Aussie Readers discussion

This is for book/reading related postings that don't quite fit into any of the other existing threads.

If you're not sure post it here :)



This thread is not for authors though - your special place is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

A perfect thread Sally, thanks!

Nice one Sally:)

Why do you think there is no ratings system for books? There is for TV and Film.
I've not long finished a book that I thought would be quite light hearted, both blurb and cover indicated this.
It had sexually explicit content along with some really dark and evil passages
And, of course, the ubiquitous profanities

I guess the only way to tell (for me anyway) is to read other people's reviews. It's a shame the blurb doesn't give an indication (in the case of your book) as it should.

Maybe it's just the e books and audio books lacking then, I've just checked again an d couldn't find a rating system

Do you think that self-publishing can lead to problems like yours Bec? There is just SO much out there now that it's really hard to properly rate books because things don't need to go through the proper channels anymore.

It's like I see goodness in self publishing but I also see a very grey area too.

This has just been brought to our attention by one of our members - thanks Mish:) Have a read and be wary of author Kathleen Hale

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...

Check out the book in question and the accompanying comments from reviewers

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Why authors should NEVER get involved with commenting on reviews....stalking reviewers is not on!

It has bloggers, reviewers and authors absolutely FUMING and disgusted on twitter.

Wow. Just wow. As someone who is employed in a creative fashion -- I get paid to write open-source software -- which means both my code, and the comments that people have made reviewing that code is fully public.

I personally know some of the people commenting on my code reviews, but I'm sure as hell not going to start stalking others for negative reviews because my feelings were hurt.

I'd rather spend that time understanding their issues with my code and then fixing my code. :-)

I know Steve - your reaction is pretty standard I think! Unbelievable...

Yes my twitter feed was full yesterday with this topic. I am still trying to work out if it is all some sort of joke - because if it is real it just defies belief!!!

None of my lovely authors has ever behaved like this - but then my worst review is average - anything less than average I don't finish the book and I don't review it either. On two occassions I have emailed publishers and said this book is not my cup of tea thanks for opportunity to read it and there will be no review forthcoming - they didn't hold grudge because both publishers still send me review books.

I have written one or two negative reviews but always try to balance it with something lovely. In the end it is just my opinion - I am not an expert - I just like or dislike.

The badest thing IMHO was the publisher giving out the personal address of the reviewer to the author!!!

That is like doxxing...Terrible. Giving out someone's private details when they shouldn't of done it.

Reminds me of an author who would constantly be googling himself and looking up bad reviews of his books, linking them on his facebook and going "Haha look how stupid this review is!"

Also I dunno if any of the other Goodreads Librarians in the group saw this, but probably a month/month and ahalf ago some lady thought that Goodreads was stealing her intellectual property by putting the book on their database. Several impressive threads in the GR support forum calling Goodreads NAZI INTELLECTUAL THIEVES. Was rather funny.

No I didn't see that Liam!!! Some people have nothing better to do!

Thank you Brenda for posting it.

I think the whole situation is appalling. To physically go to someone’s house without their consent is shocking.

@Liam - Ages ago I used to blog else where and I'd write about books usually graphic novels I was reading over the time. I somehow found that an author had come to view what I'd written because they left a response saying thanks for the review but they didn't agree with what I'd said..

I understand people being curious about what people think of their book but really.

Michael wrote: "Here is an interesting response piece to Miss Hale's article.

http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/bl..."

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing Michael

That was really interesting Michael. I've read both pieces, and while I can understand the pain a poor review causes, I really don't get the stalker-ish behaviour or the desire to write about it.

Once your work is out in the public eye, you have to realise that not everyone will like it, and just get on with it. If you take a look at some of the most reviewed (and most reviewed means that heaps of people bought it, read it and reviewed it - something for any author to remember) books you'll find reviews running the whole gamut of stars.

It's also hard to understand why the Guardian printed the article. They at least could have risen above the whole sorry mess.

And here's another take by Jim C Hines who I had the good fortune to meet at Continuum earlier this year. http://www.jimchines.com/2014/10/vict...

Leonie wrote: "And here's another take by Jim C Hines who I had the good fortune to meet at Continuum earlier this year. http://www.jimchines.com/2014/10/vict..."

Interesting article Leonie, plus the comments are worth reading too.It's a pity Goodreads is getting bad press from this as well.

Leonie wrote: "And here's another take by Jim C Hines who I had the good fortune to meet at Continuum earlier this year. http://www.jimchines.com/2014/10/vict..."

A very well balanced argument - I didn't realise that the blogger, Blythe, was well known as a goodreads bully and listed along with 150 others on the Stop the Goodreads Bullies site. Their crimes ranging from participating in organizing attacks on authors to “derogatory shelving” to reviews considered to be “bullying.”

However!!!! That doesn't make the author right in what she did. As Jim says - all authors are going to get stars ranging from 1 to 5 - deal with it.

online you have the power to delete

I'm just reading The Bone Clocks and in it an author does something VERY nasty to a reviewer who gives him a bad review: I read all the above and thought, snap!

wise words Leonie.
I guess reviewers who try to destroy a book's reputation/reception are on a power trip, but I do believe the wisest thing an author can do is ignore it. Sometimes I'm sure it works the reverse of the reviewer's intentions: how many more people must have read FSOG just to see whether they were quite as bad, in a literary sense, as the reviews said? It's all publicity....

I was wondering if anyone has used the Kindle Unlimited service, kind of like a lending library for $9.99 per month? Seems like a good way to read the latest books without constantly reviewing my budget. Any thoughts? There is a free trial available but before I trial it I wanted to finish reading the two books I have already started, but as I am more than a little impatient I am looking for information and hopefully some first hand experience.
https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/...

To my mind it sounds a little expensive to me Dana. You'd be still paying $10/month whether there was anything you wanted to "borrow" or not... but that's just me;)

Now if it was annual....

Thanks Brenda, I currently spend at least $10 a week on books so for me it sounded like a cheaper option.

Dana wrote: "Thanks Brenda, I currently spend at least $10 a week on books so for me it sounded like a cheaper option."

Have you joined yet? Because it was only for the USA when it first came out.

Dana wrote: "Thanks Brenda, I currently spend at least $10 a week on books so for me it sounded like a cheaper option."

That's fair enough Dana...as I said, just me;) lol!

Phrynne wrote: "Dana wrote: "Thanks Brenda, I currently spend at least $10 a week on books so for me it sounded like a cheaper option."

Have you joined yet? Because it was only for the USA when it first came out."

I think Dana is in the USA Phrynne?

EDIT: Just checked and no, Dana is from Sydney:) Oh I remember, that's Dina!! Sorry Dana:)

Sorry yes everyone is right except me, it is only for the US, what a sad realisation for me...... I was so very excited, am now, not. Sob sob.
I had grand visions of leaving work and reading all day, but that dream has been dashed, damn.....
Thanks for everyone's help.

Also yes from Sydney

That's sad Dana:( Did you check to see if Amazon AU has the same service for Aus members?

As far as I can see, all the good services are not for the likes of us :(

Oh not fair! Well your next step could be to contact Amazon US..use their "contact us" section on your account..good luck!

Thanks Brenda for the recommendation of this page for this question, hopefully I will get some ideas.

I could not find a thread for this question that I am hoping someone can answer for me. I am completing a Cert III in Information and Cultural Services and I am up to a unit on multimedia systems that are used in libraries. For my assessment I have to write a proposal for the library to buy some new equipment and I thought e-book readers would be an idea for a library to have for use within the library or for hiring purposes but I cannot find much on the internet about hiring e-book readers. Does anyone know if you can hire an e-book reader and if you can't why would would you think that is? Is it because it is assumed everyone has something that can be used as an e-book reader or are they too cheap to buy for anyone to want to hire them out?

I would appreciate any ideas or assistance with this one.

Thanks and have a good day

Good luck with it all Bronwyn, and I hope someone can come up with some answers for you:)

My local library in inner west Sydney doesn't lend out ereaders but has ebooks you can 'borrow' by downloading over the net and reading on Overdrive on your ereader or laptop. They expire after 3 weeks but you can extend the loan. The range of titles isn't very large yet so I haven't used it much. If you live in an area where most people have a device they can read on you probably don't need to loan out ereaders but I can see it might be attractive to people without one.

Walter wrote: "Our local public library lends out eReaders. You can have them for three weeks. The library uses Overdrive as its eBook service and the maximum loan period is 21 days hence the shorter borrowing ti..."

Hi Walter

What is your local library? I cannot seem to find a library that hires out e-book readers, only the e-books. I have asked my local library if they hire out e-book readers. This is hard unit because failing my proposal for the purchase of e-book readers I am not sure what to propose for the "petend" library to purchase.

Great find Michael!

I just discovered this wonderful review of Frontier Resistance by our very own Leonie Rogers in the San Francisco Book Review publication!

http://sanfranciscobookreview.com/201...

Congratulations Leonie!

Brenda wrote: "I just discovered this wonderful review of Frontier Resistance by our very own Leonie Rogers in the San Francisco Book Review publication!

http://sanfranciscobookr..."

Good Work Leonie!!!
And by the way I did not notice any typos or punctuation issues in my copy. If they were there then I was enjoying the book too much to notice:)

Phrynne wrote: "Good Work Leonie!!!
And by the way I did not notice any typos or punctuation issues in my copy. If they were there then I was enjoying the book too much to notice:) ..."

Same here - it was head down, sucked in and not emerge until the end.

I lifted this from Sandi Wallace's blog
NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORS - BUT BE QUICK!
Booktopia want your nominations for Australia's favourite author right now!

You'll need to be quick, as nominations close on 4 January 2015.

It's super easy and you can nominate as many great Aussie authors as you like - which is lucky, because there are so many excellent local authors, who could choose just one?

All the details are on this link: http://blog.booktopia.com.au/2015/01/...

But in brief, here's how to nominate your favourite Aussie authors.

Before 4 January, send your nominations ("as many as you like, anyone who you think deserves recognition!") via:

- Email at faveozauthor@booktopia.com.au

- Tweet on @booktopia

- Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Booktop...

Thanks for your support of local authors. We love our readers. :)

and just in case the copy & paste mucked something up, here is the link to her blog
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I think I voted in that last year...thanks for sharing that Marianne:)

Phrynne wrote: "Brenda wrote: "I just discovered this wonderful review of Frontier Resistance by our very own Leonie Rogers in the San Francisco Book Review publication!

http://sa..."

Thanks Brenda, Phrynne and Sally! Have just been catching up on all the threads that Goodreads neglected to notify me about (Sigh...)

I suspect that the typos thing is the unashamedly Australian spelling - you know, when you don't use the letter 'z' at the end of words such as realise, recognise etc. It's a thing we Australian Authors suffer from when we maintain our 'Australian Voice' while writing.

I so often wonder why Aussie authors use US spelling sometimes Leonie?

I think it depends on the author and the publisher. There's some interesting opinions flying around the internet on the subject.

Some think it won't sell if it's not spelt 'American' for want of a better word. I personally think it's a perfectly valid thing to spell the way your culture reads.

I've heard that too..I also agree with you!

I want to share this article I read on the weekend and can't get out of my head. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent... Really sad. I haven't read any of her work yet, but have had 2 novels on my TBR; Pomegranate Soup (which has been sitting on my physical bookshelf for a few years) and The Margaret Thatcher school of beauty which I only came across more recently. Is anyone else familiar with Marsha Mehran's work?

That is so sad Andrea. Heart breaking to think of her isolated and struggling with mental illness and then becoming ill and dying when help could have been close at hand. I've not read any of her books but have seen good reviews of the two you mention.