Reader’s Spot – Meet Gloria, a fan of #Mystery and #Humour Novels

Here on the ‘Reader’s Spot’ I share the bookish love of our readers, from young adult to romance, chick-lit to murder mystery.  Whether you are a reader looking for new books, or a writer wondering what your readers want, I hope you find this series enjoyable.

Next up to the Reader’s Spot is holistic therapy tutor, Gloria.

1. What genre do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy several different genres. It depends on my mood and the time of year. I like fun and humour during the summer months and I’m inclined to veer towards stories of mystery & suspense coming into the dark winter evenings. I love to be kept guessing and to be thrown off with unexpected twists and turns. This is what keeps me glued to a book. Although I don’t read romantic novels as often as I did in my younger years, I do like when a story includes a little bit of romance. I also enjoy some contemporary fiction. I never read young adult fantasy because I’m definitely not a young adult, but I did read Guardians of the Dead to support Shelley. I really enjoyed it and I will of course read the sequel. [Aww, thanks, Gloria x]

2. Do you have a favourite author in this genre?

Dysfunctional Romance by Derick Hudson is the funniest book I’ve ever read. I loved it so much I read all of Derick’s books afterwards and enjoyed all of them. He’s very witty. I recently discovered another witty author through Facebook – Peter Jones. And I look forward to reading more of his books in the future. Carol Hedges is at the present time my favourite author of Victorian Murder Mystery. I like Elizabeth Buchaun and Terry Tyler too. Virginia Andrews was my favourite author when I was a young adult. I read all her books back then.  (Find Derick Hudson on Amazon).

3. How do you prefer to read your books?

I’ve always loved my hard copy books. I love the smell, the soft smooth shiny cover and the memories of my childhood weekly visits to our local library. We weren’t allowed near the adult section and I yearned for the day when I would be old enough to venture over to those high shelves so that I could satisfy my curiosity. I felt so grown up the day that Mrs. Clarke told me I was big enough to borrow books from the adult section.

The first time I purchased an e-book was in 2014 and it was only because the book I wanted wasn’t available in hardcopy. I downloaded it onto my tablet and I have to say I loved it. I later purchased a kindle e-reader. What I really love about it is the way I can collect samples of books. I get to read a chapter or two before I buy. 99% of the time I ‘Buy with 1 – Click’ after reading the sample. I also love the way my collection of samples is also my list of books I want to read. The third reason I love my kindle is because I travel from east to west quite a lot because of my husband’s job. I have a lot of non-fiction work related books stored in there as well so it saves me dragging loads of heavy books back and forth. Oh, I do have another reason for loving my kindle – I can change the font to HUGE.

And having said all that, next on my list of books to read is a hardcopy. It’s written by a former work colleague of mine, Susan McGovern. It’s her debut novel and it’s called Vanished.

4. Where do you purchase your books?

I buy my e-books from Amazon and Kobo. I buy my hardcopy books from any book shop that I venture into. I can’t pass a book shop without going in. This is when I buy by chance rather than recommendation. I browse and if a title or cover (or both) catches my eye, I read the blurb and maybe the first and second page. I’m usually happy with my choice. Earlier this year, I did enter a book shop looking for a romantic comedy novel that I read about on Twitter. I was going on holiday and I wanted some fun! I couldn’t find it on Amazon so I went into a book shop hoping to find it there. They didn’t have it but the young assistant was very helpful and recommended a similar one. She reckoned it was hilarious. So I purchased it. Perhaps it had something to do with the age difference between me and this lovely young girl, but I just didn’t find it all that funny. It was a best seller but after the fourth chapter I’m afraid I got bored. It just didn’t suit me.

5. Where do you find out about the books you read?

Since I’ve become active on Twitter, I’ve discovered some really interesting book review blogs. I trust the reviews on these blogs and I have yet to be disappointed by the books I read based on them. Twitter is also where I discovered Terry Tyler. I’ve read one of her books so far and I loved it. I have more of her books sitting waiting in my kindle that I’m looking forward to reading. I’m also starting to find new authors and books on Facebook.

6. Do you have a budget when buying a book?

I rarely see fiction books selling at ridiculous prices. So my answer for that is no. If I think I will enjoy the story, I will pay the price for it. However, sometimes non-fiction books can be very expensive and if I can find a cheaper one on the same subject with similar content, I will buy the cheaper one.

7. Do you write a review when you’ve finished reading?

Sometimes I do but not often enough I have to admit. Only on Amazon and only if I feel I can give an excellent review. And this is only because I don’t want to offend the writer by giving a negative review. The book just may not have been my cup of tea. I do need to learn how to give 3 and 4 star reviews though. And stop being lazy about it!

8. What do you look for in a book?

I like when there’s a character I hate just as much as there has to be one that I love! Although, I usually soften towards the baddie by the end of the book! (Even in real life, I find it difficult to bear grudges) As I said earlier, I love a good plot. Twists and turns, guessing, surprises and I enjoy some wit and romance thrown in. I don’t like too many characters in a book because I get a bit lost and end up re-reading chapters. Sometimes three or four days could pass before I get to read for pleasure so I like when I can easily pick up from where I left off. I’m also a slow reader and I could never scan read a book like some people. I need to read every single word and know everything that’s happening. I often flick back through the pages looking for a detail I think I may have missed.

9. Where do you like to read?

In the summer months I like to read outside when the weather permits. During the winter I prefer to read in bed. We have a busy house and my bedroom is the only place I get peace and quiet to read. But when I’m in the west of Ireland, where it’s much quieter, I’m on the couch in front of a big log fire. I always read in the car when we’re going on long journeys. When I’m the passenger of course!

10. What social media platforms are you active on?

I’m fairly active on Facebook and Twitter. I’m quite active on Snapchat, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. I’m on Tumbler – but not very active. I’m not sure I quite get Tumbler!

Thank you for inviting me to take part in your Reader’s Spot Shelley. I’ve really enjoyed it.  [You’re welcome, Gloria x]

If you are an avid reader and would like to be included in this feature, then please use the ‘say hello’ page to send me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.