Reviewer in the Spotlight: Anne Williams

REVIEWER IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

I am thrilled to welcome fellow book blogger and a fab Brook Cottage Books tour host - Anne Williams. Lets find out more about Anne and her blog.

 

What is your blog called?

Being Anne

How did you come up with the name?

I really agonised over it. I didn’t want “book” or “reading” in the name, because I originally wanted to make it more about what it was to be me, and not just book reviews. So I had the name - Being Anne. And the blog is almost totally book related, and will probably always stay that way. You live and learn!

What sort of books do you review?

Anything and everything! Well, nearly everything. I really enjoy women's contemporary fiction/popular fiction, well-written chick lit and light romance, literary fiction, some historical fiction (especially dual time or time slip, but not about kings and queens!), and love a good psychological or crime thriller. I don’t read anything about vampires/werewolves/the undead, formula romance, or what I think of as man’s fiction (spies, war, cowboys...). I also very rarely read YA, new adult or erotica. My most favourite thing of all is discovering new authors yet to make their mark and help bring them to people’s attention.

Do you take part in tours? 

Yes, I do - I’ve been touring for a good while now for some major publishers and a few smaller ones, in addition to touring with Brook Cottage Books when the right book catches my eye. I like running interviews (I write the questions separately for each author) and have had some excellent guest posts over the years, and will do straight promo if it’s a book I like the look of. But if I can manage it, I do love reviewing most of all.  

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I’ve reviewed books for years on various sites - I’m a Top 500 reviewer on Amazon, and I just want to let people know about the books I’ve loved. Nothing gives me more pleasure than an author tweeting their delight about a review, or a follower telling me they’ve bought a book because they trust my recommendations. 

List 3 great books you have read lately

That’s such a difficult question - I only read “great books”, because if I don’t like them I always give up at 100 pages because life’s too short to read a bad book! I think my favourite book this year is Letters To The Lost by Iona Grey. So many others I loved, but if I have to pick two I’d really recommend Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye and The Rest Of My Life by Sheryl Browne.  

How many books are on your TBR pile?

If I say this quickly, it doesn’t sound as bad - over 2300, equally split between shelves and Kindle library. It’d be so awful to have nothing to read, wouldn’t it?

How many books do you read a week?

It varies a lot - I do try and have a life too! Usually three or four…

List 3 interesting facts about you.

Although a cat features in the side-bar of my blog, I don’t have one of my own - but my neighbour’s 22 year old cat, Wally, spends his afternoons on my lap while I read.

I love my holidays. In the last ten years I’ve travelled solo to both coasts of the USA, Canada, China, Peru, Cuba, South Africa, Thailand, Cambodia And Vietnam - as well as a few holidays in Goa with a friend. In October I’m off to Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Although I’ve lived in Wetherby in Yorkshire for 25 years, and think of it as home, I’m actually from Wales (near Bangor) - and yes, I do speak Welsh!

Tell us where we can find your blog

My blog is at www.beingannereading.blogspot.co.uk. 

I also have a Being Anne Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/beingannereading. 

My Twitter name is @Williams13Anne, my Goodreads profile is https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2464996-anne and I’m also on Instagram as anne.williams13.

 My email details can be found on Being Anne, as can my reviewing policy.

Cheers, Anne x

Thanks so much to Anne for taking the time to answer my interview questions. If you also want to be a Brook Cottage Books tour host then please email me at brookbooks@hotmail.co.uk