious and beginnersCollective, Artège, 2024, 330 pages, €18.90. In sixteen well-targeted and synthetic chapters, the work answers some of the main questions about faith: the existence of God, Jesus, the Church, happiness, evil, morality, prayer, the saints… The strong point of the work is the quality of the authors brought together (Mgr Léonard, Abbot de Menthière, F. Guillaud, etc.).
Express faith. Catechism of the Catholic Church in briefFr. Édouard Divry, op. Éditions du Carmel, 2024, 176 pages, €12. Excellent tool with a very good spirit designed in questions and answers and intended to be taken everywhere, in a pocket, a bag…
Meditations on the CreedWilliam of Tanoüarn, Via Romana, 2024, 196 pages, €17. Beautiful and profound meditations which illuminate the articles of the Apostles’ Creed and make us love the dogmas, necessary to the life of our faith.
I believe in God. Know the Christian faithFr Paul-Adrien d’Hardemare with the diocese of Paris, Mame, 2024, 336 pages, €21.90. Written in particular by the famous YouTuber, it is a technically very well done work for young people and educators. However, it sometimes passes without transition from accessible passages to other more complicated ones.
Selection of beautiful books
Christmas, a whole storyOlivier Grenouilleau, Deer, 2024, 276 pages, €24. Richly illustrated book which explains with great pedagogy what Christmas is, the nativity scene, the tree, Santa Claus, their origins, the roots in pagan festivals.
Prayer in ArtTimothy Verdon, Magnificat, 2024, 272 pages, €39. Magnificent album on the theme of prayer illustrated with more than 80 paintings or works of art by a true specialist.
The Saints. Spiritual adventure and representationRobert Bared, Éditions Hazan, 2023, 272 pages, €39. More than 70 paintings of famous saints are represented and commented on here, a very beautiful album.
On the paths to Compostela.Walking and cycling routes to Saint-Jacques, Collective, Gallimard/Voyages, 2024, 304 pages, €25. A practical guide, without a spiritual dimension, for walking towards Saint-Jacques, establishing your itineraries, knowing where to stay, where to eat, discovering the nearby artistic heritage.
Selection for children and adolescents
The living history of the monks told to my childrenPercy Hill, Éditions Sainte-Madeleine, 2024, 140 pages, €27. Presented in the form of a dialogue between a father and his four children aged 8 to 17, this beautiful story of the monks, richly illustrated, goes from the origins with Saint Anthony, Saint Augustine, Saint Benedict, through the great orders of the Middle Ages. Age up to present time.
Twenty thousand leagues under the sea, Jules Verne, Mame, 2024, 352 pages, 21,90 €.
The holidaysCountess of Ségur, Mame, 2024, 264 pages, 19,90 €.
The Bible toldFrançois Campagnac, Christophe Raimbault, Fabienne Py-Renaudie, Mame, 2024, 352 pages, 21,90 €.
The works in this collection are particularly neat, with a hard cardboard cover, which makes them a great gift idea for young people.
I recognize saints in churches and museums. 30 deciphered works of art, Sophie Roubertie, Mame, 2024, 96 pages, €19.90. Thirty portraits of saints explained to children through their portrait or statue.
Grimm’s Tales. Snow White, Rapunzel and other selected talesJacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Mame, 2024, 160 pages, €21.95. Selection illustrated in a beautiful edition of the famous tales of the Brothers Grimm.
The legend of Saint NicholasJudith Bouilloc et Caterina Baldi, Mame, 2024, 48 pages, €19.90. The famous legend immortalized by Gérard de Nerval with an audio book CD.
Grandma’s beautiful stories under the snowKarine-Anne Amiot and Julie Mellan, Mame, 2024, 64 pages, €16.90. Six stories for little ones with quality drawing.
Letters to my friends the SaintsFather Jean Abiven, ocd, Éditions du Carmel, 2024, 120 pages, €13. A great way to (re)discover around fifteen saints; it is very accessible but the work is to be reserved for adolescents who are already mature and beyond.
Christophe Geffroy & Simon Walter
© LA NEF n° 375 December 2024
