I had the privilege of being interviewed by Deirdre for her fantastic YouTube channel, Bookaholic. Check out https://www.youtube.com/@TrueBookaholic. As soon as my interview is posted, I’ll send a link to it via our newsletter. Deirdre is a self-confessed bookworm who posts about everything book-related, including book news, reviews and author interviews. She has over 90 episodes on YouTube, each taking a deep dive into books by an incredible array of authors, their stories and inspiration. Deirdre is a highly eclectic reader, and focuses on a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction books.
There are now so many book influencers out there, adding so much to the reading and writing community, and I wanted to find out more about Deirdre, specifically how she goes about sharing her great love of reading and books.
How did you become a book influencer? During the pandemic, I noticed that podcasts were popping up everywhere. I knew this was something I could start quickly and fairly easily because I have always been a communicator. I have also always had a dream to share my love of books. My first episode was aired January 2021.
What’s the main aim of your Youtube channel? The main aim of my YouTube channel is to introduce readers to authors who have worthy books but may not be on the New York Times bestseller list.
Can you describe a typical day or week? My weeks are very busy as I juggle my podcast with volunteering and managing our family healthcare business. I am constantly involved in creative projects and new businesses. My weekends are extremely busy with social activities but no matter what I’m doing, I find a way to read every single day.
What are your favourite episodes? Here are some of my favourites:
Kimberley Ann Bell who wrote The Epitome of Kimmy, her memoir of her early experience of abandonment and sexual trauma. She writes to help others overcome horrific experiences in their lives. Humbling, and truly inspirational: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJbjXHcl1nM&t=488s
Kathy Forti, a clinical psychologist and author of the fictional series STACKS Library of Truth who writes about her near death experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZRgFvgb9eU&t=14s
Jennifer Moore, the author of Empathic Mastery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4RJmfCqO8k&t=289s
and Deborah Roberts, ABC News correspondent and author of Lessons Learned & Cherished, The Teachers Who Changed My Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qkQ2IK8FzY&t=116s
What first gave you your love of books? You can find that out in my very first episode that debuted in January 2021: How I Became A Book Junkie – Episode 1 In short order, it was my mother, my older sister and my school librarian, Mrs. Ashworth.
I spot a theme here: strong women with interesting stories. Yes, that’s true. I love self-help non-fiction books. I constantly look for inspiration and ways to improve myself. I also love historical fiction, especially Our Stories, books about characters from the African diaspora, past and present.
What’s the best way, in your opinion, to encourage reluctant readers, especially children, to pick up books? You have to tap into what you like. This is the best starting point for reluctant readers. For example, I have two grown up sons. My eldest son started with the Magic Treehouse series and advanced, as he aged, to the Harry Potter series. He was a traditional reader. My youngest son hated reading. It was like pulling teeth to get him to open a book. Then he discovered comics, and that changed everything. He loves superheroes and that’s what he mainly reads today, omnibus comics. People don’t realize how complex and entertaining graphic comics and novels can be. Reading is reading! Start with what you love.
What are your favourite genres?
What are your top three books of all time? Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe; Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe; Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Who is your favourite literary character? I would say Margaret of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. A close second is Pippi Longstocking.
If you were cast away on a desert island with The Bible and the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and you were able to choose just ONE additional book, which book would you choose? If I were stranded on a desert island, I would need some humor. During the pandemic, which was kind of like being stranded in your own house, I turned to Archie Comics! In all my reading seriousness, I needed a little levity. The stories of Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends reminded me of how my (deceased) cousin used to give me these comics when I was a little girl. The comics represented normalcy to me during the scary, unpredictable lockdown. So, I’d take an Archie Comic Digest. In fact, I would trade out Shakespeare for some more comic digests.
Links to The Bookaholic:
Subscribe to the podcast via Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Website: www.book-a-holic.com
Register to win Deirdre’s FREE monthly book giveaway at www.book-a-holic.com or head over to @truebookaholic on Instagram and click the link in bio.
Shop Your Books at the Bookaholic Bookstore: https://bookshop.org/shop/truebookaholic
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Bookaholic bookstore. https://bookshop.org/shop/truebookaholic
