Aussie Readers discussion

Finally, with Spring almost upon us, we can feel a little warmth creeping into the air!! Time to pull out those spring-related books for our next seasonal challenge!



Don't forget, when you have chosen your list of books for this challenge, link them in this thread so it will help others to choose...make sure you use the cover pics where you need to show the Spring colours;)

1. Spring clean time! Choose a book from your TBR which you've been wanting to read for a LONG time:)

2. Brisbane Writers' Festival - 3rd-7th September - http://bwf.org.au/ - Read a book written by an Aussie author which will be released in the months of Spring 2014

AR New Releases
Booktopia Spring Releases (this one has some earlier releases too, so scroll down until September->)

3. Read a Rainbow - the gorgeous colours of Spring! Choose a book which shows a predominant colour of:

3a. Red
3b. Orange
3c. Yellow
3d. Green
3e. Blue
3f. Purple/Violet



4. Choose a Young Adult novel for this one, written by an Aussie author

Best Australian YA Books
2014 Aussie YA Releases
2013 Aussie YA Releases
2012 Aussie YA Releases
2011 Aussie YA Releases

5. The Wattle (Acacia) is Australia's National Flower with it being National Wattle Day on the 1st September. http://goaustralia.about.com/od/austr... We always know when Spring is around the corner when you start to see the beautiful wattle in flower. Choose a book with "Wattle" in the title or on the cover..

Books to fit "Wattles"




6. Labor Day, the first Monday in October in ACT, NSW and SA, (though earlier in the year in the other states) means you can choose a book where the main character's profession is a policeman/woman, lawyer, teacher - anything along those lines..

7. Remembrance Day, November 11th, where commemorations occur each year on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month at war shrines throughout the country. It is to celebrate the end of WW1 on 11/11/1918... your choice for this category can be fiction or non-fiction but must be about war, our soldiers and their sacrifices.

Six Must Read WW1 Novels
Non Fiction War Books
Best War Novels
The Great War

8. Choose a Goodreads friend, then select a book on their READ list for yourself - something different for you..

9. Choose a book from your favourite genre! Make sure you tell us all what that genre is;)

10. Finally, another from your TBR in that big SPRING clean...can you see it going down yet?



With a total of fifteen books for this challenge, you had better SPRING into SPRING for a colourful season of reading!

I am so in!

Haha! Steve are you keen or what;) lol

I'm so glad you are though - are you going to double up again?

Brenda wrote: "Haha! Steve are you keen or what;) lol

I'm so glad you are though - are you going to double up again?"

Of course! My wife keeps telling me that I'm not trying hard enough and I should triple up. :-)

Haha!! Well it's a 15 book read this season, so that would be 45 books!!

Another great challenge. I love the pictures :)

Without further ado, and I think I'm first, here is my double list for the challenge:

1. Spring: ★★☆☆☆ ; ★★☆☆☆
2. Brisbane Writer's Festival: (22nd of October) ★★★☆☆ ; (1st of November) ★★★☆☆
3a. Read a Rainbow (Red): ★★★★☆ ; ★★★★☆
3b. Read a Rainbow (Orange): ★★★★★ ; ★★★☆☆
3c. Read a Rainbow (Yellow): ★★★★★ ; ★★★★★
3d. Read a Rainbow (Green): ★★★★★ ; ★★★★★
3e. Read a Rainbow (Blue): ★★★☆☆ ; ★★★☆☆
3f. Read a Rainbow (Purple): ★★★★☆ ; ★☆☆☆☆
4. Young Adult: ★★★★★ ; ★★★★★
5. National Wattle Day: ★★★☆☆ ; ★★★★☆
6. Labor Day: ★★★★★ ; ★★★★★ (both policewoman)
7. Remembrance Day: ★★★★☆ ; ★★★★☆
8. Goodreads friend: (Brenda) ★★★☆☆ ; (Sally) ★★★★★
9. Favourite Genre: ★★★★☆ ; ★★☆☆☆
10. TBR: ★★★★☆ ; ★★★★★

Here is my list - as usual subject to change :)

1. The Dirty Chef: From Big City Food Critic to Foodie Farmer by Matthew Evans

2. Outback Ghost by Rachael Johns

3.
Red - by Jenni Boyd
Orange - The Brewer's Tale by Karen Brooks
Yellow - by Madeleine St. John
Green - Forbidden Fruit by Ilsa Evans.
Blue - by Sarah-Kate Lynch
Purple/violet - by Joni Folger

4. Frontier Resistance by Leonie Rogers
5. Wattle Creek by Fiona McCallum
6. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith - Precious is a private detective
7. Wolfsangel by Liza Perrat
8. GR friend read list - (Marg, Bree and Shelleyrae) - Man Drought by Rachael Johns
9. YA - Pandora Jones: Deception by Barry Jonsberg
10. TBA

Steve wrote: "Without further ado, and I think I'm first, here is my double list for the challenge:

1. Spring: ;
2. Brisbane Writer's Festival: TBD..."

Super fast Steve - no flies on you are there? LOL!!!

Brilliant list Steve! It didn't take you long, that's for sure!!!

Sally906 wrote: "I am in again as well - the only book I know for sure is that for wattle I will read Wattle Creek by Fiona McCallumas it just so happens i borrowed it from the libr..."

Perfect Sally! My sad thing, I've already read this one:(

Sharon wrote: "Another great challenge. I love the pictures :)"

Thanks Sharon:)

1. Spring:


2. Brisbane Writers' Festival:


3. Read a Rainbow:

Red:


Orange:
TBA

Yellow:
or

Green:


Blue:


Purple/Violet:
TBA

4. Young Adult:


5. National Wattle Day:
and

6. Labour Day:


7. Remembrance Day:


8. Goodreads Friend:


9. Favourite Genre:
genre - YA
book -

10. Spring:

Brenda wrote: "Brilliant list Steve! It didn't take you long, that's for sure!!!"

Thanks! It was actually kind of fun looking over my TBR, and going "Oh, there's a blue book, and a red one, and a purple one ..." :-)

Hahaha! That's the fun part, that's for sure:)

1. TBR - Remember Me by Stacey Nash 4.5★
Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill 5★

2. New A.A. Releases (Sept,Oct,Nov) - The Sunnyvale Girls by Fiona Palmer (24/9) 5★s
Frontier Resistance by Leonie Rogers 5★s (3/10)

3. Read a Rainbow:
a) RED - Embryo 4: Catch Me by J.A. Schneider 5★s
The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner 4.5★s

b) ORANGE - Amalfi Echo by John Zanetti 3★s
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly 5★s
c) YELLOW - Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline 4★s
The Twelfth Child by Bette Lee Crosby 5★s

d) GREEN - A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton 4★s
Exposure by Kathy Reichs 5★s

e) BLUE - Gypsy Hunted by Andrea Drew 4★s
Night Drop by Michael W. Sherer 5★s

e) PURPLE/VIOLET - The Knight of Castle Kildare by Erin Moira O'Hara 4.5★s
Curve My Song by Sarah Gai 4★s

4. Young Adult A.A. - Sweet Damage by Rebecca James 5★
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James 5★s

5. National Wattle Day - Black Wattle Creek by Geoffrey McGeachin 4★
The Wattle Tree by John Bell 4★

6. Labor Day - Deadly Obsession by Karen M. Davis (Detective) 4★
Angels Flight by Michael Connelly 5★

7. Remembrance Day - A Fatal Tide by Steve Sailah 5★
Gather the Bones by Alison Stuart 5★s

8. Goodreads friend (their READ list) - Getting Even With Fran by Christine Stinson Jenn J 5★
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Phrynne 4★

9. Favourite Genre - Festive in Death by J.D. Robb 5★s
Bones Never Lie: by Kathy Reichs 5★s

10. TBR - Death on Dangar Island by GP Field 4★
The Golden Age by Joan London 4★

All subject to change:) All are on my TBR, most I own...a couple from the library:)

Lots of great books there Brenda!

I'm going to see if I can do this challenge as much as possible from my unread book stash - paperbacks and ebooks. With the possible exception of the YA and wattle books!

Carolyn wrote: "Lots of great books there Brenda!

I'm going to see if I can do this challenge as much as possible from my unread book stash - paperbacks and ebooks. With the possible exception of the YA and wattl..."

Thanks! That's exactly what I have done...except for the wattle books and one remembrance day:)

Brenda wrote: "1. TBR - Let The Dead Lie by Malla Nunn
The Kill Room ..."

Great list, Brenda!

Thanks Steve!

Here is my list so far...
1) Spring Clean TBR: Watership Down

2) Aussie spring new release: TBA

3) Read a Rainbow:



4) Aussie Young Adult: Red and/or Looking for Alibrandi

5) Wattle book: Blood on the Wattle

6) Labor Day Book: TBA

7) Remembrance Day: The Daughters of Mars

8) Goodreads Friend read (several have this): The Book Thief

9) Favourite Genre: TBA

10) TBR Spring Clean: Goal an extra 10.

Renée wrote: "Here is my list so far...
1) Spring Clean TBR: Watership Down

2) Aussie spring new release: TBA

3) Read a Rainbow:

[book..."

Ooh you're going to double your challenge too Renee? That's great!!! I like what you've got so far:)

Brenda wrote: "Renée wrote: "Here is my list so far...
1) Spring Clean TBR: Watership Down

2) Aussie spring new release: TBA

3) Read a Rainbow:

[bookcover:The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie..."

Hopefully I'll double up I have to finish my winter and August challenge first plus all the books I currently have out from the library! I love picking the books for challenges, it gets me all excited to start before I have even finished my current ones :D

Renée wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Renée wrote: "Here is my list so far...
1) Spring Clean TBR: Watership Down

2) Aussie spring new release: TBA

3) Read a Rainbow:

[bookcover:The Sweetness at the Bo..."

Good luck with it then:) I sometimes think picking the books and knowing that your TBR will be lowered is the best part!

I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I would (and adding still more books kind of defeats the purpose!). However, I've managed to get 11 books from my list of books still to be read this year so I will just do the ones that already fit in (apart from the new release - I wasn't going to do that either, but then remembered that The Rosie Effect is due for release next month and I do want to read that...!).

So this is my list so far:

1) Spring Clean TBR: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

2) Aussie spring new release: The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

3) Read a Rainbow:
a) The Women In Black by Madeleine St. John
b) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
c) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
d) Mr Chen's Emporium by Deborah O'Brien
e) Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
f) N/A



4) Aussie Young Adult: N/A

5) Wattle book: N/A

6) Labor Day Book: Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth - midwife

7) Remembrance Day: Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park by Michael Smith

8) Goodreads friend read (from Elaine): Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill

9) Favourite Genre: Mystery - The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell

10) TBR Spring Clean: Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison

All subject to change, of course ;-) And if I come across a purple-covered book, an Aussie YA fiction or a book with wattle on the front cover or in the title in my reading, I will add them as I go!!

Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I would (and adding s..."

Well done Kathryn! It's scarily easy to find challenge books that we already have in our TBRs and own as well, isn't it!! lol

Brenda wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I wou..."

I don't actually own any of those - they will all be library loans, but they do all come from the list of books made up from the various challenges I'm doing, so if I can get all those read by the end of November, plus the ones I'm intending to read in the rest of this month, I'll have only...*goes to bookshelf to count up*...18 books to go!! That's STILL an awful lot!! I certainly wouldn't be able to read 18 books in December! Will be adding to that no. 10 TBR category in the next 3 months, methinks, so that I can knock a few more off the list!

Kathryn wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that ..."

Well you will definitely be lowering your TBR!! The **very** hard part is not ADDING to it at the same time;) But well done!

The release date for The Rosie Effect is still showing as December 2014. Is it before then because if so I want it on my list too!

Phrynne wrote: "The release date for The Rosie Effect is still showing as December 2014. Is it before then because if so I want it on my list too!"

I thought it was September...!

I'll check it out...

The hardcover is September. I just looked more carefully:)

Phrynne wrote: "The release date for The Rosie Effect is still showing as December 2014. Is it before then because if so I want it on my list too!"

I just went back and checked our Aussie author NR thread and Marianne's written this: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Can the release date change??

This one is the 24th September girls:)

The Rosie Effect

Don't worry Kathryn. I was looking at an edition which is coming out in December. It is actually being released in September. Just off to preorder it now:)

Ah. Hope my library gets the hardcover version then!!

There's one which is released on 30th December



the others are September:)

Brenda wrote: "There's one which is released on 30th December



the others are September:)"

There are already 4 different versions of the cover!! That seems a bit excessive!

Here's my list.

1. Spring clean. Split by Tara Moss3 stars

2. Aussie Spring release. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 4 stars

3. Read a rainbow.
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid1star
Mr Wigg by Inga Simpson 3 stars
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson3 stars
Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews4 stars
The Glass God by Kate Griffin5stars
The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett4 stars



4. Aussie YA Disruption by Jessica Shirvington 2 stars

5. Wattle on the cover Silver Wattle by Belinda Alexandra 2 stars

6. Labour Day. Police. Festive in Death by J.D. Robb5 stars

7. Remembrance Day The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally 2stars

8. Goodreads friend Isla's Inheritance by Cassandra Page. (Brenda's TBR list) 3 stars

9. Fav genre fantasy The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch3 stars

10. TBR Kraken by China Miéville3 stars

Reading my last book for Winter :)

I think if I rush I may complete this cycle just before bub *fingers crossed*

1. Messenger by Lois Lowry -Read 10/09

2. Outback Ghost by Rachael Johns -Read 10/21

3a. Red: Talon by Julie Kagawa -Read 03/10
3b. Orange: The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner
3c. Yellow: The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey
3d. Green: Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier -Read 15/09
3e. Blue: Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier -Read 17/09
3f. Purple/Violet: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters -Read 4/10



4. The Caller by Juliet Marillier -Read 18/09

5. Wattle Creek by Fiona McCallum

6. Hunted by Elizabeth Heiter

7. Well Done, Those Men: Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran by Barry Heard

8. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (samstillreading)
9. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry –YA Fantasy -Read 03/09

10. The Divinity of Dogs by Jeniffer Skiff -Read 02/09



9/15 books as at 21-Oct

Kathryn wrote: "Brenda wrote: "There's one which is released on 30th December



the others are September:)"

There are already 4 different versions of the cover!! T..."

I agree! lol

Does Bryce Courtenay count as an Australian author? He held citizenship, so it's a little gray ...

Steve wrote: "Does Bryce Courtenay count as an Australian author? He held citizenship, so it's a little gray ..."

Yes he's definitely an Aussie author Steve:)

Brenda wrote: "Steve wrote: "Does Bryce Courtenay count as an Australian author? He held citizenship, so it's a little gray ..."

Yes he's definitely an Aussie author Steve:)"

Excellent, then I have a full list. :-)

Steve wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Steve wrote: "Does Bryce Courtenay count as an Australian author? He held citizenship, so it's a little gray ..."

Yes he's definitely an Aussie author Steve:)"

Excellen..."

Steve, Jodi Picoult isn't an Aussie author....#2..

Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I would (and adding s..."

Was I supposed to remind you of something Kathryn? I see you've managed to fit your books on your TBR into the challenge. Well done!! I'm still thinking about this one. And of course Brenda is right. Paperback copy of The Rosie Effect due out 24th September.

Elaine wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I wou..."

Also Kindle version (I've pre-ordered) for those wanting the ebook :)

Patricia wrote: "Here's my list, the 'Wattle' one may prove tricky as I am trying to only add books I already own...might have to find a creative substitute.
My only exception so far is no.8 that one on Kathryn's l..."

I've heard the audiobook of The Thirteenth Tale is very well done, Patricia - hope you enjoy! Will look forward to seeing what you come up with for your "alternative" Wattle read - it might be an idea I can steal!!

Elaine wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I wasn't going to do this challenge because I normally have to add in some extra books not on my TBR, and I do want to focus on getting the books read this year that I've said I wou..."

No, no, Elaine, it's all good because I've made all my selections from my list of books to read this year. (Apart from The Rosie Effect!)

just a question - for 3 do you need to read one book for each colour? and for 8 is it a book they have on their list but you don't or as long as they have it on their list it doesn't matter?