Christmas book list

Space: The Human Story

From bestselling author and astronaut Tim Peake, the captivating story of humans in space.

Only 628 people in human history have left Earth. In Space: The Human Story, astronaut Tim Peake traces the lives of these remarkable men and women who have forged the way, from Yuri Gagarin to Neil Armstrong, from Valentina Tereshkova to Peggy Whitson.

Full of exclusive new stories, and astonishing detail only an astronaut would know, the book conveys what space exploration is really like: the wondrous view of Earth, the surreal weightlessness, the extraordinary danger, the surprising humdrum, the unexpected humour, the newfound perspective, the years of training, the psychological pressures, the gruelling physical toll, the thrill of launch and the trepidation of re-entry. The book also examines the surprising, shocking and often poignant stories of astronauts back on Earth, whose lives are forever changed as they readjust to terra firma.

Publication of the book comes on the eve of NASA's plans to return to the moon, fifty years after an astronaut last walked on the lunar surface. In 2024 the Artemis II mission will send four astronauts to orbit the moon. In 2025 Artemis III will send the first woman and the first person of colour to step on the lunar surface. What will separate these upcoming moonwalkers from the legendary Apollo crews? Does it still take a daring-do attitude, super-human fitness, intelligence, plus the 'Right-stuff' - a fabled grace under pressure? And how will astronauts travel even further - to Mars and beyond? Space: The Human Story reveals all.

Available in hardback, audiobook and for Kindle.

Order in time for Christmas by 20 December: www.waterstones.com/book/space/tim-peake/9781529913507

Another Fifty Catholic Churches to see before you die

Author and journalist Elena Curti releases second book celebrating historic Catholic churches - some of the finest Catholic churches in England and Wales are winning recognition and a new lease of life.

The cream of them feature in Another Fifty Catholic Churches to See Before You Die (Gracewing £14.99). This beautifully illustrated book continues Elena Curti's exploration of historic churches, and her mission to make them better-known and appreciated. It is a follow up to her best-selling volume, Fifty Catholic Churches to See Before You Die, published in 2020.

Elena Curti said: "Once again, exploring the Catholic churches of England and Wales has been a revelation. I have stood where the martyrs themselves celebrated Mass, visited early legal post-Reformation chapels with their understated exteriors, then seen the creations of wealthy patrons in the nineteenth century, who dreamt of the conversion of England.

"The great churches of the 1950s and 60s capture the excitement of liturgical change in the air, and with it a spirit of adventure in church design."

Elena, a journalist at The Tablet for many years, has chosen 50 more personal favourites which, taken together, give the backdrop to the story of Catholicism in England and Wales. The churches are listed alphabetically by location, with history, architecture and artistic highlights.

Each has a compelling story, featuring courageous old Catholic families, visionary priests and religious orders, local patrons, and poor Irish migrants who contributed their pennies, and often their labour, to raise their places of worship.

Speaking about the Culture Recovery Fund that was awarded to 39 churches during the COVID pandemic, she said:

"Who would have thought that the Covid pandemic which brought so much misery and hardship has, in the end, brought benefits to 39 churches that were awarded £6.6m from the Culture Recovery Fund. It is hugely heartening to visit so many churches sensitively restored.

"The other side of the coin is that beautiful places of worship with very small congregations are still closing, while others are vulnerable as they have no resident priest. Imaginative thinking, as well as resources, is needed to save these buildings. I hope this will be the Church's goal as it prepares to mark the 200th anniversary of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 2029."

At the end of each entry Elena lists many more places of worship in the vicinity that are 'worth a detour'. Also included are biographical notes of the principal architects and artists, and a glossary of architectural terms.

Elena's selection includes:

SS Peter, Paul and Philomena, New Brighton (1935)
St Mary, Great Yarmouth (1850)
Our Lady and St Columba, Wallsend (1957)
Church of Stanbrook Abbey, Wass (2015)
St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham (1841)
St Luke, Pinner, London (1957)
Cathedral Church of SS Peter and Paul, Clifton, Bristol (1973)

In the foreword to Elena's book, Sophie Andreae, Vice Chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Bishops' Conference, reiterated the need for funding for church repairs.

She said: "This Covid related injection of funding for repairs was literally a lifeline for those buildings supported but what is needed now is the reintroduction of a dedicated grants scheme for historic places of worship which targets repair.

"The National Lottery Heritage Fund's current priority focus on engagement with people and provision of activities, rather than on funding repairs, makes it particularly challenging for Catholic churches to access Lottery funding because Catholic churches are sacred spaces, rather than all singing all dancing locations for secular uses with their central purpose as a places of prayer airbrushed out.

"As Elena Curti's lively and informative text makes clear, all the churches included in this new volume espouse a sense of the numinous along with their history and architecture and it is this that makes them special and so well worth visiting."

To purchase a copy of Elena Curti's 'Fifty Catholic Churches to See Before You Die', click HERE

Sunday - A History of Religious Affairs through 50 Years of Conversations and Controversies

Listeners all over the world are likely to be familiar with Edward Stourton for his role on BBC Radio 4's religious and ethical news programme 'Sunday'. Now its possible to delve deeper into these broadcasts, as Stourton chronicles more than 50 years of current affairs in his latest book: Sunday, in collaboration with BBC Producer Amanda Hancox.

Featuring transcripts of interviews and quotes from many well-known figures - among them: Cardinal Basil Hume, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chris Patten and Enoch Powell, the book traces the evolution of debate on a variety of key issues including sexuality, bioethics, nuclear weapons, religion in China, clerical abuse, the struggle between Israel and Palestine, to the the cost-of-living crisis and the debate around the roles of women in religious practice.

- Ruth Gledhill, Assistant Editor, The Tablet and former religion editor for The Times writes: "Essential reading for anyone attempting to grasp fully the historical and social complexities of the last few decades in which, despite the advance of secularism, faith still plays such a vital role."

Publisher: SPCK. Order copies from: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/sunday-731

See also:

The Dog Walker's Guide to God: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/47770

Becoming a Saint with Blessed Carlos Acutis: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/48220

Pope Francis - I am asking in the Name of God: Ten prayers for a future of hope: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/48175

God's Call is Everywhere: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/48154

Transcendence: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/47835

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For more book reviews and reports see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/books