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 collation of posts for my final wrap up of this challenge easier than last year’s attempt. Each list will be varied, with review books and ones I chose to purchase making up my count – they will be diverse in terms of story, genre, fiction or non-fiction, readership, age and as many other aspects of diversity as I have stumbled across on my reading journey – greatly depending on what I have been able to find, have been sent and what I have access to, but also, I choose books based on what I enjoy as well, and in doing so, I feel like I hit as much diversity in my reading as possible without too much trouble.
These lists – to date so far by today, are a little less than half of my total books logged for the year, which on the 11th of August, stands at 115, and counting. I have well surpassed my goal of fifteen for the challenge – a conservative estimate as I often have a list in mind of upcoming releases and books I own, yet also don’t always know what else will come my way. I find it best to underestimate – and then anything extra becomes bonus points.
So below is my first batch of fifteen out of sixty one, with links to each review.
First fifteen
- The Sister’s Song by Louise Allan
- The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett –
- Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings by Janine Beacham
- Four Respectable Ladies Seek Part-Time Husband by Barbara Toner
- The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier
- The Endsister by Penni Russon
- Graevale by Lynette Noni
- Eventual Poppy Day by Libby Hathorn
- Olmec Obituary by LJM Owen
- The Passengers by Eleanor Limprecht and Interview
- Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French
- Surf Rider’s Club #2: Bronte’s Big Sister Problem by Mary van Reyk
- Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
- Skin in the Game: The Pleasure and Pain of Telling True Stories by Sonya Voumard
- Mayan Mendacity by L.J.M. Owen
Coming up next, posts sixteen to thirty of the Australian Women Writer’s challenge and at some stage, a Book Bingo wrap up post for both of my rounds of the challenge with Mrs B’s Book Reviews and Theresa Smith Writes.
Title: Rose Raventhorpe Investigates: Hounds and Hauntings (Rose Raventhorpe #3)
Rose Raventhorpe returns in her third adventure, Hounds and Hauntings. Yorke awakens one day to the death of a young local pickpocket named Moll, in Mad Meg Lane. The old legends of the Barghest start to be bandied about, calling up the old superstitions of Yorke and the surrounding areas within the walls. As Rose, her friend Orpheus, and Heddsworth, Rose’s butler, head towards a new chocolate shop that is opening, they stumble across the crime scene, where they are soon joined by Miss Wildcliffe, her dog, and the other Silvercrest Butlers as the police try to convince everyone Miss Wildcliffe’s dog is to blame. Told to leave by the police, Rose, Orpheus and the butlers of Silvercrest begin their own investigations, leading to unforeseen events and consequences, and an exciting ending where the case is solved, but a sense of mystery still abounds. And Rose’s cat, Watchful, is ever present, keeping Rose safe and secure. Just as in the previous books, the clues and hints are dropped at the right time for the reader to discover at the same time as Rose, creating an exciting atmosphere and pace that keeps the story going, and ensures a well-timed yet quick discovery when it is most needed.
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.
