--- title: What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf? description: "Lindsay Schlegel shares her Lenten \"To-Read\" list of old favorites and new discoveries as she prepares for the upcoming liturgical season." --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2017/02/28/whats-lenten-bookshelf#) # What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf? Feb 28, 2017 7:00:47 AM  |  by [Lindsay Schlegel](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/lindsay-schlegel) [!["What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf?" by Lindsay Schlegel (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Whats-on-Your-Lenten-Bookshelf_.jpg?width=720&height=340&name=Whats-on-Your-Lenten-Bookshelf_.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Whats-on-Your-Lenten-Bookshelf_.jpg) Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel. All rights reserved. I know from experience that a small daily dose of spiritual reading does wonderful things for me. In the seasons of life I have managed to maintain the habit, five or ten minutes of reading each day have made a significant difference in my peacefulness, prayerfulness, joy, and patience. Usually I find the time in the morning, before the kids are up. Eventually something gets in the way—a child’s sleep schedule changes, commitments keep me up too late the night before, or I finish a book and don’t know what to get into next. Pope St. John XXIII wrote in his [decalogue](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/card-bertone/2006/documents/rc_seg-st_20061011_john-xxiii_en.html): “Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.” [tweet "What's on your bookshelf for #Lent? @lindsayschlegel shares her spiritual #readinglist"] I’m looking forward to Lent giving me a push to get back to this practice. Here’s what’s on my Lenten bookshelf: [!["What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf?" by Lindsay Schlegel (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/called-to-life.jpg?width=600&height=800&name=called-to-life.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/called-to-life.jpg) Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel. All rights reserved. **[*Called to Life, Called to Love*](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000O70VB2/catholicmom) by Henri J.M. Nouwen** Our church in Brooklyn had these little booklets out for the taking a number of years ago. I’d read *The Return of the Prodigal Son* in college, and was delighted to have more Nouwen at my fingertips. I’ve used it more than once, and can’t wait to dig back in this year. The reflections take only a moment to read (longer to reflect on, if course), so I’ll use this in conjunction with other books. [!["What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf?" by Lindsay Schlegel (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Marys-Way-LS.jpg?width=600&height=800&name=Marys-Way-LS.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Marys-Way-LS.jpg) Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel. All rights reserved. **[*Mary’s Way*](http://amzn.to/2aOMw7c) by Judy Landreiu Klein** This book was a Christmas gift I haven’t found my way into it yet. I have twice worked my way through *33 Days to Morning Glory*, and noticed a dramatic difference in my life after consecrating myself to Mary. The older my children get, the more I see the places I need to lean on our Blessed Mother to help me raise them right! [!["What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf?" by Lindsay Schlegel (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/little-oratory-1.jpg?width=600&height=800&name=little-oratory-1.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/little-oratory-1.jpg) Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel. All rights reserved. **[*The Little Oratory *](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1622821769/catholicmom)by David Clayton & Leila Marie Lawler** I was so excited about this book when I bought it online a year or so ago, but was in the middle of something else when it arrived and never got started. This book is not the only one waiting its turn on my shelf, and hopefully Lent is its chance to shine! [!["What's on Your Lenten Bookshelf?" by Lindsay Schlegel (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/25-Q.jpg?width=600&height=800&name=25-Q.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/25-Q.jpg) Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel. All rights reserved. **[*25 Life-Changing Questions from the Gospels*](https://www.amazon.com/25-Life-Changing-Questions-Gospels-Spiritual/dp/1594716757/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487587132&sr=1-1&keywords=25+life-changing+questions+from+the+gospels) by Allan F. Wright** I used this for my Advent reflections last year. I liked that it starts right at the beginning of developing a relationship with Christ. For someone new or newly returning to the Faith, this is the place to be. For those who have been practicing for years, it can be good to go back to square one and make sure things are ordered as they should be. We can get comfortable in our Faith and miss out on some of its beauty. I’m saving this to revisit in the second half of the season and into Holy Week.   **What’s on your Lenten bookshelf? ** **Buy any of these books through our Amazon links and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase!** **Be sure to check out [our Book Notes archive](http://catholicmom.com/category/book-notes/).** *Copyright 2017 Lindsay Schlegel* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F02%2F28%2Fwhats-lenten-bookshelf%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F02%2F28%2Fwhats-lenten-bookshelf%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F02%2F28%2Fwhats-lenten-bookshelf%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=What%27s%20on%20Your%20Lenten%20Bookshelf%3F) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F02%2F28%2Fwhats-lenten-bookshelf%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F02%2F28%2Fwhats-lenten-bookshelf%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Lindsay Schlegel](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Lindsay%20Schlegel.jpg) ### [Lindsay Schlegel](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/lindsay-schlegel) Lindsay Schlegel is a daughter of God, wife, mom, editor, and speaker. She’s the author of *Don’t Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God* and host of the podcast *Quote Me with Lindsay Schlegel. Lindsay seeks to encourage, inspire, and lift others up to be all they were created to be. Connect with Lindsay at her website, LindsaySchlegel.com.* [**](https://www.facebook.com/LindsaySchlegelAuthor/) ## Related Blog Articles [ What My Son Taught Me About Work as Prayer Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/what-my-son-taught-me-about-work-as-prayer) [ Why I Wish I’d Charted My Cycle, Even When We Were Open to Life Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/10/25/wish-id-charted-cycle-even-open-life) [ CM Hangout: Recalibrating After the Holidays Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/01/04/cm-hangout-recalibrating-after-the-holidays/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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