National Bookshop Day Photo's 2015

Yesterday we celebrated National Bookshop Day with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Such an action packed day, filled with eight author readings/signings, the people from the Animal Rescue Network, Centre wide treasure hunt, the launch of the Quirky Kids Book Club and so much more. Here are a few photos from yesterday.

Character and World Building Workshop - Jason Fischer and Melanie Casey

Events! National Bookshop Day and Workshop

National Bookshop Day 2014

National Bookshop Day 2014

Here is the author line up for National Bookshop Day this year

One Book To Keep

There is that one book on your shelf that defines you. One book that, while you may not have read it for awhile, makes you gasp in horror if somebody mentions you might want to let it go. We all have one and it is mind blowing to make the choice of which one is your favourite.  I have asked a few people in the book industry, what is that special book is for them and the response has been quite interesting.

Abigail Nathan from Bothersome Words Editing Services.

“ You know this is just a fancy way of asking "if you could only have one book..." and those questions are IMPOSSIBLE! I shall go with sheer sentiment and say Diana Wynne Jones's 'Charmed Life'. That was my first DWJ novel and I think it's the most reread book I own. It's one of the books that got me properly into fantasy/speculative fiction and probably the book that made me realise I wanted to spend my life working with books and words and fictional worlds.”

Alan Baxter – author of the upcoming martial arts/fantasy book Bound

“Oh, man, that is almost impossible to answer! One book? The horror! Errr. first that comes to mind is Clive Barker's "Cabal". And his book "The Great and Secret Show". And Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea". And and and... I can't just pick one!”

Michael Pryor, Author of the Law’s of Magic series and the new Machine Wars.

“The hardback copies of 'Lord of the Rings' I got when I was thirteen”

Kim Wilkins, author of Rosa and the Veil of Gold and winner of an AUREALIS Award.

“Beowulf”

Jason Fischer, author of the Tamsyn Web series and the short story collection Everything is a Graveyard.

” Definitely Mary Stewart's "Crystal Cave", beautiful piece of Arthurian storytelling.”

Karly Lane, author of Northstar

“Mine would be Cross stitch by Diana Gaboldon . I think it's called Outlander in the US. Best. Book. Ever!”

Pamela Freeman, author of the Princess Betony books

“So many... the poems of WB Yeats. Or Lord of the Rings. Tough to decide.”

Fiona Palmer, author of Outback Heart

“Vampire Academy series. It's my big escape “

Fiona McIntosh, author of the Quickening series and Tailor’s Girl

“Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay”

Carla Caruso, author of Catch of the Day

“Mine would be 'Looking for Alibrandi' by Melina Marchetta - I read it when I was an Italian-Australian teenager, like the main character, finishing high school and wondering what the heck I was going to do with the rest of my life. It still resonates! 'The Undomestic Goddess' by Sophie Kinsella is also a feel-good, comfort read I love dipping into again. “

Jacqueline Harvey, Author of the Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series.

“The Book Thief with a beautiful inscription to me from Markus.”

What is even more interesting is the fact the genres that these author’s write does not always reflect what they love to read. A lot of people assume that just because you write in a particular genre then that is all you will read. This goes to show that is not the case at all.

For myself, I don’t have favourite books. I am like most people who, when they are asked this question recoil in horror at picking just one book. It is simply a hard question that can make your mind go blank when you are trying to pick a title. If I had to choose on the basis of a book that I read the most, then I would have to choose Tamora Pierce’s ‘Song of the Lioness #1 Alanna the First Adventure’. I re-read that book (which leads into 20 others in the series all following the same characters for about 30 years) at least once a year. I’m not sure why that series draws me to it, but I love the relationships of the characters and I think it is one of the books that really cemented it for me that I wanted write.  Also there is Patricia C Wrede’s Lyra books.  I loved the grittiness and emotion found in that series.

A big thank you to everyone that participated in my post and I hope you all go and check out these wonderful authors and their many books and you may find that one book you can never get rid of!

What is your One Book?
Tarran

National Bookshop Day Questions

A big thank you to all the wonderful authors who helped celebrate National Bookshop Day with us this year!!

On the day we asked a few of the authors three questions each about books and bookstores. Here are their answers.

Jason Fischer

1) What was your favourite moment in a bookshop?

The moment I picked up 'The Sword of Shannara' and knew I wanted to write my own book just like that one at age 12.

2) What do you like about bookshops?

What's not to like? The shelves groan with shiny new titles, the staff are enthusiastic and passionate, and there's always something for everyone!

3) Why are bookshops important to you?

AS an author, these are my lifeblood and conduit to the reader. Long may bookshops last!!

Jackie Barreau

1) Are bookshops necessary in this day and age?

Absolutely! When with a switch to online stores, building a rapport with your local or favourite bookstore is essential in supporting large and small business. The older generation also don't tend to shop 'online'.

2) What was your first experience in a bookshop?

That would be a very long time ago, needless to say I really can't remember.

3) Why are bookshops important to you?

They enable authors (especially independent and self published) to gain some publicity and 'sell' their brand (themselves) and their books. To get amongst a potential fan bas and build a relationship with that particular bookshop for future releases. This flows into social media such as Facebook and Twitter

Melanie Casey

1) What was your first experience in our bookshop?

Very positive! Welcoming staff and environment, well organised as well. Thanks so much for all the promotional effort put into my book - it's greatly appreciated.

2) Name three books you couldn't live without?

The Life of Pi

An Imaginary Life - David Malouf

Hamlet - Shakespeare

3) Why are bookshops important to you?

I am an avid reader as well as a writer so bookshops are one of my favourite places.

Kathryn White

1) What draws you into a bookshop?

Lots of things, beautiful books and presentation. Knowing that there are lots of stories inside waiting to be read and great service.

2) Are bookshops necessary in the digital age?

Absolutely! Nothing beats personalised service and the social aspect of being inside a bookshop.

3) Why are bookshops important to you?

It's a place where I can find/discover new books and meet like minded people.

Aprille Legacy

1) If you could take three books to a deserted island, what would they be?

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K Rowling

Artemis Fowl #1 - Eoin Colfer

2) What was your first experience in a bookshop?

Don't remember the very first but my earliest is being taken into Angus & Robertson to by the next Artemis Fowl book.

3) Why are bookshops important to you?

I couldn't live without bookstores! They're important to me because they have every book I could possibly want and are the places I go whenever I need to top up my bookshelf.

National Bookshop Day 2013

It is that time of year again where we celebrate bookshops!! How fun is that!! Here is the line up for the events happening at our store!

National Bookshop Day 2013 Line Up

Make sure you set aside Saturday 10 August 2013 on your calendar to celebrate National Bookshop Day.

A day to celebrate the role of your bookshop in the community.

We will be having some fanastic authors coming in for panels during the day!! We will keep you posted when times are avaliable.

Melanie Casey - Hindsight
Cass Lehman has a terrifying 'gift'...The youngest in a family of extraordinary women with supernatural talents, Cass is cursed with the not-so-sexy gift of seeing the past...but not just any past; she sees death. For years she's hidden herself away in her family home. Now, desperate for a better life, she ventures into sleepy Jewel Bay, only to stumble upon murder and mayhem and a killer at large who's long been lurking in their midst. Taking a chance, Cass volunteers to assist Detective Ed Dyson with the investigation. Will Cass be able to save the latest victim - and herself?

Kathryn White - Behind the Scenes
Catlin Ryan is determined to escape her dreary life in a beachside caravan park. Abandoned by her alcoholic mother, she dreams of a life on the stage and is prepared to work hard to get it. So when she is offered a starring role on her favourite television series, Catlin does not think twice about taking it.But fame comes with a set of new challenges, long hours, spoiled and demanding colleagues, the paparazzi, some wild parties and Tom, the bitter director who seems to hate her. Then there is the reunion with her father, a brooding retired police officer, who offers her board and lodgings inside a house that is haunted with dark family secrets. Who is Catlin Ryan, really? Why does she keep remembering things that she knows never really happened? Can Catlin reconcile with her past and keep her family secrets out of the tabloids, or is the world destined to know what goes on behind the scenes

Hannah Kent - Burial Rites
In northern Iceland, 1829, Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the brutal murder of two men. Agnes is sent to wait out the months leading up to her execution on the farm of district officer Jón Jónsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderess in their midst, the family avoid contact with Agnes. Only Tóti, the young assistant priest appointed her spiritual guardian, will listen to Agnes’s side of the story. As the year progresses and the hardships of rural life force everyone to work side by side, the family’s attitude to Agnes starts to change, until one winter night, she begins her whispered confession to them, and they realize that all is not as they had assumed. Based on a true story, Burial Rites is an astonishing and moving novel about the truths we claim to know and the ways in which we interpret what we’re told. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland’s formidable landscape, in which every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Peter Cooper - Jeweller of Rassylon  
The brigand-lord Zhangfu has escaped with the precious Blue Jade, and is now being pursued across the wilderness by those who want it for themselves. Dillen, Koto and Tajni, sure that Zhangfu is seeking the mysterious Jeweller of Rassylon, consult a famed seer, whose information comes in the form of a riddle. They follow the clues to a remote village and to a potion-master who insists on joining the quest. But the Jeweller's hideout is well guarded. It is no longer just a question of reaching it before Zhangfu, Heito and the koorai. Reaching it alive will be the challenge... 

Ben Chandler - Beast Child
Can a child from an ancient past unlock the secrets of Lenis and Missy’s powers in the second entry in this Philip Pullman-meets-Nicholas Flamel series? Lenis and Missy Clemens have found their freedom aboard the airship Hiryu, but are they ready for the responsibilities that come with determining their own fates? Hard on the trail of the mercenary Karasu, the man who holds the keys to unlocking Suiteki's power, the twins face the realities of their own growing abilities. Their search for Karasu takes them to Heiligland, where Missy has to decide which is more important—the safety of an entire nation or her own sense of right and wrong. As she relies more and more on the powers of the Quillblade, her brother grows distant, shunning the bizarre connection that binds the Clemens twins together. When they meet Kanu, a young boy from the distant past who just might hold the key to who they are, the twins must decide whether to embrace their destiny or be torn forever apart 

Jason Fischer - Quiver
In Gravesend, the dead walk, and the living huddle behind high walls. For Tamsyn, the end of the world couldn't come sooner. She's hungry and scared. Her homework is due. Even worse, her dad is the teacher. With only her keen archery skills to keep the zombies at bay, Tamsyn searches the ruins of England for an answer. There's a cure in America, but it might just doom them all… 

  

Janeen Brian - I'm a Dirty Dinosaur
From award-winning author Ann James and illustrator Janeen Brian comes this gorgeous rhyming picture book about a naughty little dinosaur who loves to get dirty. Bright simple illustrations and rounded corners perfect for the very young. Stomp, splash, slide, dive . . . .
This little dinosaur just loves mud! 

  

Katrina Germein - My Dad Still Thinks He's Funny

Dad is back by popular demand.

Following the international success of the best selling children’s picture book ‘My Dad Thinks He’s Funny’ Dad returns with even more winning material and it seems that Dad STILL thinks he’s funny.

When I say I feel like a milkshake, Dad says, “You don’t look like one.”

When I suggest chicken, Dad says, “That’s fowl.”

Just in time for Fathers’ Day and packed full of familiar dadisms and amusing one liners, ‘My Dad STILL Thinks He’s Funny’ is set to become another laugh out loud favourite.

Jackie Barreau - Through a Mother's Eyes 
A glimpse into how one mother has learnt to cope with the loss of her two sons, and support a third child through a rare genetic condition. This book deals with the subject of grief and loss, and features a collection of poems, interspersed with quotes and breathtaking images. It will inspire and move you, as you are taken on an incredible journey of love, hope and courage