Reader's Snapshot - William Kostakis

Aussie Month enters Week 3 with an Author Spotlight on William Kostakis. He broke into the Australian publishing scene last year with his debut YA effort, Loathing Lola (review here), at the startlingly impressive age of nineteen. Will took time for his uni schedule to answer my questions.

Which book is memorable from your teen years?
There are too many books I've read / pretend to have read to choose from. And plus, I've got 15-odd more days of "teen years" left... so how do I know I won't find a book that completely eclipses everything I've ever read? :P If I had to pic a book, it'd have to be Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. It was one of the only books I studied in high school that I actually enjoyed (the others being Stoppard's plays and Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four). I read it before everyone had spoiled to twist, so I was just absolutely floored by it.

Describe your high school English teacher in three words...
Crazy batshit insane.

...meant affectionately, of course.

Your book of the moment?
I just finished Revolutionary Road for uni. I don't think I've ever read anything that's so simultaneously bleak and beautiful. I mean, it's a painful read - it's awkward, it's uncomfortable, it's slow torture - there were parts where I just didn't want to read it, but Yates is so damn good at this writing-words-down thing that I didn't want to not read those parts - if that makes any sense :)

What do you use to mark your page when reading?
It depends on how much I like the book. If I like it, I'll use anything - it's receipt, a bus ticket, a loose bit of paper. If I don't like it, I vent my frustration by folding the hell out of the pages :P

Favourite place to read?
On the bike at the gym. I do it for the message. So while you might be able to ride twice as hard as me, and for twice as long as me - I can read. :P

Favourite word?
Yes.

Favourite book store?
I think I'm contractually obliged to say online book store Boomerang Books :P

Character you wish you had created?
Granny Weatherwax by Terry Pratchett. An absolute scene-stealer. She's good for poignant philosophy and lulz. If you've never read Pratchett, some great quotations: http://home.planet.nl/~jgmetsel/quotes.html

BQ - Interpretive dance in schools? Is there really a place for them?
I spent enough time acting as a tree in Drama to know that anything can be passed off as and justified as education these days, but I think, to save us both the rant, I'll say: No Comment.

Also, I misread it as "BBQ Interpretive Dance" and was like... what is it, and more importantly, why haven't I heard about it sooner?

Big thanks to W (we're on an initial letter basis now lol) for allowing me to ask him a combination of inane and insightful questions :P Make sure you check back in on Wednesday for an in-depth interview into Will's debut title, Loathing Lola.