12 Books to Read This Year!

I am a member of the New Saint Thomas Institute and one of the perks is frequent emails from the founder, Dr Taylor Marshall!   Here is an excerpt from today's correspondence with Dr. Taylor Marshall.

Readers are the leaders of the world. You must cultivate the habit of reading. My challenge for you this year is to read 12 books – 1 per month.

Here are the books that I think you should read (in no particular order). They have changed my life and outlook.

• If you have the money, you should just get all of them, stack them next to your bed, and get to reading.
• Most of the books are about $10 or less.
• I chose books that are relatively short and easy to get through.
• Most of them are in the 100 to 175 page range

And here they are:

1. Orthodoxy
   by GK Chesterton 
2. The Great Heresies
   by Hillaire Belloc
3. Saint Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox”
   by GK Chesterton
4. Confessions (Oxford World’s Classics)
   by Saint Augustine
5. 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration
   by Fr Michael Gaitley
6. The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society
   by Brad Gregory
7. All Generations Shall call me Blessed: Biblical Mariology
   by Fr Stephano Manelli
8. Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart (this book has changed my life)
   by Fr Jacque Phillipe
9. Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought
   by Fr Garrigou-Lagrange
10. The Three Conversions in the Spiritual Life
    by Fr Garrigou-Lagrange
11. Thomas Aquinas on the Theology of Baptism
    Here it is free from his Summa theologicae:
    BAPTISM ITSELF: The sacrament itself (66). The minister (67), recipients (68) and effect (69) of this sacrament.
    PREPARATION: Circumcision (70), which preceded Baptism. Catechism and Exorcism (71), which accompany Baptism.
12. The Way, Furrow, The Forge (daily proverbs to keep you moving)
    by Saint Josemaria Escriva