Shadow in the Dark & Sequel, The Haunted Cathedral

Historical Fiction / Mystery / Suspense

“Catholicism’s Nancy Drew for boys AND girls”

An attack by bandits in the middle of the night leaves a young boy with no memory of who he is or where he is from. Nursed back to health by the devoted monks in a Benedictine abbey, he takes the name Alexander, or Xan for short. Aided by the kindly Brother Andrew, Xan commits himself to finding out who he really is.

Does he have a family? Are they still alive? And who—or what—is the shadowy figure creeping around the abbey in the dead of night?

Embark on an adventure while reading Shadow in the Dark as young Alexander tries to recover his memory and, with his new friends, uncover the mystery of the shadowy figure in the dark.

Murder Most Picanté & If Wishes Were Dragons

Fantasy / Comedy / Mystery / Action Adventure

“Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride”

It ain’t easy being a Magical creature in the Mundane world.Vern, a Faerie dragon whose size, power and knowledge were diminished after battling St. George, has been called to emigrate to the Mundane. Living in the garage of Little Flower Parish and dealing with neighbors who accuse him of eating cats and ruining their gardens, he’s hard pressed to find a reason to be in our world. Then a field comes to life and starts killing farmhands. While Vern can sympathize with vengeful jalapenos, murderous magic must be managed. He and Father Rich team up solve the mystery. It’s a whole new world with geeky fans, paranoid parishioners, bumptious authorities, zoo incarcerations, and a snickering saint who just wants Vern to do the right thing.

McCracken & the Lost Oasis

Historical Fiction / Pulp Adventure

“McCracken is Catholicism’s Indiana Jones”

Autumn, 1919. At last, the Great War is over. McCracken and his family are safe to take a vacation on the Nile, hoping to see their friend Cristofero Campo di Serpenti the archaeologist. But the calm waters of the Nile seem more and more deceptive, as the McCrackens encounter Egyptian revolutionaries, find themselves trapped in an underwater tomb, captured by Bedouin tribesmen, chasing international jewel thieves, and facing the dangers of the Sahara Desert. In this latest McCracken adventure, you will find yourself catapulted into a world of ancient and mysterious ruins, singing sand dunes, mythological creatures and, above all, the elusive lost oasis, land of wonder and riches beyond imagining . . .

Above the 38th Parallel

Action / Nonfiction / History / Graphic Novel

“If your kid loves Superheroes this an absolute Must-Have”
Saint Michael: Above the 38th Parallel, By Shanti Guy is a full color 32 page Comic Book that tells the story of a Marine in the Korean War who finds himself behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, his only hope is a miraculous apparition of Saint Michael the Archangel.This comic is based on a letter written in 1950 by a young Marine to his mother while he was in a hospital recovering from the injuries he recently suffered. In it, he describes the fantastic events that befell him while on patrol. Navy chaplain Father Walter Muldy personally knew the Marine, the Marine’s mother and the sergeant in charge of the patrol at the time of the apparition. One year later, Father Muldy read the same letter to 5,000 Marines at the Naval Base in San Diego and assured anyone who asked that it all really happened.
 

Saving Mount Rushmore & Saving the Statue of Liberty

Action Adventure

“Heists & Espionage & Fun. Perfect for Artemis Fowl fans”

When John Jenkins’ parents ship him off to stay with his aunt, he’s certain it will be the worst summer ever—until he learns he’s been accepted into a top-secret school. St. Michael’s Academy is home to gifted students with extraordinary talents. Although John has no idea why he’s there, he’s assigned to Team Liberty, who assist authorities with solving low-level crimes. Their first mission: stop a trio of mischief-making teens from vandalizing Mount Rushmore.

John battles feelings of inferiority as he and Team Liberty compete against Devlin Black and his cronies to track down clues and solve puzzles at Mount Rushmore. Along the way, John makes several key contributions, and his self-confidence grows. When he discovers he was admitted to the school due to a clerical error, he’s mortified. Now, he’s strictly an “observer” until the mission’s end. But when his teammates run into trouble, John must summon up the courage to save Mount Rushmore, and he learns an invaluable lesson: every person has special God-given gifts—including him.

Will Wilder & the Relic of Perilous Falls

Action Adventure / Fantasy

Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Peter Lerangis’s Seven Wonders series will embrace this epic adventure in a rollicking new series by a New York Times bestselling author.

 Will Wilder didn’t mean to unlock his otherworldly gift. But that is exactly what happens when Will “borrows” a sacred relic believed to protect the town of Perilous Falls for nearly a century. Even though his intentions are good, the impulsive twelve-year-old unwittingly awakens an ancient evil endangering all of Perilous Falls.

As boats sink and hideous creatures crawl from the rising waters, it is up to Will to confront a nightmarish enemy and set things right before it is too late. Along with his sweet—if lethal—great-aunt Lucille, the curator of a museum of supernatural artifacts, Will proves that the actions of one twelve-year-old boy can change the world.

2025 Reader’s Choice Awards

This year’s favorite books as chosen by CatholicReads subscribers

Making a Better World By Michael Lacoy

Can Oscar be the man he wants to be to his family and friends?

Celtic Crossing by Len Mattano

Relic lost, and faith found.

Battle for his Soul by Theresa Linden

Bereft of a mother & betrayed by his twin, Jarret fights for a place to call home, unaware a supernatural war threatening to damn him to hell itself.

A Truly Clawful Christmas By Corinna Turner

Father Benedict must learn to embrace the adrenaline rush if he’s going to survive being a rural priest living alongside dinosaurs.

A Printer’s Choice by W.L. Patenaude

The first nation in space has sworn off religion, but now they need the help of Fr. McCellan to solve a murder and save them from religious terrorists.

Nightside The Long Sun by Gene Wolfe

A groundbreaking classic that conveys the practical need for ritual and a Priesthood to a secular world.

All Things New by Erin McCole Cupp Breaking the Cycle and Raising a Joyful Family

A guide to self-aware parenting for those poorly parented

Stay with Me by Carolyn Astfalk

Can Rebecca get out from under her domineering father and find love with the forbidden Catholic boy determined to win her heart?

Die This Hour (Inspector Sheehan Mystery Bk 2) by Brian O’Hare

Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart joins Inspector Sheehan’s Serious Crimes unit in Belfast and helps chase down a killer.

The Grace Crasher by Mara Faro

The Grace Crasher is the ecumenical romantic dramedy that everyone who has ever had family members in split churches needs to read.

Editor’s Choice Awards 2025

2025 Our Favorite Books we Read this Year

By Violence Unavenged by Annette Young

A Catholic Historical Epic to Rival The Sound of Music.

Treelight by Colleen Drippe

When the planet of Treelight’s contract changes hands the Star Brothers send an agent to discover the corporation’s plans for the sleepy little space colony.

My Life’s Journey by Dr. Margaret P. Price

One Caribbean woman’s faith-filled rise from village to global health leadership in an age of segregation & prejudice

God’s Wonderful Woodland Babies by Linda Etchison, Illustrated by Denise Plumlee Tadlock

Lead your child to prayer through their love of fluffy animals.

Where to Begin with G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton will swoop down, carry you away, pour tonic down your throat and tickle you until you start to laugh

Me, Ruby & God; A Journal of Spiritual Growth by Linda Crowley

A beautiful memoir about the love of God and the love of a good dog.

The Rose and the Snake by Mark Restaino, Illustrated by J.P. Alcemendas

This thought-provoking children’s tale is tailor made to improve reading comprehension and teach a child where real self-worth comes from.

Our Lady of the Roses by Janice Lane Palko

Could Rome spark romance between a fashionista and an inventor-engineer?