The gift of good fiction, of good literature, is its ability to articulate and illuminate different emotions and experiences in our own lives. Books and stories can show us that we are not alone, that others have experienced similar situations and feelings and have not only survived but have overcome and grown from adversity. A good book can be a friend to us in trials, giving comfort as well as sharing wisdom.  Earlier this year, my mother passed away after a brief and unexpected bout with cancer. It was not something any of us saw coming and it is a loss that left a hole in the lives of our whole family. In particular, I was very close to my mother, having lived with her for many years after I returned home from college. She was my closest friend, my spiritual director, and my greatest cheerleader in everything that I did. I am grateful that in the end her death was very peaceful and holy, and there is no doubt in my mind that she was ready and eager to go home to our Heavenly Lord. However, that does not always lessen the ache of those of us who have been left behind. As I’ve spent the rest of this year walking through the grief and adjusting to a new world without her, my greatest refuge, as always, has been in books. In particular, I’ve been immersed in classic Children’s and Young Adult Literature. I was dealing enough with the grown-up world in my daily life; I didn’t need any more of it in my fiction. I could write a whole post on the value of well-written “Children’s”...

This article was originally published in The Catholic News Herald of the diocese of Charlotte. Obedience is not a trait that has ever come particularly easy for me. I have a stubborn and somewhat contrary nature. I’m also excessively curious and like to know the “why” behind everything. And I will admit to a rather rebellious streak, as well, which means that telling me to do something is often a guaranteed way to make me not want to do it. I often thank the Lord that I was given such patient and loving parents, or else I might not have survived my adolescence and young adulthood. Coming to the Catholic Church in my mid-20s required a lot of trust in things I didn’t fully understand, things I may never fully understand this side of heaven. I had to accept many things in my heart long before I would begin to get a hold of them with my mind, and even 10 years later I am still amazed when a new piece of the faith suddenly “clicks” for me. I recently read “Inside the Light: Understanding the Message of Fatima” by Sister Angela de Fatima Coelho. Before reading this book, I knew only the basic story of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin that took place in Fatima, Portugal, in the early 20th century: how Our Lady appeared to three young shepherd children over a series of several months, culminating in the spectacular “miracle of the sun” that was witnessed by many thousands of people. Sister Angela presents many beautiful ideas to meditate upon, but one that struck me particularly...

Last year was a bit of a whirlwind in my personal life, as I celebrated my wedding, moved into my new home, and began learning how to be a wife. It's been pretty exciting, and I'm a big fan of the situation, but it was definitely a chaotic kind of year. I still managed to get through about 60+ books, but there was very little plan to what I was reading. A lot of it was just pleasure reading, or things that happened to strike my fancy at any given time, and I'm not sure how much of any of it really sunk in. But as I gear up for this coming year, I'm hoping to get a bit more organized and intentional in my reading again. I'd like to work through some more of my foundational texts and it's my hope to start writing at least brief reviews of everything I read, as well. In the past, I found that helped me retain things much better and I benefited a lot more from what I was reading; it also helped simplify these year-end reviews! My most significant accomplishments of the year were finishing Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, as well as Kristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. Both of these novels are pretty hefty in size, as well as in subject matter, as they chronicle the lives and particularly the marriages of their titular characters. Both were somewhat difficult to read at times, not because they aren't brilliantly written but because the choices made by the characters can bring such second-hand anxiety and shame. However, they are brilliantly written, and they are both books that I plan...

This piece was originally posted January 3, 2022 on my previous blog. This past year has involved a lot of transitions in my personal world, and even now I am just a few months away from getting married and starting a whole new chapter in life. It’s been a wonderfully blessed time, but also a bit chaotic, and more than ever I have been appreciative of the grounding nature that books have in my life. Books can provide an escape from day-to-day stress, but they can also help to give perspective and a deeper understanding of what’s really important in life. I think the book that will have the most lasting impact on me from this past year is Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. I had not actually heard of it before it was assigned for my book club, but it’s one of the most moving books I’ve ever read. A leader in the Dutch underground efforts during World War II and survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom’s story is heartbreaking but I also found it to be extremely uplifting and filled with hope and extreme examples of the truth of faith. There are many passages that have stuck with me and I’m sure it is a book I will return to often in life. A few authors I have fallen particularly in love with this year: George MacDonald, Dorothy Sayers, and Joy Davidman. MacDonald’s work had a strong impact on C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and many others, and indeed I’ve found all of his writing to be quite delightful. Mostly what I’ve read have been his more fantastical children’s...