Catholic Summer Reading

We recently received a message from Aquinas and Moore, a Catholic book retailer with a program for summer reading that might interest some of our readers:

I recently read Todd Aglialoro’s April 25, 2008 Inside Catholic article “Whatever Happened to Popular Catholic Fiction?” with interest. Have you had the chance to read it? Its an issue that we, as a Catholic retailer, have been grappling with for some time. Last year we started a program called Catholic Summer Reading to address this very issue. Our Catholic fiction offerings are quite significant.

We are now the nation’s largest online Catholic retailer (tiny by comparison to secular retailers, of course) and we are based in Colorado Springs. The first week of June we are officially launching Catholic Summer Reading 2008, our second year sponsoring this ambitious program.

Here is a complete title listing of this year’s 64 featured titles.

There is literally “something for everyone” in the title offerings – both fiction and non-fiction and books for young readers. Last year we were featured on EWTN/Ave Maria Radio and the program was mentioned in a number of Catholic publications. The purpose of the program is to keep Catholics reading and engaged with their faith during the summer vacation season and to expose them to new titles and to the Catholic novel – something that is becoming a rare and exotic species.

The program will feature downloadable discussion guides for reading groups, flyers that Catholic retailers across the country can download and use in their stores so they can sponsor reading groups in their local markets, and much more. We are also encouraging parishes around the country to start up summer reading groups.

The program has it’s own website where the guides and much more information can be found. That site is currently displaying last year’s information.