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
- Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
- Eco Warriors: Microbat Mayhem by Candice Lemon-Scott
- Explorer’s Academy: Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
- The Time Travel Diaries #1 by Caroline Lawrence
- Chanel’s Riviera by Anne De Courcy
- Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer – published in October
- When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll
- Powers of a Girl by Lorraine Clink and Alice X Zhang
- Stasi 77 by David Young
- The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth – published 16th July 2019
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (20th Anniversary Ravenclaw Edition)
- Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler
- Fled by Meg Keneally
- Squirrel Girl #2: Squirrel You Know It’s True by Ryan North
- Split edited by Lee Kofman
- Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M Martin (Baby Sitters Club #1)
- Choose Your Own Adventure #2: Journey Under the Sea by R.A. Montgomery
- The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8)
Australian Women Writer’s Challenge
- All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill – Reviewed
- Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner – Reviewed
- Vardaesia by Lynette Noni – Reviewed
- Saving You by Charlotte Nash – Reviewed
- Zelda Stitch Term Two: Too Much Witch by Nikki Greenberg – Reviewed
- 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne – Reviewed
- Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth – Reviewed/Revisited post
- What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson – Reviewed
- The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble – Reviewed
- The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion – Reviewed
- The Orchardist’s Daughter by Karen Viggers – Reviewed
- The French Photographer by Natasha Lester – Reviewed and Q&A
- Kensy and Max: Undercover by Jacqueline Harvey – Reviewed
- The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – Reviewed
- 52 Mondays by Anna Ciddor – Reviewed
- Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte – Reviewed
- Zebra and Other Stories by Debra Adelaide – Reviewed
- Esther by Jessica North – Reviewed
- Mermaid Holidays: The Talent Show by Delphine Davis and Adele K. Thomas – Reviewed
- The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl – Reviewed
- Miss Franklin: How Miles Franklin’s Brilliant Career began by Libby Hathorn – Reviewed
- Archibald, The Naughtiest Elf in the World Causes Trouble with the Easter Bunny by Skye Davidson – Reviewed
- The Artist’s Portrait by Julie Keys – Reviewed
- The Suicide Bride by Tanya Bretherton – Reviewed, Interview
- Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
- Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim – Reviewed
- Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
- Deltora Quest: The City of Rats by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
- Alice to Prague by Tanya Heaslip – Reviewed
- Life Before by Carmel Reilly – Reviewed
- The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle by Sophie Green – Reviewed
- The Monster Who Wasn’t by T.C. Shelley – Reviewed
- The Lost Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn – Reviewed
- Lintang and The Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss – Reviewed
- The Great Toy Rescue (Puppy Diaries #1) by Yvette Poshoglian – Work book, not reviewed
- As Happy as Here by Jane Godwin – Reviewed
- Women to the Front: The Extraordinary Australian Women Doctors of the Great War by Heather Sheard and Ruth Lee – Reviewed
- Deltora Quest: The Shifting Sands by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
- Deltora Quest: Dread Mountain by Emily Rodda – Reviewed
- Mermaid Holidays by Delphine Davis and Adele K Thomas – Reviewed
- Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers – Reviewed
- Eco Warriors: Microbat Mayhem by Candice Lemon-Scott – Work book, not reviewed.
- Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer – Reviewed
- The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth – Reviewed
- Fled by Meg Keneally – Reviewed
- The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (Matilda Saga #8) – Reviewed
Pop Sugar Challenge
- A book becoming a movie in 2019:
- A book that makes you nostalgic: The Lost Magician by Piers Torday
- A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction): Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills
- A book you think should be turned into a movie: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
- A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling – 20th Anniversary House Editions
- A book with a plant in the title or on the cover: Bella Donna: Coven Road by Ruth Symes, Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
- A reread of a favourite book: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth
- A book about a hobby: The Bad Mother’s Book Club by Keris Stanton
- A book you meant to read in 2018: Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
- A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title: Poppy Field by Michael Morpurgo, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
- 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
- A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore: Mermaid Holidays: The Magic Pearl by Delphine Davis and Adele K Thomas
- A book published posthumously: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
- A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie:
- A retelling of a classic: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (Enola Holmes #3) by Nancy Springer
- A book with a question in the title:
- A book set on college or university campus: Marvel Rising: Squirrel Girl and Ms Marvel by Devin Grayson, Ryan North and Willow Wilson
- A book about someone with a superpower: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume One: Squirrel Power by Ryan North
- A book told from multiple POVs: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
- A book set in space: Captain Marvel: Higher, Faster, Further by Kelly Sue DeConnick
- A book by two female authors:
- A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title: Australia’s Sweetheart by Michael Adams
- A book set in Scandinavia: The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag
- 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
- A debut novel: What Lies Beneath Us by Kirsty Ferguson
- A book that’s published in 2019: Vardaesia by Lynette Noni
- A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature: Dragon Masters: Treasure of the Gold Dragon by Tracey West
- A book recommended by a celebrity you admire: Split edited by Lee Kofman – recommended by Myf Warhurst
- A book with LOVE in the title:
- A book featuring an amateur detective: All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill
- A book about a family: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion
- A book by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim
- A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title: The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
- 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
- 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
- A ghost story:
- A book with a two-word title: Saving You by Charlotte Nash
- A novel based on a true story: The Familiars by Stacey Halls – The Pendle Witches
- A book revolving around a puzzle or game:
- 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
- A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book: The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson
- A “choose-your-own-adventure” book: Choose Your Own Adventure #2: Journey Under the Sea by R.A. Montgomery
- An “own voices” book: Children of the Dragon: Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim
- 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)
- A LitRPG book:
- 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)
- Two books that share the same title: Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda
- Two books that share the same title: Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda
- A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom:
- 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 |
Title: Zebra and Other Short Stories
Title: The Orchardist’s Daughter
The new guy in town, Leon finds he has few allies: Miki, Max, Geraldine, and Wendy – Max’s mother. They are the first people to welcome him and stick up for him in the face of hatred from the loggers, Shane and Kurt – and the story traverses several weeks and encounters between the characters, as Geraldine and Leon encourage Miki to leave the confines of her prison when Kurt is gone. Max faces a bully at school, and Wendy, like Miki, faces her own kind of isolation, and both face things that will eventually come to a head with a series of events that sees the coming together of a community.
Yesterday, I followed Word of Mouth TV and Jacqueline Harvey on Twitter as they tweeted and chatted about and at the Colin Simpson Memorial Lecture, with the Australian Society of Authors and the Children’s Book Council of Australia, on the issue of gendered books and reading, and how adults in the lives of children – whether implicitly or explicitly, in schools and libraries, guide children towards books “for girls” or “for boys”. Which brings me to the question – just what are boy books versus girl books? Well, apparently, if you’ve been following the discussions, a few things boys won’t read, or are said to be discouraged from reading:
Title: Total Quack Up
With a uniqueness to each story, every reader who picks up this book will find a story and character they will enjoy, love and laugh with. From Arabella von Champion, a superhero who sees herself as extraordinary and is quite daring, to the little brother at the end who blocks up the dunny with everything imaginable, and the soccer team with the pig as a mascot – all other animals are banned from the sports field, to everything in between from some of the best-loved Australian authors, and some new voices to discover between these red covers, all aimed at raising money to help with children’s charities in Australia.