Happy New Year everyone. I hope your personal Santa was good
to you and gave you either lots of books or an e-reader for Christmas. I both
gave and received books this year. Mine was an e-reader and I’ve downloaded
heaps of books already.
Summer is a time for relaxing and taking stock. Books can take readers to places we’ve never
been, in our imaginations they let us behave as we might never dare to in our
'real' lives. Books offer possibilities. Whether the book is non-fiction or
fiction – simply a story – their impact can be significant. Even the most
fictitious of stories have a tinge of reality to them. Characters have thoughts
or feelings that could be similar to ours if we were in that position or place. Books offer the possible option that we too,
could be like that person; that we too, could do what they did or go where they
went and become who they wanted to become. Books can change our lives, if we
let ourselves be captured by possibilities.
Books are celebrated in many places: through television
programmes and films, bringing the written word to the active screen – removing
our imagination, maybe – but speeding up our engagement. Books are written about in articles, on blog
pages and in magazines and newspapers with reviews and news. Opinion pieces
give us a different perspective about a character we have always loved or a
story we didn’t completely understand and appreciate until someone else pointed
out a motif we’d missed.
I am happy when I find a New Zealand perspective rather than
an American viewpoint. So much advice for writers coming through online blogs
and websites is American based. Authors can be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed
by the barrage of how to, and best ways and top tips, few of which relate to
the New Zealand market. I’ve found a few worth investigating.
One of the latest news, views and reviews pages can be found
the Stuff website - Reading is Bliss by Karen Tay is worth a look.
I find I can relate to the articles. Reading is Bliss is relatively new (only
online in the last few months of 2012) and has a Facebook page looking for
Likes.
Nicky Pellegrino also writes reviews and news for the NZ
Herald. Nicky’s down-to-earth kiwi attitude (and her love of her horse, her
dogs and cats) is refreshing. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nicky20pellegrino/search/results.cfm?kw1=nicky%20pellegrino&kw2=&st=gsa
But if you really want to know what is happening in the New
Zealand book market then your best website is Beattie’s Blog. Seek and you will
find: you will even find me, and my book Daniel, on there somewhere.
Thanks for the links, I'll be checking all these out.
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