What's on the Book Vine #1: Ita Buttrose and Cleo Magazine

Following the surprising success of ABC TVs Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Ita Buttrose is definitely the current topic of many water cooler conversations. As an Australian woman who wasn't familiar with Ita's early work in journalism, I was certainly inspired by her trailblazing spunk and it seems I wasn't the only one. Since the TV show aired I have sold numerous copies of her autobiography A Passionate Life which was published in 1998 by Viking Books. Interestingly, some of these copies of Ita's book have been sitting on my book store shelf for years barely catching anyone's notice. This is what I love about the second hand book selling industry and it's appropriate here that I use a Heidi Klum fashion quote - "one minute you're in and the next you're out." Ita is definitely in!!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Ita's book just click through to the Reading Habit website using this link - BUY: A Passionate Life (Ita Buttrose). And, if you missed the ABC series, you can still view it on ABC iView - Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo (Episode 1).

Easter Giveaway - The Luxe (Anna Godbersen)

It's Easter and we're feeling festive here at Reading Habit, so we've decided to give away a copy of the young adult novel The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. Described as "having all the glitz of The O.C. but with bigger frocks and more dashing boys", this is a teen novel that delves into the whispers, the scandals, the mysteries and the revenge of society's elite.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us what your favourite Easter treat is (mine is Cadbury Cream Eggs...yum!!). Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 29th April 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 2nd May 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

Classic Book Follow Ons: Good or Bad?

I was cataloguing some books last week and came across the book you can see on your left - 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye (Buy it Now) by John David California. This unauthorised sequel to the classic cult novel Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger, which revisits Holden Caulfield 60 years on, has been quite controversial. Personally I have no desire to read the book, preferring to remember Holden Caulfield just as he was in the original novel. But as I thought longer on the topic, I realised there are actually quite a lot of classic books that have been followed on (not by the original author). In fact, there's apparently a term for such books. They're called "Parallel Novels" and they can also be prequels, spin-offs etc. Some well-known examples include:

• Mrs De Winter by Susan Hill - sequel to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - prequel to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• An Unequal Marriage by Emma Tennant - sequel to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley - sequel to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• March by Geraldine Brooks - parallel novel to Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

There's obviously a market out there for these types of novels, but how do we all really feel about them? Have you read any of these types of books and did you enjoy them? Do they take away from the original book? Are they even necessary? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

New Giveaway - My Soul to Steal (by Rachel Vincent)

I don't know about you, but I feel like there's such a huge amount of choice in the young adult genre at the moment that it's hard to know where to start. I certainly don't remember there being this much variety when I was a teen. In celebration of all the amazing young adult series gracing bookstores at the moment, we are giving away a FREE copy of Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Steal. This is the fourth book in her popular Soul Screamers series.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us who your favourite young adult series writer is. Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 25th March 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 28th March 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

New Giveaway - Ink Exchange (Melissa Marr)

In January we gave away the first book in Melissa Marr's popular Faerie series, so it follows that February should see us give away the second book in the series which is titled Ink Exchange. I really love the cover of this book and it got me to thinking about how much a cover can influence our decision to read a certain book or not. So, to enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that answers the following question - How much does the cover of a book influence your decision to read it?? Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 25th February 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 28th February 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 5 - Booky T-Shirts

Beware! Amateur modelling photographs to follow!! Thus it's with mixed feelings that I post this final instalment in my 'A Very Booky Xmas' series. I'm slightly reluctant because of the photos you're about to see, but excited to share such amazing gifts. Firstly, let me admit that I bought these T-shirts for myself, then distributed them to family and friends to give back to me for Xmas. It's a sure fire way of getting something you want!!

Late last year I came across a website called Out of Print. This fantastic little website is all about sharing the love of books through a fashion medium and it does so by selling T-shirts that feature iconic and sometimes out-of-print book covers. I fell in love with the site immediately and purchased three T-shirts within a heartbeat. The good news is that whilst you might be bending your credit card a little, purchasing a T-shirt through the website can also ease your social conscience. For every T-shirt purchased through the website, Out of Print donates one book to communities in need through their partner Books for Africa.

But back to the T-Shirts!! As I said, I purchased three. The first was The Outsiders (by S.E. Hinton) which you can see me striking a pose in at the top of this post. I bought this T-shirt because it reminded me of high school where we all had to read the novel. It also brought back memories of a school friend who was so obsessed with the movie that she covered every book, folder and pencil case she had in pictures of Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise and Matt Dillon (just to name a few).

The second shirt I bought was the Pride and Prejudice one as seen in the photo to the left. No I'm not looking at a bird! This is a catalogue modelling 101 pose!! This T-shirt is the most comfortable and the one I've worn the most. Though Persuasion is actually my favourite Austen novel, I couldn't resist purchasing this one to show my complete adoration of everything Jane (including the movies).

The third shirt I bought was Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison). I did enjoy this book and recommend it to all, but if truth be told the real reason I bought it is because of the colour and design. It's nice and bright and works with an olive skin tone!! Good with jeans too!!

There are plenty of other great books and authors featured on the website and I'd venture to say that there probably is a T-shirt for everyone as long as they're an avid reader. There are styles for men and women, as well as hoodies, gift certificates and a kids section. I also have to say that the service I received was excellent. I ordered just a few weeks before Xmas and was worried they wouldn't arrive in time, but a quick email sorted this out straight away and I received the T-shirts in just a few days. This is pretty unheard of for international transactions, so I give Out of Print a big thumbs up in the service department.

Well on that note I conclude this year's "A Very Booky Xmas". I would love to hear about any great pressies you received.....I've got a birthday coming up soon and I need some ideas!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 4 - Springy Book Light

I've been a little remiss in getting to the fourth part of my Very Booky Xmas series probably because it was the only booky gift I received that I was a bit disappointed in. At first glance this portable book light seems a great gift that's perfect for an avid reader like me. And it should be!! But there's one functional thing about this gift that lets it down completely.

On the positive side I was really impressed by it's springyness because it means you can shove it in a suitcase or a handbag with little regard for it's well being. It's also got a little clip so you can fix it to the book. I didn't find it hard at all to imagine many nights camping huddled in my tent with a book, or using it on a long flight without disturbing the person next to you. But all the springy stem and clever clip ideas aside a book light can only be useful if the light itself is good. Well .... that's where this one fails. The circumference of light that is projected is poor and only lights up a small portion of the page. Plus it's one of those crap LED lights that tend to softly glow rather than brightly illuminate. I'm sure there's better examples of a portable book light out there, but this one quite frankly is crap!! Recommendations anyone????


Stay tuned for the fifth and final instalment - Part 5 - Booky T-Shirts!! I've saved the best for last, but beware ... you will see some very amateur modelling.