Arts & Culture

Amy Bass saw a Facebook post about a boys’ high school soccer team comprised mainly of Somali players who won the Maine high school championship match. “It turned into a book idea for me,” she said. “And I was off to the races.”

Two excellent books, “Eunice: The Kennedy Who Changed the World” and “I’ve Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life,” are best read together, starting with McNamara’s insightful page-turner history of the struggles and accomplishments of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, which also includes the achievements of her husband, Sarge Shriver.

Faith and football connected for a gain at a recent dinner in downtown Philadelphia sponsored by the American Bible Society and attended by nearly 1,000 folks who have faith and almost certainly are Philadelphia Eagles fans.

The second season of the engaging and fascinating PBS history docuseries “10 That Changed America” is journalistic road trip, which explores how various structures shaped American history. While the 2016 series examined homes, parks and towns, the new season investigates the impact of streets, monuments, and marvels on our society.

A love of violence for its own sake, a profoundly dishonest attempt to disguise itself as a political allegory and reverse racism characterize “The First Purge” (Universal), a despicable bit of slaughter porn.

NBA fans will likely appreciate the mostly harmless sports comedy “Uncle Drew” (Summit). Viewers without a passion for the game and its attendant culture may be less indulgent.

There’s plenty of humor and action in the fast-paced sci-fi adventure “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (Disney).

Phyllis Tickle, who died in 2015, was relatively unknown to many Catholics but was an important figure in recent Christianity in the United States.