Akle launches Better Reading website

Cheryl Akle announced the launch of new ‘independent book recommendations and news site’ Better Reading on 3 November 2014.

The website at www.betterreading.com.au has been assisted by financial contributions from founding supporters Hachette Australia, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and Harlequin, and by in kind support from Random House Australia, Pan Macmillan and Murdoch Books.

Akle is the former campaign director of Get Reading!, which lost its government funding in the federal budget announced this year. She has also been marketing director at Random House Australia and host of the television segment The Book Circle. She said the website will be ‘promoting books, daily, weekly and monthly as well as an annual, month-long promotion dedicated exclusively to Australian stories and authors’.                       

In a press release Akle said the site aimed to address the three barriers to reading: choice, price and time. ‘No one has time to read everything—or the money—so when you do pick up a book, you want to know it’s the right one,’ she said. ‘Better Reading is about surfacing the best of the best … We’ll never list every book ever published and nor should we. We will keep a medium sized catalogue of books, starting with two thousand books from one thousand different authors and illustrators.’

Akle said the site would feature reviews of new books from Australia and overseas and lists of reader favourites and award-winners, and would also feature one-on-one interviews between Akle and ‘high-profile authors’ including Julia Gillard, Jennifer Saunders, Jackie Collins and Turia Pitt.

In an email to publishers, Akle welcomed books for review and recommendation, as well as ideas and feedback. ‘With your help and support Better Reading can become a leading, local destination for those looking for their next great reads,’ she said.

The site also has a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, as well as a YouTube channel.

Category: Local news