Getting To Know…Sam

Sam is a new recruit to Club ‘In the 30s’, despite her desperate resistance to join. She is currently attempting to live a life of luxury on a shoestring budget whilst simultaneously wrangling her two-year old tearaway monkey/child hybrid (a.k.a Daniel).
Rumour has it she only wanted a child as a cover so she could lurk in the children’s book section and revisit her favourite author Roald Dahl’s back catalogue. She is therefore waiting desperately for her son to grow into these stories so they can leap into a world of snozcumbers and dream catching giants together.
When it comes to genres, Sam is fairly fickle and will opt for most fiction with a twist or quirky plot! But will happily jump into a spot of sci-fi, fantasy and graphic novels equally alongside a cheesy chick-lit or apocalyptic tale! Her main rule for enjoying a novel is strong characters to intrigue her enough to stay up until early hours of the morning whilst the rest of the household sensibly sleep!
What have you enjoyed the most about blogging over the past year?
Publicly gushing about books I’ve enjoyed! it’s been very exciting as blogging with my real name has been very new to me!
What was your favorite read of the last 12 months?
The fantastic Hunger Games trilogy completely blew my mind! Best love/action story I’ve enjoyed in a long time! I had to read them back to back whenever I had a spare few minutes (even on my iphone kindle app!)
What makes the perfect beach/holiday read?
My last ‘holiday read’ was Room by Emma Donoghue which isn’t really the standard holiday suggestion, but it’s so gripping and well written I found it impossible to put down!!
What book are you most anticipating reading over the summer?
I have to confess I don’t have one! I have a few on my wishlist for my kindle My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl, and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, both have tickled my fancy so might treat, myself to them after my birthday
Describe your bookshelf/TBR pile
My real bookshelf is currently boxed away 🙁 even after being moved in to our new home for the past 7 months. But I’m steadily building a vast electronic collection on my kindle to compensate!
How do you make time to read?
Staying up to ridiculous hours forgetting that I have to be up the following day!
Where is your Favourite place to read?
Bed and Bath (dangerously with my Kindle!!)
How do you encourage the love of reading and books in your children?
I haven’t specifically done anything to lean Daniel towards books, but I have surrounded him with them!!! He has a bookshelf in his playroom, a tub of books in the Living Room and a Toy Box filled with books in his bedroom where no other ‘toys’ are permitted!! 😉 Also I do throw myself into the bedtime stories – shrieking ‘THE BIG BAD MOUSE!!!!’ as loudly as I can (probably a bit counterproductive with a bedtime routine, but it’s impossible to read that bit quietly!
What is your favorite book you have shared with your child(ren) in the last 12 months?
Discovering and learning by heart the Gruffalo’s Child for my Little Boy’s bedtime read as mentioned in the last question. It’s the first ‘story’ book Daniel has enjoyed so it’s easily my favourite too!
A favourite blog/forum/website you would like to recommend to our readers? Why?
Attic 24 (click here to view site)purely for my other obsession which is Crochet. This lady makes the most beautiful things and shares so much it’s a pleasure to look at as well as read. A must follow for any Chabby-chic & Kirstie Allsop fans!! 🙂
And because we ask our visiting authors- Just For Fun
Tea or Coffee? Tea (milky, two sugars and at least 2 digestives!!)
Slippers or barefoot? As it’s Summer barefoot!
Shower or Bath? Bath!
Marmite: Love it? Hate it? Ergh!!!! Hate hate hate!
Email or postcard? Postcard!