Literary Profiles #2: Get To Know Fellow Reader Brooke

Brooke, a school counselor, avid reader, and animal rescue advocate, shares about a very special animal rescue org, her favorite books of all time, what book kept her up all night reading & more...

Hi Readers!

I’m so excited to share the second issue of my series, Literary Profiles! This series allows me to lean into my curiosity about people and their reading lives. This will be a curated Q & A with someone (think booksellers/managers, bookstagrammers, librarians, authors, other Substackers, etc) from the book world and will explore how they read, what they read, and much more. Today, I’m honored to have Brooke, a bookstagrammer, school counselor, and animal rescue advocate as my guest to share about her job, her advocacy, and of course her reading life. If you enjoy this series, consider becoming a paid subscriber!

Can you tell readers a bit about who you are? What does a week in your life look like?

I’m Brooke, a 41-year old living in San Diego County, CA. My pronouns are She/Her. I grew up in Ohio and moved to San Diego after college. I proudly identify both Ohio and California as my home states. I am married with no human kids, but we have a 12 year old orange cat, Charlotte. She is sweet and sassy, very chatty, and the center of our household. I am a School Counselor, mood reader, Enneagram 9,  and animal rescue advocate.

What is the most challenging part of your job as a School Counselor? The most rewarding part?

Being an educator is very challenging these days! The role of a School Counselor has evolved into becoming more mental health & crisis response than ever before. School Counselors are on the frontlines for recognizing social emotional concerns and connecting families to supports. Sadly, I work with middle school students with severe anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation weekly, if not daily. The most rewarding part is seeing students work through their challenges, and hearing from students in college or beyond who are now in the social work or mental health field. 

Tell Readers a bit about your volunteer work with Frosted Faces… How did you get started there? What is the most rewarding part of volunteering and the most challenging?

Frosted Faces Foundation is a senior animal rescue in Ramona, CA, about 40 miles from San Diego. We exit senior dogs and cats from open admission shelters across southern California. The shelter system is greatly impacted and senior animals are often less likely to be adopted, so FFF provides them a comfortable, enriching space with top-notch veterinary care while they wait for a forever home. The goal of FFF is to find forever families for these pets, and our motto is “if not you, then who?” We have $0 adoption fees, and provide FREE medical care for life with our veterinary staff! We want senior dogs to be in homes and do not want financial expenses to be a barrier for that. My cat Charlotte is a Frosted Face!

Can you share a favorite story you have about a Frosted Faces animal?

One of my favorite Frosted Faces is Rocky Dean! Rocky was terrified when he arrived at FFF; he had lost his home and the world was a big scary place. He hid under blankets and would not let anyone touch him. With time and love from patient and understanding volunteers and staff, Rocky Dean grew a bit more confident and trusting. Volunteers at FFF can take dogs on off-site outings, so I took Rocky to a quiet park a few times, got him Wendy’s cheeseburgers, and spent time with him in the yard at FFF. He eventually allowed me to pick him up and became a silly, goofy dog. I was there when Rocky met his Mom and Dad and helped “convince” them to adopt him! Because FFF has a boarding program, I often get to see Rocky Dean when his parents are out of town - and he still remembers and loves me! Dogs like Rocky Dean would likely be euthanized in overcrowded shelters because of “behavioral challenges,” but Frosted Faces believes that they can be adoptable and takes a chance on many dogs like Rocky Dean.

Brooke with Rocky Dean

What is one thing you’d like readers to know about organizations like Frosted Faces? How can someone reading help Frosted Faces, especially if they don’t live near it?

I want people to know that “senior” might mean age 8+, but it does not dictate what an animal’s behavior, activity level, or health may be like. We have very active dogs who can hike 6+ miles and play fetch nonstop for hours; we have dogs that are considered hospice and need a loving home for their final chapter, and everything in between! Do not be afraid of the term “senior” animal - like senior humans, age is just a number! 

People can donate to Frosted Faces Foundation in a variety of ways on the website, but the most important is to become a “Fan” - a $25 a month sponsorship that covers the animal’s monthly medical care. Follow us on social media and you can donate to any campaigns that tug at your heart. Of course, sharing and re-posting adoptable pets helps!  Donate Here

Brooke and the Frosted Faces gang

Brooke’s Reading Life

How long have you been a reader? - Since I learned to read at age 5!

How do you fit reading into your day?- I am an early riser, so sometimes I read before school, and always in bed at night. I listen to audiobooks on my 30-40 minute commute, and I read on the weekends. 

What is your preferred reading format and why? Print, audio, ebook? A combination of all 3? - All 3! I love audiobooks while driving or working on a puzzle, and I prefer print over digital, but if I can get a book on Libby I will read on my kindle. 

If you track your reading, how do you do that? - apps or paper trackers? Reading journals? - I use Goodreads and The Storygraph to track my reading. I also use the Currently Reading Podcast’s reading tracker, which I love. 

Do you use star ratings? Why or why not? - I have a love/hate relationship with star ratings! I think this is the mood reader-Enneagram 9 in me. Sometimes it is too hard to quantify a rating and I need to give .25 ratings; sometimes I use a different system: Loved it, Really Liked It, Liked It, Just ok, Did Not Like.

If you could have coffee, dinner and drinks with 3 authors, who would it be and why? 

Coffee - Taylor Jenkins Reid - I was OBSESSED with Fleetwood Mac when I was in 10th grade and they were my first ever live concert (The Dance reunion tour). TJR’s obsession with Fleetwood Mac and similar bands inspired her novel Daisy Jones and The Six, and I became entranced all over again with the book and tv show.

Dinner - Cheryl Strayed - I would love to have a long conversation with her about grief and loss, bravery, leading an authentic life

Drinks - Jason Reynolds - he is smart, funny, and wouldn’t be the worst person to have a flirty drink with! (we are both married, it’s just for fun!)

How do you choose what to read next? - I have several TBR lists (notes app on my phone of recs from bookstagram, podcasts and friends, and one on Goodreads). I usually scroll through those, look at reviews, and choose one. I am such a mood reader that I often start a book and quickly put it down and try something else. I might try 3-4 books before settling on one. 

My favorite genre to read in is - Mystery/Thriller, Romance, and Memoir.

If I could only read books by one author for the rest of my life, it would be - Taylor Jenkins Reid.

A few of my favorite nonfiction reads are : What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo; Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad; Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride, Educated by Tara Westover; and Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah.

A book that’s overrated is- anything by Riley Sager!

A book that is a hidden gem is - These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner. It is historical fiction and written partially in epistolary format, but I would recommend for people who like Go as a River by Shelly Read or books by William Kent Krueger.

A book that changed my life or perspective was - The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson because I knew nothing about the Great Migration or this period of time in our country’s history. Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds was also a huge learning experience for me. Both of these books led me to more critical thinking of the historical (and present day) context of racism in the U.S.

The last book that made me cry was - Talking at Night by Clare Daverley because I am a sucker for an epic, second-chance romance.

The last book that made me laugh was - Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld.

My last 5 star read was - What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

My favorite book (or books) of all time would be - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and Every Summer After by Carly Fortune.

The last book that kept me up reading late into the night was - An Untamed State by Roxane Gay because it was so intense!

Connect with Brooke Online!

Instagram: @Brookesbooks_and_dogs

Facebook: Brooke Burton Snow

A huge thank you to Brooke for taking the time to share about Frosted Faces Foundation and her reading life. This newsletter is free, so help spread the word by sharing on your social media and forwarding to your friends. Don’t forget to follow Brooke on Instagram for more great book recommendations and tons of pics of the Frosted Faces animals.

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