B A Morton - Writer
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Jan - Reader Interview

2/9/2014

7 Comments

 
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To complement our Wednesday author interviews, The Coffee House is pleased to announce a new feature...Sunday Reader Interviews. It’s an opportunity to get to know a few of the folk who read our books and discover what they give a thumbs up to, and what gets the thumbs down. Amongst other things I’ll be asking them about their favourite genres/authors and of course their preference, e-book versus printed. So, if you’re not reading or writing, then join us on Sundays to discuss books!

A warm Coffee House welcome goes to our first guest, Jan. She’s a Northern lass, like myself, and an avid reader.  A little bird tells me she was once a book buyer for a well known UK book retailer, so she knows a thing or two about the industry. Jan, while I pop the kettle on, can you give us a little insight into who you are? i.e. job, hobbies, life in general, and tell us why you love books.


I work in the beautiful market town of Hexham where I manage an outdoor shop selling clothing and equipment. 4 kids , 4 grandies and a full time job leave  little time for leisure activities but of course there is time everyday to read something. I’m more of an outdoor type preferring to roam the hills of Northumberland and delve into local historic sites than watch television.

What is your favoured genre or are you an eclectic reader?

I do read a wide range of books but it’s easier to tell you what I tend to leave on the shelf.  I’m not a great lover of crime. (ha ha, that’s my books out the window then) I hate reading about children going missing etc, and graphic murder scenes horrify me.  I prefer stories set in England (I can’t tell you why) and I don’t read ‘Chick lit’ My most often chosen genre is historical fiction.



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Can you give us your 5 favourite books?

So difficult to select only 5. But here goes 1) Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. 2) Sarum by Edward Rutherford. 3) The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle 4) Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. 5) Chocolate by Joanna Harris. (Pillars of the Earth is my all time favourite too)

Your favourite author?

I don’t have a favourite author although I have more Phillipa Gregory novels than any other. That’s because of the Genre rather than the author.

What are you reading now?


I’m reading 2 books at the moment 1) The first phone call from heaven by Mitch Albom and 2) Constantinople .  Istanbul’s Historical heritage by Stephanie Yerasimos. (Click the links to find the books on Amazon)

How many books would you normally read in a month?

Sadly not as many as I would like. On holiday I will read 4 in two weeks but otherwise I have 2 or 3 on the go for maybe 6 /8 weeks or more.

Which do you prefer e-books or paperbacks?

Books not e-books.


Do you have an e-reader, if so, which one?

Nope.

Where do you buy books, online, bookshops or other?

Always bookshops, independent if possible but I do enjoy browsing around Waterstones.

Do you use your local library?

No, I will only read a new book. I can’t even bear to borrow from a friend.

What first attracts you to a book by an unknown author? Cover, Blurb, Recommendation? Are you influenced by publisher name?

An eye catching cover does attract me. I subscribe to New Books and often take reader recommendations from there. The publisher has no influence at all. The blurb has the biggest influence of course.

What puts you off?

Covers that have photographs or scenes from subsequent films. I don’t like too many characters in the plot. I also prefer dialogue lead story line, rather than descriptive. I prefer a narrated story rather than first person.

What do you think is fair price for a novel length e-book/paperback?

I usually pay £7.99 for a paperback and have no grumbles, although I won’t buy a short book at that price. I don’t buy from supermarkets.

After reading a book do you ever leave a review? Only when you really enjoy it? Only when you really didn’t enjoy it?

I do sometimes review books for New Books. I never give bad reviews.  Although try to be as honest as possible making sure the reader knows it’s not to my taste. If I don’t like a book I feel it’s because it’s not my thing rather than not worthy.

Are you influenced by other reader’s reviews?

Yes, very much so.  A strange reply given my previous answer, but that’s exactly why I won’t slate someone’s effort.

Do you recommend books you’ve enjoyed to friends?

Always yes.

Are you a member of any reader groups, book clubs i.e. Goodreads?

Goodreads & New Books are two but I don’t have the time for much more.

Do you subscribe to any e-book promo newsletters? If so which ones?

One or two on Facebook. Free books and Goodreads. Also Goodreads by email and Newbooks. (a bit of a trend showing here.)

Thanks for dropping in and sharing all things booky with us, Jan.  As a writer, I’d also like to offer a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to review the books you read, as reviews do influence reader choice. I think we can safely say from your answers that you prefer historical fiction in printed form and you’re happy to give a new author a shot if the cover is eye-catching and the blurb is hot. If anyone has any recommendations for Jan (must be available in paperback) then by all means leave your suggestion in a comment.

                                                                                                                                                                                         Babs x


7 Comments
John Holt
2/9/2014 12:11:56 am

As to be expected, another fine interview coming from the Coffee House. Well done Babs, and Jan. Sadly though it sounds like you won't be reading any of mine either (Crime, and two novels set outside the UK). Never mind. Best wishes to you

Reply
Jean Gill link
2/9/2014 12:12:41 am

'The Assassin's Wife' by Moonyeen Blakey ticks all the boxes, including set in England and it's a great read. Karen Maitland's books would also fit but the one I read was very dark so I'm not sure whether they'd fall foul of your crime embargo. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Assassins-Wife-Moonyeen-Blakey/dp/1611792185/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391962168&sr=1-1&keywords=the+assassin%27s+wife

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alfie
2/9/2014 12:15:26 am

I enjoyed this, it makes a change to see things from a different perspective ie: the reader. The only problem I have is that Jan doesn't like crime novels, that's me told.

Nice one ladies.

Reply
Eileen Thornton link
2/9/2014 12:55:02 am

Lovely interview, Jan. It seems we have a few things in common as I am also from the northeast (Tyneside). However I lived in Hexham sine years back. The estate up towards the racecourse. I also review books for Newbooks.

My novel The Trojan Project is an action adventure set in the Cheviots. It is only available on Kindle at the moment, but I would be happy to send you a copy if you would like to read it.
Good luck with your projects. Cheers x

Reply
Gerry McCullough link
2/10/2014 05:37:21 am

All readers are different. I consider myself a reader as well as a writer. I read a lot of my time, and have always done so. I have some things in common with Jan, but not everything. I also like lots of different genres, including historical fiction ( Georgette Heyer is one of my favourite writers ) but I do enjoy crime. Not gruesome stuff – like you, Jan, I hate stuff about children being hurt. But I do like Kindle books. I've been able to buy lots of books that way which just wouldn't exist in paperback anymore, even as second hand. And I'm very happy to buy second hand books when I can, if they are books I've been longing to read again. I'm afraid, Jan, you wouldn't want to read any of my books. None of them are set in England – they are all about Belfast (although that is the UK!) and three of them are thrillers, although not gruesome! You might try Belfast Girls, my first. Not crime, but in no other way falling into your list of preferences, I'm afraid! It's been very interesting to read your views.

Reply
Gerry McCullough link
2/10/2014 05:41:14 am

And by the way, I really love The Pillars of the Earth! A fantastic book!

Reply
Paul Trembling link
2/10/2014 06:43:09 am

I enjoy historical fiction myself, though I've never written any. (The amount of research puts me off !). At the moment I'm reading 'Wolf Hall' by Hillary Mantell. Very good, as you would expect from a Booker winner - once you get used to the fact that it seems to be written entirely in the present tense!

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    As a writer I'm interested in what makes other writers tick. In the real world I'd invite them round for coffee and a chat. In the virtual world I can do just that. Welcome to The Coffee House!

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