"Now, I - for several years while I was researching this book, I felt quite obsessed by thoughts about sentencing, punishment, how judges arrive at their decisions"

In this quote, author Helen Garner exposes her extreme fascination with the subject of sentencing and penalty. She describes that while investigating for her book, she ended up being consumed by ideas about how judges make their decisions in these matters. This recommends that Garner has a deep interest in the justice system and the aspects that affect the outcome of criminal cases. Her use of the word "consumed" implies a level of fixation and fixation with this subject. This quote highlights Garner's dedication to her work and her decision to understand the intricacies of the legal system.