RIASS stuff:
Book Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver'Rating: 
Book Review: 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison'Rating: 
Young Adult Giveaway Hop: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry'(open to all)
Other bookish stuff:
Which professions are the biggest coffee drinkers?'Im a three-a-day girl, which I think is quite moderate. And its horrible instant stuff, so it doesnt count.
An interview with Australian pulp fiction historian Toni Johnson Woods'Johnson Woods makes an interest comment about Australias love affair with pulp fiction being at its height during the times that there were tariffs on imports, so Australian publishers were in charge of printing the penny dreadfuls locally. Tiny margins, tiny print, and lurid covers were the way to go.
Karen Maitland on inspirations and influences:'Myth and folklore influence all of my novels. One piece of folklore I love is about the mandrake, a plant that was believed to be a demi-god because it looked like a tiny humanAs well as folk tales, the other great influence on my writing is, as you can tell, is the landscape itself.
The book has died'again.'In hindsight, we can see how rarely one technology supersedes another. Television didn't kill radio any more than radio ended readingEvery generation rewrites the book's epitaph; all that changes is the whodunit. Ive always wondered how its possible that the book can be dying given that our literacy rates are so much higher than they used to be, and books are so much more readily available to the general public.
RIP Jean Merill, author of'The Toothpaste Millionaire and'The Pushcart War.
The finalists for the 2012 World Fantasy Awards have been announced.
Hee! The Orange Prize is to become the Apple prize. I had a bet with my husband that this would happen! Turns out apples and oranges can be compared, after all
Harpercollins opens a record store to promote Michael Chabons Telegraph Avenue
Interview with Brett Easton Ellis'When the book came out a few months later, the controversy stopped.People finally read the book, and they found out that it wasn't four hundred pages of torture and mutilation and advocating the death of women. It's just some boring novel.
In NSW? Check out this Patrick White exhibition.
Goodreads reaches ten million users. Glad to see there are so many book nerds out there.
How to write a great novel:'coffee helps. Actually, there are a surprising number of early risers on this list. And people who write by hand. And people who struggle with keeping things in their heads vs jotting it down.
How to pick books for young but voracious readers:'Overall, while I agree with your sentiments about not spoiling great childrens books by reading them too early, the adventure, pathos, magic or humour of the best stories may light a spark of delight which may later, with good feeding, become a blaze.
Suzanne Williams talks about finding a high concept hook in a novel.'Its fascinating to look at how this series came together: in this case it was the format (short chapters, fast-paced writing), then the characters, then the hook. If you can write a wonderful book/series that is also high-concept, you'll likely hear, Wow! What a fantastic idea!' the authors say.
Jacqueline Wilson to write a sequel to E Nesbits'The Five Children Im intrigued by Wilsons initial reticence, and also her description of managing to blend a modern day work with the old-fashioned style of Nesbitnot to mention the fact that Nesbits kids arent under lock and key like todays kids. The Edwardian children seem very immature to my modern children and yet they boss the familys adult servants around without a second thought. They also have extraordinary freedom, roaming about the countryside on a whim.
An interview with Derek the Ghost, (pseudonymous) author of'Scary School.'My editor at HarperCollins read the book, and almost acquired it, but in the end, they ended up passing on it, but gave me the recommendation to write a book series called Scary School'that was lighter, funnier, and more school-centric.
Wow, this is a serious book auction, but those lines are nothing compared with the ones outside the Buenos Aires Book Fair! There were some curios up for sale as well, including some random bundles of anonymously written erotica that sold for a few thousandno doubt well be seeing that on the shelves shortly.
Want to apply to be a Cybils judge?
I love that instant coffee doesnt count! Will have to adopt that one though Im not sure if I can stomach more than 1 cup of instant in a day ;p
The State Library is just around the corner from my office, will walk down for the exhibition! Thanks :)
I cant either, but its all we have in the office!
I hope you enjoy the exhibition. :)
Im down to three cups of coffee a week. I really should give the stuff completely up for health reason, but when there is literally a coffee place on every corner it is so hard to walk by dunkin donuts and not stop in for a cup. I dont think the book is dying any sooner than storytelling will die. Perhaps the way we view a story will change its format, but stories are the continuation of the human existence, and we will always have that as part of our present as well as our history.
Health, schmealth. Coffees worth it. Although Im stingy and use the instant stuff at the office (I cant afford to shell out $4.50 per coffee!)
I completely agree with your thoughts about the death of the book. The novel as we know it is actually a fairly new format, so its hardly surprising that its going to change. Storytelling, however? I dont think wed be human without stories!