Aussie Readers discussion

Mozette wrote: "How I do it is I watch what people buy and don't read or review those books; too mainstream."

Ooooh... another blog I'll have to keep an eye on, in my ever-dwindling free time. Thanks, I think :-) I'll point it out to the boss-lady too, as I think she'll find it just as interesting.


Jane wrote: "Now, however, with my busy life as a stay at home mum to three children under five, I rarely get time to read which I really miss. "

We only have two, and they're much older... so my hat goes off to anyone who manages to retain their sanity, focus and sense of humour with that many little ones running around the house.


Oh, and welcome to both of you!

Hi, I'm from the Sunny Coast in Queensland, finishing my senior year in high school. I've always loved reading but lately have started trying to branch out into a wide array of genres, from fiction to non-fiction. Next year I'm travelling around Australia in which I hope to spend most of the time reading and painting. Recommendations are always appreciated.

Oh wow, so many people flooding in here - it's fantastic to see. Of course, it's even greater if everyone can stick around and post a bit more in the other threads for us "Aussie Readers" - before you know it we'll be dominating the whole board :)

Good to see new readers and writers - seems to be a lot of writers coming in as of late, that's excellent because it'll mean we can all have a good chatter about what is or is not working in our business. It's a very new world out there for us with eBooks and internet marketing completely turning the business model inside out. A fantastic time to be involved.

Welcome again to all :)

Paul.

Hello Carmel, welcome to the Aussies area :)

Take a look around, feel free to make some comments and replies to our many sections. There's also the "just for fun" discussions area which is great if you feel like a general chinwag that isn't explicitly book related.

There's also quite a few author-readers on here as well, who knows who you could get associated with that could take off to great fame :D

Great to have you here,
Paul.

Carmel wrote: 'and some may think "Oh no"'

Not at all. My wife likes them. I read the first one as "research" ;-) - I thought it was okay but not my cup of tea, and I can certainly understand the attraction. Besides... howmany books has SM sold? It's a bit hard to argue with figures like that.

Welcome, it's a fun place.

Cheers,
Mark.

Emma wrote: "Unfortunately I am also hooked on the True Blood series, *sigh* this was my year for high brow literature...."

Sounds familiar!

Carmel wrote: "You may wonder what that book was, and some may think "Oh no" & others may say "I understand" but it was Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.."


The same happened to me ... cant explain it, but it got me back into reading.

Dee-Ann wrote: "The same happened to me ... cant explain ..."

It seems to be a common enough story. Besides [rubbing hands gleefully, with avaricious look in eye], it gets people in the mood for my better half's work, so the part of me that longs to be a kept man has NO problem with people reading it at all :-)

Hi all, I'm Wendy.

By day, I am trapped in a windowless office at a local not for profit attempting to encourage participation in science by young Australians. Noble cause, but the pay barely covers my rent. By night, I lie awake staring at the ceiling, thinking about the rent.

However!

I'm also trying to actually finish one of my novels. So far all I have in print are essays about education and technology but I hope to print words that tell only lies. I like writing comedy, and sci-fi whodunnit, and mindscrew fiction. I like reading almost anything.

I also like not finishing anything I start. Or at least that's the impression I must give off...

However, I'm most concerned with the fact that the end of my 20s is fast approaching, but I have spent the last five years doing nothing but web development in an office. For a good cause, but I don't feel challenged by my work, and I want to do something that leaves the world measureably better. I'm all about the quantifiable ;-)

I have a website here:
http://a.fishoutoforder.net

Hi Wendy welcome to the group. We can't help you pay the rent but we can offer a bit of support as a writer and a lot of support as a reader. Glad you could join us. :)

Hey Wendy, don't worry about how old you're getting, just how old you're feeling. I'm getting to the end of my 30's and can see 40 looming up ahead; but I'm a writer and find that my mind may be working a lot differently than what it used to years ago, but I have a lot of new ideas. I've got Epilepsy and live on a pension...so I have the worries of wondering how to spend my days here at home... sometimes I'm busy sometimes bored.

Mozette wrote: "I'm getting to the end of my 30's and can see 40 looming up ahead; but I'm a writer and find that my mind may be working a lot differently than what it used to years ago, but I have a lot of new ideas. "

Good to hear the ideas are still coming! I seem to have my best ideas when I've stepped out of my comfort zone, so hopefully being exposed to a lot of interesting opinions and discussions here will help with that :)

Wendy wrote: "...so hopefully being exposed to a lot of interesting opinions and discussions here will help with that :)."

If there are any topics you would like to bring up for discussing bring it to our attention we need to know what it is people are interested in discussing.

Hi, what a wonderful group!
I am based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
My name is Rebecca Mugridge and I am an avid reader, horticulturalist, mum to a 4 yr old with another due in around 6 weeks time and also a published Australian Author with my first book, The Pram Diet having been published by Random House in 2009;and very excited to see it here on this groups bookshelf! =)Thanks Mandy!
I also do alot of motivational talks on health, healthy weightloss and growing your own fresh produce as a family, school or community group to inspire a healthier diet.
I absolutely *love* to read and am always on the lookout for new books to fall in love with!

Rebecca

Thanks for the warm welcome Carmel!
Yes things are certainly getting exciting with new baby on the way =)I am currently doing as much reading as I can before baby gets here!

Hi All
My name is Shelleyrae, I live in country NSW and like most of you read, a lot. I have eclectic tastes and a massive TBR pile. Lately I mostly read ebooks but can't resist the lure of the library and secondhand books. I happily read just about anything, Ive just finished my 250th book for this year, but I have recently decided to read a few more Aussie writers.
I review here at Goodreads regulary and have a reasonably new blog at http://www.bookdout.wordpress.com - would love it if you dropped by to visit and feel free to friend me here at GR (http://www.goodreads.com/shelleyrae ) - just comment that you saw my post in this group.

Welcome to the group Shelleyrae. We have a lovely library here of Aussie Authors. I'm sure you will find some books of interest to feed that ever hungry TBR list. :D

I love reading reviews thats what got me sucked into Goodreads in the first place.

Hello Rebecca and Shalleyrae, welcome to GR - looking forward to seeing you both become regular around here. So nice to see more and more Australians being drawn into this group.

Paul.

Hi Rebecca and Shellyrae, and welcome! Wow, this group is just growing and growing.

G'day to all the newbies, welcome, oi,oi,oi.

Paul wrote: "Hi there P.D., welcome.

Oh, I like the catch line - "After Twilight, it's much darker", very smart!"

Thanks, Paul! I'd like to claim credit for that, but the producer who put the book trailer together for me added it in and said 'what do you think of this?'. I liked it too!

Phillipa
www.youtube.com/pdmartinauthor

Hi everyone. Nice to see this group really growing. Just wanted to pop in (cos I'm bursting to tell the world) to say I'm so glad I joined goodreads! I've just had my first review here for my new book Sammi Ever After by an Aussie reader (non relative/friend) and it was great to see it really resonated with her! Only 3 weeks in and I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster ride. This self-publishing business is...nail biting!

Congratulations Soma, I read the review. You couldn't have asked for better, the review it's self is attracting plenty of attention as well. Hope you get more like this.

Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Congratulations Soma, I read the review. You couldn't have asked for better, the review it's self is attracting plenty of attention as well. Hope you get more like this."

Thanks Gail. I was quite nervous waiting for her review, she can rip through a book if she doesn't like them. Hilariously written and great fun to read, but not for the author I'm sure. But she tells it like it is. I was so relieved she actually liked it!

Soma,

Congratulations on the review. It certainly is a real buzz when you get them from people that aren't explicitly related to you. Hope it makes all the hard work worth it for you.

Paul.

I have done book reviews on my blog and have received a comment from the author... that's a real buzz when they have found out I've read their book and they enjoyed the review I wrote; as well as found their official website too. :D

Thanks Paul. I'm crossing my fingers that the hard work pays off. And I was just about to start mail outs to agents. Each time I want to do it I get another great review and hold off. lol.

Thanks for the welcomes:)

Soma,

Yes, it gets like that. Elita and I have gone through it a couple of times but we've now set our vision for the long term and we're avoiding the publishers. We don't see success really picking up until about our 3rd book, sure if it comes sooner that'll be nice but that's our projected plan for now. In light of this plan, I'm now whipping Elita daily :D

Paul.

Huge congrats on the review, Soma.

Q: If your book is published, why would you be contacting agents now?

Hi Mandy
Thanks for the invite, My name is Tony Sacre and I live in Beerwah.I was in Brisbane on Tuesday morning flew back in from Darwin returned to that lousy weather! So yeah howdy neighbor too!
I only joined goodreads yesterday and am very green as to how it all works, Still have to fill in profile stuff etc. I attach here for your interest my website www.beerwahhideawah.com you will find info on me under the artwork tab and scattered around the site.
I write under the name of Cary Stone and have two books published at by www.clublighthousepublishers.com Titles 'MinX' & 'Dark Arenas' I attach here a promo for 'MinX' http://youtu.be/FFPeoia2NUY . I am currently in a collaboration with fellow author Sirocco on a full length paranormal/erotic novel working title "Dark Mirror" and foresee this could become a series our partnership started when she edited 'Dark Arenas' at CLP she edits for them.'Dark Arenas' is an anthology of 3 Cary Stone stories.
Thanks again for the invite, nice not to feel isolated
Sorry I have rambled on a bit.
Kind regards
Tony

I forgot to mention Sirocco has 2 books published at CLP plus others elsewhere.

Welcome Tony, it looks like you have Goodreads pretty much under control. This is a fun relaxed group. There are quite a few authors to chat to and thrash around a few ideas if that is what you need. Or you could just talk about anything you want too. Hopefully we have something for everyone.

Hi Gail
Oops! Looks like I screwed up with my own websites.Try www.beerwahhideaway.com

www.clublighthousepublishing.com

now that's more like it!

Maybe your goodreads skills do need more work. :D

And then some!

Hey, peeps. I'm Jaye Patrick. I live on the south coast of NSW and I'm a carer for my elderly mother.

I'm a writer, too. I found Good Reads after someone (unknown) posted some of my work here from Scribd. I also have a lot of books. Six bookcases and counting.

One day, when I grow up, I'm gonna be a published awefa, coz the degree ain't werkin' and werds is my trade. that and gram-uh.

Ha, welcome Jaye. Now if you really want bad spelling and poor grammar I'm the person to come to. Unfortunately I don't do it deliberately. My 'trade' is in numbers, words just baffel me. :D

Back atcha with numbers - they just don't work for me. I had to count up a list of about twenty five numbers today - I tallied up a different answer six times and finally resorted to the calculator.

Jaye wrote: "I found Good Reads after someone (unknown) posted some of my work here from Scribd"


I don't know what mere mortals see on your author profile page, but us Hoi Polloi with librarian status get to take a peek at the edit history; your author page only seems to have been edited by one person, but I'm not sure what the etiquette is on outing them here... message me privately if you want the details, but you won't see much there and they don't have a messaging button (but do seem to take friend requests...)

Go ahead and claim your author profile page too, Jaye, before someone else does :-)

Oh, and welcome!

Jaye, sounds like me too :( I've got a looming pile of horrible paperwork to process into the database so that I can spit out 3 numbers for the tax department ... 6 months late :\

Yeah... I suppose I should grab my author page, but I'll not be worrying about whomever posted my stuff, since it's free on Scribd anyway; I guess they just wanted to spread the love. And if they didn't, I wouldn't have found y'all (love that word... y'awl).

Jaye wrote: "Yeah... I suppose I should grab my author page, but I'll not be worrying about whomever posted my stuff, since it's free on Scribd anyway"

Wasn't suggesting you should have a go at them... I just figured you might want to thank them for it.

Oh... um, my bad. Sorry. I'm still weirded out by people doing stuff like that - or reading what I've written (even if it did start out as a dare).

Hi everyone! My name is Jess and I'm an avid reader from Melbourne. I enjoy reading a range of genres but especially fantasy/science fiction. I love Aussie author Isobelle Carmody's books (anyone here a fan too??) and am hanging out for her release of The Sending and Darkbane!

Thanks for the invite Mandy!

Hey there Jess - welcome aboard. Plenty of very chatty people around here so you won't be left wanting for topics to talk about.

Have a look around and feel free to ask plenty of questions :)

Paul.

Hi Jess welcome to the group. There are quite a few here with fantasy/science fiction genre as their favourite. I really enjoyed reading Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn series, I haven't read any of her others.

Thanks Paul & Gail!
I always keep an eye out for good book recommendations/discussions, so I will definitely look around here on a regular basis =D

Gail, 'The Sending' is suppose to be the final book for the Obernewtyn series and 'Darkbane' for the Legendsong Trilogy. If you enjoyed Obernewtyn, then I highly recommend Legendsong. Book 1 is Darkfall