#TopFiveThursday with #BookBlogger Anne Williams at BeingAnne

Today im thrilled to welcome Anne Williams whose blog BeingAnne was one of the first blogs I followed. There are few bloggers who I see as the “matriarchs” of the book blogging community and Anne is one of them, not only does she write the most fabulous reviews but she is also great at giving advice to fellow bloggers. Anne also won an award early this year called The Best Pal Blog award, which was very apt for this lovely lady. If you haven’t checked out Anne’s blog you really should she reviews a wide range of books, so there’s something for everyone

Top 5 books this year (so far)?

I’ve read 75 books so far this year, and 55 of them have been five star reviews – so it’s really difficult to choose just five! I’ll skip the obvious ones (Maggie O’Farrell, Amanda Jennings, Carol Lovekin, Rosy Thornton…) and pick five others:

Invisible – Barbara Copperthwaite
Life Class – Gilli Allan
The Testament of Vida Tremayne – Sarah Vincent
After The Lie – Kerry Fisher
The Flower Seller – Ellie Holmes

Top 5 authors you think everyone should read?

I do have a growing list of authors whose books I always add to my kindle as soon as they’re released – here are five of them:

Lisa Jewell
Lucinda Riley
Rowan Coleman
Katherine Webb
Kate Morton

Top 5 books you want to read before the end of 2016?

Just five? Oh, ok then…

Fell by Jenn Ashworth
The Family Line by Laura Wilkinson
The Wild Water Series by Jan Ruth
The Secret Wife by Gill Paul
The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft

Top 5 blogging tips that you would give to new bloggers?

Enjoy your reading – when you’re working to deadlines for blog tours and promised posts, it’s sometimes possible to forget that bit.

Remember that you’re blogging because you want to – if it’s becoming a chore or a pressure, maybe you’re not doing it in a way that’s right for you.

Only do what you’re comfortable with – some people blog daily, others only when they’re reviewing their latest read, some run interviews and guest posts, some prefer to only post reviews. There’s no right or wrong… it’s your blog.

If you’re running a busy blog, it’s good to get a little ahead of yourself – I prepare a week’s posts on a Sunday, but sometimes just the framework, and slot in reviews and guest posts when they arrive.

Make time for friends – one of the joys of blogging is the network you’re part of, chatting to other bloggers and authors, supporting what they’re doing. Sharing their posts and news is one of the many things that makes blogging fun.

Top 5 book blogs you follow?

Just a small selection from the many I read daily and love…

Linda’s Book Bag https://lindasbookbag.com
Swirl and Thread http://www.swirlandthread.com
Bloomin’ Brilliant Books http://www.bloominbrilliantbooks.com
My Chestnut Reading Tree https://mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com
Portobello Book Blog https://portobellobookblog.com

I’m Anne Williams, and I live in the lovely West Yorkshire market town of Wetherby. I’m not originally from Yorkshire though, I was born and brought up in North Wales, in a village near Bangor. I blog at Being Anne – I’ve recently moved to WordPress and my own domain, and you’ll find me at http://www.beinganne.com.

I’ve been blogging for just over three years now. I was lucky enough to get early retirement from my Civil Service job a couple of years ago, so I’m one of those really lucky people who can read as much as I like, whenever I like – as well as reading about books, and attending all the launches and parties I can fit in.

I also run a book club for the University of the Third Age, and have a monthly spot on local community radio – Tempo FM – where I share my reviews and recommendations. My other passion is travel – in the last couple of years I’ve toured South America and visited Vietnam, Borneo and Singapore, and I enjoy planning my trips almost as much as I love the holidays themselves.

Other links:   Facebook     Twitter     Instagram     http://www.beinganne.com

My thanks to Anne and all the other fantastic bloggers who have taken time out of their busy schedules to answer my #TopFiveThursday questions, I really do appreciate all your help in making this a regular feature. If I have featured you yet don’t worry I haven’t forgotten you, I’m just going in the order posts were sent back to me 😘😘