Catholic Thought discussion

Here's the Amazon page for a fast way to see his works and prices. I'm ready!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Merton/e...

I just noticed that New Seeds of Comtemplation and No Man is an Island are now temporarily out of stock on Amazon.

The Kindle version is still available. I have both at home. They are usually in most libraries now. That said...I'm completely flexible. A lot of libraries even have the eBook versions now.

I think you were just looking at one posting. There's tons of used and new. Here's one list.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...

Leslie wrote: "I think you were just looking at one posting. There's tons of used and new. Here's one list.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin......"

Thanks Leslie. I didn't think to look at the books for sale from the third party sellers. That is a good alternative! I usually buy the books that are sold and shipped by Amazon since I have Amazon Prime.

At one time Mike had posted a link to this reading list but I can't seem to find it so I'm reposting the link. Let me know if the link works for you. It worked for me. http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/...

Doreen wrote: "At one time Mike had posted a link to this reading list but I can't seem to find it so I'm reposting the link. Let me know if the link works for you. It worked for me. http://www.catholicity.com/mc..."

The link worked but it displayed a list of articles written by Fr. McCloskey. Here is a direct link to The Catholic Lifetime Reading plan:

http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/...

Susan Margaret wrote: "Doreen wrote: "At one time Mike had posted a link to this reading list but I can't seem to find it so I'm reposting the link. Let me know if the link works for you. It worked for me. http://www.cat..."

Thanks for the correction. You're a lifesaver. There are a lot of really good books on the list.

Sorry about the confusion on the link I posted and thanks for straightening it out Doreen.

Also, thank you all for the very nice comments, that means a lot.

I wanted to share with you a list of choices from another local bookclub only for further ideas. I've read three already and those were terrific, especially Silence. I mention it because you might not see these on more typical suggested reading lists, but I think they look good.

The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos

Silence by Shusaku Endo - about the time when Japan closed itself off to the world following concerns that arose because of Christian missionaries, excellent book and a classic in Japan. This is historical fiction.

En Route by Joris-Karl

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni- an Italian classic

Viper's Tangle by François Mauriac

Catholics by Brian Moore - very short

Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael O'Brien

Morte d'Urban by J.F. Powers

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Wreath by Sigrid Undset

The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris West

These are from yet another Catholic book club I'm in. I've really enjoyed the selections. Again, just posting because you might not find these on a typical list.

The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity by Robert Louis Wilken - I loved it. Not nearly as intimidating as the title might suggest.

Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross by Edward Sri

Angels and Saints: A Biblical Guide to Friendship with God's Holy Ones by Scott Hahn

Calm the Soul: A Book of Simple Wisdom and Prayer by The Poor Clares, Galway

Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?: . . . and Other Questions from the Astronomers' In-box at the Vatican Observatory by Consolmagno and Mueller

Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture by Father Robert Barron - a collection of his reviews of a variety of movies, etc.

Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Brant Pitre

The Pope's Army: 500 Years of the Papal Swiss Guard by Robert Royal

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani - I'm not sure if this is particularly Catholic or if the author was Catholic. I haven't read this yet.

The Confessions of Saint Augustine

Jesus: A Pilgrimage by Father James Martin - probably my favorite

Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot - very short but a classic

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It by Jennifer Fulwiler - she's on The Catholic Channel. She came and spoke at a local Catholic conference about her conversion from

The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic: How Engaging 1% of Catholics Could Change the World by Matthew Kelly

No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy by Father Donald Galloway - I loved this book! Donnie was a bad boy son in a military family stationed in Japan. It's about his childhood struggles and turning to Catholicism. He's on EWTN often.

Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession by Scott Hahn - about the sacrament of confession

Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene this was terrific

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

The Second Coming by Walker Percy

The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimageby Paul Elie*

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

The Tenth Manby Graham Greene - I really enjoyed this. It's short but thought provoking.

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton - A cohesive collective of short mystery stories.

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Father Robert Barron

Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles by Raymond Arroyo

Pat Conroy and Mary Higgins Clark are both Catholic writers.

The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel

A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture by Scott Hahn

The American Jesuits have been running a Catholic Book Club for years. I am going to try to post the link for their entire list, but not sure if I am going to get it right.

americamagazine.org/cbc

@ Leslie: You have listed some of the best ones. Anything by Sigrid Undset is a must read for a Catholic. Bernanos is another superb writer. I also admire Endo, Willa Cather, Mauriac, G. K. Chesterton and O'Connor.

Dhanaraj wrote: "@ Leslie: You have listed some of the best ones. Anything by Sigrid Undset is a must read for a Catholic. Bernanos is another superb writer. I also admire Endo, Willa Cather, Mauriac, G. K. Chester..."

Thank you. That is very kind. I have a few more to add still. Irene, thank you for your list as well. I know I try to read the book reviews in the National Register and U.S. Catholic, and Catholic answers.

I found my other lists for past years. Just food for thought. I'm always open to re-reading.

When Mothers Pray by Cheri Fuller

The Privilege of Being a Woman by Alice von Hildebrand

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal - terrific read!!!

The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? by John R. Powers

The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions by Helen Prejean

Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul by Tony Hendra

John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father by Peggy Noonan - terrific!

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza - I've read all of her books, all are terrific.

Searching for Mary by Beverly Donofrio

My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith by Jeff Cavins

Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta by Mother Teresa

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas - this was before I joined the book club so don't know if he's Catholic or how this got added

My Life With the Saints by James Martin

How Much is Enough? by Arthur Simon

JOSHUA: A PARABLE FOR TODAY by Joseph F Girzone

The Catholic Church in History: Legend and Reality by Keith D. Lewis

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young not a Catholic book per se but many seem to love it. I still haven't read this.

Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri J.M. Nouwen

The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge by Michael Daly

Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers by Fil Anderson

Joan of Arc by Mark Twain

My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles by Justin Catanoso

Our Lady of Fatima by William Thomas Walsh

Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel

The Virtue Driven Life by Benedict J. Groeschel

Letters from the Desert by Carlo Carretto

Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis de Wohl

St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James Martin

How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas E. Woods Jr.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Mr. Ives' Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy by Rumer Godden - I really liked this.

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

He Leadeth Me by Walter J. Ciszek

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

Edmund Campion by Evelyn Waugh


Bible and the Qur'an by Jacques Jomier

Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World by Chris Lowney - I loved this!!!

Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict by Carmen Acevedo Butcher

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas - wonderful book!

America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story by Bruce Feiler I enjoyed this

The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read

The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist by Dorothy Day

Saint Edith Stein: A Spiritual Portrait by Dianne Marie Traflet

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Exiles: A Novel by Ron Hansen

Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by James Martin

An American Requiem: God, My Father & the War That Came Between Us by James Carroll I loved this book.

Raised by the Church: Growing Up in New York City's Catholic Orphanages by Edward Rohs I highly recommend this.

You have some great lists. I have read several on your lists and enjoyed most.

Thanks so much. They really are great....almost always. I'm in three different Catholic book clubs, hence the many selections.

FYI...the book The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage by Paul Elie is about Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day. I just started it for another group.

Add to the list also the novels of Gertrud von le Fort, especially her The Song at the Scaffold.

I'm currently reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He's not Catholic, but like most of Dostoevsky's work it's very Christian. I have to say this is one of the greatest novels ever written. Definitely a must read.

Can you believe I've never read anything by Dostoevsky or Tolstoy! They are both on my To Read List.

I'll actually be starting Crime and Punishment in a week or so for class. I look forward to reading it.

Manny wrote: "I'm currently reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He's not Catholic, but like most of Dostoevsky's work it's very Christian. I have to say this is one of the greatest novels ever w..."

Definitely a five star classic, and also a "can't lay down read".

Galicius wrote: "and also a "can't lay down read". "
I know it. That was what surprised me the most. The whole action seems to take place in a week's worth of time. It's intense from beginning to end.

Leslie wrote: "Can you believe I've never read anything by Dostoevsky or Tolstoy! They are both on my To Read List."

Oh Leslie you have to try at least Tolstoy. He's incredible.

Doreen wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Can you believe I've never read anything by Dostoevsky or Tolstoy! They are both on my To Read List."

Oh Leslie you have to try at least Tolstoy. He's incredible."

I would start with Tolstoy's short novels. The Death of Ivan Illych is a good one.

Manny wrote: "I would start with Tolstoy's short novels. The Death of Ivan Illych is a good one.
..."

The Death of Ivan Ilych is a good book. It reminded me of Arthur Miller's play, The Death of a Salesman. The main characters are very similar. Or maybe I should say Miller's play reminded me of Tolstoy's book.

I'll try to make time this coming year for at least one Tolstoy and one Dostoevsky. :-) I think I have Anna Karenina.

One of the groups on here is about to read The Brothers Karamazov.

I just downloaded a bunch for free or almost free on Kindle. Has anyone read Where Love is, There God is also by Tolstoy? That might be interesting for a group read, although he's not a Catholic write. I haven't read it.

Leslie wrote: "I just downloaded a bunch for free or almost free on Kindle. Has anyone read Where Love is, There God is also by Tolstoy? That might be interesting for a group read, although he's..."

I think I have that somewhere. Is that a short story?

I think so. It's free on Kindle on Amazon.

There's another one called The Gospel in Brief by Tolstoy. Might be worth looking at.

Completed reading a wonderful short story/novella that is actually a spiritual discourse on the true meaning of Christian life. The book is: The Wife of Pilate. Do not miss it. Gave 4 stars. The review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Presently reading Letters from Paul Claudel, My Godfather. The letters of Paul Claudel are very sublime. Really loving it.

Just finished "Compassionate Fire: The Letters of Thomas Merton and Catherine de Hueck Doherty" edited by Robert Wild to go along with our reading of "The Seven Story Mountain".

Was it good Irene?

In the letters prior to Thomas entering the Trappist monastery, Thomas writes more than Catherine and I found his process of discernment interesting. After he enters the Trappists, his letters are very brief and are not very revealing. Catherine continues to write more and more and these later correspondences reveal much more about Catherine.

Thanks.

Manny wrote: "Doreen wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Can you believe I've never read anything by Dostoevsky or Tolstoy! They are both on my To Read List."

Oh Leslie you have to try at least Tolstoy. He's incredible."

I..."
Manny,

I just downloaded The Death Of Ivan Ilych. Looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the suggestion.

Just completed an excellent play by Paul Claudel titled The Tidings Brought to Mary (L'annonce faite à Marie). It is out and out Catholic in nature. Highly recommended. Here is a link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just read and completed a Christmas book - The Story of the Other Wiseman. I loved it. A great Christmas read for kids. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Presently reading another short book which is also very good for kids. Loving it. It is: Prayers from the Ark. Each animal in the ark prays to God and it is written in a poetic form. Short and simple poems. Very apt for kids.

Read and loved a short book of poems. The book is titled as Prayers from the Ark. The poetess imagines the prayers of Noah and some 26 animals in the ark and has produced them in short poems. They are just lovely. A great book for kids. Also for everyone.

Here is my review in which I have just given the example of the Prayer of Cat. If interested check it out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Presently reading an excellent play - The Mystery of the Finding of the Cross: A Play in Three Acts. Loving it so far. The last act is yet to be read.

I just purchased Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way. Really looking forward to reading it.

Pope Francis’ Revolution of Tenderness And Love by Cardinal Walter Kasper

For such a slim volume, these collections of essays situating the theological perspectives of Pope Francis in a larger context, particularly the ecclesiology and papacies of the past 50 years, was very interesting and enlightening.

I have been reading Crossing the Tiber by Stephen K. Ray. It is very good so far. I am really enjoying it.

Dhanaraj wrote: "Completed reading a wonderful short story/novella that is actually a spiritual discourse on the true meaning of Christian life. The book is: The Wife of Pilate. Do not miss it. Gave ..."
I just bought the book of three novellas by Gertrude von Le Font and it includes The Pilate's Wife. I will try to read it sometime this year. Great to hear you endorse it. I bought it on a whim.

By the way, sorry for being so delinquent on Goodreads. It's tough to fit into my schedule.

I just finished
The Gospel of John by Francis Martin & William Wright

This study of the Gospel of John combined solid textual commentary with side notes containing excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, writings from church luminaries and conciliar statements. I enjoyed the way this work brought together exegetical scholarship, doctrinal points and spiritual reflection.

Irene wrote: "I just finished
The Gospel of John by Francis Martin & William Wright

This study of the Gospel of John combined solid textual commentary with side notes containing excerpts from the Catechism of t..."

I had a peep at this on Amazon,Irene.It looks very thorough.Are you using it for a course?I ask this because I am studying myself-mostly Catechesis.