There is something powerful about beginning a new year with a stack of good books.
The right book can sharpen your mind, uplift your soul, deepen your prayer, and even change the direction of your spiritual life. In a noisy world full of quick opinions and distractions, a good Catholic book asks more and invites us to go deeper.
If you are looking to grow in 2026, here are some great Catholic books to read this year. Some will challenge you. Some will comfort you. Some will even feed you. But ALL of them will nurture your soul.
For Growth in Holiness
Humility of Heart
If you read only one spiritual classic this year, make it this one.
By Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo, Humility of Heart is direct, convicting, and transformative. Fr. Cajetan exposes our hidden pride and teaches us how to root it out with honesty and courage. Like other Catholic spiritual classics, such as the Imitation of Christ, it is not necessarily a comfortable book, but it is an important one. True growth in holiness always begins with humility.
Pair this with daily examination of conscience, and you will not remain the same.
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Christian Self Mastery
Holiness requires discipline. This book by Fr. Basil Maturin offers practical guidance for the Christian who is truly seeking spiritual strength in everyday living.
In a culture that celebrates impulse and indulgence, Christian Self Mastery reminds us that freedom is found in self-control. It provides a guide for anyone serious about virtue in 2026.
To learn more about the author of this profound book, find his fascinating story on our sister site, Good Catholic: Fr. Basil Maturin: The Heroic Priest who died Aboard the Luisitania.
The Practice of the Presence of God
Do not let the size of this simple, little book fool you. It is profound in its impact.
In it, Brother Lawrence teaches us how to remain with God in the ordinary duties of life. Washing dishes, working at a desk, caring for children, driving to appointments. Every moment can become prayer.
If you know that your year will be a busy one, and you are looking for spiritual help and an authentic path to peace of soul, this is the book to keep close.
Confession: A Little Book for the Reluctant
Short, practical, and approachable, this book removes fear and hesitation around the sacrament of Confession.
If regular confession is not yet part of your spiritual rhythm, let 2026 be the year you change that and let this little book help you back to the Sacrament of Penance. Even if confession is a regular part of your life, this book will help to bring the truth of what it means to be forgiven to light.
For a Deeper Interior Life
I Believe in Love
The subtitle of this book is: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and it truly reads like a retreat in your hands. Based on the spirituality of St. Thérèse, it gently leads the reader into confidence in God’s mercy. It is especially powerful for those who struggle with scrupulosity, discouragement, or a constant sense of not doing enough. Yet, it is for everyone and anyone since it is Catholic wisdom from a great saint!
Many of the staff at The Catholic Company mark this treasured book as their favorite.
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A Year With Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God
This beautiful devotional offers daily reflections on Our Lady drawn from Scripture, the saints, and Church teaching.
As you meditate on these words throughout the year, you can also pray for the repose of the soul of author Paul Thigpen, who died recently. His prolific writings have helped many Catholics grow closer to Our Lady and to Christ.
Let 2026 be a year lived under Mary’s mantle.
A Catholic Woman’s Book of Days
For women seeking daily encouragement rooted in the rhythm of the Church year, this wonderful book by Amy Welborn offers short reflections that nourish prayer and liturgical perspective.
It is ideal for morning reading with coffee or quiet evening reflection before bed.
For Clarity in Confusing Times
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Flee from Heresy: A Catholic Guide to Ancient and Modern Errors
Error is not new. It simply reappears in new forms. This book by Bishop Athanasius Schneider walks through major heresies, both ancient and modern, and equips readers to recognize false teaching with confidence and clarity. It is especially helpful for parents, catechists, and anyone navigating cultural confusion. It reveals some of the heresies that are still alive and yet remain somewhat hidden in our world today.
Something Wicked: Why Feminism Can't Be Fused with Christianity
This book by Carrie Gress (Theology of Home) tackles a difficult and often misunderstood topic with careful reasoning and conviction.
In a world where many Catholics struggle to reconcile cultural ideologies with Church teaching, Something Wicked offers thoughtful analysis rooted in Catholic anthropology and tradition.
It is a challenging read, but an important one for serious Catholics in 2026.
For History and Big Picture Perspective
Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: A 2,000-Year History.
(Currently out of stock, but more copies should be on our shelves any day!)
If you want to understand the sweeping story of the Church across two millennia, Triumph is a compelling and accessible read. In this great book of history, author H.W. Crocker III reminds us that the Church has faced persecution, scandal, heresy, and cultural upheaval before and has endured through them all. Reading this excellent work on Church history will not only bring you knowledge of the past, it will strengthen your hope in the future.
Let this presentation of the history of the Catholic Church reinvigorate your faith and understanding in the Church that has withstood the test of time.
The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams
(Also, currently out of stock but returning to our shelves very soon.)This fascinating work explores the friendships and literary brilliance of the Inklings, an informal group of writers at Oxford that included J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and others. Meeting regularly in Lewis’s rooms at Magdalen College and at a local pub called The Eagle and Child, they read their works aloud to one another, challenged each other’s ideas, and sharpened one another’s imaginations.
The book by Phillip and Carol Zaleski offers insight into how faith shaped their storytelling and how their friendship became fertile ground for some of the twentieth century’s most influential Christian literature. For lovers of literature, this is a rewarding read.
For Inspiration from the Saints
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The Life of St. Francis of Assisi
Did you know we are celebrating 800 years since St. Francis lived? He continues to captivate hearts centuries later. His radical poverty, joy, and love for Christ continue to challenge our comfort-driven habits and offer us courage to love as he did.
If you want to begin 2026 with simplicity and renewed zeal, spend time with this TAN Classic on St. Francis.
Let There Be Light: 30 Days of St. Hildegard of Bingen
If there were a "trending' saint, it would be St. Hildegard! The wisdom of Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church, musician, scientist, and herbalist, comes across beautifully in this devotional guide offering a personal, 30-day spiritual retreat.
For Families and Young Readers
Brilliant: 28 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People
Written by David Michael Warren for ages 7- to 11 (but fascinating for adults as well), this book highlights Catholic men and women whose faith and intellect shaped science and culture.
It is a wonderful reminder that faith and reason are not opposed. They belong together.
Read it with your children and let it spark conversations about vocation, curiosity, and courage.
The Catholic Kids Cookbook: Holy Days and Heavenly Food
Invite your family to celebrate the liturgical year with 33 delicious recipes and stories of saints by Haley Stewart and Clare Sheaf. Designed for children ages 6-14, this beautifully illustrated cookbook includes sacred art, scripture, and prayers. Cooking and celebrating with food bring to life the liturgical year in ways that are memorable, interesting, and yummy. Make 2026 that kind of year.
Around the Catholic Table: 100+ Recipes for Family and Friends
Since we are on the topic of food and cookbooks, this book by Emily Stimpson Chapman is full of simple recipes with reflections on hospitality, and is a perfect way to incorporate faith into your family conversations. From quick weeknight meals to festive gatherings, this book inspires Catholics to welcome others with joy and create communion around the table in both practical and spiritual ways.
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Looking at a Masterpiece
One book on this list is a little different from the rest. Looking at a Masterpiece, by Madeleine Stebbins, is a coffee table book...and a beautiful one. It brings together more than forty works of great art alongside commentary drawn from saints, theologians, and historians, inviting the reader not just to look, but to see. In a year when so much of what we consume is digital, disposable, and quickly forgotten, there is something worth reclaiming in sitting with a physical book that asks you to slow down and encounter truth and beauty on the page.
This is the kind of book that earns a permanent place in your home.
Make 2026 a Year of Formation
We set goals for our health, our finances, and our productivity. It is worth asking whether we give the same intentionality to our interior life. A good Catholic book is not simply information; it is formation. It can shape the way we think, the way we pray, and the way we see the world. Discover these wonderful books as opportunities to grow in faith in 2026.
At the end of the day, a bookshelf is a small portrait of what we think matters.
So, what's on your shelf?
