Aussie Readers discussion

I've decided on #2 the Australia Day book - I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes by Jaclyn Moriarty. One of the main characters is a school teacher, and Moriarty is an Australian aurthor.

*author*

Sounds good Louise:)

I have recently been on holidays in Japan (fabulous!) hence the Japanese subject matter in my recent reads.

#4 Memoirs of a Geisha 3 stars. I enjoyed this more the first time.

#9 Yakuza Moon 2 stars. This memoir of the daughter of a Tokyo crime boss was controversial when released in Japan.

Lesley wrote: "I have recently been on holidays in Japan (fabulous!) hence the Japanese subject matter in my recent reads.

#4 Memoirs of a Geisha 3 stars. I enjoyed this more the first time.

#9 Yakuza Moon 2 s..."

Sounds like you had a wonderful time Lesley...

Thanks Brenda, it is a fascinating country and beautiful with the cherry blossoms out.

Lesley wrote: "Thanks Brenda, it is a fascinating country and beautiful with the cherry blossoms out."

Oohh! Cherry blossoms are beautiful!

Challenge update:
1. St Patrick's Day Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts. READ
2. Australian Labour Day - I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes by Jaclyn Moriarty READ
3. REDUCE - Read a book from your TBR shelf Babylon by Viktor Pelevin READ
4. RE-USE - Re-read an old favourite Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters READ
5. RECYCLE - Read any book from the library Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
6. Colours of Autumn - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
7. International Womans Day 8th March - The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
8. The days are getting shorter - TBA
9. Chinese Year of the Dragon - Bones of the Dragon by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
10. Easter 6th - 9th April - TBA

PS the Buttermilk Pancakes book was silly. :(

Looks good Louise! Ha! Funny silly, or bad silly?

Finished the book on my TBR shelf. Where Maiden's Mourn by CS Harris. Fantastic. If you like historical mystery you'll love her books.

Maggi wrote: "Finished the book on my TBR shelf. Where Maiden's Mourn by CS Harris. Fantastic. If you like historical mystery you'll love her books."

When Maidens Mourn...thanks Maggi, will have a look at this one!

Brenda wrote: "Looks good Louise! Ha! Funny silly, or bad silly?"

It was bad silly. Billed as a fairy story for adults, but just nonsense when you got down to it.

Louise wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Looks good Louise! Ha! Funny silly, or bad silly?"

It was bad silly. Billed as a fairy story for adults, but just nonsense when you got down to it."

Disappointing:( Bad luck.

So far I've read my
St Patricks Day book The Time Of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
Labour Day book The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Reduce book: Beastly by Alex Flinn
Recycle: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Colours of Autumn: Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
International Womans day: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Easter book: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
I kind of cheated with the dragon book I read children books with my girls. I read The Little Dragon, The Year of the Dragon: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac, Dragon's Lost roar by Julia Rawlinson. There's No Such Thing as a Dragon which was our favourite. But if you think this is cheating I'll find and adult book about dragons to read. If not I only have my Re use book to go which is City of Ashes.

Davina wrote: "So far I've read my
St Patricks Day book The Time Of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
Labour Day book The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Reduce book: Beastly by Alex Flinn
Recycle: Eighth Grade Bites ..."

Definitely not cheating...you are still reading Davina, and it fits into the challenge:)

I've finished another 2 books:
#7 International Women's Day - The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters; and
#8 The Days are Getting Shorter - Deltora Quest: the Land of Dragons by Emily Rodda

I love the Peabody books by Peters, and I might have to read a few more in the Deltora Quest series too. :)

You've only got 4 left to read...Well done Louise:)

Looking good Louise:)

Louise wrote: "I have updated my choice for #6 the Autumn colours - I've now chosen A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

"

I am reading this for book club this month, how are you finding it. I am quite enjoying it and even one of our book club memberes who would never pick up a book o witches, vampires etc is enjoying it.

I have just updated my challenge on message 81. The books I have updated are - The Promise: An Italian Romance, The Easter Story by Anita Ganeri, Always the Vampire

I have 3 books to go in this challenge -

St Patrick's Day - Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy or I might change that to Spin the Bottle by Monica McInerney

Recycle - Read a book you have read before
The Innocent by Harlan Corben

Chinese Year of the Dragon - Dragon Actually by GA Aiken

Looking good Bronwyn:)

Bronwyn wrote: "Louise wrote: "I have updated my choice for #6 the Autumn colours - I've now chosen A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

"

I am reading this for book club..."

I really enjoyed it. The only bummer is that the 2nd one is not due out until July this year. >:| Waiting, waiting, waiting....

As the first cool breezes for 6 months waft over the Top End, a teaser for the coming dry season I have finished my Autumn Challenge!

I read:
1. St Patrick's Day - Read a book written by an Irish author or set in Ireland or has an Irish character:
Castles, Follies & Four-Leaf Clovers: Adventures Along Ireland's St Declan's Way by Rosamund Burton

2. Australian Labour Day - Choose a book whose lead characters are from the working class.
Cherry Ames, Student Nurse by Helen Wells - a hard working nurse - and a trainee to boot!!! Poor little navvy!

It's Clean up Australia Day

3. REDUCE - Read a book from your TBR shelf - A Lie for a Lie by Emilie Richards
4. RE-USE - Re-read an old favourite - The Seeds Of Time by John Wyndham(I constantly re-read my Wyndham collection)
5. RECYCLE - Read any book from the library - A Different Sky by Meira Chand

6. Colours of Autumn - A book whose cover is primarily an Autumn colour.
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
As you can see the cover is choc a block full of Orange, red and yellow)

7. International Woman’s Day - Read a book about a strong female character
The Trader's Wife by Anna Jacobs - Hubby and I heading to Singapore in April so have a pile of novels set in Singapore to read - this was on top.

8. The days are getting shorter - Read a short story, essay or anthology
The Missing - Two Sophie Anderson short stories by P.D. Martin

9. Chinese Year of the Dragon - read a book that has a reference/character of a dragon in it or on the cover.
Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister (the love interest is a dragon in human form)

10. Easter - Read a book depicting the origin of Easter; Festivals; Hot Cross Buns; chocolate; families & family activities.
Emma The Easter Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Now I can sit back and put my feet up for a while before the winter one commences :)

Congratulations Sally!! Well done!! Make sure when you have your feet up, you are devouring books from your TBR list for the May challenge;D

I have finished my #8...Short Story...I chose Passage by Caroline Overington from 10 Short Stories You Must Read in 2011 and will read the others at a later date. My review http://www.africa-eu.com/review/show/...

2 left for this challenge now:)

1. St Patrick's Day - Celebrate with the Irish - .... has an Irish character.

Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb (Roarke is Irish)

2. Australian Labour Day - A book who's lead character is from the working class.

Monster by Jonathan Kellerman (lead character is a policeman)

Clean up Australia Day
3. reduce (your TBR) Private London by James Patterson
4. re-use (re-read) The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
5. recycle (library) Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

6. Colours of Autumn either coloured words in the title, or autumn coloured cover.

The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner

7. International Womens Day strong female lead character.

The Memory Collector by Meg Gardiner (Jo Beckett is the lead character)

8. The days are getting shorter short story...

10 Short Stories You Must Read in 2011 by Larissa Behrendt (I'll read one or more of these)

9. Chinese Year of the Dragon dragon on the cover, or character.

The Dragon of the Dolomites by Scott William Carter (I just downloaded this one for free!!)

10. Easter I've chosen 'families' out of the above choices.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Well done Brenda - you're neally there :)

Mish wrote: "Well done Brenda - you're neally there :)"

Thanks Mish:)

I've finially chosen my last book - all about chocolate - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

I may need to change my Chinese Year of the Dragon tho - I'm not sure I can get hold of a copy of Bones of the Dragon by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Thinking... Thinking... Thinking....

Oops - that should be "finally". :)

I did it I finished the challenge. I re-read City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. I think I actually enjoyed it more this time round. So now I can accept the May challenge. But for now I'm off to bed. Goodnight all you night owls.

Well done Davina!

I like City of Ashes. That's my favourite book in the series :)

Well done Davina!! Great result:)

Seem to have got off track with this challenge. I have two left - the short story which I will take from Stephen King's Night Shift, and The Secret Scripture. BUT I have another book I collected from the library yesterday which is only a 2 week read, and I'm reading very very slowly atm.

Oh well, winter is coming. When is the new challenge to be announced?

Maggie wrote: "Seem to have got off track with this challenge. I have two left - the short story which I will take from Stephen King's Night Shift, and The Secret Scripture. BUT I have another book I collected fr..."

That's alright Maggie...I'm afraid I'm the same with 2 to go!!! Winter will be released 15/5:)

I have finished my Autumn challenge. Really enjoyed this challenge.

Well done Sharon!! Great result:)

I recently listened to The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories; my new #8. It was pretty good. I have not read Hemingway before, so a good introduction.

Maggie wrote: "Just about to start Night Shift for the short story section of this challenge."

FINALLY just read the short story "Graveyard Shift" from this anthology for #8. Creepy story especially if you're not keen on rats.

Just have #1 to go. I started The Secret Scripture but couldnt stand it, so am searching my TBR shelf for something else Irish.

Found it - The Lively Ghosts of Ireland which is sitting on my book shelf. Hoorah.

Maggie wrote: "Found it - The Lively Ghosts of Ireland which is sitting on my book shelf. Hoorah."
Love to know what you think. I'll wait for your opinion to see whether I should add it my TBR list.

Last book chosen: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffery. Don't know why I didn't think of this one sooner. :)

Looks like everyone's doing well, winding up towards the finish!! Yay!!

Davina wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Found it - The Lively Ghosts of Ireland which is sitting on my book shelf. Hoorah."
Love to know what you think. I'll wait for your opinion to see whether I should add it my TBR list."

Don't.

Maggie wrote: "Found it - The Lively Ghosts of Ireland which is sitting on my book shelf. Hoorah."

Oh dear, what a crock. Written in the 1960's it concerns the travels around Ireland of an American ghost hunter, his wife and a psychic.
Really bad - the links they drew, the connections between what they saw and what it proved were so thin, no evidence. Wouldn't be published today.

9 done and 1 to go! Just finished Like Water for Chocolate - 3 Stars!

Well done Louise, you'll romp it in:)

Maggie wrote: "Davina wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Found it - The Lively Ghosts of Ireland which is sitting on my book shelf. Hoorah."
Love to know what you think. I'll wait for your opinion to see whether I should add..."
Thanks Maggie

Finished #10 Purple Hibiscus; storyline set over the Easter period. This was a pretty good read. Now reading Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman, my last read for this challenge. Interesting so far.

Lesley wrote: "Finished #10 Purple Hibiscus; storyline set over the Easter period. This was a pretty good read. Now reading Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman, my last read for this challe..."

#10 sounds interesting Lesley!

Autumn is just not a good time for me. So much reading for Uni that I've only read A Hell of a Woman.