Today I am super excited to introduce you all to a super excited and inspirational book lover Kell.
Kell is not only a massive book advocate and reviewer, but she is blogger and founder of Kell’s Bookmark Clique and one of the organisers of Sydney Author Event. I recently had lunch with Kell and some of the girls from the Bookmark Clique, and let’s just say that group is sure to send your TBR through the roof! I’m really honoured that Kell (and the rest of the Sydney Author Event girls who will appear in this feature in coming weeks) agreed to be on the blog today because not only is Kell everything mentioned above, but she is honestly the most down to earth book enthusiast who loves nothing more than a good book and to talk books.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading an early version of Seth Kings new book Honesty and it is incredible! I’m loving it.
What’s the last book you bought?
Low by Mary Elizabeth
Do you prefer to read books in print or electronically?
I like both, although reading on my iPad is much more convenient.
If I was to walk into your house right now, what would your bookshelves look like? Do you have an organisation system (genre, colour, author…) or are you just happy to go with the flow?
I have them in author order. I have my extra special signed books (Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire, Kim Holden, J Sterling, Seth King, Beth Flynn) in glass cabinet and my other signed treasures are in my bookshelf. They are actually quite neat! I like them to look pretty.
How often do you read? Every day.
Usually a couple of hours each day.
Describe what you would expect to find in your dream book?
I love sports themed books with a hot guy and a girl with a great sense of humour who’s not afraid to stand up for herself. (Think The Perfect Game by J Sterling)
How do you choose what to read next?
I beta read for friends, so they are my priority, but if I have a recommendation from a lot of people, I’ll bump it up my tbr list.
So you’ve started a book and discover it’s not for you. Are you more likely to discard it or finish it?
Discard it and move on. Harsh I know, but I have sooo many books to read.
If you could read any book again, for the first time, what book would you choose?
This is an easy one. Bright Side by Kim Holden.
What is about books that appeals to you so much? What is your favourite part about reading?
I love getting lost in the worlds that the authors create. I cry… A LOT in most books I read, so, yes, I’m a very emotional reader. I become invested in the stories and the characters like they are my family and friends.
Can you tell us a bit about your blog and how long have you been blogging for?
I started the closed group Kell’s Bookmark Clique about 6 months ago and I am blown away by how many people have joined. It is a very positive group where we discuss everything about books, our lives, we share quotes and authors are frequently asking questions in the clique to get the readers point of view on something, which is pretty cool. All our members are great people and if I win lotto, I want to meet them all.
What has been your favourite book you’ve reviewed on your blog?
I will answer this as my favourite review I’ve written for one of my favourite books. Invincible Summer by Seth King was a book like no other. I usually sit and write a review and it takes a while. I delete parts then go back and rewrite, but with this book, I wrote and I wrote and I couldn’t stop. This book brought out emotions and feelings in me that made me want to express everything in my review. I am proud of that review, but it was the book that made the review so special.
Do you have any advice to other bloggers out there?
If you are thinking of starting a blog or group, go for it. It is so much fun and the friends I have made through the book world, I will have forever. My advice is to be nice to people. Don’t put books or authors down. If you don’t like a book, review it accordingly, but don’t ever be hurtful or come right out and say you hated it. Authors put many hours, days, weeks, months into writing a book and they don’t want to read comments about how much you disliked the book. In other words, be respectful! You can give a constructive 1 star review without being nasty.
Can you tell us a bit about the Sydney Author Event and how that came about?
The Sydney Author Event was the brain child of Ryn Hughes. I saw a post on Facebook about it and I messaged the page to offer my help. Ryn replied asking where I lived and it turned out I only live 5 minutes away from her house. The rest, as they say, is history. The event is an intimate signing with 25 authors at the Ivy Sunroom in Sydney. We opted to have smaller author numbers to give the event a more personal feel. We have a fabulous selection of local and international authors and I am so excited to see them all.
Who are you most looking forward to meeting at the Sydney Author Event this year?
I am desperate to meet Alessandra Torre, as I loved Hollywood Dirt and I can’t wait to see all my Australian author friends again, they are are so very special to me. Most of all, I am so excited to finally meet Willow Aster. We have been friends for over 2 years, and we chat regularly over that time. We’ve been through good times and sad times together, we’ve even buddy read a few books together, which is always fun. I’m predicting there will be tears when we see each other, I’m getting emotional thinking about it right now, lol. If you haven’t read Willow’s books, I highly recommend them. Her writing is brilliant.
Is there anything we should know about the Sydney Author Event?
Never underestimate us. We always have surprises up our sleeves that no one will see coming. The 2014 event was amazing, but I’m predicting this years event will be bigger and better. I have already started looking for outfits for our After Party.
For more information on or about the Sydney Author Event visit the following websites:
Facebook | Sydney Author Event Website | Instagram | Twitter
To purchase tickets to the Sydney Author Event click here.
To find Kell’s Bookmark Clique visit here.
The Never Ending Bookshelf 