June Reading Round Up 2019

In June, I read eighteen books, bringing me to ninety-three overall for the year, and forty-six for the Australian Women Writer’s challenge, which has comprised at least fifty percent of my reading totals so far this year. Several books were for work, so I didn’t review those on the blog. Others that haven’t been reviewed include Squirrel Girl and a couple of others I didn’t get a chance to write reviews for, but they were also for other challenge categories.

I managed to tick off one category that was stumping me a little – a book recommended by a celebrity. The obvious choices I saw for this revolved around book clubs run by celebrities such as Emma Watson or Reese Witherspoon.  But when I overhead Myf Warhurst talking about Split on her radio show one day, I knew this would fit well, so this is the way I went. This one was hard because finding the right recommendation is always tricky, especially if the books aren’t easily available in certain places. So thank you again, Myf, for this wonderful recommendation.

You’ll see that at least one review isn’t linked – The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth. That’s because it only comes out in two weeks, so the review is going live on the sixteenth. Keep an eye out for it then.

With Book Bingo, I have all but three posts written and scheduled, and I need to make a move with my Jane Austen challenge. With my Pop Sugar one, I have eleven categories to fill. These should be doable or partially doable in the time I have left in the year, at least for most of the categories.

Until next month!

Books 76-93

76. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
77. Eco Warriors: Microbat Mayhem by Candice Lemon-Scott
78. Explorer’s Academy: Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
79. The Time Travel Diaries #1 by Caroline Lawrence
80. Chanel’s Riviera by Anne De Courcy
81. Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer – published in October
82. When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll
83. Powers of a Girl by Lorraine Clink and Alice X Zhang
84. Stasi 77 by David Young
85. The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth – published 16th July 2019
86. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (20th Anniversary Ravenclaw Edition)
87. Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler
88. Fled by Meg Keneally
89. Squirrel Girl #2: Squirrel You Know It’s True by Ryan North
90. Split edited by Lee Kofman
91. Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M Martin (Baby Sitters Club #1)
92. Choose Your Own Adventure #2: Journey Under the Sea by R.A. Montgomery
93. The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8)

Australian Women Writer’s Challenge

1. All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill – Reviewed
2. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner – Reviewed
3. Vardaesia by Lynette Noni – Reviewed
4. Saving You by Charlotte Nash – Reviewed
5. Zelda Stitch Term Two: Too Much Witch by Nikki Greenberg – Reviewed
6. 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne – Reviewed
7. Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth – Reviewed/Revisited post
8. What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson – Reviewed
9. The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble – Reviewed
10. The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion – Reviewed
11. The Orchardist’s Daughter by Karen Viggers – Reviewed
12. The French Photographer by Natasha Lester – Reviewed and Q&A
13. Kensy and Max: Undercover by Jacqueline Harvey – Reviewed
14. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – Reviewed
15. 52 Mondays by Anna Ciddor – Reviewed
16. Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte – Reviewed
17. Zebra and Other Stories by Debra Adelaide – Reviewed
18. Esther by Jessica North – Reviewed
19. Mermaid Holidays: The Talent Show by Delphine Davis and Adele K. Thomas – Reviewed
20. The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl – Reviewed
21. Miss Franklin: How Miles Franklin’s Brilliant Career began by Libby Hathorn – Reviewed
22. Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson – Reviewed
23. The Artist’s Portrait by Julie Keys – Reviewed
24. The Suicide Bride by Tanya Bretherton – Reviewed, Interview
25. Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
26. Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim – Reviewed
27. Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
28. Deltora Quest: The City of Rats by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
29. Alice to Prague by Tanya Heaslip – Reviewed
30. Life Before by Carmel Reilly – Reviewed
31. The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle by Sophie Green – Reviewed
32. The Monster Who Wasn’t by T.C. Shelley – Reviewed
33. The Lost Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn – Reviewed
34. Lintang and The Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss – Reviewed
35. The Great Toy Rescue (Puppy Diaries #1) by Yvette Poshoglian – Work book, not reviewed
36. As Happy as Here by Jane Godwin – Reviewed
37. Women to the Front: The Extraordinary Australian Women Doctors of the Great War by Heather Sheard and Ruth Lee – Reviewed
38. Deltora Quest: The Shifting Sands by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
39. Deltora Quest: Dread Mountain by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
40. Mermaid Holidays by Delphine Davis and Adele K Thomas – Reviewed
41. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers – Reviewed
42. Eco Warriors: Microbat Mayhem by Candice Lemon-Scott – Work book, not reviewed.
43. Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer – Reviewed
44. The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth – Reviewed
45. Fled by Meg Keneally – Reviewed
46. The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8) – Reviewed

Pop Sugar Challenge

1. A book becoming a movie in 2019:
2. A book that makes you nostalgic: The Lost Magician by Piers Torday
3. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction): Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills
4. A book you think should be turned into a movie: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
5. A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling – 20th Anniversary House Editions
6. A book with a plant in the title or on the cover: Bella Donna: Coven Road by Ruth Symes, Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
7. A reread of a favourite book: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth
8. A book about a hobby: The Bad Mother’s Book Club by Keris Stanton
9. A book you meant to read in 2018: Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
10. A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title: Poppy Field by Michael Morpurgo, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
11. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne, The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
12. A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore: Mermaid Holidays: The Magic Pearl by Delphine Davis and Adele K Thomas
13. A book published posthumously: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
14. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie:
15. A retelling of a classic: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (Enola Holmes #3) by Nancy Springer
16. A book with a question in the title:
17. A book set on college or university campus: Marvel Rising: Squirrel Girl and Ms Marvel by Devin Grayson, Ryan North and Willow Wilson
18. A book about someone with a superpower: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume One: Squirrel Power by Ryan North
19. A book told from multiple POVs: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
20. A book set in space: Captain Marvel: Higher, Faster, Further by Kelly Sue DeConnick
21. A book by two female authors:
22. A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title: Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams
23. A book set in Scandinavia: The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag
24. A book that takes place in a single day: Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson
25. A debut novel: What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson
26. A book that’s published in 2019: Vardaesia by Lynette Noni
27. A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature: Dragon Masters: Treasure of the Gold Dragon by Tracey West
28. A book recommended by a celebrity you admire: Split edited by Lee Kofman – recommended by Myf Warhurst
29. A book with LOVE in the title:
30. A book featuring an amateur detective: All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill
31. A book about a family: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion
32. A book by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim
33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title: The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
34. A book that includes a wedding: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, A Dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino
35. A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter: Mermaid Holidays: The Talent Show by Delphine Davis and Adele K. Thomas, The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl, Explorer’s Academy: Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
36. A ghost story:
37. A book with a two-word title: Saving You by Charlotte Nash
38. A novel based on a true story: The Familiars by Stacey Halls – The Pendle Witches
39. A book revolving around a puzzle or game:
40. Your favourite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge:

2016 – A book based on a fairy tale: The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth – based on Chinese fairy tale, The Blue Rose 

2017 – A steampunk book:

Advanced

41. A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book: The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson
42. A “choose-your-own-adventure” book: Choose Your Own Adventure #2: Journey Under the Sea by R.A. Montgomery
43. An “own voices” book: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim
44. Read a book during the season it is set in: Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson (Easter Season), The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle by Sophie Green (parts are set during Autumn)
45. A LitRPG book:
46. A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters: Kensy and Max: Undercover by Jacqueline Harvey (Ciphers used to give the chapter headings)
47. Two books that share the same title: Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda
48. Two books that share the same title: Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda
49. A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom:
50. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Book Bingo Progress

Rows Across:

Row One:

A book with a red cover: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim – #AWW2019

Beloved Classic: Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner – AWW2018

A novel that has more than 500 pages:

A novella no more than 150 pages: Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda – #AWW2019

Prize winning book:

Row Two:

A book by an author with the same initials as you:

Non-Fiction book about an event: The Suicide Bride by Tanya Bretherton – #AWW2019

Fictional biography about a woman from history: Fled by Meg Keneally – #AWW2019

Memoir about a non-famous person: Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams

Book written by an Australian woman more than 10 years ago: Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda – #AWW2019 (2001)

Row Three: BINGO

Themes of Science Fiction: Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson

Themes of Culture: The Lost Magician by Piers Torday

Themes of Justice: What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson – AWW2019

Themes of Inequality: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – AWW2019

Themes of Fantasy: Vardaesia by Lynette Noni – AWW2019

 

Row Four: – BINGO

Book with a place in the title: The French Photographer by Natasha Lester -AWW2019

Book set in the Australian Outback: The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8) – #AWW2019

Book set on the Australian Coast: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion – AWW2019

Book set in the Australian Mountains: The Orchardist’s Daughter by Karen Viggers – AWW2019

Book set in an exotic location: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte – #AWW2019

 

Row Five: Bingo

Written by an Australian Man: The Honeyman and the Hunter by Neil Grant

Written by an Australian Woman: Zelda Stitch Term Two: Too Much Witch by Nicki Greenberg – AWW2019

Written by an author under the age of 35: Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson – #AWW2019

Written by an author over the age of 65: Miss Franklin: How Miles Franklin’s Brilliant Career began by Libby Hathorn – #AWW2019

Written by an author you’ve never read: The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble – #AWW2019

Row Six: Bingo

Literary: Zebra and Other Stories by Debra Adelaide – AWW2019

Crime: All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill – AWW2019

Historical: The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Romance: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Comedy: Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills

Rows Down:

Row One:  –

A book with a red cover: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim – #AWW2019

Book by an author with the same initials as you:

Themes of science fiction: Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson

Book with a place in the title: The French Photographer by Natasha Lester -AWW2019

Written by an Australian man: The Honeyman and the Hunter by Neil Grant

Literary: Zebra and Other Stories by Debra Adelaide – AWW2019

Row Two: BINGO

Beloved Classic: Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner – AWW2018

Non-Fiction book about an event: The Suicide Bride by Tanya Bretherton – #AWW2019

Themes of culture: The Lost Magician by Piers Torday

Book set in the Australian outback: The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8) – #AWW2019

Written by an Australian woman: Zelda Stitch Term Two: Too Much Witch by Nicki Greenberg – AWW2019

Crime: All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill – AWW2019

Row three:

Novel that has 500 pages or more:

Fictional biography about a woman from history: Fled by Meg Keneally – #AWW2019

Themes of justice: What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson – AWW2019

Book set on the Australian coast: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion – AWW2019

Written by an author under the age of 35: Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson – #AWW2019

Historical: The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Row Four: – BINGO

Novella no more than 150 pages: Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda – #AWW2019

Memoir about a non-famous person: Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams

Themes of inequality: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – AWW2019

Book set in the Australian mountains: The Orchardist’s Daughter by Karen Viggers – AWW2019          

Written by an author over the age of 65: Miss Franklin: How Miles Franklin’s Brilliant Career began by Libby Hathorn – #AWW2019

Romance: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Row Five:

Prize winning book:

Book written by an Australian woman more than ten years ago: Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda – #AWW2019 (2001)

Themes of fantasy: Vardaesia by Lynette Noni – AWW2019

Book set in an exotic location: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte – #AWW2019

Written by an author you’ve never read: The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble – #AWW2019

Comedy: Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills

 

June Round Up – 18

 

Book	Author	Challenge
Mary Poppins	P.L. Travers	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, #AWW2019, Popsugar
Eco Warriors: Microbat Mayhem	Candice Lemon-Scott	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, #AWW2019
Explorer’s Academy: Nebula Secret	Trudi Trueit	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
The Time Travel Diaries #1	Caroline Lawrence	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Chanel’s Riviera	Anne De Courcy	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Maternal Instinct	Rebecca Bowyer	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, #AWW2019
When We Were Warriors	Emma Carroll	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Powers of a Girl	Lorraine Clink and Alice X Zhang	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Stasi 77	David Young	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
The Blue Rose	Kate Forsyth	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, Popsugar, #AWW2019 – Reviewed, out on the 16th of July
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (20th Anniversary Ravenclaw Edition)	JK Rowling	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, PopSugar
Rumple Buttercup	Matthew Gray Gubler	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Fled	Meg Keneally	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, #AWW2019, Book Bingo
Squirrel Girl #2: Squirrel You Know It’s True	Ryan North	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Split	Lee Kofman	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, PopSugar
Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby Sitters Club #1)	Ann M Martin	General, #Dymocks52Challenge
Choose Your Own Adventure #2: Journey Under the Sea	R.A. Montgomery	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, PopSugar
The Last Dingo Summer	Jackie French	General, #Dymocks52Challenge, #AWW2019, Book Bingo