Portrait of a Reader: Karen S.

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

My husband, Kurt, and I have been married for 19 years. We are a blended family and have been empty nesters for 5 years. We live in Owasso, OK which is just north of Tulsa. Our furry babies include two precious dogs, two loud parrots and two horses.

Wow! That’s a lot of furry (and feathery!) babies. So when did you first come to identify yourself as a reader? What do you most enjoy reading? Do you consider yourself a casual reader, a sporadic reader, a serious reader or an all-out bibliophile?

I wasn’t much of a reader until after my first (of five) surgeries on my spine. I have Accute Adult Scoliosis and in October 2000 my spine was fused from T4 to S1. My mother-in-law gave me a bunch of Lauraine Snelling’s Red River of the North books to read as I was healing. She also gave me several Janette Oke books. I was hooked from that point on and read for hours every day. I do consider myself a all out bibliophile now.

What a great story. Not great that you’ve had to have to many surgeries, but what a wonderful thing to come out of it. (At least I consider being a bibliophile a wonderful thing!) So what do you most enjoy reading?

Historical Christian Fiction is the genre that I enjoy the best. I love stories that describe in detail from what the characters are wearing to what gadgets they have in their kitchens. I like it best when an author uses an event that has happened in the past and creates a fictional story around that event. I especially liked your book, Anne, At Every Turn, because you did that in the story. I like to look up these event online as I read to find more information at them and just to see if it is real.  It touches my heart when I read Biblical scriptures in a book and how the author applies them to the characters situations. I like to be able to think about the book for days after I read it.

You are my kind of reader, Karen! I, too, love when a real historical event anchors a fictional story. I like to find out more about those things, too. And I love Biblical truth played out in a character’s life and thinking through that for days afterward. We are kindred spirits! (And bless you for your kind words about At Every Turn!) What is the last book you finished and what are you currently reading?

I just finished Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta.  I am currently reading The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen. I have a wish list that you wouldn’t believe.

Oh, I bet I would. I imagine I have a similar one. 🙂 I have Born of Persuasion in my pile and am itching to get my hands on The Dancing Master. Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors and a lovely person, too. Do you have a favorite time and place to read? 

Even though I do read off and on all day, my favorite time to read is in the bed in the wee hours of the morning. I am a night owl.

I can so relate. What is the most unusual circumstance/place in which you’ve been found reading?

I can’t really think of any place unusual. But who know what the future may bring.

Very true. Do you read physical books, ebooks, or both

I have 2 extra bedrooms that are full of paperback books. I counted one day and there is close to 500 books in those rooms. My husband gave me my first Kindle three years ago so I mainly just read ebooks. I like that I can look in one place and see all the books I have read. I use to keep lists of them.

Wow. How fun to have room to store all those books, but it certainly is nice to be able to do a quick search of your ebook library. So I’m guessing I already know the answer to the next questions, but do you buy your books, borrow them from friends or check them out of the library? (Or all of the above!)

I have bought books, downloaded books and borrowed from the library. I do know I can borrow ebooks from the library now but the wait is very long for some of the new books.

Interesting. I haven’t tried ebooks from the library yet. Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that generally accompany your reading?

I usually have our Boston Terrier and our Pug by my side when I read. If I tried to eat anything while reading, I would have to stop and share with them.  But sometimes I am able to sneak a piece or two of candy.

That’s probably a good thing. It’s way too easy to snack and read. At least for me. 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 am so very blessed ro have a husband that loves to cook. Now that I can’t stand on my feet for very long, he does most of the cooking.  He will tell you he has to sometimes tell me 2 and 3 (4 and 5) times it is time to eat before I put my Kindle down and go to the table.

That is a blessing, both for your health and your reading habit. 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of yourself with us today, Karen. 

Happy Reading, Y’all!