As an author and influencer (a publicist’s term, not mine), books come across my desk regularly. That’s one of the perks of being who I am, and I’m grateful to be introduced to so many great works. Below is my list of 2023 notables. Not all of them were published in 2023, but they are notable just the same. I urge you to check them out and support the fine authors who wrote them.
The Chaste Heart of St. Joseph
Donald H. Calloway MIC (Author( Sam Estrada (Illustrator)
Marian Press, 2023
$20.49
The dynamic and inspiring story of St. Joseph, our spiritual father, and the “Terror of Demons.” It is a unique graphic novel for all ages.
Go and Fear Nothing: The Story of Our Lady of Champion
Patrick O’Hearn (Author)
Our Sunday Visitor, 2023
$17.74
Go and Fear Nothing brings to life the incredible real-life story of Our Lady’s message of praying for the conversion of sinner, learning our catechism, receiving the sacraments with devotion, and relying on her unfailing help.
A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them
Margaret Rose Realy Obl Osb (Author) Mary Sprague (Illustrator)
Our Sunday Visitor, 2022
$20.99
Master Gardener and certified greenhouse grower Margaret Realy helps you create a garden that is more than just a landscape.
Way of Beauty: Rekindling Eucharistic Amazement Through VISIO Divina (English and Latin Edition)
Jem Sullivan (Author)
Our Sunday Visitor, 2023
$14.19
Introduces visio divina, focusing on the Eucharist through twelve masterpieces of sacred art. Includes prayers of the Mass, passages from Sacred Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Code Name Edelweiss: A Gripping Historical Spy Novel Set in 1930s Hollywood
Tyndale House Publishers, 2023
$15.99
Based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.
Rediscover the Saints: Twenty-Five Questions That Will Change Your Life
Matthew Kelly (Author)
Blue Sparrow, 2019
$12.40
Answers the two questions that confront people of every place and time: Are you satisfied with the direction the world is moving in? Are you satisfied with your life?
Love Basics for Catholics: Illustrating God’s Love for Us Throughout the Bible
John Bergsma (Author)
Ave Maria Press, 2023
$15.75
Helps you to understand scripture and salvation history in a unique, memorable way with insight into Church teachings on marriage and relationships.
From the White House to the White Cross: Confessions of a TV News Correspondent
Peggy Stanton (Author)
Marian Press, 2022
$11.80
An entertaining and revealing glimpse into a storied world of glitz and glamor, featuring A-listers from July Andrews and Charlton Heston to Lyndon Johnson, Fidel Castro, and Salvador Dali.
Allison Gingras (Author)
Ave Maria Press, 2022
$15.80
Gingras will guide you and your family to experience these sacred signs in a new way and to connect you more meaningfully to Jesus, Mary, and the saints.
Stephanie Engelman (Author)
Pauline Books and Media, 2016
On the anniversary of the plane crash that took the life of her beloved grandmother and threw her own mother into a deep depression, 16-year-old Katelyn Marie Roberts discovers a single bead from her grandmother’s rosary–a rosary lost in the crash. A chance encounter with a stranger, who tells Katelyn that a similar bead saved her friend’s life, launches Katelyn and her family on a mysterious journey filled with glimmers of hope, mystical events and unexplained graces.
Ellen Gable (Author)
Full Quiver Publishing, 2021
Based on true events. Teenager Evie Gallagher is stunned when her 45-year-old father dies tragically and suddenly. Too many unanswered questions accompany Evie’s challenging journey to adulthood. When she finally discovers the reason her father led such a troubled life, shock turns to anger. She is determined to find justice for her father.
Joyful Encounters with Mary: A Woman’s Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary
Maria V. Gallagher (Author)
Marian Press, 2022
oyful Encounters with Mary speaks of the power that can be unleashed when one surrenders to God’s sometimes mystifying plan. While facing various challenges — from birthing a baby to birthing a project — we can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding and leads to incomparable joy.
Caring for a Loved One with Mary: A Seven Sorrows Prayer Companion
Theresa Kiser (Author)
Our Sunday Visitor, 2023
In Caring for a Loved One with Mary, you’ll walk step-by-step through the Seven Sorrows of Mary, an ancient yet lesser-known Marian devotion. Theresa’s story and the experiences of other Catholic caregivers demonstrate that times of suffering and limitation do not indicate a departure from God’s plan. Rather, they are how he brings us to his joy, as he did for Our Lady.
Eucharistic Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Blessed Sacrament
Donald H. Calloway MIC (Author)
Marian Press, 2023
What better way, then, to make sure there always remains an on-going fruit of the Eucharistic Revival than to have a book that offers timeless quotes on the Eucharist – 366 quotes, in fact – from popes, saints, blessed, venerables, and servants of God?
Order of Malta Minutes with the Catechism: A Pocket Guide to the Catechism
Peggy Stanton (Author)
Marian Press, 2023
The Minutes offer text-size teachings distilling the essentials of doctrine in the Catechism and offering a handy guide when readers are questioned WHY they believe WHAT they believe.
Mercy’s Power: Inspiration to Serve the Gospel of Life
Maria V. Gallagher (Author)
Marian Press, 2023
$14.67
A handbook for how best to renew the culture of life in an environment that can be quite hostile to our message. While Roe v. Wade is now history, a range of threats to innocent human life — from the moment of conception to the twilight of life — persist. Mercy’s Power: Inspiration to Serve the Gospel of Life is the trusty companion for our journey.
Diary of a Future Saint: Faustina’s Incredible Journey
Marian Press, 2023
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle (Author)
$15.95
Befriend this lovable, down-to-earth saint through the work of celebrated author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, an expert on St. Faustina and a master storyteller, who presents St. Faustina’s life in this page-turning novel for all ages.
St. Clare Jacqueline (Author)
Marian Press, 2023
The classic novel The Red Tent meets the acclaimed film The Passion of the Christ in this sweeping saga of first-century Palestine and the life of Jesus of Nazareth, as seen through the bright green eyes of His fictional cousin, Esther.
Shining in Spotless Splendor: Consecration to the Immaculate Conception
Thaddaeus Lancton (Author)
Marian Press, 2024
$15.95
When we allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to touch our hearts, as He filled the Immaculate Heart, then everything in us is transformed into divine life and love. With filial trust, let us ask the Father for this grace to be immaculate like the Blessed Virgin and consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Conception.
Among these nineteen books, one (or a few) is sure to strike your fancy. I know most of these authors personally and can attest to the fact that they are faithful and hard-working people. I’ve SO enjoyed perusing these volumes, and I know you will, too.
Happy New Year!
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