Up for a challenge? The Catholic Writers Guild invites you to participate in its 2022 Reading Challenge. Read as many or as few books as you like in this challenge designed to have you reading Catholic books, fiction or nonfiction, in a way that expands your reading horizons without having you search for arcane titles on dusty old shelves. (Though dusting off some of the books in your personal library may be a good idea!)
Since several people have asked me for suggestions, I’ve added two or three for each category below. There are obviously many, many more titles for most of these categories. These are my entirely subjective choices (mostly fiction) that come to mind.
- Saintly – Lots of spiritual classics and biographies to choose from here. For novelized accounts, I recommend recent books by Susan Peek (ex. Saint Cloud of Gaul, The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms) and Corinna Turner (Old Men Don’t Walk to Egypt: St. Joseph). I’m reading Saintly Moms: 25 Stories of Holiness by Kelly Ann Guest.
- Universal – I’ve had Silence by Shusako Endo (Japan) on my to-read-pile for what feels like forever. Now is the time to read it! I loved Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (Mexico).
- Even more universal – I recommend anything by Karina Fabian (Discovery), The Vines of Mars: Murder on a Small Colonial Planet by A.R.K. Watson, and Heaven’s Hunter by Marie C. Keiser.
- Preternatural – I love Mandy Lamb and the Full Moon by Corinna Turner. Yes, it’s geared to a young audience, but I still love it. I’ve not yet read Jenna’s Journey by Karen Kelly Boyce, but I’ve heard lots of good things about it.
- Timely – So, so many to choose from! The Cross Our Compass by Mary Rose Kadar-Kallen (WWII) and Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable (WWI).
- Kick-butt – Battle for His Soul by Theresa Linden. (You won’t look at the world the same way.) And Shadow Stalker by T.M. Gaouette.
- Saved – This one will differ. For me, I know The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos has been on my list forever. So has In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden.
- Transformed – This is the category I’ve been asked about most often. My two favorite recommendations are Karen Ullo’s Cinder Allia (Cinderella) and Erin McCole Cupp’s The Memoirs of Jane E, Friendless Orphan (Jane Eyre).
- Holy – You can’t go wrong with this short but solid refresher by Barb Szyszkiewicz: The Handy Little Guide to Prayer. I also loved My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena by Marge Fenelon.
- Stealthy – You could probably pick many titles by Dean Koontz, but I’m going with Innocence. The obvious choice would be J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve never made it past the first book.
- Apostolic – I’ve never gotten around to reading Pope Benedict the XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth and I’d like to re-read St. Augustine’s Confessions.
- Confirmed – Again, this one is particular to the reader, but I’d like to go back and re-read He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek and Regina Doman’s Waking Rose. I have much more experience both in writing and in life than I did when I read either of them, both of which I loved.
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I read He Leadeth Me last year during Lent and highly recommend it. I’ve got two by Georges Bernanos in my queue, (Journal d’un curé de campagne, Sous le Soliel de Satan) which I’ve been saving until my French improves. Maybe now’s the time.