Hi, and welcome to Coffee Break Books. Just to give you a quick introduction: my name is Jhodi. I live in Birmingham, UK with my husband and 2 children. I write another blog, http://www.getkidsintomusic.com, where I talk about how parents can support their children in exploring music and all it has to offer, so I am primarily, a musician. I have also worked in theatres and concert halls, and for a few years before having the children I was a lawyer. A bit of a mixed bag!

One constant throughout my life, no matter how old I was, or what career I had, was my love of reading. I have loved reading since I was a child and being dragged around the supermarket with my head in a book – one of my earliest memories is going to Safeways (yes I am old enough to remember Safeways) and being given a new Mr Men book each Saturday to read to keep me happy and busy while my parents did the shopping! I met my husband at a book group, the Birmingham Book Group, and as well as introducing me to my future husband the book group got me reading all sorts of books I would never have thought of reading in the first place.

The reading bug never went away – although for a few years when the children were very small the only books I was reading were Thomas The Tank Engine books, stories by Julia McDonald and Goodnight Moon! – and hopefully I am passing it on to my children.

So what will you be able to expect from reading this blog? Well, in 2 words, book reviews. I read in my spare time so expect to read one or two books each month. What sort of books do I read? I really like urban contemporary fiction. The sort of books where you get to see a slice of a character’s life. I have discovered in recent years that I enjoy magical realism books like The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a book that I loved and will stay with me for a long time.

I have a TBR (to be read) list as long as my arm, so have plenty of books to get through right now. But I am always interested in hearing recommendations of books you have read and enjoyed – as I said above, the book club I belonged to for a few years got me reading outside of my normal comfort zone and I discovered a whole load of books I enjoyed but would never have picked up in a book shop!

If I have written a review of a book you have already read I would love to know what you thought of the book.