Wrap up #4: Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2017: Challenge Completed

Wrap up #4: Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2017: Challenge Completed

2017 was the first year I took part in the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge, and it was the sixth year it has been running. Keen to read more Australian Women Writers and raise the profile of our wonderfully talented female authors, I signed up in early January 2017, as a way to keep myself occupied whilst building my blog, and to read more local literature. To start, I initially made a list of books I wanted to read, including The Beast’s Garden (a re-read that I never got to), anything new from Lynette Noni and Sulari Gentill, a couple of books I had obtained over Christmas, and A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French. This list was my base, and from there, within the first month, I had completed my goal with the entirety of The Matilda Saga by Jackie French, and several review books that weren’t quite my style, but that I passed on to those who did enjoy them. From there, many of the books I read were review books from publishers, all genres, growing my list substantially, so I had more than doubled my initial goal by April of the year – perhaps even tripled it by then. So I kept reading, devouring fantasy, historical fiction and crime as my favourite genres for the year.

Three of my favourite authors – Kate Forsyth, Lynette Noni and Sulari Gentill released new books this year, all read and reviewed. I was lucky enough to participate in a series of reviews to celebrate the 100^th anniversary in 2018 of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and discovered a new favourite author, Jessica Townsend, author of Nevermoor. Book two will hopefully be out in 2018 and it is one I am eager to read when it does come out.

I pledged to read six and review at least four books – Miles level. However, as is evident by the list below, I far exceeded that, reading and reviewing fifty-five books in total. I have no plans to purposely surpass this next year, though if I do, it will be a lovely surprise and an accomplishment for me. I have linked each review in this post as well so clicking on a title will take you to that review.

Bring on 2018 and many more reads!

1. A Waltz for Matilda (Matilda Saga #1) by Jackie French
2. The Girl from Snowy River (Matilda Saga #3) by Jackie French
3. The Road to Gundagai (Matilda Saga #3) by Jackie French
4. To Love a Sunburnt Country (Matilda Saga #4) by Jackie French
5. New York Nights by CJ Duggan
6. Country Roads by Nicole Hurley-Moore
7. The Ghost by The Billabong (Matilda Saga #5) by Jackie French
8. If Blood Should Stain the Wattle (Matilda Saga #6) by Jackie French
9. The Last McAdam by Holly Ford
10. From the Wreck by Jane Rawson
11. Draekora (Medoran Chronicles #3_ by Lynette Noni
12. London Bound by CJ Duggan
13. Looking for Rose Paterson: How Family Bush Life Nurtured Banjo the Poet
14. See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
15. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood
16. The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky
17. The Song of Us by JD Barrett
18. Singing My Sister Down and other stories by Margo Lanagan
19. Stars Across the Ocean by Kimberley Freeman
20. Murder on the Ballarat Train (Phryne Fisher #3) by Kerry Greenwood
21. Girl In Between by Anna Daniels
22. The Lost Pages by Marija Peričić
23. Beauty in the Thorns by Kate Forsyth
24. The Dream Walker by Victoria Carless
25. My Lovely Frankie by Judith Clarke
26. Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher #4)
27. Leaving Ocean Road by Esther Campion
28. The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green
29. Siren by Rachel Matthews
30. A Reluctant Warrior by Kelly Brooke Nicholls
31. Ava’s Big Move by Mary van Reyk
32. We That Are Left by Lisa Bigelow
33. The Cursed First Term of Zelda Stitch by Nicki Greenberg
34. The Book of Secrets: The Ateban Cipher (Book 1) by A.L. Tait
35. Terra Nullius by Claire G Coleman
36. Secrets Between Friends by Fiona Palmer
37. Soon by Lois Murphy
38. A Dangerous Language (Rowland Sinclair #8) by Sulari Gentill
39. She Be Damned by MJ Tjia
40. Gum-nut Babies by May Gibbs
41. Tales from the Gum-Tree by May Gibbs and Jane Massam
42. The Green Mill Murders by Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher #5)
43. Tales from the Billabong by May Gibbs and Jane Massam
44. Tales from the Bush by May Gibbs and Jane Massam
45. Tales from the Campfire by May Gibbs and Jane Massam
46. The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlpie by May Gibbs
47. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
48. Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Black Cats and Butlers by Janine Beacham
49. Enid Blyton For Adults: Five Go Down Under – text by Sophie Hamley
50. Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster
51. Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Rubies and Runaways by Janine Beacham
52. Into the World by Stephanie Parkyn
53. Facing the Flame by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #7)
54. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman
55. Vasilisa the Wise by Kate Forsyth and Lorena Carrington