Dr. Lisa Theus

Historical Fiction Editor

Lisa Theus thinks one of the best ways to get to know somebody is their favorite books, and she credits Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi with helping her fall in love with her now husband. Her favorite works include (listed chronologically!): The Epic of Gilgamesh, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Mary, the poetry of John Donne, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword, and Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth.

She has spent most of her life training herself how to think like an ancient Roman (she earned a PhD in Classics at Rutgers University and taught college courses for several years). Eventually, she left academia for something more stable–working first as a church secretary for her local Catholic parish and now as an assistant for a financial advisor. She can’t keep her head out of history or rich worlds, however, and she loves reading about noble heroes and the difficult pursuit of virtue–however that may manifest. Bonus points for an engaging cast of characters and strong worldbuilding.
When she isn’t working for her paycheck, she’s pursuing the life of a freelance writer and editor; building her own worlds; volunteering in her community; or playing video games with her husband.

Corinna Turner

Fantasy Editor

Carnegie Medal Award nominated author Corinna Turner has been writing since she was fourteen and likes strong protagonists with plenty of integrity. She has an MA in English from Oxford University, but has foolishly gone on to work with both children and animals! Juggling work with the disabled and being a midwife to sheep, she spends as much time as she can in a little hut at the bottom of the garden, writing.

She is a Catholic Christian with roots in the Methodist and Anglican churches. A keen cinema-goer, she lives in the UK. She used to have a Giant African Land Snail, Peter, with a six inch long shell and an even larger foot, but now makes do with a cactus and a campervan! 

How Can You Still Be Catholic? By Christopher Sparks

There are many good apologetics books out there but this book teaches you how to speak to the heart as much as the head.

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.

Mark’s Noble Quest by Katherine Campbell

Can a twenty-first century guy survive an Arthurian quest—and keep his true love?

Hologram by Walker Larson

Aaron is the only one who can see through the holograms.

Jonah’s Voyage to Atlantis by Voyage Comics

What if Jonah had traveled through the underworld while trapped inside the whale?

November Books To Pray With: For Anyone Who Has Lost a Child

A book list for those who are grieving, and those praying for them.

Infinite Regress by Joshua Hren

Poetic justice when the victim of a predator priest finds freedom from his seducer.

Secrets: In Plain Sight By Leslea Wahl

Can an old lodge in the dead of winter and a cute boy help Emerson find her faith?

In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz

Is a marriage without love the only way to save Molly Chase’s reputation?

Our Lady of the Roses by Janice Lane Palko

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

Why Reading Fiction Made Me a Better Catholic

How reading fiction became a crucial step in my conversion to the Catholic Church.

December Books to Pray With: Pilgrims of Hope

A Catholic book list focused on the theme of hope and sense of journey as we look toward the jubilee year of 2025. Use these entertaining fiction stories to deepen your prayer life and renew the virtue of hope.

All in Good Time by Carolyn Astfalk

A truly healthy romance that will STILL leave you up at night

The Exile by Allison Ramirez

Is there hope beyond the Island of Mirror?

An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth

Do not be afraid. The Vatican’s top exorcist shares stories of his day job that prove God’s power over evil.

The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther by Lin Wilder

Chosen by Xerxes to be queen, chosen by God to be savior of His people: the story of Esther.

The Divided Kingdom by Allison Ramirez

What sinister secrets hide behind the walls of the Island of Mirror?

Everything Old: Love in Anadauk Book 1 by Amanda Hamm

Two youth group leaders rekindle their friendship and find love with each other along the way.

Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim by Tim Bete

Poetry that will take you deeper into Scripture and help you see the extraordinary in the simple.

Shadow in the Dark by Antony Barone Kolenc

An immersive mystery and an amateur sleuth set in the walls of a 12th century English monastery