The format is exactly the same. Aside from linking back to their original features, I reprint the answers to one of the most important questions I asked them – What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers?

Reader #16: Darren Owens (featured December 15 2008) – I’d never presume to do such a thing.

Reader #17: Katy Burdock (featured December 22 2008) – Don’t just read the mainstream books authors churn out every month, as sometimes these people are more interested in the money than their passion for writing.

Reader #18: Ann Kingman (featured May 11 2009) – Find a few key reliable sources for recommendations, whether it be friends, booksellers, book blogs — and then delight in the discovery.

Reader #19: Michael Kindness (featured May 18 2009) – If you’re not enjoying a book, DON’T FINISH IT! There are far too many wonderful books out there to slog through something you don’t like.

Reader #20: Rick Seifert (featured May 25 2009) – Take your choice: Support independent bookstores. Reread. Make references to books in conversations and in e-mail. Note that good reading, like good writing, encourages good thinking. Read to children.

Reader #21: Stewart McAbney (featured June 01 2009) – Don’t stick to comfort zones when choosing your next book. Doing so perpetuates an interest in the same old stuff. Take a risk on something you’ve never heard of or something you’d never consider reading. There’s a world of books out there, so get out and see the world.

Reader #22: Rob Redman (featured June 08 2009) – Stretch yourself, don’t neglect the classics, and at least dabble in the genres to see what they have to offer. There are a lot of surprises out there.

Reader #23: Marcia Jarnell aka Lizzy Siddal (featured June 15 2009) – Remember the bookworm’s Wonkaism: “So many books, so little time ….”, so don’t waste it and abandon books you’re not enjoying. Reading is an individual pleasure and for every book that’s not connecting with you, there are hundreds more that will. Go find them!

Reader #24: Francis Evangelista (featured June 22 2009) – Share your love of reading in every way you can. Volunteer with an adult literacy initiative or tutor at an under-served school. Give books away randomly to people that might like them. And not just your best friend. Give some books away to people you don’t even care for like that woman at work that told you what a flake you are (and that still means a GOOD book not some bodice ripper piece of something that you hope might offend her). And don’t forget to support your local public library. Circulations in a tight economy are at highly elevated levels, but at the same time, library budgets are being slashed everywhere. Chances are a local librarian will think you a super hero for a few hours of shelving or processing holds. We are or will become what we read so advocate for best possible outcomes.

That’s right folks Frances is a shining example of everything a book blogger should be, and so it gives me great delight to turn the virtual mic over to the lady herself. Heeeere’s Frances:

I am lucky enough to live just outside Washington DC, one of the most engaging cities in the world. I am a librarian/ media specialist for DC Public Schools, have been an advocate for various literacy initiatives for over 20 years, and run the biblioblog Nonsuch Book. My inner child is not so inner, but when I manage to behave as an adult, I enjoy wine, museums, film, cooking and great restaurants, and any activities by a beach.

1. Favourite Genre? Nonsuch Book contains mostly literary fiction but I read all over the place. Since I work in education, I read a HUGE number of books written for the short set. And as the subtitle on my blog (musings of a print junkie) suggests, I ingest most print that crosses my path including magazines, journals, newspapers, etc. Sometimes it is a habit a little out of control.

2. Favourite Book? My favorite children’s book is The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. As a child, no matter how many times it was read to me or by me, I cried my eyes out when the Lorax lifted himself up by the seat of his pants, and vanished through a hole in the smog. I still get a little weepy reading it to my students on Earth Day every year. They love to pat my back, and tell me it will be OK.

My favorite adult book is much harder to pin down. Let me name a few: Anna Karenina, One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Great Gatsby, and last but not least, The World According to Garp ties with A Widow for One Year as my favorite Irving novels.

3. Why do you love reading so much? If I were a book character I would be Curious George. My exhausted parents fed me a constant supply of books during my childhood to satisfy my curiosity about everything and to quiet my restless self. The answers I sought in those books contained so much more delicious detail than I was provided anywhere else, that I was hooked for life. And it was not only those answers that appealed to me. It was all the answers to questions that I had never thought to ask. Invitations into other people’s heads that drew me outside my own.

4. Favourite reading place? Bed. If my family permitted it, I would make my bed my life’s command center. And in a garden is lovely too. Or at a restaurant when you get the opportunity to eat alone. Kind of decadent when you think about it. You are hiding out away from the responsibilities of work or home, and there is someone right there obliged to wait on you. For money.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? This is a trick question, Rob, but you will not trip me up. It is not an addiction but a means through which I navigate life. We all like to call it an addiction because it makes us sound edgy. Kind of funny. In the same way I like to tell people that Batgirl was a librarian. Unless you have been featured in a Basbanes book or your home has been condemned as a fire hazard, your slightly excessive book lust is not a true addiction. Maybe.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection i.e. Online booksellers, 2nd-hand book stores, thrift shops, book swapping sites? All of the above.

7. How do you decide what to read? Completely random unless I have committed to a shared read with friends like for a book group or our push through Proust. It has to be a specific title like that too. I am notoriously bad about challenges. Book bloggers are often great list makers who plan their reading out for the month, the season, the year, and then post that plan and stick to it. I am not capable of that. It would prove laughable for me to even attempt it. And I have no desire to attempt it.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? Getting used to it. Have the Kindle app on my iPhone and have read through a bit of Arthur Conan Doyle that way recently, but still prefer a paper product in hand. Many tell me that I would become a convert if I had a full size Kindle, but that remains to be seen.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Tons. If reading could only inspire me with the courage to attempt to publish, life as I know it would be sweet. Inevitable rejection and all.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Share your love of reading in every way you can. Volunteer with an adult literacy initiative or tutor at an under-served school. Give books away randomly to people that might like them. And not just your best friend. Give some books away to people you don’t even care for like that woman at work that told you what a flake you are (and that still means a GOOD book not some bodice ripper piece of something that you hope might offend her). And don’t forget to support your local public library. Circulations in a tight economy are at highly elevated levels, but at the same time, library budgets are being slashed everywhere. Chances are a local librarian will think you a super hero for a few hours of shelving or processing holds. We are or will become what we read so advocate for best possible outcomes.

Thank you for your wonderful answers Frances, and for taking the time to share them.

Well that was the very refined Frances, and remember you can catch up with her at any time over at her own sickeningly good lit blog – Nonsuch Book.

For next week’s Reader of the Week? Well I’m keeping a veil of mystery, if only to encourage you to come back next week

Rob’s Intro: Well the good times well and truly roll on at RobAroundBooks as I present another bastion of the reading community for this week’s Reader of the Week – Marcia Jarnell (more commonly known as Lizzy Siddal), the brains behind Lizzy’s Literary Life, a hugely successful, award-winning lit blog that just oozes ‘book love’.

I love Lizzy because although she’s intelligent and well-read (qualities which can easily be identified in any one of her blog posts), she’s also very unassuming and modest with it. That makes Lizzy a great person to know and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to present her as this week’s Reader of the Week. Over to you Lizzy:

I work fulltime in IT – you might think that’s a logical kind of work but …. there’s often more sanity to be found in the pages of a novel! Other interests include travel, photography and, after living in Germany for a decade, all things German.

1. Favourite Genre? I read mostly literary fiction, lots of it in translation. I do enjoy a good crime novel though and I tend to binge on this when in palate-cleansing mode. I’ve decided that I should read more non-fiction and I’ve set myself a modest target of 4 books for 2009. I had the same target last year and failed by 3! I’ve already read 2 this year so I’m improving.

2. Favourite Book? Without a shadow of a doubt, Tolstoy’s War and Peace. As the saying goes you don’t just read War and Peace, you live it! And I fell in love with Prince Andrei …….

3. Why do you love reading so much? Escapism, escapism and more escapism! It’s good to know that the scientists have finally discovered what this bookworm has always known. Reading is the ultimate stressbuster!

4. Favourite reading place? Give me a a sunny day and a shady tree in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. However, as I don’t live there, that is a real treat, reserved mostly for the month of August and the Book Festival. The rest of the year you’ll find me lounging around on my reading sofa.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? Yes, the house is full of books but that’s evidence of CBPS – compulsive book purchasing syndrome. I can leave the house without a book in my bag, you know. Mind it’s not often that I return without one ….

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? I’m not fussy about where my books come from – internet, charity shops, book sellers (1st hand, 2nd hand). I like gifts the best! I am fussy about the condition of my books though and, for that reason, tend not to use book swapping sites.

7. How do you decide what to read? I’m a whimsical reader – reading according to my mood or the latest reading challenge but never enough of one thing to sicken myself. I’m currently making my way through the 2009 Orange Prize shortlist, offsetting it with a selection of crime novels.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? I’ve only ever read one ebook – a short story and I read it on my laptop. I won’t be rushing to buy a e-reader – how can a machine replace the tactile pleasure of reading, the holding of the book, the turning of the pages and, let’s not forget, the utterly delightful smell of fresh paper and ink?

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Just the blog. I’m a reader, not a writer.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Remember the bookworm’s Wonkaism: “So many books, so little time ….”, so don’t waste it and abandon books you’re not enjoying. Reading is an individual pleasure and for every book that’s not connecting with you, there are hundreds more that will. Go find them!

Lizzy, many thanks for giving up some of your valuable time to speak to RobAroundBooks.

Remember Lizzy can always be found at her own award winning blog – Lizzy Literary Life, and if you haven’t visited it already then you’re really missing out on something pretty special.

So who’ve I got coming up as the featured reader in next week’s Reader of the Week? Well that a secret so you’ll just have to come back next Monday to find out.

Rob’s Intro: I’m sure the Book Gods must shine on me rather favourably because I’ve been able to feature some really special readers on my Reader of the Week feature, and this week is no exception. In the booklight for the next seven days is Rob Redman, the guy behind The Fiction Desk, and I’m so pleased to be featuring him.

I’ve only known Rob for a short time but already I’ve built up a ton of respect for him. His passion for books may border on the obsessive, but one can tell, from only speaking with Rob for a few minutes, that reading has shaped him into quite a remarkable character. He’s colourful, articulate and hugely passionate about the written word, and I can think of no better reader to put under the warming glow of the Reader of the Week booklight. The ‘stage’ is all yours Rob:

I live in Italy, and write novel critiques for a living. Being abroad makes it a little harder to keep up with what’s being published, so about a year ago I started reviewing new books on The Fiction Desk. I also tinker with Websites as a hobby, and am getting more and more interested in the way publishers use the Internet—I think there are a lot of missed opportunities there. I spend the rest of the time looking for good places to eat in Rome.

1. Favourite Genre? Oh dear. It varies. Can I say that? I suppose it’s usually “literary fiction”, but then there will be times when I like to relax with a bit of crime fiction—”the genre it’s okay to like”—or a good ghost story. And then there will be a month when I’ll read nothing but Umberto Eco. Actually, I’ve been playing around a little more in genre fiction lately, partly because I think that’s where some of the more interesting publishing is going on. I recently discovered PS Publishing—I reviewed their website, and then found myself subscribing to their magazine. I can’t help thinking that their model might look a lot like the future of paper-and-ink publishing. The new HarperCollins imprint Angry Robot seem to be making good use of their site as well, although I wish they’d add direct selling… sorry, what was the question again? Literary fiction, please, with a ghost story for pudding. And maybe a caffè corretto with a dash of Nero Wolfe.

2. Favourite Book? The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell. Much maligned, generally by people who haven’t read it all. It isn’t without its flaws, but it’s still wonderful. I believe it’s also Iain Duncan Smith’s desert island book, although perhaps that’s neither here nor there. Otherwise, Foucault’s Pendulum is up there too.

3. Why do you love reading so much? That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? And I don’t see no million dollars on the table.

4. Favourite reading place? Bed. No, wait. Sofa. No, bed. Or under a tree. Certainly not in the bath. Water damage, man! When I was a boy, I used to take my bedroom window out of its runners, and sit on the ledge with my back against the frame. That was a great place to read, but now I live in a fourth floor apartment, and my balance probably isn’t what it used to be.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? It’s really rather big. Last week I actually calculated the average monthly growth of my library, in centimetres. I was going to Tweet it (which says a lot about Twitter), but in the end I couldn’t. It felt weirdly personal.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Spending a lot of time abroad makes it tricky: thanks to the exchange rate, English-language bookshops in Europe are now full of paperbacks that cost about £15 each. I scour the lower reaches of Amazon Marketplace, order new titles from the usual suspects, and try to stock up when I’m in the UK.

7. How do you decide what to read? These days I find that I pay a lot of attention to blogs. The Asylum is probably my first port of call (some say such a place will also be my last… heh heh), but I’m finding new ones all the time, like KevinfromCanada’s new blog, and your own fine site. But you have to build up the reading of a blog over time: you have to get to know the context before you know how to take their reviews. For reviewing purposes, I confine myself to books published in the last few months. For work, I’ll try to read background novels that relate to whatever I’m working on (I’ve found, or rediscovered, some great writers that way), and in my own time I try to read whatever looks like it might be fun.

8. Ebooks – love them or hate them? People always seem to talk in terms of all or nothing, but I think ebooks will take over reference and academic books—anything that you refer to quickly. But for fiction, for extended periods of recreational reading, the traditional book will carry on. The comparison with CDs and digital is a bit false, because the form of a CD isn’t instrumental to listening pleasure, the way the form of a book is to reading. Once you’ve started an album playing, the format doesn’t make any difference, but the texture and feel of a book are with you all the way through. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that on the few times I’ve tried reading an eBook, I’ve given up and bought a paperback instead. I think that happens to a lot of people.

The lack of ownership bugs me: if I can’t sell something on, I don’t own it now. The “one-off cost” that people keep citing for ebooks is rubbish too: who’s only ever owned one walkman? One mobile phone? Hell, by now, even one iPod?

So: utility reading benefits from the eBook format, but I suspect that recreational and extended reading will keep a firm foot in the paper mills.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Yes, but it’s been a while now. When you’re looking at new novels and manuscripts everyday, you start to think “God, what a noise! Do I really want to add to all this racket?” There are so many people exercising their voices although they have nothing to say. Maybe in the future, if I have something worth putting down on paper. Or just feel sufficiently self-indulgent.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Stretch yourself, don’t neglect the classics, and at least dabble in the genres to see what they have to offer. There are a lot of surprises out there.

Rob you’re star. Thank you so much for giving up some of your valuable time in order to speak to us.

So that was Rob Redman. Quite a guy eh? And remember you can always catch up with him over at his own splendid lit blog – The Fiction Desk, and on Twitter. Just make sure you don’t say anything about his scaly skin.

For next week’s Reader of the Week I’ve got spend a bit of time dusting off the best dinner service and rolling out the red carpet. That’s because I’m featuring lit blogging royalty in the shape of Lizzy Siddal of Lizzy’s Literary Life. So if you’re going to be popping by next week make sure you wear your Sunday Best, K?

So it’s bring me great honour in bringing one of the true bastions of the lit blogging world to the humble pages of RobAroundBooks this week, and I hope you enjoy Stewart’s interview as much as I did compiling it. Over to you Stewart:

I live in Glasgow, work full-time, study part-time, and still find time to read all manner of literature. In addition to my blog, I also run World Literature Forum. When not reading I’m usually found taking part in other hobbies, namely photography, gigging, and pub quizzes.

1. Favourite Genre? I don’t have a favourite genre and I don’t tend to think in terms of it at all. In fact, I would rather books were never classed in terms of genre. In book shops I would always prefer to see a blanket A to Z method of organisation, where Amis and Asimov sit together, all the way through to Zola and Zelazny. Not because I would read them all, but because I think separating books narrows readers’ horizons. Bundling everything together means those browsing shelves can come across books they may never happen upon if they are tucked away under one category or the other.

2. Favourite Book? It’s a strange person who can narrow such things down to a single book, and I’m no different here, in that I have several favourites Here’s five: Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco, If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino, The Invention Of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, and The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

3. Why do you love reading so much? I enjoy reading for many reasons, but it really depends on what’s being read. Diversity would be the best reason, in that there’s so many books out there, with so many people writing them from all walks of life, and in so many different styles, that it gives a huge flavour of the world. It’s interesting to see others’ takes on what constitutes a novel.

4. Favourite reading place? I don’t think there is such a thing as a favourite reading place. I read everywhere: bed, bus, bath – it makes no difference.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? I read a lot, when and where I can. It’s not an addiction though, it’s a hobby. The true addiction is in discovering and acquiring books. I’ve got enough books to realistically keep me going for the next fifteen to twenty years, yet I still buy more.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Many ways. Book stores, high street and online. Charity stores. Online auctions and marketplaces. I also get the occasional review copy.

7. How do you decide what to read? It’s simply a case of whatever takes my fancy at the time. Even then, I start more books than I finish. Some prize shortlists interest me – the Booker and Independent Foreign Fiction Prize – and the output of certain publishers is always a must (Penguin Modern Classics, Pushkin Press, and NYRB Classics spring to mind). The best, though, is the author who you’ve never heard of and you give a chance.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? Hate is perhaps too strong, but I’m quite dismissive of them. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to books. They are not just about the words, but about the complete product: cover design, typesetting, and the tactile pleasure of just turning a page. Ebooks – be it downloadable PDFs or via electronic readers – just can’t do that. The technology is trying to imitate books rather than innovate, and it’s innovation that’s needed if we are going to turn our backs on books.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? I do try to write in snatched moments. I’ve been doing so, on and off, for about twenty years, since I was ten.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Don’t stick to comfort zones when choosing your next book. Doing so perpetuates an interest in the same old stuff. Take a risk on something you’ve never heard of or something you’d never consider reading. There’s a world of books out there, so get out and see the world.

Stewart, I’d like to thank you for giving up some of your valuable time in order to speak with me, and I’d like to wish you continued success in everything you do.

So that was Stewart. A remarkably insightful reader I’m sure you’ll agree. Remember you can always follow his reading progress on his own blog, and on Twitter. And if you have an interest in world literature then The World Literature Forum is unmissable. Aside from it being run by Stewart it’s a great place to visit to catch up on news and views on some of the greatest works of world fiction. The community as a whole is amazingly knowledgeable, and I despise every one of them for being so clever.

So who’s in the booklight next week? Well it could be one of two readers. I haven’t decided. So for now it’s a surprise.

Rob’s Intro: This week it may look like I’m featuring a typewriter as my Reader of the Week but thankfully it’s just someone who’s really passionate about them. That ‘someone’ is Rick Seifert and I’ve got to admit that up until quite recently I didn’t really know Rick that well. He was introduced to me by former Reader of the Week Steve Brannon as an ideal candidate for this feature, and after spending some time reading through Rick’s personal blog – The Red Electric, I couldn’t agree with Steve more.

Rick is hugely articulate, a writer who really knows how to put words on a page, and to put them on well. As you will see, Rick’s reading preferences are perhaps not as ‘mainstream’ as most of the readers featured on RobAroundBooks, but then again Rick is a journalist so his reading is varied and wide. That for me (as I’m sure it is for everyone who reads this feature), makes him the perfect recipient of this week’s Rob’s Reader of the Week title. Let’s waste no more time – take it away please Rick:

I’m a journalist/commentator (now almost exclusively on-line — vis. HillsdaleNews.org), a part-time writing/journalism/media literacy teacher at the local community college, a community activist (I’m addicted to founding community organizations as you will see), and a Quaker (non-pastoral, unprogrammed type). I’m also involved in the media literacy movement (a founder of Media Think), and I “archive” donated typewriters (I’m a recovering typewriter collector)

1. Favourite Genre? I’m a non-fiction guy. I like books that try to figure out what’s happening and what might happen — often in light of what HAS happened, ie. History.

2. Favourite Book? This is like asking which child is my favorite, but I’ll go for: The late Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. In fact, anything by Postman.

3. Why do you love reading so much? It allows reflection, sharing and prompts thinking. The printed word engages and is permanent. It is the repository of our wisdom (such as it is).

4. Favourite reading place? The Oregon Coast before or after a good Scrabble game.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? I’m not really addicted, but print is my medium of choice. I have approximately 600 books. Each year I help organize a community book sale (which I founded). Folks donate books over five Sunday’s at our farmers market (which I also helped found). Then, on the last Sunday in July, we have a huge used book sale. Proceeds go to our community foundation (which I also founded). I note all the founding because it leaves no time for me to be addicted to reading.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? See above — community book sale. Visits to Powell’s “City of Books” here in Portland and some garage sales. Also Annie Bloom’s Books in nearby Multnomah Village.

7. How do you decide what to read? Increasingly, I’ve been rereading. Scanning my bookshelves for unread books crying out to me to be read.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? Have never tried to read an ebook so I can’t comment. I worry that eventually they will cut into contributions and traffic to our used book sale, What’s a “used” ebook?

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Many of the posts on my blog, The Red Electric, are inspired by something I’ve read — or reread.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Take your choice:

• Support independent bookstores.
• Reread.
• Make references to books in conversations and in e-mail.
• Note that good reading, like good writing, encourages good thinking.
• Read to children.

Rick, thank you for a wonderful interview, and on behalf of all of the readers here at RobAroundBooks, I wish you continued success with everything you write.

So that was Rick Seifert. What a guy eh? And remember you can always catch up with Rick at his blog, The Red Electric.

So who’ve we got reposing in the glow of the ‘booklight’ next week? Well it’s a real book blogging mogul, someone I’m hugely excited about featuring. Yep folks it’s none other than Stewart McAbney, the ravenous bibliophile behind the booklit blog and the World Literature Forum. Be excited. Be very excited!

Rob’s Intro: Last week in a welcome return to the series, I featured one half of the dynamic duo who run the Books on the Nightstand blog – Ann Kingman, and this week it gives me great pleasure to feature the other half – uber book nerd Michael Kindness.

It may sound a bit rude of me calling Michael a ‘nerd’ but I mean it in the nicest possible way. Here is a reader who is hugely passionate about his books, so much so that he even spent many man hours recently, building an homage to his passion. Intelligent, articulate and charismatic, I can think of no one better suited than Michael to be working in the book industry (expect for his blogging partner Ann of course), and it’s a real honour for him to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few bookish questions. So without further delay I give you Michael Kindness, this week’s more than deserved Reader of the Week:

I’ve been a reader for my whole life and have worked in bookselling and publishing for the last 24 years. For the last year I’ve worked on the blog and podcast Books on the Nightstand, with my friend and colleague Ann Kingman. I live in Rhode Island with my wife, son and a new baby due in October.

1. Favourite Genre? Definitely fiction, mostly literary fiction, though it doesn’t have to be “literary,” just good. I also read tons of comics and graphic novels, and the occasional non-fiction book, as long as it has a good narrative drive.

2. Favourite Book? Wow, you had to make that question singular, huh? I’m going to ignore the lack of an “s” and just name a bunch of my faves: 1984 by George Orwell, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

3. Why do you love reading so much? No great surprises here. Entertainment, education and the power of great writing. I’m one of those people who will seek out someone (usually my wife) to read a great sentence aloud.

4. Favourite reading place? We have this large piece of furniture that we call a “chouch” (chair + couch), though I think it’s technically called a chair-and-a-half. It’s in the front room of our house which gets full sun in the winter when the trees are bare. I love curling up in there on a winter’s afternoon. Reading is usually followed by napping!

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? My house is definitely full of books: on shelves, in piles… basically most flat surfaces. I read every night before going to bed, even if I’ve stayed up late. Life and work have certainly cut into my reading time over the last few years, but I will always find times to read, even if they are stolen minutes here and there.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Working for a publisher, I get a lot of free books. (I can feel the envy radiating off my computer right now.) I still buy books, mostly from the wonderful independent stores I work with. I’m a sucker for a great cover and a quirky story. Lately I’ve been borrowing audio books from the library as well.

7. How do you decide what to read? For work, I read a little bit of everything and read more of whatever grabs me. As for non-work reading, Twitter has been great in this regard. I follow so many fantastic booksellers and readers, that I’m constantly making note of what they’re raving about.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? I both love and hate ebooks. I was so excited to get my Sony Reader from work and was shocked at how much I didn’t like reading on it. It’s great for the mountains of excerpts and manuscripts I need to dip into, but there are physical characteristics I miss when reading whole books. I always flip ahead to see when the next chapter or section break is. It helps me decide how much longer I want to read and whether I should start that new section. That’s not as easy to do on an ebook. I was recently reading a great book on my Reader. The physical advanced reader’s copy arrived and I immediately switched to that.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Not really. I once thought about researching and writing a book on Boston’s Molasses Flood, but then I found out someone else was already writing a history of the event and I thought, “I’ll just wait and read their book.” I guess the only real writing I do now is for Books on the Nightstand. (and call reports for my job!)

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? If you’re not enjoying a book, DON’T FINISH IT! There are far too many wonderful books out there to slog through something you don’t like.

Michael, thank you so much for sharing some of your valuable time with the RobAroundBooks readers.

So there we have it folks! We’ve now met the entire team behind the Books on the Nightstand blog, and it’s been a real pleasure to feature them both. As I’ve said before, Books on the Nightstand is a remarkable place to visit, and I wholeheartedly urge that you do. And while you’re there, do make sure that you tune into Michael and Ann’s regular bookish podcasts, for it is through this ‘medium’ that their passion for books and reading really shines through the most.

Next week I’m featuring journalist and writer Rick Seifert. He’s a man who along with possessing a big passion for reading, also has a bit of a thing for old typewriters. Sound intrigued by the enigmatic Rick? Well tune into Rob’s Reader of the Week next week to meet him.

Rob’s Intro: Rob’s Reader of the Week may have been on hiatus for a while now but it makes its welcome return to its regular Monday slot today, and to celebrate I’m pulling out all of the stops and featuring one of the most passionate and respected lit bloggers out there – Ann Kingman, a blogger who comes with double value because she also works for the publishing industry.

If anyone can teach us a thing or two about reading then it’s these two but I only have the space to shine the booklight on one, so it gives me great pleasure to present Ann Kingman as this week’s Reader of the Week. Over to you Ann:

I’m co-publisher of Books on the Nightstand: a blog and podcast about books and reading. I’m always an avid reader, and I spend my days as a District Sales Manager for Random House, Inc., working with bookstores to find just the right books for their customers.

1. Favourite Genre? I love literary fiction, but nothing makes me happier than a brilliant mystery.

2. Favourite Book? It changes over time, but more and more I am leaning toward The Road by Cormac McCarthy

3. Why do you love reading so much? I am inherently curious, and I love learning about other people’s lives, even if they are fictional.

4. Favourite reading place? A comfy chair, with a light blanket and a cup of coffee or glass of wine … and I like to have music playing, though I find that I have to have just the *right* music (depends on the book) or it doesn’t work.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? It’s not an addiction, it’s my life. After all, I’ve made it my career, and yet still read for pleasure in my spare time.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Though I get an enormous number of books for free from work, I still buy about 30 books a year for my personal reading. Most of these are purchased at the independent bookstores that I work with. Believe me, it’s very difficult being in bookstores almost everyday and walking out empty-handed, especially when there are wonderful booksellers telling me about the great books I just have to read!

7. How do you decide what to read? I sample just about everything that we publish, and if I like the sample, I read the entire book. Sometimes I don’t have enough time to read them all (do we ever?) so they will be put on the shelf to finish later. I also read many books that are recommended to me by booksellers or other publishing people.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? I’m mixed on ebooks. The “manuscripts” that I read are e-books, and I love that I don’t have to juggle all of those loose pages that invariably spill all over the floor and get out of order. But if I had to choose an ebook or a “real” book, I’d choose the physical book every time. My main complaint about ebooks is that I often go back to check something in the narrative and I can’t find that place in an ebook. In a physical book, I know that it’s about 1/3 of the way in on the upper left hand page. I really miss those physical touchpoints in an ebook, and I never realized how much I relied on them until I started using an ereader.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? As a kid, I wanted to be a writer as a result of the wonderful books I was reading. But honestly, I would prefer to read than to write at this point in my life. That may change down the road.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Find a few key reliable sources for recommendations, whether it be friends, booksellers, book blogs — and then delight in the discovery.

Ann, I know you’re one super-busy lady, so thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with me.

If you want to know more about Ann and her reading life then I recommend you head on over to her Books on the Nightstand blog, where you can both read and hear her, along with her co-host Michael, sharing an insatiable passion for books. Talking of Michael, how could I feature one half of Books on the Nightstand without the other? To be honest I couldn’t because these two go together like salt and pepper, ham on rye and ying and yang. So look out next week on Rob’s Reader of the Week as I turn the booklight on the other half of this dynamic duo, and get chatty with Michael Kindness. Something to look forward to? You’d better believe it!

Rob’s Intro: So it’s Christmas week (yay!) and I wanted to do something a little different for this edition of Reader of the Week. I had phoned up Santa to see if he’d like to participate but he gave me some excuse about being too busy (something about toys and reindeers and stuff )), so I had to rack my brain to think of someone else. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightening! What about featuring someone a little closer to home i.e. my very own daughter? She certainly fills the requirements for someone really special for Christmas week, because it doesn’t get much more special to me than featuring one of my daughters, so that’s what I’ve decided to do.

So it’s with great delight, and not a little pride that I bring to you Katy, a 14 year old up-and-coming bibliophile, and one of only two teens I’m proud to call my daughter (well most of the time, when she’s not evangelising hardcore rock bands that is )). So without further ado, and a lot of shouting to grab her attention over that infernal racket she calls music, here’s Katy:

Hello I’m Katy. I’m 14 and am currently studying in 3rd year at high school. I enjoy art, music and especially reading. I have been reading from a young age with encouragement from my parents and it has helped me a lot in life. I think reading is important and it makes you a more intelligent person. I think people should read as there is something out there for everyone

1. Favourite Genre? I like a quite a mixture of genres, but usually nothing too far-fetched with a few exceptions (Twilight and Wolf Brother)

2. Favourite Book? I have quite a few, they would probably be The Road, Twilight series and The Curious Incident Of the Dog In the Night-Time.

3. Why do you love reading so much? My Dad has inspired me a lot but I probably read most for escapism, because it lets you experience a different world to your own. I also love how reading increases your vocabulary and knowledge.

4. Favourite reading place? In my bed before I sleep because it helps me to relax.

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? I don’t think I have an addiction. I read every day for at least an hour, but if it is a book i’m really enjoying I would read it for hours on end.

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Buying them in Waterstones, going to charity shops or book swapping sites.

7. How do you decide what to read? Mainly through my Dad but also through booksites or recommendations from trusted sites. I wouldn’t read books just because they are mainstream though; they usually aren’t very good.

8. Ebooks – love or hate? I like how easy it is to read ebooks online but personally I like having physical books because I like to have a collection. I think E-Readers are a good idea for portability, though.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Yes it has, some authors have amazing talent which I wish I could have. But I think a lot of authors are pretentious which puts me off.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Don’t just read the mainstream books authors churn out every month, as sometimes these people are more interested in the money than their passion for writing.

Katy, thanks for interrupting your lounging around (;o)) to speak to your Dad’s readers. Now, while you’re here – is there any chance you can turn that music down?

Rob’s Intro: What do you get if you cross a feverish reader with a warm, friendly guy who seems to have a lot of time for anybody? That’ll be Darren then, the creator and owner of popular book blog Bart’s Bookshelf, and the much honoured subject of this week’s Reader of the Week.

I’ll admit to not knowing Darren for too long, but in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve been ‘bowled over’ by his ceaseless passion for reading. He loves his books and it shows, not least in the great book reviews he posts on a very regular basis. Darren also impresses me because he shows a genuine warmth towards others, making time to both appreciate all who visit his blog and to connect fully with every quarter of the bookish community. That’s enough evangalising from me, because I know most of you know all of this already, so without further ado I’ll pass you on to the man himself. Here’s Darren:

1. Favourite Genre? Probably fantasy, although I’ve shied away from the meatier stuff over the last few years, but as my favourite authors over the last few years are mostly made up of, the likes of Gaiman, Rowling, Pratchett, & Pullman etc, it’s a safe bet. Even my favorite series I’ve read this year, The Tomorrow Series, by John Marsden which is about an invasion and war set in Australia, has a hero in the shape of teenager Ellie Linton, and a quest to perform – against the odds (attacking the invaders) (and war is hardly a stranger to a fantasy novel either!). So even outside of that I appear to have themes to my reading

Saying that, I don’t tend to pick up crime and literary stuff, I have tried on a few occasions to read a Booker winner for example and just not been able to get in to it…

2. Favourite Book? Now, I think I might surprise Rob here at least by not naming a Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett or J K Rowling book here But whilst they are all among my favourite authors, this is about my favourite book, and that is, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by the late great Douglas Adams. Hitchhikers is very much like a good Monty Python sketch, knowing every word, every joke only makes the experience all the funnier any more enjoyable, you almost cheer the punchlines as they pile up one on top of the other.

And much like Arthur, I never could get the hang of Thursdays…

(Although I do know where my towel is, thank you very much!)

3. Why do you love reading so much? I always have, although for a few years, I fell out of the habit, but as a kid I was always reading, and that continued until a couple of years ago when my reading really tailed off to about 20/30 books a year

I love the entertainment you can get from a book and the just one more page aspect of a really good one.

4. Favourite reading place? Anywhere without a TV, for some reason I can’t read in a room with the telly on, and it’s not because I watch a lot of telly, but I find it terrible distracting. Radio, music, household noise etc don’t bother me in the slightest, but TV, argh!

5. How BIG is your reading addiction? Fairly big, I fill a couple of bookshelves and I tend to send out, around what I receive from BookMooch, my TBR pile has just crept over 90!

6. How do you normally add books to your collection? Recently most books arrive through Book Mooch, although at least 30-40 percent are bought from somewhere like Waterstones or Oxfam (and if your bookshop looked like THIS wouldn’t you?).

7. How do you decide what to read? Fairly mixed, whatever is next on the pile: reading challenge, something I’ve read a good review of, and which has whetted my appetite. If the book is part of a series, I’ll often read the next quite quickly, and if something like a Gaiman or a Pratchett gets released, then they are bumped up the TBR pile quite a bit

8. Ebooks – love or hate? Pretty indifferent about them to be honest, I have read them in the past, but for some reason something is missing from the experience, and even though I’m a bit of a gadget-hollic I’m not sure sure I’ll ever be splashing out on a Kindle or a Sony Reader.

9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Serious? No! *falls about laughing*

But I have taken part in NaNoWriMo for the last 6 years and I’ve been known to dabble in a bit of fanfic.

10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? I’d never presume to do such a thing!

Darren, It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for sparing some of your valuable reading time to have a chat with us.

Remember, Darren can always be found on his own highly popular book blog – Bart’s Bookshelf