Wordsville

Kat Mayo runs Book Thingo, a blog focused on reading (mostly) romance books down under.

Who taught you to read and how old were you?

My family is big on literacy, and my mum read stories to me at every
chance. You know those vignettes of childhood you remember, when you were too young to form memories that last more than a few seconds?
A lot of mine involve books or reading or storytelling. I had to check
the details with my Mum, but apparently I started paraphrasing bedtime
stories before I was three. By the time I was four, I could read simple books on my own and was on the road to being a voracious reader. One of our regular mother-daughter outings was to the bookstore. Bookstores have always been a bit magical for me, even now.

Which books did you love as a child?

My parents bought me a set of books (A Book For Me To Read) by Ruth Ainsworth and Ronald Ridout, which were the first books I remember reading on my own. Those books were very well used in our house, and I only wish I still had them to pass on to my kids.

My first biggest literary obsession was Nancy Drew. In fact, I consider those books my first foray into romance—Ned Nickerson was like, the most perfect boyfriend evah! I still remember my first Nancy Drew: The Ringmaster’s Secret. I wish I’d kept it!

I also fell in love with Hugh Walters, who wrote YA science fiction.
I had hardback copies of his books, which my parents forced me to leave behind when we migrated to Australia. I regret losing those books—they’re out of print now. In my first couple of years in Australia I discovered Enid Blyton. I devoured her books, and when I first saw ginger beer at the shops it was a moment of awe. The other two books that had a huge impression on me as child were The Riddle of the Trumpalar by Judy Bernard-Waite, and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

Aside from those, I loved anything with romance in it.
I read my first Mills & Boon—a chaste book I saved from my grandmother’s rubbish pile—when I was around 10, and turned to Sweet Dreams. My first Sweet Dreams was Never Say Goodbye by Janet Quin-Harkin, which had a hero who develops multiple sclerosis. That book made it to Australia, but it didn’t survive one of my bursts of room decluttering.

Which five authors (living or dead) would you like to have dinner with?

Krissy Kneen. I’ve just reread her memoir Affection and it speaks to me on such a profound level that I’d probably be thrilled just to watch her all through dinner.

Patricia A McKillip. We could dine on her words. Seriously.

Eloisa James. Not only is she a wonderful writer, I think she has a
wicked sense of humour and she’s a Shakespearean scholar. Plus she’s
living in Paris at the moment, so not only can she bring good dinner
conversation, she can bring pastries and wine.

Steve Dublanica (aka The Waiter). I love the depth of meaning he
imbues into his blog posts (and book) and his almost gentle commentary
on life and human foibles. I’m pretty sure he’d have excellent
anecdotes to share, not to mention tips on how to get the best
restaurant service throughout dinner.

Brooke Magnanti (aka Belle de Jour). Just think of the dinner
conversation: science, sex and the human condition. I find her utterly
fascinating.

Mind you, if I we were to have everyone together for dinner, I’d be in
such a state of fan-crazed anxiety I’d be useless all evening.

Name the last two books you have read and rate them out of 5 (5 is the best) You can add a few sentences to say why you liked or didn’t like them if you wish.

Excluding rereads, the last two books I read were:

Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie (4). Probably one of my favourite
Crusies. I love the way she layers the story, and her sense of humour,
as always, keeps the characters fun and the romance delicious.

Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh (3). It has some lovely emotional scenes, and the world building is relatively solid, but some scenes can get a tad overwrought, and there are other books in this series that I liked better.

Where is your favourite place to read?

On the couch or in bed. I’m not a fussy reader. I can read almost anywhere.

You are being sent to a remote island for who knows how long – which three books are you going to take with you?

I’m not sure I could survive on three books. I’d take: Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale, Affection by Krissy Kneen, Addition by Toni Jordan.

How do you organise your personal library at home?

Haphazardly.

Print or e-book?

Print, but that’s because I can’t afford an e-book reader!
More seriously, I’d probably go e-book (if I could) with my disposable fiction which might be a cruel term to use, but I think that’s how a lot of fiction (at least those I read) is marketed. I don’t necessarily enjoy them less, but most of them I read today and will barely remember next week. On the other hand, I wish I could get my keeper books in hardback because I’d love to be able to hand them to my kids one day. I love the thought of books as heirlooms. For me, there’s something poignant and exciting and mystical about reading a pre-loved and well loved book.

Kat is on Twitter @BookThingo
and her blog is at http://bookthingo.com.au/

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