Wow!!! So today marks one year since I started up this little blog, I can't believe that I have been writing my thoughts about books on here for a whole year and what's more, people are actually reading it!!!
When I started this blog I honestly thought that I would be writing into space with no one particularly interested, except maybe my mom!! But instead I have made so many blogger and author friends and people all around the world read my reviews. I even have authors offering me their work to read in exchange for a review. It has been a whirlwind of fun and I am so happy I decided to do it!!
So at the beginning I jumped into this blog with a review of the book Left Neglected by Lisa Genoa
It was my first time writing down my thoughts of a book so I didn't really know what I was doing (lets be honest I'm not sure I still do!) but somehow 20 people thought it was worth a read which blew my mind!! Since then I haven't looked back and I still love writing a review for people to see, even better if it inspires them to get a copy of the book in question!
So as I have been doing this blog for a year I thought I would let you get to know a little more about me with a 'getting to know you' expose. I also want to mark the occasion with a book giveaway. I have three books that I have read and reviewed since starting this blog that I just loved that I would like to share with you! Two of these books are by authors who reached out to me at the beginning of my journey to offer me their book in return for a review. Both of these amazing humans have been so supportive of my blogging journey and so I wanted to give something back to them. (Steve Frogley and Hayley Walsh, I'm looking at you guys!!). So I have purchased physical copies of these books to giveaway to some lucky readers! You will find out more details later in this post.
So here is a little more about me.....
For those who may not have read my blog before I write reviews about books I have read. My favourite genres are romantic comedy (chick-lit) crime thrillers, modern fiction and Young Adult. These are the books I find myself being drawn to time and time again although I am happy to try new genres and am partial to a bit of fantastical vampire fiction! (Which is accompanied by a lot of eye rolling from my husband.... not more vampires!)
I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I genuinely cannot think of a time I didn't have a book in my hands (neither can my friends and family) I was that child who walked to school with her nose in a book - thankfully the potholes were not as bad back then. I love that feeling of being totally immersed in a fictional world and rooting for (or loathing completely) a character. Becoming absorbed in the lives and details of the story, getting to know characters inside and out; as if they are your own friends. The anticipation of not knowing what will happen next and the suspense as you turn over every page, followed by the sense of loss when you get to the end of an amazing story and realise that the characters will no longer feature in every waking moment of your thoughts. A great book is bitter sweet when you come to the end. Those that leave you genuinely glowing with happiness or desperate to read more are hard to find but unforgettable when you do!!
I decided to start my blog as I wanted to share my thoughts of books with like minded people. I always pass my books on to friends or family- I sometimes leave them in secret spots around the country as a book fairy 🧚♀️ (you can read more about that pastime in this blogpost) or I partake in book swaps online (isn't social media just amazing?) I'm not one to hoard all my books once read, firstly my TBR is totally out of hand and I need the space. Secondly I love to share the joy, if I find a book I loved I absolutely have to pass it on to be enjoyed by someone else. My heart breaks at the thought of a book sat gathering dust on a shelf not being read, can you imagine how sad it would feel? It doesn't bear thinking about!
My love for all things books
I genuinely don't think I could pick a favourite book or author. I have read so many amazing books over the years by amazing writers and I am always ready to embark on a new relationship with an author recommended by someone or stumbled across by pure accident. A lot of my reads are impulse choices, reading a recommendation in a magazine, spotting an interesting book in a charity shop or watching the hype on social media. Whatever I choose to read though, I give myself whole heartedly to the experience and slot it away in my memory bank to be recalled fondly in my memories.
Call me old fashioned but I much prefer the experience of reading a physical book. The look, smell and feel of a book transport me to another world and its a feeling I just can't replicate when reading an ebook. Don't get me wrong there is a place for a kindle, as I have continued my blogging journey this last year I have realised the importance of being able to read a proof or ARC on a kindle. It is too much to expect new authors to send us bloggers physical copies of their books when an ecopy can give us the chance to read and review books books self published published authors. Also lets be honest they are very handy on holidays as otherwise I have to forfeit clothes in order to squeeze in 'just one more book'.
Non book related facts about me:
I grew up in Birmingham and moved to Yorkshire for university where I completed a degree in film studies - I never left and after 20 years here definitely feel like a true Northerner!
I am a mom to a wonderfully exuberant 4 year old who most certainly keeps me on my toes!
For my day job I am a teacher - I currently teach in Nursery which is a new position for me but I love it. One day I dream to have my own book shop and immerse myself completely in the world of books but for now teaching will have to suffice!
When not reading I enjoy knitting or dabbling in other creative activities - I love sewing and making things from scratch.
I am re-teaching myself to play the guitar (I used to play as a teen and always regretted stopping) I now know 3 whole chords!!
I LOVE to dance and sing like a loon around the kitchen - much to my familys amusement!
I sing in a choir 🎶 and recently performed in a charity performance for BBwithlove at Sheffields City Hall. That was truly amazing!
I secretly would love to write a novel and have it published. Its something I've always wondered about - whether I could do it. The blog is a step in the right direction for now.
So now here is the all important information about my Blogaversary giveaway!! I would absolutely LOVE to share these books with three lucky readers of my blog. It would be so great to be able to share the joy these books brought to me! I will be sending a physical copy of one of these books to three lucky readers. You can click on the titles to read my reviews.
Do you value your mother's health above peace in the Middle East? How about your career over global warming?
If a company runs the best graduate scheme in the world, then it can afford to be probing with its interview questions.
When Joe Massey is offered a role aboard Schelldhardt's luxurious headquarters at sea, he discovers that the company mission is beyond anything he had ever imagined. Strange dreams disturb his sleep, and it soon becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems.
Is he really the right man for the job? And if not, then why is he there at all?
Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.
But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.
Kate feels old alone, and regrettably round. It's the 1st of February, and today happens to be her fortieth birthday. This month she must survive, a pending divorce, raising her offspring spawn from Satan, being Maid of Honor, a fellow bridesmaid from hell, multiple dress fittings, and her meddling mother. Can she make it to March without losing her marbles?
In order to win one of these delightful books you firstly need to be happy with me having your address. Unfortunately I can only offer the books to residents of the UK due to postage costs at the moment.
If you would like to win one of these fabulous books just subscribe to my site or become a member of the WIX app and write a comment below saying which book you would like and why. Winners will be drawn on Saturday 13th November which leaves this giveaway open for a whole week.
I will also be sharing this giveaway on Instagram and twitter.
Please feel free to share my blog with your friends and family, if they love a good book then I would love to write for them!
I hope you have enjoyed finding out a little more about the person behind the blog, thanks for coming to celebrate my year anniversary with me. I hope to have many more in the future!! Please do browse through some of my other posts if you are new to my site! You might even find a new book for your TBR!