The Aussiereviews Blog

September Reviews

2010-09-19T18:26:00.000+08:00

30 new reviews have been added to the site so far this month. You can read them by clicking on the links.

Children's Book Review: April, by Gabrielle Lord
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

The next instalment in the Conspiracy 365 series.

Book Review: Blue Skies, by Fleur McDonald
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

A tale of love, loss and renewal.

Children's Book Review: A Ute Picnic, by Lorraine Marwood
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

An outstanding poetry collection.

Picture Book Review: Look See, Look at Me, by Leonie Norrington
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

A celebration of childhood and community life.

Children's Book Review: Get a Grip, Cooper Jones, by Sue Whiting
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

What do you do when life's spinning out of control?

Children's Book Review: Where There's Smoke, by John Heffernan
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Stay to fight. Fight to stay.

Non Fiction Book Review: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, by Chris Coulthard-Clark
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Invaluable reference for students of Australian history

Nonfiction Book Review: Australian Classics, by Jane Gleeson-White
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

50 great writers and their celebrated works.

YA Book Review: Moment of Truth, by Michael Pryor
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

The fifth title in the Laws of Magic series.

Picture Book Review: Peeking Ducks, by Krista Bell & Sally Rippin
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Curious ducklings.

Children's Book Review: Bindi Wildlife Adventures - Trouble at the Zoo, by Chris Kunz
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

It’s Bindi’s birthday.

Children's Book Review: The Littlest Witch, by Martine Allars
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Birthday surprises.

Children's Book Review: Hanging Out, by Catherine Bateson
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Ben's cousin is coming.

Children's Book Review: Barnesy, by Allayne Webster
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

A 'Mates' story.

Book Review: Thrill City, by Leigh Redhead
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Simone Kirsch is back.

YA Book Review: The Innocents, by Nette Hilton
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Small town secrets.

YA Book Review: Guardian of the Dead, by Karen Healey
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Beyond the myth and the mists.

Children's Book Review: Alice Miranda on Holiday, by Jacqueline Harvey
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

It's holiday time!

Children's Book Review: Tikki the Tricky Pixie, by Tiffany Mandrake
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Tikki wants to be bad.

Picture Book Review: There's a Goat in My Coat, by Rosemary Milne
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

A poetry collection.

Children's Book Review: Sucked Out, by John Parker
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Eyeball on the loose!

Children's Book Review: Diary of a Soccer Star, by Shamini Flint
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Soccer is easy, right?

Children's Book Review: Our Australia Alice Springs, by Phil Kettle
Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Touring around.

Children's Book Review:The Dragon's Lie by Kym & Oliver Lardner
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Friendship and freedom.

YA Book Review: Flyaway, by Lucy Christopher
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Saving the swan changes everything.

Picture Book Review: Tatiara, by Jo Oliver
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Healing comes.

YA Book Review: India Dark, by Kirsty Murray
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Based on a true story.

YA Book Review: Water, by Geoff Havel
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Secrets always float to the surface.

Book Review: Eric, by Shaun Tan
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

A little treasure.

YA Book Review: Happy as Larry, by Scot Gardner
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

An extraordinary tale of an ordinary family.

New Reviews

2010-08-28T14:24:00.000+08:00

Plenty of new reviews added to Aussiereviews in August - 26 of them, in fact. You can check them out by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

Children's Book Review: Aztec Attack and Battle Bust-Up, by Charlie Carter Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Battle Boy books 5 and 6.
Picture Book Review: Mirror, by Jeannie Baker Reviewed by Dale Harcombe
A stunning book.
YA Book Review: Wavelength, by AJ Betts Reviewed by Emily Murphy
A rich sensory experience.
YA Book Review: Descent, by Charlotte McConaghy Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Book 2: The Strangers of Paragor
YA Book Review: What Next, Tilda B? by Kathryn Lomer Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A novel about finding yourself.
Children's Book Review: Little Else Series, by Julie Hunt Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Adventures in Little Else.
Children's Book Review: How to Talk to a Frill-Neck Lizard, by James Moloney Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Fun Aussie yarn.
Children's Book Review: Chicken Stu, by Nathan Luff Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Always expect the unexpected.
YA Book Review: Slice, by Steven Herrick Reviewed by Claire Saxby
A new prose novel.
Picture Book Review: Littledog, by Katrina Germein Reviewed by Claire Saxby
A little dog arrives.
Children's Book Review: Dead Man's Gold, by Michael Torres Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Adventure in the Australian Outback.
Children's Book Review: Barlay, by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker Reviewed by Claire Saxby
The bush has its secrets.
Picture Book Review: Sam's Bush Journey, by Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Bush wisdom.
YA Book Review: A Girl Like Me, by Penny Matthews Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Absorbing.
Children's Book Review: Grimsdon, by Deborah Abela Reviewed by Claire Saxby
After the wave.
Picture Book Review: All Together Now, by Phil Cummings Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Going camping.
Picture Book Review: Count My Kisses, Little One, by Ruthie May Reviewed by Claire Saxby
A first counting book.
Children's Book Review: The Magic Fair, by Sally Morgan Reviewed by Claire Saxby
All the fun of the fair…and more.
YA Book Review: Thirteen Pearls, by Melaina Faranda Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Part of the Girlfriend Fiction series.
Nonfiction Book Review: I Love Me, by Bev Aisbett Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A guide to being your own best friend.
YA Book Review: The Limping Man, by Maurice Gee Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The conclusion to the Salt trilogy.
Children's Book Review: Burned, by Meredith Costain Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Third in the Year in Girl Hell series.
Nonfiction Book Review: The Feel Good Body, by Jennifer Fleming & Anna-Louise Bouvier Reviewed by Sally Murphy
7 steps to easing aches and looking great.
Book Review: The Devil's Tears, by Steven Horne Reviewed by Sally Murphy
An absrobing story.
Children's Book Review: March, by Gabrielle Lord Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The third in the Conspiracy 365 series.
Children's Book Review: Dumped, by Meredith Costain Reviewed by Sally Murphy

2010-07-17T21:57:00.000+08:00

I have just added nine new reviews to Aussiereviews. Click on the links to read them.

Enjoy!

Picture Book Review: Ned Kelly and the Green Sash, by Mark Greenwood
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

A wonderful historical picture book.

Book Review: The Marriage Club, by Kate Legge
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

No one really knows what goes on inside a marriage.

Children's Book Review: Summer Days, by Lenny Pelling
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

First in the pen-pals forever series.

Children's Book Review: The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, by May Gibbs
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Including Little Ragged Blossom and Little Obelia.

Children's Book Review: One Perfect Pirouette, by Sherryl Clark
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Following your dreams can be hard.

Nonfiction Book Review: Tasmania's Convicts, by Alison Alexander
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

How felons built a free society.

Children's Book Review: The Hunt for Ned Kelly, by Sophie Masson
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Part of the My Australian Story series.

Picture Book Review: Baby Wombat's Week, by Jackie French
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Sequel to Diary of a Wombat.

Children's Book Review: Chess Nuts, by Julia Lawrinson
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

The game is set to change.

2010-07-10T14:01:00.001+08:00

It's been a while - in fact I didn't post a single new review in June - although I was busy reading wonderful books and even writing reviews. But, because I had such a busy month I didn't actually get the reviews posted.

So, last night I remedied that by posting 22 new reviews on the Aussiereviews site, some by myself and others by fellow reviewer Claire Saxby. You can read the reviews by clicking on the links below. Enjoy - I'll be posting more soon.

Children's Book Review: Saving Pandas, by Dr Carla Litchfield Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Hello Panda!
Children's Book Review: Girls Only, by Kerrie Hess Reviewed by Claire Saxby
How to plan a party.
Children's Book Review: Esty's Gold, by Mary Arrigan Reviewed by Claire Saxby
From Ireland to the Goldfields.
YA Book Review: Fury, by Shirley Marr Reviewed by Claire Saxby
What lies beneath the gloss?
Children's Book Review: Crooked Mick, by Dave Luckett Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Aussie Tall Tales.
Children's Book Review: Pearlie in Central Park, by Wendy Harmer Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Pearlie's in New York.
Children's Book Review: Who Wants to Be a Billionaire, by Colin Thompson Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Book 9 in The Floods series.
Children's Book Review: Alice-Miranda at School, by Jacqueline Harvey Reviewed by Claire Saxby
First in a new series.
Children's Book Review: Slowcoach Turtle, by Kyle Mewburn Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Pop Hooper is in town!
YA Book Review: Somme Mud, by Private Edward Lynch Reviewed by Claire Saxby
One man’s experience of war.
Picture Book Review: I Love My Mum, by Anna Walker Reviewed by Claire Saxby
Ollie B is back.
YA Book Review: Finding Freia Lockhart, by Aimee Said Reviewed by Claire Saxby
How (not) to be a successful teenager.
YA Book Review: After January, by Nick Earls Reviewed by Claire Saxby
What happens when school is over?
Picture Book Review: The Wonky Donkey, by Craig Smith Reviewed by Sally Murphy
APRA Children's Song of the Year, 2008.
Children's Book Review: Conspiracy 365 - February, by Gabrielle Lord Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The second in this action-packed series.
Picture Book Review: Hunting for Dragons, by Bruce Whatley Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Dragons are everywhere.
Book Review: Below the Styx, by Michael Meehan Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A complex read.
Picture Book Review: My Country, by Dorothea Mackellar & Andrew McLean Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A lovely gift.
Picture Book Review: Zoobots, by Bruce Whatley & Ben Smith Whatley Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Crazy creatures.
Nonfiction Book Review: Looking for Lionel, by Sharon Snir Reviewed by Sally Murphy
How I lost and found my mother through dementia.
Children's Book Review: Hot and Cold Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The first in the EJ12 Girl Hero series.
YA Book Review: Solace & Grief, by Foz Meadows Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The Rare Book One.

2010-05-25T21:43:00.000+08:00

What a busy month it has been at Aussiereviews. We have added twenty new reviews over the past week, so if you are a looking for a great read, click on the following links. Picture Book Review:The Little Yellow Digger and The Bones, by Betty & Alan Gilderdale Under the landslide. Children's Book Review: Camelot, by Colin Thompson A new series. Children's Book Review: Scratch Kitten and the Ghost Ship, by Jessica Green A new adventure. Children'sBook Review:The Tsunami Book, by Dr Gill Jolly More than a tidal wave.
Picture Book Review: Pirate Peter and the Pig, by Simon Grant A pet for a pirate. Children's Book Review: Pilot & Huxley and the Holiday Portal, by Dan McGuiness Pilot and Huxley are back! Picture Book Review: Papa's Little Penguin, by Anna Pignataro For Fathers' Day. Children's Book Review: Nanny Piggins and the Runaway Lion, by R. A. Spratt New Nanny Piggins adventures. Young Adult Book Review: The Wrath of the Silver Wolf, by Simon Higgins A new Moonshadow adventure. Children's Book Review: How to Draw Mythical Creatures, by Marc McBride Create your own characters. Picture Book Review: Fairies, by Alison Maloney All abouut fairies. Picture Book Review: Bear and Chook by the Sea, by Lisa Shanahan A new Bear and Chook adventure. Children's Book Review: Battlefield, by Alan Tucker One boy's war. Children's Book Review: Aussie Legends, by Tom Baddley Some famous Australians. YA Book Review: Dancing in the Dark, by Robyn Bavati An absorbing tale about following your dreams. Book Review: Blood Moon, by Garry Disher A wonderful crime fiction offering. Children's Book Review: Style Files, by Amanda Nicholls The first in the Totally Stylin' series. Cook Book Review: The AWW Cooking School Learning to cook Step-by-Step. Picture Book Review: Itsy-Bitsy Babies, by Margaret Wild & Jan Ormerod Ideal for cuddle time. Picture Book Review: Wibbly Wobbly Street, by Trudie Trewin Whimsy and fun on every page. Children's Book Review: Duck for a Day, by Meg McKinlay A novel to love. Thanks for dropping by!

2010-05-03T11:23:00.000+08:00

I added seven new reviews to the Aussiereviews website last night. As always, there's a bit of a mix, including picture books, children's, YA, adult fiction and nonfiction. Click on the links to see the reviews,

Picture Book: Gina the Dancing Queen, by Marisa Alo
Feel the rhythm.
Picture Book: Delilah's Dream, by Ian Trevaskis & Janine Dawson
Very cute.
YA: About a Girl, by Joanne Horniman
Beautiful.
Children's: The Land of Dragonay, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Stopwatch Book 3.
Fiction: Torn Apart, by Peter Corris
New in the Cliff Hardy series.
Fiction: What Kate Did Next, by Lisa Heidke
It's time for Kate to follow her dreams.
Nonfiction: Max Your Marks, by Rowena Austin & Annie Hastwell
Tips from top students on how to conquer year 12.

2010-04-07T17:41:00.000+08:00

The shortlists for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards were announced today. They are as follows (with links to any titles which have been reviewed on Aussiereviews). I love awards season :)

The Christina Stead Prize for Fiction

•Summertime by J.M. Coetzee

•Wanting by Richard Flanagan

•The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy

•88 Lines about 44 Women by Steven Lang

•Ransom by David Malouf

•Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction

•The Water Dreamers: The remarkable history of our dry continent by Dr Michael Cathcart

•Churchill and Australia by Graham Freudenberg

•Piano Lessons by Dr Anna Goldsworthy

•The Wolf by Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen

•Kill Khalid by Paul McGeough

•Up from the Mission: Selected Writings by Noel Pearson

Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry

•The Sonnet According to 'M' by Jordie Albiston

•The Darwin Poems by Emily Ballou

•Storm and Honey by Judith Beveridge

•The Striped World by Emma Jones

•White Camel by Morgan Yasbincek

Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature

•Hollywood Ending by Kathy Charles

•Worldshaker by Richard Harland

•Liar by Justine Larbalestier

•A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard

•Vulture's Gate by Kirsty Murray

•When the Hipchicks Went to War by Pamela Rushby

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature

•Krakatoa Lighthouse by Allan Baillie

•Grace by Morris Gleitzman

•Alive in the Death Zone by Lincoln Hall

•The Billionaire's Curse by Richard Newsome

•The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers

•Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood

Community Relations Commission Award

•Leave to Remain: A Memoir by Dr Abbas El Zein

•Reclaiming Patriotism: Nation-Building for Australian Progressives by Dr Tim Soutphommasane

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing

•Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam

•Hollywood Ending by Kathy Charles

•Document Z by Andrew Coome

•Siddon Rock by Glenda Guest

•Little White Slips by Karen Hitchcock

•The Ice Age by Kirsten Reed

Script Writing Award

•Bright Star by Jane Campion

•East West 101: Episode 13 by Kristen Dunphy and Michael Miller

•Mary and Max by Adam Elliot

•Tangle: Episode 1, Yellow Amendments by Fiona Seres

•Fairweather Man by Aviva Ziegler and Veronica Fury

•Samson and Delilah by Warwick Thornton

NSW Premier's Prize for Literary Scholarship

•Robert Louis Stevenson in the Pacific: Travel, Empire and the Author's Profession by Dr Roslyn Jolly
•Networked Language by Professor Philip Mead
•Literary Activists: Writer-intellectuals and Australian Public Life by Dr Brigid Rooney

Winners in each category will be announced on May 17. NSW Residents are also invited to vote in the People's Choice award. you can also read the judges' comments about each of the shortlisted titles on the awards website.

CBCA Awards Shortlist, 2010

2010-03-30T15:01:00.000+08:00

Those of you who know me and/or follow this blog might know that I am both an author and a book reviewer. Usually, I manage to keep the two things separate, but today I'm not sure it's possible. See, normally, when the CBCA Awards shortlist is announced, I would share the list or a link to it here for your pleasure.

But today, as well as sharing the list with you, I also want tos hare my absolute delight that for the first time in 30 books - I'm ON THE SHORTLIST (excuse my yelling. I'm a little excited).

So, resuming normal programming, today the shortlist for the CBCA Chidlren's Book of the Year Awards has been announced, and is as follows:

Book of the Year: Older Readers

These books are for mature readers.

CHRISTOPHER, Lucy Stolen (Chicken House)

CLARKE, Judith The Winds of Heaven (Allen & Unwin)

LARBALESTIER, Justine Liar (Allen & Unwin)

METZENTHEN, David Jarvis 24 (Penguin Group Australia)

MILLARD, Glenda A Small Free Kiss in the Dark (Allen & Unwin)

TANGEY, Penny Loving Richard Feynman (University of Queensland Press)

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Intended for independent younger readers.

FENSHAM, Elizabeth Matty Forever (University of Queensland Press)

HIRSCH, Odo Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool (Allen & Unwin)

LESTER, Alison Running with the Horses (Viking, Penguin GroupAustralia)

MCINTOSH, Fiona The Whisperer (Angus & Robertson,HarperCollinsPublishers)

MURPHY, Sally Illus. POTTER, Heather Pearl Verses the World (Walker Books)
STORER, Jen Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children (Viking, Penguin Group Australia)

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages.

BLAND, Nick The Wrong Book (Scholastic Australia)

BOOTH, Christina Kip (Windy Hollow Books)

DUBOSARSKY, Ursula Illus. JOYNER, Andrew The Terrible Plop (Viking, Penguin Group Australia)

GLEESON, Libby Illus. BLACKWOOD, Freya Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House (Little Hare )
SHANAHAN, Lisa Illus. QUAY, Emma Bear & Chook by the Sea Lothian (Children’s Books, Hachett)

THOMPSON, Colin Illus. DAVIS, Sarah Fearless ABC Books (HarperCollinsPublishers)

Picture Book of the Year

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers).

COOL, Rebecca Text: MILLARD, Glenda Isabella’s Garden (Walker Books)

DANALIS, Stella Text: DANALIS, John Schumann the Shoeman (University of Queensland Press)

HARVEY, Roland To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia (Allen & Unwin)

HOBBS, Leigh Mr Chicken Goes to Paris (Allen & Unwin)
OLIVER, Narelle Fox and Fine Feathers (Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia)

ROGERS, Gregory The Hero of Little Street (Allen & Unwin)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers).

CLODE, Danielle Prehistoric Giants: The Megafauna of Australia (Museum Victoria)

M is for Mates: Animals in Wartime from Ajax to Zep Department of Veterans’ Affairs in association with the Australian War Memorial

MACINNIS, Peter Australian Backyard Explorer National Library of Australia

PATRICK, Tanya Illus: HUTCHESON, Nicholas Polar Eyes: A Journey to Antarctica CSIRO

REEDER, Stephanie Owen Lost! A True Tale from the Bush (National Library of Australia)

YALATA & OAK COMMUNITIES with MATTINGLEY, Christobel Maralinga: The Anangu Story Allen & Unwin

Where a book has been reviewed on Aussiereviews I have linked to that review. Congratulations to all authors, illustrators and publishers with books on the list. The winners will be announced in August, in time for Children's Book Week.

2010-03-28T13:10:00.000+08:00

It's been a busy month on Aussiereviews, with twenty two new reviews added. You can clcik on the links to check out the ones you're interested in:

Nonfiction Book Review: Great Moments in Australian History, by Jonathan King

Accessible history.

Children's Book Review: Jaguar Warrior, by Sandy Fussell
Brilliant.

YA Book Review: The Devil You Know, by Leonie Norrington
Set in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Picture Book Review: It's a Jungle in Here, by Steve Wide
The jungle is everywhere.

Young Adult Book Review: After, by Sue Lawson
Gripping.

Young Adult Book Review: Surf Ache, by Gerry Bobsien
Ever been surfing?

Children's Book Review: Horse Mad Whispers, by Kathy Helidoniotis
Title 7 in Horse Mad series.

Children's Book Review: A Belt Around My Bum, by Martin Chatterton
A new Willy Waggledagger adventure.

Children's Book Review: Send Simon Savage, by Stephen Measday
An adventure in time.

Children's Book Review: Edie Amelia and the Monkey Shoe Mystery, by Sophie Lee
Edie Amelia is an unusual girl.

Children's Book Review: Dragon Blood Pirates Series Three, by Dan Jerris
Arrrrr!

Children's Book Review: Big Book of Verse for Aussie Kids, edited by Jim Haynes
A wonderful collection.

Picture Book Review: Sarah's Heavy Heart, by Peter Carnavas
Gorgeous.

Picture Book Review: Schumann the Shoeman, by John & Stella Danalis
A beautifully wrought fable.

YA Book Review: Hostage, by Karen Tayleur
A fast-paced journey.

Picture Book Review: Hairy Maclary, Shoo, by Lynley Dodd
The invincible Hairy Maclary is back.

Picture Book Review: Possum and Wattle, by Bronwyn Bancroft
A visual delight.

Book Review: Lovesong, by Alex Miller
Beautiful.

YA Book Review: Genius Wars, by Catherine Jinks
The conclusion to the Genius trilogy.

Book Review: Manhattan Dreaming, by Anita Heiss
Chick-lit at its best.

Book Review: The Children's Writer, by Gary Crew
What happens to those caught up in a writer's world?

Book Review: Come Back to Me, by Sara Foster

A wonderful debut novel.

Seven New Reviews

2010-02-21T21:26:00.000+08:00

I have today added seven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Books reviewed are:

Liar, by Justine Larbalestier

Forbidden Fruit, by Kerry Greenwood

I Spy Dad! by Janeen Brian and Chantal Stewart

Cleo, by Helen Brown

Navigating Teenage Depression, by Gordon Parker and Kerry Eyers

Angel Fish, by Lili Wilkinson

Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior, by Jackie French

A nice range of books, from serious nonfiction, to cute picture book. Enjoy!

Sunday Reading

2010-02-21T12:44:00.000+08:00

As the result of a Twitter post (tweet), I've just spent an interesting fiteen minutes reading blog posts, when I should have been working on updating Aussiereviews. The tweet linked to a new blog post, but that blog post was in response to an older one, so I'll share the links in cronological order.

Firstly, in August, Jessica Crispin blogged about Jeff Vandemeer's book Booklife, and why it made her skin crawl here.
More recently, Jeff was able to get Jessica to agree to be interviewed on his blog here, about her opinions, as well as making his own comments about those opinions.

It's great reading - and has also given me much food for thought both as an author and as a reviewer. Enjoy!

ABR Top Ten Australian Novels

2010-02-02T11:43:00.000+08:00

The Australian Book Review has today announced the results of its reader poll of favourite Australian novels, releasing the list of the top twenty, as voted by readers. You can read the annotated list here. Youc an also see a full list of the 290 novels nominated here

How many of the top ten have you read?

Aurealis Award Winners and New reviews on Aussiereviews

2010-01-24T20:16:00.001+08:00

The annual Aurealis awards ceremony was held last night in Brisbane. These awards honour the best Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror offerings for the previous twelve months.

The winners are as follows. Wherever possible I have linked the publication titles to reviews, on Aussiereviews, or elsewhere.

best science fiction novel

Andrew McGahan, Wonders of a Godless World, Allen & Unwin

best science fiction short story

Peter M. Ball, ‘Clockwork, Patchwork and Ravens’, Apex Magazine May 2009

best fantasy novel

Trudi Canavan, Magician's Apprentice, Orbit

best fantasy short story - Joint winners

Christopher Green, ‘Father’s Kill’, Beneath Ceaseless Skies #24

Ian McHugh, 'Once a Month, On a Sunday’, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #40, Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Co-operative Ltd

best horror novel

Honey Brown, Red Queen, Penguin Australia

best horror short story - Joint winners

Paul Haines, 'Wives', X6, Coeur de Lion Publishing

Paul Haines, 'Slice of Life - A Spot of Liver', Slice of Life, The Mayne Press

best anthology

Jonathan Strahan (editor), Eclipse 3, Night Shade Books

best collection

Greg Egan, Oceanic, Gollancz

best illustrated book/graphic novel

Nathan Jurevicius, Scarygirl, Allen & Unwin

best young adult novel

Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan Trilogy: Book One, Penguin

best young adult short story

Cat Sparks, ‘Seventeen’, Masques, CSFG

best children’s (8-12 years) novel

Gabrielle Wang, A Ghost in My Suitcase, Puffin Books

best children’s (8-12 years)
short fiction/illustrated work/picture book

Pamela Freeman (author), Kim Gamble (illustrator), Victor's Challenge, Walker Books Australia

Also, in the past week I have uploaded a swag of new reviews to Aussiereveiws - 23 in total. You can access the following reveiws from the hhome page at Aussiereviews.

The Wicked War on Planet Whimsy, by L. M. Moriarty
The Hollow Tree, by Jacob G. Rosenberg
Spirit of Hope, by Bob Graham
Howzat! by Brett Lee & Michael Panckridge
Fifteen Love, by R. M. Corbett
Australia at the Beach, by Max Fatchen
How to be the Perfect Princess
The ABC Book of Dinosaurs
A Letter From Luisa, by Rowena Mohr
Gamers' Quest, by George Ivanoff
Come By Chance, by Madeline Winch
A History of Cricket, by Catherine Chambers
Anzac Heroes, edited by George Low
The Borgia Ring, by Michael White
100 Ways to Happy Children, by Dr Timothy J. Sharp
The Pony Patch Collection, by Bernadette Kelly
Crocodile River, by Diana Lawrenson
Sharp Shooter, by Marianne Delacourt
Wildlife in Australia, by Louise Egerton
Halloween in Christmas Hills, by Karen Tayleur
Hush, Hush! by Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo
The Wheels on the Bus, illustrated by Mandy Foot
The Dangerous Book of Heroes, by Conn Iggulden & David Iggulden

Enjoy!

Nine New Reviews Posted

2010-01-02T14:20:00.000+08:00

Happy new year! I have started off the new year by adding nine new reviews to Aussiereviews. Personal favourites were the two children's books - Tensy Farlow and The Whisperer. Both superb offerings.

YA Book Review: Time of Trial, by Michael Pryor
Reviewed by Tom Murphy
The fourth title in the Laws of Magic series.
YA Book Review: Fill Out This Application and Wait Over There, by Ruth Starke
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A funny diary format story.
YA Book Review: My Private Pectus, by Shane Thamm
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Footy, cars and a caved-in chest.
Nonfiction Book Review: Kickstart My Heart, by Lana Penrose
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A carnival of dating disasters.
Children's Book Review: Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children, by Jen Storer
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A wonderful gothic novel.
Book Review: Transported - A Pioneer’s Story, by Terry Spring
Reviewed by Kathryn Duncan
An inspirational story.
YA Book Review: The Old Kingdom Chronicles, by Garth Nix
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Acclaimed trilogy - Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen.
YA Book Review: Posse, by Kate Welshman
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A novel with bite.
Children's Book Review: The Whisperer, by Fiona McIntosh
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Riveting.

Check back often for lots more reviews in 2010.

2009-11-30T21:34:00.002+08:00

I have uploaded five new reviews to Aussiereviews tonight:

Picture Book Review: Sheep, Goat and the Creaking Gate, by Claire Saxby & Judith Rossell

Nonfiction Book Review: The Sisters Antipodes, by Jane Allison

Book Review: The Sea Bed, by Marele Day

YA Book Review: Swerve, by Phillip Gwynne

Picture Book Review: The Lamington Man, by Kel Richardson & Glen Singleton

Enjoy!

Snowy's Christmas Blog Tour Week 9

2009-11-29T10:28:00.000+08:00

Time for another stop on the Snowy's Christmas blog tour. This week I am visiting with the lovely Sandy Fussell, at Stories are Light, talking about Christmas stories, and what makes them special. We'd love to see you there.

If you’ve missed any of the other tour stops, you can find them at:
Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell

Snowy's Christmas Blog Tour: Week Seven

2009-11-15T11:31:00.002+08:00

It's Sunday, which means another stop on the Snowy's Christmas blog tour. Today I'm breakfasting with my friend, talented WA illustrator Samantha Hughes. Drop by for some bacon and eggs at this link.

If you’ve missed the start of the tour, you can follow it at:
Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell

Great News

2009-11-11T11:14:00.001+08:00

Wonderful wonderful news today – especially if you are an Australian author, illustrator or publisher. The Australian government has decided NOT to alter the rules regarding Parallel Importation restrictions (PIR) for books. The minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, Craig Emerson, this morning issued a press release announcing this decision – you can read the release here.

You can also read more about the celebrations on the Saving Aussie Books blog – and, if you’ve hiding under a rock for the past year and don’t know about this debate, you can browse the same blog for loads of information.

Or, you can simply join me in celebrating a victory for commonsense. One great way to celebrate is to go to your local bookstore and buy an Aussie book. Let’s support the bookstores and ensure their longevity. Independent bookstores, especially, would have been adversely affected by these changes – yet they are the bookstores which seem to actually know about, and support Australian books.

So, what are you waiting for? Start partying – and reading. Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Snowy's Christmas Blog Tour: Week Six

2009-11-08T03:38:00.000+08:00

Welcome to week 6 of the Snowy’s Christmas blog tour, which stops here today. In previous stops we’ve talked about the inspiration behind the book, and the writing and illustration process. Today, since the tour is stopping here at a blog devoted to reviews, I thought I might chat a little about reviews and what is like when the reviewer (that’s usually me) becomes the reviewed (when I’m the author).

Firstly, a little about me as a reviewer. I own and manage website Aussiereviews, also writing the bulk of the reviews you’ll find there. My reviews are aimed primarily at parents, teachers and readers, being not heavily academic or analytical. My reviews are also generally positive. I have an unofficial policy that if I strongly dislike a book for any reason then I simply don’t review it, rather than posting a damning review. My reasoning for this is that I simply don’t have time to review every book that comes my way, so I would rather focus on the good ones. Having said that, if I see deficits in an otherwise good book, I am prepared to mention them. I have no desire to mislead potential readers, who are the intended audience of my reviews.

So, being an active reviewer, how does it feel for me to be reviewed by other people? Honestly? Great. As well as the reviews starting to come in for Snowy’s Christmas, I’ve also had a swag of reviews this year for my other new release, Pearl Verses the World. Most of the reviews have been positive, and it feels wonderful to know that people love my book. As a reviewer myself, I know that the reviewer is not writing the review for me, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t benefit from the affirmation.

But what about if the review is negative? That’s harder. So far, Snowy has had only positive reviews, but Pearl Verses the World had one review which was a real shocker. It was a print review, so I can’t link to it, but it basically said the book was depressing, unrealistic and shouldn’t be read. The reviewer, in spite of having the book in front of them, also managed to misname the author. To be honest, though, I was probably only mildly annoyed. After all, I’d been lucky enough to get lots of really outstanding reviews for the same book, so I figured that this one reviewer was having a bad day. Or maybe, just maybe, that book was just not a good fit for that reviewer. After all, not every book will be loved by every reader. And as an author it is unrealistic to think that every reviewer will feel the same about your book.

Which leads me to my next point – how I respond to reviews. Established review etiquette is that the author/illustrator/publisher should not respond to reviews – that includes trying to answer the reviewer’s opinions, as well as simply thanking the reviewer. The reasoning is that this breaks down the professional remove between reviewer and reviewed. I actually agree with this wisdom – to a point.

Pre the internet, that remove was supported by the fact the reviewer and the reviewed would not cross paths terribly often – apart from, of course, industry functions, conferences and the like. However, in the new internet age, everyone is closer to everyone else. Through social networking, especially, reviewers, authors, editors, publishers, publicists rub shoulders on a daily basis. In this world, it seems almost silly to pretend that the review process does not exist. As a reviewer, I do regularly receive emails and messages from people thanking me for reviews. I don’t expect them, but I understand why people send them. To date, I’ve only had one email from an author complaining about my review. This was difficult, especially as I felt that the author had misinterpreted my review, but I did respond politely to this email. I might add here that it is because of this close contact through social networking and so on that I don’t accept review copies directly from authors. By insisting that books come from publishers I am able to maintain some distance between myself and the author until after I have written the review.

As an author, I try to not respond to reviews of my own books, because of this etiquette - with the exception of reviews which appear as part of one of my blog tours. In this instance, I do thank the reviewer because, although the review copy has come from the publisher, the blog visit has usually been instigated by me.

So, to Snowy's Christmas. To date Snowy has had, as I’ve said, some wonderful reviews, from:

Dee White, who said “It’s a truly Australian Christmas story with Aussie animals and landscapes. The tale is beautifully told by Sally Murphy, and David Murphy’s bright, funny illustrations give the book extra bounce.” (You can read her full review HERE)

Rebecca Newman, who said “this is a great picture book for celebrating Christmas in the heat.” (You can read her full review HERE)

Dale Harcombe, who said “It’s lovely to see an Aussie Christmas book that reflects the wildlife, colour and landscape of Australia instead of snow etc.” (You can read her full review HERE)

Pat Pledger, who said “In her captivating story with an Australian setting, Sally Murphy has managed to capture the spirit and fun of Christmas, while exploring the theme of fitting in and finding your own niche in life.” (You can read her full review HERE)

Being reviewed can be confronting. But I suppose the best advice I can give any author is to remember that every review is only one person’s opinion. And every review, good or bad, is publicity for your book.

If you want to learn more about Snowy’s Christmas you can follow the rest of the Snowy’s Christmas blog tour at the following links. See you there:

Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell

Snowy's Christmas is available across Australia in bookstores, Kmart and Myer,a nd online from stores including Booktopia.

New Reviews

2009-10-24T17:48:00.004+08:00

Phew! What a busy day. I have been busy on a big update of Aussiereviews and have finally finsihed. There are twenty new reviews for your enjoyment. You can click on the links to peruse the ones you're interested in:

2009-10-04T21:26:00.003+08:00

Have added eight new reviews to Aussiereviews tonight. Enjoy.

Children's Book Review: Thorpey, by Ruth Starke

Part of the Mates series.
Children's Book Review: The Toilet Kid, by Pat Flynn
A sequel to The Tuckshop Kid.
Children's Book Review: Mostly Sunny With a Chance of Storms, by Marion Roberts

A sequel to the glorious Sunny Side Up.
YA Book Review: Pink, by Lili Wilkinson
Ava is trying on a new image.
Children's Book Review: Don't Breathe a Word, by Marianne Musgrove
A gentle exploration of some difficult topics.
Children's Book Review: The Hottest Boy Who Ever Lived, by Anna Fienberg
A heart warming story.
YA Book Review: They Told Me I Had to Write This, by Kim Miller

Excellent.
YA Book Review: Dust, by Christine Bongers
A fantastic debut novel.

2009-09-20T17:23:00.002+08:00

Today I added six new reviews to Aussiereviews. Youc an read them by clicking on the links.

Book Review: Gladiatrix, by Rhonda Roberts

Time travel adventure.
YA Book Review: Jatta, by Jenny Hale

Thrilling fantasy.
Children's Book Review: Edzel Grizzler, by James Roy
Book one Voyage to Verdada.
Picture Book Review: I Love Christmas, by Anna Walker
A gentle Christmas offering.
Nonfiction Book Review: Riding the Black Cockatoo, by John Danalis

A true story.
Children's Book Review: All the Colours of Paradise, by Glenda Millard
The fourth title in the Kingdom of Silk series.

2009-09-06T17:55:00.001+08:00

Have just finished adding seven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Click on the links to read them.

Children's Book Review: The Puzzle Ring, by Kate Forsyth Reviewed by Sally Murphy
An absorbing fantasy.
Children's Book Review: Ramose - Valley of the Tombs, by Carole Wilkinson Reviewed by Tom Murphy
A bind-up of the Ramose series.
YA Book Review: The Night They Stormed Eureka, by Jackie French Reviewed by Tom Murphy
A gripping time travel adventure.
YA Book Review: Third Transmission, by Jack Heath Reviewed by Tom Murphy
Third and final story in the Six of Hearts series.
Children's Book Review: The Python Problem, by Darrel & Sally Odgers Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Fourth title in the Pet Vet series.
Children's Book Review: The Wombat and the Grand Poohjam, by Jackie French Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Part of the new Mates series.
Children's Book Review: Inspector Jacques, by Darrel & Sally Odgers Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Jack Russell Dog Detective, book number 11.

Author Interview: Gabrielle Williams

2009-08-30T12:43:00.002+08:00

Today I am delighted to welcome Gabrielle William, the author of new YA novel Beatle Meets Destiny to my blog. Welcome, Gabrielle, and congratulations on the release of Beatle Meets Destiny

1. Your last novel was for adults. What prompted the change to writing for a young adult audience?
Being an adult is full of responsibility and housework. I wanted to relive the fun days of being a young adult, so I created these characters that I would have liked to hang out with when I was younger. Then I spent the next 18 months with them each day, writing about their misadventures, which was great. Very invigorating. It inspired me to go out and misbehave in real life.

2. Were there any challenges in writing for a younger audience than previously?
The challenges of writing for a younger audience are much the same as writing for an older audience – namely the challenge of sitting still at the computer writing, instead of checking emails, reading the newspaper, doing the sudoku, looking up obscure sites on the internet, drinking coffee and hanging out with friends. Over the years I’ve discovered it’s very difficult to write a novel if you’re not actually sitting down writing it. Rule number one: sit down and write the damn thing.

3. There are lots of issues which arise in the book – fidelity, stalking, drug use, health issues, superstition, family loyalty... Did you set out to write an issues based book and which of the issues do you see as being most important?
When you put it like that there ARE a lot of issues in the book. I didn’t really set out to write something issues-based, and I certainly would never want to get all preachy about things, but I suppose I explored concepts and ideas that I personally find interesting. And also things that have happened to me or friends of mine.

4. Why John Lennon? What inspired you to use a famous person’s name for your main character – and why John Lennon specifically?
Hm. I’ve been asked that a lot and I’m not really sure. His name just kind of came to me. I guess I liked the idea of a character who’s named after a famous person. It seemed to say a lot about his mum, that she would name him John Lennon. It also opened up opportunities for a bit of comedy.

5. Now, about you. What lead you into writing as a career?

I worked in advertising for a long time. But after I had kids and started working part-time, the juicy jobs I’d been getting in advertising started going to other people who were still working full-time. And I found myself writing Myer catalogues and retail television spots and I found it incredibly unsatisfying. So then I applied to RMIT to do the Creative Writing Course where I had this fantastic teacher, Olga Lorenzo, and as I went on, I found that I really wanted to write novels.

6. Do you write full time? What else makes Gabrielle Williams tick?
I’m lucky enough to be able to write full time, which is brilliant (in between sudoku, emails, trawling through the internet, etc). As for what makes me tick; I’ve got a hubby and three children who keep me quite busy, and then I’ve got my buddies who I catch up with a lot, and I do karate, and I sometimes manage to squeeze housework in there somewhere (but let’s be honest, I don’t manage to squeeze in the housework a whole lot. Busy. Doing other stuff).

7. What advice would you give to others who want to write for young adults?

Do it. Do it now. Just don’t write about vampires (seriously, how many vampire novels can the market sustain because it collapses in a toothy, bloody heap?).

8. Lastly, what are you working on now? Is there another novel brewing?

Yes, I’ve got another novel in the pipeline, but I can’t tell you much about it because if I tell you I’ll have to kill you.

Thanks so much for your time, Gabrielle. And thanks for not killing me.
You can see my review of Beatle Meets Destiny here.

2009-08-11T10:51:00.003+08:00

Have just finished adding seven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Enjoy!

Book Review: Tropic of Death, by Robert Sims

An idyllic resort with a heart of darkness.
YA Book Review: Word of Honour, by Michael Pryor
The third in the Laws of Magic series.
YA Book Review: Beatle Meets Destiny, by Gabrielle Williams

Imagine your name is John Lennon and you meet a girl whose surname is McCartney.
YA Book Review: Brown Skin Blue, by Belinda Jeffrey
A wonderful debut novel.
Children's Book Review: Untangling Spaghetti, by Steven Herrick
A wonderful collection.
Nonfiction Book Review: How to Balance Your life, by James O'Loghlin

Practical ways to achieve work/life balance.
YA Book Review: Worldshaker, by Richard Harland

A page turning fantasy.

2009-07-29T22:03:00.004+08:00

I have just added eleven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Enjoy - especially the review of Just Macbeth, reviewed by another of the Murphlets.

New Reviews

2009-07-20T16:01:00.002+08:00

Have just finished adding seven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Am especially proud of the review of Reformed Vampires, which was contributed by my darling daughter.

Children's Book Review: Lighthouse Girl, by Dianne Wolfer Reviewed by Sally Murphy
An amazing blend of diary, narrative, picture book and scrapbook.
Nonfiction Book Review: Captain Bullen's War, edited by Paul Ham Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen.
Children's Book Review: The Blue Stealer, by Darrel & Sally Odgers Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The tenth title in the Dog Detective series.
Children's Book Review: The Wand and the Sword, by Mike Zarb & Robin Gold Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The second Belmont and the Dragon story.
YA Book Review: The Good Daughter, by Amra Pajalic Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Alternately hilarious and insightful.
Book Review: My Extraordinary Life & Death, by Doug MacLeod Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A surreal diary.
YA Book Review: The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks Reviewed by Emily Murphy
An absorbing plotline and a cast of quirky characters.

Enjoy.

A Layman’s Guide to the Cheaper Books Debate

2009-07-16T19:50:00.001+08:00

There is a big debate raging here in Australia about the scrapping of Parallel Importation restrictions for books. Whilst the debate is fierce, if you are not closely involved in the industry, then the issue is hard to understand, particularly because it's become clouded by unsubstantiated promises of cheaper books for all. So, today, I present the following, in an attempt to demystify the issue for those not in the know.

A Layman’s Guide to the Cheaper Books Debate

I want cheaper books. Let’s face it – everyone does. I also want cheaper fuel, cheaper groceries and cheaper housing, among many other things. In recent months, newspaper headlines have proclaimed that scrapping the mysterious PIRs will result in cheaper books. At the same time, you have probably heard authors, publishers and other book-ish people opposing the changes. You could even be forgiven for thinking they are wrong – after all, if it’s going to mean cheaper books, that has to be a good thing. Right? Wrong. Scrapping PIRs is not a good thing – not for the book industry nor for you, the consumer. In order to show you why, I’m going to take some time to explain to people who perhaps haven’t followed the debate, what the issues are.

Firstly, What are PIRs?

PIR is an abbreviation for Parallel Importation Restrictions. Put simply, these are laws, currently in place, which prevent books being imported which are already being published in Australia. So, for example, when Harry Potter books are released, Allen& Unwin, an Australian publisher, has the rights to publish these books in Australia. So, a bookstore selling the latest Harry Potter must stock Allen & Unwin’s version rather than importing copies from overseas. If Allen & Unwin stops publishing the book, booksellers can then import it. Similarly, if a book is released overseas but no Australian publisher buys the rights to publish it here, booksellers can import the book and sell it in Australia.

The Productivity Commission has recommended the scrapping of PIRS. What this means is that, regardless of whether or not a book has been published in Australia, booksellers will be able to import the book from overseas rather than sourcing it from within Australia.

So, What’s Wrong With That?

There are several problems with abolishing PIRs. The most obvious is that, if Australian publishers can’t have exclusive rights to publish a book, they are unlikely to publish it. It would not be financially viable to put resources into producing an Australian edition of a book, only to find that booksellers instead source their stock from overseas. Why produce an Australian edition of Harry Potter when it will then have to compete, for example, against the US version?

Flowing on from this, Australian publishers will lose income. When an Australian edition of a book is purchased, the Australian publisher makes money. When that publisher makes money, they then have more money to spend on publishing Australian books. The money generated from big sales of the Harry Potter books, for example, can be put towards the cost of producing books by lesser known Australian authors, and on Australian topics. Without the income generated from selling these overseas books, publishers will be forced to cut back on their Australian publishing programmes.

If Australian publishers are forced to cut back on their Australian publishing lists, fewer Australian books will be published. Whilst some authors may manage to get their books published overseas, others won’t stand a chance. Books with an Australian focus are unlikely to be published by overseas publishers. Which American publisher wants to produce a book about Ned Kelly? A book about Aboriginal culture? A book about Australian birds?

A second, but related, problem is that, even if a book is written and produced in Australia, it may have to compete for shelf space with a foreign edition of the same book. At present, a book published first in Australia may be republished overseas with adaptations for that foreign market. The most obvious change is the alteration of Australian spelling to US spelling (Colour becomes color etc) – a prospect which should alarm teachers and parents. However, the changes run deeper than this. Cultural references, locations and even character names are adapted for foreign readerships. A vegemite sandwich might become peanut butter and jelly, a kangaroo might become a squirrel and so on. Australian identity is weeded out of the book to make it better fit the foreign market – and that is acceptable for that market. But to then import that watered down version of the book back into Australia because it may save a dollar or two is an idea with no appeal. Yet, with PIRs scrapped, it is a very real prospect that a bookseller may choose the foreign edition at the expense of the Australian edition.

These foreign editions have another disadvantage for the publishing industry. When an Australian book is republished overseas, both author and local publisher get less money per copy than if it were published here.

Looking briefly at an author’s share, it is important to spell out that most authors are NOT wealthy. Whilst some do earn a full time living from their writing, many many more rely on second and even third jobs to make ends meet. Whilst book prices might seem high, the income an author receives from the sale of each book is low. Author royalties are rarely more than 10% of cover price. More often, they receive less. So, when a book is sold for $25, the author receives a maximum of $2.50. At $2.50 a copy, the author needs to sell ten thousand copies of a book to make $25,000. Not a princely sum – and given that print runs are often much smaller than 10 000, you can see that writing books is not a wealth-generating strategy.

However, it gets worse. If a book first published in Australia is then also published overseas, the author’s cut diminishes greatly. Put simply, there are more links in the chain before the author gets her cut – and that $2.50 might become 50c. Now, if PIRs are scrapped, that author’s $25 000 income could become $5000. Hardly enough to feed a family, is it?

But Books are Too Expensive, Aren’t They?

Australian books are expensive, and that is sad. So too are Australian groceries and Australian petrol. There is no doubt that some books are available cheaper overseas, especially if you buy through sites like Amazon. However, there is little proof that it is the PIRs which are making books so expensive. The US (where Amazon is located) and the UK both have similar import restrictions. And, whilst Australia is considering lifting its restrictions, neither of these other countries are looking at lifting theirs. So, if the changes go ahead, they will have free access to Australian consumers, but Australian publishers will not have access to theirs.

One reason for the high cost of books in Australia is the margins which booksellers put on books. The bookseller’s margin is generally 50%. So, going back to that $25 book – whilst the author gets $2.50, the bookseller gets $12.50. But there’s more – some of the big name booksellers actually add a few dollars to the rrp – so the $25 book costs $27, the author still gets $2.50 and the bookseller gets $14.50. Discount stores such as Target and Kmart demand publishers give them higher discounts – up to 75% off the retail price. And guess whose income is cut when this happens? The author's.

But the Productivity Commission is Promising Cheaper Books!

No. The Productivity Commission is not promising cheaper books. In fact, their report states there is no guarantee that scrapping PIRs will reduce book prices for the consumer. The people who are promising cheaper books are the organisation which seems to have won the ear of the Productivity Commission – the Coalition for Cheaper Books.

Sound like a bunch of nice people, don’t they? Working hard together to bring cheaper books to the public. Unfortunately, anyone can give their group a touchy feely name. It doesn’t mean they have a touchy feely purpose. The ‘Coalition’ is in fact made up of some very familiar names: Dymocks, Woolworths, Coles, K Mart, Big W and Target. Only one of these has selling books as a core business. All of them have retail as a core business – and a responsibility to maximise their profits to keep shareholders happy. And yet we are asked to believe, because they call themselves ‘The Coalition for Cheaper Books’ that their primary aim is to reduce book prices.

Think, if you will, about recent press about grocery prices. Consumer groups have been hugely concerned that the virtual duopoly held by Coles and Woolworths in the grocery market has driven grocery prices up. This pair also holds a vast share of the petrol market – where prices again go up even as world oil prices drop. Coles and Woolworths (and their subsidiaries) make up a major proportion of the so-called Coalition for Cheaper Books. If they are not concerned with lowering grocery and fuel prices, why should we believe that they will decrease book prices? Even if they are able to source books more cheaply, there is no legislation to ensure that the savings are passed on to consumers. So, cheaper books for the retailers, possibly, but not for the consumer. Again, note that the Productivity Commission has not found nay evidence that book prices will drop.

In the only other country where PIRs have been scrapped, New Zealand, book prices have not decreased. What has decreased is the number of New Zealand books being produced, the income of New Zealand authors, and the number of New Zealand publisher. Why are we not learning from the New Zealand experience?

So, Who Should be Worried about the Removal of PIR’s?

In short – YOU.

But in more detail:

Authors/Publishers/Printers/Publicists: Thousands of people are employed in the Australian printing and publishing industry. The scrapping of PIRs directly threatens every one of these jobs, because it will diminish the number of books written, published and printed here in Australia.

Lovers of Books: Have you been to the discount bookstores cropping up all around Australia? These are full of cheap, remaindered books. Remaindered because they couldn’t sell. These shops have their place. But would you like every bookstore to be a remainders shop, full of imported books that couldn't sell overseas? If PIRS are scrapped, this a real possibility.

Teachers and Parents: Your children and students are already well immersed in American culture, thanks to television. If they no longer have access to books with Australian spelling, Australian history and Australian context, then we may as well kiss goodbye our unique Australian culture.

All Australians: Again, our culture is at risk. This is not an anti-US, or anti-any culture argument. It is good to be exposed to books from around the world, in the same way it is good to be exposed to music, food, experiences from around the world. But that global perspective MUST contain Australian experiences. In books, Australian stories are told and published in Australia, not overseas.

Okay, But What Can I do about it?
Get angry and get loud. The Productivity Commission has recommended that the government scrap PIRs. The Coalition for Cheaper Books has loudly (but falsely) announced that cheaper books will result. You need to let the government know that you don’t support the scrapping of PIRs. Write to your Federal MP, your Prime Minister, and his cabinet and tell them of your opposition.

Tell all your friends, neighbours, work colleagues about this issue, and tell them to get loud too. Write to your daily newspaper voicing your concerns.

Let people power stop these changes being implemented.

Please, get involved.

The Verse Novel Form: Guest Blogger Lorraine Marwood Tells How and Why

2009-07-14T21:14:00.002+08:00

I am delighted to welcome chidlren's author and poet Lorraine Marwood to my blog today. Lorraine's second verse novel for children, Star Jumps has just been released (you can see my review of it here), so I asked Lorraine to drop in and talk about why she chooses to use the verse novel form This is what she had to say:

Why use this genre as a way of story telling?

Years ago when I finally gave into my life long desire to write, I could only snatch a few morning moments before the cowshed work, before getting the six kids ready for school, or after the evening meal; to write down lines. I trained myself to write quickly- poems- maybe three a day about details that happened, words spoken, emotion expressed through the rural landscape. Poems were attainable, satisfying and I began sending them out into the literary world of journals.

Many were published. But I still wanted to write for children. I began to write poems specifically for children and many of these poems found their way into the journals of School Magazine New South Wales.

After gathering a collection of poems together, Five Islands Press published one volume ( Redback Mansion) and then later a second ( that downhill yelling).

Now, I wanted to evolve a longer piece of writing. I wrote a short prose verse poem about a picnic in a paddock. I loved the intensity of feeling and atmosphere and setting that prose poetry could give. I wanted to write a novel. But how to take the plunge?

Of course I'd read Sharon Creech's novels and Karen Hesse's novels and always enjoyed Steven Herrick's work. How could I find my own voice in the verse novel?

I researched my topic: I researched human accounts of gold finding and the turmoil and untold stories that were humped across the gold fields. Then I found a voice, an entry, an immediate creation of suspense and atmosphere that I wanted. The striking of atmosphere in the first few words of 'Ratwhiskers and Me' was the steering of the story trail.

'Boy, they call me boy.'

Yes! I was on my way to the exploration of theme and plot and voice. I could use what is kinda instinctive in my writing: my poetics.

The verse novel became an atmospheric device in itself. It is very conducive to the playing out of sensory detail, and the propelling of the bare bones of the story. And while it is shorter in words than an ordinary novel, it strips back the verbiage and puts the reader right there emotionally

.Recently two students from Latrobe Uni were researching the editing process and came to ask me a few questions. They highlighted the way I make a narrative of the verse novel rather than individual poems, and for me that was a point to ponder. I make this distinction because I do naturally write so much poetry. I wanted to experiment with form. And my version of the verse novel is one long poem.

Because my writing is always evolving, the subject matter of the verse novel itself dictates the way a book is written.

Star Jumps, my recently released novel allowed a more poetic vista of details like the ghostling breath of the cows on a cold frosty night. I wanted to convey to non- farming children, as much as possible; a real life snapshot of a farm at its most busy period- the calving season. I wanted to show the drought in action and the decisions that are constantly being made in many rural communities.

My words made flesh and blood of Ruby as she took us through her farm life and showed us hope played out. Only the genre of the verse novel allowed me to recreate the emotion of farming without the didactic and sentimental picture so often stereotyped as farming.

Thanks so much for sharing, Lorraine. You can visit Lorraine Marwood online at http://www.lorrainemarwood.com/.

New reviews

2009-07-14T14:30:00.003+08:00

Today I added fifteen new reviews to Aussiereviews, contributed by Claire Saxby and Dale Harcombe. You can read each review by clicking on the link:

I also added six new reviews earleir int he month, but owing to some stress at the time, forgot to list them here. they were:

Children's Book Review: Sting, by Raymond Huber Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Ziggy is the oddbee out.
Book Review: Witches Incorporated, by K. E. Mills Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The second in the rogue Agent series.
YA Book Review: Letters to Leonardo, by Dee White Reviewed by Sally Murphy
A stunning debut novel.
Children's Book Review: The Big Dig, by Meg McKinlay Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Dig. Put some water in. Swim.
Children's Book Review: The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded, by Jackie French Reviewed by Sally Murphy
The story of Simpson and his donkey.
Children's Book Review: Polar Boy, by Sandy Fussell Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Wonderful historical fiction.

Enjoy

2009-06-14T19:22:00.002+08:00

Today I added 13 new reviews to Aussiereviews. You can read them by clicking on the links below:

Picture Book Review: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, by Sue Whiting
YA Book Review: Dougy, Gracey and Angela, by James Moloney
Children's Book Review: Out of the Blue, by Michael Panckridge and Pam Harvey
Children's Book Review: Dinosaur Knights, by Michael Gerard Bauer
Children's Book Review: The Little One, by Kaitie Afrika Litchfield

Children's Book Review: The Floods - Better Homes and Gardens
Children's Book Review: Bad News for Milk Bay, by Moya Simons
Children's Book Review: The Shocking Trouble on the Planet of Shobble, by L. M. Moriarty
YA Book Review: Exchanging Lives, by Kathy Buchanan
Children's Book Review: Freak Street on Holiday, by Knive and Packer
Book Review: Deep Water, by Peter Corris
Children's Book Review: The Gimlet Eye, by James Roy

Children's Book Review: Star Jumps, by Lorraine Marwood

2009-06-01T14:56:00.001+08:00

Five new reviews today. You can read them by clicking on the following links.

Book Review: Roadside Sisters, by Wendy Harmer
YA Book Review: Big Sky, by Melaina Faranda
Children's Book Review: Silas and the Winterbottoms, by Stephen M. Giles
Book Review: The Winds of Heaven, by Judith Clarke
Children's Book Review: Mascot Madness, by Andy Griffiths

Blog Tour: Dale Harcombe

2009-05-26T03:01:00.003+08:00

Today, Dale Harcombe visits this blog as part of her blog tour to promote her book, The Goanna Island Mystery. Dale is travelling the blogosphere talking about her book and about all aspects of being a writer. She has kindly agreed to answer some questions from me about being reviewed.

Welcome Dale.

1. Has Goanna Island been reviewed at all? If so, where?

The Goanna Island Mystery has been reviewed by fellow author Delwyne Stephens on the Aussiereviews site. One of Delwyne’s daughters was also going to send a review to Blake but I don’t know whether it actually ended up happening or not. There should be a review of The Goanna Island Mystery by Dee White probably next week in Pass It On newsletter

2. Can you tell us about your best and worst review experiences as a writer?

I’ll start with the worst first. Not that it was particularly bad, the reviewer did have positive things to say about Chasing after the Wind but towards the end of the review he said, 'Though the novel culminates in a very moving reconciliation( not necessarily the one reader might expect) the potential sprightliness of the story is defeated by its lack of subtlety.’ Of course, no matter how many good reviews, the book got and others were great, they were the words I remembered. Having recently re-read Chasing after the Wind myself, I’m not convinced that he's right, but then reading is a subjective thing. The irony is that the reviewer Stephen Matthews was the publisher who published Kaleidoscope my poetry collection several years later, in what had to be the quickest I have ever had a manuscript accepted for publication. Less than a week after sending it off to Stephen Matthews at Ginninderra Press, I had the acceptance letter in my hand. Kaleidoscope had some great reviews in Artlook, Studio magazine and one by fellow author Sophie Masson. Another great review of it by one Sally Murphy is on the Aussiereviews site.

The best report ever came not from a reviewer but from a family. One is from the girl who read the book and the other is from her mother. According to the mother, her daughter was given Chasing after the Wind as a present by a friend and instead of reading it at school during reading time as she originally intended ‘she grabbed it every spare moment she had. This was exciting stuff as it was the first book to really get her in’ her mother said. 'The other letter came from the girl herself, Kimberly and she said.’ To say that I liked the book you wrote called Chasing After the Wind is not right, actually I loved it! I really got hooked, seeing I’m not a great reader and my Mum enjoyed it too.’ I also had a visit from the girl’s grandmother who was similarly encouraging and positive about the impact my book had on her granddaughter. To know I’d had such an amazing impact on a reluctant reader was better than any review. Interesting enough I had another t letter from tow girls who were avid readers and there response was just as positive as they ‘really related to the characters.’ Those are a few of several letters from readers that I up on the cork board above my desk to remind me during the discouraging times of the impact my words have had on others.

3. You review books yourself. Has being a reviewer influenced your writing, and in what way?

I suppose being a reviewer has influenced my writing, as has past work as a manuscript assessor. I tend to look at things very much trying to see them as the average reader would and make sure I don’t rabbit on with those boring bits people tend to skip over when reading.

4. Goanna Island is published by a publisher whose focus is the educational market. Did they send out review copies or is it up to you to do so? How do you go about seeking reviews for your books?

I have no idea if the publisher sent out review copies of The Goanna Island Mystery. I sent the book to Delwyne Stephens who was published by the same publisher and later to Dee White and Mabel Kaplan who asked for it , when setting up this blog tour. I haven’t seen any other reviews other than Delwyne's for The Goanna Island Mystery but initial comments have been positive indicating people enjoyed it. On the whole though, I haven’t actually done much at all in the way of seeking out reviews.

5. Do you think getting reviews is important? How does it help you as a writer?

With so many books in the market place, getting reviews can be important in bringing a book to the attention of readers, teachers, and librarians. Obviously positive reviews can help boost sales, which is always good for a writer but often word of mouth can generate interest to as readers talk about books they have read and liked.

Thanks for dropping in Dale.
Here are the dates in May and the blogs where The Goanna Island Mystery will be touring.

Monday 25th Dee White at http://tips4youngwriters.wordpress.com/

Tuesday 26th Sally Murphy at http://aussiereviews.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 27th Mabel Kaplan at http://belka37.blogspot.com/

Thursday 28th Claire Saxby at http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com/

Friday 29th Sandy Fussell at http://www.sandyfussell.blogspot.com/

The Goanna Island Mystery can be purchased online from Blake.

You can learn more about Dale by visiting her website.

And, if you are an Aussie author or blogger keen to be involved in blog tours, you can find out about the Aussie BlogTours group here.

Five New Reviews

2009-05-25T11:27:00.002+08:00

I have just finished adding five new reviews to Aussiereviews. You can access the following reviews by clicking on the links.

YA Book Review: Crushed, by Meredith Costain
Book Review: Beautiful Death, by Fiona McIntosh
Children's Book Review: Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool, by Odo Hirsch
Picture Book Review: My Baby love, by Meredith Costain
YA Book Review: The Lucky Ones, by Tohby Riddle

Enjoy.

Eleven New Reviews

2009-05-17T21:09:00.003+08:00

I have just posted eleven new reviews on Aussiereviews. You can read them by clicking on these links:

YA Book Review: When the Hipchicks Went to War, by Pamela Rushby
YA Book Review: Keepinitreal, by Don Henderson

YA Book Review: Crime Time, by Sue Bursztynski

Children's Book Review: Sprite Downberry, by Nette Hilton
Picture Book Review: Jasper McFlea Will Not Eat His Tea, by Lee Fox & Mitch Vane

Picture Book Review: Four Baby Board Books, by Sally Rippin

Children's Book Review: Spider Lies, by Jen Banyard
Picture Book Review: Fredrik Goes Bananas, by Melissa Frith
Children's Book Review: The Zoo of Magical and Mythological Creatures, by Sam Bowring

Book Review: Valley of Grace, by Marion Halligan
Book Review: After the Fall, by Kylie Ladd

Enjoy!

Five New Reviews

2009-04-28T20:13:00.003+08:00

Five more reviews up on Aussiereviews. They are:

Book Review: Tempt the Devil, by Anna Campbell
Children's Book Review: Victor's Challenge, by Pamela Freeman
Nonfiction Book Review: The Uses of Sadness, by Karen Masman
Children's Book Review: The Land of Kur, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Children's Book Review: Haunted, by Lorraine Orman

Enjoy.

New Review

2009-04-20T21:28:00.002+08:00

This review is NOT appearing on Aussiereviews - but I really need to share. The first review for my verse novel, Pearl Verses the World is online, here. Among other things the reviewer describes the story as "a wonderfully told story with heart".

I'm ecstatic.

Pearl will be released on May 1 - watch this space for a month of celebrations including a blog tour, guest bloggers, a verse-off and more. In the meantime, Pearl can be ordered online at Fishpond

2009-04-19T22:09:00.001+08:00

I have just finished adding another five new reviews to Aussiereviews. You can read each review by clicking on the link.

Picture Book Review: The Wrong Book, by Nick Bland
Children's Book Review: Shaolin Tiger, by Sandy Fussell
Book Review: The Family Tree, by Ilsa Evans
Children's Book Review: The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen, by Deborah Abela
Picture Book Review: Mummies are Amazing, by Catriona Hoy

Enjoy.

Author Interview: Sue Whiting

2009-04-19T12:29:00.002+08:00

Recently, I reviewed the children’s book Freaky on the Aussiereviews site. Today, I am delighted to have the author of Freaky, Sue Whiting, drop in for an interview.

Welcome Sue.

Where did the idea for the story come from?

I was sitting in the staffroom at the school I used to teach at, when the school secretary came in with an email she received from a friend. The email told how a “friend of the friend” had bought a rare cactus from Mexico and planted it in his garden. Everything was fine until the day the cactus exploded and revealed huge spiders nesting inside it. Being arachnophobic, I was horrified – aghast! When I discovered the story was a hoax, an urban myth, I felt rather foolish – I had been totally sucked in by it – but I also had a rather delicious idea for a new story …

I’m not best fond of spiders, and recently had a scary encounter with a huntsman. Do you have a spider story of your own you can share?

I’m not particularly fond of spiders either – so it is kind of weird that I have written about gigantic tarantulas. I have many spider stories to tell, including the one where I totally freaked out when a spider walked across my windscreen when driving on the freeway. Screaming your lungs out and taking your hands off the wheel to wave them wildly around like a loon is not recommended when cruising at 110kph. Luckily my husband took control of the steering wheel and that is probably why I am here today to tell the story. I also have the huntsman down the front of my blouse story and the huntsman sitting on my head one and …

The Lightning Strikes series is a great format, especially for reluctant readers. Can you explain the series for those readers who might not have come across it yet?

Lightning Strikes is a series of high-interest, fast-paced short novels for kids 9+ who haven’t yet been struck by the reading bug. They are fun, quirky stories that reflect the interests and concerns of Australian pre-teens. They have great cover effects, so they look really cool too. They are published by Walker Books Australia. To date, there are twelve books in the series, with more planned for the future.

Was Freaky written especially for the series? If so, was it difficult to write a story specifically for a series?

I actually wrote Freaky several years ago and adapted it to the series brief. This wasn’t too difficult as it was already the right word length and pitched to the Lightning Strikes readership. I merely polished it up, added some informal text types (posters, signs, notes, internet articles) and ramped up the action and humour.

What advice can you give other writers about writing or shaping stories for existing series?

· Read as many books as possible already in that particular series to get a feel for the types of stories that work and to also know what has already been covered.
· Follow the guidelines / brief as closely as possible, taking care to keep to suggested word length and to pitch to the intended age group.

If you want to know more about Sue Whiting, you can visit her at her website, or her new blog. You can read my review of Freaky here or buy the book online at Fishpond.

Thanks for visiting, Sue.

Five New Reviews

2009-04-17T16:30:00.002+08:00

Five new reviews have been added to Aussiereviews today. Click on the link to go direct to the review.

YA Book Review: Boofheads, by Mo Johnson
Children's Book Review: Belmont and the Dragon - The Forest of Doom and Gloom

Board Book Review: Five in the Bed
Children's Book Review: Atomic Testing, by Alan Tucker
Children's Book Review: Theodork, by Jessica Green

Enjoy.

Five New Reviews

2009-04-05T21:56:00.002+08:00

Have just added five new reviews to Aussiereviews, all chidlren's and young adult titles:

Picture Book Review: Cindy-Ella, by Tom Champion & Glen Singleton YA Book Review: Blondetourage, by Allison Rushby
YA Book Review: Salt, by Maurice Gee
Children's Book Review: Motorbike Bob, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Children's Book Review: Pippa's Perfect Ponytail, by Julie Nickerson

Enjoy.

Teaser Tuesday

2009-03-31T11:39:00.003+08:00

It's Tuesday, so it's time once again for Teaser Tuesday.

I'm go to 'tease' you with a taste of a book I'm reading, to get your interest piqued.

'As you are reading, you are almost certainly in the company of spiders. In a dark recess, whether under your couch or behind the buffet, the cupboard spider sits on her tangled web patiently waiting for dinner.'
From p22 Spiders: Learning to Love Them, by Lynne Kelly

Here's how Teaser Tuesday works:
Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with your readers two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. Also share the name and author of the book, so that people can hunt out the book for themselves.

Please avoid spoilers!

Once you've posted your teaser, visit Should be Reading and post your link. If you want me to visit your post, you can also post your link in the comments section below.

Have fun.

Six New Reviews

2009-03-29T17:04:00.001+08:00

Have just added six new reviews to Aussiereviews:

Picture Book Review: The Pocket Dogs Go On Holiday, by Margaret Wild
A delightful sequel to a classic favourite.
Children's Book Review: Von Gobstopper's Arcade, by Alexandra Adornetto

The Strangest Adventures Book Three
YA Book Review: Girl Next Door, by Alyssa Brugman
A gripping, brilliant read for teens.
Book Review: Where the Heart Leads, by Stephanie Laurens
From the casebook of Barnaby Adair.
YA Book Review: A Beginner's Guide to Living, by Lia Hills
An outstanding YA novel.
Picture Book Review: Connie and the Pigeons, by Mabel Kaplan
A story of of renewal and triumph.

Enjoy!

Teaser Tuesday

2009-03-17T15:54:00.007+09:00

Joining in on the spirit of Teaser Tuesday, I'm go to 'tease' you with a taste of a book I'm reading, to get your literary taste buds going.

'Milli and Ernest had simply invented a story about wandering off to take more detailed notes and losing track of time, and everyone believed them. It sounded just like something the conscientious Ernest would do.'

From p127 Von Gobstopper's Arcade, by Alexandra Adornetto

Here's how Teaser Tuseday Tuesday works

Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with your readers two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. Also share the name and author of the book, so that people can hunt out the book for themselves.

Please avoid spoilers!

Once you've posted your teaser, visit Should be Reading and post your link. If you want me to visit your post, you can also post your link in the comments section below.

Have fun.

Musing Monday - Talking to Strangers

2009-03-16T15:12:00.001+09:00

It's Musing Monday , and this week's question is:

We were all warned as children to 'never talk to strangers', but how do you feel about book-talk with random people? When you see people reading, do you ask what it is? Do you talk to people in the book store or the library? Why or why not? What do you do if people talk to you?

I LOVE talking to people about books, so if I see someone with a book in their hands, or browsing in a bookshop, I’ll often comment or ask about the book. However, it is important to be mindful of the person’s privacy. If they are absorbed in a book, do they really want you to interrupt them to chat about the story? My rule of thumb is that if the person makes eye contact, I’ll try an opening comment and see if they want to chat, but if their nose is firmly buried and their eyes are not leaving the page, I’ll take it as a sign that they just want to read.

As for talking to strangers – well, yes, my mum taught me that, too. But talking to a fellow booklover doesn’t feel like talking to a stranger. And, as a reviewer, teacher, and author, it’s my job to talk about books – so I do it.

Four New Reviews

2009-03-15T21:02:00.002+09:00

Have added four new reviews to Aussiereviews tonight. Click on the links to read them.

Book Review: The Schumann Frequency, by Christopher Ride
Picture Book Review: Zoltan the Magnificent, by Bob Graham
Children's Book Review: Wombat and Fox - Thrillseekers, by Terry Denton

Book Review: Lucy Springer Gets Even, by Lisa Heidke

Enjoy.

Saturday Sum-up

2009-03-14T06:34:00.002+09:00

A new feature here at the Aussiereviews Blog - a chance for other bloggers and reviewers to spread the word about great books they have reviewed.
Here's how it works: if you have reviewed a great book this past week, post the link in the comments section below and, during the day I'll add your links to this post. Don't be shy - spread the word about great books (and your great reviews, of course). If this proves popular, I'll make it a regular feature.

So, drumroll please for the first edition of...

The Sum-Up:

My review of Freaky, by Sue Whiting, at Aussiereviews

Shelburn's review of The Book of Shadowboxes, by Laura L. Seely

Becky's review of The Forest of Hands and Feet, by Carrie Ryan

Six New Reviews

2009-03-08T21:41:00.002+09:00

Have added six new reviews to Aussiereviews tonight:

YA Book Review: The Kings of Clonmel, by John Flanagan

Children's Book Review: Freaky, by Sue Whiting

Shadow Queen, by Deborah Kalin
Nonfiction Book Review: Allergy Safe Family Food, by Suzanna Paxton

YA Book Review: A Small free Kiss in the Dark, by Glenda Millard
Picture Book Review: The Cloudchasers, by Steven Hunt & David Richardson

Enjoy.

2009-02-23T11:33:00.000+09:00

I have just added six new reviews to Aussiereviews. this week's focus is Young Adult fiction, with four of the six being new young adult titles. You can read the reviews by clicking on these links:

Picture Book Review: Watch Me!
Book Review: Ulterior Motive, by Lucienne Joy
YA Book Review: Ocean Pearl, by J. C. Burke

YA Book Review: Cassie, by Barry Jonsberg
YA Book Review: Bookmark Days, by Scot Gardner

YA Book Review: Somebody's Crying, by Maureen McCarthy

Four New Reviews

2009-02-08T20:00:00.000+09:00

I have just posted four new reviews on Aussiereviews. Click on the links below to access the reviews.

Big and Me, by David Miller

Can You Keep a Secret, by Mark Carthew & Jobi Murphy

Everything Beautiful, by Simmone Howell
The Edge of Desire, by Stephanie Laurens

And, happily for me, my own book, The Big Blowie, has also received a review today at Dee Scribe's blog, part of my blog tour to promote the book.

Seven New Reviews

2009-02-01T14:42:00.000+09:00

Ihave just finished adding seven new reviews to Aussiereviews. Click on the links to read them.

Picture Book Review: Donald Loves Drumming, by Nick Bland
Picture Book Review: A Little Bit, by Christine & Peter Maniaty
YA Book Review: Blaze of Glory, by Michael Pryor
YA Book Review: Murderer's Thumb, by Beth Montgomery
Children's Book Review: Dragon Dawn, by Carole Wilkinson
Nonfiction Book Review: The Other Anzacs, by Peter Rees
Children's Book Review: Victor's Quest, by Pamela Freeman

Enjoy! And watch this space for more new reviews.

Nine New Reviews Posted

2009-01-25T21:38:00.000+09:00

I've just updated the Aussiereviews site, with nine new reviews of the following books:

A Story of Natural Numbers, by David Demant
The Middle Sheep, by Frances Watts

Seven Gateways, by Tony Grey
The Wizard of Rondo, by Emily Rodda
Click Go the Shears, illustrated by Charlotte Lance
The Camel Who Crossed Australia, by Jackie French

Redback on the Toilet Seat, by Slim Newton, ill by Craig Smith
Hunting Elephants, by James Roy

The Very Cranky Bear, by Nick Bland

Enjoy!

The Review Process Part 3: Who Reads Book Reviews Anyway?

2009-01-22T21:27:00.000+09:00

This is the third and final part of my three part series on the review process. Enjoy!

Who Reads Book Reviews Anyway?
by Sally Murphy

As a published author there's probably mention of review copies in your contract, and a certain number of copies of your book set aside by your publisher as review copies. If you've been reviewed you've probably either celebrated a good one or felt saddened or angered by a negative one. But have you ever really stopped to think about who the review is for and whether it affects sales of your book?

Type the phrase 'book review' into a search engine and you'll get millions of results. Narrow the search by adding a genre or subject (say, 'children's book review') and you'll still get thousands of results. There are hundreds of websites and books devoted to book reviews, with many many more sites devoting varying amounts of their sites to the reviewing of books. In print, too, there are vast numbers of publications reviewing books from magazines devoted just to book reviews, to newspapers and special interest magazines which have a page or a column devoted to reviews.

So with so many reviews being published, there's a good chance someone is reading them. But just who is reading those reviews of your book?

1. You, the Author. Of course you're reading the reviews of your book. If you're not, you're missing out on something. Yes, there are some writers who refuse to read reviews just as there are actors/directors/musicians who don't want to know what the critics say. That's their right, but I'm here to tell you, it's a good idea to hunt down reviews of your book and read them.
The number one reason for doing this is that a positive review will make you feel good. Actually it will probably make you feel better than good. You'll copy the review and send it to your writing friends, your family, your son's teacher in fact anyone who has the fortune (or misfortune) to be in your address book. This good review tells you that your book is just fine, and helps banish any niggling doubts you might have had.
Of course, if the review is not so good, you won't feel quite so elated. You might cry, or throw things at your computer monitor or rant and rave. You still might copy it to your writer friends or even your family so that they'll share in your condemnation of the reviewer who dared criticise your baby. But, after your anger or sorrow has died down, you might learn from the negative review. She said your plot is thin? Have another look at your book. She might be right and you can learn from that, or she might be wrong and you can learn not to submit future books to her for review because she doesn't know what she's talking about. If you get several negative reviews saying the same things, there's a good chance the reviewers are right and you can choose to be devastated OR you can choose to work on the points the reviewers have identified in your next book.

2. Other Writers. Yes, other writers who write in your genre will read your reviews. They'll be trying to stay abreast of what's being published by which publishers, and what's hot with reviewers. If you are not regularly reading reviews of books being published in your genre, how are you keeping up with new developments?

Those other writers will probably be cheering with you when you get a good review and empathising with you when you get a negative one because they've been there too, or hope to be reviewed themselves one day.

3. Publishers. Your publisher will be reading the reviews of your book. They'll be looking for feedback on your book, wanting to know if their instincts were right, and whether their marketing efforts have resulted in publications choosing their books above others to feature in their publications.

If they are planning on publishing more of your books, they'll be looking for good reviews which they quote on covers and promotional material for those books. And, because they know exactly who they've sent review copies to, they'll be watching those publications for reviews and sending them on to you, to keep you informed.

4. Librarians. Libraries have limited budgets to spend on new acquisitions, so reading book reviews is one way of making informed decisions about which books to purchase (or not purchase). Reading review publications keeps the librarian abreast of new releases, and trends, too. Most librarians would not, however, make a purchasing decision based on one negative review of a book. If they are considering buying a book and see a negative review, they might look for further reviews, or consult colleagues or other sources of information such as booksellers.

5. Booksellers. Booksellers, too, need to keep abreast of new releases and new trends. They do receive lots of information from book reps, but may seek more impartial opinions from reviews when making purchasing decisions. Much as we think every bookstore should stock our book, bookshops have a limited amount of shelf space and must make informed decisions about which books to give that space to. Book reviews are just one element which can influence that decision.

6. Teachers/Educators. Whether at kindergarten or university level, teachers and educators need to be able to recommend good books for their students. School teachers especially need books they can share with their students, either for entertainment, or for information. Teachers may search book reviews for reviews of books on their current class themes, or for books to recommend to students looking for private reading material. At higher education level, educators are likely to be searching either for textbooks or for books which deal with the subject matter covered in their courses.

7. Academics. Academics will read reviews of books to keep abreast of new books in their area of interest. These will range from those with an interest in children's literature, who'll want to know about the latest children's books, to those from any number of disciplines interested in non-fiction offerings in their field. Because they may be using the reviews as the basis of their research or teachings, academics will often be interested in longer, more analytical reviews than other groups.

8. The Reading Public. No, I hadn't forgotten the reading public. Readers have been left until last on this list because, in my opinion, they are the most important group of review readers. People who read books can and do get book recommendations from book reviews. Some readers will seek out reviews online or in print to find book suggestions when looking for something new to read. Other readers will come across book reviews more incidentally whilst flipping through the pages of a newspaper, for example, or browsing a website but, having read the review, seek out the book.

Most readers are busy people and like having books recommended to them so a glowing review of a book in their favourite genre or on a subject they're interested in, will encourage them to buy a book. Perversely, though, a bad review can also have them seeking out the book to see if it's a bad as the critics say it is.

There are probably other groups of people who read book reviews, but these eight groups make up the bulk of the review-reading public. Next time you get a review you can picture all of these people reading it and (hopefully) heading off to buy your book.

Five New Reviews

2009-01-19T20:21:00.000+09:00

I have just uploaded five new reviews to the Aussiereviews site. You can access them by clicking the links beolw. Enjoy!

The Devil's Eye, by Ian Townsend
The Sweet Life, by Rebecca Lim
My Candlelight Novel, by Joanne Horniman

Audrey Goes to Town, by Christine Harris

Pete the Sheep, by Jackie French

I have also updated the feedback page, including instructions for those wishing to have their book reviewed.

The Review Process Part 2: So You Got a Review - Now What?

2009-01-18T21:22:00.000+09:00

Continuing my three part reprint series on the reveiw process, here's the second installment.

So You Got a Review -- Now What?
by Sally Murphy

So you (or your publisher) have sent out review copies of your precious book and now someone has written a review of your book in print or online. Wonderful! But, as an author, what can you do with that review? Reviews can make you feel good about yourself (and your book), but they can also be a useful marketing tool and serve as feedback to help develop your future writing.

Firstly, let's get the bad stuff out of the way and assume you got a bad review. The reviewer has said your characters are one-dimensional, or your plot is thin, or that your rhyme is forced (I had a review like that once and it hurt till I remembered I had used that phrase myself for someone else's work). Anyway, the reviewer is not a huge fan of your book, and now s/he's shared that message with the world.

If it will make you feel better, tear the review into tiny little pieces and burn them, or (if it is an online review) throw things at the monitor. Whinge to your mother, your husband or your best friend. Drink a glass of wine and eat a block of chocolate.

Then get over it.

The truth is, every writer gets a bad review sometime. And a heap of bad reviews could affect your sales. However, the truth is the success of your book does not depend on glowing reviews. Not every purchase decision is made based on reviews there are many consumers, librarians and booksellers who do not have the time to inclination to read reviews. There are also many people who will seek out a book and read it because of, rather than in spite of, bad reviews. They want to see if the reviewer is right.

I suggested above whinging to your loved ones. Let me also suggest that you limit this whinging to those loved ones. Don't whinge in your blog, on your website, or in your email groups, if you can help it. This is drawing attention to the bad review, which you don't want to do, can paint you as ungracious, and is also likely to irk the reviewer should they come across your words. Also don't whinge directly to the reviewer. You can disagree with them privately, but it is very bad form to try to get a reviewer to retract their words. Remember a book review is one person's opinion, not a personal favour to you, the author.

Before I move on from bad reviews, there are two more things you should do. Do consider, once you've calmed down, whether the negative comments the reviewer made have any relevance. Can you learn from the comments they've made to avoid making the same mistakes next time? Also, have you read the review thoroughly? The negative review may, in fact, just be a negative sentence or phrase. The reviewer who said my rhyme was forced, also, if I remember rightly, said she liked the storyline. She didn't hate the book - she was just telling it as she saw it.

Now, if the review is positive, the first thing you should do is a happy dance. Rejoice that someone other than yourself and your editor loves the book. Or at least doesn't hate it. Share the news with anyone who'll listen - and show them the review. This will spread the joy and may also spread the news of your book to people who haven't yet heard about it.

Next, if you have a website or blog, share the news of your positive review there. Tell people where or when the review was published and, if it is available online, provide a link to the review. If possible, include a quote from the review, but be careful here. The review does not belong to you. Like any other piece of writing, the rights to the review belong to the reviewer, or, if they've assigned those rights, to the website or publication where it was published. You need to ask for permission to quote from the review, especially if you are reprinting the whole thing. Most reviewers will be happy for you to quote them - I know I always am - but will want to be acknowledged as the source of the review, including a link back to their site, if online.

Thirdly, add extracts from the review to your press kit and/or media releases. What better way to convince media to cover your book news than showing them how much a reviewer loved it? Again, be sure to properly attribute the source.

Of course, by the time the reviews come in for this book, you are busily working on the next one, right? So when you receive these positive reviews, remember that extracts can be used on the covers and press material of your next book. This is the publicist's job, but they may well ask you if you are aware of any good reviews they can quote from, so be prepared with clippings.

And, just as with a negative review, you can learn from a positive review. The reviewer liked your characters, your storyline, or your unforced rhyme? Take the time to think about what it was you did in the writing of this book that you can replicate in your next project. You want to do everything you can to ensure the reviews for your next book are as positive as these ones.

Enjoy the feeling of being reviewed. A stranger has taken the time to read and comment on your book. Now you can grow the love by spreading the word.

The Review Process Part 1: How a Book Gets Reviewed

2009-01-14T21:04:00.000+09:00

In 2007 I wrote three articles about the review process for the wonderful writer's resource site Writing World. Today I share the first of these three articles, and will add the other two in the future. Enjoy!

The Review Process: How a Book Gets Reviewed
by Sally Murphy

So you've had a book published? Congratulations. Now to get the word out to the rest of the world so that they can race outand buy it. Just one way of spreading the word about a new book is through a book review. But how do you get a review and who does the reviewing?

Firstly, where do book reviews appear? Traditionally, books were reviewed in print magazines and newspapers. Print publications still account for a large proportion of published reviews. Some publications focus primarily on reviewing books. Reading Time magazine, for example, aims to review every children's book released in Australia while many others devote just a page or a column to book reviews.

More recently, books have been reviewed online. There are thousands of websites and blogs devoted to reviewing books. Some websites review books of specific genres, others focus only on ebooks, whilst others still have a book review page alongside other information and articles. An advantage of electronic reviews is that they can stay online and thus accessible more or less indefinitely, and can thus outlast print reviews.

Both print and electronic reviews can be useful in spreading the word about a book and ideally you want your book to be reviewed in both mediums. However, be aware that getting your book reviewed can be difficult. Most book reviewers and book review publications receive more books than they could possibly review and your book must compete with others for time and editorial space.

So, how do you get your book reviewed? The short answer is that if you are traditionally published, you don't. If you are published by a royalty-paying print publisher, it is not your job to send out review copies or to solicit reviews from reviewers. In fact, most reviewers and review publications would prefer that you don't approach them directly.

Your publisher will allow for a certain number of copies of the book to be sent out as review copies (and in fact there is probably mention of this in your contract). The publicist or marketing department will have a list of publications and/or reviewers and will send them copies, along with press releases and other information.

Some publishers will send copies to every reviewer on their list. Others will send a press release for each new book, inviting reviewers to request a complimentary review copy. Others still will send a regular mailing often once a month advising of forthcoming releases and inviting reviewers to request the books they are interested in.

If you are traditionally published, you can ask your publisher how many review copies they are sending out and may even be provided with a list of publications which have been supplied with review copies. You can also suggest publications, which is especially useful if your book targets a niche market.If, for example, you've written a children's book about a horse, you might recommend a horse-lovers magazine which your publisher may not know about.

Leaving the sending of review copies up to your publisher is good for you because you do not directly bear the expense of postage and book copies. It is good for the reviewer because it depersonalises the review process. Direct emails from authors to reviewers can put the reviewer in an awkward position of trying to maintain impartiality, and make them uncomfortable about reviewing your book.

If you are self-published, you'll need to submit review copies yourself. Because you are bearing the cost, you'll need to research very carefully so that you can target your review copies at publications which review in your genre or area of interest. If possible, send a press release (written in third person), inviting reviewers to request a copy. This reduces the likelihood of sending copies which receive no review. Once you have sent the copy, avoid making repeated contact to find out if the book has arrived and when a review will be published. This marks you as over-eager and, again, can leave the reviewer feeling uncomfortable.

Once the book is in the reviewer's hands, the process that follows can vary from person to person, but in general it will go something like this.

Firstly, the book will be put in a pile with all the other books the reviewer has received. The reviewer may choose to review the books in the order s/he received them and so your book will go to the bottom of the pile. Or s/he might review them in the order they appeal to them, randomly selecting the next book to be read. In my case, I organise the books on a shelf in the order I received them. At any one time there could be over seventy books shelved like this.

Next, the reviewer will read the book. A good reviewer will read the whole book before forming an opinion, but the pressure of time might mean that the reviewer does not finish a book that s/he doesn't like. My policy is to finish every book, because often a book will grow on me or redeem itself further in.

When s/he finishes the book, the reviewer will review the book. The length and structure of the review will depend on the publication the reviewer is writing for, but most reviews include a summary of the plot which does not reveal the ending, some comments on elements such as point of view, story structure, style and a recommendation (or otherwise). If the book is illustrated the reviewer could (and should) comment on the illustration techniques, and the review might also make a suggestion about age groups (for a children's books) and the type or reader who might be attracted to the book.

Whether s/he likes your book or not the reviewer will (hopefully) provide a balanced assessment of the book, focussing on the strengths as well as the weaknesses. S/he'll also avoid allowing personal preferences or bias to influence the review. For example, if s/he doesn't like the romance genre, s/he'll not give a negative review on the basis that your book is a romance. S/he is more likely to choose not to review books in the genre most reviewers do specialise in some way.

Once the review is written, revised and proofread, the reviewer will submit it to their editor, or in the case of a website or blog, post it online. If the editor accepts the review, it will appear in print. The time between submitting the book for review and the review being published varies greatly, but it is not uncommon to wait six months, because of the lead times for print publications, and the sheer numbers of books submitted for review. For this reason, most publishers send out review copies ahead of the actual release date for a book.

Once the review is published you or your publisher may receive a copy of the review or a link to it online, but this doesn't always happen, so keep your eye out for reviews, and use search engines to keep abreast with what's being said about your book online.

Once you have a review of your book, you can use it to promote your book further, but that's the subject for another article.

Watch out for parts two and three of this series to learn what you can do with a review and who reads reviews.

Eight New Reviews

2009-01-11T17:17:00.000+09:00

I posted eight new reviews on Aussiereviews today:

The Woodcutter's Wife, by Dolla S. Merrillees
The back Leg of a Goat, by Penny Reeve

Hamlet, by John Marsden

Owl Ninja, by Sandy Fussell
The (not quite) Perfect Boyfriend, by Lili Wilkinson

501 Great Aussie Jokes

Hope for Hanna, by Dee White

A Duel of Words, by Dee White

You can access these by clicking the links above. Enjoy.

Welcome

2009-01-11T17:06:00.000+09:00

Hello and welcome to the Aussiereviews blog.

This blog is designed to complement the website of the same name, ie Aussiereviews. Here I'll post an alert whenever Aussiereveiws is updated, as well as periodically discussing the review process, what I'm reading and so on.

If you want to keep up to date, check back often, or follow the blog by subscribing,

Enjoy.