Joan of Arc
by Mark Twain

Mark Twain says, "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none." Although not a Catholic, Twain had this to say about Joan of Arc: "Taking into account, as I have suggested before, all the circumstances - her origin, youth, sex, illiteracy, early environment, and the obstructing conditions under which she exploited her high gifts and made her conquests in the field and before the courts that tried her for her life - she is easily and be far the most extraordinary person the human race has every produced."

Story of a Soul
by St. Therese of Lisieux

Wonderful book! St. Therese's autobiography shows the "little way" for average people like us to grow in holiness.

To Know Christ Jesus
by Frank Sheed

Frank Sheed combined all the Gospels into a single chronological story. My wife bugged me for two years to read this book. I finally did and it changed my life.

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth
by Catholic Answers

This little booklet provides a concise explanation of what Catholics believe and why. The complete booklet is available to read online here.

Catholicism for Dummies
by John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti

This is a very readable book written for Catholics who want to better understand their faith and non-Catholics who want to better understand their Catholic friends. This book faithfully represents what the Catholic Church teaches.

Prove It! God

Prove It! Jesus

Prove It! Prayer

Prove It! Church
by Amy Welborn

Great books written for teenagers and young adults to help them better understand and better explain their Catholic faith. Easy to read, and at times, quite funny.

Books about Castles and Medieval Times
(click on books to buy from Amazon)

Castle at War
by Andrew Langley, Peter Dennis

This is a great illustrated book of a castle under siege. It is packed with facts about Medieval castles, castle life and the various crafts required to run a castle. It tells a lot more about Medieval occupations than most books.

Castle : Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections
by Richard Platt, Stephen Biesty

This illustrated book was one of the first that I referred to while building my Lego castle. It has cross-sections of several castles. It was very helpful in figuring out what rooms I should put in a castle.

Incredible Cross-Sections
by Richard H. Jr Platt

This illustrated book contains a great cross-section of a cathedral and a castle. Also has cross-sections of many other non-Medieval things, such as vehicles, buildings and ships.

Medieval Feast
by Aliki

The king is coming to visit! Everyone in the castle is getting ready for his visit. This book has beautiful pictures and is easy to read.

Marguerite Makes a Book
by Bruce Robertson, Kathryn Hewitt

When her father's glasses are broken, Marguerite saves the day by finishing the illustrations on pages of a book commissioned by Lady Isabelle. As you read this beautifully illustrated book, you'll learn a lot about how Medieval manuscripts were made.

The Trumpeter of Krakow
by Eric P. Kelly, Janina Domanska

Joseph's father is bringing a mysterious treasure to the king. This is an exciting novel with evil villains, an alchemist and a trumpet call for help!

The Door in the Wall
by Marguerite De Angeli

Some people love this novel, others don't (just read some of the very funny reviews at Amazon). I thought it was one of the best stories I ever read that takes place during the Middle Ages.

The Boy Knight of Reims
by Eloise Lownsbery

This novel is about a boy named Jean who wants to make beautiful stone statues for the Cathedral, just like his father. Unfortunately, he is apprenticed to a surely and dishonest goldsmith. This book is filled with many exciting twists as Jean tries to fulfill his dream. The book gives a good idea of what it was like to be a craftsman during the Middle Ages.

Saint Elizabeth's Three Crowns
by Blanche Jennings Thompson

If I had a baby girl, I'd name her Elizabeth after reading this book. This true story is about a princess from Hungary who marries a German prince. When the prince leaves for war, Elizabeth runs the castle. As part of running the castle, she gives most everything away to help the poor. Because of this, the other nobles make life miserable for poor Elizabeth. She was so holy, that she was given the title of "Saint Elizabeth" only four years after she died.

The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
by Eleanore M. Jewett

When his father must leave England suddenly, Hugh is left with the monks at an ancient monastery filled with many mysterious secrets and surprise encounters.

Otto of the Silver Hand
by Howard Pyle

When I was a young student, I read a great book that I could never shake from my imagination. As an adult, I searched for years to find it. I thought this was it - it wasn't. However, this book is just as good.