Books are my cocaine

 So I just logged into my bank account and this shit just got real! I usually have about $200 of disposable income after I pay my rent and living expenses each fortnight, and I just tucked that away somewhere safe to pay rent while I am unemployed. This leaves me with no money to buy books or go out to dinner, etc. O.O I know, I know, I knew this already... But for some reason I didn't think about that when I quit my job... I knew I would have to tighten my belt, but it didn't hit me that that meant I cannot buy ANY books for the next two months! And ebooks haven't featured in my book budget, so I didn't think of myself not being able to buy them when I felt like it. I did seriously think all these sums through! I even sat down and made lists and dusted off my calculator!! But for some reason, by logging into my bank to pay my rent today, it has really hit home... I'm poor! I can't buy books because I want them! I have to read books I already own! I have to pay my library fine! I need to start posting reviews and apply for ARCs! O.O

I know this is totally a #firstworldproblems meltdown, and I have done it tough before (I grew up quite poor, especially by Australian standards), but I have had a steady income for so long that I just didn't remember what it was like to look at a book shop and pine! I have to remember, this is better in the long run. But damn, I do so want all those books I can't afford to buy!!! D:

To deal with this crisis I plan to:

• Pay my library fines (I am pretty sure I owe them money, anyway)
• Start posting reviews (I have some written in my notebook which need to be typed up)
• Fill out my Net Galley profile
• Organise my bookshelves and decide which I can reread without wanting to shoot myself
• Organise my slush pile and TBR pile and consider trading some of the slush with friends
• Suss out the second hand store in a nearby suburb that Kat is always talking about
• Read all the books I downloaded from Project Gutenberg but never got around to reading
• Not give in to the lure of book shops! *whimpers*

Books really are my cocaine. Books are the reason I choose not to have a credit card. I just know I would convince myself that every book I pass is actually an emergency and that I must buy it. Or else. And I couldn't stop at just one! The only self control I have about books is not getting a credit card :( I've told myself I am allowed one more ebook and then it has to stop! I can't even justify a trip to Galaxy! One ebook that costs less than $5 D: I'd better make it worthy!

The future of the book shop: some thoughts.

This is purely an opinion piece based on my current inexpert knowledge and with my own personal experiences as a customer over the last 15 years.

I've been reading all these articles lately about the demise of the physical book shop in Australia. They (the generalised voice of the conversation) say that the demise has been caused by the sale of ebooks and stores like The Book Depository and Amazon with their reduced shipping fees and undercut prices. To my knowledge (and no, I haven’t researched it, I just felt like blogging) the two big chains that recently imploded, Borders and Angus and Robertson, are both run by RedGroup. I haven’t heard of other large chains closing all their stores in Australia. Like I said, I haven’t researched that fact, however, the panic I have seen revolves around those two book shop chains. Are the other chains like Dymocks threatening to close their doors, or is the fact that RedGroup ran both Borders and Angus and Robertson being underplayed for the sake of a sensationalist headline?

I really think there is a place for book shops in the Australian communities I have lived in. And I have to say, as someone who lived in regional Australia, I was never suitably impressed with these big chains. They clogged our shopping centres but sold the same books. There was no specialisation. Well, Dymocks stocks a great reference section, but generally, the chains stock the same 50 or 100 books per genre. So for speculative fiction, there are the new releases and then the big authors like Tolkein and Gemmell. That is NOT a lot of variety. It is fine if you read 5 books a year – you are rarely after variety when you read that many books. But for someone who reads 5 books a week, it was as frustrating as hell. If I wanted a book, I had to order it in. The process for that was very involving, and the staff usually huffed and puffed because it took time. And yes, I used to go through this process quite a bit. It was NOT a satisfying buying experience, and I am sure I would have bought up more books if I had have had access to them instead of waiting 6 weeks and paying higher prices. I ended up buying most of my books second hand because a local second hand book shop was run by a lady who loved speculative fiction. I could always find something new to read, and the range was extensive and eclectic enough that I could even find books by Charles de Lint (he is my yardstick author because he isn’t so easy to find). I also preferred buying there because the books were cheaper and the owner was familiar with her stock and could recommend others.

Specialisation and knowing what the customer wants.

Flash forward a few years. I moved to Sydney. The Big Smoke. I was so excited by the possibility of large book stores filled with gems just waiting to be discovered! And I was largely disappointed. I went to Borders and while they had a few more books than the regional smaller book shops, I still wasn’t impressed with their range. I started buying Nora Roberts books because all the book shops stocked them. It wasn’t until a year after moving to Sydney that I rediscovered Galaxy Bookshop and found my heart-home. I really think the way of the future is the indie book shops who specialise. I could walk into Galaxy and there would be row after row after row after row of speculative fiction. In fact, the WHOLE shop was dedicated to it! No wonder I would spend hours browsing! And the staff knew who I was because I quickly became a familiar face. They knew the books I read and could recommend others. I became part of the speculative fiction community just by being a frequent customer and meeting others, making friends and sharing recommendations. They run a book club for paranormal romance and we feed each other’s book addictions by recommending new authors – which of course, we then have to go and buy. I buy more books as a Galaxy customer than I ever did as a customer at Borders, Angus and Robertson, Dymocks or QDB and I believe that is because they catered to diversity. They create a community atmosphere and their love of their genres is shared with their customers, this in turn creates more sales. These are the things that are missing in the chains. I know they left a vacuum behind them, but I think there is a place for book shops in Australia in the future, but a place for indies, for genre specific shops and for shops with heart. Books are very personal. The things that hit your switches don’t hit someone elses. No person likes the exact same 50 books, and the fact that the chains tried to guess those books is one of the things that I believe lead to the demise of RedGroup. I also wouldn’t be surprised if had something to do with management and spreading themselves too thin – and the jamming of 5 book shops to a shopping centre probably doesn’t help!

Ebooks and online sales may be impacting book sales, but I doubt they are selling more books than physical books sold in Australia (remember, I haven’t researched this, I am just going on comments friends have made about their own buying habits). Most of the bibliophiles I know who buy ebooks still buy physical books – in fact, a lot of them, like myself, still buy physical copies even if we have bought the ebook! So we are spending MORE money in the book industry than we used too. Book Depository and Amazon may be a problem if the book shops in Australia don’t step up their own campaign for online sales. I think partly it is the convenience, and partly the price. I refuse to buy from either. I have made a pact to myself. I support indie book shops, and I won’t take my custom somewhere else for my paperbacks. I know that both companies have agreements in place about their shipping and this is why local stores can’t compete, however, I think they need to do more to lure back the customers. The sales experience is difficult. I find the CMS of the big online chains are easier to navigate than say, Angus and Robertson’s, which lagged, didn’t have a full catalogue and had missing metadata, covers and blurbs. I do not believe in Nationalism, but maybe calling up a feeling of national pride in our Australian book industry will help boost the book shop industry and guilt some customers back from buying at Amazon or Book Depository. I don’t know. It is just an idea I was having. Basically, these two companies worry me where ebooks don’t. Ebooks are different from physical books, and you buy them for different reasons. I can’t think to predict what the format of choice will be in 50 or 100 years, but I think books are safe for the next 10 to 20 years in the very least. I have read too much science fiction to think it will remain that way for the next thousand years, but I would like to think they will. There is so much more to get out of a physical book! But that is a discussion for another day.

I also think it would be really interesting to see how big a role second hand and online second hand book shops play in the future of the industry!

Thank you for putting up with my ramble on this topic. As I have said, I am saying all this as a reader, not anyone of standing in the book industry. I could have spent weeks researching this article, but then it would sit languishing in my drafts folder like all the other unfinished posts I have left half written. So, for the sake of expediency, these are my thoughts verbatim, without further research, polishing or input. You can take this as the thoughts of a reader you pass in the street, a conversation you might overhear in a café. I hope it made sense.

So how do you think the book industry will change in the next 20 years, 50 years, 100 years?

A guide to ebooks in Australia

Note: You can use this appended URL to share this guide http://tinyurl.com/OzEbookGuide

I bought my first ereader in November and have been trying to find my way around in the world of ebooks ever since. If you don’t live in America most resources are closed to you and as a lot of bloggers and tech blogs are based in America, these challenges are not addressed in such a way to be helpful to non-Americans. There are a number of ebook resources online but I was unable to find a comprehensive starter’s guide for Australian readers. For this reason I am writing my own guide, and I hope my research can help others who are new to the world of the ereader. First, before I even touch on topics like where to obtain ebooks, there are two major hurdles you will need to be aware of. The first is Digital Rights Management (DRM) and the second is geographical restrictions.

Terminology

The terminology used in this field of publishing changes depending on which publisher, electronic company, blogger, author or reader you talk to. As Kat from BookThingo pointed out to me some companies have terms under copyright, and so we should be careful which spelling we use regarding these. Nyssa from Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association has been talking to friends in publishing and said that after a recent discussion they are happy to refer to “ebooks” and “ereader” for the spelling. Some people and organisations in the industry use “e-book”, “eBook” or “digital/electronic book” and “e-reader”, “eReader” or “digital/electronic reader”, etc. However as the digital option becomes more and more entrenched in our reading culture, the spelling is becoming generalised to the simplistic spelling without capital letters or hyphens. Other friends on twitter and blogs have suggested the opposite, but I am most comfortable using “ebook” and “ereader” as my standard terms. The Oxford English Dictionary recognises “ebook” but currently still has ereader listed under “e-reader”. I suspect this will change as the dictionary catches up with the rest of society. It usually takes a while for colloquialisms and common spelling to work their way into institutions like the OED.

Digital Rights Management

Digital rights management is the term for copyright holders and publishing interests which lock down access and distribution capabilities of ebooks. This limits copying, printing and sharing of ebooks, and usually limits a file to a certain number of reading devices and computers. Different ereader manufacturers use different file types, and this limits where you can buy ebooks from. Most ereader companies now provide access to .epub and .pdf file extensions, but manufacturers still have special file extensions dedicated to their devices. Amazon still has cornered the market, limiting access to their ebooks to their Kindle device, but most stores sell multiple ebook extensions, and include .epub and .pdf options. If you do use ebooks, you should take the time to get an Adobe ID because you will sometimes be asked to verify your identity to access certain ebook files. I borrow temporary ebooks from a local library, and they have quite stringent DRM.

Geographical Restrictions

Geographical restrictions are restrictions to sell ebooks in only select regions of the world. It is easier to buy ebook titles if you live in America, Canada and the UK than it is for the rest of the world. Before you purchase a book from a website, always check their FAQs to see that they are available in your region. These restrictions evolved because authors traditionally had their publishing rights sold to different publishers in different parts of the world. Unfortunately this has not been resolved, and while you can order a paper book from overseas, you can not buy a geographically restricted ebook from overseas. There are some work around methods of procurement if you are knowledgeable (proxy servers, American address with a working credit card, etc.) but they almost seem too complicated to bother. This is something that only the more influential authors can have any control over. Most authors are not able to alter the clauses of their contracts. Please, if this frustrates you, please don’t harass the author in question, but contact their publishers. This is a matter of too much red tape, and hopefully one day the idiocy of geographical restrictions for internet ebook sales will disappear. Until then, read the FAQ and T&C of your chosen ebook store, and perhaps try downloading a free or inexpensive book from them first.

Formats

One of the biggest difficulties that ereaders have is the variety of file extensions used. Companies producing ereaders have cornered their markets (Amazon is the big bad at this) and not only block other readers from using their formats, but are not able to use the other ones available on the market. The only format that all/most ereaders use is .pdf, however this may be difficult for the reader, especially if they are formatted for an A4 page. You will need to zoom in and play with the font size, and this can be quite problematic. The format that is becoming universal is .epub. I currently buy all my books in .epub and it is so much more versatile than .pdf. I cannot comment on other formats, so you will need to research your ereader and its formats to see what is your best choice for downloading. Most stores will sell you .epub and .pdf and a number of other options, depending which market they cater for.

Buying an ereader

Really, I will leave this one up to you. I can’t make your mind up for you. Pay attention to extension file types. The most common ebooks are .epub and .pdf. .pdfs will display broken lines of text on your ereader if you zoom in. This can’t be helped, as they are meant to be displayed as a document, not text. .epub and other specialist ebook formats tend to be free flowing text, so you will not have this problem. Check to see what ebook stores that sell to Australians have the file type available of your prospective ereader. Don’t be fooled if they say they have their own dedicated ebook store, as that store may be an American only offering. Read the fine print! Nearly all ebook stores (except Amazon, because they like to play king of the castle) sell ebooks in either .epub or .pdf. What are your reading habits? Do you read outside? Read in the dark? Does it use eInk? Do you need a light weighing device or can it be heavier (I can’t hold the iPad for long – I need to set it on a desk or my lap)? What is the battery life of your reader? Do you have a computer with internet access or do you need a wifi enabled ereader? Can you use memory cards? What dictionary capabilities do you have? Is it a touch screen, and if so, how responsive is it? I suggest doing a lot of research before buying your ereader. Ask friends, ask followers on twitter, look at book blogs, tech blogs, read articles in tech zines and go into the store and test drive it before you buy. Research the hell out of it, unless you want it to go dusty on a back shelf from lack of use. I did my research, and I am extremely happy with my purchase.

Free Books

Before you go to pay for any classic literature, you should know that once it is out of copyright, websites like Project Gutenberg can distribute it for free. If a book is older than 50 or so years, I suggest checking the free sites to see if you can obtain it there. I downloaded a lot of classics from Project Gutenberg and then found out ebook stores were selling them for $7+, so it is worth checking first. Project Gutenberg does not have DRM or Geographical Restrictions, so Australians CAN access these books! They have a variety of formats and have even made their own java apps so you can download books to your smart phone! Also check out the regional Gutenberg sites.

Baen Library is a resource that the Baen publishing house has set up. It provides readers with a few free books for a large variety of authors. It doesn’t list their entire back catalogue of course, but it is a good selection for people who read fantasy and science fiction. I found some books on there that I loved as a teenager and others I had always wanted to try, so I am quite happy with their service. They also have a paid service on their website (link below).

Tor.com is a website affiliated with Tor Books (and Macmillan by default). It offers free short stories, novellas, and if you are really lucky, you may find an entire novel. Some authors are unknown, but some are big names you will definitely recognise. You may need to sign up to download these, although you can read them online (update: I think these are now a nominal $0.99 per story. I skimmed the email, so I need to check their website again).


Check your local and state libraries to see if they lend ebooks. A good tool to look for libraries that lend ebooks is Overdrive.

Follow all your favourite authors on twitter, facebook and blogs and you may be lucky! Sometimes they offer free short stories or novellas associated with their established series. It is also worth visiting author’s websites to see what free content they have available to their fans. You won’t be able to download all their books for free (understandably) but they may have Easter Eggs hidden for their fans! :D Oh, “Easter Eggs” is a gaming term – they may have bonus content tucked away on their websites or blogs. It really is worth checking!

Enter competitions! Lots and lots of competitions! You can enter for paper books and ebooks depending on the competition. You discover these by following blogs and people (authors, bloggers, publishers, etc.) on twitter. Good luck!

Join review sites such as NetGalley. You will need to follow their terms and review their books on your blog, as it is part of their PR campaign for new releases.

Purchasing Books

Note: You will need a credit or debit card. Some ebook stores seem to offer PayPal transactions, but not all. Most banks, credit unions and building societies will be able to provide you with a debit card if you don’t want to get into debt for the sake of buying (more) books. Some stores, despite offering the PayPal option, still require a credit card purchase if it is a secured format.

I will list some stores that I have found in my wanderings or my bookish twitter friends have recommended. I will try buying from all these stores eventually, and will put an asterisk beside them when I am successful. If you are an Aussie or a Kiwi and buy ebooks from a different store, can you please leave a comment below and I will update the list. My first recommendation, when you think you have found a site that you think will sell you an ebook is to find check the FAQ’s and help section to see if they say anything about geographical restrictions. If you think you are able to buy there, search for a free book or a very cheap book, sign up and see if you can download it. It really is a process of trial and error and if you have problems buying, downloading, syncing ebooks with your ereader it is best not to have spent a fortune on the ebook in question. Check to see if your ereader software links to a store (my Sony Reader has links to Borders and Angus and Robertson) and see if you can buy there.

Ebook Resources

The sites below with an asterisk are ones I have successfully used to obtain at least one book from using an Australian credit card (or PayPal) and an Australian address. I cannot guarantee they will work for you, but I can tell you that I have downloaded books from there successfully. I will be systematically going through these sites and purchasing books for my Sony Reader (.epub and .pdf files) and will update the list as needed. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know, either in the comments section or on twitter. Please use direct links, as I only access shortened links (tinyurl, etc.) if I know and trust a person.

This list will be constantly updated as I come across new resources (and check the bookmarks on my home computer) so it may be an idea to bookmark this page and refer back periodically. I’ll post a note on twitter when there have been updates to this list.

Free

Project Gutenberg* {link}
Project Gutenberg Affiliates and Resources* {link}
Project Gutenberg Australia* {link}
ManyBooks.net* {link}
Tor.com* {link}
Baen Library* {link}
Everyone's Reading* {link}
Bookyards {link}
Open Library {link}
Feed Books {link}
Complete published works of HP Lovecraft {link}

Borrow

Overdrive Library Search* {link}
Open Library {link}

Review

Net Galley {link}
Angry Robots {link}

Paid

Dymocks* {link}
Angus & Robertson {link}
Borders* {link}
Booku (Australian based store) {link}
Book Depository {link}
Books On Board* {link}
Diesel eBooks {link}
OmniLit * {link}
All Romance* {link}
Decadent Publishing* {link}
Ebooks.com {link}
Smash Words {link}
Read Without Paper {link}
WebSubscription Ebooks (Baen)* {link}
Twelfth Planet Press {link}
Amber Quill {link}
Total-e-bound {link}
Carina Press {link}
Amazon {link}
Samhain Publishing {link}
Bookstrand.com {link}
eReader.com {link}
Noble Romance Publishing {link}
New Concepts Publishing {link}

Please comment if you know of others!

Please note that this article is my current understanding of the ebook industry in Australia. I bought my ereader in November 2010 and started buying ebooks in December of the same year. I am by no means an expert, but on discovering the lack of information for new Australian ereader owners, I felt it was my duty to compile my research for others. I have not included hacks – you can search for them if you want. I wanted a place that shared with other Australians which stores they can access and to explain some of the lingo that is important to us. Most ereader blogs (bookbee.net, etc.) will be able to explain how to get around these limitations of not being American or British and I don’t feel qualified explaining them. They are out there if you do get fed up with the limitations of buying ebooks from Australian soil.

[Note: Updated 27/04/2011. This is a working article. I will be updating it as I come across new aspects of the epublishing world. Please let me know if you think there are other aspects I should cover in this article.]

Book club, trade paperbacks and choosing what to read next...

I am not too sure what I am buying when I go to Galaxy's book club tonight. I have a number of books that I want to buy, but they are all trade paperbacks, and retailing for $30 at the moment. I technically have a budget of $30 a fortnight, I don't always stick to it, but I have my car rego due, as well as medical expenses and my phone bill (I am not even thinking of the electricity bill that arrived yesterday!). So I should probably be a good little girl and not go too far over my limit *sigh* So that just makes it harder for me! I can't by the new Sherrilyn Kenyon book about Nick, I can't buy Erica Hayes' Shadowglass, I can't buy Carrie Ryan’s Dead-Tossed Waves and so many more that I really really want! God I hate trades! I wish they were the same price as “A” format paperbacks… I can pick them up for between $12-$20 at Galaxy, plus my 10% discount on book club night.

Recent authors that have been recommended to me are Ilona Andrews – Dan Dan lent me her first book on the weekend – definitely a lot of fun! FangBooks on twitter recommended Gail Carriger, and I have been intrigued by the synopsis of that series before. I am obsessed with steampunk, and it is reputed to be steamy, so it has been on my To Buy list for some time. I would love to get some more Lora Leigh (suggested by Theresa), however Galaxy hardly ever stocks her books, and I may have to consider buying them elsewhere. I thought Lora Leigh only had 5 books in the Breed series – turns out she is up to 21! Pretty big lapse… I am starting to get antsy LOL I love that series! I think Maria had picked up a new Gena Showalter book last week as well, and if so I want it LOL I need to get Kylie Chan’s second book Dark Heavens novel, Red Phoenix (series also suggested by Dan Dan). It is crazy, most of the books I read these days are suggested to my by my friends at Galaxy’s book club! I just can’t get enough! I am already spending too much money there because of that book club LOL And I know the other girls are the same. Not all of them used to make regular visits to Galaxy, so they are spending so much more money there. I spend more money there and less at Abbeys, Dymocks, and I hardly ever go to second hand stores anymore. Galaxy is very bad for my budget!! ;D I kind of wish I could buy from book depository etc but as long as there is a book club I will be spending my book budget there – simply because the girls are always herding me towards new titles and I pick them up before I can even think about heading online to the Book Depository. Plus, there is also the instant gratification thing LOL

So I am stuck. I have NO idea what I am buying tonight! Although, I think I will definitely get the Kylie Chan book…. Unless something else comes up LOL

I also found a blog that links you to books that authors have offered for free. It is found here: http://online-novels.blogspot.com and through it I found a Charles de Lint novel on the Tor site. I want to get some sort of ereader on my phone for when I am on the train and don't have enough room to hold up my novel. That and those occasions I finish my books during my lunch break at work LOL

Do you attend a book club? Or perhaps a book forum (I used to run one, same principles, I always found too many books I wanted to read LOL) or online book club? Or do you get recommendations tweeted to you on twitter? (If you are on twitter and I don't already follow you, can you leave me a link?) How do you choose what books to read? Is it marketing in the bookstore and online, or through word of mouth? I would be interested to hear how you deal with choosing your To Be Read list! :)

Book Club, New Purchases, Unshelved and Design

It's book club night! I am always excited about book club. You may think that is nerdy of me (well, it is!), but I really love my book club. Aside from being able to discuss books, characters, themes, ridiculously overused words in PR *snickers* and as well as tour news and new books coming out, we find out the latest gossip circulating about future books, authors and the like, and it is a great source for finding new books to read! The members have become friends, either on facebook or in the real world. I love everything about it! Well, not everything! As I was discussing with Kat from BookThingo on Twitter yesterday, we need more room. There needs to be a dedicated space for our book club meetings. At the moment we take up half of the space between the Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy and Horror shelves, and it is two rows of chairs, not a circle. It means that there is normally two or three conversations going on at once. I try and sit in the middle so I can take part in both LOL We used to have a book/series of the week, but lately those haven't been set. That has both good and bad aspects. It means that those who haven't read the book can keep up with the conversation, and lets face it, we rarely stuck on topic any way! But it also means that there isn't as much structure to the sessions. I always go to the first book club of the month, but am planning to start going to the second one as well. See, there were too many people interested in attending a Paranormal Romance book club, so they had to split us up. But they are fine with you picking and choosing, as long as you RSVP. I am looking forward to getting to know some new people. I know some who go to the other meeting, because they sometimes come to ours, and we have had a joint book club, as well as meeting them at signings. The only things I do on Thursday nights are shopping and book club, and I don't mind sacrificing one night shopping a month to talk more about books LOL So tonight and next Thursday I will be surrounded by people who share my love of books with bite :D

Last night I bought the new Richelle Mead Vampire Academy novel Spirit Bound. I am currently rereading the series, and am about a quarter of the way through the book preceding it, so I hope to start Spirit Bound next week. I am currently reading Richelle Mead as my "before bed" series, which is why I haven't finished it yet. I also bought Nora Robert's new Bride Quartet instalment, called Savour the Moment. I am loving this series. Nora Roberts is the only straight romance author I read, so it is kind of a guilty pleasure... I am not used to reading non-speculative fiction unless it is a classic or mystery LOL Her books are a lot more girly than I normally read, which is why it is such a guilty little pleasure for me. Tonight at book club (10% discount!) I am buying Erica Hayes second book Shadow Glass (I met her last Sunday!) and will look around for one more book to buy. I haven't been keeping track about what is out, so it should be interesting!

^Haha so true! I love Unshelved! I see both sides of this. Speculative Fiction readers are very particular and very predictable. There are so many types of readers in this genre, and we all have our likes, dislikes and just don't cares. It makes it hard for non-readers to recommend books that the aficionado would approve of. And a lot of those lists are stereotypical or recommend the flashy books that aren't worth reading. I think a general hint if you are trying to write this sort of list is to ask for help, research and then read the books yourself! Just because I think Dune is one of the best science fiction books ever written doesn't mean you agree with me. Its a good idea to stick to the masters of science fiction though, if you are making a list of science fiction for people who aren't fans to read!

I am thinking of changing my blog design. I normally have dark blogs with light text, but I wanted it more approachable so I went for a clean design. I am thinking of heading back to my personal preferences and maybe doing either a steampunk or goth template for this blog. What do you think? Which do you prefer to read, light or dark? Do you want a minimalist design, or something interesting? I am not quite sure which path to take... Maybe I should take yon bonny road that winds about yon fernie brae?

Dymocks Booklovers’ Best of 2010

I nabbed this from Kat at Book Thingo. Here is the top 101 books that Dymocks ascribes as Australia's favourites (I assume it is either voted or the top sales of 2009?), with my annotated notes if I read them (or nearly read them, or plan to read them etc).




1 The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer – I was obsessed with the first three books until the fourth came out. I had problems with feminist issues but still enjoyed the ride
2 The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling – Loved them!
3 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Favourite book
4 The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
5 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien – Grandfather of fantasy. I love Tom Bombadil!
6 The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - Got a free copy, couldn’t get into it
7 To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee – Watched the old movie, haven’t attempted the book
8 The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
9 My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
10 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
11 The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
12 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Love it
13 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Still trying to read it
14 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold – Considering it
15 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Great YA vamp fiction
16 Magician by Raymond E. Feist – BEST FANTASY!
17 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
18 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
19 Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
20 The Host by Stephenie Meyer – It is better than Twilight, a great read, and more deserving of the hype.
21 Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
22 Atonement by Ian McEwan
23 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – I love it. I also loved Alan Lee's illustrations
24 Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - I read one page and threw it down in disgust. This is why I am thinking of starting an account at eBay
25 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
26 Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
27 Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
28 The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
29 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell – I plan to read it one day
30 Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden – I loved the film, but it isn’t the type of book I would read
31 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - Must read
32 Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden - A defining novel of my teen years
33 Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody - A defining novel of my teen years
34 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
35 The Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini – I got halfway through Eragon before I had to return the book. Plan to buy it second hand
36 The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
37 Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
38 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - I bought the Vintage Classic imprint (awesome cover) but I lost it, and I haven’t been able to read it yet. Did I lend it to you? Or did the mutant dust bunnies eat it?
39 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Best book of 2009! Add Catching Fire, and it was the best series of 2009! Cannot wait for Mocking Jay!
40 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
41 Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
42 The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay – Read as a teen
43 Persuasion by Jane Austen - One of my favourites. My second favourite Austen novel
44 Tully by Paullina Simons
45 Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly
46 Breath by Tim Winton
47 The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare - Started reading this series, but freaked out when it seemed like incest. My friend assured me it wasn’t, so I plan to reread them
48 Life of Pi by Yann Martel
49 A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
50 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
51 Emma by Jane Austen – I kept thinking of the movie Clueless way too much, so I didn't enjoy it at all. When you start thinking of the protagonist of a Jane Austen film as a plastic Paris Hilton type, all is lost!
52 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
53 The Bible - Still haven’t finished it. I am maybe not the good little Christian girl I was as a child? I can still recite the names of the New Testament. Does that count?
54 Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly
55 A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey
56 We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
57 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – I love the imagery. Currently reading (along with 9 other novels - Sofia, don’t hit me! will finish it one day...)
58 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – Loved it!! It is very indicative of my childhood reading
59 The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
60 The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
61 People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
62 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
63 The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
64 Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice - Hated it. Read it for uni, wasn't impressed, mostly because of the interview styling. Currently reading The Vampire Lestat, and enjoying that more.
65 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - It is on my unread shelf. One day....
66 The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris - I love the Sookie Stackhouse series. I also love the Harper Connelly series!
67 Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
68 Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly
69 On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta – I haven’t read it, but I love Melina Marchetta. I met her at the Italian Film festival a few years ago.
70 The Princess Bride by William Goldman – I love the movie, should read the book.
71 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
72 Wicked by Gregory Maguire
73 Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
74 Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
75 Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
76 Dewey by Vicki Myron
77 Dirt Music by Tim Winton
78 Marley and Me by John Grogan
79 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
80 Dune by Frank Herbert – One of my favourite science fiction novels of all time
81 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
82 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
83 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Read it
84 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
85 The Road by Cormac McCarthy – Read ir
86 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
87 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – I loved it as a chid. Still think The Horse's Boy is the best in the series
88 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
89 Possession by AS Byatt
90 Finnikin of The Rock by Melina Marchetta – I want to read it
91 No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
92 Graceling by Kristin Cashore
93 The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
94 The Secret History by Donna Tartt
95 Silent Country by Di Morrissey
96 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
97 Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
98 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
99 Still Alice by Lisa Genova
100 The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
101 Gallipoli by Les Carlyon

Read 22
Reading or have attempted reading 7
Want or plan to read 8

When the budget doesn't match the desire...

I have a dilemma! I think I worked out a solution, but it wasn't easy. I give myself a budget of $AU30 a fortnight to spend on books. I don't always stick to it, as I have also translated it into a max of three books if they total more than that budget. Hell, I don’t even always stick to that when I need to feed my addiction! But when I have a tight budget, I be a good little girl and stick to my budget. The problem is that I had ordered a number of books, and by chance, they have all arrived at the same time! So I need to try and decide what I should buy.

The Desert Spear - Peter V Brett $29.99
The Riven Kingdom - Karen Miller $22.99
Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs $19.99

That is more than $70! There are others out that I want, but they can wait. Both Brett and Miller are special orders, and had a 14 day period before they get taken off hold - both came in last week, so I need to get them ASAP. Silver Borne isn't, but I need a light read as well. Both The Desert Spear and The Riven Kingdom, if their predecessors are any indicator, are likely to be lovely thick novels, so I will need something light to break up all that epic fantasy (so I keep telling myself LOL). So I am torn. Do I buy two amazing books or three?! I am meant to be going to the zoo on the weekend because Kelley is moving back to Brisbane, and I will need money for that. I also need money because my mum should be coming down towards the end of my pay period. So I can't splurge like I have been lately (like I said, I try to be good, but it creeps up over $50 a lot lately). But I really really really REALLY want to read Silver Borne! I love the Mercy Thompson series, and this is the newest, just released, book in the series.... *must read*

I HATE DILEMMAS! I hate fighting myself and being sensible. Someone buy me a book?! Or a lottery ticket LOL



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