The Goodreads Choice Awards were announced recently, and I was happy to see YA author, Sarah J. Maas scooped another win in the YA Fantasy & Science Fiction category, this time for A Court of Mist and Fury (great book!). In 2015 it was her Queen of Shadows novel that secured her win, however, this year she was able to amass an astounding 57,000 votes!
The fact that I’m 44 years old and a huge YA fantasy fan has never seemed odd to me. I’ve been a fan of this genre for many years and plan to remain a loyal YA reader for a long time to come. I know I’m not the only ‘oldie’ who likes to read young adult tales and I see this in the number of likes and comments I receive on my blog posts when a young adult title is featured. Continue reading “My Top Ten #YA Reads #amreading”→
I created the Friday Book Share Gameto help search for that ideal novel/author.
Anyone can have a go – all you need to do is answer the following questions based on a book you enjoyed reading (old or new) and use the hashtag #FridayBookShare – Simples!
First line of the book.
Recruit fans by adding the book blurb.
Introduce the main character using only three words.
Delightful design (add the cover image of the book).
Audience appeal (who would enjoy reading this book?)
Here on the Reader Spot, I share the bookish love of our avid book reviewers. From young adult to historical romance, chick-lit to a murder mystery, they know what they like, and they’re happy to share. Whether you are a reader looking for a new book, or a writer wondering what your reader wants, I hope you find this series enjoyable.
As I round up willing victims book reviewers to take part in this feature, I thought I’d share my own book love so you can see the kind of questions I ask.
If you are a book blogger/reviewer and would like to take part in this feature, then please leave me a comment, or get in touch via my ‘say hello’ page. This Feature Needs You!
What genre do you enjoy reading?
I’m sure it will come as no surprise to hear that I adore YA fantasy fiction. My bookshelves are stuffed full of vampires, faeries, dragons, and witches – the more fantastical, the better! However, as I have been a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team for a while now, I’ve started to push the boundaries and read a few ‘big girl’ books. I’ve discovered a new-found love of historical fiction, science fiction, crime, and horror – something I used to enjoy reading when in my twenties. I also enjoy non-fiction titles in the personal development genre.
Do you have a favourite author in this genre?
I have several favourite YA authors, most of whom I’ve included in my Monday Muse feature; Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, Jana Oliver, oh dear, the list is endless! When I was younger, I was a huge James Herbert fan and was deeply saddened by his loss. Another favourite in the sci-fi and horror genre is Dylan J Morgan – his books are beyond awesome!
How do you prefer to read your books?
Most of my review books are on my kindle, but when a favourite author releases a new book I have to get it in paperback. I can’t seem to read YA on my Kindle – maybe that’s the teen in me! I also have to have a paperback if it’s non-fiction. I’d probably say it’s a 50/50 split. I’ve had a few PDF books to review and find it incredibly hard to read on my computer. I much prefer to curl up somewhere away from my desk.
Where do you purchase your books?
Amazon and Waterstones. It’s far too easy for me to click ‘buy now’ on Amazon, I should deactivate my card details – maybe one day! We have a lovely big Waterstones store in Solihull, and also on New Street in Birmingham, and it’s physically impossible for me to walk past without popping in.
Where do you find out about the books you read?
The majority of my book purchases come from reading reviews on book blogs. If I like the cover, blurb, and it’s got a decent review, then I’m sold. I also subscribe to the Goodreads YA email, so I find out when all my favourite authors are releasing their books.
I take advantage of the ‘you might also like’ feature on Amazon quite a bit too. They have recommended some fabulous titles by lesser-known authors who I might have missed otherwise.
Do you have a budget when buying books? Do you stick to it if you do?
Ha ha, I don’t know why I ask this question – does anyone have a book budget? I know I should as I probably spend more money on books than groceries, but I can’t see me implementing one anytime soon 🙂
Do you write a review when you’ve finished reading? If so, where do you post this?
Yes, every time. I will post a review on Amazon UK and US, Goodreads, and my blog. If I’ve reviewed a title as part of Rosie’s team, then it also gets shared on Rosie Amber’s blog, so it receives two pushes on social media. I share my reviews on Twitter and Facebook and hope to start promoting them again on Instagram and Pinterest (I’ve been a bit lax with that!)
What do you look for in a book?
For me, it’s all about the characters. If I don’t feel a connection, then I’m not really bothered about the plot. I love feisty female characters who get into all kinds of trouble, and I’m quite partial to a sexy vampire, but that’s for another blog post!
Where do you like to read?
I love reading in my she-shed in the garden when it’s a warm sunny day, but as autumn has arrived, I’ve started to curl up on my sofa overlooking the garden. I do go up to bed quite early and read for a few hours before switching the light off. I also have thirty minutes between dropping my son off at football and when his match starts so I’ll hoover up a few chapters in the car before standing in all weathers to cheer him on.
My she-shed!
What social media platforms are you active on?
You’re reading my blog at the moment *waving* so feel free to hit the ‘follow’ button.
I’m still trying to get the hang of it, but I’m on Instagram if you want to connect, and I have a Pinterest account. I am on LinkedIn but rarely look at it – far too grown up for me!
I hope you enjoyed this feature. If you would like to take part, please get in touch.
Everyone knows how much I love writing lists and goal setting, and it’s commonly known that I enjoy a good New Year resolution or two. The New Year is a great time to work on new beginnings and fresh starts. However, you don’t need to wait until January 1st to make relevant changes to your lifestyle, career, health, or wellbeing.
September, for me, is the perfect month to embrace those new adventures, start a new academic course either online or at night school, or begin a health regime that will keep you mentally and physically fit during the winter. It’s a month of crisp weather, the promise of home grown apples and blackberries, and let’s not forget the oodles of back to school stationery just waiting to be purchased. Continue reading “Make Time For What Matters – Now! #SundayBlogShare #SpecialOffer”→
Monday Muse – Inspirational people surround us at every turn. To celebrate some of the incredible women who continue to motivate us on our writing journey I post a Monday Muse dedicated to the women/characters who are our artistic inspiration.
Who is your Muse?
Today, on the Big Blue Takeover I am delighted to welcome Jean Booth, author of Zombie War to talk about her Monday Muse. Over to Jean…
I don’t have any one specific person that is my artistic inspiration. When I wrote Zombie War, my younger sister, Sarah was on my mind. She has an inner strength to her that I don’t think she saw for a long time. She had always been quite unsure of herself, but I could see beneath that uncertainty to the strong, capable woman she’s growing into. I wrote this book, in part, to show her her strength. Continue reading “#MondayMuse Guest Post from author, @JeanBooth – For The Love of My Sister #MondayBlogs”→
Today’s guest on the Big Blue Takeover is, Sara Daniell, author of YA contemporary novel, Anything Goes on a Friday Night.
The Fun Stuff:
What part of the world do you come from?
My family and I recently moved from northern Wisconsin back down to the south. I guess we just missed the southern drawls, sweet tea, and southern hospitality of our little town. Not to mention we hated the long winters up north. So, here we are…back in Arkansas.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a teacher. I have pursued that dream and after many years of college preparing me for the job, I accepted a special education position in middle school. I never saw myself as a professional writer, although, it was my secret passion. But, I’m lucky to say that my secret dream of writing and actually sharing it with the world came true.
With the weekend approaching it’s the perfect time to seek out new books to read, so I’ve created a Friday Book Share game to help search for that ideal novel.
