Mary (kilchurn) is today’s featured Member of the Month. She was named Member of the Month in April 2011.

1. How long have you been a PBS member?

I became a member on June 29, 2007 – so 4 years tomorrow.

2. How did you find PBS?

I was sitting in my teeny home office surrounded by bookshelves filled with books.  I hadn’t been to the used bookstore in a while and I was due.  My husband came in my office with a post-it note and handed it to me.  He glanced around the room at all of my books and told me I might find that website “helpful”.  Neither of us had any idea of what was to come.

How has PBS impacted your life?

While PBS has opened my eyes to new genres of books, the books take a backseat to the wonderful people I have met.  PBS has provided me with my real-life best friend as well has two other wonderful women who are great friends and co-conspirators.  I have made friendships with people all across the US with whom I laugh, cry and share my own experiences.  I am going on the cruise in February 2012 and I CANNOT WAIT to hug everyone!!!!

What does PBS mean to you?

PBS came along during a difficult year in my life and my involvement with the site is the greatest unpaid job I’ll ever have.

3. Did you read as a child? What was your favorite book growing up? What book impacted you most as a child or young adult?

I was an avid reader as a child – my mother promised me that I could have a horse if I learned everything there was to know about them.  I LIVED at the library in section 636.1 for most of my youth.  I am quite sure I checked out every horse book at my library at least 10 times.

My favorite book as a young girl was Man O’ War by Walter Farley.  I still have my beaten up copy.

The book that impacted me most was The Valley of Horses by Jean Auel.  I had wanted to read that book for years (because it said “horses” in the title”).  My mother allowed me to read it during the summer between my junior and senior year in high school.  We had moved from the small town where I grew up to the big city of Atlanta and I completely identified with the main character.  We were both alone and making our way through a whole new world.  The Valley of Horses is the only hardcover book on my keeper shelf and is definitely a touchstone for me.

4. What is your favorite or most meaningful book read as an adult?

I don’t really have a favorite book that I’ve read as an adult, since most of what I read is for pleasure.  However, I read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein last year and I would say that it is the book that has made me stop and think.  It also makes me look at my cat and wonder what is going through her walnut-sized brain.

5. What are you reading now?

Unfortunately real-life is overshadowing my reading right now, but I have a TON of books on my TBR pile.  I want to read my copies of Lover Mine and Lover Unleashed by JR Ward.

Thank you and Happy PBS Anniversary Mary!

Tags: Book Suggestions, Club Member of the Month, Members

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 10:34 am and is filed under Memories and Miscellany from our MoM's, Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.