Below are my top 5 favorite books on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Any of these 5 would make great gifts. They will definitely help you grow in your love for Christ through Mary.

5. Maria of Guadalupe: Shaper of History Shaper of Hearts by Paul Badde

I’m on a Guadalupe kick lately so this book is on my mind. This is the book on the Virgin of Guadalupe. Paul Badde includes everything, even the back story to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, Christopher Columbus, and the Battle of Lepanato. I love this book.

4. Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn

Dr. Hahn’s book may have been the first book I ever read on Mary. I was still a Protestant. I like how he described his own concerns as a Protestant coming to love Mary as he became Catholic. It has interesting autobiographical details and solid Mariology. This book is accessible and perfect for those who wonder whether devotion to Mary takes away from devotion to Christ.

3. Maria de Agreda’s The Mystical City of God

This book is on my night stand. It is my peaceful sleeping pill. If I cannot sleep for some reason, this is the book I turn to – but not because it’s boring! It pours peace into my soul.

Maria de Agreda was a nun in Spain who died in 1665. She bilocated to Texas and evangelized the Native Americans – preparing them for baptism by the coming missionaries. She is the reason why the “bluebonnet” is the state flower of Texas.

The Blessed Virgin Mary revealed her own life to Maria and she wrote it down. When people talk to me about Catherine Emmerich, I always point them to Maria de Agreda. I find theological error in Emmerich. However, Maria de Agreda is gold.

PS: I’m a Texan so I am partial to Maria de Agreda…

2. Devotion to Our Lady by Stefano Manelli

This is my favorite short little devotional book. Some may find its devotional style a bit too flowery or baroque. I love it. Much of my Marian blogging is inspired by this short little book. I also like to give this book away.

1. True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort

This is probably the greatest masterpiece of Mariology. My entire Marian spirituality and Mariology derives from this book. It was the favorite Marian book of Blessed John Paul II. It’s mine too. It provides the most powerful argument for true devotion to Mary. Saint Louis de Montfort illustrates that true devotion to Mary is maximalist because it always leads to greater holiness and greater love for our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a bit more archaic and less accessible than the books above, but don’t leave this life without reading this book by a great saint.