#3: Your favourite series

The 'Abhorsen/Old Kingdom' series by Garth Nix.

I read Sabriel at university when doing an assignment on the fantasy genre. I had decided to focus on fantasy for young adults because I was looking to write spec fic for that demographic myself. I unashamedly love young adult fiction because in the main it's a helluva lot better written than a lot of adult fiction. Young adult fiction also tends to have a clearer plot and clearer characters, and I rate both highly in a book.

It was fortunate I picked up Sabriel at that time because shortly after, Nix released Lirael, set several years later in the same kingdom.

Since Sabriel is a standalone book, I thought Lirael would be too. I won't repeat what I said after I found out it was 'to be continued'*. I waited two long years for the third book, Abhorsen.

I hear he will release another book in the series, a prequel called Clariel, and is working on another as-yet-untitled book that takes place after Abhorsen.

I met Nix at Worldcon 2010 in Melbourne (aka Aussiecon 4) and got him to sign Lirael, which I had toted interstate for the occasion. Since the signing was a sort of last minute thing, there were very few people around so I managed to ask him about what made him base a world around the nine gates of hell and the Abhorsen's bells.

He said he was influenced by Dorothy Sayers' The Nine Tailors and decided to name the bells based on Norwegian long ships, which just goes to show you should read widely because you could end up writing bestselling novels based on a scion of an idea.

Honourable mentions go to Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series and Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy.

* I just want to mention that I didn't want to start Nix's 'Keys to the Kingdom' series until all the books came out.

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you've wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

I'd like to thank Sarah Jansen for her tweet about this, as well as The Literary Gothamite and Confessions of a Book Lush for the good idea.

The package deal

So I ordered some stuff off Catch of the Day last week and today received a delivery slip from Australia Post advising me that instead of picking up my packages from Artarmon Post Office, a mere 250m away (closer than the train station, which is 550m away), I am to go to the North Side Centralised Collection Point at St Leonards, more than a kilometre away, as they are trialling a collection point.

This makes sense on many levels. It cuts down on distributing undelivered parcels to each of the suburb's post offices as the driver has to return to the distro centre anyway. The Collection Point is also open 24 hours a day on weekdays and quite generous hours on weekends so it's convenient for parcel recipients too.

Sort of. For you see, I don't own a car.

When I worked full-time I had parcels delivered to work because my local post office (North Sydney at the time) wasn't open on weekends. And that was because I had an understanding workplace that tolerated that kind of thing.

Now, the reason I get my parcels delivered to me at home is because I work part-time and am more likely to be home than not when it is delivered. If I am not, then it's just a 5-min round trip to the local post office to collect it. Even I can handle big parcels for just 250m.

This Collection Point trial means I'm going to have to either walk or get on a train to St Leonards and then, package/s in arms, somehow get back home. It may not seem like much, but it's either 550m to Artarmon Station and then 500m from St Leonards Station to the Collection Point or a 1.1km direct walk and then back again. Either way I have to walk a kilometre carrying a package.

Mostly this is okay. I don't tend to order heavy and/or bulky items. But damned if I'm ordering wine again. And then there are those mysterious birthday packages which could be any size...

Australia Post, if you had been SMART, you would have asked customers what they wanted from your package delivery service to move uncollected parcels. I would have told you 'open the post office outside office hours one day a week'. It only takes opening until 6pm on a weekday or a few hours on a weekend to be more convenient.

*sigh*

I'll let you know how long it takes to collect my two parcels.

*** UPDATE HERE ***

#2: A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. I first read it in high school and like parts of it and didn't understand other parts, then upon repeat readings I've grown to understand and appreciate more and more. Sad to say I have read other Heller books and nothing comes close to this one.

I've probably done a deep reading of it seven or eight times and am likely due for a re-read. It has been about 3-4 years since I last picked it up.

Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you've wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

I'd like to thank Sarah Jansen for her tweet about this, as well as The Literary Gothamite and Confessions of a Book Lush for the good idea.

#1: The best book you read last year

This is hard. I read a lot of good books last year, including a whole bunch entered into the Hugo Awards and books presented at various writers' festivals.

But the one that sprang to mind first was Elliot Perlman's Seven Types of Ambiguity. My friend Dan gave the book to me for my birthday, more to read as a writer than a reader. I couldn't put it down. I admired the way all the characters came through so distinctly and the utter manipulation of emotions as the point of view changed and forced me to empathise with characters I despised.

I'll give a shout-out to Alain de Botton's How Proust can change your life as the best non-fiction book I read. That man has pretty much the best job in the world: wonder about something, research it, gather some thoughts and write them down, sell lots of books and travel to writers' festivals.

As for a book that actually came out in 2010, I'd pick the Machine of Death anthology. An interesting premise, well selected stories and high quality writing meant it was all win.

I wrote a piece from the starter as a writing exercise, but it doesn't come close to what was published. I thank my friend Dina for tipping me off about the availability of the collection.

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you've wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

I'd like to thank Sarah Jansen for her tweet about this, as well as The Literary Gothamite and Confessions of a Book Lush for the good idea.