Hooked on books with Cup of Toast

Hi Everyone welcome to another instalment of Hooked on books. You may not know but I run a book group on Facebook called Hooked on books with Joanna Victoria which you are welcome to join to talk all things books. 

Every Wednesday I will be bringing you a brand new guest series. I’ll be featuring  some lovely bloggers  who will be sharing their answers to reading/book related questions. I hope you manage to find some more wonderful blogs to read.  If you’re a blogger and want to take part then get in touch!

This  weeks instalment features Jo from Cup of Toast 

Hi, I’m Jo. Cup of Toast is my family and lifestyle blog where I write about life in general, things to do with children and send virtual picture postcards. Please drop by and say hi!


What book(s) are you currently reading?
I’m just starting ‘Bring Up The Bodies’ by Hilary Mantel. I loved ‘Wolf Hall’ so am excited to be read this one.

What book is next on your “to be read” list?
Sarah Millican ‘How To Be A Champion’. It’s a slightly different pace from all the historical novels that I’ve been reading recently, but I saw Sarah live for one of her Standard Issue pod cast recordings and she was so interesting to listen to.

What is your favourite genre to read?
I am normally found with some sort of historical or purely fictional drama in my hand, although honestly I love to read anything including poetry, scripts and prose so it varies.

Who are some your favourite authors?
This can vary too. I love Virginia Woolf. I studied her for my undergraduate degree dissertation and am fascinated by her life and work. Chaucer might be an obvious choice but I really admire reading his work and knowing what he did for the development of English Literature. Philippa Gregory for her historical novels. They are so well researched and brilliantly written. Bill Bryson for his humour and honesty. I haven’t read a single book of his that I didn’t enjoy. There are so many more too though (Alice Walker, James Joyce, George Eliot to name a few), and many more to come I’m sure.

What are your top 5 favourite books?
What a tricky question! If pushed…
‘Legacy’ – Susan Kay
‘The Taming of the Queen’ – Philippa Gregory
‘Mrs Dalloway’ – Virginia Woolf
‘The Colour’ – Rose Tremain
‘Fugitive Pieces’ – Anne Michaels

Paperback vs digital books - which do you prefer and why? 
Paperback all the way! I love to hold a proper book, the smell of the pages and the joy of turning each one to discover what happens next.

What was your favourite book or series of books as a child?
I loved the Jinny series by Patricia Leach. I used to save up my pocket money to buy the next one, I was hooked!

Do you ever cheat and skip to the end of a book? Why do you do it?
No, although I do sometimes check additional facts and cross reference books that are based on factual information like the historical novels that I read. I like to learn more about some events as I am reading through the story, and naturally some things need to be left out to allow for the flow of the main storyline. This does sometimes mean that I come across the demise of a central character though, but I know my history pretty well so it’s rarely a surprise.

 Do you hang on to your books once you've read them? Or do you prefer to pass them on to a charity shop / a friend?
I am pretty awful at hanging on to them all. Unless they’re really bad I just can’t let them go. I’d love to live in a library. I think my husband would love me to sort them out somehow. At the moment they are mostly stacked in our loft as we’ve run out of bookshelves!

Do you read one book at a time or do you have multiples on the go?
One at a time. I like to give it my full attention.

Describe your ideal reading nook
I normally sit in bed and read there. Snuggling up in bed with a book is something that I’ve done from childhood so it’s just followed through to now.



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