We’re delighted to welcome our brilliant new team member, Jen Robinson.
In this Q&A Jen talks about her love of books and how they’ve kept her “company and connected”.
Can you share something about when you first heard of RF?
When I first heard of Reading Force (and as a self-confessed bookworm) I was instantly drawn to the idea of a shared connection through books. It reminded me of catch-ups with friends and family, when the conversation inevitably moves to our latest favourite reads. And like so many members of the armed forces family, during my RAF career I spent much of my time away from “home-home”: as far south as Mount Pleasant and north as Yellowknife, as far east as Kandahar and west as the Mojave Desert. Books have helped keep me both company and connected during all my adventures. And now I am absolutely delighted to have joined the Reading Force team – I can’t wait to get out and about, and to share the joy of reading across the armed forces family in NI.
Can you share something about when you first heard of RF?
When I first heard of Reading Force (and as a self-confessed bookworm) I was instantly drawn to the idea of a shared connection through books. It reminded me of catch-ups with friends and family, when the conversation inevitably moves to our latest favourite reads. And like so many members of the armed forces family, during my RAF career I spent much of my time away from “home-home”: as far south as Mount Pleasant and north as Yellowknife, as far east as Kandahar and west as the Mojave Desert. Books have helped keep me both company and connected during all my adventures. And now I am absolutely delighted to have joined the Reading Force team – I can’t wait to get out and about, and to share the joy of reading across the armed forces family in NI.
Can you tell us a little about your Ambassador role in NI, and how you feel about taking on this role?
I am really excited to be taking on the role of Reading Force Ambassador in NI. I can’t wait to get out and about, to chat with everyone, and to share our resources with as many members of our community as possible. I hope to be invited to lots of family’s days and other events, so please if you are planning an event let me know and I will be sure to be there with my bag full of free books and resources. I have a few ideas for competitions and events over the coming months too, so be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with everything that’s happening at Reading Force NI. And, of course, you don’t have to wait until you meet me to join. You can join, or re-join, at any time by following the link https://www.readingforce.org.uk/join-reading-force-northern-ireland/.
You’ve been working with veterans since you retired from the RAF, and you’ll be working with veterans in NI with RF too – can you say how they can get involved?
Yes, some of the veteran support community in NI will know me already, from Coleraine Veterans Club, the Giants’ Retreat, the Serving & Ex Serving Women’s Network in NI, and/or Connect to Protect. As a community, I know we are all passionate about supporting every member of our armed forces family as much as we possibly can; and I know too that this can be particularly difficult once a family has left the services. To help with that, I am keen to collaborate with organisations, to bolster their support to families with our free books and special resources. So, if you think that I might be able to help compliment your support service, then please get in touch. I hope to be at as many events as I can be, so please invite me along to your event and I’ll be there with my bag full of free books and other resources!
Final question – can you tell us about a book you’ve recently enjoyed?
Sorry I couldn’t contain my answer to one book… Possibly my favourite books of all time are the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. I started to read them when they were first published which was while I was at university studying aeronautical engineering, and I continued to follow the series after I joined the RAF. In fact, I remember ‘Harry Potter fan or not’ being a great debate with new friends as those of us who were fans disappeared for the weekend with each new release. For me each book had it all…amazing writing that sparked my imagination, they evoked feelings of pure joy with plenty of edge of the seat action & adventure, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
More recently, I was surprised to enjoy Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; this was a Book Club read and wouldn’t have been a book that I would otherwise have been drawn to but I loved it…as the synopsis says, it’s not a love story but it is a story about love. I also love a good psychological thriller or a murder mystery, but since I started back at university (for the third time) last September, I have been indulging in genres that are a bit more uplifting, offering the perfect escape. I loved The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods, The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page and The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey; I am currently reading My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes.
Thanks so much for sharing Jen!