#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, Blog Tour, Book Industry, Books, Interviews

Corella Press Blog Tour: Interview with Kathleen Jennings

Hi Kathleen, and welcome to The Book Muse. When did you first start illustrating for books, and what attracted you to doing so?  I’ve always drawn on things (lecture notes, people), but I started seriously illustrating about ten years ago, when my first book cover (for Greer Gilman’s Cloud & Ashes: Three Winter’s Tales, from… Continue reading Corella Press Blog Tour: Interview with Kathleen Jennings

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

The Book Ninja by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus

Title: The Book Ninja Author: Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia Published: June 2018 Format: Paperback Pages: 352 Price: $29.99 Synopsis: Sometimes love means having to broaden your literary horizons. Frankie Rose is desperate for love. Or a relationship. Or just a date with a semi-normal person will do.… Continue reading The Book Ninja by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus

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

Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills

Title: Best Foot Forward Author: Adam Hills Genre: Non-Fiction/Comedy Publisher: Hachette Australia Published: 31st July 2018 Format: Paperback Pages: 355 Price: $32.99 Synopsis: One of Australia's biggest comic personalities, much-loved host of Spicks and Specks and the hit UK TV show The Last Leg, Adam Hills' charming and witty memoir is a lesson in following your heart, being… Continue reading Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills

Book Industry, Books, challenges, Christmas, Crime/Mystery, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, short stories

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

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

#LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book Industry, Books, Chain of Charms, challenges, Children's Literature, Covers, Crime/Mystery, Fantasy, Garth Nix, Have Sword Will Travel, historical fiction, history, Kate Forsyth, Kensy and Max, literary fiction, Nevermoor, Publishers, Reading, series, spies, Writing

Gendered Reading: Why Do We Still Insist on Gendering Books?

Over the past few months and years, I have been following online discussions about the way people gender reading - not only the act of reading, as a pursuit that girls are said to prefer, but the books we give younger children and what we expect of them as they grow and how they develop… Continue reading Gendered Reading: Why Do We Still Insist on Gendering Books?

#LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Awards, Book Industry, Books, Chain of Charms, challenges, Children's Literature, Covers, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Jackie French, Kate Forsyth, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, series, short stories, Young Adult

Book Bingo Twenty-two – a prize winning book, a book by someone over sixty, and a book with a yellow cover.

With 2018 rushing towards its busy, and warm conclusion, and in consultation with my fellow book bingo players, I have assigned some previously read books to the following categories, and have assigned my prize-winning category is taken up this time by 2007 Aurealis Best Children's Book winning series, The Chain of Charms by Kate Forsyth,… Continue reading Book Bingo Twenty-two – a prize winning book, a book by someone over sixty, and a book with a yellow cover.

adventure, animals, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, quiz books, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series

Book Bingo 13 – a book with non-human characters

Book bingo Saturday again - round two, post thirteen of the year for the challenge. To mark off the non-human characters square, I have gone to a book I wrote a quiz for as part of my quiz writer job with Scholastic that fits the category of a book with non-human characters: A book with… Continue reading Book Bingo 13 – a book with non-human characters

#LoveOzYA, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Blog Tour, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Dr Pimms, Fairytales, Fantasy, Jackie French, Kate Forsyth, literary fiction, LJM Owen, Lynette Noni, Matilda Saga, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Phryne Fisher, plays, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Rose Raventhorpe, Rowland Sinclair, short stories, Young Adult

Book Bingo Take Two

As per my post two weeks ago when I completed the first round, this is my second go at the bingo card, having completed it early, due to my filling in several squares at once in some posts. This time around. I'll be trying to only do one book and square a fortnight, so I… Continue reading Book Bingo Take Two

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

Stephanie Parkyn Book Signing: BookFace, Erina Fair, 4th March 2018

One of the greatest pleasures of being a book lover and book reviewer, as well as a frequent customer to my favourite bookshop, is finding out about exciting events, and being able to attend them. This weekend I got to attend one such event at my local bookstore, BookFace, my favourite local bookseller. It was… Continue reading Stephanie Parkyn Book Signing: BookFace, Erina Fair, 4th March 2018