My blog has been running for two whole months now and it has been an absolute pleasure to run it and to meet so many lovely book people on Twitter!
I’m quite shy by nature, but I thought I’d pick up the blog tag from @BlogsBookworm at Mystery Bookworm Blogs and introduce myself properly. This was an original tag by Lauren at Lala’s Book Reviews so I’m using her questions…
Introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Kate. Sometimes known as The Quick and the Read on the internet, but usually Kate or Mum or Mrs B (in the classroom). I live in the very rainy area to the south of Cheshire where I teach, read and raise my two children.
Do you have any pets?
2 cats and 4 bantam hens – I’ve kept chickens for about 10 years and they are fantastic pets, plus there’s always the bonus of fresh eggs!
What is your favourite thing to drink?
Always coffee. I’m very caffeine-dependent, I think, and it is the only reason I’m vertical most days!
What is your favourite season?
I’m really not good in hot weather so probably autumn. It rains all year round in south Cheshire anyway, but there’s something about the darker evenings and the beginnings of anticipating Christmas that I like.
Do you have any special talents?
Haha, no. I once won a prize for my weaving at summer school when I was 9 – does that count?!
When and why did you start your blog?
I’ve always been absolutely passionate about reading, so I hoped that blogging would connect me with like-minded people because I’m quite shy in real life. In the two months since I started the blog, this has definitely been the case. I’d also reviewed on NetGalley a lot over the past few years but wanted more of an outlet for my bookish thoughts!
What is something that you wish you knew about blogging when you first started?
This could probably be a book in its own right! Mainly, I wish that I had known more about the quirks of WordPress because it has been a very steep learning curve for me as a technophobe!
What has been the hardest part about blogging?
The writing is the easy bit – the messing around with pictures is the bit I find hard. I’m not a natural photographer – one of the reasons I avoid Instagram like the plague – but have had to reluctantly start snapping!
What has been the most rewarding part of blogging?
Definitely finding my tribe on book Twitter. Everyone has been really supportive and lovely – it is genuinely a pleasure to find people always willing to talk about and recommend books.
Do you write your posts ahead of time or write them the day of posting?
Always ahead of time – I’m fitting blogging round family and work so there’s no chance that I’ll be able to predict when I’ll get writing time!
Who are your top five favourite authors?
This honestly varies all the time! Right now, I’m loving these:
- Laura Purcell
- Caitlin Moran
- PG Wodehouse
- Jeanette Winterson
- Nina Stibbe
What genre do you read the most?
I’m obsessed with historical fiction – I will read anything set in the Victorian era, but also Edwardian/Regency/1920s are favourites. I love crime fiction too, so historical crime fiction really floats my boat!
What genre surprised you by how much you love it?
If asked, I’d say I don’t like horror books but I have started edging into ghost stories and books about the supernatural and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I do like a vampire too, it turns out (although I still can’t get on with ‘Twilight’ – sorry!)
Which popular book didn’t live up to the hype for you?
I’m so reluctant to slate any books because of how much love and work goes into their creation. There are a few classics I really didn’t enjoy when I was at university for a whole host of reasons – I’ll go with saying I am not intelligent enough to have got anything worthwhile out of ‘Moby Dick’!
Who are some popular authors you haven’t read?
Loads of them, but mostly in genres that I’m not really into – just looking at the bestselling authors list on Wikipedia I can spot Stephen King, Barbara Cartland, Dean Koontz, Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham… I’m also a bit contrary (some may say awkward…) so I don’t read things just because they’re popular.
What upcoming releases are you excited to read?
I’m lucky because NetGalley have already given me some amazing ARCs for the end of 2020 and 2021 so I’ve read some of the ones I really wanted – ‘The Betrayals’ by Bridget Collins and ‘Daughters of Night’ by Laura Shepherd-Robinson to give two examples. Other than those, I’m looking forward to Laura Purcell’s new book, ‘The Shape of Darkness’ and the next books from Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan – both murder mystery series set in India.
Do you listen to music while reading?
No – as I’ve got older, I can only concentrate on one thing at a time!
Where else can I find you online?
On Twitter as @thequickandthe4 mainly, or you can link to my Goodreads through this blog.
I open this blog tag to anyone who wants to take part! If you do decide to do it, please credit Lauren (link at the top of the post) and me for the tag.
Thanks for reading. Please do find me on Twitter for a chat and follow this blog for more bookish things!
Header photo with thanks to Giulia May for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I love reading posts like this and I loved all your answers! Looking at the best selling authors list, I havbt read a lot of them either! Congratulations on your 2 month blogiversary 🎉🎉
Thanks Ellie Mai xx
Hi Kate. I found you on twitter and came to see this blog post. I loved your answers. I’m an introvert and I don’t have any book lover friend around me. So I have recently started writing blog posts and I am so happy to get connected with fellow book readers like you. Congratulations for your 2 months completion of writing blog posts and keep going.👍
Thanks, Prachi! I’m glad you are enjoying writing your blog too and thanks for getting in touch. Us introverts should stick together!
Aww, your cats are so cute and absolutely beautiful. And I love their names!
Thank you so much! Hope all is well with you
Great post Kate, I really enjoyed reading your answers. I’m very similar to you, I don’t like hot weather, I strive on coffee and can’t concentrate on reading with music on!
Thanks, Ellie! The hot weather thing is definitely not understood by a lot of people so I’m glad you get it!