Australian Fiction Period, If Only Because of Its Setting in a a Common Loss Spanish-Speaking Country Ruled by a Military Kirsten Tranter Junta
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FREE DEC 11 / JAN 12 Readings Monthly Anna Funder, Lindsay Tanner, Alice Pung and more share their best books of 2011 ETAILS. D 5DVD SET. SEE PAGE 16 FOR 16 SEE PAGE 5DVD SET. THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN REMASTERED IMAGE: FROM Best of 2011 and new release books, music, film Just some of our favourite books, CDs & DVDs of 2011. See more favourites inside. AUS FICTION AUS FICTION MEMOIR ART/MEMOIR YA DVD POP CD CLASSICAL $24.95 $40 $34.95 $29.95 $24.95 $19.95 $24.99 $39.95 $21.95 $24.95 Ebook $13.95 Ebook $17.99 >> p5 >> p5 >> p7 >> p16 >> p17 >> p19 >> p5 >> p5 Summer Reading Guide Out Now Your trusted guide for the holiday season, packed with the best books, CDs and DVDs. Pick up a copy at any Readings shop. Free Shipping Anywhere in Australia when you buy at www.readings.com.au Readings is your local independent shop for all the best books, music and film All shops open 7 days, except State Library shop, which is open Monday – Saturday. Carlton 309 Lygon St 9347 6633 Hawthorn 701 Glenferrie Rd 9819 1917 Malvern 185 Glenferrie Rd 9509 1952 Port Melbourne 253 Bay St 9681 9255 St Kilda 112 Acland St 9525 3852 Readings at the State Library of Victoria 328 Swanston St 8664 7540 email [email protected] Check opening hours, find event details, or browse and buy online at www.readings.com.au 2 Readings Monthly Dec 11 – Jan 12 From the Editor Mark My Words News and views from Readings’ News & Events Many of my favourite books managing director Mark Rubbo NEW READINGS valued at $4999 (conditions apply). Amble this year were Australian. I through historic cities, visit the exquisite Taj I wandered into Dick Smith AT UNIVERSITY OF waited all year for Frank Mahal, one of the new seven wonders of the (part of Woolworths) the MELBOURNE BRAIN Moorhouse’s final instalment world. Explore the pink city of Jaipur, relax in other day and noticed a big of his trilogy starring the CENTRE IN 2012 ancient palaces and arrive in Sultan-like splen- display of Amazon Kindles. fabulous Edith Campbell Stay tuned for Readings Neuroscience shop dour, atop a beautiful elephant, at the The Kindle is not just a Berry – and wasn’t disap- opening early next year at the Melbourne mesmerising Amber Fort. Search for the device on which to read pointed by Cold Light Brain Centre. The new centre is at: Ken- elusive tiger on the early morning game drive and purchase ebooks; it’s a way of avoiding (Vintage, PB, Normally $32.95, Our special neth Myer Building, The University of in Ranthambore national park. Top this off GST on those purchases. It reminded me a price $27.95). Set in Canberra, in the early Melbourne, Genetics Lane off Royal Parade, with a fascinating train ride and your Indian bit of the 80s bottom-of-the-harbour tax days of its existence, it sees the formidable Melbourne. For more information visit adventure is complete. On the Go Tours is a schemes. Woolworths appears to have gone Edith – now middle-aged – struggling to find http://www.florey.edu.au/about-florey/ fully bonded tour operator and specialises in into the tax avoidance business, selling a a foothold (and a decent position) in post-war about-us/melbourne-brain-centre. flexible group tours, tailor-made holidays, device that is designed to compel people to Australia, where smart, experienced, opinion- private journeys, family holidays and exotic purchase books tax-free. Now, lots of people ated women are not exactly in demand. MORIARTY festivals and events. www.onthegotours.com. buy things over the net tax-free, but that is There’s family drama (Edith’s brother is a AT READINGS ST KILDA Pick up an entry form at any Readings shop. their individual choice – Kindle and Communist), adventures in romance and French group Moriarty will be at Readings Woolworths doesn’t give them that choice. friendships, and real-life characters like St Kilda on Wednesday 18 January, 5.30pm. Menzies, Whitlam and Frank Hardy mixing This acoustic ensemble sounds less French This, of course, is one of the issues indirectly it with Moorhouse’s creations. And as always, and more Depression-era American folk/ addressed in the Book Industry Strategy there is sparkling wit, sharp and poignant cabaret made cool. Fronted by the heartfelt Group’s (BISG) very sensible report to observations, and a winning blend of political vocals of the enigmatic Rosemary, the band NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr. The and personal intrigue. Hugely rewarding. performs in English with a sound that’s BISG was set up by Senator Carr to examine Established in 1950, the been described as early Neil Young and even how emerging digital technologies might National Book Award is an Another writer I adore is Americana. If you can’t make it to our in- impact on the way books are produced and American literary prize given Malcolm Knox, whose novels store event that day, Moriarty are returning delivered. The BISG acknowledged that to writers by writers and are engrossing journeys into to Melbourne as part of So Frenchy So Chic publishing is Australia’s most successful administered by a nonprofit contemporary Australian in the Park at Werribee Mansion on Sunday cultural industry. It sees the industry’s organisation, the National class and masculinity. Kerryn 15 January 2012, along with other superb primary role as developing Australian Book Foundation. The Goldsworthy once wrote that French muso’s Nouvelle Vague, ASA and Féfé creators and creative works. The BISG made extensive list of previous he’s a satirist who also excels to name a few. For tickets and more informa- 23 recommendations to government under winners reads like the who’s who of at characterisation: spot-on. tion visit http://cartellmusic.com.au/sfsc/. The Life (A&U, PB, Normally $32.95, Our six broad headings (for a copy of the full American literature including the likes of Philip Roth, John Updike, Katherine Anne special price $27.95) is a virtuoso perfor- report, go to www.innovation.gov.au). Kids’ STORY TIME mance, taking the reader deep inside the Porter, Norman Mailer, Saul Bellow, Alice head of world champion Gold Coast surfer The aspects that interested me most were AT READINGS Walker and E. Annie Proulx. Judges are DK, as a way of exploring ambition, the those that addressed the issues of Australian There will be no kids’ story time at any of published writers who are known to be lures and pitfalls of fame, and the commer- publishers and retailers competing in our shops throughout December and Janu- doing great work in their genre or field, and cialisation of surfing culture. There’s a a global marketplace, and support for ary – but please visit www.readings.com.au in some cases, are past finalists or previous murder mystery at its heart, too. Australian culture. To me, the two seem in the new year for dates and times in 2012. winners. And the best part is that unlike joined. If Australian retailers and publishers other awards of this calibre, NO ONE, not I loved Charlotte Wood’s The Children, so can’t compete globally and are replaced by TINTIN COMPETITION: even the Foundation staff, learns who the was excited to discover that Animal People external retailers and publishers, then the WIN AN INDIAN HOLIDAY winners are until the Awards dinner. (A&U, PB, Normally $29.99, Our special scope for Australian creators to find readers Buy a copy of the The Art and price $26.95) revisits hapless man-child and to be effectively published is much the Adventures of Tintin or The The winners, who were recently announced Stephen, following him over 24 hours in more limited. On the face of it, offshore Adventures of Tintin Remas- in New York City were Salvage the Bones which he plans to break up with his much- retailers have no interest in promoting tered at Readings throughout by Jesmyn Ward for fiction, The Swerve: loved girlfriend – out of insecurity rather Australian works above others – and it’s December and go in the draw How the World Became Modern by Stephen than any real desire to. Though it centres on hard to see why they ever would. The BISG to win an exhilarating trip for Greenblatt for non-fiction, for poetry Head a pending break-up, it’s a romantic comedy tried to address the Woolworths/Kindle two through the vibrant Off & Splitby Nikky Finney and for Young of sorts, with some wonderful observational issue by recommending that books be made landscapes of North India People’s Literature Inside Out & Back Again humour and many deeply moving moments. GST exempt, or that overseas retailers be with On the Go Tours and Air Mauritius by Thanhha Lai. I’d always meant to read compelled to collect GST on purchases by Stasiland and never got Australian residents. With other retailers around to it – until the complaining about the tax exempt status lead-up to Anna Funder’s of purchases below $1000, I imagine they debut novel, All That I Am wouldn’t be too happy about books getting (Viking, PB, $29.95). Of special treatment. However, the unique course, I was riveted by both characteristics of ebooks, in addition to their books. Sparked by real events, cultural importance, do seem to warrant it. All That I Am follows four friends who risk Why does the same ebook file purchased their lives to alert the world to the menace from Woolworths/Amazon have no GST – posed by Hitler in the years before World War whereas, if purchased from Readings ebooks II, from Berlin and then from exile in it does? No logic there!! London, where their visas prohibit them from political activity.