Sally Murphy is a children’s author, poet,
academic and reviewer. She lives and breathes kids’ books, and kids, too (she
had six of her own and now has four grandkids). In her downtime she is also an
avid beach walker.
Which children’s book are you
currently reading?
The
Julia Tapes, by Emily Rodda (Puffin Books, 1999)
Can you tell us in two sentences
what the book is about?
It
is told by a girl who is lying in hospital recovering from the events of her
holiday.
She is recording her memories by recording on a tape recorder.
She is recording her memories by recording on a tape recorder.
How much did you enjoy/are
enjoying this title?
I
am loving it! It is part mystery, part drama, with touches of humour. I am really keen to find out what happened to
Julia. I am also really interested in the first person narrative used – because
Julia is recording her memories from a hospital bed, absolutely everything is
from her viewpoint with limited dialogue, for example. So, it’s kind of like a
diary format book, but not.
What made you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?
The
book was mentioned somewhere in some academic reading I was doing a year or so
ago. I love Emily Rodda’s writing, but had never heard of this title, so
tracked it down and ordered a copy. But it then sat on my to-be-read mountain
until this week. Funnily, I can no
longer remember what the article was about or what it said about this book.
All
of them! (lol) I am a reviewer and compulsive book buyer, so I have a TBR
cupboard and a TBR bookshelf. I recently
bought two Steph Bowe titles (after her untimely death) and so will read her Night Swimming next. I am also dipping
in and out of a wonderful poetry collection Fish
Song, by WA poet Caitlin Maling after I heard her read at a poetry night
earlier this year.
How did you come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or other?
These
are titles I have bought. I have been reviewing less over the last few years,
because of time (I have a full-time day job) and although I miss the constant
stream of new releases, I am enjoying discovering books I missed in the years I
read almost exclusively review copies.
Do you have a favourite genre? If
so, what is it, and why do you prefer it?
The
verse novel! I have not yet read a verse novel that I didn’t enjoy. I love the
way a verse novel tells a narrative but using the poetic form, meaning the
author paints alot with few words.
Beyond verse novels though, I love children’s books – picture books,
historical, fantasy, realism…
Do you read from printed books or
some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of your choice.
Chiefly
hard copy books. I love the tactile experience and the feel of a book I can
hold. My second choice is audio books. I spend a lot of time in my car (less at
the moment because of Covi-19) and use audiobooks to keep me company. I tend to
listen to longer books that I might not otherwise read. Which reminds me, I am
currently midway through an adult novel called The Rules of Backyard Cricket on audio, which I am enjoying.
My website is www.sallymurphy.com.au