Reviewer Profiles #RBRT JUDITH BARROW #SundayBlogShare

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, here’s a chance to meet Judith Barrow.

 

Judith lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

 

You can follow Judith on her blogs where she posts her book reviews.

 http://judithbarrowblog.com/

http://www.judithbarrow.co.uk/

 

Social media hangouts where you can also follow Judith

 

https://twitter.com/barrow_judith

https://www.facebook.com/judith.barrow.3

https://uk.pinterest.com/judithbarrow/

https://plus.google.com/+JudithBarrowauthor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-a-barrow-02812b11

Genres Judith enjoys

Sagas, crime, mystery, contemporary reads.

Judith prefers books for review in  Mobi.

Hobbies, interests, and any pets? Reading, painting, walking, gardening. I tutor creative writing and love that. I lost my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, aged fifteen, last year. I haven’t had the courage to get another dog yet.

 

What new genres have you tried from the review team list? 

Horror, Dystopian, Chick lit.

What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?

Dystopian

What do you look for in a book?

I need to be able to have empathy with the characters: react as they react, feel that I know them. If the dialogue doesn’t fit with the image of the characters portrayed, I find it difficult to sustain interest; to believe in them. I love a clever plot; a story where I’m taken by surprise by the action, especially if that something comes right at the end of the book. But first and foremost I look for a good writing style by the author. You know, that certain something that makes you stop and re-read a sentence, a paragraph, a page, just to savour the words, the rhythm of the syntax ; the imagery.

Book Styles you don’t enjoy?  

I don’t think there are any particular styles I don’t enjoy. I just enjoy good writing. I’ll try everything and anything …once!

Do you read + review Non-Fiction?

I love biographies. Strangely, haven’t reviewed any yet for the team.

Skidding in sideways…what a ride! 2015 Review #TuesdayBookBlog

I just want to thank everyone who has made 2015 a fantastic year here on Rosie Amber’s book review blog.

By the close of midnight on December 31st I will have read 192 books in this year’s Goodreads reading challenge.

My brilliant Book Review team have read and reviewed between them nearly 350 books.

In October I met up with some of the review team in Sheffield and we talked “books” for almost 24 hours, we plan to meet again in 2016 and I would like to expand this and continue to meet more members of the team face to face.

In 2015 I published 834 posts and I’ve had more than 64000 blog post views.

The best day was November 30th when we announced the voting OPEN for our #RBRT Golden Rose Book awards. You can catch up with the winners and runners-up here. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-8D1

During 2015 I took part in the April A to Z blog challenge

#AtoZChallenge

I created my Wednesday Wing posts full of writing tips / promo tips and advice from a readers point of view http://wp.me/P2Eu3u-7Lw

In June I ran my own Beach reads blog tour

In September I co-organised The Romancing September book tour with Stephanie Hurt.

We’ve posted profiles of the Book Review Team #RBRT You can meet them here http://wp.me/P2Eu3u-5qu

I created the #FridayFiveChallenge to highlight the importance of getting a book cover right to GRAB new readers.

We launched the #TuesdayBookBlog hashtag on Twitter. Check out the rules here http://wp.me/P2Eu3u-86n

In November I ran my own Mystery Book tour.

I’ve run two readathons to encourage readers to write reviews.

I finished the year co-author of The 12 Days of Christmas – by Her Indoors with Terry Tyler http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-8GB

Happy New Year to All – We’ll be back on January 4th with much, much more.

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles @barbtaub

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

Barb Taub lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

Readers can find a copies of Barb’s reviews here http://barbtaub.com/

Barb also hangs out here;

Blog URL: http://barbtaub.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NullCityNovel

Twitter Name: @barbtaub

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/barbtaub

Genres Barb enjoys: fantasy (esp urban fantasy!), sci-fi, mystery, thriller, and the occasional romance

Book Formats Barb prefers when reviewing for the team; I can read most formats, but my preference is mobi

Hobbies, interests & pets. I’m owned by the World’s Most Spoiled Aussie Dog, who likes to travel and have total strangers tell her she’s “a fine wee doggie”.

I asked; “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?” This question tells me that I need to step outside of my comfort zone, because my answer is “none”. Trying some new things will be my new year’s resolution.

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”  I’m uncomfortable with erotic romance. Also, I don’t tend to pick up memoirs, biographies, or military histories.

“What do you look for in a book?” I would have to say that it’s almost always the characters that make or break a book for me. I need to see them develop, and to feel that the events of the story have changed them.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”  As a reader, I adore series. But as a reviewer, I would tend to avoid a later book in an established series unless I have the opportunity to read the earlier books first. Even where an author says the book is a standalone, I always wonder what I’ve missed in terms of world-building from earlier volumes.

Do you read + review Non-Fiction? Yes, but it’s the exception rather than the rule.

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Bev Spicer @BevSpice

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

 

Bev Spicer lives in sunny Charente-Maritime, France.

Bev Reviews on her blog: http://www.baspicer.blogspot.fr/search/label/IndieReads

Bev likes reading literary fiction, and all well-written genre fiction.

For the book review team Bev prefers kindle files sent direct to her email, or mobi.

Interests: astronomy, astro-physics, science, Ted Talks, reading, writing, keeping fit.

 

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

 

I’ve tried speculative short stories, detective fiction, thrillers and historical fiction.

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

Books which are outside my comfort zone: slushy, sentimental romance.

“What do you look for in a book?”

 

What do I look for? Strong, realistic characters, not too much back story (prefer dialogue), good plot and pace, great settings. And it’s always good to learn something new.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

 

I’m willing to give any style of book a go.

“Do you read & review Non-Fiction?”

 

I wouldn’t say no to non-fiction, depending on the subject matter.

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Luccia Gray @LucciaGray

 

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

 

Luccia Gray lives in Spain

Lcccia posts team book reviews here;

Blog: Rereading Jane Eyre, at http://lucciagray.com/

She also shares book reviews on https://twitter.com/LucciaGray @LucciaGray

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8186541.Luccia_Gray

https://www.facebook.com/LucciaGray/

I post reviews on twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Google+

Genres Luccia enjoys;

Historical and contemporary romance, mystery, and suspense. Character driven novels.

Book Formats Luccia prefers for the review team;

I prefer mobi, pdf, or Amazon gift.

Hobbies, interests, and any pets?

I love going to the cinema, theatre, and visiting museums. I enjoy long walks anywhere, but especially along the seafront, in the countryside, or through the old towns within European cities. I love cooking for friends and family. What I enjoy most is reading, discussing literature, and writing. Jacky has been living with me since she took shelter in my porch almost sixteen years ago! According to the vet, she’s part Japanese Spitz and part poodle.

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

Historical, crime, romance, mystery, women’s fiction.

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

I have a hard time getting into political thrillers, fantasy and dystopian. I don’t mind erotica, as long as there’s a sound plot and character development.

“What do you look for in a book?”

Usually it’s the characters in a novel, which draw me in. I like to hear them speak and interact, feel their concerns, watch them grow, and observe them cope with the events the author throws at them!

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

I have a hard time getting into political thrillers, fantasy and dystopian. I don’t mind trilogies, or series, but I’m not keen on books which are too long (more than 120,000 words).

“Do you read + review Non-Fiction?”

I’m not keen on reviewing non-fiction, unless it’s a topic I’m very interested in.

NEW #TuesdayBookBlog The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles Jessie Stevens @behindthewillow

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

 

Jessie Stevens is a Wisconsin, USA girl for life!

Jessie has been reading and reviewing books at behindthewillows.com for over five years!

She can be found enthusiastically tweeting away, (@behindthewillow) as well as grumpily accepting that Facebook is a part of life (facebook.com/behindthewillows).

Genres Jessie enjoys; My normal diet consists of large helpings of Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Young Adult novels with a bit of Sci Fi and Adventure on the side followed by a bit of Chick Lit Romance for dessert.  But variety is the spice of life…

Book Formats Jessie prefers for the review team; While I prefer mobi I can make anything work for a good book!

Hobbies, interests, and any pets?  I’m surrounded by animals! The dogs, the cats and the dove all live in the house but I like to keep our orchard full of chickens and ducks! I’m a wife and farmer, photographer and mother, writer and hunter, athlete and gardener, and I’ve always got a book at my side!

 

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

 I rather accidentally stepped into a bit of horror. Not surprisingly, I found it equally fascinating and horrifying!

 “What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

I’m not into the aforementioned horror because I’m a wimp and I really prefer to sleep at night when the lights go out. Not that I won’t indulge occasionally but it’s got to be really worth it!

“What do you look for in a book?”

I’m an equal opportunist. I’ve loved books while hating the characters and loved characters while wishing they were doing something a bit more exciting.  I always love when I get to “accidentally” learn something new while reading an enjoyable book and I’ve a soft spot for witty dialogue.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

Short stories are hard for me. I want to dive into a novel and wake up days and books down the line. With short stories I love the beautiful dive in but then find myself abruptly smacking my head against the bottom as it ends!

“Do you read & review Non-Fiction?”

Yes! Not a lot of it but if something catches my interest I’m happy to read it and then bore all my friends to death with random facts I’ve learned.

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Teri Polen @TPolen6

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

 

Teri Polen lives in Kentucky, USA

You can find copies of Teri’s book reviews here; Books & Such http://teripolen.com/

Teri also promotes her book reviews on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook

Genres Teri enjoys; horror, dystopian, YA, sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, paranormal

Book Formats Teri prefers for the review team;  e-pub

Hobbies, interests, and any pets? Reading – I’d love to have a vacation where all I do is read.  Yoga, movies, anything Marvel, avid fan of The Walking Dead, love animals, but a definite cat person.

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

Is it bad if I say none? I haven’t had time to review as much as I’d like since I review for a couple of other websites, plus writing my own book.

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

Romance. I can’t tell you the last time I read a romance novel, so I’d feel completely unqualified to review one.

“What do you look for in a book?”

I tend to look for things that are “otherworldly” if that makes sense. Reading is an escape for me and I’d rather read something that takes me out of this world or to an alternate version of it.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

romance, high fantasy (but love the movies), alien sci-fi

“Do you read & review Non-Fiction?”

No

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Noelle Granger

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

Noelle A. Granger lives in Chapel Hill, North Caroline, USA

Noelle’ s team reviews can be found at : http:/saylingaway.wordpress.com

Plus here; Links to book reviews can (occasionally, when I think about it) be found on my Facebook pages: Noelle A. Granger and The Rhe Brewster Mystery Series

Noelle enjoys; mysteries, of course, but also historical fiction, sci-fi, biographies, along with the occasional chick lit.

When reviewing for the team, Noelle prefers to buy the books. Noelle says; “Authors need the income, and I feel no obligation at the outset when reviewing.”

Hobbies & Interests;  are swimming, knitting, cooking, and flying in small planes (I am not a pilot, though). I am a great aficionado of the sport of lacrosse and have season tickets for both football and basketball at the University of North Carolina. Go Tar Heels! I am also a gourmand, and as a result, am constantly trying to lose weight by working out in a gym when my pool is closed in the winter. Last but not least, with my son in Germany and my daughter in LA, plus the needed research for my book, my husband and I travel!

We have two pets, down from probably 15 at one time: a Garfield-size, orange and    indulged cat, Elijah Moon, and a very active (even at 15), mostly Jack Russell terrier, (She’s No) Angel.

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

I think I’ve tried quite a few genres from the review team list, which has been a great growing experience.

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

Fantasy – with vampires, werewolves, wizards, and other strange and evil beings – takes me out of my comfort zone. I am a huge fan of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and J. K. Rowling, so perhaps fantasy with a strong moral overtone attracts me.

“What do you look for in a book?”

For me, a book must have a strong plot with well-limned characters, ones to which I can relate. Huge information dumps without dialog give me wrinkles and I want to hear the dialog running fluidly in my mind.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

All in all, there is probably no book style I don’t or can’t enjoy. Considering I read cereal boxes when I was little, I like pretty much everything from shorts to series to sagas.

“Do you read & review Non-Fiction?”

I do read non-fiction, although I don’t believe I’ve ever reviewed a non-fiction book. My favorites are biographies of people who played larger-than-life roles in history. I love to learn about them, what makes them tick, what life was like at the time: Churchill, Truman, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams, the Wright Brothers, and of course, the Tudors and the Medici, to name just a very few.

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Alison Williams @Alison_Williams

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

 

Alison Williams lives in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

Alison posts copies of her reviews here;

alisonwilliamswriting.wordpress.com

Find Alison here;

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonwilliamswriting

Twitter: @Alison_WiIliams

Genres Alison enjoys:

Historical fiction

Contemporary fiction

Contemporary women’s fiction

Short stories

Horror

When reviewing for the team Alison likes; mobi

Hobbies, interests, and any pets?

Reading(!), writing, going to the gym, travel, music, politics

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”

Children’s fiction, romance, thriller

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?”

All of the above!

“What do you look for in a book?”

Character driven – interesting, unusual main characters that I can empathise with, well-researched – particularly if historical, professionally presented – it’s very important to me that an author has taken care over aspects such as grammar and punctuation.

“Book Styles you don’t enjoy?”

Fantasy

Chick lit

“Do you read & review Non-Fiction?”

Yes

 

 

 

The #RBRT Reviewer Profiles – Karen Oberlaender @okiewashere

Reviewers on the #RBRT are very busy hard working people who give their time freely, so I thought it was about time readers had the chance to meet them and find out a bit more about them.

Karen Oberlaender lives in Germany.

Find Karen’s book reviews here;

https://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com/

Karen also posts book reviews here;  LinkedIn, Twitter, Goodreads, Tumblr, Google+

Karen enjoys reading;  Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Short Story, Horror, New Adult, Science Fiction

Book formats Karen prefers when reviewing are;  e-pub or mobi

Hobbies, interests, and any pets?  Reading, writing, nature, films; cats (cohabitants)

I asked, “What new genres have you tried from the review team list?”   Romance

“What genres make you step out of your comfort zone?” Romance

  What do you look for in a book?” Empathy with the characters, plot line

 “Book Styles you don’t enjoy?” BDSM, epic dramas, war, animal cruelty

 “Do you read & review Non-Fiction?” YES