Sarah’s Comments (group member since Jul 18, 2019)

Sarah’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

I'm up and about now - 2am - thank you perimenopause!!!

Will get some pages in before I go back to bed.

Starting points:
The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester AA: p.22
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin StevensonAA: p.50
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: 36%



I'd really like to finish at least these three by the end of the weekend.

Thanks Brenda - signed and shared.

Brenda wrote: "Perhaps some clever person might be able to work one for us?"

Private Groups for the win, I think! (Although they're probably next on the chopping block...)

I've hit their facebook page with #Amazonruinseverything !

Amazon ruins everything. IMDb went the same way when they removed the chat boards. Pinterest has been the same, although that's not owned by Amazon, but is a publicly traded company. It's entirely motivated by commercial considerations and (unless it contributes directly to revenue), providing an experience to members is thrown to the wayside. Really makes me mad!

Books 121-130

Understanding Hamas And Why That Matters by Helena Cobban & Rami G. Khouri (30/11) 4*
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin (3/12) 4*

Brenda wrote: "And I have just posted my 350th review for the year! Completed my challenge :)"

Amazing work Brenda - more than a book a day! Are you a very fast reader, or do you dedicate a great deal of time to reading each day (or both!)?

All done! Thanks for another seasonal challenge!

Ooooh... I'm in please, Brenda!

**Spring Challenge - Read a Rainbow**
Duration: 1/9/25 - 30/11/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 13/13 AA: 4/4 (min 4)

Part A: Read a Rainbow - It's the colour on the cover that counts!

1. Red Spider's Web by Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne (10/10) 4*
2. Orange Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (9/11) 4*
3. Yellow A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay (15/10) 4*
4. Green On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs AA (16/10) 4.5*
5. Blue Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (26/10) 4*
6. Indigo The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen AA (24/10) 4*
7. Violet Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (30/11) 4*



Part B: Tasks

7. Title: Read a book that has any of these spring themed words in the title; Spring/Blossom/New/Birds/Flowers
Spring by Ali Smith (22/10) 4.5*

8. Title: Read a book where the title begins with a letter in SPRING
Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent (1/10) 4.5*

9. Author: Read a book where both the author's initials fit into RAINBOW
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (13/10) 4.5*

10. Cover: Read a book which depicts SPRING on the cover (show cover)
Murder on a Country Walk by Katie Gayle (15/11) 4*

11. Winter is over!: Read a book which makes you happy - a favourite author, or one you've been waiting for to be released!
Legacy by Chris Hammer AA (13/11) 4.5*

12. Reader's Choice: Read any book of your choice.
The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis AA (14/10) 5*

I'm all done in the nick of time. Thanks for another great challenge, Phrynne!

November's Featured Author is Lee Child
Duration: 1/11/25 - 30/11/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 9/9 AA: 4/4 (min 4)

Part 1: TASKS

1. Lee Child is a British thriller writer who was born in 1954. His real name is James Dover Grant
Read a book which has been written under a pen name
Murder on a Country Walk by Katie Gayle (pseudonym of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel) (15/11) 4*

2. Lee is best known for his Jack Reacher series , the first of which was Killing Floor published in 1997
Read a book from a series.
Legacy by Chris Hammer AA (13/11) 4.5* (Martin Scarsden #4)

3. Lee Child was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Literature.
Read a book by an author who has won an award
Mischance Creek by Garry Disher AA (26/11) 5* (Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel - 2007 (Chain of Evidence), 2010 (Wyatt) & 2021 (Consolation) and Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award 2018)

4. Lee worked for 18 years for Granada television in England. When his job was phased out he decided to try writing fiction. As his Jack Reacher novels gained popularity he moved to the USA.
Read a book set in the USA
Horse by Geraldine Brooks AA (29/11) 5*



Part 2: SPELL OUT

J: Not Now, Not Ever: Ten years on from the misogyny speech edited by Julia Gillard AA (15/11) 5* (Author's Name)
A: The Watsons and Sanditon by Jane Austen (10/11) 4* (Author's Name)
M: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (21/11) 5* (Title)
E: Hidden on the Fens by Joy Ellis (2/11) 4.5* (Author's Name)
S: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (23/11) 5* (Author's Name)

Meg wrote: "A few Aussie author books just added to NG
The Second Wife
The Drowning
The General Hospital: A Menzies Mental Health Novel
[book:The Italian Cor..."

Thanks Meg - I've put my hand up for a couple of these.

Here's my review of Spirit Tiger, the third book in Barbara Ismail's series featuring Mak Cik Maryam, a feisty and intuitive Malaysian "aunty" who assists the local police chief to solve crimes.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm in! It's my daughter's dance concert weekend, so Saturday will be mostly out, but I'll do my best on Friday and Sunday!

Here's my review of Cursed Bunny, a mind-bending collection of gothic-horror-paranormal short stories by Korean author Bora Chung.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sign me up please, Brenda! I've enjoyed several of Arthur Upfield's books over recent years, both his "Bony" series and a couple of standalones.

December's Featured Author - Arthur W. Upfield
Duration: 1/12/25 - 31/12/25
Level: I will aim for Hard and see where I end up
Progress: 0/? AA: 0/?

Part 1: TASKS

1. Arthur W. Upfield (1 September 1890 – 13 February 1964) was an Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') of the Queensland Police Force, a half-caste Aborigine.
Read a book by a deceased author (tell us when) OR
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (d. 28 March 1941)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (d. 2 March 1982)
Read a detective fiction book
Silent Bones by Val McDermid

2. Born in England, Upfield moved to Australia in 1910 and fought with the Australian military during the First World War.
Read a book set in England OR
The White Crow by Michael Robotham AA
Read an historical, set during war times
The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson (set in England over Christmas 1943)

3. Following his war service, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, obtaining a knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture that would later be used greatly in his written works.
Read a book set in Australia OR
Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin AA (a First Nations author)
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into ABORIGINAL (Min 2 words)

4. Upfield was also a member of the Australian Geological Society and was involved in numerous scientific expeditions. Upfield's works remained popular after his death, and in the 1970s were the basis for an Australian television series entitled "Boney"
Read a book which has been made into a tv show or a movie OR
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Read a book where the author's initials fit into AUSTRALIAN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu

BONUS: Read a book by Arthur W. Upfield

Part 2: SPELL OUT

T.B.A.

Sign me up, please Brenda!

Summer Challenge - Mini Bingo
Duration: 1/12/25 - 28/2/26
Level: Hard
Progress: 0/25 AA: 0/5

1 Across
On Bestseller list Silent Bones by Val McDermid
Dog on cover Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Male MC The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
Aussie author Accidental Feminists by Jane Caro AA
Suspense / Crime Secrets on the Fens by Joy Ellis

2 Across
Received an award The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Snow on cover The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson
Male author Pig's Head by David Owen AA
Red cover The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
On TBR over 2 years Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

3 Across
Female MC Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Over 500 pages Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
One word title Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin AA
Published in 2016 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Favourite Genre Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch

4 Across
Set in Australia A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon AA
Historical fiction The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Novella (over 125 pp) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Set in another country Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu (Singapore)
Love that cover! The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

5 Across
Child on cover The Season by Helen Garner AA
Young adult Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Female author The Royal Family vs 'The Crown': Separating Fact from Fiction by Catherine Curzon
Beach on cover One Lucky Summer by Jenny Oliver
Paranormal Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Books 111 - 120

The Watsons and Sanditon by Jane Austen (10/11) 4*
Legacy by Chris Hammer AA (13/11) 4.5*
Murder on a Country Walk by Katie Gayle (15/11) 4*
Not Now, Not Ever: Ten years on from the misogyny speech edited by Julia Gillard AA (15/11) 5*
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (21/11) 5*
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (23/11) 5*
Mischance Creek by Garry Disher AA (26/11) 5*
Spirit Tiger by Barbara Ismail (26/11) 4*
Little Taco Truck by Tanya Valentine (27/11) 4*
Horse by Geraldine Brooks AA (29/11) 5*

Here's my review of Guards! Guards!, a satirical fantasy novel by the late Sir Terry Pratchett. An amusing read, even for a reader who's generally not into fantasy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here's my review of The Watsons and Sanditon, an audiobook edition containing two part-finished novels by Jane Austen. It made for an interesting listen.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Helen wrote: "Harlequin AU have added four books"

Thanks for the heads-up, Helen. Iluka sounds right up my street. I'll put in a request for it, but not sure how likely I am to be accepted, given how far behind I am with reviews at the moment!

Carolyn wrote: "I'd read four in mystery & thriller and two in the historical (the genres I read the most) but didn't think any of them were the best in that genre for 2025 so didn't vote in those categories."

It's a pretty meaningless vote overall, isn't it? I doubt many Goodreads members have read ALL the books in any category, so people tend just to vote for the ones they have read in each category. Probably, many people vote for books they haven't even read, based on a book they have heard of, or an author they've read before. At least all the Booker judges read all the books!

Carolyn wrote: "I just had a look at the Goodreads Choice awards for 2025 and voted in one category. For me it was mostly an exercise in seeing what I HAVEN'T read this year! 😂"

I agree - it was pretty thin on the ground, and I imagine generated by Amazon sales numbers + ratings. I'd read one of the fiction (Three Days in June), three of the crime & mystery and (surprisingly) one of the fantasy - The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I hadn't realised it was a 2025 release, but enjoyed it, so gave her a vote as a fellow Aussie!