I have a confession to make. I read Mommy blogs. Lots of them. I do. My brother Pat will have a field day with me on that but I enjoy them.
I read Jen, Simcha, Hallie, and Danielle just about as often as they post. I check in on lots of others like Karen Edminsten, Elizabeth Duffy, Rebecca Teti, and Rachel Balducci a few times a week among others.
I often think that if Pat and I ever actually attended some kind of Catholic conference I’d probably freak these women out by how much I know about them. I’d be asking them freakishly specific questions about their dog and their second grader’s teacher’s herniated disc. They’d likely pepper spray me.
CMR buddy Hallie Lord edited a book collection of many of my favorite Catholic writers called Sex, Style & Substance. And I read it. I’ll admit my wife and kids looked at me a little weirdly while I was walking around with a pink book. And the book practically smelled of estrogen. I was a bit afraid to get some on me but I read it and would like to say it’s really enjoyable.
It’s funny as heck at times but it’s also really smart and faith-filled. I enjoyed it and I’m a dude. The parts about dresses and style and things I’ll admit were kinda’ lost on me but I’d imagine folks with two X chromosomes would like it. But other parts had me literally holding my side with laughter like when Jen describes crawling out of her car window like Bo Duke. And many of the chapters left me really thinking about how I life out my faith on a daily basis, especially when it comes to dealing with the children.
But just so you don’t think I’m totally wussified I’ll give me top ten reasons not to buy “Style, Sex, and Substance.”
10) Red haired women like Jen Fulwiler scare you.
9) The last all-girls thing I bought was the Bangles CD and they broke up right after that!
8) You fear that Danielle Bean who has her own powerhouse blog, runs Faith & Family Live, as well as the new and improved Catholic Digest is just getting too powerful and will next to try to take over the world.
7) You like your Catholic writing with a lot more judgment and a little less understanding.
6) It’s got the word “Sex” in the title so it must be a dirty book.
5) Former atheists like Karen Edmisten might be spies for the other side and simply pretending to live a faith-filled life.
4) You only read girl books about sensitive but brooding vampires.
3) You believe women should be less focused on writing books and just concentrating on having more babies!!! Oh wait. You can’t really use that one on these women. Together, their families make up a population large enough to overthrow a medium sized Republic.
2) I read somewhere that Hallie’s husband is some kind of death metal freak who spent time in the hoosegow for punching out a bar owner. And you know those rock and rollers never change.
1) If I am gonna’ read a book written by several girls, its gonna involve spring break.
If any of these apply to you feel free to not read Hallie’s book. If you want a great Catholic book, click here to buy it.
