A weekly (ish) round-up of quotes and images from book lovers around the interwebs.
The application of the national interest test requires that we be proud and supportive of the authors and others who enrich our lives, not undermine them. — Anthony Albanese, Plan to end restrictions on parallel book imports does not stack up (Fairfax)
Author Donna Maree Hanson needs readers of romance fiction to answer a survey for her PhD. I love academic research into reader behaviour! You can find the survey here.
ARRA has published the results of its annual reader survey and there are some notable trends: a sharp drop in the popularity of rural romance; and the preference for mass market vs ebooks is now almost a mirror image of the 2009 results.
‘Also, of late, I have really struggled with the representation of 1%er category romance heroes. The good-looking, gazillionaire made of steal waiting to be melted by a heroine with a heart of gold is a total stretch for me even at the best of times. Gandalf is more likely to exist.’ — Vassiliki Veros, Shallowreader
@BookThingo It is doing my head in! I can't read anything with Billionaire in the freakin' title. I just think "Dickhead!"
— Vassiliki Veros (@VaVeros) November 21, 2016
Hayley Nash and romantic suspense author Shannon Curtis talk about sexy euphemisms in the second episode of the new Macquarie Dictionary podcast, Word for Word. You can listen to the episode here. Their segment starts at around 7:15.
Speaking of Haylee Nash (formerly Harlequin, then Booktopia, then Macmillan), she has decided to branch out on her own. The Nash Agency offers editing services as well as representation.
Kindle Unlimited is now available in Australia for AU$13.99 per month. — Books+Publishing
Booktopia will no longer list on the ASX, according to Books+Publishing. Instead, they will look for alternative funding.
C.S. Pacat will be back as a guest for the year-end special episode of ABC’s The Book Club on December 13. — Books+Publishing
'Somehow, I know he’d behead a chicken for me if he had to.' Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz
— Kat (@BookThingo) October 25, 2016
Randa Abdel-Fattah, author of When Michael Met Mina [ Review ], has been nominated for the 2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This is the largest international children’s/YA literature award. The winner will be announced at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in April. — Books+Publishing
Leave me by Gayle Forman [ BT | Amz ] made the shortlist of the Bad Sex in Fiction prize. You can read extracts from the nominees here. I really don’t think Forman’s contribution is anywhere near the worst sex scene I’ve ever read. It’s actually kind of sweet, in my opinion.
I wish people did less hand-wringing over why boys don't read YA and more hand-wringing over why poor kids don't have access to books.
— Brandon Taylor (@brandonrambles) October 26, 2016
Litch, please. #EpicReadsGlossary pic.twitter.com/VM59LRb3BT
— Epic Reads (@EpicReads) October 26, 2016
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple, with a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. Jenny Joseph. pic.twitter.com/slRyUsWizX
— Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) October 22, 2016
Upcoming book events
Nov 23 – Nov 27: Wollongong Writers Festival (NSW)
Nov 27: Sex on the Beach — Features Catherine Evans, Cassandra Samuels, Donna Gallagher and Rachel Brookes
Next year
Feb 18: Books by the Bridge (Sydney) — Features Alice Clayton and Sally Thorne
Feb 24 – Feb 26: Australian Romance Readers Convention (Melbourne) — Features Kylie Scott, Courtney Milan and Kristen Callahan
Sep 16 – Sep 17: Fictionally Yours Melbourne — Features Jamie McGuire
Oct 21 – 22: Riveting Reads Australia (Brisbane)
Graphic: Kim Tomacruz via Canva.com