Amanda Knox’s Memoir: Waiting To Be Heard – A Review from Andrew Cattanach

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

The Amanda Knox story remains one of the most curious events in recent legal history, appearing to come straight from the pages of the most ambitious thriller. Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach reviews Amanda Knox’s memoir Waiting To Be Heard.

Here was Amanda Knox. A young, attractive American studying in Italy who had been found guilty of murdering her flatmate, Meredith Kercher. Her boyfriend and her employer, a local bar owner, her accomplices. Quite a story.

Needless to say, the press lapped it up. The prosecution got in on the mayhem too, argued many reasons for the violent crime ranging from a falling out over a cleaning roster to a sex game gone wrong.

Unlike many average-person-turned-infamous memoirs, Waiting to be Heard is incredibly interesting for two reasons. One, she is a talented writer. Those in the know say she insisted on writing it herself, and probably save for a few standard edits the words are hers, and the book is all the better for it. It’s clear she knows the speed with which to tell a story, even if the cliffhanger passages that wrap up chapters seem a little dramatic. She’s currently studying creative writing and no doubt has a novel in the works.

The other reason Waiting to be Heard is so interesting is, for even those who proclaimed her innocence, there have always been moments of “What were are you thinking?“

Like…..

When first found at the crime scene she was filmed passionately kissing her boyfriend.
What were you thinking?

When she was innocently questioned by police about her use of marijuana (which she later admitted was daily) and she said she’d done drugs before.
What were you thinking?

When, knowing the police were following her hours after the attack, she and her boyfriend went lingerie shopping.
What were you thinking?

When she started performing cartwheels and splits to various members of the police during questioning.
What were you thinking?

When she was wearing protective clothing to inspect the crime scene and started doing funny poses, laughing for the cameras.
What were you thinking?

When she accused her boss of murdering her friend, despite then writing a note hours later saying she lied.

Seriously, Amanda. What were you thinking?!

And thankfully these questions get answered, albeit with the excuse of a naïveté I doubt she possesses. I found myself constantly wondering throughout the book whether these strange actions were brain snaps, or if Knox was simply a playfully eccentric young woman who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have no doubt in my mind of her innocence, but there are still many that doubt her story. Either by chance or design, and while answering the questions we ask, Knox never really convinces you of the key points in her story. After reading the book, I found it created as many questions as it answered.

The arrest, trial, and retrial of Amanda Knox remains a moment that enthralled the world. And in Waiting To Be Heard, we have a book that matches the drama and tension of the event itself, which is no small feat.

Click here to buy Waiting To Be Heard from Booktopia,
Australia’s Local Bookstore

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Andrew Cattanach is a contributor to The Booktopia Blog and was shortlisted for The Age Short Story Prize. He enjoys complaining about the weather and wants more novels to involve crime-fighting chimpanzees.

You can read his other posts here, and follow his ramblings on twitter at @andrew__cat.

Filed under: Biography/Memoir, Book Recommendations | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Join experts from Booktopia at The 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Looking for things to see at The Sydney Writer’s Festival?

Come along and hear some experts from Booktopia chat about the wonderful world of books…

Caroline Baum

Lost and Found

What: Writers Ailsa Piper (Sinning Across Spain) and Cheryl Strayed (Wild) have both turned to travel in a bid to find redemption and connection. They talk with Caroline Baum about the call of the road and the journeys which led them to become who they are today. Ailsa trekked 1300 kilometres across Spain from Granada to Galicia in a bid to walk off the sins of others, while Cheryl trekked 1770 kilometres along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in order to save herself.

When: Thursday, May 23,  10:00 AM - 11:00 AM.

Where: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $20/$14.

The 21st Century Author

What: Digital sharing and collaborative consumption are disrupting traditional economic models and reinventing not just what people consume, but how they consume. In this new environment how, can an author monetise their work and how will books transform as they compete for space in the digital world? Social innovator Rachel Botsman, (What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption), who says we are ‘wired to share’, shows how technology will change the role of authors and looks at the potential impact on their ideas. She talks to journalist Caroline Baum.

When: Thursday, May 23,  2:30 PM - 3:30 PM.

Where: Wharf Theatre 2, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $20/$14.

Claire Messud: The Woman Upstairs

What: The New York Times bestselling author Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs is one of the most exhilarating reads of the year – the confession of a woman awakened, transformed and betrayed by desire for a world beyond her own. Messud speaks to Caroline Baum about this ‘scorching social anatomy, red-hot psychology, galvanising story’. Claire has been awarded both an Addison Metcalf Award and a Strauss Living Award by the American Academy of Arts.

When: Friday, May 24,  2:30 PM - 3:30 PM.

Where: Pier 2/3 Main Stage, Pier 2/3, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $20/$14.

Rachael Treasure and Rural Romance

What: Author, mother, regenerative agriculturalist and ‘lover of life’, Rachael Treasure, talks to Caroline Baum about her latest novel, The Farmer’s Wife, and the phenomenon of rural romance that she kick-started with her first novel, Jillaroo. Her other bestselling books include The Stockman, based on her experience with working dog education, The Rouseabout, inspired by her wild times at Australia’s Bachelor and Spinster (B&S) Balls and The Cattleman’s Daughter.

When: Saturday, May 25,  1:00 PM - 2:00 PM.

Where: Pier 2/3 The Loft, Pier 2/3, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, Free, no bookings.

Kate Atkinson: Life After Life

What: What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right? Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century, over and over. Kate Atkinson, at her most profound and inventive, speaks to Caroline Baum. ‘Kate Atkinson’s new novel is a box of delights. Ingenious in construction, indefatigably entertaining . . . If you wish to be moved and astonished, read it’ (Hilary Mantel).

When: Saturday, May 25,  4:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

Where: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $20/$14.

John Purcell

Books to Live By

What: A great book recommendation is indeed a wonderful thing. Booksellers, with their wealth of knowledge and eyes on the most exciting new books, are often the best people to tell us what to read. Getting the right books to the right people is their special skill.

Three of Sydney’s most in-the-know booksellers and tastemakers, John Purcell, Morgan Smith and Barbara Horgan, share some of their secrets with Walter Mason and recommend their favourite books.

When: Thursday, May 23, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM.

Where: Sydney Dance 2, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, Free, no bookings

Haylee Nash

Forest for the Trees: Writers & Publishing in 2013

What: A one-day seminar looking at the current state of publishing for Australian writers. The seminar brings together writers, publishers, marketers and agents to discuss what is happening in 2013. The conversation includes digital and independent publishing, as well as the challenges the industry is now facing.

Self-published authors share how they manage being a writer, a publisher and a promoter of their own work. The day concludes with a case study looking at the creative approach one publisher is taking to promote a debut author. Hear from the writer, agent and author about their unconventional strategy.

When: Thursday, May 23, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM.

Where: State Library of NSW, Metcalfe Auditorium, Macquarie Street Wing, Macquarie Street, Sydney, $45/$35.

For more details on these or any other events go to www.swf.org.au

Filed under: Australian Author, Book Recommendations, Coming Soon, Literary Classic, Literary Festivals, Thriller, Writing Style, Writing tips | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini – A Review from Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Bestselling author Khaled Hosseini returns to our shelves with his hugely anticipated third novel. On the eve of its release, Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach casts an eye over it.

Maya Angelou once said “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise”. Whether Khaled Hosseini has heard that sage advice is unlikely. That he shares the same view, however, is all but certain. His new novel And The Mountains Echoed shares the same heartbeat as his previous works, but instead of reaching for the stars he appears to have developed through regression, at least from an emotional standpoint. His latest offering, while boasting a globe hopping narrative and an array of multi-generational characters, is a measured, tender, and still powerful exploration of what makes us tick.

Hosseini is one of the world’s most celebrated writers, with a body of work that includes the worldwide best seller The Kite Runner and the acclaimed 2007 book A Thousand Splendid Suns. Both books examined the inner workings of the human condition. Powerful themes of loss, love, power, redemption, all set against the turbulent backdrop of Afghan history. Spanning generations, both books came with heart-wrenching emotional conflict, epic in every sense of the word.

While And The Mountains Echoed is a weave of incredibly powerful tales, Hosseini skilfully pulls back the reigns on an all out emotional roller coaster, allowing the story to unravel bit by bit. We begin in 1952, as Kaboor, is telling his 10-year-old son, Abdullah, and little girl, Pari, a fantastical tale about a child taken from its family under wrenching circumstances. The father makes a brutal pilgrimage to mountains to rescue his son, only to find the boy is being raised in paradise. He leaves him there.

It sets the scene, as much of the book chronicles the agonizing choices we all make in extraordinary circumstances around the people we love.

Young Pari is swiftly cut away from her poor family to join an upwardly mobile one, triggering the novel’s slingshot trajectory between Afghanistan, France, Greece and California and back and forth across the decades up to the present.

Pari may be the book’s protagonist but she is not its obvious star. Between an alcoholic poet married to a closeted gay man, a surly but heroic nurse, a sentimental man-servant, a selfless plastic surgeon, and others variously introduced via posthumous letters, media interviews and sweeping recollections, Pari barely makes a peep once the novel gets a move on.

I won’t go any further, but it’s not as chaotic as it sounds. The ball keeps rolling and each character enters and leaves at the perfect time, never halting the pace and progress of the novel.

Many have questioned if Khaled Hosseini could continue his impossibly high standards after his previous two works. And incredibly he has, with a beautiful, confident novel told by a true master. The Kite Runner might have been a fluke, A Thousand Splendid Suns a coincidence, but And The Mountains Echoed will surely solidify Hosseini as one of the greatest novelists in the world today.

Click here to buy And The Mountains Echoed from Booktopia,
Australia’s Local Bookstore

____________________________________

Andrew Cattanach is a contributor to The Booktopia Blog and was shortlisted for The Age Short Story Prize. He enjoys reading, writing and sleeping though finds it difficult to do them all at once.

You can read his other posts here, and follow his ramblings on twitter at @andrew__cat.

Filed under: Literature, Review, Book Recommendations | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Inferno by Dan Brown – A Review from Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach has thrown himself into Dan Brown’s latest blockbuster. Read what he thought of all the hype .

(Scroll to the bottom to see the three lucky people receiving copies signed by Dan Brown).

How peculiar a world that seems content to throw billions of dollars at Adam Sandler dressing up as a woman to play his twin sister, yet derides an author because they offer more substance than style.

As an author Dan Brown has made no secret of being an excellent maths teacher. Where other writers of similar ilk go on speaking tours and blog about their genius, Dan Brown has chosen a life away from his millions of fans. To the outsider he appears nearly embarrassed at the juggernaut he’s created, one of the few authors without the names “E.L” and “James” to constantly be a hot topic of mainstream media everywhere.

While criticism of some of his peccadillos are warranted, Brown’s prose is one of necessity rather than sheer beauty. He trades in twists and turns, not poetry. But therein lies his greatest strength. He knows his limitations and builds a story with the discipline that few writers possess. Certainly not me, as I so often find what I once thought was a moving, transcendental passage I’ve written one day, to be pretentious gibberish the next. This passage is starting to become a prime example.

With Dan Brown, the story is everything. He prefers to be heard, but not seen.

Which brings me to Dan Brown’s latest book, the much-anticipated Inferno. Released this week to a typically split audience. While pages are still being turned hurriedly in homes around the world, those who have read it appear to either love it or hate it. Ironically Dan Brown has always buttered his bread on the uncertainty of his characters ultimate intentions save for his constant hero Robert Langdon, and Inferno is no exception.

Langdon wakes groggily from a nightmare in a hospital, with no memory of how he got there. Told by doctors at his bedside he was attacked, they are interrupted by another attempt on his life. He escapes with a blonde (but is she?) doctor (but is she?) who is completely puzzled by all the commotion (but is she?). He finds a small cylindrical object in a hidden compartment in his jacket, and they begin to put the pieces of a doomsday plot together.

From there a sort of Indiana-Jones-meets-Antiques-Roadshow Treasure Hunt commences, the likes of which have captivated audiences for over a decade.

This runs parallel to a subplot involving the shadowy organisation “The Consortium”, which Brown says is a real organisation but has changed their name for secret societal anonymity. The Consortium’s sinister leader Zobrist shows his hand as a classically evil mastermind, intent on destroying the world to help it. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of an overreach as a believable villain, forever one stroke of a white cat away from being sued by the estate of Ian Fleming.

The upside of the character is his reason for world annihilation is actually a clever and original concept. It is much more in line with the themes of Dante’s Inferno than most of the book is (the main allusion seems to be that much of it is set in Florence). Langdon’s recurring nightmares also serve as a hint to what he must save the world from. But will he? You’ll need to follow shootouts, poisonings, shifty looks, secret passages and occasionally turn your book sideways and upside down to find out.

If you were wondering what camp of readers I fall into with Dan Brown, I like him. Yes, I’ve sat in lecture halls and studied the classics, and yes, his writing is far from great. But that’s not his job. Not all reading is about existential discovery. Sometimes people just read for pleasure, guilty or otherwise. And Dan Brown is a big bowl of ice cream in bed with the curtains drawn. Nothing wrong with that.

Why read Inferno? Let me put it this way. My favourite film is Citizen Kane. But sometimes I like to watch Caddyshack II, because I can’t watch Citizen Kane every night. I know Citizen Kane is a better film, but sometimes I just like to see Chevy Chase play golf with hilarious consequences. Because it’s fun. Not better, just fun.

The sooner we stop reading for fun, the sooner we stop reading at all. And we can’t have that now can we?

—–
UPDATE: Thanks to all the people who pre-ordered a copy of Inferno and went into the draw to win one of three signed copies by Dan Brown. The winners are:

M. Rodriguez, Artarmon, NSW.
P. Duncan, Clermont, QLD.
N. Nolan, Bundoora, VIC.

Keep checking our Twitter and Facebook pages, along with our Blog, for more great competitions and giveaways.

________________________

Andrew Cattanach is a contributor to The Booktopia Blog and was shortlisted for The Age Short Story Prize. He enjoys reading, writing and sleeping though finds it difficult to do them all at once.

You can read his other posts here, and see him talk about things like the weather and cheese on twitter at @andrew__cat.

Filed under: Action, Adventure, Book Recommendations | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

I Love Writing Romance, I Love Reading Romance – A Guest Blog from bestselling author Michelle Douglas

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

“I don’t find writing romance restrictive. I find it liberating.”

Mills & Boon author Michelle Douglas tells us why she loves being a romance author and reader.

The romance genre speaks to me more than any other genre and I’ve wondered about this a lot. One of the reasons, perhaps, is that at heart romance is about joy and there are so few books out there that deal in joy.

Please don’t think I’m a soft-in-the-head Pollyanna with no grip on reality. I’m educated (I’ve the Master of Philosophy to prove it). I love the classics and I love an angst-ridden literary tale as much as the next person, but romance has become my go-to genre. It has become the genre of my heart.

I love writing romance. I love reading romance. Romances serve to remind me of what’s important—and that’s people and love. By love I’m not just referring to romantic love, but the love people bear for their families and friends too. To be loved and accepted is a basic human need. In that sense romance speaks to an essential and central part of what it means to be human. And when a romance ends with two people I’ve come to care about declaring and celebrating their love for each other within their community, it feels as if all is right with the world. Emotional justice, at least in the pages of this book, has triumphed. It is glorious and life affirming.

I love writing romance. The romances published by Harlequin Mills & Boon are short, intense and emotional, but that doesn’t mean they lack diversity. As a writer, I’ve been free to explore themes as diverse as breast cancer, rape, parenthood, second chances and the meaning of friendship. I’ve explored the effects of domestic violence, the grief of losing a loved one, the importance of fidelity and the impact of betrayal. I don’t find writing romance restrictive. I find it liberating.

I love reading romance. As a reader I can always find a romance to suit my mood, whether I want something sparkling and fun that will make me laugh, something dark and dramatic to get my heart pounding, or something warm and emotional that will confirm my belief in the basic goodness and decency of people. There isn’t another genre that gives me this range of choice.

Don’t believe me? Just have a glance at the variety on offer among Australian Mills & Boon authors. Compare Marion Lennox’s gorgeous modern-day fairy tales that will wrap you in warmth to Annie West’s glamorous and dramatic stories that will have your heart in you mouth. Pick up a Kelly Hunter romance and watch in awe as she pushes the genetic boundaries with stories full of honesty and sass. Read a Sarah Mayberry and marvel at exceptional storytelling. The romance genre has all this and more, and Australian romance authors are at the top of the game.

I love writing romance. I love reading romance. I hope you do too.

Filed under: Australian Author, Book Recommendations, Guest Blog, Romance | Tagged: , | 10 Comments »

The 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival In Focus – Part 2

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

In the lead up to the 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival we’ll be featuring a few of the key events we’re really looking forward to.

We’ve also highlighted some great books to prepare you before basking in the warm glow of the festival.

Here’s a couple of events that caught our eye…

Obama: The Digital Campaign

Who: Joe Rospars, Michael Brissenden, Stephen Muller

What: Who can forget Barack Obama’s historic 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, with their groundbreaking use of social media as a powerful political tool and its record-setting online fundraising successes. Barack Obama’s Chief Digital Strategist, Joe Rospars, and Stephen Muller, the Obama campaign’s Video Director, offer an overview of how the campaign managed to unite and mobilise 13 million online supporters toward a single goal of electing President Obama. Following the talk, they will speak to Michael Brissenden, who was the ABC’s Washington correspondent leading up to the 2012 election, and is the author of American Stories.

Why: There are two types of people in the western world. Those who embrace digital media, and those who don’t realise they’ve embraced digital media. Digital media now acts not only as the catalyst towards world events, but also the source of news reported, and the manner in which they are reported. Get the full story from people responsible for all three.

When: Thursday, May 23,  8:30 PM - 10:00 PM.

Where: City Recital Hall Angel Place, Angel Place, Sydney, $32/$25.

More Reading: Barack Obama: The Making of the Man, The New Digital Age.

Sane New World

Who: Ruby Wax

What: Ruby Wax – comedian, writer and mental health campaigner – shows us how our minds can jeopardise our sanity. With her own periods of depression and now a Masters from Oxford in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy to draw from, she explains how our busy, chattering, self-critical thoughts drive us to anxiety and stress. If we are to break the cycle, we need to understand how our brains work, rewire our thinking and find calm in a frenetic world. Helping you become the master, not the slave, of your mind, here is Ruby Wax’s guidance to saner living. Followed by a conversation with Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre’s Artistic Director.

Why: Ruby Wax has been an award-winning writer and performer for over 30 years all over the world. Her past events in Australia have been met with sweeping acclaim and her honest and endearing style have made her a household name to millions.

When: Wednesday, May 22, 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM.

Where: Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Bennelong Point, Sydney, $45/$35

More Reading: Sane New World

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as we look at more events that have caught our eye. To pick up tickets to any events featured or for more info go to www.swf.org.au

Filed under: Australian Author, Book Recommendations, Coming Soon, Literary Festivals, Non Fiction, Writing Style, Writing tips | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

From Brooklyn to Big Sur – From Booktopia’s Editorial Director Caroline Baum

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Booktopia’s Editorial Director Caroline Baum lets us in on her amazing bookish US adventure

Good to see Anna Funder settled in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in a street that feels like something out of Henry James. It was used to shoot a TV adaptation of Dickens’ A Winter’s Tale a few months ago, and they laid down fake snow. Each house has an individual gas lamp in its front yard. I have no idea why, but it certainly creates a special ambiance.

Caroline with Jackie Collins

A few days later, I went to Soho to hear current NY It Girl Rachel Kushner talk about her latest novel The Flamethrowers, which is getting rave  reviews. In its, she writes about motorcycles, contemporary art and Italian terrorism. Apparently it’s a bold ambitious book, and Jonathan Franzen is a fan. There was packed house for this midweek event on a cold night. Standing room only in fact. Kushner, who is droll and cool, was in conversation with fellow author,  Joshua Ferris who told such a long personal anecdote to open the event that I thought oh no, he’s never going to ask her a question, but eventually, he got round to a few and she had the confidence to go where she wanted to go. So now that book is on my Must Read list.

I went to meet with Elizabeth Strout, who won the Pulitzer for her novel Olive Kitteridge. She lives right down on the Hudson at FDR drive, and her new book The Burgess Boys is all about two brothers from Maine, both of them lawyers, but that’s where the similarities end. I’ll be writing about her for The Sydney Morning Herald in a month or so.

In San Francisco, I just had to go and see City Lights, the legendary bookshop where Ferlinghetti, Kerouac, Ginsberg and the Beat Generation hung out in the sixties. There, I became entranced by a blonde in a green synthetic fur hat. Her partner wore a headpiece in the shape of  Nemo the fish but I could not photograph him unobtrusively  whereas she was unaware, sitting and reading amongst the bookcases.

When we set out for Big Sur,  we drove  along the edge of Steinbeck country, near the town of Salinas, where John Steinbeck grew up and which now houses a scholarly research centre with public displays  dedicated to the author’s life.  The land around Salinas is close to the sea but fertile,  a patchwork of  fields of peas, strawberries and tall artichokes (Trivia: Marilyn Monroe was once crowned queen at the local artichoke fair.)

The view from Luke Davies porch in LA

Sadly, Steinbeck’s house is only open to the public from the month of June onwards so we pushed on to Big Sur, along the majestic wild coast. I had no idea it was a place that many writers had loved, including  Hunter S. Thompson, Richard Brautigan and Henry Miller, purveyor of explicit sex in books like Sexus, lover of Anais Nin, and others. The area boasts a Henry Miller Library which is pretty disappointing when you get there, it’s just a hippie compound with a bookshop in it, but there’s noting authentic about the place. A sign at the door confesses that the house never belonged to Miller.

And so on to LA, where  what else would you do to get a flavour of the glamour but go and visit Jackie Collins, which is exactly what I did. She lives in Beverly Hills of course and has a new book out in September, which is when she will be visiting Perth and Sydney, so watch out for that faux leopard! I’ll let you know when  my interview with her will come out but in the meantime here is a snap of us together in her very smart library.

By way of contrast, I was going to call on poet  and novelist Luke Davies, but our schedules got tangled and I ended up sitting on the rocking horse on his porch while he was out doing errands. It was a nice rocking chair, looking out on to a quiet street on the edge of Korea town and lined with those ludicrously tall palm trees, as you can see in this snap. Luke will be back in Australia for SWF 2013 to launch a new collection of his poetry.

_______________________

Caroline Baum is Booktopia’s Editorial Director.

She has worked as founding editor of Good Reading magazine, features editor for Vogue, presenter of ABC TV’s popular bookshow, Between the Lines, and Foxtel’s Talking Books, and as an executive producer with ABC Radio National.

You can follow her on twitter at @mscarobaum

Filed under: Book Recommendations, Book Talk, Caroline Baum | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Sofia Coppola only deals in great stories. The daughter of immortal director Francis Ford Coppola, her eye for simmering trauma underneath otherwise perfect lives has redefined contemporary film making. From the whimsical mystery of her 1999 debut The Virgin Suicides (adapted from the Jeffrey Eugenides novel of the same same) to her award-winning film masterpiece Lost In Translation, the tragically under appreciated Marie Antoinette and the charming Somewhere.

But her new film presents her greatest challenge. Making a film about being famous, with no characters in the film being famous. Rather, a group of fame-obsessed teens steal more than $3 million in clothing, jewelry, shoes, and handbags from targets like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom.

Oh yeah, and it’s a true story. Did I forget to mention that?

And like any good movie, it’s foundations lie in a great book. Vanity Fair contributing editor Nancy Jo Sales does a brilliant job of telling the extraordinary true tale of crime, obsession and tragedy. Pre-order a copy today and know more about this incredible story.

The Bling Ring

by Nancy Jo Sales

Meet the Bling Ring: a band of club-hopping teenagers from the Valley with everything to lose.

Over the course of a year, the members of the now infamous Bling Ring allegedly burglarized some of the biggest names in young Hollywood. Driven by celebrity worship, vanity, and the desire to look and dress like the rich and famous, these seven teenagers made headlines for using Google maps, Facebook, and TMZ to track the comings and goings of their targets. Many of the houses were unlocked. Alarms disabled. A “perfect” crime–celebrities already had so much, why shouldn’t the Bling Ring take their share?

As the unprecedented case unfolded in the news, the world asked: How did our obsession with celebrities get so out of hand? Why would a group of teens who already had so much, take such a risk?

Acclaimed Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales found the answer: they did it because each stolen T-shirt or watch brought them closer to living the Hollywood dream . . . and because it was terrifyingly easy. For the Bling Ring the motivation was something deeper than money–they were compelled by a compulsion to be famous. Gaining unprecedented access to the group of teens, Sales traces the crimes minute by minute and details the key players’ stories in a shocking look at the seedy, and troubling, world of the real young Hollywood.

Click here to buy The Bling Ring from Booktopia,
Australia’s Local Bookstore

Filed under: Book Recommendations, Coming Soon, Non Fiction | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Rebel Without A Clue – From Booktopia’s Head of Romance Haylee Nash

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

Booktopia’s Head of Romance Haylee Nash ponders her vicarious rebellious streak.

When I was small, I was the good girl. My parents love to recount how, even as a baby, I was always content. They would go out to dinner with friends and happily take me along, knowing I would sleep quietly in my carrier (once so quiet that they nearly left me there). When I got to talking age, I would happily sit up and chat with the adults, content in their company. When my sister came along, I looked after her (mostly) without complaint, cleaned up her toys, got her ready for school. I was good.

Even as a teenager, I was well behaved. I went out to parties and, occasionally clubs, and smoked the odd cigarette but, thanks to the open relationship I had with my father, he knew about everything I did and gave me permission.  He even drove me to the hospital after I sprained my arm in an incident involving drunken skinny dipping and, bless him, didn’t give me a hard time. All in all, a fairly respectable childhood.

So you can probably imagine that the concept of rebellion is one I am not well-acquainted with, which is why it holds such fascination. How I had dreamed of sneaking out to meet a guy, to steal a new outfit, to have a party at my house while my parents were away. To have a secret. Because that’s what it comes down to. The act of rebellion is not about what you’re doing, but the fact that you shouldn’t be doing it. The thrill doesn’t come so much from the drug taking or the dirty dancing but from the potential for getting found out.

This is why I love New Adult. I am now at the age where I can legally do most of the things that I wanted to do back then, and those that are illegal hold little appeal. But rebellion still glitters darkly at me and I fulfil this urge through reading about those who do what I didn’t, what I couldn’t.

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Haylee Nash has been reading and raving about romance for 15 years. She has previously worked as the Publishing Manager at Harlequin Australia and during her time there launched the Harlequin Teen, Harlequin Spice and local acquisition programmes, as well as Harlequin’s digital-first romance imprint, Escape Publishing. Haylee is now the Romance Specialist at Booktopia.

You can follow Haylee on twitter at @HKretrospect

Filed under: Book Recommendations, Guest Blog, Romance | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

The 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival In Focus – Part 1

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Andrew Cattanach

In the lead up to the 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival we’ll be featuring a few of the key events we’re really looking forward to.

We’ve also highlighted some great books to prepare you before basking in the warm glow of the festival.

Here’s a couple of events that caught our eye…

Opening Address

Who: Daniel Morden

What: Daniel Morden is one of Europe’s greatest storytellers. For 23 years he has made his living telling traditional stories: from gypsy tales to the Iliad. He has collected and told stories all over the world, from the Arctic to Haiti, performing at London’s National Theatre, the Getty Villa and on Broadway. For the 2013 Opening Address, Daniel will blend traditional tale, anecdote and insight, while examining the place of story in our lives.

Why: To visit a time where the bard reigned, where stories where told as well as read. Daniel Morden is slowly taking over the world of storytelling with his passionate, colourful and evocative performances of classic tales. Widely tipped to be the water-cooler event of the Festival, don’t miss your chance to catch a performer at the peak of his powers.

‘To experience Daniel Morden in full flight is an amazing thing. He combines the skills of the Troubadour, the actor, the bard, the standup comedian and the preacher in the pulpit’ (BBC)

When: Tuesday May 21,  6:30 PM - 8:00 PM.

Where: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $30/$25.

More Reading: The Adventures of Odysseus, Tree of Leaf and Flame, The Adventures of Achilles.

Women On The Run

Who: Michael Robotham, Tara Moss, and Lauren Beukes

What: Australian authors Michael Robotham and Tara Moss, and South Africa’s Lauren Beukes all have one thing in common: they have put their female protagonists in grave danger. Do these feisty femmes manage to outwit their pursuers and escape from their novels alive? Find out in this compelling session with Matthew Condon, speaking to three of the best thriller writers in the business.

Why: An all-star panel look at a welcome new trend in contemporary thrillers. Matthew Condon is a fine author in his own right and an old hand at these events and should keep the pace moving beautifully as three wonderful writers share their thoughts and philosophies on novels today.

When: Friday, May 24 2013, 4-5pm.

Where: Pier 2/3 Main Stage, Pier 2/3, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $20/$14

More Reading: The Shining Girls (Beukes), Assassin (Moss), Say You’re Sorry (Robotham).

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as we look at more events that have caught our eye. To pick up tickets to any events featured or for more info go to www.swf.org.au

Filed under: Australian Author, Book Recommendations, Coming Soon, Literary Classic, Literary Festivals, Thriller, Writing Style, Writing tips | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

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