Jordan’s book collection. Image: Supplied
Shelf Reflection is a monthly series where we delve into the reading habits of interesting Australians. This month’s reflection comes from comedian, actress, writer, lead singer of The Axis of Awesome and host of ABC RN’s This is About, Jordan Raskopoulos.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading Laura Jane Grace’s biography Tranny. Laura is the lead singer of the punk band Against Me!. She was a huge inspiration for me throughout my transition.
Borrowed or bought?
I bought the book at Revolve Records in Newtown. Against Me! were touring at the time and Laura was doing a signing, so the book is autographed and I managed to get a pretty swell photo too.
What kind of reader are you?
I read all the time. I really like old sci-fi; Phillip K. Dick and Frank Herbert. I also read a lot of comics and modern British sci-fi. I’m a big fan of Swamp Thing and 2000AD and I’ll read anything by Neil Gaiman, Aaron Dembski-Bowden or Dan Abnett. I also spend a lot of time just hitting the random button on Wikipedia. I like learning about stuff.
Do you re-read books, or is once enough?
There’s a handful of books or series that I’ll revisit but generally I like to move on to something new. Well, not new new, just something I haven’t read. 
I’ll read anywhere, any time, but I’m particularly happy in my hammock on my balcony.
What are people surprised to find you enjoy?
Nothing, I’m very clearly and obviously a massive nerd who likes nerd things.
What does your book collection look like?
A lot of it is in boxes in storage but I have a couple of crowded bookcases. They share space with my board games and certain action figures.
Do you organise books alphabetically or aesthetically?
Thematically, I keep genres and series together.
What kind of books do you like to own – new, second hand, specific genres?
Books with good words in them. I don’t mind if they’re old or new.
Which book have you owned for the longest time?
That’s hard to say. I still have lots of books from when I was a child; big thick books from the 80s about dinosaurs and science. I also have a very dog-eared copy of The Never Ending Story that I got when I was six. I cherish it.
If you had to pick one book to live in for the rest of your life, which would it be?
I tend to read a lot of dystopian sci-fi. I wouldn’t want to live in any of these worlds! They’re horrible. If I had to pick then probably Peter Pan. I loved being a kid and when I was ten I remember desperately wishing that I could be ten forever. I would just be me, in Neverland, swashbuckling and floating about in some kind of magnificent forest couture.
