Book Lover

Wednesday Walk

A Good Book Can Change Your Life

I have been a book lover for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I would read anything I could get my hands on. You could often find me curled up in a chair with my head buried in a book.

That hasn’t changed.

There is still nothing I love more than curling up with a good book.

What has changed is what I read. While I still enjoy a good novel or some light fiction now and then, more often than not, you’ll find me diving into a book on faith.

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day, and in anticipation of that celebration, I thought I’d put in a plug for one of my favorite pastimes and share how reading has helped me grow in my faith.

Books Have Helped Me Through Struggles

Whenever I struggle with a question of faith or a difficult season in life, I often turn to a good Catholic book. Reading the wisdom of others helps me find my way to the other side—or at least shows me how to keep walking in the right direction.

We are blessed to have so many wonderful resources available today. While it is important to choose trustworthy authors, good books can provide tremendous encouragement during times of doubt, confusion, or suffering. They not only help us navigate difficult circumstances but also deepen our understanding of the faith.

Books Have Brought Me Friendship

Some of my most treasured friendships have grown out of faith-sharing book studies.

Discussing good books with others pushes me beyond my own perspective. Not only do I see a topic through the eyes of the author, but I also experience it through the insights and experiences of fellow readers.

Entirely new ways of thinking open up.

I can only imagine how much smaller my world would be if I had never been exposed to the wisdom and perspectives of so many others.

Books Have Deepened My Prayer Life

Books have also introduced me to many of my favorite saints.

The more I learn about their lives, the more I find myself turning to them in prayer and seeking their intercession.

I’ve also discovered that reading a short reflection before prayer often prepares my heart to hear God more clearly. A thoughtful passage can spark new insights, deepen meditation, and lead my prayer to places I might never have reached on my own.

Books don’t replace prayer—they often enrich it.

So, whether you’re already a book lover or simply haven’t made time to read lately, I hope this reflection encourages you to pick up a good book.

Better yet, invite a friend to read it with you or join a faith-sharing book group.

You may discover far more than a good story.

You may find new friendships, a richer prayer life, deeper faith... and perhaps even the next step God is inviting you to take.

So this month, instead of scrolling for fifteen extra minutes each day, try reading fifteen pages of a good spiritual book. You might be surprised how much God can do through those few quiet moments.