Book Reviews and More: PeterKreeft

Showing posts with label PeterKreeft. Show all posts

Tuesday, 30 December 2025

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2025

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2025

It has been a good year for reading. I read 424 books this year, making it my third best since I started keeping track. There were many great reads, and a few new authors that I had not explored yet, with plans to read more from some of them. I have read just over a day, in comparison with the last 7 years:

424 - 2025

362 - 2024

455 - 2023

438 - 2022

365 - 2021

317 - 2020

392 - 2019

359 - 2018

380 - 2017

272 - 2016

But back to this year by the numbers:

Books Read: 424

First Time Reads: 309

Fiction: 166

Non-Fiction: 258

5/5 Stars: 303

The first half of this year was great. The second half was very busy at work and home, including moving house. Three teenagers have a lot of stuff and moving a family of 5 takes some serious effort and time; especially when we painted all the bedrooms, the den and did touch-ups in all the common areas. 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 are my top ten non-fiction books of 2025:

1. ESV-CE Catholic Bible, Anglicized Standard Hardback - SPCK Publishing

2. Pocket Guide Series from OSV

A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics - Patrick Madrid

A Pocket Guide to Confession - Michael Dubruiel

A Pocket Guide to Purgatory - Patrick Madrid

A Pocket Guide to the Bible - Scott Hahn

A Pocket Guide to the Mass - Michael Dubruiel

A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life - Peter J. Kreeft

3. Jesus and the Jubilee - John Bergsma - The Biblical Roots of the Year of God’s Favor

4. 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati - Père Charles Desjobert, OP

5. Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year A - Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek

6. 30 Days with … by Thomas J. Craughwell

30 Days with Saint Paul

30 Days with the Irish Mystics

30 Days with St. Therese

7. Vision Books for Young Catholics

When Saints Were Young - Blanche Jennings Thompson and John Lawn

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant - Hertha Pauli and Georges Vaux

Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio - Catherine Beebe and Robb Beebe

Irish Saints - Robert T. Reilly

Father Michael McGivney and the Knights of Columbus - Emily Tennant

8. The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue - Bobby Angel

9. Hope: An Anchor for the Soul: 30 Daily Devotions - Amy Welborn

10. Columbanus - Desmond Forristal

Bonus Books from the Catholic Truth Society:

St Nicholas Owen: Layman, Martyr, Builder of Priest Holes - Fr Gerard Skinner - CTS Biographies

10 Things Pope Benedict Wants You To Know - John L. Allen Jr

Do Not be Afraid to Believe Homilies and Addresses in Africa - Pope Benedict XVI

As can be seen by the numbers, my reading has been up over the last few years, but last year there was a dip, but rebounded up over 400 again this year. This reading success I in part attribute 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.

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.

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.

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2020

Top Ten Fiction Books 2020

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2021

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2021

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2021

Top Ten Fiction Books 2021

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2022

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2022

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2022

Top Ten Fiction Books 2022

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2023

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2023

Top Ten Fiction Books Fourth Quarter 2023

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2023

Top Ten Fiction Books 2023

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2024

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2024

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2024

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2024

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2024

Top Ten Fiction Books 2024

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2025

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2025

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2025

Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2025

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2025

Top Ten Fiction Books 2025

Top Ten Books First Quarter 2026

...

All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More

Statistics Books Read By Year:

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

Saturday, 1 November 2025

A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life - Peter Kreeft

A Pocket Guide to The Meaning of Life

Peter Kreeft

Our Sunday Visitor
ISBN 9781592763009

eISBN 9781612782379

ASIN B008S0MK7K

A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life - Peter Kreeft

This is the second offering in this series I have read. I have been able to track down all but one. The two I have read are excellent, and I look forward to reading the others in the series. This volume was added to my kindle library a long time ago, but appears to now be out of print. On Goodreads there are 4 editions, 2 paperback, kindle and an eBook, But I cannot find it online at any resellers. It is a great pity this book and series are out of print. The description of this volume states:

“The meaning of life. You can't buy it, steal it, borrow it.

You have to discover it.

Best-selling Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft has written a short, thoughtful guide to help you on your journey. Kreeft lays out God's answers to your questions with a simplicity and directness that will help you find that meaning, and share that meaning with others. God's answers are not complicated or secret. They simply need to be accepted and made your own. This pocket guide will help you do just that.”

This book is a mini maybe even a micro catechism. The paperback is listed as 61 pages, the eBook comes in under 20. It is 67 questions and answers on the meaning of life. No introduction, no conclusion. And to be honest a very short dedication. I highlighted a few passages that really struck me while reading this volume, some of them are:

“10. Isn’t this a philosophy for monks and mystics rather than ordinary Christians?

No, because a Christian, at the very least, is one who believes that Christ has given us the very best answer to life’s most important question: What is life to the fullest? What is the meaning of life? Jesus’ answer: “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17: 3)”

“13. Why doesn’t the addition of anything else to God make my life fuller?

Because “this is eternal life [life to the fullest], that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

“19. How has God revealed Himself? In at least seven ways:

1. In nature, His creation, as an artist is revealed in his art.

2. In human nature, especially in conscience, His inner prophet in your soul.

3. In every truth we discover, every good we do, and every beauty we create. In addition to this natural revelation, God has also acted supernaturally:

4. In history, by choosing a people (the Jews) to be His collective prophet to the world, making a covenant with them, giving them His law and His prophets, performing miracles for them (such as the Exodus), and inspiring their sacred Scriptures, which Christians call the “Old Testament.”

5. Most completely of all, in sending His own divine Son, Jesus Christ.

6. Through the Church Christ established “upon the foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2: 20).

7. In the book the apostles authored and the Church authorized, the New Testament.”

“21. What is hope?

Hope is believing God’s promises. Hope is faith directed to the future. Like faith, hope is a response to God’s revelation, not a feeling we work up in ourselves. It is like an investment in God. Its opposite is despair, which is giving up on God.”

“49. What is this new life called?

Scripture gives it many names, such as salvation, sanctification, justification, grace, regeneration, supernatural life, divine life, eternal life, sharing the divine nature, the Kingdom of heaven, the Kingdom of God, and being born again.”

“64. Is the Church human or divine?

Like Christ, she has a divine nature and a human nature. Unlike Christ, her human nature is far from perfect. Nevertheless, she is our concrete connection with Christ Himself, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. Number 21 above really hit me, it was one I really needed reminding of when reading this book. This is a great little volume. I really enjoyed working through it, and will likely return to it again. It has been a while since I had read a volume by Dr Kreeft, even though many years ago when a mature student I had hoped to read everything he had written.

This volume could be read by a secondary school student, or a grad student, but a theologian or a new convert and they will all get something out of it. It is an excellent volume that any Catholic or any Christian would benefit from reading.

It is a great read, thank you Dr. Kreeft and Our Sunday Visitor.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books in the OSV Pocket Guide Series:

A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics - Patrick Madrid

A Pocket Guide to Confession - Michael Dubruiel

A Pocket Guide to Purgatory - Patrick Madrid

A Pocket Guide to St. Paul - Scott Hahn

A Pocket Guide to the Bible - Scott Hahn

A Pocket Guide to the Mass - Michael Dubruiel

A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life - Peter J. Kreeft

A Pocket Guide to Living the Divine Mercy - George W. Kosicki

...

Handy Little Guides - Our Sunday Visitor

Books in the Handy Little Series from OSV:

The Handy Little Guide to Adoration - Michelle Jones Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Confession - Michelle Jones Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Prayer - Barb Szyszkiewicz

The Handy Little Guide to Spiritual Communion – Michael R. Heinlien

The Handy Little Guide to the Holy Spirit - Michelle Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to the Lent - Michelle Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras

The Handy Little Guide to Fasting - Greg Kandra

The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours - Barb Szyszkiewicz

…

Companion in Faith Series Our Sunday Visitor

Books in the OSV Companion in Faith Series:

For Those Who Grieve - Jeannie Ewing

Living in Peace - Father Jeffrey Kirby

The Beatitudes - Kathleen M Basi

The Lord's Prayer - T.J. Burdick

The Power of Forgiveness - Patrice Fagnant-Macarthur

…

Book by Peter Kreeft:

C. S. Lewis: A Critical Essay (1969)

Love Is Stronger Than Death. 1979.

Heaven: The Heart’s Deepest Longing (1980)

Between Heaven Hell (1982)

The Unaborted Socrates (1983)

The Best Things In Life (1984)

Yes or No? — Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity (1984)

Making Sense Out of Suffering (1986)

Fundamentals of the Faith, Essays in Christian Apologetics (1988)

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Heaven... But Never Dreamed of Asking (1990)

Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions (1990)

You can understand the Old Testament : a book-by-book guide for Catholics (1990)

Summa of the Summa (1990)

Three Philosophies of Life (1990)

Prayer: The Great Conversation (1991)

Back to Virtue (1992)

Shorter Summa (1993)

Christianity for Modern Pagans: Pascal's Pensees (1993)

Your Questions, God's Answers (1994)

Handbook of Christian Apologetics (with Ronald K. Tacelli) (1994)

C. S. Lewis for the Third Millennium (1994)

Shadow-Lands of C.S. Lewis: The Man Behind the Movie (1994)

Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics (1994)

The Angel and the Ants: Bringing Heaven Closer to Your Daily Life (1994)

Talking to Your Children About Being Catholic (1995) — A treasure trove of ideas

Angels (and Demons): What Do We Really Know About Them? (1995)

Ecumenical Jihad: Ecumenism and the Culture Wars (1996)

The Journey A Spiritual Roadmap For Modern Pilgrims (1996)

The Snakebite Letters Devious Secrets for Subverting Society (1998)

Refutation of Moral Relativism (1999)

Prayer for Beginners (2000)

Catholic Christianity (2001)

Socrates Meets Jesus (1987/2002)

How to Win the Culture War: A Christian Battle Plan for a Society in Crisis (2002)

Celebrating Middle Earth: Lord of the Rings (2002)

Three Approaches to Abortion: a thoughtful and compassionate guide to today's most controversial issue (2002)

Philosophy 101 by Socrates (2002)

Socrates Meets Machiavelli (2003)

Socrates Meets Marx (2003)

The God Who Loves You (2004)

Socratic Logic (2005)

You Can Understand the Bible (2005)

Socrates Meets Sartre: Father Of Philosophy Meets The Founder of Existentialism (2005)

The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind "The Lord of the Rings" (2005)

The Sea Within (2006)

Socrates Meets Descartes (2007)

The Philosophy of Jesus (2007)

Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life (2007)

Before I Go (2007)

I Surf Therefore I Am (2008)

Because God Is Real: Sixteen Questions, One Answer (2008)

Jesus-Shock (2008)

Socrates Meets Kant (2009)

If Einstein Had Been a Surfer (2009)

Between Allah & Jesus: what Christians Can Learn from Muslims (2010)

Socrates Meets Hume (2010)

An Ocean Full of Angels (2011)

Summa Philosophica (2012)

Jacob's Ladder (2013)

Charisms: Visions, Tongues, Healing, etc. (feat. Dave Nevins) (2013)

Socrates Meets Kierkegaard (2014)

52 Big Ideas (2020)

Practical Theology (2014)

Letters to an Atheist (2014)

Philosophy 101 by Socrates: An Introduction to Philosophy Via Plato's Apology : (Forty Things Philosophy is According to History's First and Wisest Philosopher (2014)

I Burned for Your Peace: Augustine's Confessions Unpacked (2016)

How to Be Holy (2016)

Catholics and Protestants (2017)

Between One Faith and Another (2017)

Forty Reasons I am a Catholic (2018)

Doors in the Walls of the World (2018)

The Platonic Tradition (2018)

Socrates' Children, 4 vols. (2019)

How To Destroy Western Civilization And Other Ideas From The Cultural Abyss (2021)

The Greatest Philosopher Who Ever Lived (2021)

Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings 3 vols. (2023)

What Would Socrates Say? (2024)

…

Contributed to:

Beautiful Eucharist

...

Articles That Mention Kreeft:
Opus Dei
Opus Dei Part II
Catholic Catechism Dialogue blog
4 Resources

...

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2025

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Third Quarter 2025

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.

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 was very different. It was very fiction heavy. Typically I try and alternate fiction and nonfiction books. Yet this quarter I was pushing to finish all the book by Gordon Korman, I had set it as a goal a number of years ago, and was getting close. So I was trying to balance his volumes, with other fiction and non-fiction. This quarter I read 99 books, my second best second quarter since I started tracking, the comparison with the last 8 years:

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: 88

Fiction: 55

Non-Fiction: 29

5/5 Stars: 84

A dip over the last year. 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 The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue - Bobby Angel

2. Leo XIV The New Pope and Catholic Reform - Christopher R. Altieri

3. Vision Books for Young Catholics

When Saints Were Young - Blanche Jennings Thompson and John Lawn

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant - Hertha Pauli and Georges Vaux

Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio - Catherine Beebe and Robb Beebe

Irish Saints - Robert T. Reilly

4. When the White Smoke Clears: A Guide to the Early Days of Pope Leo XIV - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Edward Sri, Fr. Josh Johnson, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, and other trusted Catholic Voices - Ascension

5. Great Spiritual Teachers - Ave Maria Press

You Shall Not Want 30 Days with the Psalms - John Kirvan and Caroline Myss

Draw Ever Closer 30 days with Henri J.M. Nouwen - Robert M. Hamma

Let There Be Light Hildegard von Bingen - John Kirvan

6. Columbanus - Desmond Forristal

7. Pocket Guide Series - Our Sunday Visitor

A Pocket Guide to St. Paul - Scott Hahn

A Pocket Guide to The Meaning of Life - Peter Kreeft

8. CTS Deeper Christianity Books - Catholic Truth Society

Icons - Fr John Baggley

Faith, Hope and Love The Theological Virtues - Andrew Pinsent

The Name of God: The Revelation of the Merciful Presence of God - Michael Lewis

9. Hope. Always Our Anchor in Life’s Storms - Kris Frank

10. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women - Kate Moore

Bonus Books:

The Month of the Sacred Heart Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of June: Daily Meditations - Abbe Martin Berlioux

What Happened at Fatima - Leo Madigan - CTS Christian Shrines

Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope! Jubilee Pilgrims of Hope with Mary - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Note: Before getting to the fiction books I need to remind reader that I was focusing on books by Gordon Korman to finish working through his 109 published works. 37 of the 55 books were by Korman and books from series, So I only selected finalor penultimate volumes in series for the list below.

Top Ten Fiction Books:

1. The Higher We Go: Pier Giorgio Frassati - Corinna Turner - Friends in High Places Book 5

2. Light’s Camera, Disaster - Gordon Korman - Macdonald Hall Book 6

3. Fly, Sparrow, Fly - A.K. Frailey - Oldtown Book 1

4. Jackpot - Gordon Korman - Swindle Book 6

5. Murder Bot Diaries - Martha Wells

Exit Strategy Book 4

Network Effect Book 5

Fugitive Telemetry Book 6

System Collapse Book 7

6. Hunting the Hunter - Gordon Korman - On the Run Book 6

7. Hairballs, Hiccups and Hope - edited by Amanda Montandon - Raconteur Press Anthology

8. The Summit- Gordon Korman - Everest Book 3

9. Alien Family Traditions - edited by Sandra L. Medlock - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 58

10. The Rescue - Gordon Korman - Kidnapped Book 3

Bonus Books:

Any volume from Gordon Korman.

A Hero Such as Heaven Intended - Amanda Lauer - Heaven Intended Book 6

Dark Day, Bright Hour - Julie Frost

Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice - Moon Book 1

My reading has been staying 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. Or this year not to flood the list with one specific author.