Summer is for slowing down. It is the perfect time to tackle that book you've been meaning to read. Here are our top picks for 2026.
1. Fiction: Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Epic Why: Nobel Prize winner. Set in medieval Norway. It follows the life of Kristin — her sins, her motherhood, her redemption. It is the most "Catholic" novel ever written. Warning: You will cry.
2. Spirituality: The Introduction to the Devout Life (St. Francis de Sales)
Genre: Classic Why: Written specifically for lay people living in the world (not monks). Short chapters. Perfect for reading 10 minutes a day by the pool.
3. Biography: With God in Russia (Fr. Walter Ciszek)
Genre: Thriller / Memoir Why: An American Jesuit spy captured by the Soviets and sent to the Siberian Gulag for 23 years. A gripping story of faith under pressure.
4. Modern: StrangeGods (Elizabeth Scalia)
Genre: Cultural Commentary Why: An analysis of the idols we worship today (politics, technology, coolness). Very relevant for 2026.
5. Classic: Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh)
Genre: Literary Fiction Why: A story of a broken, wealthy British family and the "twitch upon the thread" of God's grace that pulls them back before the end.
Reading good books is prayer. Find more recommendations and book clubs on the MyPrayerTower app.