#LoveOzYA, adventure, Alexander McCall-Smith, animals, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Covers, Crime/Mystery, Deltora Quest, Emily Rodda, Events, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Harry Potter, historical fiction, history, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, Jane Austen, Kensy and Max, literary fiction, middle grade, Mma Ramotswe, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Publishers, quiz books, Reading, Reviews, Rowan of Rin, Scholastic, series, Speculative fiction, spies, Young Adult

August Round Up 2019

I managed to read sixteen books in August, and the break down is below for each challenge and collectively in lists and tables. Several were read for review purposes, some for quiz writing purposes and others for my own reading. Some reviews are only going live in September, but others are up and ready to… Continue reading August Round Up 2019

Australian literature, Australian women writers, Author interviews, Book Industry, Books, Events, historical fiction, history, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Interview with Joy Rhoades – The Burnt Country

Hi, Joy and welcome to my blog, The Book Muse. First of all, I loved The Burnt Country, and would like to go back and read The Woolgrower's Companion, to see what happened before 1948.   In The Burnt Country, Kate is determined to keep running her farm. Where did you get your inspiration for… Continue reading Interview with Joy Rhoades – The Burnt Country

#LoveOzYA, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, Events, historical fiction, history, Jackie French, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Somewhere Around the Corner by Jackie French

Title: Somewhere Around the Corner Author: Jackie French Genre: Historical Fiction/Timeslip Publisher: Harper Collins Published: 2nd March 1994 Format: Paperback Pages: $16.99 Price: 288 Synopsis:Just shut your eyes and picture yourself walking around the corner. that's what my friend told me. Somewhere around the corner and you'll be safe. the demonstration was wild, out of… Continue reading Somewhere Around the Corner by Jackie French

adventure, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, Events, historical fiction, history, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, short stories, Young Adult

When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll

Title: When We Were Warriors Author: Emma Carroll Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Faber Published: 3rd June 2019 Format: Paperback Pages: 256 Price: $14.99 Synopsis: An irresistible return to World War Two for the Queen of Historical Fiction. A body washed up on the beach... Evacuation to an old house with forbidden rooms and dark secrets...… Continue reading When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll

Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Events, historical fiction, history, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl

Title: The True Story of Maddie Bright Author: Mary-Rose MacColl Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 1st April 2019 Format: Paperback Pages: 504 Price: $29.99 Synopsis: In 1920, seventeen-year old Maddie Bright is thrilled to take a job as a serving girl on the royal tour of Australia by Edward who was then… Continue reading The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl

Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Books, challenges, Events, historical fiction, history, literary fiction

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

Title: The Things We Cannot Say Author: Kelly Rimmer Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction Publisher: Hachette Australia Published: 26th February 2019 Format: Paperback Pages: 420 Price: $29.99 Synopsis: A searing page-turner of family secrets and the legacy of war by the Top 10 bestselling Australian author of BEFORE I LET YOU GO 2019 Life changed beyond recognition for… Continue reading The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book Industry, Books, challenges, classics, Events, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Kate Forsyth, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Beauty in Thorns Revisited – And Stepping into the World of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in Canberra.

In 2017, I was lucky enough to be approached by Penguin Random House to review Kate Forsyth’s book, Beauty in Thorns, the story of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and in particular, William Morris (Topsy), Ned Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and the women who inspired them:  Janey Burden, Lizzie Siddal, and Georgie MacDonald, and in the final… Continue reading Beauty in Thorns Revisited – And Stepping into the World of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in Canberra.

Australian literature, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Events, history, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams

Title: Australia's Sweetheart Author: Michael Adams Genre: Biography Publisher: Hachette Australia Published: 29th January 2019 Format: Paperback Pages: 404 Price: $32.99 Synopsis: This is the fascinating story of Mary Maguire, a 1930s Australian ingenue who sailed for Hollywood and a fabulous life, only to have her career cut short by scandal and tragedy. Packed with… Continue reading Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams

#LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Awards, Blog Tour, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Events, historical fiction, history, Kensy and Max, literary fiction, non-fiction, quiz books, Scholastic, series, spies

Australian Women Writer’s Check-in three: thirty-one to forty-five

My next fifteen takes me to book 45 of the challenge - The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell. In this set, I read a wide array of fiction - all by authors I had never read before, from contemporary fiction, to historical fiction, literary fiction, and kids’ books that delved into the world of spies,… Continue reading Australian Women Writer’s Check-in three: thirty-one to forty-five

#LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Awards, Blog Tour, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, Covers, Crime/Mystery, Dr Pimms, Events, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Jackie French, literary fiction, LJM Owen, Lynette Noni, Medoran Chronicles, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Rose Raventhorpe, Sci-Fi, series, Writing, Young Adult

Australian Women Writer’s Challenge Check-in One – books one to fifteen

All year I have been meaning to write progress posts for every month, or every ten books. Until now, I have woefully neglected this activity, and having read 61 books already, am breaking it up into posts of fifteen - and will continue to do this until the end of the year/early 2019, making the… Continue reading Australian Women Writer’s Challenge Check-in One – books one to fifteen