Reading is indispensable for cultivating one's mind and becoming a cultured person. For some, it may even be relaxing. Be that as it may, we need to make time for it. St. Augustine presses this home.
“There is no time for reading. Where do we ask for the books themselves? Where and when do we procure them? From whom do we buy them? For the well-being of our soul, times need to be allotted, hours assigned.”
Augustine, Confessions 6, 11, 18.
Moreover, we need to be selective and read those books that will truly help us to develop not only our mind and culture, but, above all, our faith and life as Christians.
Five Books for Catholics aims to help you select books of this kind. To this end, it interviews experts who select and explain five outstanding books on some aspect of Catholic life, doctrine, or culture. Each interview will give you a primer on the topic. It may pique your interest in the subject and the recommended books. Hopefully, it will also motivate you to spend less time on streaming services and social media and more time reading the books recommended by our contributors.
The Christian faith should inform and transform all aspects of life. For this reason, we shall cover a broad range of subjects and publish interviews that take you through the five best books on some specific theme within one of the following topics.
- Apostolate and Ministry
- Art
- The Bible
- Canon Law
- Church History
- Catholic Doctrine
- Faith and Science
- Fathers and Doctors of the Church
- Lifestyle (e.g. food, travel)
- Literature
- Liturgy and Sacraments
- Music
- Philosophy
- Saints
- Spirituality
Five Books for Catholics publishes an interview or review every Monday.
For free, you can read on the website or, by subscribing, receive by email:
- the shortlist of recommended books;
- the opening excerpt of each interview.
Paying subscribers receive the full text of each interview and article by email and can:
- access all content published on the website;
- listen to podcast episodes of the interviews;
- post comments.
Five Books for Catholics is committed to upholding the Gospel under the guidance of the Magisterium, and in faithful and respectful obedience to it. We make a sincere effort to publish interviews that are in accord with Catholic doctrine.
Who are we?
Five Books for Catholics is a project of Relectio, a small Catholic publishing and media-content company.
Affiliate Disclaimer
The Website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Relectio Limited earns a commission when users make a qualifying purchase, of the books recommended, through the links provided on this site.