What I'm reading

So I'm in the library the other day and I pick up this book on the 'New Books' stand (because I'm a sucker for a pretty cover) and I open it up and realise the author looks familiar. So I flick through and read the Acknowledgments page and what do ya know. There is an acknowledgment to Wellington City Archives, where I once worked. And an acknowledgement to Mr Jones!

So naturally I got it out and I've just finished reading it.

Alison Wong's first novel As the Earth Turns Silver was a very compelling read; that totally met all my fiction requirements. I like a book that spans time, I like a book that incorporates historical events into the lives of the characters, and I like stories about families. A bit of romance doesn't go a miss either.

When I read something I like I HAVE to go out and find out more about the author.

So here's what else I found:

Alison is also a talented poet, her first collection of poetry entitled Cup was published in 2006. Her poem The Archaeologist was selected for Best New Zealand Poems 2006.

You can read more of Alison's work via the National Electronic Text Centre's online archive and here. You can also see the writing process in action here.

Alison will also be reading some of her poetry at this year's Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas International Conference in July.

Understandably, given the complexity of her first novel, it took a while to write. But I hope we don't have to wait to long for the next one! Although if it is as good as the first, I won't mind too much. :)