At first sight setting myself as my own Reader of the Week must look a bit egotistical. However I thought if I’m going to ask these questions of fellow readers, then it is only right that I ‘step up to the plate’ and give it a bash myself. Given that this is my blog, and you can find out all about me in the About section, I’ll omit the bio piece that I usually start each interview with.

1. Favourite Genre? If I asked this question of myself a year ago then I would have answered non-fiction, particularly biographical non-fiction, without a second thought. I just love reading about other people’s lives, especially those who have been involved in war or have taken epic journeys etc. Now that I’m also getting quite deeply into the fictional aspect of books though, I’d also have to add literary fiction as a favourite genre, mainly because the genre maintains focus on character rather than plot.

2. Favourite Book? I could go on forever, especially when it comes to non-fiction, but here’s the main ones - Fiction: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, Hunger by Knut Hamsun. Non-Fiction: Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, In Deadly Combat by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, The Life of Muhammad by Tahia Al-Ismail, Stalingrad by Antony Beevor

3. Why do you love reading so much? I’d say my main love for reading comes from the fact that I can gain knowledge. I just love learning things. I also love the escapism that can come from reading and the fact that I can transport myself back to more fascinating periods in history. I’d say that my childhood in many ways nurtured a love for reading. My dad is a voracious reader (although sadly not as much now as he was) and my grandparents were always keen to give me books as presents, which I always welcomed.

4. Favourite reading place? Without a doubt my favourite reading place has to be the bath. No matter where else I am, I can never seem to replicate the peace and level of relaxation that I experience while in the bathtub. Such a state seems to improve my reading massively, and I find myself reading to a depth that I can’t quite reach anywhere else. I’ve also mastered the art of ‘keeping the book dry’, something which my wife and kids marvel at (and before you ask - no, I don’t take my eReader into the bathroom with me).

When I want to do some serious reading though, my desk with plenty of good lighting and room to spread the books out, is hard to beat.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? In terms of visual evidence, my reading addiction is not quite as evident as it is with some people. Sure I probably have more books and bookshelves than the average person but they don’t necessarily show me as having an addiction. I think my addiction is better illustrated through the fact that I spent four years studying for a history/archaeology degree, which was solely motivated by my love for reading, and the fact that I run a dedicated book-blog.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? I have an ongoing personal commitment to remain as paperless as I can. However a big stumbling block to that is my huge passion for books. As paperless as I’m able to operate (I spent my last 2 years at university at almost 100% paperless operation) I can’t give up my books, so I try to offset that by only buying 2nd-hand books. Therefore my main outlets for buying books are 2nd-hand bookshops (which I love, not least for their quirky uniqueness and glorious book smell) charity shops or library sales. Of course there are occasions when I’m so desperate to buy a particular book that I’ll buy it new, and when that need comes up I’ll usually head for Amazon.

7. How do you decide what to read? I tend to go mainly on the recommendation of others whether that be family, friends, professors etc. but I also like to keep a close eye on book awards such as Man Booker, Costa Awards etc. because I think that’s where the ‘cream of the crop’ can often be found. I’m not one to be taken in by funky covers or fancy blurb and I’ll often spend quite some time researching a book, particularly when it’s non-fiction, before I add it to my reading list.

8. Ebooks - love or hate? I’ve got to say that I both love and hate ebooks. I love them because they give me an opportunity to operate paperlessly. I’ve only recently just been able to purchase a dedicated eReader in the UK (the Sony PRS-505), and I’m loving the experience of using it. Previously I’d cover my ebook reading needs using a Tablet PC, which has proven hugely invaluable. I love to annotate books, but I never would (or have) marked a physical books because I’m one of these people who considers books to be sacrosant, so any notion of defacing a book is horrifying to me. However with a digital version of a book and a Tablet PC I can annotate to my heart’s content, which is guilt-free heaven.

My love for books means I also hate ebooks as well. There’s just no real character in an ebook, only a practical use. With a real book I love the touch, the smell, the read anywhere. But most of all I love how you can see yourself progressing, as the read part of the book grows increasingly thicker, while the unread part thins. I also love to be surrounded by my books. Aside from the visual contentment, it gives me reassurance that my collection is looking down on me and I can reach for any one of my books at a moment’s notice.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Absolutely. Although after spending so much time studying history, you’d think my immediate desire to write would centre around creating a work of historical non-fiction, but not so. My desire to enter NaNoWriMo this year for the first time, means my mind right now is set on writing fiction.

I don’t know whether you could call it ‘serious’, but reading from a young age also inspired me to journal, and that’s something that’s hugely important to me, perhaps even more so now.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Turn off the TV and unplug from the Internet once in a while. We all spend waaaaay too much time watching mindless TV or surfing pointless websites. Get away from these things and see how much time you can gain for some serious reading, time that is so much better spent.

Also speak to other readers, as often as you can. This of course involves plugging back into the Internet, which totally contradicts my first piece of advice, but there is so much value to be gained from speaking to other readers - seeking advice, recommendations, opinions etc. You’ll find that the online reading community is generally an amazing bunch, with most of them being incredibly warm and friendly, intelligent and wholly inspiring.