I wrote All the Bright Places the summer of 2013, following the death of my literary agent. The last time I saw him, I was nearing the end of a series of books I’d begun writing in 2008 and was feeling depleted. He told me, “Whatever you write next, write it with all your heart. Write it because you can’t imagine writing anything else.” Years ago, I knew and loved a boy, and that boy was bipola... Read more

Writing a novel is more difficult than writing a screenplay. Why do I think this? Two words. Word count. My three action novels run between eighty to one hundred thousand words each. A typical screenplay? Twenty thousand, if that. I had one horror script come in at sixteen thousand a few years back. So, obviously, that means the time investment is very different too, about a year for a book ver... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Scott Blackwood author of See How Small Ten Terrifying Questions ____________ 1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? I was born in the state of Arkasas, in the same small town, El Dorado, where Charles Portis, who wrote True Grit and a number of other great books, was born. My family moved ar... Read more

Scorpion Mountain: Brotherband Series Book 5 by John Flanagan When the worlds of Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband cross over, action and adventure are guaranteed! King Duncan of Araluen has an urgent mission for Hal and the Heron Brotherband. One assassination attempt on Princess Cassandra was foiled. But the killers won’t be satisfied until they have fulfilled their honour-bound... Read more

Peter Sheridan is a man possessed by a peculiar but persistent affection for bakelite – the world’s first synthetic plastic. To some, this material may appear unlovely and charmless, but to Sheridan it is the stuff of poetry. As a result, he has become one of the world’s foremost collectors of objects made from this versatile and resilient man-made resin. A genial enthusiast, the curator ... Read more

Some interviews are easier than others. While one could be like two old friends reuniting and having a chat over a beer. Another could be like stepping into a lion’s den. Taming the enthusiastic and exuberant red banner wearing Peter Fitzsimons was always going to be a challenge. He’s so passionate about his subject. So we sent in our most genial of interviewers, Mr Andrew Cattanach... Read more

A one size fits all definition for Australian fiction? Nup. Australian imaginations cross borders and time as easily as those from elsewhere. There is no rule that all Australian fiction must deal with the bush, or the surf or gritty inner city crime. Within the short selection below you’ll find Medieval Europe, Chinese dragons, Antarctica, Texas, CIA conspiracies and, from Christos Tsiol... Read more

Now there’s a reason why we call Dr Karl, Dr Karl. Taking on his last name is, well, fraught with danger. We are not all SBS news readers. Some of us stumble when faced with complex surnames. And Kruszelnicki is a doozy. But when John Purcell sat across from Dr Karl and prepared to pronounce Karl’s full name, the ever helpful educator leant forward and walked him through it. Think y... Read more

Do you remember polio? Perhaps you don’t, but when I was growing up there were children who wore callipers (metal contraptions bolted to their leg below the knee) at my school or limped along wearing an awful tall shoe. Joan London has chosen child polio victims as her subject for this beautiful, tender and gently moving novel set in The Golden Age, a home for polio sufferers called in nineteen... Read more

Whether on the field, the pitch, the track or commentating from the sidelines, these men are amongst the biggest names in sport today. Their inspiring stories are a must for any sport fanatics summer reading collection. Pushing the Limits by Kurt Fearnley with Warwick Green When Kurt Fearnley was a kid, he would leave his wheelechair at the front gate and go exploring with his brothers and sist... Read more