I usually wait at least six months before republishing articles I wrote for the ARRA newsletter. However, this one is about the 2010 Get Reading! campaign, and I thought I’d repost it so there’s time for you to grab a book (or seven) before it ends.
This is one of my favourite months for reading books. September is Get Reading! month—previously called Books Alive, it’s a month-long, nationwide campaign to encourage reading.
Each year the campaign publishes the 50 Books You Can’t Put Down Guide. Pick up a copy of any of the books listed from a participating retailer and you get a free book to go with it–either an anthology of short stories by well known Australian authors, or a children’s book of stories by Morris Gleitzman.
This year is particularly exciting for romance readers. The second book of the Black Cobra Quartet, The Elusive Bride, by Stephanie Laurens is listed in the guide. Yes, a romance genre book is in the guide! The free anthology also features a short story by Maggie Alderson, who was nominated for the Romance Book of the Year (R*BY) Award for Romantic Elements in 2009.
Read the rest of this post.
True Blood fans will be disappointed to know that Charlaine Harris has had to cancel her Australian book tour due to some ‘very sad family news’. Her Australian publicist confirmed this and also mentioned that they’re keen to reschedule her soon. We wish her and her family well.
Thanks to @awritingjourney for the heads up.
ARRA book signing event
The Australian Romance Readers Association is hosting a book signing event at the Romance Writers of Australia later this year. The book signing will be on Friday, August 13 at the Crowne Plaza in Coogee.
There are over 40 authors expected to be at the signing, including some big names in Australian romance. Entry is free for ARRA members and RWA delegates. It’s also open to the public for a $5 registration fee. If you’re planning to attend, it’s best to register in case the event is booked out. Check out the flyer below and click here for details.
Read the rest of this post.
In honour of Valentines Day—and in the absence of reviews to post—we’re spreading the link love around!
Lovely book things
First, a big congratulations to the City of Sydney librarians who put together an excellent Library Lovers event at Customs House last Thursday. I’m told the event was booked out. Rather than hiring professional actors, library staff did the readings—from Greek poetry to an excerpt from Kiss Me, Annabel by Eloisa James to one of my favourite poems, Close Reading, which we were lucky enough to be able to publish here at Book Thingo last year.
The Australian Romance Readers Association today launched its new website designed by Australian author Paula Roe. If you’re an ARRA member, the newsletter also came out today and in my column I talk about why I like reading the end of the book first. Also, it looks like the Annual ARRA Readers Awards Dinner is set for May 15 in Sydney. No details on the venue yet.
If you only have a couple of minutes, check A Regency Romance in 2 minutes
Read the rest of this post.
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (True Blood, Book 9)
I have a confession to make: Although I have been a long-term reader of this series, when the books started being released in hardcover first, I lost track of it while waiting for the paperbacks. So when I received a review copy of Dead and Gone, I had to catch up with All Together Dead and From Dead to Worse. Each book brings major changes to Sookie’s world and I find trying to pick up my place in the story without remembering what happened in earlier books disorienting so I wouldn’t recommend reading the books out of order or as stand alones.
This review contains spoilers from earlier books in the series.
Werepanthers and vampires and fairies, oh my!
Dead and Gone is the ninth book in the Sookie Stackhouse (aka True Blood, aka Southern Vampire) series and picks up two and a half months after From Dead to Worse. Sookie is in a relatively strong position, with favours owed by the new King of Louisiana and the local werewolf pack, as well as having her own fairy godmother, not to mention 2 powerful witches as housemates. And then there’s the added advantage of being able to read human minds. The story begins with the Great Reveal—in other words, the Weres are following the vampires’ example and are coming out of the closet to the human world.
Read the rest of this post.
