May 27, 2021 Catching Up With:
Blogger & Reviewer: Amy Littleford
Publishers have a few best allies. They include booksellers, librarians, and bloggers/reviewers. If a book gets a few allies and advocates behind it, there’s no telling where it will go. We wanted to use this space to showcase a blogger who has been a fantastic advocate for books and smaller presses.
Here’s a little more about Amy Littleford:
Amy is an aspiring author who is studying Creative Writing at University in the UK. Like many authors, Amy has a passion for reading. She understands how important a book review can be for any author and enjoys spreading the word about her favourite books. Amy uses her Instagram platform (@amylittleford.author) to share her thoughts on the books she is reading with her followers and likes connecting with like minded readers. All Amy’s book reviews are also posted on her blog that is attached to her website.
Q&A
What are your favourite genres?
My favourite genres seem to change all the time. Currently I’m obsessed with fantasy after having read Sarah J. Maas’ new release: A Court of Sliver Flames. I’m now working on her backlist. I always have a poetry collection on the go and I’m actually currently reading ’the truth of you’ by Iain S. Thomas which you kindly allowed me to read through Netgalley.
Are there any that you avoid?
I like to think that I’m very open to a lot of genres but there are a couple that I stay away from. Horror is one of them. This is mainly because I’m a scaredy cat but I do have a few on my shelves that I’m building my courage up to read. Science Fiction is a genre that you won’t find me reading and I can’t see that changing. It’s a genre that I’m just not interested in. I think my experience with science at school has had a big role in that.
Tell us about your reviewing process.
When I write a book review I like to include a rating out of 5 stars like that of Goodreads and Amazon as a quick view of what I thought of the book. Sometimes, I’ll include a small summary of my own about the book so that readers have a small understanding of what I’m reading. Firstly, I’ll discuss what I enjoyed about the book and I usually like talking about the themes in a book that really spoke to me. If it’s a book I haven’t enjoyed as much, I’ll always start off with what I did like but then go into what I didn’t enjoy. I try to be as respectful as possible to the authors work but also express my opinions of the book in a way that is true to myself.
What if you don’t like a book?
If I don’t enjoy a book I will still review it. I feel like a lot of the time a bad review can also peek other readers interests as much as a good review. Each review I write is my opinion only and every readers opinion will be different. I always try to give constructive feedback where possible and as I said previously, be respectful.
How do you spread the word on books?
I have found so many great platforms on the internet where I can spread the word about the books I’m reading. Social media is obviously a very good place to talk books. Instagram is the main app that I use where the bookstagram community is huge. I post my reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. There is also a new app called Readerly that is soon to launch where readers can share the love for their favourite books and I’m enjoying being a part of the first to use the app. I have only known about Advanced Reader Copies (ARC) for the last two years but it has really transformed my reading. Being able to read and review books before they are published really helps to spread the word about books coming out soon and gets readers’ attention about new releases. I mainly use NetGalley, which is a great place to get eARCs. Other places to get ARCs are sites such as Readers First, Hidden Gem Books, Tandem Collective UK, BookSirens etc.
Interviewee: Amy Littleford
Interviewer: Michelle Halket