#BloggerInTheSpotlight – Louise from Bookmarks and Stages – @Lou_Bookmarks

Thanks for agreeing to be part of my Blogger in the Spotlight feature Louise. First of all, would you tell me a little about yourself?
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Podcasts, who doesn’t love a podcast? I have some reviews on some that will tell you more about books, some about life that will be uplifting, plus what sort of interviews you can expect on some of them.
As I got older and into my teens I got into series such as The Babysitter’s Club (which I see has made a comeback), Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High. I also liked some standalone books – Don’t Forget to Dance and The Daydreamer. In my teens I also discovered I enjoyed Jane Austen’s books and Charlotte Bronte’s books, especially Jane Eyre. I also enjoyed The Hobbit and Three Men In A Boat.
And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?

Is there a book you’d like to see made into a film?

That’s a hard question because I would recommend a long list to a friend as I’ve read so many fabulous books, but whittling it down to one, I would recommend Dog Days by Ericka Waller.


I am reading Honeycomb by Joanne Harris and will soon be reading Everything Happens for A Reason by Katie Allen
How can people follow your blog or connect with you on social media?
I have some write ups of book festivals and author talks as well as interviews I’ve been part of, where you may find out something new about an author or book.
Standing in the wings and coming to the stage of my blog are theatre reviews (even some online theatre).
Of course, I like the books I read and review and the sense of satisfaction that just maybe I’ve helped someone, whether it is a reader, wondering what they want to read next, or the author and publisher needing reviews to get their books out there into the public sphere a bit more; but beyond that, the connections I’ve made with bloggers and authors. Some have seriously been beyond my wildest dreams. Some things that have happened, such as being quoted in some books has been beyond my wildest dreams. I’m enjoying the adventure of it all and making acquaintances and friendships. I’m still at that stage of blogging where lots still excites me from invites to blog tours, whether from a third-party or directly from the publisher, from being on some publisher’s lists, to seeing who retweets or comments etc, over on Twitter. I’m lucky that I seem to have very kind people who follow me.
My blog is over 2 ½ years old at time of answering this in 2021. “All the World’s A Stage…” to quote William Shakespeare. So much of it is there for reviewing. I review almost every genre of book and for every age group. If you need inspiration for your class or child at home, I’ve got some for you. If you need, as an adult, inspiration for what are some of the hottest books coming up in thrillers, crime fiction, general fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction and more… then I’ve got a lot for you.
What books/authors did you enjoy as a child?
I’m pleased to welcome a blogger who I have got to know quite well over the past year as we have been enjoying regular Zoom chats! We have actually met in real life too and I hope that we’ll be able to do that again before too long. Read on to find out more about Louise, her reading habits and of course her fabulous blog, Bookmarks and Stages.
Tell me about your blog – sell yourself
https://BookmarksandStages.home.blog

I am Louise Cannon. I live in a small village in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. When I am not reading or writing a blog post, I work in the day job and do some voluntary work. I also like being in cafes and restaurants with friends. I love walking, visiting museums and art galleries. I also love going to the theatre, cinema, food and book festivals and gigs. I like exploring different places. I like to get into the kitchen to cook a variety of food.

Reviews of books, theatre, podcasts, interviews, festival write-ups, articles, you can get a piece of all this action and find out what the latest are and find something to be inspired by on my blog.

As The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is already being made into a film, I would also then like to see Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce. Both these books are uplifting and have good wit, brilliant characters and so engrossing in different ways. When you read them, all can be envisaged and would be excellent as films.
I enjoyed so many books, from being very young, it was Each Peach Pear Plum and The Enormous Turnip and The Hungry Caterpillar, then I moved onto Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne, Paddington Bear, Beatrix Potter – in particular – Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck and Squirrel Nutkin, Puddle Lane. Then onwards to Enid Blyton – mostly Famous Five and Secret Seven, but also some of her shorter stories. Roald Dahl books, with The Magic Finger and James and the Giant Peach being a couple of my favourites, The Secret Garden, The Borrowers. The Chronicles of Narnia.

In the background I am also an Advanced Reader for Hobeck Books – an Indie Publisher who are publishing excellent crime and thriller novels. I am not just saying this because I am part of their Hobeck Advanced Reader Team (HART).
What one book would you recommend to a friend and why?
This is such a tough question, and also takes some thought as to whether I would want to be someone who lives or dies and my mind changes frequently on this. Currently I wouldn’t mind being Dot Watson in Lost Property by Helen Paris because she is fun and reuniting people with their lost belongings sounds a wonderful job.
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What are you reading just now?