Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Anne Williams

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'd delighted to welcome blogger, Anne Williams from Being Anne

☼Good Morning, Anne. Happy Sunday !

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch? 

You can’t really go wrong with a bacon buttie, can you? 

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

Ooh, the coffee please Josie - with just a splash of milk… 

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today? 

I think maybe some of those lovely ladies from Authors on the Edge - it’s not too far for them to travel, and I so loved the two Miss Moonshine anthologies, as well as some of the novels they’ve written on their own. 

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

It’s Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by Rachel Malik - I’ve had a signed copy on my bookshelves for quite a long time, but it’s this month’s choice for my real-life bookclub. 

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf? 

I’ll admit I’ve had a major clear-out over the last few years - I now read almost entirely on kindle, and have only hung on to my signed copies. But scanning my shelves, I think it might be a signed copy of Milly Johnson’s The Yorkshire Pudding Club - with a very old cover, featuring headless women! 

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

I’m so behind with Lucinda Riley’s books - the standalones, and I’ve only managed the first two of the Seven Sisters series. 

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

I’m never guilty about my reading - I read whatever I feel like at the time, and get every bit as much pleasure from a fast-paced rom com as I do from something much more literary and challenging… 

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

I might grab an armful of signed books, and my kindle will be in my handbag (as it always is). 

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 prefer classical music when I’m reading, because I find words distracting - usually just Classic FM, on low in the background, and I particularly enjoy a bit of Rachmaninov… 

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

Most of my reading is in the afternoons in my lounge, in my reclining chair, with a cup of tea to hand (I switch from coffee to tea in the afternoons!). But I love the summer, when I can sit outside in the shade and disappear into a book for a while. But I’ll read anywhere and everywhere - and at all hours of the day or night. 

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs? 

A diary, kept rigorously updated 

A good wifi signal 

A piece of IT kit that suits your needs - some, I know, use their phones but for me it has to be my iMac 

An innate sense of organisation and attention to detail 

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

I started blogging seven years ago now - you might remember that you were one of the friends who encouraged me to start. I love doing it now more than I ever did - books are the best escape from life I know, and have given me so many years of joy. I guess I blog mainly to share my love with others, perhaps making them aware of books they might otherwise miss - but also to say thank you to the many authors whose books I’ve loved. 

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Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Lorraine Rugman

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'd delighted to welcome blogger, Lorraine Rugman

☼Good Morning, Lorraine. Happy Sunday !

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

I do love a poached egg on toast, with some black pudding and a nice sausage or two, I’m happy to be the ingredients as long as I don’t have to cook it! My hubby makes a mean brunch so perhaps I could bring him along to cook it for us.

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

It would have to be an Americano, I’m a coffee addict and can easily drink 10 cups or more a day! oh and it would have to be decaf (which doesn’t taste the same as real coffee I know, but normal coffee wasn’t helping my high blood pressure).Although I do have a real machine coffee on the weekend as a treat, so scrap the decaf it’s Sunday 😂)

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

It would have to be Robert Bryndza (I’m a huge fan of his books), Karen Sullivan from Orenda Books (as I’ve never met her and she’s a huge supporter of book bloggers and I’ve got so many questions I would love to ask her) Kimberley Chambers I’ve long been a fan of her gritty crime thrillers and she’s hilarious (her FB has me in stitches) and Matt Wesolowski I’m a huge fan of the #SixStories series and would love to know where he gets his ideas from.

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

Ted Bundy The Only Living Witness by Stephen. G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth

authorlink
1999

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

My sons ‘first five years’ book, it’s 28 years old! I’m not sure how that happened! After that it’s probably Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier, it’s a book I keep meaning to read, but never seem to get around too. 

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

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummings 

The Split by Sharon Bolton

They aren’t out to later in 2020 but they are two of my most anticipated reads, so desperate to read them soon. 

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

Books and chocolate and my cuddly blanket to snuggle under the perfect combination 

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

My son’s first ‘five years book’, it hold so many memories and photos of his first five years, and even a lock of his first haircut at 5 weeks old! (He was born with lots of hair). If I had time I would then grab my signed collection of books which include some of my favourite authors, Peter James, Robert Bryndza, Angela Marsons, Caroline Mitchell, Kimberly Chambers (that’s just a few that spring to mind) 

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

Sorry I’m one of those readers that prefer to read in silence

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

I read anywhere but I guess my favourite place has to be me lounge, sat in my recliner chair with my snuggly blanket 

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs?

Books, books and more books 

A planner- a must to keep track of blog tours and review dates

A twitter account -I find this is the best way of sharing posts, it’s also a great way of interacting with other bloggers, publishers and authors. 

Money- blogging isn’t expensive by any means, but most bloggers myself included buy lots and lots of books, even if I get an ARC and I’ve loved the book I will buy the finished copy. Then there’s all the book events and festivals (unfortunately I haven’t been able to attend any due to other commitments, but there are plenty of bloggers that do) they are great way to meet fellow bloggers, authors and publishers.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Twitter @reviewcafe

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Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Els Ebraert

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, Els Ebraert, blogger at BforBookreview

 ☼ Good Morning, Els. Happy Sunday!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch? 

Hmm good question. I think I will go for something that typical for Belgium and what’s a brunch with something sweet? So expect me to arrive with Belgian waffels and chocolate of course. 

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

I’ll go for a glass of Bucks Fizz, please 

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today? 

I would love to meet Angela Marsons, Emma Tallon and Lisa Regan. I could invite a lot more of course 

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

It’s ‘Murder at the Dolphin Hotel’ by Helena Dixon

BookOuture
2019

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf? 

I can’t really answer that. I have given all my paperbacks away for charity due to problems with my shoulder and I only have my Kindle now. The oldest books that are on there are only about 2 years old. 

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

I almost finished reading the series by Betty Rowlands with Melissa Craig and I am looking forward to read the last ones. 

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

No, not really. I cannot easily say no when I see a new blog tour with a book that I find interesting. I don’t know is that counts? But I have learned to say no because I have found out that a day only has 24 hours. :) 

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

Because I don’t have any paperbacks anymore, I simply have to take my Kindle, but I would certainly have rescued my Janet Evanovich series with Stephanie Plum 

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 would be too distracted when there is music playing, but I love to have Eurosport on while I read. 

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

In the summer in the garden, in the winter on the sofa and every night in my bed before I go to sleep 

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs? 

A diary or 2 for scheduling blog tours. I use one on my phone and a paper one, trustworthy, 

Punctuality and honesty 

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

I started my blog because I wanted to share my love for books and then suddenly I was introduced to the world of blog tours and I thought it was wonderful. Of course you cannot read every book and that’s why I always want to help to spread the word. I also do guest posts, Q&A, spotlight posts or extracts. Any way I can help authors or publishers and I try to read as much as possible. 

My mum read and my sister reads too and I always saw books in our house. We had a lot of comic books and we were a big fan of Agatha Christie. We went to the library and when we were young reading was one of the things young people did. And I still enjoy it many years later. 

Where can we find you on Social media? 

I am on Twitter and on Facebook and together with a very good friend I run a Dutch book group on Facebook as well. We have been doing this since June 2012 already. 

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Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Anne Cater

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 Anne Cater, blogger over at Random Things Through My letterbox

☼ Good Morning, Anne. Happy Sunday!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

A stack of beautiful fluffy pancakes, with maple syrup and crispy bacon

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

Oh, tea for me please

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

It's an all-female cast for me; Margaret Atwood, Barbara Taylor-Bradford and Marian Keyes

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

The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes - it's just arrived. It's a 2020 publication, published by Century in April 2020 

Century 2020

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

A copy of The Flower Fairies of the Trees by Cicely Mary Barker - given to me for Christmas in 1974

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

The Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - the latest in one of my all time favourite series. It's a huge tome at 832 pages and I've just not plucked up the courage (or found the time) to read it yet!

W&N
2019

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

I never feel guilty about reading .... however, I do love Heat and Closer magazines! 

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

Oh my goodness! What to choose?? I think I'd just grab as many as I could carry

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 tend to listen to music when I'm reading but I do love music. I have lots of favourites, but anything by Yorkshire 90s rock band Little Angels will always make me happy - brings back so many memories of following them around on tour. 

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

I read anywhere but on the settee with a fleece and lots of cushions, and usually Costa the cat is a favourite. Or, on a sunbed in the Greek sunshine!

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs?

A diary! 

A decent laptop / PC

Good internet access

Time! 

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

Random Things Through My Letterbox is almost nine years old and totally changed my life. I've always reviewed books online but having my own personal space is wonderful. I'm free to post what I want to, when I want to. I don't remember ever not being able to read, or having a book on the go. Books are as important to me as eating. 

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#SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo ~ Lainy Swanson

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 Lainy, blogger at So Many Books So Little Time

Miss Luna Paws

Welcome Lainy and Luna ! Happy Sunday !

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch? 

Got to be pizza or pasta in a white sauce.

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

Pepsi max or a peppermint tea

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

 Stephen King and J K Rowling

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

Stranded by Emily Barr

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf? 

Possibly IT by Stephen King I have an 1985 hardback edition

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

Possibly my Linda Gillard books from back on our RISI forum days

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

I tend to read everything, I love horror/apocalyptic and zombie ones so much so they have their own tab on the blog. Folk can be quite snooty about them so probably that

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

Probably my old Stephen King as that would be hardest to replace

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 generally don't have music on when reading but I do love 60s-80s music

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

Bath with my bath buddy, the couch with kitty a blanket and my scented candle/wax burner.

Give us four essential items that a blogger absolutely needs?

Getting into it for the right reasons, if it is to get "free books" don't even hit the create button. For me it is a passion for books (I am one of the few who review books they loved and didn't, what doesn't work for me can be the selling point for another reader).

Focus, keep in mind why you start and don't get bogged down. Learn to say no, don't take on too much, if you constantly read to schedule it no longer is a fun hobby and becomes a chore.

Most importantly just enjoy it. I started my blog for me, never thinking for a minute anyone else would bother reading it. I use words/phrases like I talk, wow, Omg, no way, awesome, bantz, eek.

 Just do you and enjoy it!

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

My blog covers reviews of all the books I have read, liked, loved or meh. I read almost any genre and have help from little paws. Princess Trixie passed in July and my new blogging assistant, miss Luna paws is in training. I do a giveaway every month with some additionals, Q&As with authors so mostly all centred around books. I started reading when I was a pre teen, IT by Stephen King, I was about 8. I fell in love with books/horror and never looked back. I think reading is such a great escapism and fun way of learning and just letting go. You can never go wrong with a good book.

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First Remembered Read ~ Horror Novel

Those of us who read, and who are influenced by books, tend to squirrel away our memories of all the stories we have read over the years. 

And yet, there is always that one special book tucked away in the far corner of your mind which reminds you just why you love reading so much…

During July and August I've invited a few friends to share their First Remembered Read


😈 This week we are talking ....horror 😈


I'm thrilled to welcome to Jaffareadstoo


Lainy, blogger at So Many Books, So Little Time

My first horror was IT by Stephen King, I was a kid and had no business reading such a book at such a young age but it kicked off a love affair with reading and horror, I have never looked back. 

I loved watching horror on the TV, back then it was black and white Dracula with Christopher Lee or the slow B&W zombie movies, I have no idea how I got my hands on such a book but I was sucked in.  Like the movies only you get to read and see your own "movie" at your own pace.

Back then it was a difficult time growing up in the conditions we did, reading was a way to completely escape, more so than zoning into a movie.  You could take the book outside with you or curl up with a pillow under the bed, I loved doing that.  The dog would come under too, on a really good day we would secret a picnic of snacks under there too!

I loved it, I re read it again in 2010 and gave it 5 stars.

Not only do I still have a copy of it (hardback 1987 edition), I also have a kindle version of it too.  So funny I picked this email up today, on the way home from our trip I had left my book in my bag in the boot of the car.  The weather was vile so I picked up my mobile and opened the kindle app on it.  I started reading IT on there as the movie remake is out next month and I want to reacquaint with it.  I also watched the original movie a while back with Tim Curry.  When I got home today I dug out my hardback copy and it was the perfect excuse to get my newest bookmark out. 

Since blogging and all the online book clubs I find I have mostly been reading review books, crime, psychological thrillers, chick lit and not read horror in such a long time.  I love books that get you on the edge of your seat.  I am only 130 odd pages in and already we have spooky, supernatural, abuse, friendship, love, death, homophobia.  Whilst the heart of the book is horror there are so many branches and themes and I think reading it as an adult you get a different take on the book.  Still going to be freaked out, Pennywise is such a creepy horrible entity who wouldn't be!  

Helen, blogger at Life of a Nerdish Mum

A lot of people my age started out on Goosebumps books, but I was a Point Horror girl. I still remember the first one that I read and I still own my copy now, it’s battered and beaten but I still love it and will be keeping it until it falls to pieces. (I’d share a pic but some of my books are packed up due to us moving soon).

That first Point Horror was The Cheerleader by Caroline B. Cooney. I picked it up from the library initially, the cover caught my eye with the blood stained shoe and discarded pom pom, which I can still see vividly without even having to look it up! I then bought my own copy at W H Smiths with book vouchers I had won at school. I had enjoyed it that much. It’s weird remembering so much detail, but this book really stands out in my reading history. I remember feeling scared while reading it, but enjoying the feeling and wanting to read on to see what happens. It was what started my love affair with horror.

I don’t read as much horror (or watch it) now as I did following reading The Cheerleader, but I do still enjoy picking up a Point Horror or Goosebumps book if I see one at the library that catches my eye.

Gordon, blogger at Grab This Book

My first horror, I can remember it so clearly as I had held the book in my hand every Saturday for several weeks before I bit the bullet and finally bought it. I should explain…

It was in the late 1980’s and although I was just 14 I had landed my dream job, I was working Saturdays in the local bookshop.  I quickly found that a weekly wage and a generous staff discount were two of the best things to bestow upon a bookworm. It also helped that paperbacks were usually priced around £3.99.

One of my duties in the shop was to dust the books and polish the shelves. I had responsibility for the paperbacks and this included a sizeable horror section. After weeks of shaking down The Exorcist, riffling the pages of Jaws and admiring the quantity of output of King and Koontz I could not resist the lure of trying one of these books. But which one?

I wanted one which would not be too creepy. I did not know if I could actually read through a horror story without freaking myself out. After weeks of deliberation (and plucking up my courage) I went for Pet Sematary. I read it over the couple of days and if I am honest, I was a bit underwhelmed. But I wasn’t terrified in the way I had worried I may be. The next week I bought Cujo, The Shining and Lightning by Dean Koontz. I inhaled them and I spent the next 12 months on a horror book reading binge: King, Koontz, Hutson, Laymon, Herbert.

Pet Sematary is remembered fondly as the book which introduced me to horror stories but, almost 30 years later, I still don’t consider it to be one of Stephen King’s best. Some stories from that horror binge of 1989/90 stay with me to this day and they rank highly amongst all the books that I have ever read…Phantoms (Koontz), The Rats (Herbert), The Dead Zone (King).

One book has never been bettered. I first read it in a wooden cabin in a Norwegian forest, miles from the nearest town, and I maintain that the remoteness of that cabin only increased my terror levels while I read.  IT. By Stephen King.  A masterpiece.  If you only read one book this year, make it that one. 

I am Gordon of Grab This Book (http://grabthisbook.net)  I still read horror novels to break up my constant intake of crime thrillers and horror reviews do appear on my blog.  If you want a new horror recommendation then the best I have read recently is Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt – that messed with my head…Beware the Witch. 

Whopping big thanks to Lainy, Helen and Gordon for sharing the memories of their first scary story

Hope they have whetted you appetite for a bit of horror.

Huge thanks to all the authors and bloggers who have taken part in this fun feature over summer.

I am sure that you have enjoyed reading these book memories as much as I have

 and hope they have sparked a few memories for you all too.


Happy Reading 



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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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Blogger on the Blog....Reflections of a Reader

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

Leah


from


Reflections of a Reader

What makes you want to blog about books?

It all started really when I used to post reviews across varying websites. I was eager to have a place to store all my reviews and make it my own. There are so many great bloggers out there and I mainly buy my books through word of mouth, other bloggers reviews and recommendations from friends. I love to blog in the hope that someone also goes on to love a book as much as I did.

What type of book makes you happy?

There is not one particular type of book that makes me happy. What makes me happy is beautiful prose and well drawn characters. I also love unreliable narratives, characters that you actually really don’t like. Perversely, I think these types of characters are more memorable and can be developed further.

Which book have you recommended the most?

I would have to say The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. I was also lucky enough to have been able to give this away on a previous World Book Night. It is a short book that packs such a punch. The writing is beautiful and the story takes place across the course of an evening in a café in Lahore. It is the sort of story where you have to draw your own conclusions as to what happens after the final page turns.

I also recommend Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson on a regular basis.

 Which is the best book you received as a gift?

I don’t actually remember receiving that many books as gifts which is surprising really. I guess I would say the childhood ones, some of which I still have to this day, Nancy Drew and Enid Blyton, particularly The Magic Faraway Tree series.

Which book has sent a shiver down your spine?

The genre that is most likely to send a shiver down my spine is crime and psychological thrillers. Most recently I had the biggest shiver whilst reading Vendetta by Dreda Say Mitchell. It was an excellent thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and built and built at a hurtling pace and had an ending that I never would have guessed in all of my days.

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

Gosh, I really can’t be sure. The last time I checked, around about 600. Probably nearer 800 – 1000 now. It can be a bit tricky, I refuse to use an e-reader and I live in a flat where storage is at a premium. I love it though, the more the merrier as far as I am concerned.

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

Do you know I never read a book more than once; I haven’t done so since I was a child. I am just of the opinion that there are so many wonderful books left to be discovered; I would rather read those than reread something that I already know the outcome of.

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

Book heaven is having a block of uninterrupted reading time, which is rarer for me than you would think. I am a simple creature really. Book hell is something that has only ever happened to me once and that is when you are reading a book and the last page is missing and you don’t realise until you get there – now that is annoying!

Where is your favourite reading place?

In my very comfy armchair, with a big cup of tea on the side. Just under the window with the sun shining in.

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

This is a tough question, I have been very lucky so far and have read some wonderful books. If I was pushed I would mention two, The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah, and A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. If I can only have one, James Hannah slightly edges ahead. Both of the writing styles appealed to me for different reasons and both tackle difficult subjects in a unique and engaging way. Bravo to both authors.

Thanks Josie and Jaffa for inviting me on to your wonderful blog. It has been really fun taking part.

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

Jaffa and I love visiting your blog

Long may it continue.



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Bloggers on the Blog.....Beadyjans Books

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

Janet

 from the excellent blog

Beadyjans Books

What makes you want to blog about books? 

I love to talk about what I’ve read but none of my close family or friends read the kind of books I enjoy. Blogging helps me share my thoughts and engage with others with similar tastes and helps make reading not such a solitary pleasure as it would be if I weren’t able to share what I thought and felt about my latest reads. 

What type of book makes you happy? 

Would it be weird to say I’m happiest when a book makes me cry, (or get angry or shout out loud?) Anything which is well written enough to engender strong emotions in me gives me enough of a buzz to flood me with happy hormones. 

Which book have you recommended the most? 

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, it’s my desert island book, it has enough characters and sub plots going on, for at least some part of it to appeal to most readers and it would stand up to several re-readings as it’s such a huge and wonderfully engaging read. 

Which is the best book you received as a gift? 

I don’t often receive books as gifts, but one I really treasure is a copy of For the love of Wildlife an autobiographical book about the wildlife reserve Harnas in Namibia, signed and presented to me by Marieta Van Der Merwe the owner during a wonderful visit, its more than a book it’s a lifelong memory. 

Which book has sent a shiver down your spine? 

It takes quite a lot to scare me literary wise, but I did find the stupendously dark psychological thriller Who Are you by Elizabeth Forbes had me looking over my shoulder a few times. 

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

Oh crikey, they’re not just on my bookshelves and in cupboards but I read a lot of ebooks, and my kindle, ereader and laptop are all bursting with many, many, hundreds of books I just can’t get around to. 

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

I haven’t – life’s far too short to read any book more than once, and I’m not a fast reader so once I’ve finished a book it’s very unlikely I’ll re-read it. 

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

Hmm I take it you mean type of book? Heaven is a tense psychological thriller, in a dark domestic setting, with a strong female protagonist I can relate to on some level and a situation I’d hate to be in, and it’s almost certainly written in first person (not that I’m fussy or anything). 

Book hell is anything whose blurb begins “Retired police sergeant ….” Or “Feisty CIA officer …” (or with a title beginning 50 shades of ….) 

Where is your favourite reading place? 

Apart from in bed where I get most of my serious reading done, anywhere warm, comfortable and quiet where I can curl up undisturbed with my book, preferably with a ready supply of good coffee, so my local coffee shop is used to seeing me in a quiet corner glued to my e-reader. 

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

Strangely, although I love psychological thrillers best of all and I’ve read a few great ones so far already this year, the book which really made an impression on me was Bird Box by Josh Maierman an unusual, scary, post-apocalyptic fantasy which thoroughly intrigued me. 

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

Jaffa and I love visiting your blog

Long may it continue.

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