Amazing Catechists

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16 Awesome Christian Books to Read this Summer

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Summer is the perfect time to dive into a good book! When catechism classes go on break for the summer, why not do a little spiritual reading while lounging on the beach or traveling? Maybe you could get a few friends together, and choose a book to read for a summer Catholic book club! It’s a great way to unwind and share your Catholic faith with each other.

We asked our Amazing Catechist writers for their summer reading suggestions, and here are their picks!

From Alex Resch:

I Killed Maria Goretti by Pietro Di Donato

St. Maria Goretti’s death is extremely tragic and shocking. At 11 years old, she was brutally murdered by Alessandro Serenelli, a young man who worked alongside the Goretti family in their sharecropping agreement. This novel by Pietro Di Donato tells the story of Alessandro’s rise from being known as an anti-social murderer to a truly redeemed and repented Christian. The story is told from Alessandro’s point of view and is divided into two parts: The Crime and The Repentance.

This book would be great to read for St. Maria Goretti’s feast day on July 7th.

Donato also includes discussion questions at the end of the book which would make this book perfect for a Catholic summer book club. You will definitely want to discuss this one with friends!

Portrait of the First American Pope: Leo XIV by Matthew Bunson

This book takes us from Pope Leo’s birth, childhood, role as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, to his current role as pope. I thought I had read and watched everything there is to know about Pope Leo online, but this book proved me wrong! Matthew Bunson clearly and masterfully lays out the significance of Pope Leo’s papacy in this place and time in history. The miraculous coincidences that the author reveals make me all the more excited to watch the journey of our current pope. I think that this book will be an important historical account of the church and Pope Leo’s life, and I will definitely be keeping on my shelf to return to in the future.

From Mary Linge:

I am currently re-reading “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis – a classic.

More currently is Peter Kreeft’s “The Snakebite Letters”. Both books speak about how Satan uses our own weaknesses and humanity with original sin to try to destroy faith and lead people to Hell.
Both are books that make you think, books that you can read a bit, put it down and really think a while about what you read. It led to many interesting discussions.

From Mike Schramm:

Unexpectedly Catholic: Seeds of the Gospel Found in 20 Popular Stories (edited by Mike Schramm, Voyage Comics and Publishing, 2025)

Every literature class is about finding deeper themes and better appreciating the richness of stories. Here, this collection of contributors seeks to use those same principles to help you see more clearly the beauty and richness of the Catholic faith in even some unexpected places. This book includes analyses of as many non-Catholic authors as Catholic ones but they all recognize elements of Catholicism— seeds of the Word— in their works. It is a good companion for reading alongside some of your favorite authors, or at least many of the ones your teacher tried to get you to read.

Spider-Man and Faith: Essays on Christian Truth in the Spider-Verse (edited by Mike Schramm, Voyage Comics and Publishing, 2024)

This collection of essays from fans of the web-slinger from various backgrounds— writers, teachers, artists, highlight the many questions and themes related to the Christian faith that these popular comics evoke. There are special chapters dedicated to the sense of vocation Peter Parker feels because of his gifts, the loneliness and community that is found throughout the series, and a special section devoted to the many interesting villains Spider-man faces. This book is a fun pop-culture connection to Faith to enjoy over the summer.

Riddle of the Tongue Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth (Thomas Salerno, Word on Fire, 2025)

This is a story about the father of modern geology and a beatified Catholic convert and bishop. This clever introduction to the life of an amazing model for faith and science is written in the style of a scientist’s notebook, complete with jots and sketches in the margins. This can be appreciated by children and adults with its storytelling style, scientific vocabulary and inviting nature.

My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars (Eric Clayton, Loyola Press, 2024)

There have been many other works connecting Christianity and Star Wars. Clayton sets his apart through the sharing of personal experiences and the level of depth in his connections. Clayton goes deep into the wells of Star Wars IP and Jesuit spirituality to provide extensive reflection in this readable book. While it is going to be appreciated primarily by the Star Wars fan, it will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of all kinds. A fun and insightful summer read.

Six Great Ideas (Mortimer Adler, Touchstone, 1997)

Mortimer Adler truly was a philosopher of the people. Though he made some of the biggest contributions in the academic sphere, he also wrote prolifically on the popular level. These six great ideas, which are truth, goodness, beauty, liberty, equality and justice, are both transcendent and immanent to human experience. Readers can explore and understand better the ideas that shape us as humans and the ones we use to shape our world around us. Adler is able to compress very big ideas into manageable treatments that do not sacrifice depth or clarity. This book will not only be enjoyable to read, but will help you have much more enjoyable conversations (Adler writes specifically about that too, but that’s a different book).

From Peggy Clores:

The Advocate: The Spirit of Truth in the Life of the Individual Christian by  Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR

In an Age where image is everything and the very idea of truth is often relegated to the irrelevant, it is refreshing to find a book that restores this stable and necessary value to the place of prominence it once held in society when people accepted the truth and based their lives upon it.

Paraclete: The Spirit of Truth in the Church  by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR

Nothing but the Truth. That’s what Jesus promised when He told His first Apostles that after His death the Spirit of Truth would come upon them.  Fr. Apostoli, with pastoral sensitivity, helps the reader grasp the truth about the Spirit of Truth who leads the Church, and each of us, into the freedom won for us by Christ.

From Atheism to Catholicism: Nine Converts Explain Their Journey Home [EWTN Publishing]

Dramatic and thought-provoking, these intensely personal stories explain virtually every objection to God that atheists have-as well as the arguments that eventually led them into the Catholic Church.

 

 

 

 

Making Sense Out  of Suffering by Dr. Peter Kreeft

This book is for anyone who has every wept and wondered “Why?”. This account of a real and honest personal quest is both engaging and convincing. Written from a deep well of wisdom derived from experience and careful observation. It is a book for empty hearts, not full ones. One of the critical factors that led the author away from atheism was the Catholic Church’s compelling answers to the question of suffering. Read it if you are hungry for insight into the mystery of suffering.

From Helen Secreti:

Carmelite Spirituality by Cardinal Anders Arborelius

Publisher: EWTN, 2020       119 pgs.
 
This book was good food for the soul. It is a deep and delightful read. It helped me to refocus my desires, attentions, and emotions on Jesus’s love for me! The author reminds us that our first calling is to honor and glorify God and this is good news. A powerful insight Cardinal Anders shares is that the Spirit always keeps up the conversation between the Son and the Father and when we pray we simply join this dialogue. If we love everything, we will perceive the divine mystery in all things. This book offers a lot to ponder during our gentler summer days and every day Christ makes Creation new.

Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers by Courtney Mares

Publisher: Ignatius Press, 2023       143 pgs.
 
This book was well written and even though it is packed with insight into the life of Carlo Acutis, it is an easy read. The love Carlo had for God and the Eucharist gives us hope, especially for the youth. It warms the heart to read about how much Carlo loved his friends and peers in school and always had their best interest in his heart. He came from a wealthy background but he recognized his wealth came from loving God and others. Carlo was a generous soul and wanted to pass his Catholic faith on to others. This book is very uplifting.

The Saint Monica Club  by Maggie Green

Publisher: Sophia Institute Press, 2019   121 pgs.
 
If anyone is worried about a family member who has fallen away from the faith (especially children) then this book is for you (it is the best one I have read on this topic). This book is written with many short chapters of two or three pages. Different scenarios are addressed in each one. The author stresses nonconfrontational ways to communicate with your loved ones. It is hard but the only way. She encourages us to handle them as newborns and to listen with a tender heart. We need to bring our loved ones back to God at every Mass, rosary, and ask the saints for prayers and guidance. The author gives great advice as she suffered a long time with a loved one. We must persevere like Monica and love them as God does. Summer is a great time to refuel and take in some encouragement and gain some confidence in loving our loved ones away from the Church.

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About Alex Resch

Alex Resch grew up in Tampa, FL. She attended college and grad school in New York and has a PhD in Chemistry. She is a former middle and high school science teacher. She is a wife and homeschooling mother to her children. Alex recently helped to develop an original curriculum for her parish’s religious education program, and she now teaches the program as a Master Catechist at her parish. She writes at CatholicMom.com, and she is the managing editor of Amazing Catechists (www.amazingcatechists.com).

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