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Jocelyn Kelley, Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King in Sydney, Australia

What an experience we had in Australia as part of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure. Gloria and I were able to take in the sights of Australia, learn about the culture and be a part of a major media extravaganza. The episodes of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure will be airing in January, so stay tuned for more updates.

A wonderful thing about Australia is how proud they are of their literary history. There are metal plaques embedded in the ground around Sydney’s Circular Quay called “Writers Walk” where they pay tribute to their writers by giving people a short history along the frequented path of travelers. The writers represented include not only those originally from Australia but also those who lived there or visited often. Authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Mark Twain, and Rudyard Kipling are represented in this extremely popular Australian “spot.”

Sydney's Writers Walk

While traveling through the city, we were able to explore the bookshops that seem to appear on every corner. Australians are readers!  One particular bookstore, Dymocks, was a particular delight because we found our own Lisa Genova’s STILL ALICE prominently displayed on their recommended reads shelf. It was certainly a proud moment for Kelley & Hall!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Highlights of the trip included the Sydney Bridge Climb with the ENTIRE Ultimate Adventure audience (all 302…the most people on the bridge at one time!), the fireworks over Sydney Harbor and the illumination of an “O” on the Sydney Bridge (which is reportedly the first time they’ve ever done anything commercial on the Sydney Bridge), a regatta with Russell Crowe (we sailed in the replica of the Endeavor, the ship that Captain James Cook sailed when he made the first contact with Australia).The two Oprah shows we attended were full of so much enthusiasm and excitement for Australia it was infectious (except when Hugh Jackman hit the lights while performing a stunt…that was terrifying and definitely provided some very tense minutes).  We also had lunch with Oprah and she greeted us at the airport when we were departing for home,  individually thanking us all for coming on this “Ultimate Australian Adventure.” I was even able to discuss the latest Oprah Book Club pick, Charles Dickens GREAT EXPECTATIONS and A TALE OF TWO CITIES with Oprah herself.  This was certainly a trip we will never forget.

I make no secret of my love for all things “O” and I have said on many occasions that I started Kelley & Hall because I was inspired by Oprah and her book club. I was enormously impressed by the way she could take a book and express such enthusiasm and delight in the words found within, urging her viewers to pick up a novel and discover new worlds. As her book club progressed, people soon learned that lives could be transformed by the messages and themes explored within the pages of a book and every one of us has a story to tell.

I started reading with Oprah when she announced her very first Oprah Book Club pick, Jacquelyn Mitchard’s THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN, and I never stopped.  My life has, quite literally, revolved around the printed word and it just made sense to build a career that allowed me to spend my time reaching out to readers about authors and the work they create.  You can imagine my delight when my enthusiasm for books and all things Oprah resulted in my invitation to one of the most talked about premieres in television history. Yes, I will be traveling with Oprah (along with K&H partner Gloria Kelley) to AUSTRALIA! I am so looking forward to documenting this trip and exploring a whole new world!  I will keep everyone posted on our journey with Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure.

The debates are heating up as the dog days of summer come to an end and we prepare for the literary fest that fall brings. Here are some interesting tidbits that I have gathered from the literary world…

The Wall Street Journal wants to know if e-books are worth it?

Jennifer Weiner and Jodi Picoult take on Jonathan Franzen and the attention he has been getting for Freedom.

Barnes & Noble announced big losses.

Andrew Wylie got into an e-book battle with Random House, raising some serious questions.

Publishers Weekly announced that they will review self-published titles for a fee which raised a few questions from bloggers and writers.

Ron Charles, Washington Post Book World fiction editor and weekly critic takes to YouTube to review Mona Simpson’s latest release, MY HOLLYWOOD. Charles reviewed this title for the paper but experiments with a video rendition of his review. He does so with humor and a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the changing face of book reviews.

Fascinating article by Jeffrey Trachtenberg in today’s Wall Street Journal on the changing face of publishing and one Cinderella story.

Writer Karen McQuestion spent nearly a decade trying without success to persuade a New York publisher to print one of her books. In July, the 49-year-old mother of three decided to publish it herself, online. Eleven months later, Ms. McQuestion has sold 36,000 e-books through Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle e-bookstore and has a film option with a Hollywood producer. In August, Amazon will publish a paperback version of her first novel, “A Scattered Life.”

According to The Huffington Post reports are coming out that Google and HTC have been working on a touch-screen tablet for over a year and a half. While word is scant, analysts believe the tablet could hit the market around the same time as the Apple tablet.

The iSlate (the reported name of the Apple Tablet) is said to be launching on January 26, 2010.

The Washington Post tries to explain the allure behind this much talked about product.

A few weeks back Arianna Huffington over at The Huffington Post announced the launch of their book club. Their first selection was IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore. I think the subtitle of this book really says it all and it is fascinating that this was selected to be the inaugural book club selection for a website.

They are having their first *live* discussion about the book today at 3pm (EST). Check it out here.

Just received my December issue of Glamour (Women of the Year). This issue is also the debut of Katie Couric’s new column focusing on inspiring women.

Here is an interview she did with Reuters about her latest online activity.