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KCT
Guest
When my friend and I read this, we joked about wanting a tent in the back yard where we could hide from our families for a week every month!! —KCT
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kage_ar
Guest
Ohh - one of my FAVORITE books, my copy is old and raggedy and it has been read so many times!
If we are talking Sci-Fi…
Clifford D, Simak (Catholic even
)Octavia Butler
Larry Niven
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jedimasterham
Guest
One of the best books ever, has so much logic and reasoning. Check out “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins. It’s a really great read. Cheers
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KCT
Guest
If you’re into historical fiction, anything by G.A. Henty.
He wrote for middle/ high school age kids, but the books are very enjoyable.
Charlotte Yonge was a British author; she wrote The Heir of Redclyffe as well as many children’s books. —KCT
He wrote for middle/ high school age kids, but the books are very enjoyable.
Charlotte Yonge was a British author; she wrote The Heir of Redclyffe as well as many children’s books. —KCT
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Margita
Guest
The Brontes have been mentioned here, so why not check out the youngest sister?
Anne Bronte: Agnes Grey (short and very, very touching) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (slightly longer, but beautiful)
If you want to laugh, read anything from P. G. Woodhouse (esp. his Blandings-novels, hilarious stuff!)
Francis Hodgson Burnett: A Little Princess and The Secret Garden (if you feel like reading something touching and innocent)
By the way, have you ever seen this online book page?
digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
Awesome! Just don’t spend too much time in front of the computer, it’s bad for you both…
Anne Bronte: Agnes Grey (short and very, very touching) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (slightly longer, but beautiful)
If you want to laugh, read anything from P. G. Woodhouse (esp. his Blandings-novels, hilarious stuff!)
Francis Hodgson Burnett: A Little Princess and The Secret Garden (if you feel like reading something touching and innocent)
By the way, have you ever seen this online book page?
digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
Awesome! Just don’t spend too much time in front of the computer, it’s bad for you both…
D
duskyjewel
Guest
On historical fiction…
Check out Robin Maxwell. She has written some good ones about Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn. The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn left me weeping for HOURS. It’s so powerful and moving.
P.S. Can you tell I have a serious Tudor obsession? The fact that I don’t get Showtime is just killing me right now. I am so buying their Tudor series on DVD when it comes out.
P.P.S. If you don’t mind a TV recommendation: Brides of Christ - you can get this on DVD from A&E (or check eBay). It’s a six hour miniseries from a few years ago about an order of nuns in Australia in the late 1950s and 60s. It’s wonderful.
Check out Robin Maxwell. She has written some good ones about Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn. The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn left me weeping for HOURS. It’s so powerful and moving.
P.S. Can you tell I have a serious Tudor obsession? The fact that I don’t get Showtime is just killing me right now. I am so buying their Tudor series on DVD when it comes out.
P.P.S. If you don’t mind a TV recommendation: Brides of Christ - you can get this on DVD from A&E (or check eBay). It’s a six hour miniseries from a few years ago about an order of nuns in Australia in the late 1950s and 60s. It’s wonderful.
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Margita
Guest
Oh, historical narratives… Check out Stefan Zweig’s Mary Stuart, it is excellent!
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eliza3b
Guest
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith : a must read for any mom to be!
The Number 1 Ladies Detective Series by Alexander Mc Call Smith is delightful.
My favorite Dickens is Bleak House and my favorite Austen is (still) Pride & Prejudice.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
For modern fiction-
Anything by Tom Wolfe
and my all time favorite humorist - Erma Bombeck.
The Number 1 Ladies Detective Series by Alexander Mc Call Smith is delightful.
My favorite Dickens is Bleak House and my favorite Austen is (still) Pride & Prejudice.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
For modern fiction-
Anything by Tom Wolfe
and my all time favorite humorist - Erma Bombeck.
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Kielbasi
Guest
*Atlas Shrugged *by Ayn Rand is an important book, a novel outlining her very pro-capitalist philosophy. You may want to read *The Fountainhead *as well
*City of God *is a hard read, but worthwhile. Try to find a good translation, the book was originally written in Latin of course.
*City of God *is a hard read, but worthwhile. Try to find a good translation, the book was originally written in Latin of course.
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rayne89
Guest
A Walk to Remember (way better than the movie) by Nicholas Sparks.
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Rach620
Guest
*The Diary of a Country Priest *by Georges Bernanos (a fictional diary/novel…really good hopeful book but that deals with evil, sadness, and struggles in faith). Definitely a ‘must read’!
Anything by Jane Austen! Her novels will definitely keep you reading! (And then you can watch all the film versions, including the long A&E miniseries!)
If you’re into science fiction, then try *A Canticle for Leibowitz *by Walter Miller. He was Catholic when he wrote it, and my fiance absolutely loved it.
*The Mayor of Casterbridge *by Thomas Hardy (English lit here, but very good.)
*The Crucible *(a play–very quick read) by Arthur Miller.
*Crime & Punishment *by Fyodor Dostoevsky. A dark, heavy read…but gripping. *The Brothers Karamazov *as well–that’s my summer reading project!
*Brave New World *by Aldous Huxley–more ‘futuristic’ fiction, but very good and relevant especially to the bioethics situation today.
The Great Divorce, The Four Loves, *Till We Have Faces, Mere Christianity, *and *The Screwtape Letters *by CS Lewis–all relatively quick reads.
That’s it for now!
Anything by Jane Austen! Her novels will definitely keep you reading! (And then you can watch all the film versions, including the long A&E miniseries!)
If you’re into science fiction, then try *A Canticle for Leibowitz *by Walter Miller. He was Catholic when he wrote it, and my fiance absolutely loved it.
*The Mayor of Casterbridge *by Thomas Hardy (English lit here, but very good.)
*The Crucible *(a play–very quick read) by Arthur Miller.
*Crime & Punishment *by Fyodor Dostoevsky. A dark, heavy read…but gripping. *The Brothers Karamazov *as well–that’s my summer reading project!
*Brave New World *by Aldous Huxley–more ‘futuristic’ fiction, but very good and relevant especially to the bioethics situation today.
The Great Divorce, The Four Loves, *Till We Have Faces, Mere Christianity, *and *The Screwtape Letters *by CS Lewis–all relatively quick reads.
That’s it for now!
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SeekerJen
Guest
Anything by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Jane Eyre and Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The “Wrinkle in Time” series by Madeleine L’Engle
The “Tillerman Family” series by Cynthia Voigt
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Crossing the Threshold of Hope by Pope JPII
These are a good start.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Jane Eyre and Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The “Wrinkle in Time” series by Madeleine L’Engle
The “Tillerman Family” series by Cynthia Voigt
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Crossing the Threshold of Hope by Pope JPII
These are a good start.
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tamccrackine
Guest
I haven’t read through alot of responses, so I apologize for the duplicity if that’s the case, but my suggestions are:
A Mother’s Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot
On Being Catholic (by Howard Thomas?? Thomas Howard??, I’m sorry, I can’t recall right now)
If you like mystery, detective type stuff… anything by Patricia Cornwell, Erica Spindler or Kathy Reich.
Hope the next six months go quickly for you! :hug1: :hug1: :console: I’d go nuts if I was on bedrest (especially with my three other kiddos running amok…)
A Mother’s Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot
On Being Catholic (by Howard Thomas?? Thomas Howard??, I’m sorry, I can’t recall right now)
If you like mystery, detective type stuff… anything by Patricia Cornwell, Erica Spindler or Kathy Reich.
Hope the next six months go quickly for you! :hug1: :hug1: :console: I’d go nuts if I was on bedrest (especially with my three other kiddos running amok…)
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wifenmommy
Guest
This book was soo great and beneficial that I have read it several times!! also good reading is:
Pierced by a Sword
Concieved Without SIn
House of Gold…all by Bud McFarlane and they can be found on Catholicity.com for a dollar or two donation!! They are the best books I have EVER READ!!!
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teachingtarheel
Guest
I echo the sentiments of many other posters- so sorry to hear about your bedrest- I’ve never been pregnant 
, but think of all the things you can do for your baby: 1. keep a journal for him/her telling them all about how you’re preparing, passing the time, excitedly awaiting his/her arrival 2. Take up knitting- it really is easy (get one of those “I learned to knit in 10 minutes” kits- they really work! 3. Make a scrapbook and include notes from family and friends, pictures, ultra-sound images, etc.
Just some ideas…again, I don’t know from experience!
Good books…ummmm…I teach elementary/middle grades, so most of my pics are young adult, but still keep me turning the pages! (Sorry- I am as bad as the kids, I don’t pay attention to authors!)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
To Kill a Mockingbird
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Eragon
Eldest
Thief Lord
Grown-up books:
The Road
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
The Lovely Bones
Left to Tell
anything by Jodi Piccoult
anything by Phillipa Gregory- historical ficton- I especially reccomend ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’
Hope this helps! Try to enjoy your time!
, but think of all the things you can do for your baby: 1. keep a journal for him/her telling them all about how you’re preparing, passing the time, excitedly awaiting his/her arrival 2. Take up knitting- it really is easy (get one of those “I learned to knit in 10 minutes” kits- they really work! 3. Make a scrapbook and include notes from family and friends, pictures, ultra-sound images, etc.Just some ideas…again, I don’t know from experience!
Good books…ummmm…I teach elementary/middle grades, so most of my pics are young adult, but still keep me turning the pages! (Sorry- I am as bad as the kids, I don’t pay attention to authors!)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
To Kill a Mockingbird
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Eragon
Eldest
Thief Lord
Grown-up books:
The Road
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
The Lovely Bones
Left to Tell
anything by Jodi Piccoult
anything by Phillipa Gregory- historical ficton- I especially reccomend ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’
Hope this helps! Try to enjoy your time!
Z
Zooey
Guest
Wilkie Collins, both The Moonstone, and The Woman in White. (He invented the modern mystery with these 2 books!)
Anything by Dostoevsky, anything by Tolstoi; really anything by the 19th Century Russian novelists. They are so rich.
Tolkien–The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings.
Oh! Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey novels. The Nine Tailors is incredible…
For fantasy/science fiction, how about all the lovely Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey? She has created an entire world, with eerie resonances to ours…not without reason, but don’t read ahead! (Some are young adult fiction, they can be optional, but since you have time, why not those too?). I’m not crazy about her “hard” sci-fi; Pern is very special, though…
The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey… Perfect for reading in bed! The story of Tey’s oft-time hero of murder mysteries, when he is flat on his back in bed, & solves (?) one of history’s greatest mysteries from there…
I agree: Jane Austen is perfect. For something a bit lighter, but in the same vein, try Georgette Heyer’s delightful books. (Heyer, at the age of 17, ran out of Jane Austen books to read, & she sat down & started writing more of them. She had a wicked sense of humor, and she kept writing until her death about a half-century later, so there are lots to choose from. They are not mere fluff, they are really good reads!)
Oh, my…What else is too good to miss?? I know: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy.
Do you like historical fiction that stays close to facts? Jeff Shaara started out writing a sequel to his father, Michael’s, The Killer Angels [on the battle of Gettysburg], and has written wonderful stroies that show the faces that go with the names from American history. I especially loved Rise to Rebellion, & The Glorious Cause, his 2 stories of the American Revolution.
Oh, and a woman named Stephanie Barron has written a series of “Jane Austen mysteries”–delightful mysteries as solved by Jane herself!!
Anything by Dostoevsky, anything by Tolstoi; really anything by the 19th Century Russian novelists. They are so rich.
Tolkien–The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings.
Oh! Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey novels. The Nine Tailors is incredible…
For fantasy/science fiction, how about all the lovely Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey? She has created an entire world, with eerie resonances to ours…not without reason, but don’t read ahead! (Some are young adult fiction, they can be optional, but since you have time, why not those too?). I’m not crazy about her “hard” sci-fi; Pern is very special, though…
The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey… Perfect for reading in bed! The story of Tey’s oft-time hero of murder mysteries, when he is flat on his back in bed, & solves (?) one of history’s greatest mysteries from there…
I agree: Jane Austen is perfect. For something a bit lighter, but in the same vein, try Georgette Heyer’s delightful books. (Heyer, at the age of 17, ran out of Jane Austen books to read, & she sat down & started writing more of them. She had a wicked sense of humor, and she kept writing until her death about a half-century later, so there are lots to choose from. They are not mere fluff, they are really good reads!)
Oh, my…What else is too good to miss?? I know: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy.
Do you like historical fiction that stays close to facts? Jeff Shaara started out writing a sequel to his father, Michael’s, The Killer Angels [on the battle of Gettysburg], and has written wonderful stroies that show the faces that go with the names from American history. I especially loved Rise to Rebellion, & The Glorious Cause, his 2 stories of the American Revolution.
Oh, and a woman named Stephanie Barron has written a series of “Jane Austen mysteries”–delightful mysteries as solved by Jane herself!!
M
Mirdath
Guest
For historical whodunits, I’d have to recommend Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael books (and The Quincunx again, it really is just that good; also Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose). The BBC had a very well-done show based on the Cadfael books a while back with Derek Jacobi in the title role, check that out too 
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La-Petite-Fleur
Guest
The Mystical City of God by Ven. Mary of Agreda. A beautiful, wonderful book.
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jmcrae
Guest
Has anyone mentioned The Father Brown Mysteries, by G. K. Chesterton yet?
Hey, Nostradamus! and Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland are both quite good, as well.
Hey, Nostradamus! and Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland are both quite good, as well.
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leonie
Guest
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