The Booktopia Book Guru asks Callum Hann author of The Starter Kitchen : Learn How to Love to Cook  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 and raised in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. It’... Read more

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9-8muvjtU&rel=0] I was surprised and saddened to hear that Marian Keyes, the woman dubbed ‘the queen of chick-lit’, the funny and brilliant author of such enduring classics as Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Rachel’s Holiday, and Anybody Out There, had stopped writing because she was crippled by depression. ‘I c... Read more

Kate Cuthbert, Editor of Booktopia’s Monthly Romance BUZZ has asked me to read the five romance novels featured below. She knows that I don’t read romance novels. I’ve read 19th century romances but I have never finished a Fabio-covered romance. She ardently (I can use ‘ardently’ in this context) believes I haven’t fallen in love with the romance genre becaus... Read more

Love is… What? What the hell is it? My definition of love is only one of billions. As is yours. Love doesn’t always come to us on a Hallmark card. Sometimes it comes dressed in a clown suit. Sometimes it looks like a lasagne or smells like smelly feet. Sometimes, what we think is a just a vigorous game of Twister is, in reality, the most romantic moment of our lives. Love can be sad... Read more

Love is everywhere. Love with a small ‘l’, that is. Little loves. Cheaply bought. Easily lost. It’s time to reset the benchmark. We shouldn’t be satisfied with any old love… Let’s be brave. Let’s go for all or nothing. Let’s hold out for BIG LOVE. What’s BIG LOVE? Oh, you poor, poor thing… there, there. Help is at hand. BIG LOVE, an in... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Loretta Hill author of The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots 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, raised and schooled in Perth, Western Australia. I’ve lived her... Read more

 The Booktopia Book Guru asks Sebastian Terry author of 100 Things: What’s On Your List? Ten Terrifying Questions  ————————— 1.     To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? Well I was born in Sydney; before then I was hopping over to Mauritius, Norway and then Englan... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Margo Lanagan author of Sea Hearts, Yellow Cake, White Time and more… 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 Newcastle, New South Wales. I was brought up in Ray... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Matthew Green (aka Matthew Dicks) author of Memoirs Of An Imaginary Friend, Unexpectedly, Milo and Something Missing 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 grew up in the small town of Blackstone, Massachusett... Read more

In Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Green has done something quite remarkable. He has written a tense psychological thriller and at the same time, a warm and moving story about life, death, love, loyalty and destiny. Read more