How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church's Biggest Names

by Kate Sidley

Part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time.

Think you have what it takes to be a saint? Lucky for you, thousands of souls have paved the way to heaven—creating a clear formula for getting the job done while also leaving a rich, disturbing history behind them. And in just five easy-ish steps, you can learn how to secure your own halo!

But even if the whole "dying and becoming a saint" thing doesn't appeal to you, the bizarrely bureaucratic process of canonization is still guaranteed to delight and entertain. How to Be Saint is a compulsively readable and endlessly entertaining ride through Catholicism for anyone who enjoys their history with a side of comedy. From flying friars to severed heads, this book explores the wild lives (and deaths) of saints and pulls the curtain back on the oddest quirks of religious doctrine.

Whether you're a lifelong Catholic or a weird-history enthusiast, How to Be a Saint is your ultimate guide to understanding the hilarious, fascinating, and shockingly true history of sainthood.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Humor, Religion, Audiobook, Historical, Spirituality

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2025

About the author

Kate Sidley is a WGA Award and Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated comedy writer and performer who currently writes for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her first book, HOW TO BE A SAINT, is available now.

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed a lot. Does this mean I am going to hell?

While an extreme long shot to become a Saint, I found a lot to like about Kate Sidley's How to Be a Saint. Sidley looks at some of the most interesting people in the Catholic Church, and sometimes they are even real! Clearly, I should state who the audience for this book is. The way I see it, there are 3 types of people I'd like to speak to directly:

1. Non-Catholics, people who hate the Catholic Church, and people who don't care even a little bit - this book will totally be fun for you! Sidley is funny, and she is going to be pointing out a lot of weird stuff you probably already have when you have made fun of your Catholic friends. You don't need to believe in the Jesus stuff because there are still some quick and eye-opening stories that will make you say, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to worry about becoming a martyr."

2. Catholics, but who are not about to lead a crusade anytime soon. You try and go to church and you are sometimes successful. You believe, but when your non-Catholic friends ask, "Hey, isn't it super weird that in Catholicism," you cut them off and say, "Yeah, there is a lot of weird stuff and I just push passed it. Can we talk about politics or something?" This is my category and I had a wonderful time. I even remembered some stuff from my 13 years of Catholic school! Congrats, Sister Pat, Sister Agnes, Sister Lynn, Sister....I think there was a Helen in there. Anyway, something got through!

3. You are very Catholic. Religion is no laughing matter. You may go on crusade soon. Uh, you should skip this.

The book is very funny and I didn't take it as mean-spirited. In fact, I don't think a non-Catholic could write it. There is a love to the mocking almost like an older sibling who knows what buttons to push, but only knows because they pay attention. Now, I am going to go pray that this review doesn't get me sent straight down. Amen.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Sourcebooks.)

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny and informative book about obscure Catholic history. When I requested this ARC, I thought it would be 75% humor and 25% learning, but this was pretty well researched and had a lot of solid information portrayed in a humorous manner. Kate Sidley is a great writer, having made her career writing for television. Her voice reminds me of Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling, who also write for TV but their books have sharp observations and random quirkiness. If you are interested in history/anthropology/religion and are okay with not taking it too seriously, you would enjoy this book. There are many pictures of renaissance and earlier art of various Catholic saints, which adds to the narrative and inspires the author to humorous ideas about them. You can't really study European history without studying the history of the Catholic Church.

While the tone is light and silly, and overall does call out all of the ironies and hypocrises in the church, it somehow manages to be respectful if not deferential of the church. It makes the history accessible and funny. Like the subtitle says, it is sacrilegious, but only mildly so.

I am pretty devout myself, but I think God has a good sense of humor.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the ARC. Book to be published August 19, 2025

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

How To Be A Saint by Kate Sibley, I listen to this audio book narrated by the author and I must admit I am kind of jealous. If Kate Sibley has the type of friends that love her so much they don’t want to criticize and inevitably allow her to put out the book with such low hanging fruit about how to be cantaanized by the Catholic Church I mean she either is a wonderful person or potentially explosive. I wasn’t raised Catholic the due to babysitting issues I did go to Catholic Church a lot and I’ve always thought due to it history and what I’ve witnessed firsthand that the Catholic Church was like how to be religious without really being religious type of religion. So whenever I see a book about the Catholic Church and its Saints I’m always down to read it I find them so very interesting and although this book was light on the Saints and there were so many jokes in the book unless you know you will find some of it hard to separate from the truth I still didn’t find this book that funny and I find the Catholic Church hilarious on its own. The head jokes such as when explaining to a non-Catholic about why we kneel it’s an honor of when Jesus injured his Achilles in the local football game so if you find this funny then this is the book for you I myself really didn’t chuckle at all. I do think there is an audience for this but I just don’t belong to it. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #KateSibley, #HowToBeASaint,

[Sharondblk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not as clever or funny as it thinks it is. It attempts to structure around the steps to becoming a saint, but the actual content is all over the place. Lots of lists of saints with short descriptions, lots of 'sassy' asides, quite a few scatological jokes. There are some interesting facts, but on the whole it's all rather shallow. I wouldn't call it mildly sacrilegious, I would describe it as mildly tedious. It's very repetitious, with some concepts repeated a number of time.
I'm also not sure who this book is for. If you don't know anything about Catholicism this book is going to confuse you. If you do, this might amuse you, if you like lowest common denominator jokes. What's most frustrating is I think Kate Sidley knows and cares about her topic, but she's too busy trying to be funny to be truly interesting.

I was given a free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Marl · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5 stars rounded up]

It’s good to read just a fun walk through a short, comedic history book. How to Be a Saint by Kate Sidley is exactly that. An easy to follow book broken down into many short sections and interlaced with very abridged versions of many, many Saints. These sections are treated like themes lists such as “the virgin martyrs” or “hermits”, for example. The book takes us step by step through the process of becoming a saint, both on the reader’s end and on what would happen after you die. From becoming a Roman Catholic to dying to having your miracles investigated and finally the mass canonizing you as a Saint, we get to hear about, and poke fun at, all the bureaucratic steps and changes over the years to the process. I listened to the audiobook and read the bonus material PDF that came with it. Though I lost the seemingly fun and impressive stylization/layout of the pages, Sidley does an excellent job narrating and bringing life to her sense of humor in every chapter. Either medium seems like it would be perfectly fine to read the book in, and I especially think that this would be a really fun one for a short day trip drive.

Though I think a lot of Americans will be able to laugh and find something out of this book, it’s obviously not meant for very by the books trad Caths. I am Catholic and do really revere the Saints (most of them at least) but I also had a lot of fun at how Sidley points out some of the more out there aspects of Catholicism and the Papacy. If you’re going to be put off by the book opening with a letter from God welcoming you to the process of dying and becoming a Saint, then this isn’t a book for you. Some of the humor is definitely pointed at those who were at least raised Catholic. Jokes about not knowing what to do with Holy Cards and keeping your baptism candle awkwardly in your attic and never using it are spread throughout. Sidley herself grew up going to Catholic school and was at least raised Catholic, so she’s not an outsider gawking in.

Sidley has been nominated for a comedy Emmy seven times and has been a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for years and it is pretty obvious through her sense of humor. I don’t really watch any of those late shows but have laughed enough at the short clips I’ve seen online over the years. However, the book makes use of the general humor found in these shows - minus the political jokes or heavy pop-culture referencing. There’s a lot of “[describing the story of Saint Alexius who left on his wedding night of his arranged marriage to become a hermit] since Alexius left after his wedding, his wife had to continue living with her parents-in-law, which means that she ultimately sacrificed more than Alexius!” style of humor. The book’s sense of humor comes across very clearly from the start, so if you know you’re gonna hate it then you probably are. I thought, though generally not laugh out loud funny, the book remained entertaining throughout and didn’t have too many instances that fell flat. Again, Sidley does an excellent job narrating these parts and delivering the jokes perfectly.

The main bulk of the book follows the steps of “how to be a Saint”. We begin with the process of becoming Catholic (baptism, etc.) and end with what your duties as a Saint would be (listening to prayers and intervention). These chapters are short but not lacking in information. Though obviously not the be all end all complete detailing of every aspect of the steps to confirm a Saint (which this book is obviously not trying to be), the book still acts as both a good primer and an easy way to gawk at the admittedly very odd parts of Roman Catholicism and the stories of certain Saints.

I really enjoyed the parts where she went step by step with all the people involved with your canonization of being a Saint, from your local petitioner off to Rome reviewing everything, then a Vatican group reviewing everything again, and then maybe another group again before the Pope reviews everything. She points out the ways that the canonization of Saints has been used in ways to support the Church (a modern example being Carlos Acutis being fast-tracked to Sainthood so quickly as a possible first Millennial Saint just as the Church faces the lowest attendance of young people in its history) and all the ways that the system has been streamlined and made easier over time. I always love pointing fun at bureaucracy, and this one is no different.

This book was exactly what I assumed it was and was such an entertaining book to listen to. Definitely something to pick up for a long day or as a Christmas gift!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb doesn't lie when it says Sidley's book is "part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time." If the tone of the blurb doesn't do it for you, then you probably won't chuckle or smile to yourself while reading. While some of the jokes didn't land for me, felt somewhat juvenile, the type of humor doesn't shift throughout the book, so you will know fairly quickly if it's suited for you or not. So long as you're a reader open to a dash of humor bordering on irreverence, and (light) critique towards the Catholic Church, you should be fine to read the well-researched information presented in the book.
It's quirky and goofy enough to keep the tone light, though the bulk of information is presented in an easy to follow, not-getting-lured-by-the-Pied-Piper sorta way. Humor aside, Sidley has presented the information one needs to try to become a Saint with many examples of the Catholic Church's biggest names. She presents the wannabe Saint with a checklist, with encouraging words along the way, a few examples of what to do, and a timeline of how arduous and expensive the process of canonization is (and, wow, it's expensive). There are real Saints and there are fictional Saints, but they've both got words for you. It's well-written and very informative. I think even some of the most devout believers will learn something from this book.
The book is full of information, though, so as Stephen Colbert says, in the introduction, buy the book so Kate's kids can attend college. Read before or after your sexy elf book.
*There are some layout issues if you're reading through Kindle. Some of the errors in text are easy to decipher but there were a few that were wholly out of order and I had to skip over entirely.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who grew up Catholic (but left the church in my mid-20s), I came into this book with a basic understanding of Catholicism and sainthood. There were some interesting bits sprinkled throughout, and I appreciated learning more from time to time.

That said, I found the humor a bit overdone. The author clearly has a talent for comedy, and after reading Stephen Colbert’s introduction I learned that she wrote for his show. That explains a lot — the sharp punchlines and satirical tone definitely fit late-night television, but in my opinion, they don’t translate as well into a full-length book. What felt fresh at first became a little too much for me after a while.

Still, it was entertaining overall, just not quite the reading experience I hoped for. 3 stars from me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It probably isn't a requirement that one be Roman Catholic to enjoy this book but I think it helps. That is, if you're not too sensitive about the institution of the church and some of it's odder rules.

Personally, I found this book hilarious. And the things the author (Kate Sidley) pokes fun at have nothing to do with faith but more the hoops one has to jump through to become a saint.

There's a lot of interesting information in this book but that wouldn't be my most important reason to read it.

My reason is that it's hilarious. This is a how-to guide on, as the title lays out, to become a saint and every page had something--or things--that made me laugh.

Although less amusing and a big surprise to me is how expensive the process of canonization is. I'm thinking of saints very differently now (those that are real--Sidley tells of many saints who though legendary probably--or definitely--did not exist outside the imagination.

There is a handy checklist after each part of the process that is worth holding on to, if that is a goal of the reader.

I went around telling people they must read this book, something I rarely do. But I need some people to share quotes. This is a book that longs to be shared with others.

Sidley is a writer for Stephen Colbert--another Catholic with a biting sense of humor that still manages--for me--to include a strong Catholic faith with a willingness to look at and critique, however amusingly, the foibles of the institution that carries.

This book immediately became one of my favorite--not just this year but of all the books I've read and I'm sure I will be rereading it.

A suitable Christmas gift?

How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of The Catholic Church's Biggest Names by Kate Sidley will be published by Sourcebooks in 2025.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, very informative little book. I had a great time reading this, and I will say the humor the author added to the explanations made this infinitely more readable and finish-able than a lot of other informational books on different aspects of Catholicism (even if it was a bit blasphemous, but really, who's worried about that?). I would definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

[Edie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to love this book. It appeals directly to my niche interests. Perhaps that is the problem. Maybe the humor and intriguing facts might land for a general reader. As someone already invested in the quirky facts & fiction of saints, this was a miss for me. It was fun. It was entertaining. The narration was like grabbing drinks with a girlfriend who info dumps her latest hyper-focus. Thank you to Kate Sidley, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I'd be tempted to describe a history book as a "fun romp," but here we are!

This fun romp of a read perfectly showcases the doctrinal contortionism required of a centuries old religion as it absorbs and is absorbed by other cultures. Sensibilities change over time, and not all things age well. For example, we might not view St. Rita as a paragon of parenthood now, but she was canonized in the middle ages for praying for the *deaths of her sons* so that they'd be prevented from seeking vengeance for her husband's murder. In the modern Catholic church, she remains a patron saint of parenthood!

This heavily illustrated book is strongest when the author isn't trying to be funny and instead lets absurd chapters of church history and doctrine speak for themselves. Don't get me wrong, the author is funny-- very-- but the more boggling choices of the historical church deserve the spotlight. If I had one wish for the book, it would be that it were slightly more factual and every so slightly less about the witty commentary. It nailed the inclusion of religious paintings. There are way more paintings of saints with their body parts on platters than I would have ever guessed.

Is it mildly sacrilegious? More than mildly, I think. It is exactly what I signed up for? Absolutely. As a protestant who married a Catholic and spent the first years of my relationship ogling at my in-laws' unquestioned religious convictions and saying, "wait, really?" this book definitely resonated with me. Seeing Catholicism in practice, not just in theory, was like looking through a funhouse mirror at my own religious upbringing. And boy, oh boy, does this author hold the canonization process up to every mirror in every light. If this book looks funny to you, I think it will be. If it looks offensive, it probably will be. The marketing for this feels spot-on, so whatever vibe potential readers are getting is likely the right one for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC! I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my Catholic husband when this comes out.

[Mary Voorhies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book, especially if you're a lapsed (sinner) Catholic

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS for eARC!

Okay, this was delightful. Informative and humorous, with excellent visuals, as a non-Catholic I learned, I laughed, I loved. Definitely adding this to my pre-orders list, because it's just that much fun. Gave me Michael Largo vibes, and he's one of my favorites so I welcomed it. Kate's writing has a natural, easy flow to it, and the book is quite approachable for any reader. Extensive, diligent research went into this, and it's shown through the work (and list of resources at the back in the bibliography.) A glossary is included, very helpful. You can also make your own holy card and certificate of saintification!




Quick and fairly easy read, and I think I saw less than three typos?

* NOTE: Do not read the eARC on Kindle, the format is effed. But the NetGal app works flawlessly.

[강거 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

How to Be a Saint by Kate Sidley was an unexpected gem—like finding out your hilariously sarcastic friend has a secret PhD in obscure Catholic trivia and wants to spill all the tea. I usually can’t commit to a full book of humor without needing a palate cleanser, but this one? This one hit the sweet spot. I read it in little bites—10, maybe 20 minutes at a time—and each time I came away both laughing and weirdly more informed about religious history. Who knew enlightenment could be this entertaining?

Kate Sidley has this incredible way of mixing legit historical facts with just the right amount of irreverent sparkle. It felt less like reading a book and more like being let in on centuries of ecclesiastical gossip. Did I expect to snort-laugh over “mystic abilities” being ranked by skill level and provability? No. Did it happen? Absolutely. I mean, saints who never decomposed? That’s both horrifying and fascinating, and I loved every bit of it. (They’re real! You can Google it.)

What really makes the book work is the tone. It never crosses into mean-spirited or mocking—just gently cheeky, smart, and genuinely respectful in its own playful way. You’re learning real stuff here, but without the heavy-handed sermon vibes. Honestly, I’d recommend this to anyone who likes their nonfiction with a twist of humor and isn’t afraid of a little holy irreverence. Bless this book.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun(ny), although did start to feel a little repetitive after a while. I was raised Catholic, and found a lot of resonance and self-deprecating humor, which I enjoyed. It's a pretty thorough-going look at what I remember of the religious experiences of my youth, and I enjoyed the snarky oh-so-helpful tone. The narration was spot-on for the book - I usually like when an author reads their own work, and definitely enjoyed it here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

[Calvin Campany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weirdly repetitive in parts and very thin on actual information. More clever in parts than actually being funny. I guess I had higher hopes for this than it delivered.

[Laurie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny book written by one of the writers for Stephen Colbert. It particularly hits home if you are a current or former Catholic, and don’t mind poking a little fun at the church.

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This was much funnier than I anticipated. A foreword from Colbert was a fun surprise. It was also reasonably well researched. A short book - but funny and insightful.

[Aprilcots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I’m not catholic, I recognize that I’m not the target audience for this book, but I do recognize good pacing and humor, and this didn’t do it for me. The jokes felt forced, the history and actual religious detail was much more scarce and broad than I was hoping for, and the pop culture references are going to feel quite dated in just a few years. I was excited for this read, but came off just feeling like it could have been so much better.

Thank you Net Galley for this Advance Reader Copy.

[Migdalia Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was equally hilarious and informative.

Colbert's foreword is a perfect intro for the irreverence readers will find within. The chapters are well organized and the imagery/illustrations within really add to the whole vibe.

10/10 recommend for anyone looking for a good laugh, but especially Catholics, whether they be practicing, lapsed, or just grew up in the culture.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol Kean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Sidley is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer, a young mother, and a sassy cynic who was raised Catholic. She writes for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, who wrote the foreword to her book, declaring “How to Be a Saint” hilarious. I love large doses of history served with humor. Of course I had to read it.

Thousands if not millions of readers will probably agree with Colbert that this book is amusing and delightful. Not me. Sidley doesn’t know when to let up as the sassy provocateur who yanks the curtain back to expose the wizard. I find her attempts at humor annoying, repetitive, and juvenile. Still, I sped through the lame jokes and focused on the good parts. Sidley does offer a lot of “good” stuff.

The bureaucracy, the exorbitant cost, and the years of effort it takes for the Church to declare someone a saint is not news. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing, and yet, countless Catholics cherish a devotion to the saints. Here’s where this book really missed the boat. We get some snarky bios on martyrs and saints, some of whom never even existed as real people but were mostly fictions. What we don’t get is the idea of a “communion of saints,” the whole community of faithful followers of Christ, living and dead, past, present, and future, beyond time and space. It’s my favorite aspect of the Apostle’s Creed. Yes, I'm sadly aware: the community of saints living on in heaven, yet accessible to us if we call upon them, may be nothing more than an exercise in positive thinking and wishful manifesting. Millions of Catholics know and love the saints, and call upon them, and just to BELIEVE that we are heard (and will be helped) seems effective, a surprising number of times. I’m not pushing devotion to saints here, but I am saying what a disappointment it is that this book so completely overlooks the reason we honor saints at all.

Sidley does manage to surprise us with things most readers wouldn’t know. Like, Limbo was abolished in 2007? I had to go online to see if she got that right. Kinda, sorta: The Church “abolished Limbo” in 2007 with a document called “The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized,” published with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI. It did not totally abandon Limbo, as that Pope had said it should do. Catholics have never been “required” to believe in the theology of Limbo. This led me to a search on purgatory. Catholic Answers dot com tells us, “The teaching on purgatory is an article of faith that Catholics must believe. It is a truth that can never change.” This in turn led me to an old book I revisit from time to time, “The Christian Agnostic” by Leslie D. Weatherhead (1893-1976). He writes:

“This book would say to the modern layman, ‘Don’t exclude yourself from the fellowship of Christ’s followers because of mental difficulties. If you love Christ and are seeking to follow him, take an attitude of Christian agnosticism to intellectual problems at least for the present. Read this book to see if the essentials of the Christian religion are clarified for you and only accept those things which gradually seem to you to be true. Leave the rest in a mental box labeled, ‘awaiting further light.’ In the meantime, join with us in trying to show and to spread Christ’s spirit, for this, we feel, is the most important thing in the world.’”

Believe what your intellect allows you to believe, and put the rest in a box, “awaiting further light.” That may be as good as my faith ever gets. Let us spread light and love--in the name of Jesus, or just because we feel it is the right thing to do.

Sidley rips back the curtain on sainthood with a tone that is more than just “mildly” irreverent, but instead of tossing the book aside, I read every page, and admired the quantity of research and the great icons and artwork included in this book. The nonstop attempts to be funny almost ruin the entire book for me. Almost. The information, buried deep in bad jokes, is worthwhile information. I would have preferred some actually useful pointers on the path to sainthood, like, how did so many teenage nuns manage to build orphanages, hospitals, and schools, and how did they have the spunk to sass the Pope himself (St. Catherine as a teenager) and Billy the Kid (St. Blandine of the Old West). The answer is that they had CONVICTION. The question for me is how did they get it? Probably not by listening to people like Kate Sidley who point out the inconsistencies, bureaucratic bullsh*t, and evil machinations of the Church. Somehow, the saints believe God is good and God will empower them to do good for others. This is the most important angle to sainthood, in my opinion, and again, I wish Sidley had conveyed this mystical/magical mindset of saints.

In all, you can learn some stuff from this book, and you might find the unrelenting and distracting attempts at humor more amusing than I did. "How to Be a Saint" delivers some fascinating and disconcerting history, and for that, I can endorse the book.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of this book that takes a humorous to some, libelous to others look at the history of the Catholic Church and the role of Saints in the lives of those who believe, history and much more.

My parents were born as Bronx Irish Catholics, attended school in Catholic institutions, even college and nursing school. This sort of faded out when we moved to the wilds of Connecticut. My dad worked nights on the weekend, going to Church was a bit of a ride, 5 minutes, and we drifted away. My brother and I attended CCD or Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which is a religious education program for Catholic children in non-Catholic schools according to the definition as I had to look it up. I've done all the steps I guess except marriage and well death, and cashed the checks to prove it. However that is it. I've never gone to confession except once, for again pay from the family, nor do I take the host when I go to a wedding or a funeral, which is my only time to attend. This book brought up a lot of feelings for me. Most of them laughter, a few snickers and even one or two, oh that's mean. Which meant I enjoyed it quite a bit. How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of The Catholic Church's Biggest Names by comedian and writer Kate Sidley is a sort of pagan view of the Saints, ranging in wonder, awe, puzzlement, outright ickiness and much more.

The book starts with an interesting way of baptism, and an explanation about much of the ceremonies that bring people into the church. From there Sideley touches on some history, some theology, and bit of humor, trying to compress thousands of years of history into a few chapters. One learns about Limbo, a place that my Grandmother always had a particular fear of, and a place I really didn't understand, as my parents wanted me to sleep at night, so Limbo was never really discussed. Readers are than introduced to the Saints. How the became saints, what process is called on, and much about the miracles. And the ways that they died, which all sound horrible.

The book is funny, sometimes a little gross, but is laid out well and tells an interesting story. I can see where people could be upset, but being a fan of so many things that have become toxic I really have little sympathy. Some of the humor is a little forced, and odd, but the readability of the book makes up for this, and as I said I learned things, or relearned things in some cases. Also the book made me an my mother talk about her growing up and going to Catholic school, and and what that was like.

A book not for everyone, but one that is funny, and in a way sort of inspirational. There are some stories in here that make one think about the strength of humans to persist and hold on to what they believe. My world view hasn't changed, but I laughed a lot, and in this world of acceptable cruelty from people claiming a moral stance, well that's all we can ask for.

[Werechasingourtales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
“An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church’s Biggest Names”
Part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time.
[…] Whether you're a lifelong Catholic or a weird-history enthusiast, How to Be a Saint is your ultimate guide to understanding the hilarious, fascinating, and shockingly true history of sainthood.

Review
Describing this book as ‘part history lesson / part sacrilege / an entirely good time’ hits the nail on the head. As an RE teacher, this was an excellent insight into the Catholic Church and the history of the saints and it's also important to recognise that I laughed… a lot. I suppose it can be said that Catholics (and God) can have a sense of humour.

Kate Sidley does a fantastic job at making some (quite dry) historical events both interesting and funny! Whilst many reviews have said that this book is not for a typical Catholic, I really enjoyed it. I would say that it isn’t for those who are easily offended… but on the whole it was fun, educational and very interesting.

It starts off with an introduction to the Catholic Church, clearly from the view of someone growing up in the Catholic Church. You not only hear about the individual stories of the saints and why they were beatified, but also the canonisation process and how that’s changed over the years. There are examples of well known saints, like St Bernadette in Lourdes, to more modern saints, including Blessed Carlo Acutis.

This niche area of Catholic history is presented from a quirky, refreshing perspective. The vibes I got were semi SNL / The Office, with a huge helping of Horrible Histories. If you were a Horrible Histories lover and enjoy American humour, and have an interest in the Catholic Church or Catholic Saints, this is a very easy read that doesn’t take life too seriously. To give you some context, one of the chapters was about ‘zombie saints’: those that didn’t perish after death - like I said previously, a completely new, light perspective!

It is worth saying that I listened to the audiobook (and loved it!) but I expect the printed version would be even better!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ALC of How to Be a Saint from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been on a real audiobook kick this year and this one - with that title and that cover - looked so fun. Happily, it was, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how informative it was, too.

This isn't the kind of book I'd usually reach for; funny non fiction isn't a genre I've ever gravitated towards, but I am endlessly fascinated by the history of Catholic saints. This book, narrated by the author herself, is a brilliant and entertaining introduction to both the process of becoming a saint and a selection of people, real and fictional, who have been canonised throughout history.

I preferred the latter half to the former, which was much more focused on the stories of various saints and also touched upon canonisation as a political act--such as Gianna Beretta Molla, who was canonised by Pope John Paul II after refusing an abortion and hysterectomy that would have saved her life at a time when the Catholic church was eager to spread its anti-abortion views.

What's most impressive about all of this, though, is that while this book is funny - and very rightly makes fun of a lot of things about and within the Catholic church, particularly its many hypocrisies - it's not a mean-spirited book. If you're a Christian who doesn't like jokes being made about your religion (which frankly is perfectly fine if you don't then seek out jokes to be offended by) then this book isn't for you, but in my opinion How to Be a Saint is a book that can be enjoyed by people from any faith or none at all.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this 4.5 out of 5.

This book was such a joy to read. I was laughing and smiling through the whole thing. Sidley's writing not only kept me entertained, but it was also so informative about the canonization of saints. I love history books, and I enjoy learning about the most random of topics, which is what drew me to this book. Before reading this, I knew that there were several steps of how a person became a saint and that it usually took a very long time, but Sidley's checklists of steps made it clear how the complicated process works.

I also really enjoyed how Sidley mixed in the history of both popular and lesser-known beatified saints throughout. I appreciated that Sidley mixed in the church history, the mythology, and humor into these stories.

Although this book pokes fun at some of the Catholic Church's list of saints, it also shows a great deal of reverence for the process and history of these important church figures. I truly think that Sidley's approach to sainthood will help a wider audience learn about the Catholic Church and may even set a few readers on the path to sainthood.

I highly recommend this book. For those who enjoy laughing and learning, this book checks both boxes.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Rape, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* but rounding up

Do you want a hilarious guide to becoming a saint and earning your own halo? Well, Kate Sidley gives us the 5-ish steps that one might be able to take to try and make that happen. One way you could go about it, is apparently be part of a village that gets completely wiped out. But, if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea then you might want to start mocking up some baseball cards to hand out to your friends with all your specs so they can pray to you after you pass and maybe get some miracles attributed to you.

This book was fun. I'm not religious but I did grow up in a church before deciding it wasn't resonating with me. I am also not Catholic, so I guess that takes me out of the running for that halo in the afterlife. I feel as though I learned a great deal about some of the Saints who have been canonized and some of the things they did in order to gain their status as an official saint of the Catholic church.

I do understand some people can feel strongly about religions being talked about in a satirical sort of way, I hope they are also able to see there is no malice written within the text of this book. It seems as though the author is Catholic herself and is able to find humor in some of their practices. If you pick up this book, I hope, you too, can find a bit of humor in a world that is already far too serious and potentially on fire. Let's find a bit of levity where we can and I found some within the pages of this book. I do wish I had the physical copy so I could see all of the art and pictures throughout.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review audiobook copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

HOW TO BE A SAINT is a humorous look at canonisation.

The book follows the process of canonisation more than the history of canonisation and saints, but does explain how things have changed over the years and the fact that the rules are always changing (and can be disregarded). There are saints thrown in as examples of rule changes, the sorts of people who have become saints (some of whom deserve it more than others), and other illustration points (usually in lists) throughout. I did appreciate that it touched on the highly political side of saint making -both the message making side of things and the control over who gets to make saints.

The tone is very much irreverent but not mocking, which I appreciated (I am not a fan of comedy at the expense of the group on the punchline.) The inconsistencies and hypocrisy is pointed out, but it does not deride those who are Catholics (the author is, I believe, a Catholic, or at least comes from a Catholic background).

This book is very clearly American. A lot of the jokes are full of American cultural references that are necessary for the joke to work and thus went right over my head. This means I didn't find the book as funny as I could have as I just didn't get the jokes.

It is read by the author herself, which is cool as it means you get the emphasis and delivery exactly as the author intended it.

[LauraBeach123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Brigid of Kildare by Marie Benedict, I thought I’d keep the theme going and learn a bit more about sainthood. When How to Be a Saint popped up, I expected something educational, maybe even reverent. What I did not expect with this audiobook was literally laughing out loud on a plane so much so that my husband kept elbowing me!

As a Catholic school grad turned weddings-funerals-and-holidays Catholic, I found this absolutely hysterical. Kate Sidley narrates the audiobook herself, and her comedic timing and delivery is absolutely perfect, I think this is one of those cases where the audiobook actually tops the print version. She really makes so much funnier!

What impressed me most was how much research Sidley put into this. Between all the jokes, I actually learned a ton about the often ridiculous, sometimes bizarre, and occasionally nauseating paths to sainthood. She pokes fun at the Catholic Church: at the money, the misogyny, and some of the traditions that just don’t hold up in modern light, but never in a cruel or sacrilegious way. The tone stays witty and sharp without being offensive.

I’ve already recommended this to several friends looking for road trip audiobooks and I’m planning to listen again on the next family ski trip (perfect for teens and adults, maybe skip it for the younger kids). Steven Colbert’s intro was the cherry on top of an already LOL experience.

[Tajmia · Rating 4 out of 5]

a love letter to the weirdness of faith traditions and the powerful, often untold stories of those deemed "holy."

this book was SUCH a fun read. as a former catholic now finding my way back to the Church I found it so informative and honestly laugh out loud funny. Does this mean I get time added to my purgatory clock? Saint Gianna, pray for me.

Kate Sidley breaks down the absolute chaos of the canonization process with footnotes that had me wheezing and chapter titles that feel ripped straight from a divine group chat. Where else can you read about “Saints Who Were Sort of Like Zombies” and DIY baptism kits that involve Tupperware and artisanal olive oil?

It’s smart, irreverent in the best way, and deeply affectionate toward the strangeness of belief. Think religious history meets stand-up comedy with a dash of divine sass. Will I be quoting this book at Bible study? Probably not. Will I be thinking about “saints who walked six miles after being beheaded”? Absolutely yes.

Highly recommend for recovering Catholics, curious heathens, and anyone who’s ever wondered how many miracles it takes to get your own holy card.

This book FRied me. I loved it so much! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

[Calton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of pretty much anything on the dark and very unholy history of the Catholic Church, and when I saw this audiobook on NetGallery (thnak you for provding the ARC, you're the best as always!), I requested it pretty much immediatelly.
Kate Sidley weaves together a hialrious, mildly outrageous and incredibly interesting account of what it take to become an official Christian Saint, and it is so much more complicated than one would think. Personally, I had no idea about most of it, and now that I do, I will absolutely add it to my ever-growing arsenal of "fun facts" that I enjoy sharing with anyone that would and would not listen whenever we pass by a church.
I feel like it's not an easy feat to pull off -- making a book both entertaining and educating, but this one definitely hits the mark. While the humour was a bit too American for my taste from time to time, there were multiple times when I actully snorted out loud, earning myself sidelong glances.
The book is packed with stories from the lives of Saints, and each is stranger than the last. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, though probably not to die-hard Christians, because they notoriously possess no sense of humour.
A great read!