I read. A lot. Mostly about religion and kid stuff. Here is a list of some of the things I have read, in no particular order, other than the one that I thought of them in.
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth(currently re-reading. It's the book that started the kick you'll see below...)
Scott Hahn's Study Guide for The Lamb's Supper(currently reading)
Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God
Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith
A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture
Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession
Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments
First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity
Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots
Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy
Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God
Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church
(All of the above are by Dr. Scott Hahn. Gee, can you tell he's my favorite? Some people find him hard to understand, but he actually explains things in a way I find easy to understand. I feel like I get to be a biblical scholar, without having to go to school to be a biblical scholar...)
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Maria Faustina Kowalska
Stories of Padre Pio by Madame Katharina Tangari
Padre Pio and America by Frank M. Rega (I hope what we're seeing now isn't what he meant when he told someone Russia would convert before America. Gulp!)
Padre Pio: A Man of Hope by Renzo Allegri
Bringing Up Geeks: How to Protect Your Kid's Childhood in a Grow-Up-Too-Fast World by Marybeth Hicks
Catechism of the Catholic Church
by The Holy See, United States Catholic Conference (Translator), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Pope John Paul II (
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
by Pope Benedict XVI, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Gottman, Nan Silver
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last
by John Gottman, Nan Silver
Parenting With Love and Logic by Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
by Meg Meeker
Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker
23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese
90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs by Jeni Stepanek, Larry Lindner
Edith Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda
Kolbe: Saint of the Immaculata by Mary Francis
(These last two demonstrate my world war II obsession.)
Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime
Good Discipline, Great Teens (I'm so thinking ahead...)
Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It(I thought we might be done having biological kids.HA!)
(These three are by Dr. Ray Guarendi. Lots of good advice in hilarious question and answer format.)
Devotional Stories for Little Folks by Nancy Nicholson(The "Church Picnic" story is a favortie of ours right now. Ok, my kids pay no attention cause they are too young for this book, but I keep reading it hoping someday it will sink in.)
The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica by Raymond Arroyo (Goes wherever I go. It's where I get some of the quotes I have shared or plan to share.)
My Life With the Saints by James Martin (Plan to finish this someday, even though my book group is finishing it up tonight-2/8/11. I'm glad it's a no pressure book club and that this book is split up into the different saints so it's not like they are ruining the plot for me.)
The New Rosary in Scripture: Biblical Insights for Praying the 20 Mysteries
by Edward Sri
Our Lady of Kibeho: Messages from the Mother of God in the Heart of Africa
by Immaculee Ilibagiza
No Greater Love by Mother Teresa
Catholic Education: Homeward Bound : A Useful Guide to Catholic Home Schooling by Kimberly Hahn, Mary Hasson
Christ the King-Lord of History: A Catholic World History from Ancient to Modern Times and Christ and the Americas by Anne W. Carroll (Only attempt these two if you are a true history buff like me. If you could care less about history, don't attempt because you'd be bored to tears.)
The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition
by Susan Wise Bauer (Same advice as above, but for the younger set)
The Shack by William P. Young (apparently controversial, but I looked past it and saw the deeper message trying to be convyed.
The 5000 Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World by W. Cleon Skousen
The Real Thomas Jefferson (Vol. 1 of the American Classics Ser.)
by Andrew M. Allison, W. Cleon Skousen, M. Richard Maxfield
The Real Benjamin Franklin (Vol. 2 of the American Classic Series)
by Andrew M. Allison, W. Cleon Skousen, M. Richard Maxfield
The Real George Washington (Vol. 3 of the American Classic Series)
by Jay A. Parry, Andrew M. Allison, W. Cleon Skousen
(Yeah, did I mention I was a history buff yet?)
Life After Death: The Evidence by Dinesh D'Souza
(Or obsessed with near-death experiences?...)
Awareness by Anthony DeMello
(Ok, now I'll have to go to my stash, because I know theres more, I just can't think of them.)
The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 by Linda Dobson (Lots of good stuff in here, just need to start putting them into practice.)
Homeschooling: Take A Deep Breath - You Can Do This! by Terrie Lynn Bittner (Which will be much easier after reading this one...)
Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco by St. John Bosco (If you're prone to nighmares you might not want to read this one on my mom's advice. Didn't bother me, but she was weirded out by some of them.)
Heaven Is Real by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey
In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers by Mother Teresa
Pope John Paul II: His Essential Wisdom by Carol Kelly-Gangi
The Gospel According to Luke by Michael F Patella
Psalms for All Seasons by John F. Craghan
Women in the Old Testament by Irene Nowell
(These three are from when I actually got to participate in the Little Rock Scripture study program at church, pre-children. Imagine that, a bible study for Catholics...)
That's all I can think of...for now. Check back some other time to see if I've added to the list.
Updated 2/26/2011 (I've been on a reading binge since I made the above list.)
10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage: Case Studies and Advice from the Nation's Premier Relationship Experts by John Gottman, John M. Gottman, Joan de Claire
My Time in Heaven: A True Story of Dying... and Coming Back by Richard Sigmund
Heaven is for Real :A Little Boys Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
unPlanned by Abby Johnson with Cindy Lambert
Into the Light: Real Life Stories about Angelic Visits, Visons of the Afterlife, and other Pre-Death Experiences by John Lerma, M.D,
Update 2/28/2011 (Raided the church library today-specifically the parenting section since I donated a large portion of it, did I mention I was an early childhood ed major?- to remember what else I've read. Didn't write them down though, so I may be back later with more...)
Logged On and Tuned Out: A Non-Techie's Guide to Parenting a Tech-Savvy Generation by Vicki Courtney
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish
Guiding Your Catholic Preschooler by Kathy Pierce
How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! by Sal Severe
What Kindergarten Teachers Know by Lisa Holewa, Joan Rice
1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 (123 Magic)by Thomas W. Phelan
Endangered : Your Child in a Hostile World by Johann Christoph Arnold
G. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense by Dale Ahlquist (This one I just forgot to mention before, my signed copy of it is floating around someone elses house right now. I met Dale last year at the Catholic Homeschoolers of PA conference. His show on Chesterton is on EWTN every Sunday night at 9. I find listening to him talk about Chesterton much easier than trying to read Chesterton myself. Apparently people used to use a lot more big words that I don't know in his day... Anyway, if you don't know Chesterton this book is a good intro.)
Update: 8/18/2011
The boy who came back from heaven by Kevin and Alex Malarkey
Flight to Heaven: A Plane Crash...A Lone Survivor...A Journey to Heaven--and Back by Dale Black (Yes, the near death experience trend continued)
A Biblical Walk through the Mass by Edward Sri
Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The attack on "Romansism" by "Bible Christians" by Karl Keating
The Fluent Reader:Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension by Timithy V. Rasinski I think the four year old will be an early reader so I am getting ready...)
Currently working on Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystrey of the Family of God by Scott Hahn and contributors
