Can anyone recommend a book or two?

[Kathy]

I am going on an awesome pilgrimage in September and I was wondering if anyone could recommend some books about the places I am going, or books by people who lived there, or about saints who lived there. The distinations are:

- Avila (I've read Teresa's Way of Perfection)
- Chartes
- Paris
- Fatima
- Lourdes
- Lisiuex (I've read Therese's Story of a Soul)

Thanks so much for your time.
Kathy

[Carlos]

Check out "The Cathedral" by Joris-Karl Huysmans ("La cathédrale" in the original French). The novel is centered on the cathedral in Chartres.

[Lisa, Group handmaid]

Do you know of St. John of Avila? Not the same as St. John of the Cross, St. John of Avila was declared a Doctor of the Church recently. Perhaps there's something in his works that might be of help to you.

[Kathy]

Thanks for the recommendations. I added teh Cathedral to my list of books to read. I had heard that John of Avila was declared a doctor of the church. I guess now would be a good time to look up his stuff :)

[Christine]

Victor Hugo's Les Miserables,the Charles Wilbour translation- unabridged if you have the time to devote but the abridged is fine in my opinion.

[Rhonda]

The Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church
This is a dense but illuminating look at the Vatican's inner workings. I just started but given the Pope's resignation, a timely read. This review is a good take:
http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie...

[Anne]

"The Song of Bernadette" is a wonderful book about Lourdes and St. Bernadette. "The Way of Trust and Love" by Jacques Philippe is a small but powerful book, based on a retreat, about St. Therese of Lisieux's Little Way.

[Wendy]

The Vatican Conspiracies - TheVaticanConspiracies.com - has received 5-star ratings on Amazon! The Vatican Conspiracies Feels as if the author was a mole within Vatican City. Gripping!

[Philip]

Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila is amazing.

[Scott]

I wonder about The Vatican Conspiracies. I'm not sure an Amazon 5-star rating equates to something we good Catholics should read. The Amazon reviews are all awash with comments about how wonderful and illuminating this book is at exposing the inner workings of the Catholic Church, but I question who are these people and how would they know whether or not this novel is illuminating or not. It's a novel, a work of fiction. Who knows? It could be another the Da Vinci Code. I love a good adventure suspense conspiracy book as much as anyone else, but when you take it too far, then what?

[Scott]

From one 5-star rating: "If you have ever questioned the dogmas and policies of organized religion, this book is a must read."

That screams to me, "Run away!!"

[Mark]

Hi everyone! If anyone is interested in apologetics, I'd like to recommend Edward Feser's The Last Superstition, and also his Aquinas: A Beginner's Guide. I also recommend Mortimer Adler's Ten Philosophical Mistakes. For those interested in reading about ethics I recommend Right and Reason by Austin Fagothey, particularly the 3rd edition. Do not get the later editions.

I also would like to recommend Pope Benedict's works :-)

[Kathleen]

Has anyone read anything by or about Jacques Maritain?

[Mark]

I have, but only parts of it. He writes very clearly and to the point, and there are many intellectually exciting parts but I think his writings are not for those who are only beginning to study Christianity, not for those who are looking for a "first contact" book on Christianity. Where I'm from it's very difficult to find his books in bookstores. Here's an online link to one of his works: "The Range of Reason". I read it from time to time. http://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/rang...