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What does Bela Lugosi, the Korean War and a charming Irish story teller have in common? A great novel!  Join me in conversation with K.V. Turley, co author of the fabulous new novel The Thing of Darkness published by Ignatius Press.  What is one willing to do to gain fame and fortune?  Trading the light of the soul for the darkness of sin  is a perilous decision. Turley and his co author Fiorella De Maria have crafted a hauntingly beautiful novel  about sacrifice, suffering, and ultimately redemption.

Follow me on Twitter   MicheleMcAloon1       

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Everyone has seen the coffee table book of the world's most beautiful libraries but what about the books in the library?  Join me in discussion with Professors Andrew Pettegree and Arthur Der Weduwen authors of the  The Library: A Fragile History by Basic Books. as we talk about the history of collections, the people who collect books, and why human knowledge is such a fragile thing.  Are books a thing of the past to be replaced by smart phones and ereaders? You will be surprised to learn the answer. This is a magnificent opus of a work covering the span of Western history seen through the eyes of book collectors. A great Christmas gift idea for any  history or bibliophile buff.
You can find Basic books  https://www.basicbooks.com/
You can find Andrew Pettegree https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/andrew-pettegree(340dbf3b-538e-4134-bcac-812a85351014).html
You can find Arthur Der Weduwen https://www.arthurderweduwen.com/

You can find me on twitter @MicheleMcAloon1

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Many were surprised by the election of Pope Francis.

Author Julia Melonia, in her meticulously researched and well written book, ST Gallen Mafia; Exploring the Secret Reformist Group in the Church, published by Tan Books, shows how the papacy of Pope Francis was not a haphazard chance  but  the result of  many years of planning and scheming by some of the most radical leaders in the Church.  Ms. Melonia traces how an obscure Latin American cardinal  was elevated to the Papacy and why this elaborate scheme should concern all faithful Catholics. Pope Francis is 84 years old .  As his  papacy and life draws to an end many of the radical transformations that the ST Gallen group hoped to achieve will now happen at a quickening pace.  The destruction of the Latin mass and a World wide synod are only the beginning of what a progressive group of cardinals who called themselves the ST Gallen Mafia hoped to achieve.   

You can find Tan books https://tanbooks.com/  
Julia Melonia's  website https://www.juliameloni.com/

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Looking for a great hostess gift for Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving; the Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience is a fun, fact filled, well written, and beautifully illustrated book  that would make a perfect gift.
Did you know America will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the original Thanksgiving dinner this year?  Join me in a great conversation with  Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of  Thanksgiving; the Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience published by the fabulous Encounter Books. Mrs. Kirkpatrick, a Senior Fellow at the prestigious Hudson Institute, traces the origins of Thanksgiving and what this most American holiday has come to mean to our national identity.  In separating myth from fact, she very adroitly shows why Thanksgiving is an important day  of  national unity for all American citizens.  History, politics, religion, economics. food and football  are interwoven in the story of  a holiday four centuries in the making.  The book is filled with tidbits of historical facts and anecdotes about our most cherished holiday.  Be sure to check out the recipes in the back.  I am going to try the Indian pudding!!               
The Hudson Institute can be found at https://www.hudsoninstitute.org   Encounter Books can be found at  https://www.encounterbooks.com    Melanie Kirkpatrick can be found at https://www.melaniekirkpatrick.com
find Michele on twitter @michelemcaloon1
let me know what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish.  Mine is cranberries and corn bread sausage stuffing!!!

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This episode is not for the faint of heart..but is worthwhile in considering where the truth may stand in media reporting.  Bill Donahue author of The Truth  about Clergy Sexual  Abuse; Clarifying the Facts and the Causes published by Ignatius Press challenges many of the media allegations in the reporting of the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.  He presents a well documented presentation about the two scandals that have occurred  in the Church ; the actual clergy abuse scandal and the reporting of the clergy abuse scandal.  Mr. Donahue  questions the media in their accuracy of reporting while never downplaying or dismissing the actual abuse that did occur in the Church.  Both Catholics and non Catholics will benefit from considering his research and presentation of the facts and the agenda of a powerful and liberal media.   
The Catholic League of which Mr. Donahue is president can be found at https://www.catholicleague.org/
Ignatius Press can be found at  https://www.ignatius.com/

 

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What is happiness?  Michael Warren Davis author of The Reactionary Mind; When Conservative isn't Enough published by Regnery Gateway   answers this question by imagining a better past in order to imagine a better future.  Since it's release at the end of October, this book is flying off the shelves.  Join me in conversation with Mr. Davis  as we talk about Kings, Medieval Man, blissful ignorance, smart phones and dating as a pathway toward revolt of the modern world.  Rejecting the forces that purport to make us happy may be in the end what truly makes us happy.

When you buy the book be sure to study the appendices....the reactionary's guide to cocktails and dogs.

You can find Michael Warren Davis's writing on his blog site..https://northofboston.blog/     

BE REACTIONARY!!!!!! Your happiness depends on it!!!

Drop me a line on twitter  Michele McAloon!

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Because you can never get enough Dracula this time of year. This is a repeat performance!  Dracula..the Motherlode of all horror stories just  in time for all hallows eve and all souls day .
Join me in conversation with Dr Doug Mitchell, my friend with a PhD in literature, as we talk about Brahm Stoker"s 1897 classic Dracula.  Redemption. purity, bats and werewolves all rolled into this towering gothic novel.  We discuss the Catholic and literary themes that have long held a fascination for a classic Halloween tale 

Ignatius Press Critical Edition of Dracula
https://www.ignatius.com/promotions/ignatiuscriticaleditions/stoker-dracula.htm

Eleanor Bourg Nicholson is the assistant executive editor for Dappled Things and assistant editor for the Saint Austin Review (StAR). She is editor of several Ignatius Critical Editions volumes, and has collaborated with other editors to provide footnotes for numerous others.

Looking for a fabulous faithful  Catholic High School   try:
https://stmichaelchs.org/
St Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama

ST Michael Pray for US!!!

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From HP Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and to Penitent Angels join me in with Dr David Pinault, author of  Providence Blue; A Catholic Fantasy , published by Ignatius Press.  Dr Pinault's book is a  great example of the Catholic  literary explosion occurring in  the US today.  A well written narrative, with great character development, Providence Blue is a rollicking read using historical and fictional characters to ultimately tell a story of redemption. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, Catholic author and professor of religious studies,   Dr Pinault weaves a tale between the present day and 1936 when HP Lovecraft and Robert E Howard were creating out of the world characters.  A great primer for Halloween   

You can order Providence Blue and other great Catholic Books on   https://www.ignatius.com/

You can follow Michele on Twitter @ MicheleMcAloon1    

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Race Crazy is a great book club read for lively conversation and perhaps the beginning of change.  Do not buy what BLM and 1619 are selling. Black or White think for yourselves. Listen to this interview. Buy this book. 

 The most explosive issue in the United States today is race.   How can we discuss race and liberty in a manner that is logical, and absent of excessive emotion?    Mr. Charles Love, author of Race Crazy; BLM, 1619 and the Progressive Racism Movement  published by Post Hill Press shreds the false claims made by both BLM and the 1619 project.  While recognizing racism is present in our society, as with every human society, Mr. Love shows how the false logic and  the out of context arguments of both these movements has hurt not only the Black population but all of American society.  Admittedly, many will not agree  because BLM and the 1619 project have been so dangerously effective in teaching Americans to unquestionably believe in their arguments of hatred and oppression.  The most important point Mr. Love makes,  is that all American must begin thinking for themselves, challenge the rhetoric and to start speaking the truth.
     

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Dr Robert Tracy McKenzie of Wheaton College, author of We The Fallen People ;The Founders and the Future of American Democracy , published by Inter Varsity Press discusses how the Founding Fathers constructed the US Constitution based on on a realistic understanding of human nature.  When Alex de Tocqueville visited America he asked himself how liberty could reign amongst a group of greedy but yet industrious people. Dr McKenzie argues that our success as a democracy does not lie in a fairytale myth that we as Americans are morally good. Instead it lies in the Founding Fathers understanding of the true nature of sin and what was needed to govern a sinful people. Our true understanding of who are as Americans comes ultimately from an understanding of human nature.   The US Constitution was created and more importantly imagined to fit the doubts of the Founders in the moral goodness of fallen man.
You can follow Dr McKenzie @https://faithandamericanhistory.wordpress.com/about/
Order the book from https://www.ivpress.com/      
follow Michele on Twitter@ MicheleMcAloon1