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Jesus Wept: Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church
by Philip Shenon
When the jolly Italian peasant-turned-cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli of Venice was elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, change was in the air. The Church, many said, had refused to enter the 20th century. In response, Pope John launched Vatican II, an "ecumenical council" that summoned hundreds of church leaders to Rome. It marked one of the most progressive turns the Church had taken in centuries: "medicine of mercy," as Pope John called it. Yet, not everyone in the Church was prepared to accept this modernization. The battle lines were drawn. In "Jesus Wept", Philip Shenon takes us inside the Holy See to reveal its intricacies, hypocrisies, and hidden maneuverings, bringing all the momentous disputes vividly to life: priestly celibacy, birth control, homosexuality, restoring ties with other Christians and Jews, shameful sex abuse crimes, the role of women in the Church. In his rich portrayals of the popes from John to Francis, Shenon draws on research across four continents, including hundreds of interviews and the exhaustive use of archives. " A consummate, vibrant history of the modern Church"
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Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers who Shaped a Legend
by Rebecca Romney
"Jane Austen's Bookshelf" investigates the disappearance of Austen's heroes - women writers who were erased from the Western canon - to reveal who they were, what they meant to Austen, and how they were forgotten. Each chapter profiles a different writer including Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Charlotte Smith, Hannah More, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth-and recounts Romney's experience reading them, finding rare copies of their works, and drawing on connections between their words and Austen's. This book will encourage you to look beyond assigned reading lists, question who decides what belongs there, and build your very own collection of favorite novels.
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Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre
by Mark Bourrie
Six weeks into the Covid pandemic, New York Times columnist David Brooks identified two types of Western politicians: rippers and weavers. Rippers, whether on the right or the left, see politics as war. They don't care about the destruction that's caused as they fight for power. Weavers are their opposite: people who try to fix things, who want to bring people together and try to build consensus. At the beginning of the pandemic, weavers seemed to be winning. Five years later, as Canada heads towards a pivotal election, that's no longer the case. Across the border, a ripper is remaking the American government. And for the first time in its history, Canada has its own ripper poised to assume power. Pierre Poilievre has enjoyed most of the advantages of the mainstream Canadian middle class. Yet he's long been the angriest man on the political stage. In "Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre", bestselling author Mark Bourrie charts Poilievre's rise through the political system, from teenage volunteer to outspoken Opposition leader known for cutting soundbites and theatrics. Bourrie shows how we arrived at this divisive moment in our history, one in which rippers are poised to capitalize on conflict. He shows how Poilievre and this new style of politics have gained so much ground--and warns of what it will cost us if they succeed.
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