Portrait of a Reader: Ann D.

Welcome, Ann! Please start by introducing us to yourself and your family.

I am a retired English teacher and Christian school administrator.  I stay busy keeping up with my husband of 50+ years and our four children and their families. We never lack for something to do with thirteen grandchildren.

Can I tell you a little secret? I am the oldest of Ann’s four children! Yep, meet my mom! 🙂

So, Mom, when did you first came to identify yourself as a reader? Do you consider yourself a casual reader, a sporadic reader, a serious reader or an all-out bibliophile? 

I began reading seriously in junior high when I discovered Nancy Drew.  In high school I loved reading the classics like Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. I am always reading one or two books.

Yes, I come by my love of classic literature honestly. What do you most enjoy reading now?

My favorites are historical novels and mysteries—especially those store that combine both elements.  I still read classics and quite a number of non-fiction books.

Mom and I both love historical mysteries. I introduced her to Anne Perry books (Victorian England mysteries) years ago, and then she found Victoria Thompson (late 19th century New York City mysteries), which we have both enjoyed. What is the last book you finished and what are you currently reading?

I just finished A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell which was a view of the Elizabethan court you don’t get from the history book.  I am now reading Rules of a Murder by Julianna Deering.

I hope you’ll like Julianna’s books as much as I do! Do you have a favorite time and place to read? 

My favorite time to read is in the evening in my big chair–while my husband watches sports.

She neglected to mention that her big chair is right next to a lovely stone fireplace. A great place to read! So what is the most unusual circumstance/place in which you’ve been found reading?

When I was a teenager I would read under my covers with the lamp—my mother couldn’t understand how the sheets got singed.

Lol! I love it! I can just imagine Grandmother scratching her head over that one. Do you read physical books, ebooks, or both?

I enjoy holding a real book in my hand, but I am spoiled to ebooks for their portability and the ease in buying books—sometimes too easy.

Sigh. I think most of us readers feel exactly that way. Do you buy your books, borrow them from friends or check them out of the library? (Or all of the above!)

I usually buy books or borrow them from my daughter’s library. 🙂

Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that generally accompany your reading?

Hot tea

And that is where mother and daughter differ. I prefer coffee. Finally, it’s true confessions time: have you ever forgotten something important (to fix dinner or that dinner was in the oven or an appointment, etc) because you were lost in the pages of a book? 

I can’t remember anything specific, but I know I had to moderate my reading when my children were little.  Disconnecting from a book for me can be as challenging as disconnecting from technology is for my grandchildren.

So true. You’ve always been so much more disciplined than me to disconnect from reading that I wasn’t surprised you didn’t have an answer for this question. 😉

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of yourself with us today. I hope everyone else enjoyed getting to know my mom, too!

Happy Reading, Y’all!