A Necessary Evil, by Alex Kava (on CD)

Priests are being murdered in the Midwest. Women are being dismembered in the D.C. area. How are these cases connected? Or are they? It's a bit of a stretch to say that they are, and although the end was kind of a feel-good ending, I can't help thinking about the housekeeper in Boston who was in the wrong place at the worst possible time. Still, an interesting puzzle, if a little too convoluted. I wasn't thrilled with the reader, but the story was good enough that I could see reading more by this author.

Salvation in Death, by J. D. Robb

Dante and his Divine Comedy, by Timothy B. Shutt (on CD)

Fascinating stuff, made so in part by the enthusiasm of the teacher. Fun to listen to.

The Calling : A Year in the Life of an Order of Nuns, by Catherine Whitney

The author went to Catholic high school in the early 60s, a time of dramatic change in the Catholic Church. Her teachers were all nuns, and she contemplated taking vows as a nun herself. When the Mother Prioress suggested she take some time to be sure she was called to that vocation she was so crushed she effectively left the church in her past.

About three decades later, she was asked to write about nuns by her publisher and headed back to the Seattle area to re-immerse herself in the life of the religious and find out if things had changed inside the order as much as it looks like it has changed from the outside. The answer is yes. And also no. Things are substantially different, but the women who are called to serve as Dominicans continue to do God's work in the world, regardless of clothing and other outer trappings.

For someone who was not raised Catholic, this is full of daily routines completely unfamiliar to me. For someone who was taught by nuns, maybe this would be vaguely interesting, but it might also bring back some unpleasant memories. Either way, I think it's comforting to think of these women who remain dedicated to doing good works for the betterment of society--a link to the past looking forward toward an uncertain earthly future.

Things You Get for Free, by Michael McGirr

This is from my Books to Read list, and I can't remember where I heard about it. It is the story of the author and his mom traveling to Europe, but also the story of his relationship with his father, who died when he was 12.

McGirr was, at the time of the trip, a Australian Jesuit priest, and that colors some of his comments about the trip in a way I hadn't considered, especially in England. Ostensibly, this is a travel book. In reality, however, it is about traveling one's own history, and that of one's parents. It's not a particularly deep book, but it has a few insights, and the reader gets to know and appreciate the author. His mom is finely drawn primarily because of the amusing comments she makes. She is at once fiercely practical and daringly satiric.

The book ends with McGirr's return to regular life, but the flap says he's a "former priest" so I'd like to know what happened between the trip and the publication date. Time to do some research.