Only recently did I experience something quite sad - not really in the grand scheme of things but in the book realm definitely. As some of you dear readers may know, I have a slight obsession with Maureen McCarthy (the author - although I don't really know any other Maureen McCarthy). It's sort of a weird, complex relationship - albeit one sided because although we have fleetingly met and she signed my books I don't think we had enough time to truly connect. But I digress. So I suppose the relationship is between me and her books rather than the person which in all honesty makes more sense because she's an author and I'm reading her books not her duh. But I digress (again!). I think what I've realised I like about her books are not so much the stories per se, but the manner in which she writes them and how they're not the conventional teen reads. I mean they're young adult reads but without being cliched and tacky. Sorry that was harsh. I'm at the point where I just read her books because it's by her and I know it'll be good - not necessarily the plot appeals to me. Although that is not true for her book and indeed one of the earlier one's I read called When You Wake and Find Me Gone.
First published in 2002, it really got me interested in Ireland, Irish history, people, language, food - you know the drill. Anyway, this brings me to the crux of my problem... IT IS NOW OUT OF PRINT!!! Why I never bought it before I'll never know and now it's gone. Especially as it's a Melbournian author, it's never really that easy to get a hold of overseas as well. So it's not available from the distributors, I eBayed it and found *one* copy (please don't buy it I may cry) and none on Gumtree. I'm sure there's a few copies floating around secondhand stores and garage sales but it's so nice. This just goes to show, if you really like something then just go and do/get it. I realise that can be applied to so many things so within reason obviously. She is so underated. But yep, now the quest begins to find my out of print book.
If there's a book you're umming and ahhring about, maybe it's time to snap it up! Who knows when it'll be the last time it's IN PRINT! I've learned my lesson. Sadly.
In other Maureen McCarthy news, I found this podcast she did concerning her second most recent novel 'The Convent'. It's always fascinating diving into Melbournian history. read it here.
First published in 2002, it really got me interested in Ireland, Irish history, people, language, food - you know the drill. Anyway, this brings me to the crux of my problem... IT IS NOW OUT OF PRINT!!! Why I never bought it before I'll never know and now it's gone. Especially as it's a Melbournian author, it's never really that easy to get a hold of overseas as well. So it's not available from the distributors, I eBayed it and found *one* copy (please don't buy it I may cry) and none on Gumtree. I'm sure there's a few copies floating around secondhand stores and garage sales but it's so nice. This just goes to show, if you really like something then just go and do/get it. I realise that can be applied to so many things so within reason obviously. She is so underated. But yep, now the quest begins to find my out of print book.
If there's a book you're umming and ahhring about, maybe it's time to snap it up! Who knows when it'll be the last time it's IN PRINT! I've learned my lesson. Sadly.
In other Maureen McCarthy news, I found this podcast she did concerning her second most recent novel 'The Convent'. It's always fascinating diving into Melbournian history. read it here.
