🍴 Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Hobeck Books

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'm delighted to welcome Adrian and Rebecca from Hobeck Books to Sunday Brunch

A very warm welcome to you both. What favourite food are you both bringing to Sunday brunch?

ADRIAN: I'd have to bring a perfectly ripe avocado - the perfect partner for the bacon in my opinion, but not one shared with Rebecca!

REBECCA: Indeed, I don’t like avocado at all. My breakfast choice is a bit strange but here goes: tinned plum sausages on toast with grated cheese and BBQ sauce. I eat this almost every day (unless Adrian offers to make an omelette – he’s rather good with eggs).

Would you like a pot of English breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

ADRIAN: A strong but decaf americano for me. I've recently given up the caffeine as my heart was playing up!

REBECCA: A large strong Americano normally, but since you are offering a Bucks Fizz, why not? Yes please!

Where shall we eat brunch – around the kitchen table, in the formal dining room, or outside on the patio?

ADRIAN: Patio appeals on a nice day I have to say.

REBECCA: In a Japanese hot spring (and I’d have to be naked) surrounded by snow. Is that possible? I have experienced this once and it was utterly sublime.

Shall we have music playing in the background, and if so do you both have a favourite piece of music?

ADRIAN: I use Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as my creative mood enhancer. Alternatively, a Cafe Del Mar CD would do the trick.

REBECCA: As I’m sat in a Japanese hot spring I’d have to have Yoshimoto Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips

Which of your literary heroes (dead or alive) are joining us for Sunday Brunch today?

ADRIAN: Can't look beyond Clive James. Guaranteed excellent conversation.

REBECCA: Again, given the location, it has to be Haruki Murakami. I have read all his books and I’m one of those super fans who would go to Waterstones at midnight to get the next one.

As publishers do you still find time to read for pleasure and which favourite book will you bring to Sunday Brunch?

ADRIAN: I don't read for pleasure enough I find, but I'm currently reading V2 by Robert Harris so that can come too.

REBECCA: I read a lot. I always have at least one, often two, books on the go. I’d probably bring The World According to Garp by John Irving as in my opinion John Irving is the ultimate story teller. He is a genius. I first read this book when I was a student and I carried it everywhere for about two years.

Tell us about Hobeck Books, how you got started in the publishing world, and the ethos of your company?

ADRIAN: I come from a creative background - albeit broadcasting with a 25 year career with the BBC. We created Hobeck to combine our skills and knowledge. Rebecca has years of top publishing experience, and I have a creative management background. Our ethos is to combine traditional publishing values with the best of indie marketing techniques, and we work extremely collaboratively with our authors.

REBECCA: As Adrian has already said, I have been working in publishing for years, since 1998. I grew up surrounded by books so it made sense that once I had to earn money, I should surround myself by books at work as well.

What excites you about publishing?

ADRIAN: Nurturing authors and bringing great stories to readers. No two days are the same. Seeing the Hobeck logo on the spines of our paperbacks still gives me a thrill.

REBECCA: I also love nurturing authors and seeing their writing develop. I even love the constant fire-fighting nature of our job – emailing authors, answering queries, engaging with bloggers, talking to readers, writing blurb, making TikTok videos.

Give us four essential items that a publisher needs?

ADRIAN: Patience, a grip on grammar, enthusiasm, and a love of story.

REBECCA: The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, a creative eye, a strong coffee and lots of chocolate.

What can you tell us about the exciting titles you have planned for 2022?

ADRIAN: We have new authors launching with us this year, as well as some great books by our existing team. Look out for The Chemist by Lewis Hastings, Blood Lines from Lin Le Versha, and Jonathan Peace's debut set in 1987, Dirty Little Secrets.

REBECCA: We are having to find new ways to reach readers as existing digital platforms are proving not to be as effective as they used to be for marketing, so we are going to be making efforts towards doing that. I think the Hobcast, our weekly podcast, will be a big part of our year as we expand our pool of interviewees.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Twitter: @HobeckBooks

 Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hobeckbooks10

Instagram @HobeckBooks

 Website: www.hobeck.net

Hobeck Books is a small UK independent publisher of fiction in the following genres: crime, thrillers, suspense and mysteries. Run by partners Rebecca Collins and Adrian Hobart, Hobeck now has twenty authors, from established names like Rob Gittins, Robert Daws and Linda Huber, to new authors like Wendy Turbin, Mark Wightman and Jonathan Peace.

Rebecca and Adrian, thank you both for sharing Sunday Brunch today. It's been great fun.

Follow us on Twitter @jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchWithJaffareadstoo

Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Elizabeth Ducie

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast, and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'm delighted to welcome writer, Elizabeth Ducie

☼Good morning, Elizabeth! Happy Sunday!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

Home-made muesli with lots of fresh berries and nuts (which is how I start most days) followed by bacon sarnies using crusty white bread, crispy bacon and brown sauce (which is NOT how I star my days usually)

Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

Bucks Fizz every time.

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

Louisa May Alcott, as I’d love to hear what she thinks of the new film of Little Women, plus Jostein Gaarder, for reasons that will become obvious.

What’s the title of the book nearest to you?

The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. I was introduced to this book some years ago and I use it as my literary advent calendar, reading each chapter on the appropriate day in December. It is a story within a story and interweaves history, philosophy and religion beautifully. Every time I read it, I find something different.

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

In terms of the one I have owned for the longest, it is a copy of Alice in Wonderland, given to me as a birthday present in 1959. It’s a bit battered and some of the pages are falling out, but it’s still one of my favourites from childhood.

Which book do you really want to read but haven’t had time for …yet!

Not one book, but a whole series. I have loved watching Game of Thrones on TV, but would love to have time to read the original books. I love fantasy and spent years reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and (latterly) Brandon Sanderson. But GoT seems like such a huge undertaking and there are just so many other books on my TBR list.

Do you have a guilty reading pleasure, and if so will you tell us about it?

Not sure I feel much guilt about it, but I love reading the thrillers of Lee Child, James Patterson and Dan Brown. Not necessarily literature and frequently unbelievable story lines, but damn good stories and real page turners.

If the house was on fire which book would you rescue?

My hardback copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I bought them when I was a teenager; lovingly covered them in sticky-backed plastic to protect the dust sheets, and they have had pride of place on my shelves ever since.

Do you have a reading/writing playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy?

I don’t listen to music when I am reading. But when I am writing I sometimes listen to classical music; no words, just stirring music. I love the Tarantella from The Nutcracker.

Do you have a favourite place to settle down to read?

No; I can read anywhere. I always have a book or an ereader with me and will grab a few moments whenever I can: on the bus, in a queue, in the loo, wherever.

Give us four essential items that a writer absolutely needs?

Like most writers, I suffer from SNS; that’s Shiny Notebook Syndrome. I always have a general one on the go, which I use for everything from taking notes in writing group meetings, through mind mapping story ideas, to preparing shopping lists. But I also use a separate one for each book or series of books I am writing. And I keep all of them. One day when I am a famous dead author, they may be worth something.

Lots of coloured pens and pencils for mind mapping; plus post-its and other bits of stationery.

Friends who understand our obsession with stationery and pander to it at every birthday and Christmas.

And on a more serious note: I would not be without Scrivener. It’s a wonderful piece of software that allows me to plan, draft, edit, and store research all in one place.

What can you tell us about your latest novel, or your current work in progress?

I have just taken a year off writing fiction, partly to get my series of non-fiction books, The Business of Writing finished and published; but also because I had just finished writing a series of thrillers set in the international drugs world, and needed to get the characters out of my head in order to make room for new ones. In November, I used NaNoWriMo to begin work on a new series, set right here in South Devon. They are going to be about a fictional village called Coombesford and although the first one is a cosy murder mystery, I have discovered some interesting folk live in that village and I am not quite sure yet whether they will all be crime-based or not. It’s early days yet, but I am having fun working my way through it. Oh, and those characters from the thrillers? They refused to leave, and I have therefore brought a couple of them with me into the new series.

More about Elizabeth

Elizabeth Ducie trained as a scientist and worked in the international pharmaceutical industry for nearly thirty years before deciding she wanted to make a complete change of direction. She gave up the day job, began studying the craft of creative writing, and has now writes fiction and creative non-fiction more or less full-time. She is a fierce proponent of independent publishing and has produced four novels, three collections of short stories and a series on The Business of Writing, business skills for writers. She lives in Devon, is the editor of her town’s monthly community magazine, and in her spare time loves reading, watching live theatre or finding great new places to eat out with her husband, Michael.

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Twitter @ElizabethDucie

@jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo

#SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo ~ Tracey Sinclair

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast, and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'm delighted to welcome author and blogger, Tracey Sinclair

☼ Good Morning, Tracey!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch? 

A selection of tasty pastries. Brioche, anyone?

Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz? 

Start with a strong black coffee, end with a glass of fizz!

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today? 

Assuming I can have anyone dead or alive, I’m going to go for Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and the Brontës. I reckon that would be a girls’ brunch to remember!

What’s the title of the book nearest to you? 

I have a copy of poetry book The Lisbon Poets, which is in English and Portuguese and a souvenir from a recent holiday, lying on the table waiting to be put away.

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf? 

In terms of when it was written, probably Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the Penguin classics translation – which actually might also be the oldest book in terms of when I bought it, as I still have my old copy from uni.

Which book do you really want to read but haven’t had time for …yet! 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – it’s so long!

Do you have a guilty reading pleasure, and if so will you tell us about it? 

I don’t really feel guilt about reading anything! But when I want to decompress my favourite thing to read are crime series.

If the house was on fire which book would you rescue? 

None! I don’t get attached to books. I would try and rescue all the notebooks I am writing in though, as I do first drafts in longhand.

Do you have a reading/writing playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy? 

At the minute I listen to whatever pops up on my Prime playlist, but for writing or relaxing I have a soft spot for Rufus Wainwright’s Want and Poses albums, and the soundtrack of The Piano.

Do you have a favourite place to settle down to read/write? 

Depends what I am working on. I’m lucky enough to have a dedicated office, which I love, but I also enjoy writing in cafes.

Give us four essential items that a writer absolutely needs? 

Notebooks, pens, laptop, imagination.

What can you tell us about your latest novel, or your current work in progress? 

I have a few projects on the go. I’m doing stuff to promote the reissue of my first two books, Doll and short story collection No Love is This, and writing the latest in the Dark Dates series. I’m also very busy with theatre-related writing. 

More about Tracey

Tracey Sinclair is a freelance editor, writer and author. Her books include the paranormal series, Dark Dates, and the Newcastle-set romcom The Bridesmaid Blues. She writes regularly for a number of publications including The Stage and Exeunt.

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#SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo ~ Kate Eveleigh

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

 I'm delighted to welcome Kate who blogs over at Portable Magic

Good morning, Kate !!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

I'm not very good at cooking so maybe I could take you out for a Full English breakfast with all the trimmings?

Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

I'm one of those odd people that doesn't drink tea or coffee, so Bucks Fizz it will be.

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

I would love to spend time with Alan Bennett. I live in Leeds, very close to where he grew up, and I share his sense of humour and general despair with the state of the world at the moment! I LOVE his work and would love to chat to him about it.

What’s the title of the book nearest to you?

I'm cheating, but my Kindle is nearest! Currently reading The Blossom Twins by Carol Wyer.

BookOuture
2019

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

My mum's copy of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's quite battered now!

Which book do you really want to read but haven’t had time for …yet!

There's loads but everyone is talking about The Chain by Adrian McKinty.

Mulholland Books
2019

Do you have a guilty reading pleasure, and if so will you tell us about it?

I shouldn't say its a guilty pleasure because the books are usually enjoyable to read but I occasionally break with crime and read chick lit. My favourite is Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding.

If the house was on fire which book would you rescue?

My Kindle 😉

Do you have a reading playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading? And if so will you share with us a favourite song, or piece of music that makes you feel happy?

I don't have a specific playlist but I do listen to music while I read. I mostly listen to 90s indie/rock so James, Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers etc.

Do you have a favourite place to settle down to read?

Anywhere and everywhere!

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs?

Books, chocolate, wine and Twitter.

Tell us a little about your blog and why you are so passionate about books and reading?T

I blog on Portable Magic which has been up and running since October 2016. I've always been a bookworm but I lapsed in the years following university (I studied English Literature) so I started my blog as a way to encourage myself to read more and keep track of my reading. But blogging has been so much more than that for me - I've been to some amazing events, met some brilliant authors and made some friends for life!

Portable Magic

Twitter @bantambookworm

@jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo

The spotlight shines on .....Timmy

Random Facts about Orange Two

Do you have a middle name?

Yes, it's Robert

My formal name is Timsley Robert but my friends call me Timmy

What is your favourite food?

Hot chicken with a hint of gravy

What is your favourite drink?

Water, heavy on the milk

What was the last thing that was bought for you?

A furry blanket of my very own, I meowed with joy

What is your favourite book?

Cat in the Hat, I'm a huge fan of Dr. Seuss 

What is your favourite colour?

Farrow and Ball

'Charlotte's Locks'

Do you have any pets?

I have two new humans, my old ones had to leave me 

Where is your favourite hideaway?

Anywhere in the garden suits me

Do you speak another language?

Tous les chats parlent plusieurs langues !

Do you have any siblings?

 Who knows - it was so long ago

Where is your favourite place to lie and wait?

On the table so I can watch for stray bits of food

When was the last time you meowed?

Today, I'm just so happy to have my own spotlight

What is your favourite blog?

My aim is to have my own blog and I will call it

Timmytripsup

What is your favourite past-time?

Sleeping, of course!

What is your favourite TV programme?

Game Of Thrones. 

I'm a huge fan of the one-eyed raven

Do you have a friend?

Jaffa will always be my friend

Do you have a secret?

Far too many to reveal

What is your specialty?

I am a master of disguise

Anything else to, say, Timsley Robert?

 I hope that you all have a very happy Christmas and a joyous New Year

and may your bowls overflow with food and prosperity.

The spotlight shines on .....Jaffa

Random Facts About Orange One

Do you have a middle name?

All cats have a middle name.

My middle name is Pickle – I have no idea why

What is your favourite drink?

Whiskers Cat Milk but the V.E.T says I can’t have it so I am relegated to water and when
no-one is looking I drink out of the garden pond.

What is your favourite food?

Gourmet - Beef or Turkey
Sometimes my humans try and trick me with another brand but I am not easily fooled

What was the last thing you bought?

Occasionally I do a bit of inter-cat shopping for cat treats – I sneak packets of Dreamies into the house under cover of darkness

What is your favourite book of all time?

Catlantis by Anna Starobinets

What is your favourite colour?

Orange …..of course

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have two human pets who are now nicely trained to do everything I ask 

What is your favourite perfume?

Eau de Mouse

Where is your favourite hideaway?

My favourite hideaway is under the chair in the spare bedroom where I have a cosy blanket and a few cat toys

Do you speak another language?

Of course

I  say “hello” to my  human every morning, just to be polite

How many siblings do you have?

I have a sister but I haven’t seen her for a long, long time and that makes me sad

Where is your Favourite place to lie in wait?

The stairs are my playground - I enjoy nipping toes and ankles

When was the last time you meowed?

This morning when I couldn’t get into the wardrobe. I need to check it daily for intruders

What is your Favourite Blog?

The one with my name above the door …Jaffareadstoo, of course

What is your Favourite pastime?

Sleeping - it's an art form I have perfected

What is your favourite TV Show?

Strictly Come Dancing, I enjoy the music – Anton Du Beke is my favourite 

Do you have a friend?

Yes, Timmy - he's a sneak and a thief

Do you have a secret?

Yes, but if I told you I would have to kill you

What would you say is your specialty?

I take security very seriously and check items that come into the house very carefully

Anything else to say, Jaffa ?

Of course, I hope your Christmas shines bright like a diamond

The author in my spotlight is .... Lorna Gray

Author 

of

Harper Impulse
21 May 2015

Lorna - I'm so pleased to welcome you to Jaffareadstoo...Can you tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been writing and what got you started?

To answer the last part first, like many authors, I wrote stories as a child. Of course I'd cringe if anyone got their hands on them now! But the love of writing has been a part of my life for a very long time. History has always been a big source of inspiration and latterly this has focused on the post-war period. It all finally came to the fore about six years ago when the first seeds of inspiration were sewn that became 1947 adventure In the Shadow of Winter.

And just to give you the full picture of Lorna Gray, I am also a book illustrator and archaeological illustrator. So creativity and reconstructing the past appear to have worked themselves into every aspect of my life! I live in the Cotswolds in a tiny house with my partner, our chickens (who are not allowed in the house though, no matter how that reads), a dog and a cat who are inseparable, and also a field full of ponies and goats.

 Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for your novel, In the Shadow of Winter?

I can still remember that first moment of inspiration vividly. I was out in the field with the animals late one wintery night when I first discovered a sense of the isolation and danger experienced by lead character Eleanor. I'd just been talking to an octogenarian neighbour about his experiences (he was fourteen at the end of WWII) so my mind was full of the hardships witnessed by these fields over sixty years before. It was very lonely in the valley and absolutely freezing, and in my imagination I saw her stumbling through the storms of 1947 to discover former love Matthew Croft and helping him, and subsequently finding that a police manhunt is set to follow him right to her door.

 Tell us three interesting things about your novel which will pique the reader’s interest?

Point number one: The History. In the Shadow of Winter is set in a real timeframe, immediately after the Second World War when Britain was in a very tight spot. It's the most fantastic period in which to set an adventure. Food shortages were worse than ever before and then the weather decided to hit the whole country with extraordinarily low temperatures, deep snows and incredible danger. Cities and urban areas were hit by power cuts (rural areas were exempt because they didn't have mains electricity anyway!) and one town ended up getting its electricity from a kindly submarine that moored up nearby and acted as generator. It would sound like fiction, only it isn't!

Point number two: The mystery. I can't tell you what happens because then it wouldn't be much of a mystery but I can say that suspicion, the police and the panicked flight of a desperate man beat a path to Eleanor's door … The adventure has been described as 'unputdownable', 'chilling', 'gripping' and variations to that effect.  Hopefully you'll agree.

Point number three: the romance. You know how these things usually go, where the main character and her hero meet in a chance encounter? The sparks fly and they just start to get along swimmingly and then something happens to cause a bust-up before, at long last, they finally work it all out? Well, in this book, we meet Eleanor after the bust up. The romance in her life is the acceptance of the past and coming to terms with it, and learning how to put her heart, and her feelings for the very enigmatic Matthew, back together again. I didn't set out to write it this way, but I really loved discovering how her sense of the past influenced her reactions now - now that she has the chance to begin again, if only she can weather the storm.

 What was the best experience you had while writing In the Shadow of Winter?

I'm not entirely sure this can count as the best experience, but it was certainly the funniest. I noticed that when I got to a stage where I was writing a conflict or argument between the hero and Eleanor, I start to have silly little arguments with my real world partner. I kept getting angry with him and I couldn't quite tell him why, until I realised that somehow I was blaming him for the things fictional hero Matthew had done. Which is daft given that I was the author of Matthew's actions in the first place! Sometimes it is possible, I've realised, to empathise a little too much with one's characters ...

In your research for the novel, did you discover anything which surprised you?

Very simply, the thing that surprised me the most was how willing people were to share their memories, and how different each person's perspective was of a major historical event such as that terrible winter.

When do you find the time to write, and do you have a favourite place to do your writing?

I write at any time of day I can - it squeezes itself in with sheer determination around many other things. I have a fantastic desk upstairs with a window looking out over the very countryside that is my inspiration. If I ever lose my way, I just look out and there it all is, ready to remind me.

Can you tell us if you have another novel planned?

Absolutely I can. I'm working on one at the moment. The latest work is set in a similar period, but warm. Definitely warm. I can't face any more blizzards for now, even imaginary ones!

More about Lorna on her website 

Follow Lorna on Twitter @MsLornaGray
Folow Harper Impulse on Twitter @HarperImpulse

Sharing my thoughts on In the Shadow of Winter

There's a real sense of danger in this suspenseful novel which focuses on the events which happen in a small Cotswold village over a short period of time in the winter of 1947.  

The end of the war has not brought prosperity for Eleanor Phillips, and as she ekes out a meagre living on her farm, she struggles to keep body and soul together. During a violent snowstorm Eleanor rescues a man who is clearly in need of shelter, but this man has secrets which will put Eleanor, her beloved farm and those closest to her in real danger.

What then follows is a beautifully written suspenseful story which reads comfortably, almost like Eleanor's memoir. You feel she is speaking just for you and in a few short words conjures a real sense of the freezing cold, the secluded isolation and the inherent danger. The mystery at the heart of the novel is well thought out and had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I really wanted everything to work out well for Eleanor and felt that she deserved some happiness.

I won't spoil any of the story by relating more of the plot as you really should read this for yourself to find out what happened. It's a perfect book to curl up, preferably with a huge pot of tea and some comforting homemade biscuits.

My thanks to Hayley Camis at Harper Impulse for my copy of this book.

And  also to Lorna Gray for her insightful answers to my questions and for sharing her book with Jaffareadstoo.

~***~

Bloggers on the Blog....The Book Addicted Housewife

Bloggers on the blog


My latest feature showcases some of the best of the book blogging community. 

These are the unsung heroes who are constantly on the look out for new and exciting books 

and who give so generously of their time ,energy and expertise.

I am delighted to welcome

Lisa 


from the excellent blog


The Book Addicted Housewife

What makes you want to blog about books?

A lot of people blog about books and I think that my opinion is a valid as anyone else’s, so why not.  It’s a way of making a book I have loved last a bit longer, sharing it with other book lovers, maybe having a discussion, whereas if I didn’t blog I wouldn’t be able to ramble on about a book as I do, it would end and that would be that.  This way I can look back at my thoughts on a particular book so it’s also a bit of a journal for me.  I also love being involved with various authors through social media and they are all so grateful for reviews and recommendations that it makes it a double pleasure to write about their work. And it’s writing!  I always loved to write – letters, essays, stories and that has really fallen by the wayside with social media so it combines my love of reading with my love of writing.

What type of book makes you happy?

Most.  I’m not often disappointed by a book.  Sometimes it depends on my mood so I might like something light and romantic with a happy ending, sometimes a really good thriller with lots of twists and guesswork leaves me happy because it has really gripped me.  Sometimes I read something a bit darker that can make me feel sad but in a good way – like The Blind Assassin – I cried buckets but felt quite morbidly pleased afterwards!

Which book have you recommended the most?

I really don’t know but if someone were to ask me now for something original I would recommend Michelle Lovric’s The Book of Human Skin in a heartbeat.  It’s amazing.  It has history, intrigue, love; it’s dark, it’s witty, it’s captivating.  I haven’t read anything like it.

Which is the best book you received as a gift?

I have had many books as gifts but the three that stick in my mind the most were gifts from a family friend who I called Auntie; she bought me my first classic, Jane Eyre after I sat on Sunday afternoons watching the dramatization with her, I was about 8 then.  It was a really good copy.  Later she bought me Rebecca and The Scarlet Pimpernel, also really good copies because she knew I would look after them, read them and love them.  She always encouraged my reading and I still have those books and think of her when I look at them.

Which book has sent a shiver down your spine?

Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter genuinely made me shudder.  It is easily the eeriest, most atmospheric, playing-with-your-head book I have ever read.  As ‘ghost’ stories go it’s one of the best and possibly the most scariest thing is that the writing makes you imagine so much, she doesn’t even have to write anything scary, it’s all in your own head as you read.

How many books do you have, as yet unread, on your book shelves?

I'm guessing around 400 which is nothing compared to some people I know!

Tell me about a book you’ve read more than three times?

When I was 9 0r 10 I was infatuated with a book called Little O by Edith Unnerstad and every couple of months I would get it out of the school library and re-read it.  I loved it.  Little O was set in Sweden and she was the youngest child in a large family, her sisters were named after characters from Shakespeare - Desdemona and Miranda and she was Ophelia.  Little O was always getting into scrapes and adventures, it appealed because of the unknown (ie Sweden) and because of the large, happy family.  I'd love to read it again!

What’s your idea of book heaven or book hell?

I’m tempted to say book hell would be anywhere where books had been tossed on the floor and basically ill-treated.  I would have to pick them up and make them all good.  Even when I go in a shop where books have been rammed onto shelves and their covers are bent, I have to tidy them and straighten them up.  However that’s also a bit of book heaven because there’d be lots of books to look after and look at!  Real book hell would be to walk into a shop that only sold books by Jeffrey Archer and Zadie Jones!  Real book heaven would be to be able to have enough room to have every book I have ever read and loved on display.

Where is your favourite reading place?

I have my place where I always sit and anyone in the family who sits there knows to shift as soon as I make an entrance!  It’s the left hand corner of the sofa, next to the sofa table where I have everything essential to book reading – lamp, notebook for recording the books I have read, the book I am currently reading, my Kindle and quite possibly other books too.  I sit curled up in my corner with cushions piled around me and a drink to hand.

What has been your favourite book of the year...so far ?

 I seem to have read an awful lot of crime /psychological thriller books this year, so far, which have all been excellent but I recently read The Ice Twins by L.K Tremayne and found it fascinating and very cleverly done.  It certainly kept me guessing and a little freaked out.

Huge thanks to Lisa for giving so generously of her time.

Jaffa and I love visiting your blog

Long may it continue.





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A huge thanks to all the bloggers who have taken part in this feature over the last couple of months.

It's been such fun getting to know everyone.

A huge thanks to all the bloggers who have taken part in my recent Blogger on the Blog feature.

 It's been great fun getting to know everyone,


Liz - Liz Loves Books
Gill - The Book Magpie
Vicki - Off The Shelf Book Reviews
Susan - Mac Adventures (with Books)
Lisa W - Book Shelf Fantasies
Anne C - Random Things Through my Letterbox
Karen - My Reading Corner
Lindsay - My Little Library
Anne W - Being Anne
Peggy Ann - Peggy Ann's Post
Kate - Books with Bunny
Lisa R - Lisa Loves Books
Lainy - SO Many Books So Little Time
Janet - Beadyjan's Books
Leah - Reflections of a Reader
Lisa W - The Book Addicted Housewife.


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