This month, we’re featuring Kari, a reader who turns to books for knowledge, perspective, and relaxation. Kari is not only a wife and mom of two (12 months and 2.5 years), she is also an adjunct professor of history at Emmaus University. A learner and explorer, Kari loves reading, traveling, visiting museums and trying new foods. Find the wide range of Kari’s recommendations here.
Reader of the Month Q&A:
Can you tell us about your reading interests in general?
- I read to learn, to explore, and sometimes just to relax. I’m always interested in learning about theology and history. I also like to read about raising children with disabilities since both of my little ones have disabilities – it helps me learn how to better support them. I also read just to relax and escape – my light reading is usually a short biography or memoir, or a YA book about growing up in a different time or culture.
What is your ideal reading environment?
- I love to read anywhere! But my favorite is probably snuggled on the couch with a blanket!
What book(s) are you currently reading?
- I’m getting ready to teach a Civil War unit at Emmaus. So I’m currently reading Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. It’s a fascinating book on the legacy of the Civil War. It’s controversial and a bit “edgy” for me, but I’m learning a lot. I’m also reading a YA book called Photo by Brady about photography in the Civil War.
What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?
- My favorite book is Little Women and I love not only the original, but several spin-offs I’ve read. One I enjoyed last year was More to the Story by Hena Khan.
What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?
- I’m excited to read a new book I got for my birthday – An American Girl Anthology: Finding Ourselves in the Pleasant Company Universe. American Girl was a big part of my childhood and I’m excited to look at it from a more scholarly standpoint. And I’m looking forward to buying my little girl an American Girl doll when she gets old enough!
What format do you prefer and why (physical book, e-book, audiobook)?
- I love physical books and being able to hold them in my hands and visually gauge my progress through the book. I often listen to audiobooks in the car or while doing household chores like dishes and laundry.
Have you discovered any exciting new authors or genres?
- My daughter has a lot of medical issues so we have spent a lot of time inpatient at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. The hospital library has a ton of graphic novels so I got into that genre during that time. Graphic novels can be really fun!
Have you read any books recently that have changed the way you think about something?
- My husband and I enjoyed the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt last year. It was good to pause and reflect on social media, video games, and smartphones as well as risky play (climbing trees, etc) in our childhoods and as we think about raising our kids. We would love to give them a mainly analog childhood but see a place for limited times of video gaming, too (especially as my husband is a gamer).
What is something interesting you learned from a book?
- This is hard to narrow down as most of what I know I learned from books! I learned a lot from the book Five Views on the Church and Politics, edited by Amy Black. It was very helpful to reflect on different models of political engagement. I love those kinds of books with multiple views expressed and debated in one volume.
What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?
- I would say the most emotionally difficult was The Holocaust and the Christian World, published by Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel. I’ve visited twice and it was a very haunting, sobering museum. The book explained how most European Christians of various denominations either turned a blind eye or in some cases actively assisted the Nazis in their plan to destroy the Jewish people. It was heartbreaking and really made me think as a Christian. I wondered in what ways American Christians can have blind spots and even be swept up in the evils of our time.
When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?
- I read almost every book to the last page. I’m a fast reader so it doesn’t take me very long, and I feel like I can learn something from almost any book I pick up!
Do you remember when your love for reading began?
- I’ve loved books since I can remember. My parents often read aloud to us as kids – our favorite family series is Anne of Green Gables, so we read that one many times! I loved reading independently as soon as I could do it!
What other library resources do you enjoy?
- I enjoy DVDs and music CDs (I checked out the Wicked soundtrack and have been listening to it on repeat)! I also enjoy Real Simple magazine on occasion.
A big thank-you to Kari for sharing her favorite reads and the stories that have shaped her journey. Inspired to be our next Reader of the Month? Fill out the application form here!