52 in 25: #52 - Finishing the Year

To finish off the year, I have two books I’m basically finished with, or at least will be by the end of the year.

The first is something that has been part of my daily holy hour for the year: A Year with the Mystics, compiled by Kathyrn Jean Lopez.  This is basically 365 days worth of reflections from various saints with a prompt for further consideration and a closing prayer.  On the one hand, there are some really good reflections in here.  On the other hand, it was frustrating at points because, by the author’s words, this was not necessarily meant to be read starting on January 1, so it’s kind of random where reflections fell.  It really took me out of it when, for instance, there was something about Christmas in the middle of Lent.  Very mixed bag for me.

 

The other is The Life of St. Francis of Assisi by Saint Bonaventure.  This the TAN Classics reprint of a translation from 1867.  Certainly, this is a classic.  I do have some struggles with it.  The first is that it is not a chronological biography, but rather a thematic reflection on his life.  The second is (and this is somewhat common for some saint biographies) he is presented as so perfect that it can become frustratingly impossible to relate with him.  This is a similar reason why I stopped reading the classic biography of St. John Vianney.  Another difficult is just the language.  I’m not sure if this is due to the original by Bonaventure, or the translation from the 19^th century.  These are long (long) paragraphs with sentences composed in ways that would never be done today.  Sometimes it makes it difficult to follow.  Again, I don’t know if that’s an artifact from the original or a (now) old translation.  That being said, it does not get more classic than this.

 

So, there you have it.  At least 52 books in 2025.  Would I do this again?  Probably not.  It did push me to read more, which was the objective.  It also encouraged me to read more classics that I have been wanting to get to.  That being said, it also discouraged me from reading certain books because I knew that I could not finish them in a timely manner.  My year experiment is done, but I may revisit this.  Perhaps a monthly update and some things I have read?

52 in 25: #51 - Love Does Such Things

There is a tradition in Advent to prepare for Christmas started by my parents years ago, and now I continue it on.  Every year, I read this beautiful little book called Love Does Such Things by Reverand Mary Raymond, O.C.S.O, published in Milwaukee in 1955.  It is a real treasure, and a book I highly recommend picking up if you can find it.

 

Fr. Raymond walks through the Christmas story, from the Annunciation through the return to Nazareth after Egypt.  Each chapter represents a different letter, to spell out the ultimate word of Christmas: “SAVIOUR.”  So the chapters are: Shepherds and Sheep, Angels, a Virgin, Nativity and Name (J=I), Offerings, Urgency, and Return and Retirement.  In the end, he sums it all up that God does all of this for you, for whom Love Does Such Things.

 

I love this book.  Each time I read it, something else jumps out at me.  I can’t tell you how many times little tidbits have made their way into my homilies during the Christmas season.  It also has beautiful paintings recreated in it.  I think it would be awesome if someone like TAN reprinted it to make it more available, because right now the only way to get it is to find it second hand (apparently there was a recent reprint, but it also is not available and it looks like it’s missing the original images).  Again, if you can, get a copy and enjoy it for years.

52 in 25: #50 - 58 Minutes

I followed up the book that “inspired” Die Hard with its sequel.  No, not the books’ sequel, but the novel that “inspired” Die Hard 2.  This was 58 Minutes by Walter Wager.

This is a very, very loose interpretation of “inspired” (or as the cover says: “basis”).  About the only thing that this novel and the movie have in common is that terrorists takeover an airport.  In this, case, it is JFK Airport in New York, along with the others in the area.  They demand the release of seven political prisoners.  On the case is airport officials, the FAA, and the NYPD chief terrorist captain, Frank Malone, who just happens to be there because his daughter is flying in.  The plane she is on will run out of fuel in 58 minutes, hence the title.

It's fine, as these thrillers go.  It’s not necessarily a “page turner” but it’s not boring.  There are quite a few conveniences to make the plot happen.  One of my biggest pet peeves is that, at the end of the story, Malone is convinced that there was an inside person who helped it all happen, he and the others say they need to figure out who it is, and then they all live happily ever after.  Did the author not know who it was?  You can’t just leave that important piece dangling.  Maybe the author was an early influence on J.J. Abrams?

52 in 25: #49 - Nothing Lasts Forever

Next was a book I have been wanting to read for a while.  I finally got it early this year, but was waiting to read it until December.  The book is titled Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, published in 1979.  Doesn’t sound familiar?  It does when you realize it was the “basis” for one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

This novel is told from the perspective of a retired police officer named Joseph Leland, and is the sequel to a novel called The Detective, which was made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra in 1968.  Leland flies to LA on Christmas Eve to be with his daughter Stephanie Gennaro and her children.  He meets up with her at her companies Christmas party, taking place in their 40-story skyscraper.  During the party, terrorist led by Anton Gruber take the building hostage in an attempt to steal $6 million dollars that the company, Klaxon, received in a deal with the corrupt government of Chile.  Leland then takes part in a one-man war to stop the terrorists and save his daughter.

 

Sound familiar?  Of course, this was the basis for Die Hard.  This is one case where the movie is significantly better than the source material.  The book isn’t bad.  It can be hard to follow at times.  There’s certainly some conveniences.  I didn’t really like the main character.  Or any of the characters.  In that way, it’s very 70s.  I guess in the end I would say, stick with the movie unless you really want to hunt down a decent action novel.

52 in 25: #48 - The Wingmen

I actually finished this a few days ago but haven’t had the time to write anything.  Next was a sort-of sequel to the previously read The Cloudbuster Nine.  I read Adam Lazarus’ The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams.

            Space.  Baseball.  Military History.  You would think that I had read this already (published 2023) or at least knew about their friendship.  Somehow, as far as I can remember, I had no idea about their connection until I heard about his book shortly after it was published.  I’m still kind of baffled by that.  I finally got around to reading it.

            The author does a great job of setting up the story, detailing the lives of Ted Williams and John Glenn, two of the most famous men of their time.  And, of course, he also goes into length about how the two of them got to be wingmen in the Korean War.  And then he has a number of chapters on their post-war lives, highlighting their interactions of the years.  Probably my biggest problem is how quickly the war goes by (in the book, not in real life).  There are some good chapters on the nature of the war and their role in it, and in particular about Ted’s crash, but it almost seems like an afterthought for their lives.  I do have some sympathy, however, if that is simply from lack of more information.  I know this problem from personal experience.

            Overall, it is an interesting, though not essential, read for anyone interested in baseball or military history.  One credit I will give to the author is that before I read this, I loved Ted Williams and didn’t care for John Glenn.  After reading, I have a better appreciation for Glenn and see more of the deficiencies of Teddy Ballgame (though I am still immensely intrigued by his life and personality).

52 in 25: #47 - That Nothing May Be Lost

I think I mentioned this before, but I take my time with my spiritual reading.  This was no exception.  I just completed Rev. Paul D. Scalia’s That Nothing May Be Lost.  If that name is familiar, he is a priest for the Diocese of Arlington and the son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.  I first became aware of him listening to his homily for his dad’s funeral in 2016.  It’s the best funeral homily I have heard, it inspires mine, and it is included in the appendix of this book.

 

I had picked up this book a number of years ago, but finally got to reading it.  It is a collection of his work, including some articles he has written and (I think) some homilies.  Topics range from the Sacraments to saints, including Mary, to prayer, feast days, and, of course, Our Lord.  I love this book because it is easy to pick up, read one or two, and reflect on his words.  He also does a great job, since these are written for your typical lay Catholic, of distilling ideas down into something that is easily consumed but will keep you thinking.  I highly recommend this book to enrich anyone's spiritual life.

Movies by Decade: 2010s

Underwhelming is how I would summarize this decade.  There are some good movies, but the overuse of CGI and the overabundance of mediocre superhero movies overtakes just about everything else.  There’s also the beginning infusion of woke, which has successfully destroyed Hollywood (see: 2020s).  Personally, this decade also saw me going from seeing nearly every Best Picture nominee (in grad school) to barely seeing any (in seminary).  The overall quality of the Top 10 is not incredibly high, but it is very close between them.

Before my list (remember this is “best,” not necessarily “favorite”), a few notable movies not mentioned, because I have not seen them: The Kids Are All Right, The Descendants, The Help, Midnight in Paris, The Tree of Life, Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, Philomena, The Wolf of Wall Street, Boyhood, Selma, Whiplash, Brooklyn, The Revenant, Room, Moonlight, Fences, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, The Shape of Water, Call Me by Your Name, Phantom Thread, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Green Book, BlackKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Roma, A Star is Born, Vice, Parasite, The Irishman, Little Women, Marriage Story.  There’s plenty of overrated movies: Inception, Birdman, Get Out, La La Land, everything Marvel, The Social Network, etc.

Honorable Mentions: Mad Max: Fury Road, Mission:Impossible – Rogue Nation, Split, Hacksaw Ridge, Hidden Figures, Les Miserables, Source Code, Argo, All Is Lost, Edge of Tomorrow, We Bought a Zoo, The Town, The Fighter, There Be Dragons, Soul Surfer, Moneyball, Hugo, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, For Greater Glory, Lincoln, Wreck-It Ralph, Oblivion, Gravity, Saving Mr. Banks, Calvary, The Lego Movie, Chef, Godzilla, Sicario, Spotlight, The Martian, Creed, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Patriots Day, Rogue One, Coco, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Christopher Robin, Knives Out

 

 Top 10 Countdown:

A Quiet Place (2018)

            This list was one of the more difficult ones to decide on, and there’s a few in the Honorable Mentions that could have made the Top 10.  I will also say that in the Top 10, almost any of them could have been the top movie.  I start with one of the great Pro-Life movies ever made, which people cannot believe because it is sci-fi/horror.  But you have a family, sticking together, and (spoiler alert) a mother choosing to give birth when it could mean her death while a father sacrifices himself to save his children.  It’s a great message and a great movie.

 

Paddington (2014)

            This is legitimately one of the funniest movies made in recent years, and it also has so much heart.  It is great to see that you can still make successful, good family movies.  I love Paddington.

 

The King’s Speech (2010)

            This movie is ranked so high largely due to its amazing cast.  Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are amazing together.  It’s one of those movies that, if I’m sick and can’t keep my eyes open, I can just listen to it and be at peace.

 

True Grit (2010)

            Hardcore John Wayne fans will never agree with this movie being so high, but you have to understand that the Coen Brothers went back to the original source material and not Wayne’s movie. It’s gritty but heartfelt.  The cast (outside of Rooster Cogburn) is miles better than Wayne’s movie.  It’s perhaps the best Western of the 21^st century (depending on how you judge what a “Western” is).

 

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

            Ok, Matt Damon.  I’m not that into cars, but I got sucked into this story.  It stands out as a great “guys” movie in an era where that is looked down upon.  And the cinematography, particularly during the race and the sunset scene, is beautiful.

 

Wind River (2017)

            If it wasn’t for some nudity, this movie might be #1, and certainly it would be higher.  It’s a truly powerful look into the wilds of America (some consider it a Western).  The shootout is one of the most devastating that I have seen.  And it’s also a captivating mystery, and a great story of a “fish out of water.”

 

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)

            This is ranked so high because few movies have left me as emotional as leaving the theater after seeing this.  It is not quite as good as, say Black Hawk Down, but it pulls the audience in and makes you feel like you’re there.  And I can’t see how anyone could watch this and be okay with a certain previous administration.

 

Of Gods and Men (2010)

            This little-known French film tells the true story of 9 Cistercian monks living in a monastery in Algeria until 7 of them are kidnapped and martyred during the Algerian Civil War in 1996.  It is beautifully moving, and it is a shame that more people do not know about it.  Yes, Christians and Muslims can live in peace together.  Yes, Christians are still martyred.  Yes, living your life for Christ is worth it.

 

Toy Story 3 (2010)

            Toy Story 3 was the perfect ending for the most consistently great trilogy in history, and is basically a perfect movie.  It hits everything you want in a movie (funny, exciting, etc.).  It expertly weaves in a few new characters without discarding your favorites from the first two.  And it is one of the few times that an animated movie can legitimately make you emotional in the end (twice actually, first when they are nearly destroyed, and then the perfect send-off at the end).   

 

1917 (2019)

            After recently rewatching this movie for Veterans Day, I moved it up a spot to take #1 of the decade.  This movie is more than just the “single-shot” gimmick.  It is perfectly directed, you can tell that Sam Mendes put his heart into it in honor of his grandfather.  It is tense.  You can feel the mud and grit of the trenches.  Thomas Newman’s score is (as always) beautiful (how did he lose to the noise of Joker?!?!?).  It is a nearly perfect movie.

Extra fun: the best movie scores of the decade (there’s not a lot to love this decade, because movie scores started to become more like “atmosphere” and “wall of sound,” thanks in large part to Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer, and don’t even get me started on how terrible Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Bear McCreary; also 10 Cloverfield Lane, Happy Death Day)

Passengers (Thomas Newman; also 1917)

How To Train Your Dragon (John Powell)

Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation (Joe Kraemer)

Mad Max: Fury Road (Junkie XL)

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Michael Giacchino; also Jurassic World, Rogue One, Coco)

True Grit (Carter Burwell)

Planes (Mark Mancina)

Godzilla (Alexandre Desplat; also The King’s Speech)

The Adventures of Tintin (John Williams; also War Horse, Lincoln, Star Wars trilogy)

Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk)

The Wolfman (Danny Elfman)

X-Men: First Class (Henry Jackman; also Wreck-It Ralph, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)

Predators (John Debney)

Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman)

Hugo (Howard Shore)

After Earth (James Newton Howard)

Oblivion (M83)

Edge of Tomorrow (Christophe Beck)

 

Other music from the decade: pass