Nipr - thanks for the post. It is a good idea to get books and articles off the the internet. But, if they are long articles, I think that it is then best to go to the library and print it(mine is 10 cents a page). I would definitely do that with a downloadable book. I don't like reading from computers. Also, it is not stretching it to bind it up yourself into a book. I would only do that for a real gem though. A simple binder is ideal for most.
Hi + PG +, Good advice! Yes, reading from paper is much easier on the eyes and I do print out some books as is or make them into a text docuмent and print that. I'm fortunate in that I have an old printer which prints pages at about 6 cents each (or less) and the cartridges print about 1,000 pages and cost very little. But I've got literally hundreds of books in PDF format. I print out sections or whatever I need for reference or study--one reason I do condensed versions. I too use three-ring binders that I find at GoodWill for mere cents. One advantage of PDFs is that you can get a "taste" of a book without spending the money first. If you like it, then you can get a hard copy if available.
2Vermont--I'd suggest a good life of Christ like Emmerich's because you get a good sense of the times in which He lived and what the living conditions were like, which helps one to understand the Scriptures better. Her account of His Passion is wonderful for Lenten reading especially.
Rev. Alban Goodier also has an excellent book, "The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ." ABEbooks has it and it may be available on the Internet. It is a bio and takes you right into the events of the Gospels in a very engrossing way; brings out things you never considered or noticed. He also wrote "Saints for Sinners" and "The Inner Life of the Catholic" which are very good. Try
www.archive.org for these.
For Our Lady, I like "The Mystical City of God" by Ven. Mary of Agreda but it is deep reading and takes a lot of concentration at first. You can get an abridged version. In print and online. I've been reading the whole four-volume set for the past 50 years and I still find something new to learn/think about each time I open it. I've come to know and love Our Lady to a degree I never thought possible from reading this book.
The works of St. Alphonsus de Liguori are excellent in themselves and also because he quotes many other authors and you may wish to read more of their works and build a library that way. His works on Our Lady are excellent. You can get his entire works online. I recommend ALL his books.
The writings of St. Louis de Montforte inspire devotion to Our Lady especially.
Fr. Lasance has very good books on many aspects of the Catholic life like devotions, the Blessed Sacrament, etc. You can find some online for free.
For a book on the spiritual life, I'd suggest Tanquerey's "The Spiritual Life" because it shows you where and how to begin to build your relationship with God, teaches about grace and all the other things involved with loving God. It has been used in seminaries but is not so technical that a lay person cannot understand it.
A good catechism is basic. I just heard of one today called "A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion" by Rev. John Fander. I do not have the book but it is available on
www.archive.org. True Restoration Radio is doing a series of talks based on it. They are free downloads. (I get my material from various places. I am not endorsing any particular place or organization.)
If you want to get into some serious studying, I'd highly suggest you read "The Intellectual Life" by A. G. Sertillanges. It's available in paperback from Amazon and online if you're a member of Scribd. Search "Collections" there. This book is excellent also for anyone who is trying to live the contemplative lifestyle. The advice given for how to live a life of study is applicable to both.
The works of St. Peter Julian Eymard are wonderful. He writes about devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. There are many books in his series. Very good for Holy Hours and general reading about the Blessed Sacrament.
All the books by Rev. Raoul Plus are excellent. Check the Internet. They are of a devotional nature.
For a good and comforting understanding of Divine Providence, I'd suggest "The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena" by Christian Classics. There is a treatise in there on Divine Providence. I find it especially comforting when the going gets tough.
Along these lines, there is de Caussade's "Abandonment to Divine Providence" which is lengthy but well worth the read. At the end there are letters which are very helpful. (try
www.archive.org or Gutenberg Project to get the older version. Try to get the old version.)
I also like Lehody's "Holy Abandonment" because it is an excellent primer on how to know the Will of God, how to perceive and follow inspirations, how to make decisions, etc. It is a real treasure. (TAN)
St. Alphonsus's "Uniformity with God's Will" is excellent and not very long.
See also "The Holy Will of God" by Fr. Leo Pyzalski, CSSR (TAN). All these books on abandonment to and knowledge of God's Will approach it from a different way and each contain very good advice. -- Finding God's Will for you and how to follow it is a foundation of the spiritual life.
St. Francis de Sales's "Introduction to the Devout Life" is a good primer and his "Treatise on the Love of God" is excellent for inspiring devotion to Our Lord and how one should live. He also discusses how to know and follow God's Will. His sermons are excellent as well.
The writings of Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou are wonderful. You can find them on
www.archive.org. They are from the late 1800's. He talks about what really constitutes the spiritual life and how important it is to give oneself to the pursuit of holiness in order to follow Christ's command to "be holy as your heavenly Father is holy." Look on
www.archive.org for these. Some are light reading while others go more deeply into the subject. He was a master theologian and spiritual director.
The writings of the Doctors of the Church are always excellent.
"Humility of Heart" by Fr. Cajetan Mary de Bergamo (1944 edition online) is an excellent work on humility in all its aspects.
There are many more. Some books are written to inspire, some to teach, some contain devotions or are about particular devotions, some are manuals on how to live the Catholic life... It all depends on how deeply you want to go into a subject or if you want basic understanding of many things. It's unfortunate that we don't have Catholic bookstores like we used to where one could peruse the books as one does in a library and see what appeals to you.
If you're just starting out doing spiritual reading, I'd highly suggest you read the basics first: Learn about our Faith, how to know and do the Will of God, the life of Christ and Our Lady Who are our models in this, the saints who you have something in common with to encourage you and give you ideas and keep you from discouragement in difficult times.
Meditating on the Passion of Our Lord is recommended by all the saints for advancing in virtue and growing closer to God. I like Padre Pio's "Meditation on the Agony of Jesus." It is small but powerful.
Fr. Jean Croiset's book on "Devotion to the Sacred Heart" is another wonderful book. He gives many ways to practice this devotion. He was the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary, the saint to whom Jesus revealed this devotion. It was made known to him by God that He approved of this work.
"The Four Last Things" by Fr. Martin von Cochem, OSFC will really get you thinking about your life and where it's headed. "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola" will also do the same.
"The Devout Year" by Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J. from 1893 (check Google books) is great for meditations on the major feasts and seasons of the liturgical year.
Speaking of which, "The Liturgical Year" by Guerarger (expensive in paper; online in complete volumes) is excellent for a greater understanding of each feast and Sunday/days of the liturgical year.
I'll end my recommendations with one of the most excellent books ever printed: "The Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtues" by Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ, 2 Vols. Manresa Press 1929 online (try archive.org). This is a real gem. It covers everything about the life of the soul, how we should live, how to make a good examination of conscience.... I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is indeed a basic that every library should have. It goes into depth on every subject.
The "why" of my reading all of these is simple: They teach me and inspire devotion. They just appeal to my soul and are in line with the way God is leading me. They create an interest in me to look further into something else which they've mentioned and study IT more. Some books I just can't "get into." These, I can. I prefer authors from the late 1800s or early 1900s. I like material that I can think about for hours. I like books that explain the "why" and the "how" of things spiritual. I hope you can get a lot more suggestions from others. There are good books on apologetics, liturgy, dogmatic theology, moral theology... You'll find what you like most after you look around a bit.