Book Blogger Hop – Wicked Witch's Blog

Book Blogger Hop December 2

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, it was relaunched on February 15, 2013 by Billy @ the Ramblings of a coffee addict. . Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is great.

This weeks question is: Do you go back and reread the previous book before starting the sequel? (Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer))

The answer to this question is ……… it depends. Partly on how much I have to read and how much time I have when the sequel is released. However the main issue is how long it is since I read the previous book.

I’ve just finished The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso but didn’t reread the previous two as I only read them earlier this year and felt that they were still quite clear in my mind.

However, TAD Williams is releasing the final part of The Lost King of Osten Ard in November 2023. I read the first book in this quartet back in 2017 and really don’t think that I will enjoy the final part as much if I haven’t reread the earlier books.

I enjoy rereading books and for me it is no hardship to reread books that I have enjoyed. I often do binge-reread a complete series as there is something very satisfying about immersing yourself in a different world for 3 or books. It does really only apply to fantasy series though. I don’t often feel the need to reread contemporary books if there is a sequel

What about you? Do you reread before picking up a sequel or do you just dive straight in?

Book Blogger Hop November 25

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is great.

This weeks question is: Which print size do you prefer: small, medium, or large? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I have to say that my answer to this has changed over time. I used to be perfectly happy with books that had a small print size as I preferred the books themselves to be smaller. Paperbacks used to be small enough to fit into a reasonably sized coat or jacket pocket and so it was easy to take a book with you where ever you went.

However, age has caught up with me and now I do find it much easier to read modern paperbacks that have a larger format and a bigger font size. They are much easier on the eyes especially when I’m reading at night by artificial light.

I also think that a larger print size looks a bit more inviting to read. There can be something a bit daunting about a book where the font size is quite small and the pages look a bit dense.

What about you? Which print size do you prefer?

Short or long Reviews? – Book Blogger Hop Nov 18

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is great.

This weeks question is: Do you like writing short or long reviews? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Like last week, this week’s question is a really easy one to answer. I definitely prefer to write short reviews rather than long ones.

I enjoy writing reviews but often I struggle to think of what I want to write. I know how I feel about a book but sometimes I find it hard to express it in writing. I’m also very wary about giving away too much in a review so I think that I often err on the side of writing too little rather than too much

I often see bloggers post ‘mini reviews’ in which they write almost as much as I do in a full review and then I begin to wonder if I am writing enough. But then I remind myself that my reviews are not the only ones out there and if people want longer reviews, then they are easy enough to find.

What about you? Which do you prefer to write?

Voracious Reader or Book Nerd? Book Blogger Hop Nov 11

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is great.

This weeks question is: Which do you prefer to be known as: a voracious reader or a book nerd?(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer))

This week’s question is a really easy one to answer. I would definitely want to be known as a voracious reader rather than a book nerd.

I’ve always read lots and quite quickly. When I was in primary school, my teachers sometimes wouldn’t believe that I could have a read in the time that I had. I usually get through a minimum of 4 books a week and if they’re relatively short, then it’s often more. I also read fairly widely. My favourite genres are fantasy, crime and historical fiction but I will read pretty much anything if I’m bored. I’m not that struck on my husbands military history books though.

Book Nerd sounds lot more negative to me whereas I think that reading lots is a positive thing. The best online definition that I found was this:
a person who is extremely interested in one subject, especially computers, and knows a lot of facts about it:

I don’t think that I am particularly nerdish about books. Apart from with a couple of members of my family, I don’t really discuss them outside of this blog. I don’t remember quotes or author facts either. I just love to read the stories.

What about you? Which would you rather be known as?

Book Blogger Hop October 28 #blogtober 2022

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is: Have you ever experienced a blogging nightmare? If so, what was it?(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer))

Not really. I’m not a very technically minded person so I’ve always stuck with the basic WordPress blogging platform that I first started to use in 2012. I sometimes see other blogs on the platform and they look much more creative and inviting than mine but whenever I’ve tried to change things around, I often end up with a worse result and I get frustrated at the waste of time. That isn’t really a nightmare though.

The worst nightmare is trying to keep up with reading all of the blogs that I follow and posting comments on them. I love to read all the different posts but it isn’t always easy to find the time and then I begin to feel guilty . Again though, I don’t think that really qualifies as a nightmare.

Have you ever had a disaster on your blog?

Blogtober – Book Blogger Hop 21st October

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is:

(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer))

Not any more.

At the start of this year, all of our bookshelves were jammed with books. We had books piled on top of each other and double stacked where the shelves were wide enough. We also had books piled up in the corners of the rooms as well lurking in wardrobes.

Then in April, we went to Ikea and bought lots of shiny new bookcases and turned a tiny room in our house into a library. We also had a huge cull of books that we didn’t think that we were going to read again. At the moment, our bookcases are beautifully neat and we still have room for some more books. I’m not sure how long this situation will last though.

What about you. Are your bookshelves buckling under the weight of all those books?

Blogtober – Book Blogger Hop October 14

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is: Do you suggest new authors to your readers? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer))

Yes is the short answer to this week’s question.

I love discovering new authors and if I find a book that I really like, then I will definitely recommend it probably more than once. I’m fairly sure that I recommended Evalina Maxwell over and over again last year when I first read Winter’s Orbit.

It’s one reason that I love my library as I can pick up books by totally unknown authors which often results in great reading. Since I’ve discovered Net Galley, I now have 2 sources of authors that are new to me.

One reason that I will always recommend new authors and books is because I get so many of my great reads from recommendations of other people so it seems only fair to return the favour.

Book Blogger Hop October 7th Blogtober 7

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is: Are you lost if you don’t have a book to read?(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews)

Yes is the short answer to this week’s question. I always read at lunchtime and in the evening so if I don’t have a book, I would feel very lost. Between the library, my kindle and my loaded bookshelves, it’s been a long while since I haven’t had something ready to read as soon as I finish a book.

I don’t feel that I have to take a book with me where ever I go though. If I’m sitting waiting for something, then I’m quite happy browsing social media and catching up with reading blogs for a while. If I’m on a long journey by train or plane then I need to have a book.

One of the things that does worry me as I get older is loss of eyesight preventing me from reading. My Grandmother ended up not being able to read and although she had audio books (on cassettes in those days), it was never the same for her. The idea of not being able to pick up a book and read is horrifying.

Book Blogger Hop September 23

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is: Have you ever reread a book? If so, why did you decide to reread it? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

This week is one of the easier questions to answer. Yes, I have reread many of my books. In fact, the books that I buy are generally books that I think I will want to reread.

Why do I reread books is a bit more tricky to answer

I think the main reason that I reread books is to simply enjoy going back and reliving that story again. I remember as a child getting Masha by Mara Kay from the library. I loved that book so much that as soon as I finished it, I went straight back to the beginning and read it all over again. I think I read it 4 times in the two weeks that I was allowed to keep it.

I didn’t own many books as a child so the ones that I did (mainly Enid Blyton) were read over and over again. Especially in the holidays as the library only allowed me to take out 4 books at a time and they didn’t last very long.

Some re-readings became a sort of a tradition. I used to reread Lord of the Rings every Summer holiday. I would lie on my bed and immerse myself in the world of Middle Earth.

I’ve never lost that love of revisiting stories that I know really well simply for the joy of being there again. Maybe I’m quite a boring person as I also like revisiting the same places on holiday. If I really love a place, why wouldn’t I want to go back?

The books that I reread tend to be fantasy books where I can enter into a different world. I read a huge amount of crime fiction but don’t have the same urge to reread the books. Once I know who did it, that’s it for that book

Do you reread books?

Book Blogger Hop September 16

I just love this meme and the questions that come up. They generate so much discussion which is so great.

This weeks question is: What are your favorite characteristics of a main character? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

That’s a really tricky question and one that I’ve been thinking about as I’ve been doing stuff around the house. There seem to be so many that I could choose from so I started to think about some of my favourite characters and what they were like,

My favourite characters aren’t perfect. They are often quick to get angry or stubborn and don’t always make the right decisions.

They will try and to the right thing even if it’s difficult.

Linked to that one is that they persevere and don’t give up.

I like a bit of humour in my characters too. Some of my favourite characters aren’t necessarily the main character but they are the ones with the sarky attitude.

I love strong women characters especially those who have to try to succeed in a male dominated environment.

Loyalty. After creating my list of some of my favourite characters, I think that the one of the things they have in common is that they are loyal to their companions and their beliefs.

Intelligence – The other thing that my list below has is that they are all extremely intelligent. I might not be but I like to read about characters who are😃

Some of my favourite characters include:

Mara (The Empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurtz). She has to fight to keep her family alive against a completely male-dominated society.

Harbinder Kaur (Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths). Female and Asian police woman who is completely competent in her job.

Silk (The Belgariad by David Eddings) I just love his cynicism and eye on making a profit all the while.

Tilly Bradshaw ( Washington Poe series by M W Craven) I love her single mindedness and the literal way she takes everything. She is incredibly intelligent and loyal too.

Lanie (Miscellaneous) Stones (Saint Death’s Daughter by CSE Cooney) I just love her and the way that she conquers all the difficulties that life throws at her.

What do you love in a main character?

Are any of your bookcases buckling under the weight of too many books?