Something I’ve been meaning to blog about for ages is the Australian national broadcaster’s show called the First Tuesday Book Club. Since it’s only on TV once a month I often forget to watch it at the time (that, and the fact that it’s on at 10pm when I’m usually reading in bed!); luckily you can always catch up on the past episodes on their website. The host is Jennifer Byrnes and there are two regular “book club members” in Marieke Hardy (I love her on Triple J breakfast radio too) and Jason Steger; then there are usually two guest “members” to add to the mix. And it’s great!

First Tuesday Book Club Summer 2008 Special

In any case, I hope to make some regular notes about tips and ideas I’ve gleaned from this great show, and today they come from the second last show, which was actually the summer special from the end of 2008. The guests were incredibly-famous Aussie author Thomas Keneally and also Amanda Keller, who I like even though she works on commercial radio. Here’s the odd collection of useful tidbits I got out of this episode:

• Host Byrne asked Thomas Keneally if he loves all the books he’s written equally (there’s nearly 40 of them) – and he modestly said that he “regrets them all equally” but is going to write a good one, one day! If a Booker Prize winner can say that, then I don’t feel so bad about my own fiction writing – obviously even very successful writers can be very harsh critics of their own work
• Thomas Keneally also won my heart with his harsh words about Dan Brown’s novels (I’m sorry, I just really, really don’t like any of them) – “the characters are two-dimensional, the writing is deplorable, and I wish I’d written it!”
• I finally understood why I’ve felt overwhelmed with new books I wanted to read in the past few months, because on this show I learnt that during the pre-Christmas period – 70% of all the year’s books are published
• And the most important point of all: Marieke Hardy is just like me in that she doesn’t read the back covers of books either. In fact, I utterly detest the people who write the blurbs on the back covers of books. This week I read a fantastic novel called The Outcast by Sadie Jones. I’d borrowed it from the library on the strength of it shortlisting for several prizes last year, and got over halfway through before I idly read the back cover, assuming that by now I would have read anything it would refer to. No! Part of the story that never really appeared until three-quarters of the way through was mentioned in the blurb, and I still haven’t forgiven the blurb writer.

I’m not 100% sure if people accessing the ABC website from outside of Australia are able to download the shows – I’d appreciate a comment if you try and can’t – but if you’re a book lover like me you can get some great ideas. Being a summer special this episode also featured lots of tips on books to read over (the Australian) summer so you might get some reading inspiration.