Book Blogger of the Month: Sue Dodd

This month's Book Blogger of the Month is Sue Dodd of Doddy About Books! 

I love Sue's blog because she reads a diverse array of books and does so voraciously. I've learned about so many good books on her blog that I hadn't otherwise heard of, so it's always fun to hop over there and see what she's reading.

Mandy Shunnarah: What got you started blogging?

Sue Dodd: I initially started so I could access Netgalley, but the appeal of that wore out pretty quickly.

MS: How often do you post? 

SD: I’m posting a couple of times a week at the moment.

MS: If you were shipwrecked on a desert island and could only read 5 books for the rest of your life, what would they be?

SD: Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past (I do love it, plus it’s huge!) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Mullumbimby (by Melissa Lucashenko) and Burial Rites (by Hannah Kent).

MS: Does your blog have a theme? 

SD: No real theme, but it’s mostly focused on my Aussies Rule Challenge at the moment. (Learn more about the Aussies Rule Challenge here and check out some great Australian authors!)

MS: How are you most comfortable reading? 

SD: Weekends are my reading time. I like to curl up on my couch with endless cups of tea.

MS: What's your favorite indie bookstore? 

SD: My favourite indie is Avid Reader at West End here in Brisbane. They have an awesome selection and great book events supporting local authors.

MS: What's the biggest issue you see in the book world today and what do you hope to see change?

SD: One of my aims for the blog is to bring attention to books that deserve it but are overlooked. One of the big issues with the Aussie book market is that it feeds off the US and UK markets, which means new authors don’t necessarily get the marketing and support they need (especially if they are Aboriginal). Australians are producing some great stuff at the moment and I would love it to be more widely read. 

MS: How does blogging about books enhance the reading experience?

SD: It makes me do more research so I find more awesome material that I would have missed otherwise. I also appreciate the opportunity to interact with other bloggers and with authors who will give me different ideas and point me in different directions.

MS: Have you ever met an author who left an impression on you? What was that like? 

SD: Lots! Paul Beatty (touring for The Sellout) was so humble and interested in everyone that he spoke to, Hebe de Souza (Black British) was so great to talk to passionate about both her story and Australian issues of race. Dr . Anita Heiss is definitely a personal favourite––she’s just a lovely human being, so patient and giving of her time and knowledge.

MS: What's a bookish thing you think everyone should know about? 

SD: Did you know that Aussie books are always at least slightly rewritten for the US market? Apparently, aspects of our culture are way too different for Americans to be able to figure out.

MS: Besides your blog, where can we find you on the internet? 

SD: I’m @sue on Litsy and @DoddSue on Twitter.

Check Sue out and support the book blogging community! And if you'd like to be featured as a Book Blogger of the Month, reach out here.