Here we are in 2012

Thought it was time to start a new thread. I've just attended the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival so am all energised up to read. While I went to lots of sessions I missed the final one which was for Maurice Gee. Gee is the inaugural Honoured Writer, a new award at the AWRF and this was a rare public outing for him.
The Christchurch Library bloggers have done an excellent summary of the session.

So I'm finding Rangatira by Paula Morris rather good at present and I have quite a few other books on the go including The Jump Artist and In the absence of heroes. Just finished A man you can bank on by Derek Hansen which is a very entertaining crime caper set mainly in rural NSW.

So who is reading Emily Perkin's The Forrests?

Hi Kerry, I too made the festival, but also missed Maurice Gee. I went to eight sessions over three days.
Sunday I was so busy that I didn't get a chance to eat all day. I too, feel energised. Yes I bought The Forrests to read, along with many other books but I am back to my TBR shelves as they are rather neglected. I tried to read some of the authors appearing prior to the festival i.e. The Parihaka Woman, The Marriage Plot and A Long Long Way. Also have just finished Stephanie Johnson's Music from a Distant Room.
I have just started Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, which I acquired at last year's festival.
Apologies for not getting back to you about meeting up, but I was late finalising which sessions I would attend. I also trotted down to Whitcoull's and found some bargains so came home with 14 new books!

Sounds similar to me! I got to 22 sessions though lots of those were with the school programme and yes, I think Sunday was a busy day, so many great sessions to get to and books to buy, I managed enough time to munch on a meusli bar.
I also found a few bargains when I slipped away to Whitcoulls.
I also tried to read a few prior to the festival but haven't had that much luck - I got Death of a superhero read and Mal Peet's latest too. I started Novel about my wife but will probably move on to The Forrests instead. I bought a couple of Caroline Moorehead's books and also Out of sheer rage by Geoff Dyer. I managed to read The Tiger's Wife last year, and have God is Back on the go which I bought 2 years ago at the festival.

Hi again Kerry. I have just finished reading The Trouble with Fire by Fiona Kidman. I see it has made the shortlist for the NZ Post along with Rangatira by Paula Morris and Sue Orr's From Under the Overcoat. It seems hard to compare two short story collections with one novel. I wonder if they should be in a category of their own. I would also like to know the longlist, but that never seems to be made public. What are your thoughts or anyone else's who have been following the prizes.

I've just started reading 'Speaking Frankly - the Frank Sargeson Memorial Lectures 2003-2010' - Edited by Sarah Sheiff, so will let you know how I go with that. :)