Welcome to our Catholic Summer Reading book selections for 2008.

This year's program officially launches the first week of June. Our popular program returns with an all new selection of outstanding Catholic books for this year! Please visit www.catholicsummerreading.com for more details and to find book discussion guides for selected program titles - we will have these posted shortly. You may also want to visit www.catholicbookdiscussion.com to join in some lively online discussions of the books. Happy reading!

Remember, when you go off on vacation this summer, to the beach, to that proverbial cabin in the woods, or to visit family in another state, don't leave your faith behind!

Angels in Iron Nicholas C. Prata The year is A.D. 1565 and the tiny island fortress of Malta, defended by an anachronistic crusading order called the Knights of St. John Hospitallers, is all that stands between the war machine of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and teh very heart of Christendom. Pitifully outmatched and against impossible odds, the indomitable Grand Master Jean Parisot de La …

Mary Ray Palestine in the first century A.D. is as disturbed and divided as it is today. The Jews have revolted against Roman occupation and as they grow more restive, Rome clamps down harder. The ten Greek cities of Palestine-the Decapolis-want only to continue their peaceful trading existence, but they find themselves caught in the middle of the uprisings. Apollodorus, a merchant of …

Big John's Secret Eleanore M. Jewett There is a mystery woven into Big John’s young life that he must solve. Raised an orphan in a rude peasant village during the strife-filled reign of King John of England, John understands that injustice has been done his family. One day he must reclaim his name and family honor by avenging his unknown father! John’s unusual size and strength earn him a …

The might of Islam threatened his world. It’s the year 1570. Fourteen-year-old Guido Callatta, son of a wealthy Venetian merchant, spends his free time roaming the docks, listening to the tales of gnarled old sailors, and dreaming of adventures at sea. But his carefree life is about to change forever. Armies of Ottoman Turks threaten Europe from all sides, conquering Christian towns and …

Evelyn Waugh tells the story of the Marchmain family. Aristocratic, beautiful and charming, the Marchmains are indeed a symbol of England and her decline in this novel of the upper class of the 1920s and the abdication of responsibility in the 1930s. From the Merriam Webster Encyclopedia of Literature: This satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh was first published in 1945. According to Waugh, a …

An engaging life of St. Catherine Laboure for young readers. For more than a hundred and fifty years the Miraculous Medal has been known and worn by Catholics throughout the world. It has been used and promoted by great saints and Popes as a most powerful sacramental. Less well known is the story of the French Sister to whom the Blessed Virgin manifested the Medal in 1830. This Vision Book for …

From The Da Vinci Code and Roswell to the pyramid on the back of every dollar bill, we all are fascinated by secrets, codes and coincidences.  Fr. George Rutler - EWTN speaker, Crisis magazine columnist, and reigning Catholic wit-offers his fun reflections, full of surprise, on the coincidental links that connect the most far-flung parts of our worlds.  Topics cover the gamut of …

The Complete Stories of one of the greatest Catholic novelists and short story writers of the 20th century. This collection, when first published in 1972, was the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction. The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including …

A wonderful selection of the writings and biographies of the first monks and nuns of the Church. By the fourth century A.D., devout Christians - men and women alike - had begun to retreat from cities and villages to the deserts of North Africa and Asia Minor, where they sought liberation from their corrupt society and the confining shell of the social self. The Desert Fathers is the perfect …

A classic Catholic novel - simple, beautiful, sad and inspiring. An idealistic young Catholic priest in an isolated French village keeps a diary describing the unheroic suffering and the petty internal conflicts of his parish. This may sound like a thin plot for a novel, but Diary of a Country Priest , by George Bernanos, remains one of the 20th century's most vivid evocations of saintly life. …

A young adult biography of St. Edith Stein from the Encounter the Saints Series Experience the adventures and challenges, heroism and holiness of some of the greatest friends of God! Offers intermediate readers a down-to-earth portrayal of the saints. Each distinct story vividly recreates for the intermediate reader the saint's place of origin, family life, and corresponding historical events. …

A limited edition paperback reprint of a classic Catholic novel from the 19th century. A historical picture of the early church in pagan Rome, illustrating the glories of the Christian martyrs as exemplified in the lives of the fair young Virgin, St. Agnes; the heroic soldier, St. Sebastian; the devoted youth, St. Pancratius; etc. This volume is not historical, rather it consists of a series …

  By Scott Hahn, Ph.D ONE OF THE CENTURY'S MOST POWERFUL. CATHOLIC APOLOGISTS REFLFLECTS UPON GOD'S UNCHANGING, COVENANT LOVE The eloquent teachings of Scott Hahn have moved thousands of Catholic Christians to a more vital expression of their faith. In A Father Who Keeps His Promises, the popular Catholic apologist explores the "covenant love" God reveals to us through die …

The continuing story in the greatest fantasy epic of our time. Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him--and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauran to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be detroyed--in the very center of Sauron's dark kingdom. About the author: John …

This haunting tale of shame and redemption is the story of Lise Fanshawe, prostitute and brothel manager in postwar Paris, murderer and prisoner, and, finally, a Catholic nun in an order dedicated to serving people on the margins of society. Rumer Godden, author of the masterwork In This House of Brede , tells an inspiring and entirely convincing conversion story that shows how the mercy of …

Saying "Yes!" to the Holy Spirit in your life.   "God walks with us in this life as a loving friend. Knowing his love and tapping into it is nothing less than spiritual dynamite." — From Chapter One God's love comes to us through the Holy Spirit, but many people are confused about the role and work of this third person of the Trinity. Author David Mangan's …

The beginning of the greatest fantasy epic of our time. Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great …

Reinvigorate your faith by reading these short yet profoundly inspiring stories of people, from many faiths and diverse backgrounds, who found their way to the Catholic Church. A new collection from Catholic Answers of eleven distinct and often startling accounts of conversion.  The contributors to this book were Jewish, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, …