JOHN BOYNE, Author
On average, I read about a dozen books a month, but I choose them carefully based on an author’s track record, good word of mouth or simply an interesting story.
I hate wasting my time on a book that turns out to be badly written when there are so many others out there that I want to read.
For me, there is no such thing as “summer” reading. Reading is part of my work life, but it’s also one of my greatest forms of relaxation.
I certainly don’t hold on to particular books for when I’m on holiday; if I want to read something, I just read it.
I always have a book on the go and when I finish one, I start the next immediately. And I never have more than one book on the go at the same time.
I know a lot of people do this, but I’ve just never been able to. I prefer to become lost in one book from start to finish – I’m not smart enough to be able to keep track of two stories at once.
I keep a list of all the books I’ve read – it’s mostly fiction. I love novels and am always hoping to discover something new and brilliant.
At the moment, I’m re-reading Christos Tsiolkas’ novel The Slap – it’s a brilliant novel, a state-of-the-nation masterpiece about immigrant culture in Australian life.
Books for the next while? I'm looking forward to Yiyun Li's new collection of stories, Gold Boy Emerald Girl, Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedomand David Sedaris' next collection of essays, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.
As told to TONY CLAYTON-LEA