Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena

The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin Catherine of Siena, Dictated by Her, while in a State of Ecstasy, to Her Secretaries and Completed in the Year of Our Lord 1370, Together with an Account of Her Death by an Eyewitness by St Catherine of Siena and others, 344 pages

The full title of the Dialogue is most of the context provided in this edition - the brief introduction is primarily concerned with the spiritual state of Italy, Christendom, and the saint rather than a true biography of the author or commentary on the text.  That text is a transcription of conversations St Catherine had while in an ecstatic state with the first two Persons of the Trinity.  None of the voices - those of God or that of the saint - ever descends into the kind of babbling emotionalism popularly associated with ecstasy - they speak clearly, rationally, and, on the part of God, with a commanding authority.  There is not even a trace of self-aggrandizement - St Catherine is not interested in her status as the mouthpiece of the Almighty, but with how she - and we - can draw closer to Him.  The result is an eminently practical guide to the spiritual life, showing "clearly in each state the means of cutting away imperfection and reaching perfection, and how the soul may know by which road she is walking and of the hidden delusions of the devil and of spiritual self-love."

The Way We Bared Our Souls

The Way We Bared Our Souls by Willa Strayhorn, 276 pages

Lo is terrified that she has Multiple Sclerosis.  Her aunt recently died from MS and Lo, who has started having symptoms, can't face the possibility that she may have it too.  She meets a man who calls himself Jay and spends time with a coyote called Dakota.  Jay tells Lo that he can help her.  She needs to find four friends who also need help and he can perform a ritual that will help all of them.  Lo manages to find four friends who all have some deep problems, with drugs, illness, or memories that haunt them and they all agree to do the ritual.  However, the ritual has some unexpected consequences that could either save them or ruin them.  I mostly liked this book.  It was well written and it was a good story.  I'm not certain that I liked the ending though, but that's probably a personal preference as opposed to it actually being a bad ending.  I would definitely recommend this to teens who like realistic fiction with a touch of fantasy.