2018 Reading Wrap Up Post

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In 2018, I had the aim of reading 120 books throughout the year. This was my general reading goal from the first of January to the end of December, and included review books, books I had to read for work as a quiz writer with Scholastic Australia, and my other challenges – The Australian Women Writer’s Challenge, the Pop Sugar Challenge (which I came close to finishing, but several categories were too hard to fulfil when it came to it), and Book Bingo 2018 with Theresa and Amanda, which we will be attempting again in 2019.

In 2019, I will be participating in each of the above challenges again – The Australian Women Writer’s Challenge, Book Bingo and the Pop Sugar Challenge. My main aim will be to complete the 2019 Book Bingo, and to see how I go with the 2019 PopSugar Challenge – which will be addressed in a separate post. Below is my list of books I read in 2018:

Reading Log

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Illustrated) by JK Rowling (Newt Scamander)
The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett
Where’s Jane? Find Jane Austen Hidden in her Stories by Rebecca Smith and Katy Dockrill
Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham
Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-Time Husband by Barbara Toner
Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Smile:The Story of the original Mona Lisa by Mary Hoffman
The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier
Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson
The Endsister by Penni Russon
The Last Train by Sue Lawrence
Graevale by Lynette Noni
Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen
The Passengers by Eleanor Limprecht
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin
Draigon Weather: The Legends of Arnan – Book One by Paige L Christie
Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French
The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson
Surf Rider’s Club #2: Bronte’s Big Sister Problem by Mary van Reyk
Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
Jorie and the Magic Stones by A.H. Richardson
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard
Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutschner
Spinning Tops & Gum Drops: A Portrait of Colonial Childhood by Edwin Barnard
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Mayan Mendacity by L.J.M. Owen
The Opal Dragonfly by Julian Leatherdale
Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan
The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester
The Freedom Finders Series: Touch the Sun by Emily Conolan
The World Goes On by László Krasznahorakai (translated from the Hungarian by John Bakti, Ottilie Mulzet and Georges Szirtes
The Book of Answers: The Ateban Cipher Book 2 by A.L. Tait
Munmun by Jesse Andrews
Little Gods by Jenny Ackland
Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon
I am Sasha by Anita Selzer
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
The Good Doctor of Warsaw by Elisabeth Gifford
Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn
Monty the Sad Puppy by Holly Webb
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Lovesome by Sally Seltmann
Egyptian Enigma by L.J.M Owen
The Ship that Never Was by Adam Courtenay
Other Worlds: Perfect World by George Ivanoff
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross
Eleanor’s Secret by Caroline Beecham
Australia Day by Melanie Cheng
The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery by Deborah Abela
Other Worlds: Beast World by George Ivanoff
Circe by Madeline Miller
Miles Franklin: A Short Biography by Jill Roe
The Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning
The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse
Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
Ready to Fall by Marcella Puxley
A Home for Molly by Holly Webb
My Girragundji by Meme McDonald and Boori Monty Prior
Burning Bridges and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan
Bluebottle by Belinda Castles
Selected Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield
The Upside of Over by J.D. Barrett
P is for Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones
Into the Night by Sarah Bailey
The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers, translated from the German by Margot Bettauer Dembo
The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady
The Notebook of Doom #10: Snap of the Super-Goop by Troy Cummings
Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt
Dragon Masters: Search for the Lightning Dragon by Tracey West
Ella and Olivia: A Wild Adventure by Yvette Poshoglian
Kensy and Max: Breaking News by Jacqueline Harvey
Captain Cook’s Apprentice by Anthony Hill
Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr
We See the Stars by Kate van Hooft
The Far Back Country by Kate Lyons
Beneath the Mother Tree by D.M. Cameron
The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
Harry Potter – Diagon Alley: A Movie Scrapbook by Warner Brothers and Jody Revenson
Strange Meeting by Susan Hill
The Desert Nurse by Pamela Hart
The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #1)
The Silver Horse by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #2)
If Kisses Cured Cancer by T.S. Hawken
The Herb of Grace by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #3)
Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles
The Cat’s-Eye Shell by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #4)
Children of the Dragon: The Relic of The Blue Dragon by Rebecca Lim
The Legacy of Beauregarde by Rosa Fedele
The Lightning Bolt by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #5)
The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn
Ninjago: The Mystery of the Masks by Kate Howard
Spirit by Ellen Miles (The Puppy Place)
The Butterfly in Amber by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #6)
The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
Scrublands by Chris Hammer
When the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson
The Last Firehawk: The Crystal Caverns by Katrina Charman
Hey Brother by Jarrah Dundler
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Satellite Space Mission by AnnMarie Anderson
Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer
The Honourable Thief by Meaghan Wilson Anastasios
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
The Brink of Darkness by Jeff Giles
Mouseford Academy: Lights, Camera, Action by Thea Stilton
No Country Woman by Zoya Patel
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty
Disappearing Act by Jacqueline Harvey (Kensy and Max #2)
A Kitten Called Tiger by Holly Webb
Fairy Tales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane
The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree by Paola Peretti
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
Sisters and Brothers by Fiona Palmer
The Note Book of Doom: Battle of the Boss-Monster by Troy Cummings (#13)
Mission Alert: Island X by Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Time Jumpers: Stealing the Sword by Wendy Mass
Archibald, the Naughtiest Elf in the World Goes to the Zoo by Skye Davidson, Illustrated by Ágnes Rokiczky
We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni
The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
The Colours of all the Cattle by Alexander McCall-Smith
Frieda by Annabel Abbs
Secrets Hidden Below by Sandra Bennett
The Shelter Puppy by Holly Webb
The Case of the Missing Marquess (An Enola Holmes Mystery #1) by Nancy Springer.
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (An Enola Holmes Mystery #2) by Nancy Springer
What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra
The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears
Bright Young Dead by Jessica Fellowes
Total Quack up by Sally Rippin and Adrian Beck
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Let Sleeping Dragons Lie by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Stormtrooper Class Clowns by Ace Landers
Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty (Kingdoms and Empires #2)
Storm troopers: Class Clown by Ace Landers
The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters
Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Busi
The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
The Little Fairy Sister by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbery Outhwaite
Hogwarts: A Movie Scrapbook
Goodbye Christopher Robin by Anne Thwaite
Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald by J.K. Rowling
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Edward by Ellen Miles
Clementine Rose and the Bake-Off Dilemma by Jacqueline Harvey
All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill
Last Woman Hanged by Caroline Overington
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North
The Rescued Kitten by Holly Webb
The Au Pair by Emma Rous
Dear Santa, edited by Sam Johnson OAM
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore
A Very Murderous Christmas by Cecily Gayford
Wiser than Everything by Lorena Carrington
Time Jumpers: Escape from Egypt by Wendy Mass]
Henry VIII and the Men who Made Him by Tracy Borman

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As you can see, I have read kids’ books, young adult books, fiction and non-fiction books and everything in between for quiz writing and reviewing, and my own reading that I was able to do in between the books sent to me as a reviewer and quiz writer.

In wrapping up my 2018 reading, there are definitely some books I wanted to get to but didn’t, and that I hope I can get to in 2019. With similar goals for 2019, I hope to achieve similar numbers, more books read, and hopefully more reviews coming your way for the next twelve months.

Pop Sugar Challenge Round Up

One of the challenges I did during 2019 was the PopSugar Challenge. It had forty categories, plus an additional ten advanced ones – a couple of which I managed to check off, and I filled most of the main categories, some with multiple books. It was a good challenge, but one thing I think lets it down is that it is overly prescriptive – and I think this made it too hard to fill in – almost impossible for some, in fact.

One was an author with the same first or last name as you – and this could let many people down, as there will be many names, not just mine, that do not appear as any part of an author’s name. Some I didn’t fill due to lack of time, but there were some that relied on accessibility as well – being able to get the book, or something being available in a library, bookstore or your collection. The point of a challenge is to challenge you and your reading – but perhaps not in a way that lets you down when you find you can’t fill a category.

Still, it was a fun challenge and I’ll be doing it again this year – but I feel that the categories get too prescriptive and specific each year, and rely too much on the accessibility of books – just because you can find a title in a Google search does not mean that book will be readily available for you – and my plan is to fill as many as I can with what I have.

Challenge #1

A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Basu Victoria and Abdul (2017)

True crime: Last Woman Hanged by Caroline Overington

The next book in a series you started: Mayan Mendacity by L.J.M. Owen, The Silver Horse by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #2)

A book involving a heist: The Book of Answers: The Ateban Cipher Book 2 by A.L. Tait, Bright Young Dead by Jessica Fellowes (Mitford Murders #2)

Nordic Noir:

A novel based on a real person: Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

A book set in a country that fascinates you:

Country: Scotland
Book: The Last Train by Sue Lawrence

Country: England
Book: The Silver Horse by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #2)

A book with the time of day in the title: early – Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

A book about a villain or anti-hero: The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutschner, The Ship that Never Was by Adam Courtenay

A book about death or grief: Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer, Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt

A book with your favourite colour in the title: Bluebottle by Belinda Castles

A book with alliteration in the title: Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham
Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen
Mayan Mendacity by LJM Owen

A book about time travel: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas, Time Jumpers: Stealing the Sword by Wendy Mass

A book with a weather element in the title: Draigon Weather: The Legends of Arnan – Book One by Paige L Christie, Dragon Masters: Search for the Lightning Dragon by Tracey West

A book set at sea: The Passengers by Eleanor Limprecht, Bluebottle by Belinda Castles, Captain Cook’s Apprentice by Anthony Hill

A book with an animal in the title: The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson, The Opal Dragonfly by Julian Leatherdale

A book set on a different planet: Graevale by Lynette Noni

A book with song lyrics in the title: The Last Train by Sue Lawrence (Last Train Out of Sydney)

A book about or set on Halloween: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

A book with characters who are twins: The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester, Other Worlds: Beast World by George Ivanoff

A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym: Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)

A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin, Tin Man by Sarah Winman

A book that is also a stage play or musical:

A book by an author of a different ethnicity to you: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton, Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan

A book about feminism: Olmec Obituary by L.J.M. Owen, No Country Woman by Zoya Patel

A book about mental health: Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson (mental disabilities, dealing with grief and loneliness)

A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne, Goodbye, Christopher Robin by Anne Thwaite

A book by two authors: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A book about or involving sport: Surf Rider’s Club #2: Bronte’s Big Sister Problem by Mary van Reyk

A book by a local author: The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier (AU author), Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan, Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen, Mayan Mendacity by LJM Owen, Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-time Husband by Barbara Toner

A book mentioned in another book: Heidi by Johanna Spyri, mentioned in Little Gods.

A book from a celebrity book club:

Book Club:
Book:

A childhood classic you’ve never read: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

A book that’s published in 2018: Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-time Husband by Barbara Toner

A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner: Talking as Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

A book set in the decade you were born: Little Gods by Jenny Ackland

A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French

A book with an ugly cover: Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard

A book that involves a bookstore or library: Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles

Your favourite prompt from the 2015, 2016 or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges:

2015: A book with a one-word title: Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn, Lovesome by Sally Seltmann.

2016: A book based on a fairy tale: The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross

2017: A novel set during wartime: Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn

TOTAL READ: 61 in 37 categories
ADVANCED

A bestseller from the year you graduated high school (2004):

A cyberpunk book:

A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place:

A book tied to your ancestry (Scottish):

A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title: Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon

An allegory: Munmun by Jesse Andrews

A book by an author with the same first or last name as you:

A microhistory: Spinning Tops & Gum Drops: A Portrait of Colonial Childhood by Edwin Barnard

A book about a problem facing society today: When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth – poaching. No Country Woman by Zoya Patel – Racism.

A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge:

TOTAL READ: 5

As you can see, some categories were easier to fill than others, some I didn’t manage to find anything for aforementioned reasons, and some had multiple entries. Some were filled in with a stretch – perhaps this is why I like looser themes, rather than ones that dictate what must be in a title or part of the authors name – you still get the challenge of finding a book that fills it, without causing panic because nothing fits in – this takes the fun out of it. So in 2019, my goal is to fill whatever categories I can. And if there are some where I don’t find a book, or a book does not appeal to me, I will give it a miss – and just let it happen as it happens.

In my mind, a challenge like this whilst fun, can also be inhibiting, which is why in the group that does this challenge, I’ve suggested a list of other challenges in case others want to take those on as well as this one or instead of – something I might do, or tweak them for my individual needs.

So ends another year of reading challenges.

2018 Book Bingo Wrap up and 2019 Book Bingo Sign up

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This year I participated in a book bingo challenge with Amanda and Theresa, and we also all participated in the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge together, and many of the books I read filled both challenges.

During 2018, I managed to complete two cards of twenty-five squares each, with some books working for separate categories in each card. I had intended to do one, however, I got a little too enthusiastic in my first card and crossed off multiple squares. In my second one, I only did this at the end, and managed two cards with vastly different books in each one.

2018 Cards:

Here is the card used this year, and my two completed ones:

Card One Books List:

Challenge #3: Book Bingo

(Rows Across)

Row #1 – – BINGO

A book set more than 100 years ago: Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham – AWW2018

A book written more than ten years ago: Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018

A memoir: Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard

A book more than 500 pages: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French – AWW2018

A Foreign translated novel: Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutschner (translated by Niall Seller)

Row #2 – BINGO

A book with a yellow cover: Tin Man by Sarah Winman

A book by an author you’ve never read before: The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier – AWW2018

A non-fiction book: Spinning Tops & Gum Drops: A Portrait of Colonial Childhood by Edwin Barnard

A collection of short stories: Australia Day by Melanie Cheng – AWW2018

A book with themes of culture: The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson

Row #3: – BINGO

A book written by an Australian woman: The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett – AWW2018

A book written by an Australian man: The Opal Dragonfly by Julian Leatherdale

A prize-winning book: Miles Franklin: A Short Biography by Jill Roe – AWW

A book that scares you: The Good Doctor of Warsaw by Elisabeth Gifford

A book with a mystery: Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen – AWW2018

Row #4 – BINGO

A forgotten classic: Selected Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield

A book with a one-word title: Munmun by Jesse Andrews, Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018

A book with non-human characters: Monty the Sad Puppy by Holly Webb

A funny book: Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan

A book with a number in the title: Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-Time Husband by Barbara Toner – AWW2018

Row #5 – BINGO

A book that became a movie: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A book based on a true story: Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

A book everyone is talking about: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – AWW2018

A book written by someone under thirty: P is For Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones – AWW2018

A book written by someone over sixty: Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018

Rows Down

Row #1 – – BINGO

A book set more than 100 years ago: Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham – AWW2018

A book with a yellow cover: Tin Man by Sarah Winman

A book written by an Australian woman: The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett – AWW2018

A forgotten classic: Selected Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield

A book that became a movie: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Row #2 – BINGO

A book written more than ten years ago: Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018

A book by an author you’ve never read before: The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier – AWW2018

A book written by an Australian man: The Opal Dragonfly by Julian Leatherdale

A book with a one-word title:Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018, Munmun by Jesse Andrews

A book based on a true story: Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Row #3: – BINGO

A memoir: Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard

A non-fiction book:Spinning Tops & Gum Drops: A Portrait of Colonial Childhood by Edwin Barnard

A prize-winning book: Miles Franklin: A Short Biography by Jill Roe

A book with non-human characters: Monty the Sad Puppy by Holly Webb

A book everyone is talking about: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – AWW2018

Row #4 – BINGO

A book more than 500 pages: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French – AWW2018

A collection of short stories: Australia Day by Melanie Cheng – AWW2018

A book that scares you: The Good Doctor of Warsaw by Elisabeth Gifford

A funny book: Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan

A book written by someone under thirty: P is For Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones – AWW2018

Row #5 –BINGO

A Foreign Translated Novel: Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutschner (translated by Niall Seller

A book with themes of culture: The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson

A book with a mystery: Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen – AWW2018

A book with a number in the title: Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-Time Husband by Barbara Toner – AWW2018

A book written by someone over sixty: Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn – AWW2018

Card Two Book List:

Challenge #4: Book Bingo Take 2

(Rows Across)

Row #1 – – BINGO

A book set more than 100 years ago: The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #1) – AWW2018

A book written more than ten years ago: The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas*

A memoir: No Country Woman by Zoya Patel – AWW2018

A book more than 500 pages: The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – AWW2018

A Foreign translated novel: The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree by Paola Peretti

Row #2 – BINGO

A book with a yellow cover: Australia Day by Melanie Cheng – AWW2018

A book by an author you’ve never read before: If Kisses Cured Cancer by T.S. Hawken

A non-fiction book: Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer – AWW2018

A collection of short stories: Fairy Tales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane – AWW2018

A book with themes of culture: Relic of the Blue Dragon (Children of the Dragon #1) by Rebecca Lim – AWW2018

Row #3: – BINGO

A book written by an Australian woman: Disappearing Act by Jacqueline Harvey (Kensy and Max #2) – AWW2018, The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – AWW2018

A book written by an Australian man: Captain Cook’s Apprentice by Anthony Hill

A prize-winning book: Chain of Charms series by Kate Forsyth – 2007 Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fiction – AWW2018

A book that scares you: What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra – AWW2018

A book with a mystery: The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes (Mitford Murders #1)

Row #4 – BINGO

A forgotten classic: The Little Fairy Sister by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbery Outhwaite

A book with a one-word title: Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend – AWW2018

A book with non-human characters: A Home for Molly by Holly Webb, Beast World by George Ivanoff

A funny book: Archibald, the Naughtiest Elf in the World Goes to the Zoo by Skye Davidson, Illustrated by Ágnes Rokiczky -AWW2018

A book with a number in the title: We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni – AWW2018

Row #5 –BINGO

A book that became a movie: Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Busi

A book based on a true story: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – AWW2018*

A book everyone is talking about: Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee – AWW2018

A book written by someone under thirty: The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady – AWW2018

A book written by someone over sixty: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French – AWW2018

Rows Down

Row #1 – – BINGO

A book set more than 100 years ago: The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #1) – AWW2018

A book with a yellow cover: Australia Day by Melanie Cheng – AWW2018

A book written by an Australian woman: Disappearing Act by Jacqueline Harvey (Kensy and Max #2) – AWW2018

A forgotten classic: The Little Fairy Sister by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbery Outhwaite

A book that became a movie: Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Busi

Row #2 –BINGO

A book written more than ten years ago: The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas*

A book by an author you’ve never read before: If Kisses Cured Cancer by T.S. Hawken

A book written by an Australian man: Captain Cook’s Apprentice by Anthony Hill

A book with a one-word title:Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend – AWW2018

A book based on a true story: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – AWW2018*

Row #3: – BINGO

A memoir: No Country Woman by Zoya Patel – AWW2018

A non-fiction book:Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer – AWW2018

A prize-winning book: Chain of Charms series by Kate Forsyth – 2007 Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fiction – aWW2018

A book with non-human characters: A Home for Molly by Holly Webb, Beast World by George Ivanoff

A book everyone is talking about: Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee – AWW2018

Row #4 –BINGO

A book more than 500 pages: The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – AWW2018

A collection of short stories: Fairy Tales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane – AWW2018

A book that scares you: What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra – AWW2018

A funny book: Archibald, the Naughtiest Elf in the World Goes to the Zoo by Skye Davidson, Illustrated by Ágnes Rokiczky -AWW2018

A book written by someone under thirty: The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady – AWW2018

Row #5 – BINGO

A Foreign Translated Novel: The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree by Paola Peretti

A book with themes of culture: Relic of the Blue Dragon (Children of the Dragon #1) by Rebecca Lim – AWW2018

A book with a mystery: The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes (Mitford Murders #1)

A book with a number in the title: We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni – AWW2018

A book written by someone over sixty: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French – AWW2018

I tried to vary it across both cards, though had to use some previous ones in a different square when it came down to crunch time. It has worked out well and hopefully, next year, I will be able to fill the card with some interesting reads as well. In 2019, we have 30 squares to fill, so our posts will be going up fortnightly on a Saturday to ensure we get through each category, starting on the fifth of January. I will have to choose a different category for that day, as my crime book only comes out on the twenty-first and will have to be my third post of the year for this challenge. I’ll be aiming to go with books I own for as many as possible and have a couple of categories and books in mind for the first one or two posts.

2019 Card:

Book Bingo 2019

Text List of Card categories for 2019 Across and Down:

Rows Across:

Row One:

A book with a red cover:

Beloved Classic:

A novel that has more than 500 pages:

A novella no more than 150 pages:

Prize winning book:

Row Two:

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

Non-Fiction book about an event:

Fictional biography about a woman from history:

Memoir about a non-famous person:

Book written by an Australian woman more than 10 years ago:

Row Three:

Themes of Science Fiction:

Themes of Culture:

Themes of Justice:

Themes of Inequality:

Themes of Fantasy:

Row Four:

Book with a place in the title:

Book set in the Australian Outback:

Book set on the Australian Coast:

Book set in the Australian Mountains:

Book set in an exotic location:

Row Five:

Written by an Australian Man:

Written by an Australian Woman:

Written by an author under the age of 35:

Written by an author over the age of 65:

Written by an author you’ve never read:

Row Six:

Literary:

Crime:

Historical:

Romance:

Comedy:

Rows Down:

Row One:

A book with a red cover:

Book by an author with the same initials as you:

Themes of science fiction:

Book with a place in the title:

Written by an Australian man:

Literary:

Row Two:

Beloved Classic:

Non-Fiction book about an event:

Themes of culture:

Book set in the Australian outback:

Written by an Australian woman:

Crime:

Row three:

Novel that has 500 pages or more:

Fictional biography about a woman from history:

Themes of justice:

Book set on the Australian coast:

Written by an author under the age of 35:

Historical:

Row Four:

Novella no more than 150 pages:

Memoir about a non-famous person:

Themes of inequality:

Book set in the Australian mountains:

Written by an author over the age of 65:

Romance:

Row Five:

Prize winning book:

Book written by an Australian woman more than ten years ago:

Themes of fantasy:

Book set in an exotic location:

Written by an author you’ve never read:

Comedy:

I am looking forward to this challenge alongside the rest of the blogging I will be doing in 2019, and hope you enjoy what I do.

Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him by Tracy Borman

henry viii.jpg Title: Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him

Author: Tracy Borman

Genre: History/Non-Fiction

Publisher: Hachette

Published: 30th October 2018

Format: Paperback

Pages: 500

Price: $32.99

Synopsis: Tracy Borman, author of the bestselling biography Thomas Cromwell, takes us behind the scenes of Henry VIII’s court and sheds new light on the most notorious Tudor monarch through the fresh perspective of his male relationships.

‘An outstanding work of historical artistry, a brilliantly woven and pacy story of the men who surrounded, influenced and sometimes plagued Henry VIII.’ Alison Weir

Henry VIII is well known for his tumultuous relationships with women, and he is often defined by his many marriages. But what do we see if we take a different look? When we see Henry through the men in his life, a new perspective on this famous king emerges.

Henry’s relationships with the men who surrounded him reveal much about his beliefs, behaviour and character. They show him to be capable of fierce, but seldom abiding loyalty; of raising men only to destroy them later. He loved to be attended and entertained by boisterous young men who shared his passion for sport, but at other times he was more diverted by men of intellect, culture and wit. Often trusting and easily led by his male attendants and advisers during the early years of his reign, he matured into a profoundly suspicious and paranoid king whose favour could be suddenly withdrawn, as many of his later servants found to their cost. His cruelty and ruthlessness would become ever more apparent as his reign progressed, but the tenderness that he displayed towards those he trusted proves that he was never the one-dimensional monster that he is often portrayed as.

In this fascinating and often surprising new biography, Tracy Borman reveals Henry’s personality in all its multi-faceted, contradictory glory.

~*~

Of all the monarchs in British History, and indeed all leaders throughout history, Henry VIII, one of the Tudor kings, is perhaps one of the most fascinating and complex. We know of his darker side, of how he treated his six wives and the women surrounding them in the palace – the old refrain – divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived – reminds us of the fates of each of his wives:

Katherine of Aragon – divorced.

Anne Boleyn – beheaded.

Jane Seymour – died.

Anne of Cleves – divorced.

Catherine Howard – beheaded.

Catherine Parr – survived.

Most stories talk about how Henry was defined by how he treated his wives, children and the stories of his temper and the beliefs he espoused and the way he is depicted as monstrous in his actions. But there is always more to historical figures than meets the eye. Certainly, Henry – who was the spare in the family, only became the heir when his older brother died, and he was thrust into a world where he was trained to become king. He had of course received a very rich and expensive education, surrounded by many men and in a world where he would have had his every wish indulged. This would have contributed to his later attitudes and assumptions about the world. Here we are shown how the male advisors throughout Henry’s life and reign – Cromwell, William Paget and the other nobles like the Boleyn family, and everyone who had some kind of influence over him, and how he ruled during his reign, and what led him to marrying each wife and developing the Church of England – there were more behind the scenes machinations between these men than many sources reveal.

Whilst, for example, Anne Boleyn may have had some insistence on nabbing Henry for her own, some stories underestimate the power her brother and father exerted over the events that led to Henry divorcing Katherine of Aragon and marrying Anne. Coupled with this was his desire and indeed the desires of those around him – for his wife to produce a male heir. As Katherine had not succeeded, Henry sought to rectify this, and eventually would with Jane Seymour – who would die days after the birth of her son, and was the only wife that Henry seemed to truly mourn for after her death.

This is a very heavy and complex book, with many threads and aspects to take in and that are intricately woven together, so I spent my time with this one so I could fully appreciate the breadth of the history involved and that is quite often boiled down and heavily simplified based on popular ideas and not always based around evidence. What Tracy Borman does is show there is more to the story and how Henry ruled than we already know, and peels back some layers but also adds more, creating an intricate and intriguing history that shows what we see is not necessarily what actually happened and whilst Henry acted of his own volition, there were also other forces behind the scenes influencing him and those around him.

A Very Murderous Christmas by Cecily Gayford (editor), Various

murderous christmas.jpg Title: A Very Murderous Christmas

Author: Cecily Gayford (editor), Various

Genre: Crime/Mystery

Publisher: Profile Books/Allen and Unwin

Published: 28th November 2018

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

Price: $19.99

Synopsis: We wish you a very murderous Christmas…

The Christmas season is one of comfort and joy, sparkling lights and steam rising from cups of mulled wine at frosty carol services. A season of goodwill to all men, as families and friends come together to forget their differences and celebrate the year together.

Unless, of course, you happen to be harbouring a grudge. Or hiding a guilty secret. Or you want something so much you just have to have it – whatever the cost. In A Very Murderous Christmas, ten of the best classic crime writers come together to unleash festive havoc, with murder, mayhem and twists aplenty.

Following Murder on Christmas Eve and Murder under the Christmas Tree, this is the perfect accompaniment to a mince pie. Just make sure you’re really, truly alone …

~*~

Christmas is usually a time for merriment and cheer, family and friends. The last thing one might associate with Christmas, and Christmas stories, is murder. Yet here we have ten short stories by some of Britain’s most well-known crime writers throughout the years. Instead of the ghosts visiting Scrooge, or magical stories about Santa Claus and his reindeer, here are ten stories about murder and crime that take place during the festive season, delving into the darker side of the holiday, whilst trying to keep it a little light, and with references to the well-known stories we read and watch every year.

From Margery Allingham, to Anthony Horowitz, and Arthur Conan Doyle, the stories utilise well-known characters in shorter stories than the novels the characters appear in, or as in the case of Sherlock, a snippet from one of the longer stories written in the nineteenth century. The stories traverse town, city and countryside, and various decades, but all have one thing in common: they all take place at Christmas, or near Christmas, and revolve around a murder – which doesn’t always have a link to Christmas, though some feel like they might, others are more based around the human fallacies and reasons that lead to murder — they are more about thy how, and who than the why in these stories – and they lead to all kinds of conclusions and methods of finding out whodunnit – one story even delivers the clues to the reader to work out who is guilty, and then provides the explanation at the end – handy if you didn’t realise this was the aim of the writer – A Problem in White by Nicholas Blake. This was a very clever way of telling the story, and I wish I had realised when I started the story – it would have been fun to solve the crime as I read.

Part of a series of Christmas mystery anthologies, A Very Murderous Christmas is an exciting and intriguing series of stories exploring a darker side of the festive season in cosy mysteries that also celebrate the festive season in a different way to we have come to expect from the many Christmas stories and movies that are available to us to read and watch during the festive season.

The Books That Stayed with Me In 2018

Every year, I try to think about the books that have stuck with me – whether happy or sad, fun or informative, or any combination of these things and more that can and do make a book good. In past years, working this out has left me at the end of the year without a post like this, because reading so many books, it was hard to narrow it down. This year, of the over one hundred and fifty books I have read, I managed to find twelve that stick with me. But first, my year in review:

At the time of posting this, I read 157 books, with the hopes I will get another one or two done by the thirty-first of December. I participated in several challenges: my own reading challenge, where I challenged myself to read 120 books – I have bypassed that by over thirty. My wrap up post for this will appear early in the new year.

My second challenge, which is wrapped up here was the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge – I pledged to read 15 books and ended up reading seventy-nine – I was unsure of how many I would get for review purposes or how many of my non-review ones I would get to read, so my estimate was conservative.

In an online reading group, I participated in the Pop Sugar challenge – where some of the categories were too tight, prescriptive and difficult to fill – I managed most categories and some advanced ones, but some, such as an author with the same first or last name as me had to be thrown out as it is incredibly difficult to find this for some names. Whilst I will be giving this a go i 2019 again, I think the more specific categories will need to be ignored or at least, not worried about – if I can’t access a decent book for a category, it may not be filled and I will have to be okay with that, as my focus will be on review and quiz books, and not categories I struggle to find something for. Or where I may be cornered into reading something terrible and wasting time.

Finally, I participated in a book bingo, and completed two cards – my final wrap post will be out next week, but the card wraps are here and here – both part of a general book bingo post throughout the year. I filled both and will be doing it again next year but will aim to only fill one card, as Theresa, Amanda and I now have thirty squares we need to fill.

The upcoming wrap up posts will include lists and links for each challenge.

It was very hard choice to narrow it down to twelve, but to help me, I decided the book had to be a 2018 release, it had to be by an Australian woman, and it had to have entertained, informed or made a significant impact on me. This list is written in the order I scribbled it down in, so there’s no ranking involved, as these all stuck out in my mind as really good books people should try to read if they appeal to them.

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

This little book came as a surprise in a big delivery a couple of months ago. It tells the story of Lenny Spink, whose brother, Davey, is born with a condition where he keeps growing – he just doesn’t stop, and the doctors don’t know what is wrong with him. The darkness that Lenny’s mother felt in her heart when her son was born has stayed and her instincts were not wrong – this is a heart-breaking book with an outcome I was not prepared for. Throughout the novel, each section is divided into a letter or group of letters as the kids construct the encyclopedia and Davey forms an attachment to one letter. It is heartbreaking throughout, but it is the end that will truly get to you. Aimed at kids aged ten and older, I think anyone can read this book. It is one that will shatter your heart and leave with a book hangover you might take ages to recover from.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Last year, Morrigan Crow burst into our lives in Nevermoor. This year, her adventures continue with the second book in the series, Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow– where Morrigan, or Mog as Jupiter North calls her, finds out what her knack is. There is something unique and special about this series – it has all the magic we got with Harry Potter, but there are whole dimensions to this that are entirely different and work really well together. It has amazing characters, and nods to our world, and more. I loved this book because I love fantasy stories, and it provided an escape from reality. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see where Morrigan takes us.

Graevale and We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni

This list wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Medora, and we got two this year – the main book in the series, Graevale and a trio of novellas told from the perspectives of Alex’s friends, based on the first four books, so reading those first is a must. Graevale is filled with foreboding – and when the gut punch happens, all it takes it four words: Graevale is under attack – and as a reader, you know the worst is coming. The events that follow are heart-breaking and are mirrored in Bear’s story in We Three Heroes – and they are just as heart-breaking seeing them through Bear’s eyes. The other two stories from Jordan and Dix allow us insight into the two and why they are who they are when we first meet them – why Dix is so isolated and why she hopes she can meet Alex first. This series will end in February next year with the release of Vardaesia, which us currently on my review stack.

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

9780733640001 I had lots of books set during World War Two that I enjoyed and stuck out, but this one seemed to be the one of the two that screamed out to be placed here because it has spies, fashion, twins, resistance and a family story that needs to be uncovered slowly, thread by thread using a dual storyline – one of my favourite devices because it allows the past and present to intersect through the discovery of clues and evidence, whilst still holding back in each section until the climax and the threads start to be tied together. The Paris Seamstress also has a touch of romance. What I liked was that the mystery of the past was the focus, as well as the war, family and the identity of the main character. All these threads made it a very good read.

Egyptian Enigma by L.J.M. Owen

The third book in this series, Dr Pimms is Australia’s answer to Doctor Temperance Brennan, an archaeologist and librarian who seems to get involved in solving very cold cases – thousands of years old, in fact. Another series that utilises the dual time line – to show how Elizabeth solves the crime, and her family life, and what happened in antiquity – in this case, Ancient Egypt – and the murder of a royal family member, and betrayal in the household. It is up to Elizabeth and her team of librarians, historians and archaeologists and scientists to uncover what happened a world away in Canberra. Another great series that I am keen for the next book to come out – hopefully in 2019.

Bridge Burning and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan

This one is here simply because it amused and delighted me. Kitty Flanagan is one of my favourite comedians – and reading her book was like attending one of her comedy shows – full of fun, laughter and wishing I could actually see her live. But the book is a pretty good compromise. So Kitty earns herself a place on my list this year for being unapologetically awesome and herself in writing, and for a very entertaining read that I hope to read again soon.

Kensy and Max: Breaking News and Kensy and Max: Disappearing Act

Kids who are spies, missing parents and a secret spy school? What more could we want? Twins Kensy and Max are thrust into the world of spies when their parents go missing – and together with their friends, butlers and instructors, embark on adventures across London and Rome, to uncover plots and find out where their parents are. Each twin has their own unique skill set, and what I like about Kensy is that she’s not a typical girly girl – she likes taking things apart and tinkering, she rushes head first into things, but she also shows vulnerability. She is a character that I would have loved to read about as a kid.

The Desert Nurse by Pamela Hart

This one makes my list because the main character refuses to let gender roles and norms of the early twentieth century and the demands of her father, define her. It also has a disabled character, who is shown as capable and strong, and survives – he is not pitied, but Evelyn cares about him and shows him this attention when he needs it – and he is able to be who he is when he doesn’t need help. Their romance and friendship is woven throughout the treacherous years of the First World War, then known as The Great War, or the war to end all wars, and the history and settings are rich and intense, and the narrative complex and filled with compassion. Another great historical fiction read.

Fairytales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane

The current trend in kids’ books has been to move towards diversity and what some people might refer to as unconventional roles for male and female characters – however, I’m quite enjoying this trend of empowered fairy tale princesses and stories of historical figures that show people doing all kinds of things, not just what we learn about at school. In these four fairy tales, the girls take charge of their own fate, much as Merida does in Brave. This is the kind of book I needed as a kid – I do love the ones I had but being able to see how these girls tackled things without a man would have been awesome.

No Country Woman by Zoya Patel

The only other non-fiction book and memoir, No Country Woman by Zoya Patel. A story of what it is to be a third culture kid – whose ancestors came from India to Fiji, and then her own family moved to Australia – in a world where homogeny is accepted more, and where she had to work out what her identity was straddling her Indian-Fijian identity and her Australian identity – the latter being the country she has spent most of her life, and how the attitudes of others she encountered affected her. It is a story that resonates with many – especially people of colour, but it helped me understand how they feel, and what they might be going through. Anyone can be a third culture kid, but some third culture kids might find it easier to fit in than others.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

A mixed genre book, The Clockmaker’s Daughter touches on history, crime and family secrets, and told through the perspectives of several people over time, with the story of Birdie, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, woven throughout. It is one of those books you need to pay close attention to and absorb, because of all the intricacies. It weaves between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and hints at the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood through the collective of artists at the heart of the novel. The threads of the plot trail off at times, but eventually come together, and it is one of those books that stays with you.

The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning

A World War Two novel with a difference. Like many dual timeline books, it delves into the past and present to reveal the secrets of a family, b ut this time, instead of being centred in the usual theatres of war, looks at the life of a Jewish refugee family escaping to China, and their years spent there during the war, and the war between China and Japan that happened concurrently to the Second World War. It opens up a new avenue of this time in history, with a fresh angle on what was a terrible time in history for many.

And so, those are the reads that made an impact on me this year, and my brief summary of the year. I am aiming to do write-ups for my other challenges as well, including the lists of the books I read.

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2018 Completed Post

This year I pledged to read fifteen books – which I had completed by at least March, if not earlier. I read a total of seventy-nine books and reviewed seventy-eight – one review is due to go live in January and as a result, also counts towards my 2019 challenge. One book from this year was read in 2017, but reviewed this year, and so counts towards both years, as discussed with other AWW participants. Of these books, the majority came out this year, with a few older ones, and some that were published in new editions, such as Mary Poppins.

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I read a broad range from general fiction to kids, young adult, fantasy, crime, historical fiction, non-fiction and some that mixed genres eloquently to create stories that would find a diverse audience.

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

I read picture books, entire series and some books that were just one in a series that was continuing this year. One series had two books come out, and the final book comes out next year – as I wrote this post, my reviewer copy of this book arrived, and I am now torn between diving in or saving it for January and finishing everything else first.

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Below is a list of the books I read and reviewed for the challenge this year,

The Sister’s Song by Louise Allan – Reviewed in 2018 but read in 2017.
The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett – Reviewed
Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham – Reviewed
Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-Time Husband by Barbara Toner – Reviewed
The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier – Reviewed
The Endsister by Penni Russon – Reviewed
Graevale by Lynette Noni – reviewed
Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn – Reviewed
Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen -Reviewed
The Passengers by Eleanor Limprecht – Reviewed and Interviewed.
Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French – Reviewed
Surf Rider’s Club #2: Bronte’s Big Sister Problem by Mary van Reyk – Reviewed
Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer – reviewed
Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard – Reviewed
Mayan Mendacity by L.J.M. Owen – Reviewed
Grandpa, Me and Poetry by Sally Morgan – Reviewed
The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester – Reviewed
The Freedom Finders Series: Touch the Sun by Emily Conolan – Reviewed
The Book of Answers: The Ateban Cipher Book 2 by A.L. Tait – Reviewed
Little Gods by Jenny Ackland- Reviewed
I am Sasha by Anita Selzer – Reviewed
Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn – Reviewed
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – Reviewed
Lovesome by Sally Seltmann – Reviewed
Egyptian Enigma by L.J.M. Owen – Reviewed
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross – Reviewed
Eleanor’s Secret – Reviewed
Australia Day by Melanie Cheng – Reviewed
The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery by Deborah Abela – Reviewed
Miles Franklin: A Short Biography by Jill Roe – Reviewed
The Jady Lily by Kirsty Manning – Reviewed
The Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader – Reviewed
Burning Bridges and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan – Reviewed
Bluebottle by Belinda Castles – Reviewed
The Upside of Over by J.D. Barrett – Reviewed and Interviewed
P is for Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones – Reviewed
Into the Night by Sarah Bailey – Reviewed
The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady – Reviewed
Ella and Olivia: A Wild Adventure by Yvette Poshoglian – Reviewed
Kensy and Max: Breaking News by Jacqueline Harvey – Reviewed
Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr – Reviewed
We See the Stars by Kate van Hooft – Reviewed.
The Far Back Country by Kate Lyons- Reviewed
Beneath the Mother Tree by D.M. Cameron – Reviewed
The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell – Reviewed
The Desert Nurse by Pamela Hart – Reviewed
The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #1) – Reviewed
The Silver Horse by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #2) – Reviewed
The Herb of Grace by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #3) – Reviewed
The Cat’s Eye Shell by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #4) – Reviewed
Children of the Dragon: Relic of The Blue Dragon by Rebecca Lim – Reviewed
The Legacy of Beauregarde by Rosa Fedele – Reviewed
The Lightning Bolt by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #5) – Reviewed
The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn – Reviewed
The Butterfly in Amber by Kate Forsyth (Chain of Charms #6) – Reviewed
When the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson – Reviewed
Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer – Reviewed
The Honourable Thief by Meaghan Wilson Anastasios – Reviewed
No Country Woman by Zoya Patel – Reviewed
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty – Reviewed
Disappearing Act by Jacqueline Harvey (Kensy and Max #2) – Reviewed
Fairy Tales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane – Reviewed
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – Reviewed
Sisters and Brothers by Fiona Palmer – Reviewed
We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni – Reviewed
Archibald, the Naughtiest Elf in the World Goes to the Zoo by Skye Davidson, illustrated by Ágnes Rokiczky – Reviewed
Secrets Hidden Below by Sandra Bennett – Reviewed
What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra – Reviewed
The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears – Reviewed
Total Quack Up by Sally Rippin and Adrian Beck – Reviewed
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend – Reviewed
Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee – Reviewed
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty (Kingdoms and Empires #2) – Reviewed
Archibald, the Naughtiest Elf in the World Visits Santa by Skye Davidson, illustrated by Ágnes Rokiczky – Reviewed
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers – Reviewed
Clementine Rose and the Bake-Off Dilemma by Jacqueline Harvey – Reviewed
All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill – Reviewed for 2019 (to be counted as part of 2019’s challenge as well)
Last Woman Hanged by Caroline Overington – Reviewed

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During the course of the challenge, I completed the Chain of Charms series, and did four check in posts across the year, charting my progress every fifteen books – the way I do this may change next year but here are the four check in posts, where you can access all but one of the reviews, as that one is only going live in the new year. There are a handful of books I know I will be reading towards this and other challenges next year, as they have already landed with me as early copies for review, but typically go up on release day as per publicity instructions. My initial goal of fifteen blew out to seventy-nine – being conservative in my goal means I can plan some reads and any others that come across are a bonus – it also lessens the pressure on trying to find that many books given I get so many from publishers, and they’re not always Aussie authors, even though I do my best to make sure this is the focus of my blog.

Check in posts: