Why do you love reading?
Reading is both cathartic and a source of entertainment for me, and is often the one time in my day when I can just switch off. I love the learning aspect of reading, which is why I read so much nonfiction, but I also am a total sucker for a story and just cannot get enough fiction!
What book or series got you into reading?
I devoured Enid Blyton’s books as a child and they are the first stories I remember reading on my own.
When did you start reading?
Very young—my Gran and Aunt are both teachers, and my parents also always read to me, so books are part of some of my earliest memories as a child.
Where do you read?
Commuting to/from work and in the evenings. My favorite time to read is lazy weekends where I can read uninterrupted for hours at a time!
What kind of books do you like to read?
I like to read a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction. In nonfiction I love memoirs or history or legal topics, and in fiction I will honestly give most books a go.
For you, why is it important to read books by or about women?
Reading books by or about women, particularly a diverse range of women, is important because it reflects the reality of society—there is a lesson to learn from everyone’s story, and fiction becomes so much richer when you can draw from stories from around the world. Initially I felt I had to make a conscious decision to read books by women because everything marketed to me as a reader, or listed on popular literary prize lists, was written by white men. Now, I feel like I naturally gravitate to books written by women, and there are so many wonderful women writers from all over the world to expand the type of stories we read.
What about you as a reader are you looking forward to sharing on Reading Women?
I’m looking forward to sharing some Australian fiction and nonfiction that international readers often do not get to hear about.
What are you most excited for about joining the RW team?
I have found some wonderful reads via the Reading Women podcast over the years I was a listener, and am really looking forward to helping others experience the joy of finding a book that they love that they would not have come across were it not for Reading Women talking or writing about it.
Jaclyn Masters
Jaclyn is an Australian senior construction lawyer and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with double majors in History and English literature. Growing up across Newcastle, United Kingdom and then later in Melbourne, Australia gave her a love of diverse stories and a particular desire to see more international readers pick up books by Australian authors. Outside of practicing law and reading, Jaclyn enjoys time spent with her rescue cat, Larry, and finding a new wine to indulge with. She currently lives in Houston, Texas.