The Reader Geneameme

Geniaus has been at it again and has set us a challenge to honour the National Year of Reading.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:

Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional) (I’ve italicised the names so need the colour to set my wish-list apart)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item.

Which of these apply to you? 

1. Have you written any books? My family history: Grassroots Queenslanders: the Kunkel family published in 2003. Have another up my sleeve.
2. Have you published any books? Yes I self-published the above book.
3. Can you recommend an inspiring biography? Robert Dunne, Archbishop of Brisbane by Neil J Byrne was interesting to me because of its relevance to my family history. Life Class, the education of a biographer by Brenda Nial was very engaging. I’ve been going to read the biography of Sir William Deane but haven’t got to it yet.
4. Do you keep a reading log? If yes, in what format? Sort, of. I have a list of my books on LibraryThing and also on Collectorz. I can also check my borrowing list from the Palmerston Library any time I want. But this is all recent….we’ve disposed of many books so I’d struggle to remember. Perhaps something I’d like to keep up with in the future.
5. Are you a buyer or a borrower of books? I’ve always been a buyer of far more books than I should but I also borrow a lot either from the Council library or on inter-library loan from the National Library of Australia –depends what it is.
6. Where do you get reading recommendations? Bibliographies, blog comments, newspaper reviews, personal recommendations.
7. What is the ONE genealogy reference book you can’t do without? Just one??? I look at my shelves and I don’t think I can pick just one…it depends what research I’m doing. Okay, my huge German dictionary may have to be my “just one”.
8. Do you hoard books or do you discard them when you have finished? Both! I’ve been a hoarder of books all my life – used to envy anyone with full bookcases. With run-of-the mill stuff we discard them after they’ve done the rounds of family and friends and we’ve re-read them.
9. How many books are in your genealogy library? LOTS – Three full bookcases.
10. What’s your favourite genealogy magazine or journal? I find I don’t read magazines much anymore. I don’t have one specific favourite journal. My blog reading has taken over.
11. Where are the bookshelves in your house? Everywhere.
12. Do you read e-books? How? Yes, I read them either on the Kindle or ipad.
13. How many library cards do you have? NT x 3, SLQ, NSW, NLA plus society library cards and overseas cards for travelling.
14. What was the last genealogy title you read? Part way through Behind the plough: agrarian society in 19^th century Hertfordshire.
15. What is your favourite bookshop? Living in Darwin I have to say Amazon or Booktopia.
16. Do you have a traditional printed encyclopaedia in your house?  No, never have had..our refrain was always “look it up in the dictionary” –or the relevant book.
17. Who are the authors in your family tree and what have they written? There are a couple of PhDs in my family tree, one who is well-published in the field of Japanese-Australian economics. I haven’t come across any distant ancestors who were authors which is a great shame.
18. Who is your favourite author? I have runs of favourites and read them until I tire of them. I love Bill Bryson’s take on travel with amusing descriptions of Darwin. Geraldine Brooks would probably also feature though I still have some of hers to read. Helene Hanff’s 84 Charing Cross Rd.
19. Where do you buy books? Mostly online these days.
20. Can you nominate a must-read fiction title? Far too many fact or faction. Perhaps The House by the Thames by Gillian Tindall (excellent though very much fact/ion), Walter Macken’s The Silent People which was a fictional account of the Famine; Geraldine Brooks People of the Book.
21. How many books are in your personal library? Collectorz tells me I’ve now got over 800 in my library. Many others sold off or donated over the years.
22. What is your dictionary of choice? Oxford.
23. Where do you read? Indoors/outdoors/bed/lounge/anywhere.
24. What was your favourite childhood book? Heidi
25. Do you have anything else to say about books and reading? Do it as much as possible and start kids young! Our two-year old grandson already insists on a book to take to afternoon nap time.