Meeting Mr Gaiman

05:00am 16 Mar 2010 0 comments

By MAREE FIELD

Apparently you shouldn't meet your idols because you're likely to be disappointed.

This is not true. If anything, you shouldn't meet your idols because of the overwhelming fear that you're going to swallow your tongue in their presence. Or is that just me?

On Saturday, I flew to Wellington to listen to author Neil Gaiman, who was giving a talk at the Town Hall as part of the Writers and Readers week portion of the International Arts festival that's running until Sunday. 

Gaiman appeared as part of the Town Hall Talk series, along with New Zealand author Kate de Goldi.

The stuff of legends

03:50pm 08 Mar 2010 0 comments

By JILLIAN ALLISON-AITKEN

"Legend" is one of those terms that gets chucked around willy-nilly but when the press release came out last week announcing "literary legends" Margaret Mahy and Joy Cowley as finalists in the 2010 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards I had to nod in agreement.

These two women truly are legends, having achieved what so many set out to do but so few manage to perfect: they write absolutely brilliant children's books that delight children of all ages, from the littlies to the (ahem) slightly older reader, such as myself.

For Mahy, the book that secured her spot as a finalist was The Word Witch, a collection of her poems that delighted our reviewer Maree Field.

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to review Cowley's entry in the awards: Cowshed Christmas. I thought long and hard before snaffling that wee gem of a book for review because, of course, I'm not really the target audience.

Sure, I'm a mum but my son doesn't really fall into the target-audience category, either (being a bearded, beer-drinking bloke of 20 rather than a wee tot).

Let's talk ...

05:00am 26 Jan 2010 0 comments

By MAREE FIELD

My only resolution for 2010 was to not make any resolutions. So far, so good. 

One goal, if you like, that I would like to meet this year, though, is to read more. I read 40 books last year, and for me, it wasn't that many. I was too distracted by shiny things, and a toddler who assumes that what's mine is his.

But. 2010: The Year of the Book for this Chook. For sure. 

Except ... I'm not off to the best of starts. It's nearly February already, and  I've finished two books since the start of the year, and I just don't know where to look next.

I have a rather large pile of books mocking me from the bedside table, and let's not talk about the unread books on the bookcases. Or the library books that follow me home, I swear they do.

Reading between the lines

11:00pm 12 Jan 2010 0 comments

By JILLIAN ALLISON-AITKEN

I don't know for sure, but I suspect there's an anti-reading conspiracy happening right under our noses.

It seems every time I get myself comfortably positioned with a good book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, I get visitors. It's like there's a beacon on my roof that lights up to invite visitors to come and tear me away from my book.

Failing that, my normally not-overly-talkative husband suddenly decides to become extraordinarily chatty the moment he sees me holding a book.

Why? Have I done something to offend the book gods? Was I really mean to a librarian in a former life? It is quite possible that the answer to both those questions is yes, but that's not the point.

An open letter to Mr S Claus

02:10am 22 Dec 2009 1 comment

By JILLIAN ALLISON-AITKEN

Dear Santa,

I'd like to say I've been a particularly good girl this year but I suppose that wouldn't be entirely honest. However, I've been no worse than last year and haven't thought about the "build your own Taser" guide I found on the internet for weeks (okay, so it's really been days but I had good intentions).

Anyway, my wish list is as follows:

1. Surprises. I like surprises. Few books manage to surprise me with unexpected plot twists so those that do have a special place in my heart. Twisty plots make me happy, which in turn reduces the chances of me spending time with the aforementioned "build your own Taser" guide I found on the internet.