10 Books Every Catholic College Student Should Read
If you’re looking for good books this summer, you’ve found the right reading list. These recommended titles highlight heroic role models, offer profound intellectual and spiritual formation, and transmit stories that inspire the weary soul.
St. Jerome said: “When we pray, we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us.”
May these books help you become a more virtuous and bold defender of the Catholic Faith.
1. True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort
Are you a true devotee of Mary—or a false one? If you seek answers to the most profound questions of Marian devotion, you will cherish True Devotion to Mary. This work explains what it means to be truly devoted to the Blessed Mother, rebuts common misconceptions, and offers compelling reasons to serve the Mother of God.
If you need further motivation to read this excellent treatise, consider this: it is “…an easy, short, perfect, and secure way of arriving at union with Our Lord, in which the perfection of a Christian consists.” — Saint Louis de Montfort
2. Revolution and Counter-Revolution by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
You’ve probably wondered, “How did society fall so low?” Revolution and Counter-Revolution, by Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, is the perfect handbook for anyone who wants to understand why mankind has strayed from God and plunged into chaos. This powerful book identifies the root causes of the decay of Western Christian civilization. It explains the phases of this Revolution, its driving forces, and its ultimate goals.
The book also shows how counterrevolutionaries can fight back and restore the values of Christendom. Its clarity, insight, and Catholic spirit unmask the lies of the Revolution and inspire souls to fight for the restoration of Christian civilization.
3. Two Swords of Christ by Raymond Ibrahim
Two Swords of Christ is a riveting account of the chivalric feats of the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. Raymond Ibrahim places you on the front lines of the Crusades, shoulder to shoulder with the defenders of Christendom. His gripping descriptions of sieges, ambushes, and cavalry charges will keep you glued to each page.
He also debunks common slanders against the Crusades and fills the reader with a profound respect for these self-sacrificing men, who willingly made themselves swords in the hand of the Lord God of Hosts.
4. Saint Pius V by Roberto de Mattei
This book draws you into the world of Pope Pius V, a champion against heresy, a zealous promoter of the Holy Rosary, and the spiritual leader of the Catholic forces at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Prof. Roberto de Mattei vividly presents the immense impact this successor of St. Peter had on Christendom in the 16th century, a time when it was under great duress from heretics within and Muslims from without.
Discover how one pope, inflamed with grace, can transform a world in turmoil.
5. Liberalism Is a Sin by Fr. Felix Sarda y Salvany
In many minds today, liberalism has gone from being an untouchable doctrine to a highly debatable error. Fr. Félix Sardà y Salvany’s book is a timely resource in the present moment. This treatise will arm you with the arguments needed to show that liberalism is fallacious and incompatible with Catholicism.
Doesn’t that sound refreshing?
6. The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest by John Gerard, S.J.
Missionary fervor, adventure, and all the cunning one would expect from a highly trained Jesuit priest make this book an exciting read for any Catholic. The enterprise unfolds in the late 1500s in a nightmarish England. Elizabeth I, an enemy of Catholicism, seeks to extinguish the True Faith in every corner of her realm.
In this tumultuous atmosphere, only the bravest Catholics survive, and the most daring save souls. Join Fr. John Gerard, a faithful disciple of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, as he outsmarts the agents of a ruthless regime, endures the suffering of a martyr, and engages in spiritual warfare for the sake of the persecuted Church of Rome.
7. The Book of Confidence by Fr. Raymond de Thomas de Saint-Laurent
Souls today are immersed in a toxic, anti-Catholic atmosphere. You have likely felt it. Amid so much sin and confusion, where should Catholics turn? To confidence. Confidence is the virtue that makes the weak strong by fixing the soul on Divine Providence—on Him who proclaimed, “Have confidence; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Fr. Raymond de Saint-Laurent instructs the reader on the nature, benefits, and power of this virtue. Serene and calming panoramas are revealed to those who open this masterpiece.
8. The Price to Pay: A Muslim Risks All to Follow Christ by Joseph Fadelle
How does a Muslim convert to Catholicism without risking his life? That was the very problem Joseph Fadelle had to face when he chose to abandon Islam and follow Our Lord Jesus Christ. In this powerful account, you will see how grace penetrated his soul, sustained him through brutal persecution, and ultimately guided him to freedom.
9. Isabella of Spain: The Last Crusader by William Thomas Walsh
Do you enjoy hagiography and military history? Here you find both. Known as the Catholic Queen, Isabella I of Castile will impress you with her integrity, especially as she resisted the temptations of the decadent Renaissance court. As queen, she leads you to the front lines of the epic campaigns against the Moors in Granada.
She also waged a spiritual campaign for the salvation of souls by sponsoring Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World. Let the golden life of this heroine teach you what it means to be both a Catholic and a crusader.
10. A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada by Washington Irving
The Moors are on the run. After centuries of conflict, Spanish knights have finally driven the forces of Islam to their last stronghold in Catholic Spain: Granada. Like a cornered hyena, the adversaries of Christendom refuse to surrender their final medieval fortress without a fierce struggle.
In this acme of Spanish chivalry, you will witness acts of valor in single combat, brilliant attacks, and cunning strategies culminating in the surrender of Granada.