Getting to Know Me Through the Books I Love (and Hate)
A Bookish Q&A
I have published on a variety of platforms, including my own brand Murder Mayhem UK. My first book was on Jack the Ripper and second the A-Z of British Serial Killers. Since then I have published a book on the unsung heroes of the war, Warriors of War and my new book released June is about the atrocities Japan committed during World War II, No Honour in Victory. I have also recently published a crime novel called, The Retribution Killer.
Personally, I am a parent to three children, two with additional needs and a teacher with my own tutoring business, teaching young people excluded from mainstream school.
Whether I am writing or chilling, reading has been a massive part of my life. If you consume content about books, I’m sure you will have seen versions of this article in various forms, a random collection of questions about books that help you get to know the creator.
So, I thought it would be fun to write one, especially as I’ve gained a few new subscribers, and allow you to get to know me. If you have the time, please answer some or all of these questions in the comments, so we can get to know you.
So let us start.
What are the books that got you into reading?
My earliest memory of reading was devouring anything by Enid Blyton. My first favourite was The Magic Faraway Tree, and then I worked through The Secret Seven and The Famous Five. This was clearly where my love of crime came from.
As a teenager, the author who stands out the most for me was Dean Koontz. I devoured everything he wrote, and it all started with my purchasing a very battered copy of The Watchers for 20p from our local library. I took it on holiday with me and could not put it down. I came home and started buying up every book I could find by him.
Which book genre do you read the most?
If you had asked me this a year ago, I would have said crime without a doubt. Whether it was true crime books or detective fiction, I was obsessed. This year, however, I’ve found myself moving more towards fantasy, which is a completely new genre for me.
What is the book you tell everyone is your favourite?
My favourite book can change depending on my mood. However, my top five are fairly consistent. They would be To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, The Book Thief, The Stand, and a recent addition, East of Eden. Others that wander into my top five are Brave New World and 1984.
What is the book you have reread the most?
Every Christmas, I read A Christmas Carol, so without a doubt, this is my top reread. I am not massive on rereading books, but others that I have revisited include Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, and 1984.
What is a book that everyone else loved, but you didn’t?
This is an easy one for me, A Court of Thorns and Roses. It was terrible. Sorry if I have offended any fans.
What is a book you think deserves more hype?
Anything by Elly Griffiths. Her crime novels are some of the best I have read, and I love her characters. Yet she never seems to get much credit on BookTok or Instagram.
What is a book that could cure a reading slump?
Any of the Hunger Games books. I love the world, although I wouldn’t want to live there, but going back and reading these books is like visiting friends, and it always gets me out of a slump.
What is a book that everyone should read?
The Ratline by Philippe Sands. It will make you question what you know about World War II.
What is a book that would make a great movie?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune would make an excellent movie. However, it also fills me with anxiety, as it would have to be a good adaptation to do the book justice. I worry Hollywood would change the children too much. If you’ve read it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, then you should.
What is a book you wish everyone would try to read?
The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It is such a unique reading experience. The physical structure of the book puts people off, but it is also a very rewarding journey when you get through it.
What is a book you’ll never forget?
Stephen King’s The Stand has lived with me daily since I read it. It is a book I will never forget. Despite only ever reading it once, I can still quote from it.
Your Turn!
Now it’s over to you. Share your answers in the comments. I’d love to hear what books have shaped your reading life, or let you down!
Thank you for reading. I hope this has given you a slight insight into my bookworm brain.
I have always held the old-fashioned opinion that the primary object of a work of fiction should be to tell a story. - Wilkie Collins
I have always read crime and general history. I did once read Mills and Boon in high school but moved away from them when I discovered James Bond.I am not a fan of science fiction. I have tried to read it but have struggled to get interested in the genre.
I hope it's okay, I think I answered all of them.
Probably books by Beverly Cleary and similar authors, as well as The Hardy Boys and Three Investigators and McGurk Mystery and Encyclopedia Brown series, were what really got me interested in reading (although I’m not too much of a mystery buff now).
For a long while I was reading a lot of Middle Grade, as well as quite a bit of YA, because I was anticipating writing something of my own that would fall somewhere into the kidlit sphere, but I wouldn’t say I have any favorite genre or age range. I love when I find a new author whose work really moves me.
My favorite book would have to be Pride and Prejudice; it’s also the book I’ve reread the most.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is one I started and DNFed. There are quite a few hyped books that I started reading with great anticipation that I soon realized just weren’t for me.
A book that I think deserves more hype… I’m going to shamelessly plug a couple books by author friends, Hungry Bones by Louise Hung and Sitara, Lady of the Lotus by S.A. Hoque. Both of them are lovely, thought-provoking, often humorous reads that, like most books, get lost in the vast and exponentially growing universal bookshelf.
Rather than having a slump I’d need to cure, because there are always more books I want to read than I have the time and energy for, I would say the Harry Potter series is one I have to resist the temptation to reread again and again (I’ve read it three times, but my first time was only after the last book had been released).
I don’t believe everyone should read any one book. I’ve seen way too many readers/critics whose tastes (and I dare say, lack of reading comprehension) and sense of self-importance leads them to leave scathing reviews, so I wouldn’t wish that on any author.
While reading some of the books in the Murderbot series, I would have said they would make an excellent movie or TV series. But I relate to your anxiety—yesterday I saw a trailer for the Murderbot series on Apple TV and it didn’t exactly fill me with hope.
I’ll never forget The Little Prince. One of those children’s books that isn’t just a children’s book at all.