tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72387120821708236952024-11-06T13:10:55.058+10:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-86465962038910808842011-11-14T12:13:00.001+10:002011-11-14T13:13:13.436+10:00

Approximately 20 years ago, when I was in the midst of a full blown fantasy reading phase (I even bought myself a broadsword. And I still have it tucked away behind the door to wield on some unsuspecting orc.), I picked up a little A-format book, the first in a series by Robert Jordan. Having satiated my reading self in a smorgasbord of Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, Tolkein, Tad Williams,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-3690012398427907452011-10-27T14:11:00.000+10:002011-10-27T14:11:26.701+10:00

  Letters of Note is bound for coffee table glory as a beautiful cloth-bound 416 pp, 4-colour coffee table bookfeaturing a collection of 400 entertaining and inspiring letters. I included reference to a Tolkein letter that appeared on Letters of Note a few months ago. I have been a dedicated reader ever since, and have a printout of one of the letters that was the subject of that day's

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-58940551922980438512011-10-26T14:36:00.002+10:002011-10-27T14:28:38.321+10:00

Check out this gorgeous little film by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are, and that pre-flashmob Fatboy Slim video clip) and handbag designer Olympia Le-Tan.Among Le-Tan’s handbag designs are a series of felt book-clutches based on the famous covers of literary classics. The story goes that Le-Tan met Jonze in Paris, and he asked for a Catcher in the Rye embroidery. In

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-72233092024532086172011-10-11T14:58:00.019+10:002011-10-18T15:11:39.048+10:00

This is exceptional! After a run of vin ordinaire and failed reads, this was the magic I was looking for: something clever, entertaining and atmospheric, something to anticipate between reading sessions. Erin Morgenstern is weaving (as I am still reading it) a story that brings to mind authors like Suzanna Clarke, Neil Gaiman and Angela Carter. Many, many, many other comparisons being bandied

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-53190336575234982772011-09-21T14:52:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:32:50.813+10:00

I am a big fan of the light and easy YA series Blue Bloods, so I was keen to try Melissa de la Cruz’s new paranormal series for adults, The Beauchamp Family. With Blue Blood’s Mimi Force making a cameo appearance (which dips in to the next book in that series), book one The Witches of East End and its resident family of witches have similar roots in Melissa de la Cruz’s reworking of various

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-63763150066194309712011-09-10T14:37:00.002+10:002011-10-27T14:33:57.532+10:00

Strike 1: Paul Murray's Skippy DiesStrike 2: Téa Obreht’s The Tiger’s WifeStrike 3: Melissa Marr’s Graveminder Life is too short to read a book that is not enthralling you, so why waste your time on them when there are so many other books still to read that you will feel very differently about. Skippy Dies and The Tiger’s Wife, both strongly recommended to me and very well reviewed. Although

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-80420236244106329212011-08-27T14:35:00.004+10:002011-10-27T14:34:30.809+10:00

I have finally succumbed to the Shannon Lush phenomenon. Or driven to it, by a tiny bundle of hell (the cute joyful kind). Everyone has raved about Shannon’s Spotless books for years, and I have seen them walk out of bookstores in droves. But it took the aforementioned bundle of hell (the cute joyful kind) and her peeing free-for-all to send me fleeing for my local bookstore in search of the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-19225375011825894772011-08-26T14:59:00.010+10:002011-10-27T14:34:56.818+10:00

Hmmm, despite my hard work in years past promoting authors and encouraging them to promote themselves, I admit to being a bit cynical when they actually go out and do the sales pitch. But I am can't help myself on this occasion. I love Libba Bray. I think she has a fantastic sense of humour. Going Bovine is one of the books I was most passionate about in 2010, and earlier this year I read and

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-62016637618230294262011-07-14T14:30:00.010+10:002011-10-27T14:35:40.083+10:00

I’ve been STRESSED. I am very busy and should be terribly important, but being busy, trying to manage a trillion details for projects major and minor is turning my insides out. My business coach has prescribed Your Brain At Work by David Rock, and it is a revelation. It is helping me to survive in an overwhelming work environment, nay, succeed in it (sort of)—and still feel energised and

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-23790711558935138222011-06-23T13:36:00.004+10:002011-10-27T14:35:57.306+10:00

I love Christmas, I love Christmas books (of which I have a small collection), and I love JRR Tolkein. Spotted in one of my favourite websites was a  note on Tolkein's collection of Letters From Father Christmas, handwritten letters that Tolkein wrote over 20 years to his sons. They are enchanting and I love his whimsical illustrations and imaginative penmanship. I followed the link on

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-38515305170164674762011-06-23T07:52:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:36:12.488+10:00

David Sedaris is one of the funniest memoirists I have read. Hearing Sedaris read from his journal at the Sydney Opera House several years ago is one of the highlights of any live performance I have seen (up there with Billy Connolly, at the same venue as it happens. Sadly, not the same night). His recent collection of short stories Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Wicked Bestiary is a fun read (but

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-50747897937491775282011-06-22T20:50:00.002+10:002011-10-27T14:36:29.623+10:00

One of the disadvantages of reading ebooks (at the moment) is the amount of time invested in reading endless book-related webites, scrolling through categories from online retailers. Not that I don't enjoy doing this -- but I am a bit hard pressed for time. One of my favourite sites for the book trade, Shelf Awareness in the US, has started a newsletter for regular readers, and I love it.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-23591529000469541352011-06-06T13:23:00.011+10:002011-10-27T14:36:46.622+10:00

"...few genres have experienced as much growth and innovation as young adult literature in the last thirty-plus years. If you haven't read a children's novel since, well, you were a child, you have missed one of the great renaissances in modern books." -- Nathan Bransford in a recent blogOne glance at my recent reading trends and exploding Amazon Wishlist screams YOUNG ADULT is clearly the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-41715677946741297742011-05-31T17:38:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:37:03.671+10:00

Antonia and her tome My current enthusiasm to spread the word about my recent read about pooch Maf and screen goddess Marilyn led to another book recommendation to two film lovers I work with: Madame Depardieu and the Beautiful Strangers by Antonia Quirke. Unlike The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog etc, Madame Deardieu is non fiction, a memoir by film reviewer Antonia Quirke that

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-64465561801420587862011-05-30T16:00:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:37:19.533+10:00

It was on my must read list for 2011 as a high priority read, and I can happily say that this is one of the most delightful books I have ever read. Fun, witty -- all good. Thank you Andrew O'Hagan, I look forward to reading your next book! Maf was indeed Marilyn Monroe's canine companion in the latter few years of her life, and a gift to her from Frank Sinatra. Maf's happy and wise philosophical

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-42472573161522173332011-05-30T13:30:00.006+10:002011-10-27T14:37:37.087+10:00

I have to admit, as much as I am a convert to reading on my iPhone (even more so than my iPad), I do miss the sensory response I have to books when I am in a bookstore, browsing through the pages of a newly discovered novel. Could this be the way to relive that experience? This news published in The Independent: According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Lagerfeld -

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-62933114058793569952011-05-30T13:00:00.004+10:002011-10-27T14:37:52.793+10:00

I know, I know. This is a book blog. Part of my responsibility as a blogger is to REVIEW BOOKS. And I admit I am a bit half-arsed about it, linking to someone more qualified's review and merely noting whether I liked the book, a whinge on whatever is my current thorn in my side, and a few hopefully useful comments. Perhaps I should make more effort in my reviewing habits, as outlined in this

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-36099309551717076092011-05-30T08:30:00.004+10:002011-10-27T14:38:23.429+10:00

Next I am on to reading (for my book club) The People of the Book by Pulitzer Prize-winning Australian author Geraldine Brooks. So far The People of the Book is an excellent read, beautifully written using simple but evocative writing style. If I continue to enjoy it as I am now (and I am sure I will), then I will be very keen to go and read her other work. This book was reviewed in 2008 by

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-85915992328788562422011-05-30T07:28:00.002+10:002011-05-30T10:51:21.745+10:00

I knew it! I hope my mother now realises that all those times when I ignored her because I was steeped in an amazing story was not because I was being rude, as I was accused, but because my absorption in the book had resulted in "inattentional deafness". According to  the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London: Becoming engrossed in a good book or a crossword

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-9893172071291405862010-12-02T22:29:00.005+10:002011-10-27T14:39:07.852+10:00

I love this time of year!! Junk mail, especially book-related junk mail. Comprehensive catalogues -- or cattle dogs as they are often described by those who sweat over their compilation and distribution, the dedicated marketing and sales staff of leading independent booksellers in Australia like Readings, Mary Ryan, Abbeys, Leading Edge, Pages & Pages, and more. They are particularly

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-50191609476496054722010-11-08T11:46:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:39:29.692+10:00

I have been a big fan of Nathan Bransford's daily blogs for some time. As an agent with Curtis Brown in the US, and an author in his own right, his entries are entertaining, insightful and really useful for all those budding writers out there. And his Friday wrap-up of the world of publishing's weekly events is my favourite. So I was, along with everyone else, pretty surprised when Nathan

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-21701625787862584872010-11-08T11:32:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:39:50.402+10:00

I have been collecting books for years with the intention to one day have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in my dream library. It is a common dream for voracious readers and bookbuyers, and even among those who don't read so much but like the status or feel of a library. Until that far-off day, I struggle to squish my collection onto the shelves I do have, regularly culling books, storing them in

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-84352113422905248932010-11-04T00:08:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:40:10.189+10:00

Neglect of BookFuzz has resulted in an incomplete record of my 2010 reading list (to date). I started the year, knowing there were lots of life hurdles ahead, with the unusual resolution to read less. I was giving myself the year off from reading for the first time in my life while I focused on other things, like new jobs and new cities to settle into. It didn't work (not reading, not not

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-91937730481235258142010-10-27T16:05:00.001+10:002011-10-27T14:43:00.127+10:00

Now that I am not swamped with advance proofs and an obligation to prioritise the books published by my old employer, I'm having a lovely time reading whatever I want (largely YA it turns out), whenever I want, and in whatever format I want. Now that I have returned to public transport for my daily trek to work, I'm finding the Kindle app on my iPhone is the most convenient way to read a novel

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373286960322509217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238712082170823695.post-56960560746430620002009-08-11T23:37:00.002+10:002011-10-27T14:45:25.923+10:00

It is 11.37pm at night, a time when I usually am happily ensconced in bed with a good book, and instead I am starting a blog entry, fuelled by guilt at not having written one in some time and using the same late-night inspiration that got me through school and university (just). My guilt would be overridden easily by my interest in the plot of a good book, but lately I find myself unable to

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