Q&A with book blogger Anne from Immersed in Books

One of my favourite things about the online book community is the opportunity to connect with other readers and make new friends. One of the friends I’ve loved getting to know over the past year or so is fellow Australian book blogger Anne from Immersed in Books. Anne is such a great supporter of indie authors and always has great recommendations on her blog and social media of books I don’t see lots of other places, so when I decided to have a focus on indie authors on my blog this month I just knew I wanted to ask Anne to come and talk about some of her favourites! Read on for our chat.
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Hey Anne! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me today! Let’s start by talking about your blog. In 2022 you launched Immersed in Books, which I love. Can you please tell us a little bit about your blog and what inspires you to share there??

I’m so glad you love it! I’m a big ol’ bookworm and love reading, so I really just wanted to have a place to fangirl about my latest reads. I tend to concentrate on fantasy, with a sprinkle of murder mysteries and historical fiction thrown in, but a huge number are also by indie authors. They work so hard, and their storytelling abilities are spectacular! They deserve all the recognition.

Do you like to read seasonal books and do you have a favourite Christmas or summer book or story?

I will admit I like to re-read The Father Christmas Letters by J. R. R. Tolkien every year when things start getting festive. But aside from that, I just read anything at any time! 

Is there a particular book you’d love to find under your Christmas tree this year?

Oh there’s so many… I think I’ll have to say Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. I’ve heard great things about it and really want to immerse myself in that world.

Do you have a favourite book (or books!) you’ve read this year that you’ll be recommending (or giving as a Christmas present!) to everyone you know?

I’ve been so lucky in books this year! I always recommend indie author Helen Scheuerer’s books, but her recently ended YA fantasy series (Curse of the Cyren Queen) is truly phenomenal. If you like fantasy, troubled heroines and the biggest highs and lows all wrapped up in one? Check her books out!

Here in Australia at Christmas time summer is just getting started. Do you enjoy summer, and what is your favourite thing about it?

I’m an Autumn baby, so summer is a bit hard for me to love. But it is the start of cricket season, as well as the perfect weather to have ice cream, so an Aussie summer isn’t all bad! 

Do you like to plan a summer reading list? I’d love if you could please share three (or more if you can’t cut it down!) books on your summer holiday tbr.

I’m always trying to pick and choose what to read next, so I do have a bit of a summer TBR list! 

The top three will be: 

• Lux by Rae Else
• Rise and Reverence by Rebecca Camm
• Daughter of Darkness by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr

Two of them aren’t released just yet, but you can never be too eager for a good book, right? I usually read about 6+ books per month, so this gives me a chance to mix things up a bit while I wait for December and January releases.

Finally, do you already have a list of 2023 books you’re looking forward to? Can you share any titles with us? 

I definitely do! There’s *so* many great books being released in 2023, particularly from indie authors. Rebecca Camm’s book will be released in January, Chloe Hodge’s The Fated and the Damned in February… But I admit the one I’m most excited for is Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer (releasing in February), which is the start of her new epic romantic fantasy series. It is going to be an incredible ride, so I’ll stock up on the popcorn and pretend the world doesn’t need me when it’s publication day!

Thanks so much for your time!

Thank you for having me!

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Huge thanks to Anne for coming to chat books with me – and for growing my tbr as always!
Make sure you go to check out Anne’s latest reviews on Immersed in Books and follow along with her reading adventures on Tiktok and Instagram too.

Keep an eye out for more bookish chats here in the lead up to Christmas!

xo Bron