HI THERE! I'M BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI, FREELANCE WRITER, HISTORICAL RESEARCHER, & PERPETUAL SEEKER OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. WELCOME TO MY SPACE WHERE I SHARE THE BOOKS I'M READING, MY SPIRITUAL FINDINGS, FLOWERS IN MY GARDEN, AND LOST STORIES. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.
St. Dominic is the saint who, according to Catholic writings, was given the vision of the rosary by the Blessed Mother. I’m reading this to delve more into the history of the rosary, but also out of pure interest. I have been studying prayer lately for the class I’m in, centering prayer in particular, which … Continue reading The Life of Saint Dominic
So good! I came across this at @cottagebooks over the summer and thought I’d give it a whirl. Her writing is fabulous! Sometimes you just know when someone’s got it and Ann Petry has IT! As a writer, talent like this, the mystery of it, because you can’t really put you finger on what makes … Continue reading The Street by Ann Petry
I read A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis on the car ride home from our vacation. Felt like a journey or a walk with Lewis himself. Written after the death of his wife, a Grief Observed began as his journal to work things out, but he thought it might help others cope with their … Continue reading A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
Finished it over the weekend. It was so good! I could have done without part one, but I guess it was useful to see how far he came from not giving any thought to the existence of God to becoming a Trappist monk. Wish I were still reading it. Merton is an excellent teacher, I … Continue reading Thomas Merton: The Seven Storey Mountain
The absence of God leads to a life of vanity & vexation. This is the main theme of Ecclesiastes. What are we filled with when God is absent from our souls? Ego, pride, vanity—the ‘self’. When we are consumed with ‘self’ all we produce and put into the world is filled with ‘self’ and therefore … Continue reading The book of Ecclesiastes
Funny thing... both these books are the same but they have completely different translations for their endings. Makes me wish I would have read the top one instead. What do you think? . . . #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #reading #readersofinstagram #balzac #france #literature #classicnovel #oldbooks #vintagebooks #bookshop #library
I’m excited to read this. I read Chronicles of Narnia when I was little, but I don’t remember getting through it all. Even though this story deals with Greek Mythology, I am interested in studying Lewis’ technique of applying theology to his fiction. I too have tried to do this, but the more spiritual and … Continue reading Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Of Whales and Men by Dr. R. B. Robertson is a creative nonfiction piece written in the 1950s about the whaling industry and the "psychopaths" that work on the factory ship for 8 months out of the year--every year. Dr. Robertson dubbed all the whalers psychopaths because they chose a life away from civilization, to … Continue reading Of Whales and Men by R. B. Robertson
The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila is more of a workbook than I would have liked. I have read it over and have prayed the Glorious Mysteries using it as my guide today. Though I was hoping for more a reflective experience from these two Saints on praying … Continue reading The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II & St. Teresa of Avila
I’ve heard mixed reviews, but @barnesandnoble was having a sale. I scored this hardcover for under $7. Worth it? .
BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI 