CR Newsletter August 2024

The Compulsive Reader newsletter for August is on its way to inboxes. This month features quite a few interviews including our Compulsive Reader Talks feature with Patti Miller, whose classic book Writing True Stories has been extensively revised and reissued.  We also have reviews of Zero at the Bone by Christian Wiman, The Inhabitants by Beth Castrodale, Little River of Amazement by Mary Kay Rummel, and Not So Distant World by Grace Cavalieri to name just a few. Of course there is a new book giveaway for a copy of Farhang Book One by Patrick Woodcock,  and the big literary news round up. I always have lots of books to giveaway and I've been choosing some book winners at random from subscribers as well, so make sure you're subscribed and you might just win a book!  

To check out the newsletter in the archive visit: Archive.  To subscribe, visit http://www.compulsivereader.com and pop your email in the box on the upper right side.  Happy reading!  

Compulsive Reader Newsletter May

Another month has gone by and the May Compulsive Reader newsletter is now on its way to inboxes everywhere.  I've been trying to get on top of my backlog of reviews so keep adding more and more to what used to be 10 a month.  This month we actually have 16 new reviews and 2 interviews, including Turn Up the Heat's Ruth Danson along with our Compulsive Reader Talks segment with the wonderful Kent MacCarter who reads from and talks about his book Fat Chance, also reviewed. We have 2 new book giveaways including Night of the Hawk by Lauren Martin and The Alone Time by Elle Marr, and of course a huge round up of awards and other literary news from around the world.  If you haven't gotten yours yet, or just want to check it out before you subscribe (for free of course), you can pick up a copy in our permanent archive: 

CR Newsletter May: Justin Gardiner, Patrick Woodcock, Karen Van Fossan, Kent MacCartercompulsivereader.com

To subscribe, just visit http://www.compulsivereader.com  and put your email address in the subscribe box on the upper right hand side and join the fun.  Happy reading! 

Compulsive Reader Newsletter January

 

The January Compulsive Reader Newsletter has now gone out and is on its way to inboxes everywhere.  This month's issue includes 14 new reviews including One River by Steve Armstrong, the new translation of The Iliad by Emily Wilson, Thieves by Valerie Werder, and The Girl Who Cried Diamonds & Other Stories by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia.  We also have a new giveaway for a copy of The China Shelf by Jennifer Maiden, the usual literary news roundup and an exclusive interview with Valerie Werder at the podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/compulsivereader/episodes/Valerie-Werder-on-Thieves-e2cqfr0

If you can't wait or somehow aren't getting it you can grab a copy in the archive here.

To sign up visit http://www.compulsivereader.com

Compulsive Reader Newsletter June

 

The June Compulsive Reader Newsletter is now on its way to inboxes everywhere - our readers are all over the world!  This month's newsletter features 3 book giveaways including our current front page giveaway for a copy of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace by Tracey Buchanan as well as the usual big literary news round up (so many awards!) and a dozen new reviews including the wonderful T by Alan Fyfe which has been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier's award for an Emerging Writer. I also spoke to Alan this month at the podcast about T and also his upcoming poetry book.  You can find all that and more in our monthly newsletter, and if you can't want for it to arrive (it tends to trickle in slowly over a few days), you can view it in your browser.  If you aren't a subscriber, visit http://www.compulsivereader.com to subscribe for free. 

"Books or just art?" by Alexandre Dulaunoy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

CR Newsletter October

 

The October Compulsive Reader newsletter has just gone out and is on its way to inboxes everywhere. This month has new reviews for such books as Walking the Labyrinth by Pamela Wax, The Pit by Tara Borin, The Circle That Fits by Kevin Lichty, and many others as well as an interview with The Fun Master's Jeff Seitzer. We also have a giveaway for the newly released Moonstone Hero by David Sklar, a terrific roundup of literary news including shortlists for the Scotiabank Giller, the Booker Prize, and the NSW Literary Awards to name just a few.  If you can't wait for it to arrive you can check it out in the: Compulsive Reader Newsletter Archive and if you'd like to subscribe (free of course) visit: http://www.compulsivereader.com

Compulsive Reader newsletter for November is out

The November Compulsive Reader Newsletter has now gone out. This month features interviews with The Encanto's Alan Swan and Columbus and Caonabó's Andrew Rosen, along with another bumper crop of reviews including Beyond the Hill I Gather by Jeffrey Kingman, We’re Doomed! by Scott Erickson, and Watched and other stories by Carol Chandler to name just a few.  Of course we have the big global literary news roundup including such things as the TS Eliot prize, the German Book Prize, the Governor General's Literary Awards, and the Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards.  There are also more books to giveaway, including a fabulous full set of the three books in Joan Schweighardt's Rivers trilogy, and Dana Mack's All Things that Deserve to Perish.  You can also listen to my interview with poet KA Rees at: Compulsive Reader Talks

You should have received your copy of the newsletter by now but if you're missing it, you can go get it directly from the Compulsive Reader Archive.

Happy reading! 

Photo credit: Evan Lawrence Bench

September Compulsive Reader Newsletter is now out

The September Compulsive Reader newsletter is now out, featuring nine new reviews plus an interview with allbergs Forlag founder, publisher, and entrepreneur Marcus Tallberg, a full suite of literary news from around the world, and three new giveaways including a signed copy straight off the press of Meeting Each Other Alive: New Translations from the Letters between Manuela Sáenz and Simón Bolívar, and from their Letters about each other translated by Katharine Margot Toohey. If you haven't  received it or want to check out the issue visit the CR Newsletter Archive

If you'd like to subscribe visit: http://www.compulsivereader.com. 

Image "Stack of Books" by Martin Vorel 

Compulsive Reader Newsletter for June

"Books" by Jules Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Hello readers.  2020 has been relentless, and I’m well aware that I’m one of the lucky ones - privileged, comfortable, surrounded by books. Will it end up being a year of dissolution, transformation or both?  I don’t know and it’s probably too early to tell, but the toll either way has been terrible. So much of what we’re going through right now seems to me to be connected. I want to do more - to help more.  Is my tiny platform the right place?  How do I amplify other voices? How do I make space for much-needed change? I don’t have the answers, but I’m trying to learn and grow, and the best way to do that, I think, is through listening/paying attention to people who know firsthand. For the US, Rachel Cargle’s course is excellent - with simple, actionable items and more extensive resources if you are able to go there. Rachel (https://www.rachelcargle.com) has a whole list of resources here: https://linktr.ee/1thatgotawayy, and you can sign up for the free course at the link. I’m also on the lookout specifically for Australian resources. I have lots of books, podcasts and am reading and listening widely but if you’ve got specific resources that you want to share around climate change, living sustainably, or combating racial and other forms of inequality - both structural and personal including indigenous deaths in custody and the shameful way we treat refugees, please let me know, particularly if they are are in the voices of lived experience that I might be able to help amplify.  What is becoming increasingly obvious is that we all have to work together to make this world a kinder, safer, more inclusive place. I’m ready to #dothework, so hit me up if you’ve got ideas.  In the meantime, June’s newsletter is bigger than usual - I’m trying to catch up with a lot of backlogged reviews, and to get on top of my teetering stack, so we’ve got 15 new reviews instead of the usual 10.  There’s also a big roundup of news, and 3 fantastic new giveaways as well, including fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  If you’re a subscriber, you should have your copy soon (but check spam as the word ‘compulsive’ often triggers the filters). You can also grab a copy in the archive here: Compulsive Reader Newsletter Archive   To subscribe visit: http://www.compulsivereader.com.

CR Newsletter for May

The Compulsive Reader newsletter for May has just gone out.  Wherever you are, I hope you’ve got good reading material. Our newsletter this month includes 11 new reviews and interviews to help keep you in the know about the latest and greatest new books coming out - we’ve got, for example, Sophie Hardcastle’s Below Deck (check out my interview with Sophie here: https://youtu.be/82COIj2UXbw), All My People Are Elegies by Sean Thomas Dougherty, Stanley Park by Sapphira Olson, interviews with Michael Foldes, Kristina Marie Darling, Ashley Kalagian Blunt, and lots more. We also have a big news roundup including some fantastic virtual events happening, and 3 fantastic new book giveaways.  If you’re a subscriber, you should have a copy already in your inbox. If not, you can grab a copy directly from our archive here: http://www.compulsivereader.com/sendpress/email/?sid=MA&eid=MTUwOT

CR Newsletter March

Photo by Renato Abati from Pexels

Happy march, fellow book lovers.  The March Compulsive Reader newsletter is now on its way to you, featuring reviews of new books like Meowku by Patricia Carragon and Flight by Robert Anthony Gibbons, Asylum Garden: after Van Gogh by Alan Catlin, Nina’s Memento Mori by Mathias Freese, and The Land of Last Chances by Joan Cohen. We also have lots of new interviews, including exciting new author Holden Sheppard, as well as two new audio interviews at Compulsive Reader talks.  There are two fantastic new giveaways too, and of course the full round-up of literary news from around the globe.  If you’re a subscriber it should be hitting your inbox very soon.  If not, you can sign up straightaway here: http://www.compulsivereader.com.  It’s free and we just send out the one email a month.  If you can’t wait for it to arrive, you can view it in your browser now.  Happy reading!

CR Newsletter for Sept is out

The Sept edition of Compulsive Reader News has just gone out.  This month we have interviews with Twin Peaks’ Kimmy Robertson, Swimming Between Worlds’ Elaine Neil Orr, and our Compulsive Reader Talks features poet Steve Armstrong. We also have reviews of new books by Kenneth Salzmann, Joan Schweighardt, James Molony, Gale Massey, Charlotte Guest and lots more, as well as our new giveaway of a copy of Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey.  If you can’t wait for it to arrive you can grab a copy right here: Compulsive Reader News  If you’d like to subscribe, visit http://www.compulsivereader.com, and for ultra early notification of new reviews and interviews, you can visit our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TheCompulsiveReader
‘Like' us, and notifications will come straight into your Facebook feed as soon as something new is up.

Compulsive Reader Newsletter for January

Hello readers and happy new year!  The January Compulsive Reader Newsletter has now been fully delivered and contains the usual 10 fresh pieces including an overview of the Wollongong Writers Festival, Earthly Remains by Donna Leon, These Wild Houses by Omar Sakr, A Jarful of Moonlight by Nazanin Mirsadeghi, and lots more, as well as a great new giveaway (we had a surprise extra give-away last month and that may happen again sometime...), and the round-up of literary news, prizes and events.
If you haven’t received your copy, you can check it out in the public archive here: Compulsive Reader Jan Newsletter

CR Newsletter for August has gone out

Hello dear readers, the Compulsive Reader newsletter for August has now been delivered to all subscribers and should be in your inbox now.  If you haven’t received it you can grab a copy from the  Compulsive Reader Newsletter Archive.

This month we have fantastic interviews with Patti Miller, John Safran, and Jack McMasters, as well as a bunch of new reviews, lots of literary news, and two fantastic book giveaways.  If you aren’t a subscriber, you can sign up free here: http://www.compulsivereader.com

Compulsive Reader Newsletter for April has gone out

In all the excitement of the Newcastle Writers Festival, I forgot to mention that the April newsletter went out, as usual, on the 1st of the month.  If you didn’t receive it or would like to check the newsletter out before subscribing, you can grab a copy in the newsletter archive.

This issue contains ten brand new reviews including Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, Brigid Delaney’s Wild Things, James Fry’s That Fry Boy, and many more.  We also have the usual extensive roundup of literary news from the month of March, and three fantastic book giveaways.  If you are a subscriber, you’ve probably already read it (unless your spam filter has been upset by the word “compulsive” - it does happen sometimes).  If not, you can subscribe for free at The Compulsive Reader.

Compulsive Reader Newsletter for June has just gone out

Hello fellow readers and happy June.  Just letting you know that another issues of The Compulsive Reader news has gone out.  I know that the word “compulsive” occasionally triggers the spam filters so if you didn’t get you copy, just drop by the Compulsive Reader News Archive and pick one up.  This month we have ten fresh reviews including new books by Helen Razer and Bernard Keane, Brenda Bowen, Philip Glass’ memoir, Carolyn Martinez’ excellent new nonfiction book, several new interviews and a whole lot more.  We also have 3 book giveaways and of course the usual global literary news round-up.  Over at the radio show, there’s my latest interview, conducted live at the Sydney Writers Festival (in the back room of the former Sebel hotel, which was full of visiting authors that day) with non other than Ben Okri, who spoke with candour and intensity about his new book The Age of Magic (as you can see from the photo on the right, taken while we spoke, by Okri’s Australian publicist at HarperCollins).

Ben also spoke about his poetry and the relationship between poetry and prose writing for him, about the value of slow reading and attention, about why it is so important to retain magic in our lives, and so on.  The interview was only 30 minutes but we crammed a lot in!  To listen, just drop by The Compulsive Reader Talks.

If you aren’t a Compulsive Reader news subscriber, you can subscribe for free at http://www.compulsivereader.com - just on the front page (upper right hand side).  I only send out one newsletter a month, it’s a great way to stay on top of what’s happening in the book world, and we give out lots of books!

Books photo credit: Le Jour ni l'Heure 8537 : Francisco de Zurbaran, 1598-1664, L'Annonciation, 1638-1639, dét. (table de lecture de la Vierge), musée de Grenoble, Isère, jeudi 28 juillet 2011, 12:40:20 via photopin (license)

Extreme Reading Part 2

Someone recently asked me what the most extreme place I’ve ever read in was.  I immediately answered that it was at a David Lee Roth concert - where I, not a great fan, pulled out a copy of The Forsyte Saga and read it with a little torch, slinking slightly down my seat.  It didn’t add greatly to my popularity at the time, but I did get the paper I had due done, and an A in that class (and added the perfect frisson of subversiveness to what might otherwise have been a dull read).  I’ve read in all sorts of odd places--on top of a windy sand-dune (see Extreme Reading part 1), in the hospital while in labour (not past transition...in case you were wondering, though I remember each of those books with extra fondness), while cooking, on the back of a motorcycle, while walking my dog, and many times surreptitiously when I was supposed to be doing something else (working, sleeping, cleaning, putting things away, etc).  That probably accounts for my clumsiness as it’s hard to avoid bumping into things if you’re reading while walking.

It may well be just a naughty streak, but I quite like reading in odd and sometimes extreme circumstances.  That isn’t to say that I don’t also like reading in relaxed, comfortable positions.  A window nook or warm bed will do just fine, but I do find that what I read is coloured by the conditions under which I read, and an interesting situation can make for a very powerful addition to the experience, as the reading is impacted upon by hormones (as in the case of labour), bad music (as in the case of DLR),  good music (for example, I’m currently reading Philip Glass’ wonderful memoir Words Without Music and having his music on while reading is perfect).  So what about you?  Have you ever read a book while travelling on the back of an elephant?  Sneaked a peak during a rock concert?  Took your book out when you should have been doing something far more responsible like cleaning the bathroom?  Go on...tell all.  I’d like to know.  It will just be between us.


photo credit: A good read via photopin (license)

New Compulsive Reader Newsletter for Feb is out!

Hi fellow readers.  A new issue of The Compulsive Reader News has now been sent out and should be hitting your in-box shortly if it hasn’t already.  The current issue has ten fresh reviews including my own lengthy review of Philip Salom’s Afterworld, as well as interviews with West of Sunset’s Stewart O’Nan and Plus One’s Christopher Noxon.  We also have 6 (yes 6!) book giveaways this month, including West of Sunset, Plus One, Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell, The Price of Blood by Patricia Bracewell and more.  We also have all the latest literary news from around the world.  If the email gremlins got to it before you did and you didn’t get your copy, you can grab one from the Compulsive Reader Archive.  If you aren’t a subscriber, you can join us free at http://www.compulsivereader.com.
 

Compulsive Reader Dec Newsletter is out

Hello everyone.  The December Compulsive Reader Newsletter has just been released.  As always we have ten fresh reviews featuring the likes of Simon Armitage, Gabriel Contains, Deborah Rodruigez, an interview with Allen Wyler, and many others.  We also have two great new giveaways, lots of literary news, and enough links to keep your meta-reading going all holiday long.  Drop by the public archive to grab a copy immediately, or watch for it in your in-box: http://www.compulsivereader.com/sendpress/eyJpZCI6NTE3MCwidmlldyI6ImVtYWlsIn0/

If you’re not a subscriber, and want to be (it’s free, like all the best things in life...), you can visit: http://www.compulsivereader.com and sign up.  I don’t send more than one newsletter a month and there are always giveaways.

Compulsive Reader News is out

Hi readers, just a quickie to let you know that the new Compulsive Reader Newsletter for November is now out, making its way to an inbox near you.  The newsletter features 9 brand new reviews (including a film), a new interview, lots of literary news including the Man Booker Prize, the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize, the National Book Prize, Toronto Book Award, Australian Prime Minister's Award, the TS Eliot prize and more, as well as two new book giveaways.  If you haven't gotten yours yet and can't wait, just head over to: The Compulsive Reader News Archive
and grab yourself a copy now.  If you aren't a subscriber, just drop by http://www.compulsivereader.com and sign up.  It's free and we've got a lovely worldwide community of readers (10,000 or so!).  I only sent out one newsletter a month.  Enjoy!

 

October Compulsive Reader Newsletter is out

Fellow readers, the October issue of The Compulsive Reader News is now on its way to you via email.  If you can't wait until it arrives or if (horrors) you aren't a subscriber, you can grab a copy from the archive: 
www.compulsivereader.com/sendpress/eyJpZCI6NTA0NiwidmlldyI6ImVtYWlsIn0/


Of course if you aren't a subscriber and you want to enter our tasty giveaways, you should just drop by http://www.compulsivereader.com and sign up.  It's free, and I only send out one newsletter a month and nothing else.  This month's issue contains 8 fresh reviews and 2 interviews, as well as literary news from around the world including some of the biggest literary prizes from the US, New Zealand, Australia, Nigeria, Canada, UK, and China.  We've also got three new giveaways, including the Charlie Lovett's new novel, First Impressions. (I really liked his first novel The Bookman's Tale and you can hear my interview with him and his little promo of First Impressions here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/compulsivereader/2013/07/16/interview-with-charlie-lovett)