In late fall we discussed Kate Bowler’s poignant memoir about being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. We followed that with one of three recent volumes of the collected short stories of Andre Dubus.

Sigrid Nunez mines the effect of suicide on family, friends and even the pet dog in her National Book Award winner, The Friend.

Armed with enthusiasm, command of his material and a knack for analogy, Steve Brusatte has written a book that incarnates dinosaurs with color, sound and fury.

Holy Communion is the Lord’s way of saying that we need never be apart from him in our lives. He will always be there for us. As Pooh puts it, “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.”

C.S. Lewis does not come to lovely conclusions about his God or his religion or his suffering. He asks many more questions than he answers. He rants, questions, weeps and feels terrible, deservedly sorry for himself and for the woman he loved so much and has now lost. And in doing so, he renders in prose what it really feels like to grieve.

Many will find Sohrab Ahmari’s account of coming to faith compelling and moving, while others may find his emphasis on an authoritative church confusing or even off-putting.