Our family read this book aloud together. I liked hearing a modern, personal view of what Athos is like and as Californians who are new to Orthodoxy there was lots to relate to in John McKinney's perspective. I think we all enjoyed the arc of the story and the beauty of the miracles he experienced in the life of his son. Truly the saints are alive and transmitting God's grace to us as companions on the journey. I think we were all a little bit let down that the experiences the author related didn't seem to bloom into a particularly deeper or more devout life of faith as he returned home, he seemed to remain on the fringes of the faith, and his son seems to not have received much richness and firsthand connection to Orthodoxy, at least at the time of the writing. We found ourselves hoping and praying for them both.

Discussed at book club. Indeed thought provoking: blessed to have had the input of others throughout this book. Personally I would recommend reading this book with others, as opposed to alone.

"The Broken Wheel" is a graphic novel about the life of Saint Katherine. I was first introduced to Gabriel Wilson's work through "The Cross and the Stag". Both of these graphic novels are well-loved by my 10 year daughter. They are beautifully illustrated. My daughter is a creative soul, and she was inspired by the artwork in this book. Not only is it lovely too look at, it is wonderful story that is memorable and engaging. When I asked my daughter what Katherine had to give up for her faith, she responded, "I didn't really think about her giving up anything, because she gained so much because of her faith." It is a inspiring story you can enjoy sharing with your child. The Orthodox faith is so full of wonderful saints, and I cannot wait for Gabriel Wilson to continue making these graphic novels.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It teaches you how to be healed yourself so that your very presence is healing to others.

The Broken Wheel tells the story of St. Katherine in a graphic novel presentation. The illustrations mimic a comic strip, which is sure to capture young readers attention and their families and presents the life of St. Katherine in an engaging way. I would recommend this book for ages 8 and up, although can be read to young children since the illustrations are so prominent, the story flowed smoothly and highlighted who St. Katherine is and how she defended herself and the Faith. It would make a great gift for anybody named Katherine or any child to expand their Orthodox library. I look forward to reading and sharing more from Gabriel Wilson!

Disclosure: First, I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for a review, but THEN I also purchased a copy of an eBook version so that I could go back and reference this book (more about that later)

In the forward to this book, we hear a quotation from Cherie Calbom stating, “Emotional wounds we experience can be far more devastating than physical pain. But while our society tends to take someone’s pain seriously if it correlates with visible physical injuries, we tend to marginalize a person’s pain when it is invisible. In our quick-fix culture, people who are hurting can be left thinking they are the problem for not being able to toughen up and get over it. Sometimes we need to actually take an approach that is counter to our feel-good culture and move towards our pain before we can move away from it.”

Too often, our invisible wounds cause more damage and distress than anything external. What is seen can be tended to, and what others recognize, they can respond to. For the individual recovering from surgery, there are often meals, help with transportation, offers of encouragement and support. For those without visible external struggles and those internal struggles are fronted with a well-trained smile and “fine, how are you,” the support is not as readily offered.

Allowing others in, expressing vulnerability and sharing one’s internal suffering, whether it’s chronic pain, mental health, trauma is risky. Some may respond with disbelief, others with a dismissive “Things aren’t that bad” or a “well, at least it’s not….” Those who want to respond with genuineness and compassion may still not know how. This book offers some suggestions for all of us – sufferer and supporter (and we will all be in both roles at various points in our lives).

As a clinician I reference this book (directly at times, indirectly others) almost daily now. I find myself sharing information with friends and clients alike in discussions about self-esteem vs. self-compassion and how the choice toward self-compassion leads to a much richer life. We discuss how vulnerability is actually strength, and how pain can have purpose. Most of all, we talk about gratitude no matter what the situation; how avoiding rose-colored glasses and facing the reality of the landscape allows us to truly look for what we are thankful for and to grow toward acceptance and wholeheartedness; to change what we can and to be grateful for what we can. Many times, the situation doesn’t change – but resiliency does.

In the audiobook format of the book, I found that I needed longer listening periods than my usual audiobook experiences – There is a lot of content in each chapter, and it’s not easily picked up with 10-20 minutes of listening. I wanted every morsel of information, and it is rich and worth returning to. All of the information is grounded in research, and is explained in a way that one does not need to be an academic to understand it. Each chapter builds on the previous ones, but the chapters can also stand alone. There are many points where the author also describes how to apply the information.

I cannot recommend this book enough, though if you purchase an audiobook version, I recommend a written copy as well.

What a darling little board book full of beautiful illustrations that bring the words alive about a Saint not often written about! This is a must-have board book for Orthodox children! Between Melinda Johnson's easy flow of age appropriate words paired with Kristina Tartara's illustrations that show the emotions Saint Ia went through on her journey, this book will definitely capture your little ones attention. I especially loved that Saint Ia's first reaction to her disappointment and saddness was to pray. That is such a good message to teach our young children who will face many struggles in their lives as they grow. My girls enjoyed seeing all the extra sea life friends that rallied by Saint Ia ' s side before and after her journey too!

This book was a life-saver for a very confused catechumen. It felt like he was sitting right beside me and understood exactly what I was going through.

Always read what your spiritual father recommends first, but I recommend adding this to the stack, if you used to be Protestant, because it will help your mind untangle from the rat's nest that is Protestantism.

Presbytera Constantina shares lessons she learned from the time spent visiting and befriending nuns at a monastery in Northern Greece. The life of the book is found in the relationships between the author and the nuns.

One can learn quite a bit by listening to this book. "Gratitude in Life's Trenches" helps one see that seeking happiness can actually cause one to be unhappy. Meaning is what makes life worth living. Additionally as a Christian, seeing life's harder moments through the lens of God's good and perfect plans for us and being grateful for His plans helps us "reframe", events and see the good that can come through these tough times. This is a simplified summary of the author's main points. Robin Phillips amplifies these points by giving us stories and quotes from the Scriptures, saints, Christian authors, and persons such as Victor Frankl and Dietrich Bonhoeffer who endured the horrors of concentration camps. He doesn't stop there. He also includes the findings of scientific research on living with gratitude, attitude, and meaning. Although I enjoyed this audio book, I found myself wanting to have the traditional book form so that I might highlight some of the inspiring quotes, research, and stories that Phillips included. I found the narrator's voice was a bit too "perfect" at first yet it grew on me as I continued to listen. I highly recommend this book to those who are going through hard times presently and also to those who are not, as a preparation for rough patches that are sure to come.

Great book, but from the Introduction (page XVII) it states "The Hebrew numbering is always provided in parenthesis..." In fact, it is the reverse. See page 31 where the title says PSALM 16 (17). Psalm 17 in our translations is discussed, not Psalm 16. Psalm 17 is the supposed Hebrew numbering but that is, in fact, the churches' numbering. Psalm 16 is the Hebrew numbering for our Psalm 17 because the Hebrews did NOT split Psalm 9. I don't think I'm crazy, I hope.

The Lion and the Saint is a sweet little book about St. Gerasim. It is a tale reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling stories where animals are the story tellers and the rules of nature dominate. This story begins with anecdotes of pride life and the wild rhythms of the savannah. It chronicles the partnership that develops between a strong, prideful lion and a timid but loyal baboon. It continues with the animal pair becoming members and friends of a monastic community far from their native environment. It ends with the lion and the baboon finding peace in their true callings as parts of the divinely-created world. At it’s essence, though, it is a lesson on how when another person truly sees you with love, it sparks the ultimate journey - to seek and become ones own unique & essential self.

Some of the vocabulary and writing style may be a little advanced for some preteens, but it is an appealing narrative for adults and older children alike. Author Laura E. Wolfe is a clear, slow narrator who’s tone sets an appropriate fable-like mood.



The Lion and the Saint is a fun twist on a classic saint tale of a godly person overcoming the natural barriers between humanity and the animal world and the moral of the story is one so applicable to our day and age - becoming your true self is a journey well-worth the hardship. It is truly “good news meant for all creatures great and small.”

Well written and reading dialect is inviting.

Thinking Orthodox is an timely and masterful book about the Orthodox Christian mindset, or phronema. The phronema is an important element of the Orthodox Christans journey, yet is an unknown concept to many within the West. In this book, Dr. Constantinou explores this concept with knowledge and detail, yet in language that makes these concepts accessible to all. Ones phronema impacts every element of ones life, and as such, the book covers a wide breadth of topics in order to do justice to this subject. She provides footnotes and references, which are an incredible resource for those interested in learning more. This book is perfect for those new to Orthodoxy, catechumen, and cradle Orthodox who need to answer questions about their faith to their non-Orthodox peers. This is an illuminating book, and will likely help many a soul on their spiritual journey.

“Thinking Orthodox” is an timely and masterful book about the Orthodox Christian mindset, or phronema. The phronema is an important element of the Orthodox Christianity, yet is an unknown concept to many within the West. In this book, Dr. Constantinou explores this concept with knowledge and detail, yet in language that makes these concepts accessible to all. One’s phronema impacts every element of one’s life, and as such, the book covers a wide breadth of topics in order to do justice to this subject. She provides footnotes and references, which are an incredible resource for those interested in learning more. This book is perfect for those new to Orthodoxy, catechumen, and “cradle” Orthodox who need to answer questions about their faith to their non-Orthodox peers. This is an illuminating book, and will likely help many a soul on their spiritual journey.

I’m going to preface my review by saying that I received an audio copy as a gift, and chose to do the review based on the title alone. I don’t know any of the author’s previous works, so my opinion is both unbiased and maybe a little shallow.

The author has gathered and presents a wide variety of material from scientific research, the Scriptures, pastors, priests, and influencers in varying faith traditions, as well as his own social circle. He also offers practical exercises. It seems to be a combination of clinical and personal approach.

The book does read as far more academic than I was expecting based on the title, almost like I’m reading a college paper, as it is full of references, quotes and sidebars, often citing from only a small handful of source material. I might have preferred he recommend we read George MacDonald and then come to this book as it came across as largely a commentary on MacDonald’s thoughts.

He does share “anecdotes” from people he seems to know personally, but the conversations he quotes honestly sound made-up to me - they read not so much as actual conversations between two people but rather a fictionalized rendering written a little too properly.

So.... overall..... I wanted to get more out of this book, but I think having consumed it in the audio format was not the right approach to get out of it what I would have liked. Unfortunately, I do not believe this book lends itself well to being an audiobook. There are a LOT of quotes and sidebars, which made it really difficult to keep track of when it was the author speaking from his own mind, and when he was quoting or referencing somebody else. He also skips around frequently between stories, starting them in one chapter and then finishing them later, which I at least personally found quite distracting.

But it’s not all negative and I know some folks really benefit from having an audio choice! This would be a great book for a discussion group, and one day I may give it a try in physical form so I can better digest it and use the journal/discussion prompts. Because he does quote from so much other source material, if one wanted to dig deeper into this topic, a research trip to the library would be an easy task.

(As a practical note, I benefited from listening to the book at a 1.3 speed, as this seemed to give the reader a more natural gait.)

I can only give the audiobook 3 stars as I can’t recommend it in this medium, though I think I’d likely give the hard copy 4, especially based on the other reviews I’ve seen of it.

As a convert to Orthodox Christianity of just over 4 years, I knew I wanted this book the minute I heard about it. I wanted to have a more Orthodox mindset. The book is all that it promised and more. It was very understandable and thorough. It's hard to put into words how many ways I didn't even realize my outlook and understanding was distorted by western thinking. I've enjoyed the "aha moments" when things just clicked and made more sense when seeing through an Orthodox lens. I know the book will be a valuable resource to me as I continue to grow in my understanding of Orthodoxy and cultivate my Orthodox thinking.

As a convert to Orthodox Christianity of just over 4 years, I knew I wanted this book the minute I heard about it. I wanted to have a more Orthodox mindset. The book is all that it promised and more. It was very understandable and thorough. It's hard to put into words how many ways I didn't even realize my outlook and understanding was distorted by western thinking. I've enjoyed the "aha moments" when things just clicked and made more sense when seeing through an Orthodox lens. I know the book will be a valuable resource to me as I continue to grow in my understanding of Orthodoxy and cultivate my Orthodox thinking.

This is an extremely informative book. I absolutely loved it. The content is useful on all levels, I as a priest benefited in having a deeper understanding of addiction and especially learning more about the 12-step approach process which can be incredibly useful for pastoral ministry. Although recovery may require professional intervention, I feel like everyone, on a basic level, can walk away with a few simple and useful tools to help provide a better environment for anyone struggling with addiction after reading (or listening to) this book. In the very least, the ordinary individual can walk away having a greater appreciation for the complexity of the matter and a greater respect for those battling addiction. I will also have to add that the audible version (narrated by Kristina Wenger) was as good as any audio book can get. It was really easy to focus on the content and the reader was engaging. There are so many highlightable or quotable content in this book, it's full of rich content, so having the actual book for easy references may provide greater benefit. But all in all, I highly recommend this book!

Our church has used this prayer book for many years. I enjoy following the liturgy in English and Serbian. During the pandemic, the books have been removed and unavailable for use, prompting the purchase of my own copy. For me, this prayer book is very helpful in following and understanding the liturgy.