Engaged? Here are Four Books to Read
- Posted on
- By Vicky Diloné
- Posted in Book Recommendations, Engagement, Marriage, Posts by Vicky
- 3

I became engaged last fall to my best friend. And as a lover of books and my Catholic Faith, I have been spending lots of time learning about and meditating on the great Sacrament of Marriage.
Here are four books I recommend:
Marriage - The Great Adventure
This book has been my favourite to read. It's shorter than most, only about a hundred pages, but it is packed with wisdom about the purpose of marriage and how to live it according to God's design. Authors Linus and Rima Sidrys are a Lithuanian-American couple who have been married for more than 45 years. Their story is beautiful and helpful for those wanting to know what makes a loving and long-lasting marriage.
The book is sectioned into the different parts of courtship and marriage including attraction, marriage prep, after the wedding, parenthood, and living happily ever after. Each chapter within those sections is about two to three pages long, perfect for those who are busy with wedding planning or whose fiance is not an avid reader.
Three to Get Married
Venerable Fulton Sheen wrote this book more than 70 years ago but his wisdom still holds true. The book is definitely more scholarly, breaking down the theological and philosophical realities of male and female, sex and marriage, and parenthood. He also goes through the many causes of breakdowns in marriages and families.
This book is for lovers of Venerable Fulton Sheen and intellectually stimulating books who have time on their hands to dive deep into the great mystery of marriage.
Marriage and the Bible - The Two Shall Become One Flesh
Written by leading Bible scholar John Bergsma for the Augustine Institute, this book offers a comprehensible but easy-to-read Bible study on marriage as a sacrament. Starting in Genesis, going through the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament, and culminating in the Gospels and Revelation, you will discover how marriage is a way we can live God's covenantal love for us His children.
Sacred Scripture is an important part of living out our faith. While it is great to learn about the vocation of marriage through the saints and other's personal stories, we have a greater resource in God's own Word.
Victory of the Battle Maiden - The Story of a Young Woman's Journey to the Catholic Church (From the Perspective of the Guy She Married)
This book is a wildcard to throw out there. While not a "marriage prep" book in the traditional sense, it is a book about a marriage. Doug was a Catholic but didn’t really know his faith. Heidi was an evangelical protestant and really did know her faith. This is the story of how they met, fell in love, and grew together in faith.
Doug is an amazing and humorous storyteller and I found myself quoting his story to my friends and family often. I highly recommend this book to all Catholics wanting to understand their protestant brothers better, but especially to those engaged or married to non-Catholics.
These are just the books I have read so far, but I have about twenty more books on my shelf that I would like to read before my wedding in June (wish me luck). There are many more good books on the subject that you can find by clicking here.
I want to know what are your favourite books on courtship, engagement, and marriage. Let me know in the comments below.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this !!
That Best Friend was me!
Wow, what great book recommendations! Though God hasn't given me a man that I would marry yet, I do think one can't be too prepared when thinking about vocations. Hopefully, though, the right man will come my way soon!
Thank you Vicky!
I will definitely look into these titles!
I highly recommend, Chiara Corbella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy. It is not a book on marriage or engagement, but it follows the story of a beautiful Catholic couple who overcame many struggles. This book is very inspirational and I learned a lot about marriage through it.