The reading year
Hello and welcome to 2012.
My name's Kelly Gardiner, and I'm honoured to be the writer in residence on inside a dog for January.
So who on earth am I?
I'm a writer and editor - my latest book is Act of Faith, a young adult novel set in the 17th century, about a young woman called Isabella who gets caught up in desperate intrigues and adventures.
My previous books are for younger readers, including a picture book called Billabong Bill's Bushfire Christmas and the ‘Swashbuckler!’ pirate adventure trilogy: Ocean Without End, The Pirate's Revenge and The Silver Swan. I also work part-time at the State Library of Victoria, the same place that's responsible for creating this website: inside a dog.
But right now, I'm getting ready to spend a week by the beach: swimming, fishing, probably eating far too much, going to the movies if the weather's dull, and of course reading. Since 2012 is the National Year of Reading, I'd better start the year with a few good books.
My movie list for the summer includes plenty of films adapted from books, including War Horse, Hugo, and Tin Tin. Maybe Puss in Boots. Anybody seen them yet? I have high hopes for War Horse. But don't you hate it when the film is nowhere near as good as the book? Fingers crossed it's not one of those.
(Image from War Horse gallery)
I haven't figured out what I'm going to read on my holiday. It's a big decision, and I always get it wrong. I pack a whole stack of books, and then don't feel like reading any of them - usually because when I get to the beach I just want chill-out reading. Know what I mean?
I stack my suitcase full of books I've been meaning to read for ages, but then I feel too stupid or sun-struck or just plain lazy. Instead I start off catching up on three-month old celebrity gossip magazines and move onto some entertaining thrillers or adventures or paranormal or maybe even a detective story. If all else fails, I re-read Harry Potter from the beginning.
Last summer I read every single Sherlock Holmes novel. By the end I was utterly sick of him - and Doctor Watson. I've recovered enough to want to go see the new Sherlock film, though.
So there comes a point in every holiday (about day two) when I have to go find an op-shop or a second-hand book store and buy a few more books just to get me through.
Otherwise, there'd be a Reading Emergency. And that's never pretty.
I wonder what's on your summer reading and movie lists?
