People became quite outraged with my earlier comment about books so let me make myself clear here. Some people see books not quite in the same category as movies, plays, or straight-up pornography. This is not the case. Books, especially in the past 300 years or more have been the seeds of epic social change, mostly bad I might add. So let me prove my argument by again bringing up the list from the Modern Library and working my way on down to see the vile aspects of the books listed.

Tobacco Road (1932) by Erskine Caldwell

This book here promotes socialism, the end of the way of life, depressing thoughts about sex, religion (i.e. while not being completely atheist, it promotes doubts that God cares for His people), class warfare, etc. promotes lustful actions by the lustful situations described, etc.

Erskine Caldwell wrote back in the 1930's and was way ahead of his time bringing to light breaking commentary about class, race, religion, etc. which would be used again later on in the 1960's.

Needless to say even though Erskine Caldwell grew up in the South he became politically socialist, and served as a war correspondent for the Soviet Union during World War II.

Trad Guy, all you'd have to do is read the reviews or even the first few chapters to know how bad it was & put it down & get a good book.  Why would you read such a book?  Was it required reading in a public school or something?
There is no end of good books to read.  I can't find the time to read all the good books on my list.

But I still like the feel & smell of books over the TV.  I get more out of a book than a movie.
Happy New Year!

People became quite outraged with my earlier comment about books

Missed it. Got a link?

So let me prove my argument by again bringing up the list from the Modern Library and working my way on down to see the vile aspects of the books listed.

Tobacco Road (1932) by Erskine Caldwell

A list of one? One bad book.

Have you ever read a good book?

I'm with Thorn and Frances. Nothing can replace a good book!

But I still like the feel & smell of books over the TV.  I get more out of a book than a movie.
Happy New Year!

Books can have vile things in them too, just like television so perhaps it is not good to get "something out of it."

Continuing on next down the line...

Ironweed (1983) by William Kennedy

This book has drunkeness, sex, vulgarity, blasphemy, etc. set during the Depression.

Yes, books sometimes have depictions of sins in them.  I think the question to ask here is:

What is a harmful depiction of sin?  

Shakespeare's plays have many depictions of sin.  However, if a Catholic is so lacking in self-control that he is unable to read Shakespeare without being overcome with rage, or lust, and is actually in danger of committing a sin because of this reading...how will he deal with any external stimuli at all?

So, for example, Shakespeare's plays are valuable (and here I'm breaking this waaay down to the most basic elements, and leaving aside all of the artistic virtues)  in one way because he deals with so many human motivations and his characters are excellent studies in human frailty and become social shorthand for human archetypes.  Many scenes encapsulate an aspect of the human condition in a way perhaps no other author has.  If it is a good to learn about human nature, then it is good to learn human nature from Shakespeare.  

If reading the phrase 'the beast with two backs' would inflame you and tempt you to unchastity, then I suggest the problem is not with literature, but rather with you and a poor formation.  

Further, consider the plight of the priest.  He is expected to be the holiest among us...and yet he is also expected to be de-sensitized to depictions of sins in the confessional.  He is expected, through his formation, to be able to hear vile things, and not be unduly tempted by them.  He does this for a good purpose, the absolution of sins.  

Everyone is expected to have self-control, to be able to receive an external stimuli without it necessarily causing us to immediately fall into sin, nor for every idea we hear or read to change our worldview without the involvement of our will.  

Lastly, the inability to discern the difference between literature and pornography is just indicative of a poor environment.  Young people are not expected to become formed all by themselves.  You post as if from a desert island.  In order to become a well-formed Catholic adult, your reading should be guided by a faithful teacher.  The more educated should guide the less educated and help select good books until the student is able to do so for himself.

The problem is not with books, it is with you.  It is most likely not your fault, particularly if you don't have a teacher, but that's the way it is.  

Earth to Trad Guy!  What planet are you on currently?

Who reads ALL kinds of books?!  I grew up in an era where 'discriminating' was considered a virtue.
I don't read ALL kinds of books.  I only read good books.  Neither do I watch EVERYTHING on TV.  I only watch the good stuff.  

As for a "mythical"(??)  list of good books - there's a tiny booklet of only 32 pages packed with a list of  authors and books called "Catholic Authors 4-Sight Edition".  Look the lists up yourself - it'll give you something better to do with your time.

Blanche Jennings Thompson says, "We Become What We Read"   "The health of a country depends on what's in the heads & hearts of the people in it.  A country collapses that is full of weak minds & faint hearts.  And minds become what authors put into them;  A MAN BECOMES WHAT HE READS."
[emphasis mine]

An excellent book that I read years ago was  "The Less Traveled Road" by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.   I couldn't put that book down.  A wonderful author!!

Another book that I couldn't put down & in a completely different vein was by Gerald Frank and was about the Boston Strangler.  No graphic sex or violence but you just had to keep turning the pages to see what happened next.   Very interesting true story.

Sooo - why are you feeding on pure trash when there's a feast to behold?  and more excellent books that would take 10 lifetimes to consume?  I don't get it.