Christmas catalogue period

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

Nathan Bransford

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

So I was, along with everyone else, pretty surprised when Nathan announced a career change.

Dear Library-of-my-dreams,

I have been collecting books for years with the intention to one day have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in my dream library. It is a common dream for voracious readers and bookbuyers, and even among those who don't read so much but like the status or feel of a library.

Until that far-off day, I struggle to squish my collection onto the shelves I do have, regularly culling books, storing them in boxes and selecting which ones can stay another day on the shelf in prime position. Or which ones get hidden in stacks at the back where shameful books on self-help, astrology and pulp romances lurk.

Reconstructing My 2010 Reading List (to date)

Neglect of BookFuzz has resulted in an incomplete record of my 2010 reading list (to date). I started the year, knowing there were lots of life hurdles ahead, with the unusual resolution to read less. I was giving myself the year off from reading for the first time in my life while I focused on other things, like new jobs and new cities to settle into.

Move to reading ebooks

Now that I am not swamped with advance proofs and an obligation to prioritise the books published by my old employer, I'm having a lovely time reading whatever I want (largely YA it turns out), whenever I want, and in whatever format I want.

Now that I have returned to public transport for my daily trek to work, I'm finding the Kindle app on my iPhone is the most convenient way to read a novel as I struggle with staying upright on a crowded bus as it tears around the corner.