Category: ReadingJourney

Today’s Bloggers Reading Journey is from Matthew Craig who blogs at Reader Dad. He describes himself as a voracious reader of dark crime, horror, sci-fi and fantasy works. The darker the better. He can be found on Twitter here . So here are his answers to my questions:

What is your earliest reading memory?

That’s a tough one. Probably reading Jill Tomlinson’s gorgeous THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK as a child.

What was your favourite childhood book? Probably Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard. Though, more recently, I discovered Oliver Jeffers’ STUCK, while reading it to my son. It’s hilarious and totally bonkers.

What book do you remember reading at school?

I’m going to cheat here and name three that have really stayed with me, one from P7 (Robert C. O’Brien’s Z FOR ZACHARIAH) and two that were part of the GCSE English curriculum at the time (Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding). I return to all three at times, even now.

What was the book that changed you?

Stephen King’s SKELETON CREW, and its opening story, “The Mist”, set me on the path to becoming a lifelong fan of the man’s work. Not sure if that’s a change for the better… Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre? I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction as a child, then crept over the genre lines into horror when I got my hands on SKELETON KEY around about the time I hit my teens. But it was Raymond Chandler who opened my eyes to the crime genre – which is probably the one I read most in these days.

What was the last book that you bought?

“Book”? I can’t just come away from a bookshop with ONE book, so my last trip ended up netting me: A TALE OF ONE JANUARY by Albert Matz THE TREES by Percival Everett CLOSE TO HOME by Michael Magee (definitely one of my books of the year) and YELLOWFACE by Rebecca F. Luang

What was the last book you reread?

I’m currently re-reading Stephen King’s THE STAND. Before that, it was the audio version of James Herbert’s RATS.

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

Once upon a time, I would have finished every book, if it killed me. About 10 years ago I realised that it wasn’t really worth the effort: there are too many great books out there. It’s not a frequent occurrence (3 so far this year), but it happens. The most recent was at the end of May: Ruth Kelly’s THE VILLA. My own fault: it’s about a reality TV show, which is a genre of TV that I really can’t stand. About 50 pages in I felt like I was watching an episode of Big Brother, and had to ditch it.

The book I am currently reading

CENTRAL PARK WEST by James Comey, who has the distinction of being able to say he was sacked by you-know-who in his bio.

Where do you read?

Wherever I can! Usually, sprawled across the settee between 10:30 and midnight, when my wife and son have gone to bed.

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

I can always rely on King to get me out of a slump. But sometimes I need something that requires little from me, and I’ll turn to James Patterson’s Alex Cross series or Matthew Reilly’s non-stop thrillers.

What was your last five-star read?

THE LAST SONGBIRD by Daniel Weizmann (Melville House)

How many books do you currently own?

Too many (according to my wife). If I had to guess, it’s gotta be somewhere north of 2000. Enough to fill the attic and start spilling out to other parts of the house.

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

If you mean the oldest in terms of age, it’s probably the clothbound copy of Joseph Conrad’s NOSTROMO dated 1919. If you mean the earliest one I bought (or, as the case is, was bought for me), it’s a now rather ragged paperback copy of SKELETON CREW.

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

SCORCHED GRACE by Margot Douaihy

What book do you always recommend?

ROOM by Emma Donoghue, or the aforementioned STUCK by Oliver Jeffers

The next in my slightly erratic series is from BookBloke. He describes himself as talking books and nonsense. Tea Addict Opinions my own. Wears bad shirts. Jokes usually stolen. He can be found on Twitter here.

What is your earliest reading memory?

Sitting on my grandad’s knee reading a railway series book

What was your favourite childhood book?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets

What book do you remember reading at school?

More than I’ve time to list here but Harry Potter (obviously) Roald Dahl and lemony snicket

What was the book that changed you?

A wanted man by Lee Child. A random purchase in Asda for a holiday. That book got me back into reading.

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

John Nichol. Now I buy anything to do with aviation history.

What was the last book that you bought?

No Plan B by Lee and Andrew Child

What was the last book you reread?

Thunderball by Ian Fleming

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

I’ll get flailed for this but it was Billy Summers by Stephen King

The book I am currently reading

The ink black heart by Robert Galbraith

Where do you read?

Anywhere I can

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

The world according to Clarkson or a Jack Reacher book

What was your last five-star read?

Top Gun : the real story by Dan pedersen

How many books do you currently own?

Hundreds probably

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

An old copy of Gordon The Big Engine

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

Typhoon by Mike Sutton

What book do you always recommend?

The Jack Reacher books.

My blogger this week is not strictly a blogger but is Jules Swain, better known as the Reading Paramedic. She has a huge following on various socials and she is a huge love of books. She can be found on Twitter here and Instagram here. I think she is now on TikTok too. Here are her answers:

What is your earliest reading memory?

I honestly can’t remember. I know I read a lot when I was younger; I still have my original Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton’s, but I can’t recall reading them!

What was your favourite childhood book?

I have fond memories of James & The Giant Peach – still love it!

What book do you remember reading at school?

Again, I honestly can’t remember. I studied English literature, aswell as English language, at GCSE and cannot for the life of me remember anything that we read. I’m not very good at this am I?!

What was the book that changed you?

This book comes very late in my life really. I read Mel Collins’ book, The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People, only last year. I genuinely didn’t know high sensitivity was a thing, and that it was a personality trait I had lived with all of my life. I am highly empathetic, to the point I worry a lot about others, which is likely why I find my role so very rewarding. Being this way comes at a cost though, in that I forget to look after myself. Recognising this trait in myself just helped me to discover that it’s ok to be the way I am.

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

Emily Henry! I was very lucky to be sent a proof of Book Lovers pre-publication, and I’d never really read much romance before. I certainly believed romance wasn’t my thing. How wrong was I?! I loved the book, and this year I was also sent a proof of Happy Place which I loved even more! So I’ve learned to never say never, and as a result I am exploring more romance!

What was the last book that you bought?

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (a pre-order, its not out yet).

What was the last book you read?

Tell Me What I Am by Una Mannion.

What was the last book you reread?

I don’t reread often because I’ve got too many books on my TBR! But the last one I reread was The Goldfinch just before the film was released. I’d read the book a few years previously and loved it and wanted to remind myself of the full story before I went to watch the film. And I loved it all over again, and I thought the film was excellent (though never as good as the book, right?!).

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

This is not a cop out but I honestly don’t remember. I know pretty quickly when a book isn’t for me, so I don’t then pay them much attention (is that harsh?!). I did have to put Really Good Actually by Monica Heisey down for a bit and come back to it. Not because I didn’t like it, but because a lot of what goes on in the book was resonating with my own life at the time and it was making me cry-sob! I loved it when I returned to it.

The book I am currently reading.

Pod by Laline Paull (my fifth of the six books on the Women’s Prize shortlist).

Where do you read?

Anywhere and everywhere! I always have a book with me so I can read wherever I am. I listen to audiobooks too so that I can read whilst driving and walking.

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

Just something nice, maybe lighthearted. And if things have got really bad, I’ll return to my favourite – The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean Paul Didier-Laurent. It’s my most reread book and reminds that the world and the people in it can be beautiful. And it makes me cry every time!

What was your last five-star read?

Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey. I read it whilst I was on holiday in Corfu but I can tell you it isn’t really a beach read (although I’m not one of those people who needs to read a book fitting to my surroundings)! At it’s heart, it is a book about hope, but it has references to the Holocaust and at times it is devastating. A hard one to recommend but the writing is exceptional.

How many books do you currently own?

I have no idea and don’t want to know either!

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

A special edition of Yellowface, not necessarily the cover but the spredges!

What book do you always recommend?

The Reader on the 6.27, followed closely by The Remains of the Day.

I have been a bit amiss in posting these, so there will be some over the new few weeks. First is Donna who can be found here on Twitter and here on Instagram. She describes herself as an avid reader, who support authors, She also has a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science.

What is your earliest reading memory?

This is really embarrassing. I loved reading so much at school, that when I was very little, 5 or so, I was so desperate to read to the teacher that I wouldn’t admit if wet myself, but they noticed and I was so upset that I missed my slot to read.

What was your favourite childhood book?

Has to be the Magic Faraway Tree

What book do you remember reading at school?

First book I really remember reading is Lord of the Flies

What was the book that changed you?

The Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

Mark Tilbury and Abattoir of Dreams, a book that changed my life in many ways.

What was the last book that you bought?

The Ravens Mark by Christie J Newport

What was the last book you reread?

Bad to the Bone by Tony J Forder

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

I can’t remember, I tend to finish 99% of books I start.

The book I am currently reading

Five Down by Tom Sibson

Where do you read?

Usually on my sofa, but I will read absolutely anywhere.

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

I will either go back to Harry Potter, or read something funny.

What was your last five-star read?

The Ravens Mark by Christie J Newport, simply stunning read.

How many books do you currently own?

I truly have no idea, I imagine its over a thousand now. Half of those are signed. I have no more space to put new books.

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

I think it’s my copies of Roald Dahl books that are barely held together anymore.

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

The Circus of Nightmares by Conrad Jones. Scary clown in front a fair. Fantastic cover, of course…I’ve not actually read it yet!!

What book do you always recommend?

Abattoir of Dreams by Mark Tilbury and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I’ve added Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus just this year.

Today Blogger telling us about her reading Journey is Claire from Always Need More Books.

She is a book lovin’ technical librarian who has loved reading all her life.  She has always read but it was when she discovered Bookstagram, her reading and book buying habits reached a new level!

She describes herself as pretty old school, rarely reading ebooks, and preferring an actual book any day of the week. She reads a wide mixture of books, and probably the only genre she doesn’t read much is sci-fi, preferring contemporary literature as opposed to the classics, and also reads young adult as some of the books out there are outstanding.

She runs a book club in her home town at the local pub (usually between 5-10 of us). It is a great way to discover some amazing authors and books.

What is your earliest reading memory?

I can remember my mum reading to me…I can’t remember clearly the books but I can remember feelings they invoked

What was your favourite childhood book?

I liked the Richard Scarry books

What book do you remember reading at school?

I remember choosing a book in the school library for the first time…Pollyanna.

What was the book that changed you?

I’m finding this question hard! I don’t think there are books that have changed me but certain books mean more to me because they were read st important moments of my life

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

Probably J K Rowling. Harry Potter was a book I wouldn’t have thought to read as an adult and fantasy is certainly not a genre I would have chosen

What was the last book that you bought?

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

What was the last book you reread?

Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

I can’t remember! It’s very rare for me to not finish!

The book I am currently reading

Christmas on the Murder Express by Alexandra Benedict

Where do you read?

Bed, sofa, bath…anywhere really!

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

Probably some sort of chicklit

What was your last five-star read?

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

How many books do you currently own?

Probably around 800 but I don’t know for sure

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

An edition of Little Women that belonged to an aunt, Probably dating around 1950

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

What book do you always recommend?

Depends on who I’m talking too! I love particularly authors so will usually recommend those. Authors like Marian Keyes, Elizabeth Strout, Beth O’Leary, Maggie O’Farrell

You can find Claire on her blog here, on Twitter, here and on Instagram here

Welcome to the second in y series of discovering a little about bloggers reading journeys. This week it is the turn of Lisa, a *mumbles* forty-something British Book Blogger and Reviewer. She has loved reading and all things books as long as She can remember. She lives in Hampshire in the South of England and needs coffee to function as a human being. Her love of books is getting ridiculous.

My world pretty much evolves around books. So if she goes missing, you’ll generally find her wrapped in a blanket or in the bath with her nose in a book or Kindle. Sometimes though she is reading about books on Goodreads. Or loitering on Twitter. But not browsing ARCs on NetGalley for hours on end fighting my request urges. Oh and lastly I recently joined Instagram and Pinterest.

She mainly reads horror, psychological thrillers and historical fiction, but lately, she has been getting into some non-fics, like true crime and the natural world. I also enjoy poetry, short stories and occasionally go for some light-hearted reads or humour.

When not reading she like spending time in the natural world, and walking everywhere. Anything to combat the excesses of wine and food that she loves.

What is your earliest reading memory?

My earliest reading memory has to be practising with my Mum at bedtime for a whole week to read Ladybird Book ‘The Enormous Turnip’. I can still picture the 1970’s itchy blankets on my bed and feeling very proud when I was able to read from start to finish in one sitting 😌

What was your favourite childhood book?

My favourite childhood book was so many, but the one that always sticks in my mind is called Frank and Polly Muirs Big Dipper (sounds iffy 🤣) It was a treasury of stories, poems, funny quizzes etc. The last story in it was called ‘Whatamess’ about a very dishevelled dog if I remember rightly! 😅

What book do you remember reading at school?

School reading, now that has to be James Herberts ‘The Dark’. Very violent and gory and it did the rounds in senior school. Everyone in my circle loved it, and then the deputy head confiscated it. How dare you Mr Ellis! I can still see him now, wandering off thumbing through it. I reckon he read as well! 😂

What was the book that changed you?

The book that changed me – that’s a tough one. Probably The Dark as stated above, to be honest! It was the first horror, and adult book I’d ever read and I’ve never looked back. Horror has always been my first bookish love 🖤

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

The author that helped me discover a whole new genre was Sarah Waters. Historical fiction! Love it  with a passion.

What was the last book that you bought?

The last book I bought was a Christmas pressie actually! The new Brandon Sanderson The Lost Metals for my husband! 🤫 don’t tell him 😂

What was the last book you reread?

The last book I reread was We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I read it every year without fail. Long time favourite.

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

The last one I couldn’t finish – let me check my Goodreads – Of Cottages and Cauldrons. It was an autumnal anthology and I was pulled in by the cover art 🤦🏻‍♀️ the stories were, for want of a better word, amateur. I gave it my best shot. But it was pretty bad imo 😬

The book I am currently reading

I’m currently reading 2! Beast by Matt Wesolowski book 4 in the Six Stories series. I’m reading it together with my husband. We sit together on the sofa and alternate chapters. And I’m also reading Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung. A Korean short story collection which is equal parts genius and demented 😂 exactly the kind of thing I love!

Where do you read?

Where I read – on the sofa mainly and in the bath most nights!

What books / genre do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

Terry Pratchett usually gets me out of a reading slump, or The Hobbit. Or I’d pick up a collection to ease myself back in.

What was your last five star read?

My last 5 star read was The Carnivorous Plant by  Andrea Mayo, again, translated fiction. Very tough read about domestic violence and coercion. Hard but powerful. Deserved all the stars.

How many books do you currently own?

I can’t possibly tell you how many books I own but including kindle books well over 1000 😬🤫 without kindle, probably in excess of 500 🤦🏻‍♀️ and I wonder why I have no storage space left 🤣

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

The oldest book on my shelf is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which I believe was bought for me in about 1979 by my Nan and Grandad. I’d have to double check that date but it’s define of the oldest and it’s falling apart so I try not to touch it too much!

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

Probably Cursed Bunny – I saw it in a charity shop and for whatever reason, I gravitate towards books with rabbits/hares on the front. Weird. 🐰

What book do you always recommend?

I always recommend Maggie Richell-Davies’ The Servant. It’s under the radar and deserves to be a bestseller. An incredible historical fiction, it’s my book of the year this year!

You can find Lisa all over the internet. Her linktree is here

Welcome to the first in a series that I am running this year called a Blogger Reading Journey. We as book bloggers are slightly obsessed with books, but what I want to know is how my fellow blogger reached that similar obsession as I have. My first guest is Annabel Gaskell. She was an early and voracious reader and has never lost the habit, becoming a compulsive book acquirer too. A child of the ’60s and ’70s, She hails from the Surrey/Croydon borders and studied Materials Science at university. I worked as a proper scientist in the chemical industry for years, before my biological clock finally went ping. She took several years off work after having her daughter, and went back as a lab technician/H&S Officer in an Oxfordshire prep school. I’m a staunch supporter of literary events in Abingdon, and in the past hosted five literary quiz nights for charity in the town with our local indie bookshop. Her blog is called: AnnaBookBel and can be found here.

What is your earliest reading memory?

The Ladybird Peter and Jane series, I was probably approaching 3 years old. I started after halfway through the series, I remember the cover of 7a Happy Holiday in particular!

What was your favourite childhood book?

As a little kid, it was A Book of Princesses – a Puffin collection of fairy tales collected by Sally Patrick Johnson (I still have my copy – with coloured-in pictures!)
When slightly older, it was, and remains, Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr.

What book do you remember reading at school?

Being a strong reader before starting primary school, I was allowed to self-direct my reading for the most part there. I do remember re-reading E Nesbit’s The Story of the Treasure Seekers, as we were going to perform a play of it and I was going to be Oswald Bastable – I was always a principal boy in primary school drama!

What was the book that changed you?

Stereotypically perhaps, it’s got to be Lord of the Rings! The first ‘grown-up’ fantasy I read as an older child, and one I still revisit periodically. All of human life is in there, wrapped up in Tolkien’s world-building.

Who was the author who helped you discover a whole new genre?

It was Isaac Asimov’s Lucky Starr books for children, which I discovered aged 7, and SF has been part of my reading ever since.

What was the last book that you bought?

Launch Something by Bae Myung-Hoon – a Korean SF and political satire.

What was the last book you reread?

I joined in Chris Lovegrove’s Narniathon in 2022, so it the last was CS Lewis’ The Last Battle (probably my least favourite of the series).

What was the last book you couldn’t finish?

I have just a handful of DNFs most years, but the last was a book group choice from the Jubilee Reads list, Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai – I was bored by the lives of the privileged family in its pages.

The book I am currently reading

Dashboard Elvis is Dead by David F Ross. I’ve only just started it, but it’s going to be fun, I can tell.

Where do you read?

Mostly in bed! I read every morning when I wake up with my first cuppa, then until I fall asleep every night. Then any other opportunity to read.

What books/genres do you turn to, to get out of a reading slump?

For me, that’s a good thriller. I picked up a pile of early Alastair Macleans from a charity shop recently, and am looking forward to revisiting them.

What was your last five-star read?

We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets, translated from the Dutch by Emma Rault. A very disturbing and thought-provoking novella about the lives of a group of internet content moderators and how their job affects them.

How many books do you currently own?

My Librarything catalogue lists over 4,500, but it’s not up to date with additions and deletions. My house is certainly full of books though! I am trying hard to keep fewer books once read, but also can’t stop buying them…

What is the oldest book on your bookshelves?

So many ways to interpret that question! I mainly read contemporary literature, but do own plenty of classics, so Jane Austen could be that ‘oldest’.
I inherited all my mum’s books, so have some lovely old hardbacks of hers, including Sholokhov’s And Quiet Flows the Don from the 1930s (lives of Russian Peasants in early 20thC – will I ever read it? Don’t know, but it was one of her favourites so I’ll keep them forever).

What book did you last buy based on the cover?

I’m a sucker for ‘spredges’ – sprayed edges – and bought this on spec – will I get around to reading it?

What book do you always recommend?

Can I pick two please?

1. Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy – three interlinked existential sort of detective stories. Unashamedly literary, but blew me away! This book also changed me and made me a huge fan of his work.

2. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke – An uncategorisable, playful, deeply resonant, scholarly, novel with the most endearing narrator set in a labyrinth sort of a museum with an ocean in the basement. Simply wonderful. I championed this in the New Books mag Book Blogger Awards in 2021 getting onto the shortlist.