Book Reviews and More: VisionBook

Showing posts with label VisionBook. Show all posts

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

6. Revelations of Catalina on the Holy Mass: The story of an encounter between the Virgin Mary and the Bolivian Mystic - Catalina Rivas

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

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

9. Great Spiritual Teachers Series Ave Maria Press

Abide in Love The Gospel Spirituality of John the Evangelist - John Kirvan

Stay with Me, Lord: 30 Days with Padre Pio - Susan de Bartoli

God Awaits You: Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister Eckhart - Richard Chilson

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 Brother Roger of Taizé - Sabine Laplane

15 days of Prayer with Saint Clare of Assisi - Marie-France Becker

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Faustina Kowalska - John J. Cleary

15 days of Prayer with Saint Vincent de Paul - Jean-Pierre Renouard

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.

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 Books Third 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 2023

Top Ten Fiction 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

Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2026

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2026

...

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

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:

“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:

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant

The Cure of Ars

Edmund Campion

Florence Nightingale's Nuns

Fr. Damien and the Bells

Fr. Marquette and the Great Rivers

Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi

Kateri Tekakwitha

Louis and Zelie

Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family

Mother Cabrini, Missionary to the World

Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity

Our Lady Came to Fatima

Saint Anthony and the Christ Child

Saint Benedict

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 Joan the Girl Soldier

Saint John Bosco

Saint Katherine Drexel

Saint Louis and the Last Crusade

Saint Philip of the Joyous Heart

Saint Pius X

Saint Therese and the Roses

Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Preaching Beggars

Saint Thomas More of London

Vincent De Paul: Saint of Charity

Saint Jose, Boy Cristero Martyr

Saint Maximilian Kolbe A Hero of the Holocaust

Hugh O'Flaherty The Irish Priest Who Resisted the Nazis

An American Little Flower Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich

Courage Under Fire Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Saint Kevin of Glendalough

Father Michael McGivney and the Knights of Columbus

Father Aloysius Schwartz: Superhero for the Poor

The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien

Fulton J. Sheen God’s Great Communicator

…

Out of Print books in the Series:

Brother Andre of Montreal

Catholic Campuses, Stories of American Catholic Colleges

Champions in Sports and Spirit

Chaplains in Action

Charles de Foucauld, Adventurer of the Desert

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

Father Kino, Priest to the Pimas

Fighting Father Duffy

Frances Warde and the First Sisters of Mercy

Good Pope John b

Governor Al Smith

In American Vineyards, Religious Orders in the United States

Irish Saints

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 Cross in the West

The Ursulines, Nuns of Adventure

When Saints Were Young

…

Overview of the Vision Books Series.

...

Wednesday, 26 August 2026

Father Aloysius Schwartz: Superhero for the Poor - Fiorella De Maria - Vision Books for Young Readers

Father Aloysius Schwartz:

Superhero for the Poor

Fiorella De Maria

Christopher Pelicano (Illustrator)

Ignatius Press

Vision Books

ISBN ‎9781621647690

eISBN 9781642293425

ASIN

Father Aloysius Schwartz: Superhero for the Poor - Fiorella De Maria - Vision Books for Young Readers

This book was a big hit for me. I am a huge fan of Fiorella’s works, I love the Vision Books for Young Readers. This was the 22 book by Fiorella de Maria that I have read and the 23rd in the Vision Book Series I have read. I stumbled upon her works a few years ago and I read nine of them in as many weeks. And now eagerly await each new offering from her masterful pen. I was eagerly anticipating this book, since she mentioned it on social media. I have tracked down and read everything by her under the name Fiorella de Maria. And this is the fourth volume she has written for the New Vision Books Series from Ignatius. It is her fifth Catholic biography.

The description of this book states:

“From the time Aloysius Schwartz was a young boy, he wanted to be a hero like his comic book favorites. To the poor he served in Asia and Latin America, the missionary priest was more than a hero; he was a saint.

Growing up during the Depression, the future "Father Al" saw his parents struggle to make ends meet. But nothing quite prepared him for the poverty he saw in South Korea after the Korean War. The people were not simply poor; they were starving. Father Al was moved to do everything he could to help them, especially the orphaned children living in the streets.

With funds raised mostly in the United States, Father Al opened orphanages and boarding schools for thousands of poor children, and not only in South Korea. He built what he called Boystowns and Girlstowns in the Philippines and Mexico too, and he founded the Sisters of Mary and the Brothers of Christ to run them.

It seemed that nothing could slow down this intrepid, big-hearted priest--that is, until he was struck with Lou Gehrig's disease. As he began to decline, he remained cheerful, full of hope that the God he had served so faithfully was awaiting him in heaven.”

About the author we are informed:

“Fiorella De Maria was born in Italy of Maltese parents. She grew up in Wiltshire, England, and attended Cambridge University, where she received a Bachelor's in English Literature and a Master's in Renaissance Literature. She lives in Surrey with her husband and children. A winner of the National Book Prize of Malta, she has published four other novels with Ignatius Press: Poor Banished Children, Do No Harm, We'll Never Tell Them and the first Father Gabriel mystery, The Sleeping Witness.”

I only highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, and all of those were early on. Some of them are:

“Cedelia was a woman of prayer, and it never failed her. She had prayed for a good husband and a happy marriage. Now she prayed for healthy children who would have vocations to the priesthood and the religious life.”

“Al stood in front of his make-believe altar and intoned the Latin words he had heard the priest pray so many times in church. Such beautiful words, such amazing prayers. Al closed his eyes, imagining himself celebrating Mass at the high altar at his own parish church.”

“The commandos Al read about in his comic books were heroes because they fought evil and defended the innocent. The Nazis were the bad guys of the day. The news was filled with stories of the horrors the Nazis were committing in Germany and across Europe, and every boy wanted to fight them. But the Catholic Faith had its own heroes and commandos, brave saints and martyrs who gave witness to Christ in the most hostile of places.”

“There’s always someone worse off, thought Al on the journey home. There’s always someone poorer, weaker, someone who needs my help. The thought would grow in Al’s mind over the weeks and months to come. Was God calling him to live a life of poverty? Rather than enduring poverty as one of those unfortunate things that happened to families like his, was God calling him to be poor always, so that he could help others?”

“Al would always be popular—admired for his determination to be a priest, and a star student—but to his friends and peers at Saint Charles, he would never stop being Little Mouse.”

I do not recall encountering the life of this priest previously. Prior to reading this volume. I searched the 5200 blog posts I have written and only 1 review makes reference to him and it was a single chapter in a devotional book. That one reference was in How They Love Mary 28 Life-Changing Stories of Devotion to Our Lady by Father Edward Looney.

Once I started reading I could hardly put this volume down. It was a fascinating read from beginning to end. It was inspiring and challenging to read about his life, his priesthood, his ministry and his service to the poor. This is one of those stories that will leave a lasting impact on the young and to be honest anyone who reads it.

De Maria had me from the start. I added the Canonization prayer the volume ends with to my daily prayers, I was so inspired by the volume. This book and series is aimed for younger readers, but they are so well written they can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. My two youngest both teenagers enjoy them, I am in my fifties and I love them, those Ignatius brought back in print, the new expansions from them of the series, and the originals I can lay my hands on that Ignatius has not licensed. This is an excellent book in a wonderful series. And 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. An excellent book I can easily recommend!

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

Books in the Vision Books Saints Biographies:

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant

The Cure of Ars

Edmund Campion

Florence Nightingale's Nuns

Fr. Damien and the Bells

Fr. Marquette and the Great Rivers

Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi

Kateri Tekakwitha

Louis and Zelie

Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family

Mother Cabrini, Missionary to the World

Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity

Our Lady Came to Fatima

Saint Anthony and the Christ Child

Saint Benedict

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 Joan the Girl Soldier

Saint John Bosco

Saint Katherine Drexel

Saint Louis and the Last Crusade

Saint Philip of the Joyous Heart

Saint Pius X

Saint Therese and the Roses

Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Preaching Beggars

Saint Thomas More of London

Vincent De Paul: Saint of Charity

Saint Jose, Boy Cristero Martyr

Saint Maximilian Kolbe A Hero of the Holocaust

Hugh O'Flaherty The Irish Priest Who Resisted the Nazis

An American Little Flower Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich

Courage Under Fire Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Saint Kevin of Glendalough

Father Michael McGivney and the Knights of Columbus

Father Aloysius Schwartz: Superhero for the Poor

The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien

Fulton J. Sheen God’s Great Communicator

…

Out of Print books in the Series:

Brother Andre of Montreal

Catholic Campuses, Stories of American Catholic Colleges

Champions in Sports and Spirit

Chaplains in Action

Charles de Foucauld, Adventurer of the Desert

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

Father Kino, Priest to the Pimas

Fighting Father Duffy

Frances Warde and the First Sisters of Mercy

Good Pope John b

Governor Al Smith

In American Vineyards, Religious Orders in the United States

Irish Saints

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 Cross in the West

The Ursulines, Nuns of Adventure

When Saints Were Young

…

Overview of the Vision Books Series.

...

Books by Fiorella De Maria:
The Cassandra Curse
Father William's Daughter
Poor Banished Children
Do No Harm
We'll Never Tell Them
A Most Dangerous Innocence
I Am Margaret The Play

This Thing of Darkness

Far Distant Shores and Other Stores

…

Father Gabriel Mysteries:
The Sleeping Witness
The Vanishing Woman
See No Evil

Death of a Scholar

Missing, Presumed Lost

May Day!

…

Skaters Series:

My Family and Other Skaters

The Second Skater of the Apocalypse

...

Nonfiction:
Robert Southwell – CTS Saints of the Isles

Saint Maximilian Kolbe A Hero of the Holocaust

Hugh O'Flaherty The Irish Priest Who Resisted the Nazis

Courage Under Fire Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

…

Books as Fiorella Nash:
The Abolition of Woman: How Radical Feminism Is Betraying Women
...

Author Profile and Interview with Fiorella de Maria.

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.