About Me

Hello and thanks for stopping by Hair Past a Freckle. I'm Karen; a bibliophile, mum, wife, and cheese lover! I started Hair Past a Freckle in 2013 as a jack of all trades blog but quickly realised I mostly loved book reviewing and so decided to concentrate on books here. I used to blog about other stuff sporadically on my other blog, A Thief of Time but it hasn’t been updated for ages now as reading and reviewing takes up my time!
You may be wondering why I called the blog, Hair Past A Freckle. It was actually something my father used to say when I was growing up. If you're unaware of the saying, it is something said in response to somebody asking the time, usually because the person isn't wearing a watch (or in the case of my Dad, just to be difficult!) It seems a fitting name for a book blog as there can't be many readers who haven't completely lost track of time thanks to a good book.
As a child I was always being told to get some fresh air instead of sitting with my nose in a book. I was the sort of child who read packets if I didn't have a book to hand. I used to love nothing better than going to a summer fete and coming away with a pile of second hand books, that old book smell lured me from a young age! Two of my favourite books as a child were indeed bought from a fete - Shadow the Sheepdog by Enid Blyton and The Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker. I no longer have my much loved copies unfortunately but managed to replace both so my own daughters could enjoy them too - although naturally they have their own favourites.
The very first book I reviewed for this blog was The Humans by Matt Haig, it remains a very special book for me. In 2012 one of my brothers died by suicide. It was reading and later writing that helped me bear the cosmic shock to my world after his death. In the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep I listened to audiobooks. Books were my way of stepping out of reality for a while, a way of giving myself some respite from the thoughts overcrowding my brain. I first read The Humans a few months after his death and it was the beacon of hope I desperately needed. I've read many wonderful books since then, books that have lifted me, books I've learned from, books that have made me think, transported me to a different world, told truths about this world and kept me turning their pages long into the night.
Outside of reading I’m married with  three daughters and four pets - Eddie the terrier, Monty the ginger cat, Ibsen the rabbit and Speedy the tortoise. I currently work part time as a teaching assistant and midday supervisor in a primary school.
Thank you for reading, I can also be found as @karlou on Twitter and on my blog's Facebook page. I hope you enjoy my reviews, happy reading!