A Literary Feast: The Story of a Reading Life

I grinned as an elderly woman spread an array of food across the round table: a platter of gochujang-spiced tteokbokki, a plate of crispy egg rolls, and little plates with kimchi, sweetened potatoes, crispy Korean coleslaw, and little pieces of fish cake. Steaming silver bowls of rice stood tall and proud in the sea of little white plates, and large platters of thinly sliced beef, pork, and chicken soon joined them. I passed my plastic mug around the table, sharing sips of a simple soup, crafted from wakame seaweed, fresh mushrooms, and hot water. 

This meal, this spontaneous Saturday evening feast at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, offered a visual representation of how I approach literature.  

People often comment about the number of books I read, and I struggle to express my reading habits in a succinct manner. I often mention that well, I read lots of genres, or I really just love to read, and let the conversation rest with those points. However, as I mull over my approach to reading, I realize that the answer goes beyond these statements. 

Over the years, my literary diet has become similar to the Korean dinner I recently enjoyed with my husband and children: a feast of flavors and textures, both nourishing and adventurous. 

An Open Book: September 2025 Reads

I am finally coming up for air after a whirlwind of a September, and I'm excited to link up with An Open Book to share about the books that I read over the month! I read way more than I anticipated, so I'm going to do a rapid-fire recap. Onto the books! 

And Jesus Wept: A tale of two statues (and how they challenge us)

There's a statue in downtown Oklahoma City that countless people walk by each year.

Aptly titled And Jesus Wept, this statue depicts the grief of Jesus that we read about in Scripture (see Jn 11:35). Placed across the street from the Oklahoma City National Memorial, this statue reminds us that Jesus knows what it means to grieve. He is with us in our pain, and he mourns as we mourn. We remember the 168 people who were killed in the April 1995 bombing and the countless other people whose lives were upended by this act of violence. When we look at this statue, we remember that in our grief and pain, Christ is present and full of love and compassion; he suffers with us. 

An Open Book: August 2025 Reads

August flew by, and it was a really fun reading month. I'm linking up with An Open Book to share what I read. There were some children's books, a historical fiction novel for adults, and I also finished a couple of nonfiction books that I had been working on for a while. Let's dive in!  

An Open Book: July 2025 Reads

Happy Feast of the Transfiguration! I'm linking up with An Open Book to discuss what I read last month; it was a fun mix of fiction and nonfiction. Let's dive in! 

Glancing back, moving forward: 10 years in Oklahoma

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I never imagined that I would drive down the highway, a Carmelite nun in my passenger seat, after attending Mass at a shrine dedicated to a modern martyr. I never imagined that five young children would also be in that van, three of whom were born at home. I never imagined that I would eagerly be pursuing self-publishing. 

Yet, there I was on a recent afternoon, chatting with a nun as I drove us from Mass at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine to a local home for the dying. A book manuscript sat on my laptop at home, waiting to be sent to a freelance editor. My five young kids filled the van with their happy chatter, and I grinned in disbelief. I was living an ordinary day, and the gifts of the moment were incredible. 

Ten years ago, when my husband and I moved to Oklahoma in an unusually rainy summer, I did foresee any of these blessings. 

I hoped to find a good community, grow as a writer, and welcome children into my home. I hoped to have fun adventures with my husband and make good memories. When we drove down to the Oklahoma City metro, all of our belongings (aside from two boxes of books that didn't fit and had to be mailed) packed into a sedan, I had dreams for the future--but no idea how they would be fulfilled. I did not foresee the incredible blessings God pours into the ordinary days of my ordinary life.

 

I had no idea how this new adventure would challenge me, either. 

I could not imagine the deeply difficult experiences I would undergo physically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. God has used countless moments and experiences to expand my love, sacrifice, and trust. He has poured down mercy and grace and love again and again. 

He has brought incredible people into my life; some of whom I don't see often anymore, some of whom I've grown close with over time, some of whom I see more frequently in some seasons than others. I've discovered delightful communities and places across the Oklahoma City metro area. My husband and I have grown in and through a beautiful marriage movement that we never even knew existed until we had lived here for a few years.  

An Open Book: June 2025 Reads

Somehow, it's July. Where did June go???

Last month was packed with many wonderful things, including a large reading stack! I mostly read fiction in June, which was a great way to relax and unwind. I'm linking up with An Open Book as I review my recent reading adventures. Let's dive in!

An Open Book: May 2025 Reads

Another month has arrived, which means I'm linking up with An Open Book to talk about what I read last month. Buckle up, because there are A LOT of books here, courtesy of a non-napping baby who just wanted to cuddle and nurse. Homeschooling, werewolves, postpartum life, Vatican II, and the U.S. military are just a sampling of the topics I read about, both fiction and non-fiction. Let's dive in! 

Habemus papam

Messages flooded the screen, stating that there was white smoke at the Vatican. “Sorry kids, Anpanman will have to wait,” I said as I grabbed the laptop and switched from a video streaming service to a livestream by a Catholic news service. We looked at the huge crowd that was gathered and the clusters of cardinals that stood on balconies, a hint as to who wasn’t the new pope.

The days following the death of Pope Francis had felt odd; we were mourning the death of our father, while also knowing that sometime--probably in the near future--we would have a new Holy Father. The sorrow had mixed with a joyful anticipation. Now, the white smoke had shown that our wait was over. 

A man stepped out onto a balcony and declared: “Habemus Papam.” Tears sprang into my eyes. As my children chattered, I tried to listen for a name. I couldn’t catch it, but suddenly, there on my screen was a picture of a cardinal I had never heard of…from America! Moments later, that same man walked onto the balcony and blessed the crowd as peace flowed from his youthful gaze.I was stunned and ecstatic, and a thousand and one questions whirled through my mind. However, my kids had been waiting to watch their movie, to I started Anpanman and left to rest with the baby. 

Later on, slightly more rested, I knew that I needed to do something. How could I sit inside and field countless questions from my other kids about Pokémon or Star Wars when we had a new pope? I glanced at the backyard and suddenly knew what to do.

An Open Book: April 2025 Reads

A new (and very rainy) month has arrived, so I'm linking up with An Open Book to chat about my recent reading adventures. I didn't read many books, but the ones I picked up were a fascinating mix of fiction and non-fiction. Let's dive in!

Life Offline

An e-mail about yet another online Lenten retreat caught my eye. 

Hosted by a well-known Catholic priest whose writing and speaking I enjoy, I knew it would be a good event. Not only that, but it was free!  The computer cursor hovered over the registration link as I thought about how incredible this opportunity was. Yet, before I clicked that button, I paused. The thought hit me, unbidden: I didn't actually want to participate in this online event. As great as it was, why would I carve out time to sit in front of a laptop when I was about to attend a daylong retreat with other people in my local area? 

We all know the value of in-person interactions.  As many of us experienced in 2020, we know, in the deepest part of our being, that watching someone on a screen, online, is not the same as being physically with that person. How many times have we participated in a video call with a loved one and desperately wished that we could reach through the screen and share a hug? 

We also know that internet technology provides amazing ways for us to connect with others. It provides a path for us to meet a variety of people and learn from them. It offers resources for enrichment and growth, especially if we live in an area with few of the resources that we desire. For example, if we live in a place where Catholics are few and retreats are unheard of--or if we are homebound--then an online retreat is a tremendous blessing. 

Being able to access countless resources and information online is a great gift, and I'm grateful for the ways in which the internet has helped me find tools to grow as a daughter of God, as a writer, and as a homemaker. From nalbinding tutorials to recipe websites to Church documents, the internet has aided my lifelong learning. 

However, it’s become so easy to live and pray and grow online that we struggle to live offline.