Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2026

 Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2024 My Den 2024

It has been a good year for reading so far. I am averaging just over a book a day. It has been a great quarter with a large variety of genres and authors. This quarter was very different. It was very fiction heavy. Typically I try and alternate fiction and nonfiction books.
 
In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more. But a lot of it goes back to my dyslexia, and once I learned to read there were all these worlds and all this knowledge out there. I have been addicted since then. I wrote about that in 2006 Confessions of a Bibliophile #5 - How I Became a Bibliophile, From Dyslexic to Addict. 

This quarter I read 99 books, tied for my second best third quarter since I started tracking, the comparison with the last 10 years:

     2026 - 99
     2025 - 99
     2024 - 87
     2023 – 102
     2022 – 87
     2022 – 79
     2021 – 79
     2020 – 61
     2019 – 89
     2018 – 91
     2017 – 64
     2016 – 94

But back to this quarter by the numbers:

Books Read: 99
First Time Reads: 77
Fiction: 51
Non-Fiction: 48
5/5 Stars: 74
5 Stars Fiction: 50
5 Stars Non-Fiction: 24

Pretty consistent for my reading typically this quarter.. I can state again that looking back 2016 is a bit of an outlier as late that year I switched jobs and have since had much better work – life balance. In the spring of 2016, I worked through Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now (now available on ClaitasU). The year before that I removed all games from my phone and tablet and my reading had doubled.  

Here is my top ten fiction and non-fiction books of the second quarter of 2024.

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

 1. St. Michael and His World - Mike Aquilina
 2. The Stations of the Eucharist - Fr. Jonathan Meyer
 3. Frequent Confession - S. Ferigle - Scepter Booklet 000 
 4. Angel of God Devotion to the Guardian Angels for Children - Patrick O'Hearn and Valerie Delgado
 5. Father Aloysius Schwartz: Superhero for the Poor - Fiorella De Maria - Vision Books for Young Readers
8. The Cross in the West - Mark Boesch -  Vision Books for Young Readers
9. Great Spiritual Teachers Series Ave Maria Press
Stay with Me, Lord: 30 Days with Padre Pio - Susan de Bartoli
10. Bead by Bead Mysteries of the Rosary for Children Series - Stephanie Engelman 
Bead by Bead The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary for Children
Bead by Bead The Joyful  Mysteries of the Rosary for Children

Bonus Books:
15 Days of Prayer With Series
15 Days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven
Just A Minute Meditations - Pauline Books and Media
Finding God in Times of Depression - Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes FSP
Grieving with Christ - Sr Mary Leonora Wilson FSP
Healing After Betrayal - Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes FSP

Top Ten Fiction Books:

 1. Article 7 - D.L. Gray - Brock W. Winters Book 1
 2. He Is Coming Rise of the Antichrist - Joe McClane
 3. The Last Latitude - Cole Winters
 4. Private Road - Eric Paul Chapman
 5. Falling into Place - Susan Brinkmann - Chronicles of Ariella Book 2
 6. Enemy WIthin - Declan Finn - White Ops Book 6
 7. Fen Dead - Cedar Sanderson - Grounds Keeper Book 6
 8. Privateer - Page Zaplendam - Hinterspace Book 1
 9. Joan of Arkansas - Sarah Robsdottir
 10. Guy Hale Books
Shakespeare Murders 2 All Our Yesterdays
Shakespeare Murders 3 Put Out The Light
Shakespeare Murders 4 Sleep No More
Comeback Trail 01 Killing Me Softly
Comeback Trail 02 Blood on the Tracks
11. Order of the Blood - Page Zaplendam - The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom Book 1

Bonus Books:

This Saint For Hire - Declan Finn - Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus Vol. I
Have Saint Will Travel - Declan Finn - Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus, Vol. II
A Fistful of Relics - Declan Finn - Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus, Vol. III
Dreams of the Storyteller, Volume I - Richard Paolinelli
Dreams of the Storyteller, Volume II - Richard Paolinelli
The Complete Starquest 4th Age Saga - Richard Paolinelli
Ignite The Wings Of Dawn - Josh Griffing
Title Undecided - T.M. Gaouette (Unpublished manuscript)

The bonus Fiction titles this quarter are all new Omnibus editions and an unpublished manuscript I was asked to read.

My reading has is pretty consistent at about a book a day over the last several years. I attribute in part to Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now, removing all games but 1 brain game from my devices. And I was commuting to work on a bus and read on the bus every day. Working from home reading took a little more discipline, and we are now back to a hybrid model with 5 days a month in the office, so things have changed again.  

Note: I do not include books that have been read in previous years and were reread this year in my top ten lists, they are sometimes in the bonus section.
 
But if you want more options check out my favourite books year by year list. 


Relates Posts: 
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Reading Goals for 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2010 - Recap
Top 10 Fiction Books 2010
Top 10 Picture Books of 2010
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010
Top 10 Graphic Novels for 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2011 
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals for 2011 Update 
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2011 
Top Ten Fictions Books 4th Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals 2011 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books  4th Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2013
Top 10 Books Second Half 2013
Top Ten Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2013 
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2014
Top Ten Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2015
Top Ten Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2016
Top Ten Non- Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Catholic Books
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2017
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2018
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2019
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020 
All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More

Statistics Books Read By Year:
361 - 2026 January-September
424 - 2025 
363 - 2024  
455 - 2023 
438 - 2022
365 - 2021
317 - 2020 
392 - 2019
359 - 2018
380 - 2017 
272 - 2016 
177 - 2015 
130 - 2014 
 88 -  2013
176 - 2012 
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
 98 - 2008
 83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
 60 - 2004
 52 - 2003
 97 - 2002
 50 - 2001
 41 - 2000
 71 - 1999
 73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996




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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Popes Who Resigned: Benedict XVI and 13 Other Popes Who Retired - Thomas J. Craughwell

Popes Who Resigned: 
Benedict XVI and 13 Other Popes Who Retired
ISBN 9781618901347
eISBN 9781618901347
ASIN B00BJN260Y

Popes Who Resigned: Benedict XVI and 13 Other Popes Who Retired - Thomas J. Craughwell

I know this book was written for a specific time and in response to a specific event in 2013. But I believe it is an excellent volume, and has go great insights, both historical, and looking ahead to the future. Last year I stumbled upon Craughwell’s three volumes 30 Days of prayer starting with 30 Days with Saint Paul, while doing research for a volume from the Great Spiritual Teachers series from Ave Maria Press. I enjoyed that volume on Saint Paul so much that I picked up both other volumes from Craughwell. I greatly enjoyed them and choose this as the next book from him to read. Back to the volume at hand:

The description of this volume states:

“On February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI shocked Catholics and the world by announcing that he would resign from the papacy. It was the first papal resignation in 600 years, and it has caused Catholics the world over to scramble for answers. Now, in Popes Who Resigned, Thomas J. Craughwell answers those burning questions, including:

- Why did Benedict XVI resign… and why didn’t John Paul II?
- What does the Catholic Church teach about papal resignation?
- Who were the other popes that resigned, and why?
- And much more.

In these tumultuous times, Craughwell points even now to the rock that is the Catholic Church, digging into Canon law and Church history for answers. Popes Who Resigned is a must read for Catholics and non-Catholics alike who are trying to make sense of Benedict XVI’s resignation and what it means for the papacy, the Church, and the world.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Preface
1 Upon This Rock: The Rise of the Papacy
2 The Popes Speak about the Papacy
3 What Can the Pope Do?
4 Popes Who Resigned
5 Popes Who Were Deposed
6 Popes Who Were Ready to Resign
7 Yes, It’s Permitted, but Should a Pope Resign?
Bibliography

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume. Some of them are:

“Over the centuries, four popes have resigned, at least two were prepared to do so, and nine popes were deposed. Resignation is a legitimate option for all popes, as the current Code of Canon Law states: “if it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.” (Canon 332, paragraph 2.)”

“So that the Church would not be left without a shepherd, St. Pontian resigned before he was exiled to martyrdom in the mines of Sardinia. The hopelessly corrupt Benedict IX resisted all pressure to resign—until he was offered a large bribe. Celestine V was a seventy-nine-year-old hermit when he was elected pope, but he found himself so out of place as supreme pontiff that he resigned after five months (his successor kept him in prison until he died). The most dramatic resignation came in 1415, when there were three “poes.” To heal a schism thathad split Catholic Europe into three hostile camps, Gregory XII (generally considered the legitimate pontiff) stepped down, and his two rivals were deposed.”

“Blessed John Paul II discussed the possibility of resigning, but ultimately decided to remain in office, spending his final years teaching the world that suffering is part of the human condition. Pius XII was prepared to resign if the Nazis took him prisoner. He had even planned for the College of Cardinals to hold their conclave in neutral Portugal, where they could elect a new pope free from any pressure from Hitler.”

“The papacy is the oldest institution in the world. The dustbin of history—to borrow Leon Trotsky’s famous phrase—is heaped high with the empires, kingdoms, social and political movements that the popes have seen come and go. The Roman Caesars, the barbarian invaders, the Holy Roman Emperors, the Reign of Terror, the Third Reich, the Soviet Empire are all gone, but there is still a pope in Rome, and soon there will be a new one.”

“Rome is the city of the popes because it was in Rome that St. Peter taught the gospel and it was in Rome that he was martyred about A.D. 64, during Nero’s persecution of the Christians. The oldest document to suggest that the bishop of Rome exercised authority over the churches is Pope St. Clement I’s Letter to the Corinthians, written in A.D. 95.”

“In their writings, St. Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 107), St. Ireneaus of Lyon (c. 130–200), Tertullian (c. 166–220), and St. Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200–258) demonstrate that they recognized the spiritual authority of Rome.”

“Although Papal resignation is, as we have seen, legitimate, in practice it is quite rare. More than six hundred years separated Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation and that of the last pope who resigned. Here is the brief, and fascinating, history of popes who resigned.”

“Once he was Hitler’s prisoner, Pius would no longer be able to administer the Church freely, and so he told his advisers, that if he were taken from the Vatican to Germany, “the person who would leave the Vatican under these conditions would not be Pius XII but Eugenio Pacelli”—“ Eugenio Pacelli” being his baptismal name before he was elected pope. If he fell into the hands of the Nazis, Pius XII said he would resign. He had even contemplated where the conclave should meet to elect his successor—neutral Portugal, where the College of Cardinals would be safe from Nazi interference.”

“Canon Law recognizes that a pope has the right to leave office. “If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.” (Canon 332.2) That’s as straightforward as a statement can get. But there is another question: should a pope resign?”

“John Paul was prepared to make himself a living crucifix, enduring his pain and humiliation in public as Christ had when he hung dying on the cross. John Paul delivered a twofold message to the world: first, that suffering is part of the human condition and so it deserves our respect as well as our compassion; second, that life cannot be measured by its “quality,” nor if the suffering individual is “useful”—these definitions had contributed to what John Paul characterized as the modern world’s “culture of death.””

“Pope Benedict XVI has chosen a different path. Elderly, ailing, and easily exhausted these days, he feels that he no longer has the strength of body and mind to serve the Church as pope, that it would be best for the Catholic world if a new, presumably younger man were elected. And so on February 28, 2013, Pope Benedict will resign the papacy.”

“Soldiering on in the face of growing infirmity is admirable, but there is nothing wrong with the common-sense approach that Benedict has taken. And it is likely that in the future we shall see other popes resign.”

“As was the case with Pope John Paul embracing the cross of Parkinson’s Disease, Benedict’s resignation also has sound theological roots. To give up high office, to retire from the spotlight, to take oneself out of the public eye and live only for God is the vocation of cloistered monks and nuns (which makes Benedict decisions to make his home in the former cloister of Visitation nuns particularly appropriate). By doing so, he is also imitating St. John the Baptist. Once a dynamic and popular figure in Judea, John retired from the limelight after Christ began his public ministry. “He must increase,” John said, “but I must decrease.” (John 3: 30).”

I hope that those quotes give you a feel for this excellent work. I was really blessed to have worked through this book. Even years out from the events that inspired it. I have read a number of volumes by and about Benedict XVI since his resignation, and now passing. I think this one does him justice and brings to mind situations that we may encounter in the future.

A great read for any Catholic, I can easily recommend it.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!


Books by Benedict XVI:
Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church and Church Fathers 
...       


Books by Thomas J. Craughwell:
50 States 
5,000 Years of Royalty: Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors & Tsars
101 Places to Pray Before You Die: A Roamin' Catholic's Guide
30,000 Years of Inventions
Alligators In the Sewer and 222 Other Urban Legends 
America's Great (and Not So Great) Catholic Moments 
Baby On the Car Roof and 222 Other Urban Legends 
Bad Kids of the Bible: And What They Can Teach Us
Busted: Mugshots and Arrest Records of the Famous and Infamous
Catholic Cardlinks
Cowparade Kansas City
CowParade New York 
CowParade Stamford
Do Blue Bedsheets Bring Babies?: The Truth Behind Old Wives' Tales
Failures of the Presidents: from the Whiskey Rebellion and War of 1812 to the Bay of Pigs and war in Iraq
Great Books for Every Book Lover: 2002 Great Reading Suggestions for the Discriminating Bibliophile
Great rescues of World War II : stories of adventure, daring and sacrifice 
Heaven Help Us: Saints That Will Change Your Life
Heaven Help Us: 300 Patron Saints to Call Upon for Every Occasion
How Smart Are You Testing Your IQ
How the Barbarian Invasions Shaped the Modern World 
How the Irish Brigade Cleared the Way to Victory in the Greatest Brigade American Civil War 
Lent and Easter With Mary
Patron Saints: Saints for Every Member of Your Family, Every Profession, Every Ailment, Every Emergency, and Even Every Amusement
Pope Francis
Presidential Payola: The True Stories of Monetary Scandals in the Oval Office that Robbed Taxpayers to Grease Palms, Stuff Pockets, and Pay for Undue Influence from Teapot Dome to Halliburton 
Saints Behaving Badly
Saints for Every Occasion: 101 of Heaven's Most Powerful Patrons
Saints Preserved: An Encyclopaedia of Relics
Shakespeare
Stealing Lincoln's Body
St. Peter's Bones: How the Relics of the First Pope Were Lost and Found. . . and Then Lost and Found Again
The Buck Stops Here: The 28 Toughest Presidential Decisions and How They Changed History
The Cat in the Dryer: And 222 Other Urban Legends
The Odds – What Are the Chances
The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History 
The War Scientists
The Wisdom Of the Popes
This Saint Will Change Your Life
This Saint's for You! 300 Heavenly Allies Who Will Change Your Life
Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee
Who are you? Test Your Emotional Intelligence 
…
30 Days with Saint Paul - Thomas J. Craughwell

30 Days with Saint Thérèse - Thomas J. Craughwell

30 Days with the Irish Mystics - Thomas J. Craughwell
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Monday, 28 September 2026

The Cross in the West - Mark Boesch - Vision Books for Young Readers

The Cross in the West 
Vision Books for Young Readers 
Mark Boesch 
H. Lawrence Hoffman (Illustrator) 
Farrar, Strass and Cudahy 
1956
 
The Cross in the West - Mark Boesch - Vision Books for Young Readers

This is one of the original 72 Vision Books for Young Readers. The originals were published between 1955 and 1969 by Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, Inc. Reprints of about half are available from Ignatius Press. This is not one of them. I wrote a piece about the series as a whole, Vision Books for Young Readers, after reading a few and wanting to know more about the series. This one was volume 12 of the original series, it was not one Ignatius reprinted. The description of the book states:

“Four hundred years ago, the vast western part of our country was uncharted and almost unknown to Europeans. This is the story of the men who took the first bold steps to explore that land, carrying with them the symbol of their faith, the cross. They planted the cross in the West, and the faith grew and flourished.

From the Rio Grande to the Columbia River, and from the Pacific to the Mississippi, they labored—Spanish and Belgian, Austrian and Italian. They were outstanding men: Padre Kino, Father Junipero Serra, Dr. John McLoughlin, Father Peter de Smet, Father Anthony Ravalli. They faced the dangers of Indian wars, the unknown perils of the wilderness, disease, even martyrdom. But there were joys, too—the joys of their festivals, celebrated so far from their homelands, and the enriching spiritual joys of building the first western churches.

They set out with courage and hope and went on to plant firmly the cross in the West.”

About the author we are informed:

“Mark Boesch is a U.S. Forest Service Fire Dispatcher in Hamilton, Montana. He has lived in California, Idaho, and Oregon, the states where much of the action of The Cross in the West takes place. A successful writer of novels for young people, he is the author of The Lawless Land, Beyond the Muskingum, and Fire Fighter.”

Boesch also wrote another volume in this series called “Kit Carson of the Old West”. The author’s note states: 
  
“In writing The Cross in the West, I have relied to a great extent upon The Works of Bancroft, by Hubert Howe Bancroft. These 39 volumes are invaluable sources of western history. They are based on a collection of 90,000 historical volumes which Bancroft and his associates gathered, and which were later turned over to the University of California. 
  
Also of much value for reference were the Life, Letters and Travels of Father De Smet, edited by Chittenden, and Indian and White in the North¬ west, by the Jesuit Father Palladino. 
  
These books were most helpful; there were many others, including obscure works which I have added to my personal collection on western history.” 
  
The books has both:

Nihil Obstat: 
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter B. O’Connor Censor Librorum 

Imprimatur: 
Most Reverend Thomas A. Boland, S.T.D. Archbishop of Newark

The sections and chapters in this book are: 
  
Author’s Note 
Part One: The Southwest 
     1. Fray Marcos and the Seven Cities of Gold 
     2. The Explorations of Coronado 
     3. The Conquest of New Mexico 
     4. Padre Kino, Explorer of Arizona 
  
Part Two: California 
     5. The Voyage of Cabrillo 
     6. The Founding of San Diego 
     7. Growth of the Missions 
     8. Flowering of the Missions 
  
Part Three: The Northwest and the Rocky Mountains 
     9. Dr. McLoughlin, Father of Oregon 
     10. Father De Smet, Apostle of the Rockies 
     11. Father Ravalli, Priest and Physician 
     12. The West Today 
  
I highlighted several passages while reading this volume, some of them are: 
  
“Four hundred years ago, the vast western part of our country was uncharted and almost unknown to Europeans. This is the story of the men who took the first bold steps to explore that land, carrying with them the symbol of their faith, the cross. They planted the cross in the West, and the faith grew and flourished.” 
  
“They were headed for a land that was known only by legend—a most fabulous legend. It was said that somewhere to the north lay seven wondrous cities, the golden cities of Cibola. No one knew exactly where they were. So Fray Marcos had been sent, by command of Governor Coronado, to find out.” 
  
“Fray Marcos too was excited about this journey he had been asked to take. For he too was searching for wealth—the wealth of souls.” 
  
“The friars were men of good education, and they were used to hardship. Most of all, they were strong in their determination to win souls for Christ. No goal was too far for them, if there were souls who needed God and His Church.” 
  
“Four days after Fray Marcos had met the California Indians, he met other natives, and these had never seen white men before. Because Fray Marcos spoke earnestly to them of Christ and His kingdom, they called him “Sayota,” or “man from heaven.”” 
  
“The man who came to Dolores in the year 1687 was a man of great energy and a priest of great zeal. His name was Eusebius Kuhn, and he was Austrian. But the Spaniards preferred to call him Padre Kino. So Padre Kino he became to all who heard of him.” 
  
“Instead of being hostile to him, the Pima Indians made Padre Kino welcome. They helped him build his church at Dolores, and brought their children to him to be baptized. They wanted them to grow up to be like this good man.” 
  
“During his last years, Padre Kino remained close to home at Dolores, spending most of his time during the day baptizing and instructing the people. And at night he would spend hours in the church in silent prayer.” 
  
“But during Mass he was stricken by his final illness. He collapsed on the altar. A group of Indians rushed forward, picked up the old man, and sorrowfully carried him out of the chapel. And thus died Eusebius Kuhn, better known as Padre Kino. All the people honored him as a saint, and great was the sorrow throughout all of Pimeria and the neighboring provinces, even as far away as Bac, when news of his death was heard.” 
  
“There were now five missions in Northern California—San Diego, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Antonio, and San Carlos. Serving the five missions were nineteen Franciscan friars, working under Father Junipero Serra. They were attached to the College of the Propagation of Faith of San Fernando in the city of Mexico.” 
  
“By the end of the year 1773, when Father Serra returned to California, the five missions could boast of 63 horses, 79 mules, 102 swine, 18 head of cattle, and 161 sheep and goats.” 
  
““I can rest after I am dead,” he would often say, when someone asked him to rest.” 
  
“They remembered the courage of the first martyr of California, Luis Jaume. In the face of death, he had offered them his fatherly friendship.” 
  
“And so it was that the first two priests came to Oregon. They were outstanding men. Rev. Francis Norbert Blanchet, of the district of Montreal, came to Oregon as Vicar General, along with Rev. Modeste Demers, of the district of Juliopolis. They left Montreal in May, 1838, with the Hudson’s Bay Company express. They went by boat, along with a number of other travelers. The boats were manned by skilled French Canadian boatmen, and the journey was a good one until they reached the Columbia River.” 
  
“The two priests stayed there four days. They baptized nineteen persons, said Mass, and gave the Sacraments to some who had been long without them.” 
  
“Father Blanchet too, became an outstanding leader of the Church in Oregon. Soon he became bishop, and then archbishop. Father Demers was himself made the bishop of Vancouver Island.” 
  
“Father Anthony J. Ravalli of the Society of Jesus was one of the most beloved men who ever labored in the Rocky Mountains. Today his memory is revered as much as is that of the other great Jesuit missionary, Peter John De Smet. Ravalli County, Montana, in the Bitterroot Valley, is named in his honor.” 
  
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. The book covers a lot of time and a lot of different mission work. It starts San Miguel in March of 1539 and continued until 1880 in Montana. It follows successes and setbacks. It follows different orders and even some lay people involved in spreading God’s word. The language is not politically correct, and many would argue the content. I believe it is our history, and for the most part it is the story of priests, brothers, lay men who wanted to server, who lived for God and who were witness often situations we could not imagine. It is a fascinating read. 

As of the fall of 2026 there have been 84 volumes that have been released under the Vision Books for Young Readers series, 43 of which are still in print under Ignatius Press. And 41 that are out of print and were not licensed by Ignatius. Some of the older out of print ones I have read have been excellent, and this one is an excellent read. If you can track it down it is well worth the read.

Note: there are two other new titles in this series in 2026 to look forward to; The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien by Cheri Blomquist and Cheryl C.D. Hughes volume Fulton J. Sheen God's Great Communicator. Any volume in this series would be great additions to any home, school, or church library. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Vision Books Saints Biographies:
The Cure of Ars 
Edmund Campion 
Florence Nightingale's Nuns 
Fr. Marquette and the Great Rivers 
Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi 
Kateri Tekakwitha 
Mother Cabrini, Missionary to the World 
Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity 
Saint Anthony and the Christ Child 
Saint Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal 
Saint Dominic and the Rosary 
Saint Elizabeth's Three Crowns 
Saint Francis of the Seven Seas 
Saint Helena and the True Cross 
Saint Ignatius and the Company of Jesus 
Saint Isaac and the Indians 
Saint Katherine Drexel 
Saint Louis and the Last Crusade 
Saint Philip of the Joyous Heart 
Saint Therese and the Roses 
Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Preaching Beggars 
Saint Thomas More of London 
Vincent De Paul: Saint of Charity 

Out of Print books in the Series:
Catholic Campuses, Stories of American Catholic Colleges 
Champions in Sports and Spirit 
Children Welcome: Villages for Boys and Girls 
Christmas and the Saints 
Columbus and the New World 
Dear Philippine: Mission of Mother Duchesne 
Edel Quinn: Beneath the Southern Cross 
Frances Warde and the First Sisters of Mercy 
Good Pope John b
Governor Al Smith 
In American Vineyards, Religious Orders in the United States 
John Carroll Bishop and Patriot
John Neumann, The Children's Bishop 
Kit Carson of the Old West 
Lydia Longley, the First American Nun 
Marguerite Bourgeoys, Pioneer Teacher 
Martin de Porres, Saint of the New World 
Modern Crusaders 
More Champions in Sports and Spirit 
Mother Barat's Vineyard 
My Eskimos: A Priest in the Artic 
Peter and Paul: The Rock and the Sword 
Peter Claver, Saint Among Slaves
Pope Pius XII, the World's Shepherd 
Rose Hawthorne: The Pilgramage of Nathaniel's Daughter 
Saints of the Byzantine World 
Sarah Peter: The Dream and the Harvest 
St. Augustine and His Search for Faith 
St. Francis de Sales 
St. Gregory the Great, Consul of God 
St. Jerome and the Bible 
St. Margaret Mary, Apostle of the Sacred Heart 
The Bible Story, The Promised Lord and His Coming 
The Ursulines, Nuns of Adventure 
…
...


Vision Books Ignatius Press 2024


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