What She’s Reading, Watching, and Listening to

By Megan M. Seckman

Mary King has a diverse reading list. 

She is the mother of Louisville artist John King, the founder of Louisville’s Zombie Attack (the world’s largest public zombie walk held each year on his birthday, August 29) and Louisville is for Lovers (a CD featuring music from the year’s hottest local musicians, 15 years running). She is a dedicated hospice nurse who after years in the profession decided to return to the field after her retirement. So what does Mary King, 72, mother of three, grandmother of four, caregiver to many, and matriarch of music and zombies read, watch, and listen to?


Reading

• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins — I didn’t read the first book in this series (The Hunger Games) until after I had watched the movie, and looking back, I realize that was a big mistake. I have been grossly disappointed in all the movies because the books are so well written. I just finished Mockingjay because I swore I was going to read this before watching the movie.
• The Fortune Teller by (Louisville native) Marsha Norman — I just started this book and have been very impressed so far. It is about love and hate, obsession, divorce, motherhood, and fate. This is the story of a psychic who works with the local police but is often distracted by visions of her daughter who will run away with a scoundrel within the novel’s 24-hour time frame.
• The Bible — This is always on my bedside table, and I read a little every night before bed.

While she will not push aside a good book, Mary has a few favorite television shows that always take priority. 

Watching

• Downton Abbey (PBS, Sundays @ 9pm) — I am very selective about TV, but I must say I am more passionate about television than I am about books and music right now. I watch this every Sunday and can’t wait for the final season, which will begin January 3. It is set from pre-WWI to the 1920s and is a beautifully written historical British drama.
• Blue Bloods (CBS, Fridays @10pm) — This show is my favorite, and that is all Tom Selleck’s fault. It actually reminds me of The Waltons — it’s really about a big family bonding — with some police work in the middle. Tom Selleck is the police chief; one son, Donnie Wahlburg, is a bad-guy/bad-ass detective; the daughter is the DA; and the baby boy is a Harvard Law grad who returned to the force. It’s a sweet show.
• Castle (ABC, Mondays @10pm) — This show is about a mystery novelist who teams up with NYPD to help solve cases using his writer’s intuition. It’s a silly cop show, but it’s very entertaining.

 Mary, who has an appreciation for music, regularly attends the Louisville Orchestra and Louisville Youth Orchestra concerts.  

Listening To

• The Louisville Orchestra and the Louisville Youth Orchestra — Teddy Abrams, the new conductor, is brilliant. I just love what he has done for the Louisville Orchestra. I am a big fan and a season ticket holder. I also love the Louisville Youth Orchestra because my grandchild is a member!

Mary is enjoying The Fortune Teller, which is the latest book she is reading.