Comments for the thread: September 2026 Voting

message 1: by Manuel (new)

Jul 14, 2026 11:57PM

It is time to vote for our September 2026 BOTM. You may vote for up to 2 of the books listed below. You should vote by adding a comment here. If you vote in any other way, your votes may not be counted.

The book(s) with the most votes will be our BOTM. If there is a tie, the moderator uses a random list generator to determine the order and they are all read over however many months. Books that receive fewer than 2 votes will be removed from the Voting List, with those that receive 1 vote being placed at the end of the Nominations List.

Voting will end at approximately 11:00 AM Eastern Time on Saturday, July 18.

The Voting List for September is:

The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization, by Vishal Mangalwadi, nominated by Mariangel
Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization.
Voting History: NONE

Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism by Harold Burke-Sivers, nominated by Jill
This book is a Catholic Christian response to the epidemic of racism, firmly rooted in the Scriptures, the natural law, the Church’s Tradition, and our identity as children of God. But what is racism? Is it just "prejudice"? Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers carefully distinguishes the sin of racism from the kind of instinctive bias that marks all fallen mankind, in order to help us find a path to deeper unity. Building a Civilization of Love takes an honest look at Critical Race Theory, Liberation Theology, and the Black Lives Matter Movement, weighing their merits.
Voting History: NONE

A Cardiologist Examines Jesus: The Stunning Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles by Franco Serafini, nominated by John
The Gospels might not be “good enough” for modernity, and science is certainly its god. But neither is an impediment to the one, true God. Indeed, He is using methods of the twenty-first century — His twenty-first century — to show how our Faith can be proven through Eucharistic miracles with clinical scientific precision.
Voting History: July: 3

Conversation With Christ: The Teaching of St. Teresa of Avila About Personal Prayer by Peter-Thomas Rohrbach nominated by Sebastian and Fonch
The practicality of St. Teresa's teaching about mental prayer shines through in this wonderful synopsis of her writings about it–something she said "the whole world could not purchase." Learn how we should pray, in order to grow in the spiritual life.
Voting History: February: 4; April: 2; July: 6

Eucharistic Miracles and Eucharistic Phenomena in the Lives of the Saints by Joan Carroll Cruz, nominated by John
On many occasions throughout the history of the Catholic Church, God has provided visible proof of the invisible reality of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. In her book , Eucharistic Miracles, Joan Carroll Cruz documents 36 such miracles which occurred from 800 AD to the present day. This book tells of consecrated Hosts which have visibly turned to human flesh, have bled, levitated, and which have become hard as flint when received by a person in mortal sin. It details the official investigations that have been made into these miracles by scientists throughout the world, and where some can still be venerated today. Eucharistic Miracles also recounts miraculous Eucharistic phenomena in the lives of saints who lived with only the Eucharist for sustenance, received Communication miraculously, or experienced raptures, ecstasies, levitations, visions, locutions, and more.
Voting History: NONE

Exogenesis by Peco Gaskovski, nominated by Steven R.
Out of the collapse of Old America rises Lantua, a glittering thousand-mile metropolis where drones patrol the sky and AI algorithms reward social behavior. The most compliant citizens enjoy the greatest privileges, the poorest struggle to rise up the echelon system, and criminals are subjected to brain modification. Birthing and genetic quality are controlled through mass embryonic selection, with fetuses grown outside the body in artificial wombs—a technology known as exogenesis. But rebellion is brewing.
Voting History: NONE

Hope Does Not Disappoint (Spes non confundit): Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025 by Pope Francis, nominated by Jill
In Pope Francis’ proclamation for the Jubilee of 2025, he encourages all of us to be signs of hope to the world. While we may not always feel optimistic about the future, we are called to be renewed in hope and to press forward in our Christian lives. He reminds us that as we do, we will also revive our trust in the Church, in our relationships, and in our ability to shine the light of Christ with those who most need it.
Voting History: NONE

Our Lady of the Sign by Abigail Favale nominated by Emmy
A successful college professor in her thirties, Simone Stark has achieved everything she has strived for—everything other than happiness. One winter day, in the face of unexpected news, Simone impulsively returns to her isolated hometown after a long absence. The snowy mountain landscape is meant to provide sanctuary, a sense of refuge, but instead awakens long-dormant desires and buried pain. When Simone reunites with her first love, a tantalizing future opens. But in the darkness of Simone’s childhood home, a series of unsettling encounters begins, revealing a presence that is both alluring and terrifying, a force she cannot decipher as good or evil, diabolic or divine. Is it a manifestation of her own inner demons or something far more real?
Voting History: July: 3

The Rifle, and Other Stories by Tomás Carrasquilla, nominated by Steven R.
The Rifle, and Other Stories collects eleven stories spanning the literary career of Tomás Carrasquilla, the "first Colombian novelist", whose work is widely known within the country, and a high-school standard in the department of Antioquia, home to the city of Medellín. His novels and short stories straddle the traditional stylings of Costumbrismo and an anti-Modernist, picaresque realism, with a consistent focus on manifestations of Catholicism in both domestic and communal spheres.
Voting History: April: 2; July: 2

Saints vs. Scoundrels: Debating Life's Greatest Questions by Benjamin Wiker, nominated by Emmy
In Saints vs. Scoundrels Dr. Benjamin Wiker invites you to interact not just with the ideas that have shaped history, but with the people who created and spread those ideas. By reading this collection of lively and imaginative conversations between the great truth-tellers and the great error-peddlers of history, you will come to appreciate the personalities behind the "Great Conversation" that has shaped western civilization. These people may have never met in real life, but the ideas they represent and the movements they started have interacted throughout history and shaped our present. How fascinating would it be if they had ever shared a living room? This is the question Dr. Wiker answers with deep research and dynamic storytelling.
Voting History: NONE

The Secret of the Holy Face: The Devotion Destined to Save Society by Fr. Lawrence Daniel Carney III, nominated by Sandralena
From the creation of man to the current ecclesial infiltration and world revolution, the devil and his minions have sought to destroy the human race made in the image of God. No longer attacking from without, they are now secretly laying siege from within the Holy Roman Catholic Church. But why is God allowing this? He loves to see souls heroically battle for the faith.
Voting History: April: 4; July: 5

This Thing of Darkness by K.V. Turley and Fiorella De Maria, nominated by Emmy
Hollywood, 1956. Journalist and war widow Evangeline Kilhooley is assigned to write a "star profile" of the fading actor Bela Lugosi, made famous by his role as Count Dracula. During a series of interviews, Lugosi draws Evi into his curious Eastern European background, gradually revealing the link between Old World shadows and the twilight realm of modern horror films.
Voting History: June 2025: 4; July 2025: 4; August 2025: 4; November 2025: 3; January: 2; February: 4; April: 5; July: 2

Vipers' Tangle by François Mauriac, nominated by Susan
The masterpiece of one of the twentieth century’s greatest Catholic writers, Vipers’ Tangle tells the story of Monsieur Louis, an embittered aging lawyer who has spread his misery to his entire estranged family. Louis writes a journal to explain to them—and to himself—why his soul has been deformed, why his heart seems like a foul nest of twisted serpents. Mauriac’s novel masterfully explores the corruption caused by pride, avarice, and hatred, and its opposite—the divine grace that remains available to each of us until the very moment of our deaths. It is the unforgettable tale of the battle for one man’s soul.
Voting History: July: 5

Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America by Christian Smith nominated by Jill
Traditional religion in the United States has suffered huge losses in recent decades. The number of Americans identifying as "not religious" has increased remarkably. Religious affiliation, service attendance, and belief in God have declined. More and more people claim to be "spiritual but not religious." Religious organizations have been reeling from revelations of sexual and financial scandals and cover-ups. Public trust in "organized religion" has declined significantly. Crucially, these religious losses are concentrated among younger generations. This means that, barring unlikely religious revivals among youth, the losses will continue and accelerate in time, as less-religious younger Americans replace older more-religious ones and increasingly fewer American children are raised by religious parents.
Voting History: April: 2; July: 2

With Two Eyes Into Gehenna, by Jane Lebak, nominated by Steven R.
A rosary in one hand. A dagger in the other. Sister Magdalena never heard of the Catherinite nuns until the day she faced her own death sentence. Rome, 1562. It’s the era of the Index of Banned Books and the Roman Inquisition. Kings still burn heretics. The worst threats come from within the Church itself. Only seventeen, Magdalena killed a priest who tried to rape her within the walls of her convent. His powerful family will see her executed, and then they’ll destroy her mother and young sister.
Instead, the pope makes an offer. To save her life and protect her family, Magdalena can disappear into a secret religious order, one with a demanding physical regimen to go along with the prayers.
Voting History: February: 2; April: 3; July: 6

reply | flag

message 2: by Maria (new)

Jul 15, 2026 12:47AM