Ronlyn Domingue, author of the novel The Mercy of Thin Air, writes about her favorite books of 2006 on Marshal Zeringue's weblog "Campaign for the American Reader". Of the three she mentions: "Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman, a virtuosic, compelling, psychological novel about a man who kidnaps the child of a former lover."
In attempting to answer the question, "Is the Holocaust a fitting subject for children's books?", on the Guardian Arts blog, Dina Rabinovitch looks at The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. "'Markus Zusak hasn't really written Harry Potter and the Holocaust,' declared Janet Maslin in the New York Times. 'It just feels that way.' She means the dramatic sweep of the novel, its young heroine in a world of adults, its capacity - once you are past the first few pages - to keep you reading right through the night." She recommends it.
Sean Williams talks about his upcoming 23rd novel, Saturn Returns, and a strange character in the book who only talks using the words of a certain 1980s electropop pioneer.
Homesickness has overcome Kelly Gardiner, an Australian writer living in New Zealand, so she has decided to return to Melbourne and work at the State Library of Victoria. Now it's just packing, packing, packing.
Judith Ridge is researching critical writing about Australian children's and young adult literature, and has put out a call on her weblog: "if any fellow critics/reviewers are reading, I'd be pleased if you could direct me to the review or article which you think is your best and/or most significant piece. And while I'm here, anyone can contact me to alert me to a review or critical article about Australian children's literature that you think is well-written and significant in what it has to say about the literature and/or about attitudes towards children's books, children and childhood/adolescence, or even about Australian society and culture in general."
