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

Sarah’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

I also wish you well for a great meet-up, those in the Sydney catchment area!

I wonder if Tassie members would like a catch-up sometime?

All done! It took me a while to finish that last one - I keep getting distracted by November reads and Library due-dates! Thank you for another great challenge!

October Featured Author - Kelly Rimmer
Duration: 1/10/25 - 31/10/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 10/10 AA: 4/4 (min 4)

Part 1: TASKS

1. Kelly was born and brought up in Sydney, NSW, Australia. When she was in kindergarten, she told her dad she'd be an author one day, so it's fair to say her published books represent a lifelong dream.
Read a book by an Australian author
On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs AA (16/10) 4.5*

2. Kelly's latest standalone novel, The Midnight Estate, was published in Australia on 30th July, 2025.
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into "THE MIDNIGHT ESTATE" (minimum 2 word title)
The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen AA (24/10) 4*

3. Kelly is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, including The Secret Daughter and The Things We Cannot Say. She has sold more than one million books, and her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Read a book set in the USA
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (26/10) 4* (Baltimore)

4. Kelly lives in the Central West of New South Wales with her family and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil.
Read a book with a dog on the cover
The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis AA (14/10) 5*

BONUS: Read a book by Kelly Rimmer
The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer AA (used in Spell-it-Out)



Part 2: SPELL-IT-OUT

R: The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer AA (6/11) 4.5* (Author's Name)
O: Spider's Web by Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne (10/10) 4* (Author's Name)
M: Martha Moxley Murder on Mischief Night by Michel Suárez (9/10) 1* (Title / Author's Name)
A: Spring by Ali Smith (22/10) 4.5*
N: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (13/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)
C: The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland (18/10) 5* (Title)
E: Darkness on the Fens by Joy Ellis (8/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)

Alex wrote: "I'm on track to complete my October challenge by the end of November. After that, it gets a bit hazy."

Alex, if it's of any assistance - and as one who often struggles to finish all the annual, seasonal and monthly challenges by 31/12 - I tend to prioritise my outstanding annual challenge books in November and December, slotting in as many as I can into the last month of Spring / first month of Summer seasonal challenges and monthly challenges as I go. I often wind down to Easy Level in the monthly challenges at this end of the year for this reason. Do you just do the Aussie Readers' challenges or other ones as well?

Andrea wrote: "Who else is ready to write off their 2025 reading plans and start thinking about 2026? 😏😜"

Ha ha ... I'm definitely at that stage of the year when I'm cramming my remaining books in to finish as many challenges as possible. I think I'm on track to complete them all for the first time in years if I read about 15-20 books in both November and December. Should be do-able, but will take discipline, as there are lots of great new titles coming out.

I might need to hold off filling in 2026 challenges until after I've completed 2025 - Anyway, I made this meme:

Brenda wrote: "I've been bombarded with all the missing notifications overnight!!! At least they seem to be back on track, slowly..."

Yes, they're a bit weird, though. I think Rowan's right and the algorithm has been re-booted as a result of the outage.

I've created a List for linking:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

I agree - this was a bookish extravaganza! I think I’ve read about half the listed books, but most are on my TBR! I think I’ll try to prioritise at least a few for my 2026 reading list.

Brenda and Phrynne, would this make a good potential prompt for one of the annual challenges next year?

Read a book that appears in the Radio National Top 100 of the 21st century (those who have already read all 100 books may read a book of their choice / a book they believe should have been on the list).

How did everyone cope during last night’s Amazon (including Goodreads) crash? I was convinced it was me at first! It was very discombobulating not to be able to access “My Books” on demand, illustrating how much I rely on GR on a daily basis!

On a side note, how much better would it be if the App took you directly to the most recent comments in a thread, rather than the first comment, which in this and many cases was years ago?

I think I’ve been saying this since June, but I can’t believe it’s almost November! Count me in please, 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)

Brenda wrote: "Great work Sarah!!"

Thank you Brenda!

Sarah wrote: "Arrgghhh... I've just realised I've stuffed up! "

Scratch that - I've re-jigged the challenge with different authors and counting a few of my September and October books. I'll make sure that I don't double count them in my Spring challenge!

**Winter Reading Challenge**
Duration: 1/6/25 - 31/8/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 33/33 AA: 9/9

June: Chris Hammer
C: Lyrebird by Jane Caro AA (7/6) 5* (Author's Name)
H: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (14/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)
R: Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza (30/6) 5* (Author's Name)
I: Cold Query by Ivanka Fear (15/6) 4* (Author's Name)
S: Tell Me Why by Sandi Wallace AA (6/6) 4* (Author's Name)

H: The Hunter by Tana French (19/6) 4.5* (Title)
A: Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson AA (9/6) 4* (Title)
M: Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H. Eccleston (8/6) 4* (Author's Name)
M: Broke Road by Matthew Spencer AA (28/6) 5* (Author's Name)
E: Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis (14/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)
R: Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (18/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)



July: Jane Harper
J: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (28/7) 5* (Author's Name)
A: A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (27/6) 3.5* (Title / Author's Name)
N: The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose (30/6) 4* (Author's Name)
E: Buried on the Fens by Joy Ellis (13/7) 5* (Author's Name)

H: The Sirens by Emilia Hart AA (20/7) 4.5* (Author's Name)
A: A Good Hanging and Other Stories by Ian Rankin (31/7) 4* (Title)
R: The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns AA (31/7) 4* (Author's Name)
P: The Science of Menopause: Understand Your Body, Make the Right Choices by Dr Philippa Kaye (10/10) 5* (Author's Name)
E: James by Percival Everett (28/7) 5* (Author's Name)
R: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (10/9) 4.5* (Author's Name)



August: Agatha Christie
A: Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie (10/8) (re-read) 4* (Author's Name)
G: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (20/7) 5* (Author's Name)
A: An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris (14/9) 3* (Title)
T: Thieves on the Fens by Joy Ellis (3/8) 5* (Title)
H: High Wire by Candice Fox AA (14/8) 5* (Title)
A: Bony and the Mouse: Journey to the Hangman by Arthur W. Upfield AA (20/9) 4* (Author's Name)

C: Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan (13/7) 5* (Author's Name)
H: The Wedding Party by Rebecca Heath AA (7/8) 4* (Author's Name)
R: The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (29/9) 5* (Author's Name)
I: Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin (15/7) 4* (Author's Name)
S: Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic AA (8/7) 5* (Title)
T: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune (30/9) 3.5* (Author's Name)
I: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin (3/10) 4* (Author's Name)
E: Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis (17/9) 5* (Author's Name)

Thanks Brenda! Part 2 is now also complete. I needed a couple of my October books to finish words. Thanks for another great challenge!

Just claiming this spot for the second part of my challenge, as I've just overflowed the character limit at message 15!

A Six Month Challenge - Autumn to Spring
Duration: 1/4/25 - 30/9/25
Level: Over the Top
Progress: 62/62 AA: 21/21

S: The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis AA (14/10) 5* (Title)
E: The Writing Class by Esther Campion AA (24/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)
A: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audiobook edition) (31/5) 5* (Author's Name)
S: Dead Again by Sandi Wallace AA (26/7) 5* (Author's Name)
O: On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs (16/10) 4.5*
N: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (13/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)
S: The Science of Menopause: Understand Your Body, Make the Right Choices by Dr Philippa Kaye (10/10) 5* (Title)

S: Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent (1/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)
H: The Hunter by Tana French (19/6) 4.5*
O: Spider's Web by Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne (10/10) 4* (Author)
W: Whisky Valley by Joan Sauers AA (18/8) 4* (Title)
E: Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis (17/9) 5* (Author's Name)
R: The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (29/9) 5* (Author's Name)
S: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin (3/10) 4* (Title)

Books 101 - 110

On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs AA (16/10) 4.5*
The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland (18/10) 5*
Spring by Ali Smith (22/10) 4.5*
The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen AA (24/10) 4*
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (26/10) 4*
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (30/11) 4*
Hidden on the Fens by Joy Ellis (2/11) 4.5*
The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer AA (6/11) 4.5*
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (9/11) 5*
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (9/11) 4*

Brenda wrote: "I've done as much searching of Leigh Russell as I can, and can only see she's from the UK. Nothing else to identify if she ever lived in AU so I'd say, no not Aussie. Unless someon..."

There is an Australian writer called Leigh Russell, but she's a sports administrator and has written a couple of books on that subject!

Sandra wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Dear Librarians,

This is one that's been bugging me for a while, as I've been re-reading Ian Rankin's Rebus series via audiobook. My favourite of the av..."

Thank you so much for your hard work on this, Sandra. I'm only aware of his work on narrating books from Ian Rankin's Rebus series and a couple of other Scottish crime titles, but I'll keep a lookout (he's a great narrator!).

Arrgghhh... I've just realised I've stuffed up! I've counted one book and had intended to count another whose titles include a "Y" but that don't start with Y. I'd somehow convinced myself that the "difficult letters" rule included Y as well as Q, X and Z. Anyway, I've quickly put my hand up for a couple of "Read Nows" on NetGalley, but my finish date on this challenge will be later as a result...

Phrynne wrote: "Well done Sarah"

Thanks Phrynne - I'm striving to actually finish on time this month...

Sorry - forgot to check in after I finished my last a couple of days ago. Unusually, I've gone for spell-it-out, although unfortunately I didn't get to the Elizabeth Strout on my TBR. Thanks Phrynne for another inspiring challenge!

September Featured Author - Elizabeth Strout
Duration: 1/9/25 - 30/9/25
Level: Medium
Progress: 7/7 AA: 2/2 (min 2)

Part 2: SPELL-IT-OUT

A: Bony and the Mouse: Journey to the Hangman by Arthur W. Upfield AA (20/9) 4* (Author's Name)
M: An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris (14/9) 3* (Author's Name)
E: Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis (17/9) 5* (Author's Name)
R: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (10/9) 4.5* (Author's Name)
I: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin (3/10) 4* (Author's Name)
C: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger (13/9) 4* (Title)
A: Asylum by Jack Adams AA (25/9) 4* (Title / Author's Name)

Sandra wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Dear Librarians,

This is one that's been bugging me for a while, as I've been re-reading Ian Rankin's Rebus series via audiobook. My favourite of the available narrato..."

Thank you Sandra, you are wonderful! Is there anything I can do to aid the process, or do I need librarian privileges for that?

Here's a photo of him from imdb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088621/...) - hopefully as an Amazon-owned company that gets around the copyright issue.