Literary Letters

I love Christmas, I love Christmas books (of which I have a small collection), and I love JRR Tolkein. Spotted in one of my favourite websites was a  note on Tolkein's collection of Letters From Father Christmas, handwritten letters that Tolkein wrote over 20 years to his sons. They are enchanting and I love his whimsical illustrations and imaginative penmanship.

Read all about Vomit-Eating Flies, according to David Sedaris

David Sedaris is one of the funniest memoirists I have read. Hearing Sedaris read from his journal at the Sydney Opera House several years ago is one of the highlights of any live performance I have seen (up there with Billy Connolly, at the same venue as it happens. Sadly, not the same night).

Shelf Awareness -- looking for a good book review or 25?

One of the disadvantages of reading ebooks (at the moment) is the amount of time invested in reading endless book-related webites, scrolling through categories from online retailers. Not that I don't enjoy doing this -- but I am a bit hard pressed for time.

One of my favourite sites for the book trade, Shelf Awareness in the US, has started a newsletter for regular readers, and I love it.

Why YA?

"...few genres have experienced as much growth and innovation as young adult literature in the last thirty-plus years. If you haven't read a children's novel since, well, you were a child, you have missed one of the great renaissances in modern books."
-- Nathan Bransford in a recent blog

One glance at my recent reading trends and exploding Amazon Wishlist screams YOUNG ADULT is clearly the genre I am devouring right now.