Summer Reading: Catholic Fiction

This is not a reading list for our students, but rather for their parents.

There has been a revival of sorts in Catholic fiction over the past few years. Yet, it's a genre we don't hear about too often. I can't tell you how many times I've had friends and family ask me to recommend a good contemporary novel that has a Catholic flavor. I love the delight in their eyes when I'm able to list nine or ten titles off the top of my head.

If you're looking for some good, fun reads for the summer I hope the following list will help get you started. All are contemporary fiction titles written by Catholic authors. While I've read a good deal of these myself, others were recommended by trusted sources (such as Joseph Pearce) and therefore are in my own to-read-this-summer pile.
          ~ Maureen

Click on the book title for ordering information and/or reviews. (Some are affiliate links.) They are in no particular order.

Adult Novels

Note: While written from a Catholic worldview, these are still adult in nature.  

A Postcard from the Volcano by Lucy Beckett (Ignatius Press)

The Leaves are Falling by Lucy Beckett (Ignatius Press)

Death Panels by Michelle Buckman (Saint Benedict Press)

Rachel's Contrition by Michelle Buckman (Sophia Institute Press)

Bleeder by John J. Desjarlais (Chesterton Press)

Viper by John J. Desjarlais (Sophia Institute Press)

My Visit to Hell by Paul Thigpen (Realms)

The Book of Jotham by Arthur Powers (Tuscany Press)

Fatherless by Brian Gail (Gailforce Publishing)

Two Statues by Brian Kennelly (Saint Benedict Press)

Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England by Dena Hunt (Sophia Institute Press)

Rapunzel Let Down by Regina Doman (Chesterton Press)

The Letters of Magdalen Montague by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson (Kaufmann Publishing)

Death of a Liturgist by Lorraine V. Murray (Saint Benedict Press)

Young Adult Novels
Though written with teens in mind, these are enjoyable reads for parents as well.

Belisarius by Paolo Belzoni (Arx Publishing)

Tale of Manaeth by Phillip Campbell (Cruachan Hill Press)

Toward the Gleam by T. M. Doran (Ignatius Press)

Adult Novels from Previous Centuries
Just a few in case you get through all the suggested books above.

Kirsten Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (Penguin Classics)

The Spear by Louis deWohl (Ignatius Press)

Dracula by Bram Stoker: Ignatius Critical Edition (Ignatius Press)

Conclusion
There are a lot of great novels out there and these are just the tip of the iceberg. I hope you'll share your favorites (and why!) in the comments.