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

Sarah’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

Kim wrote: "Some names that came up as 'AA's I was quite surprised about:

Colin Cotterill (still not sure why he is classified by Wiki as AA!)
Ben Elton (now lives in Oz I understand)
Michel Faber (childhood and early working in Oz)"

"Ben Elton began his professional career in 1981. Ben married Australian musician Sophie Gare in 1994 and became an Australian citizen in 2004. He and Sophie have three children and live in Fremantle Western Australia."

I'd say that qualifies him as an AA, Kim, but we might need to wait on a judge's ruling...

Brenda wrote: "I LOVE Helene's books Sarah! She's a wonderful writer but hasn't released anything in a few years. Return to Roseglen is her last and is more contemporary. But she has some great crime books in her earlier titles. She and her husband are living in a catamaran and sailing up and down the east coast, including Tasmania. They love Tassie!"

Thanks Brenda! You've convinced me, and to add even more encouragement, Return to Roseglen is available as a paperback and an audiobook at Libraries Tasmania!

Hi all,

I'm getting perilously close to finishing a couple of the A-Z challenges. Does anyone have any recommendations of great books (I prefer crime-thriller!) with title or author's name starting with Y? I have all other letters covered, I think. I know I can use a title / author with a Y in the title/name, but would prefer to find a title/ author's name actually starting with Y.

I'm thinking of trying Return to Roseglen by Helene Young - has anyone read any of her books?

Thanks!

What a great result! Thanks for organising and keeping us in line, Brenda.

Aussie Readers' June Read-a-Thon
My final totals:
Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis: 68% - end (101 pages)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson: 20% - end (330 pages)
Cold Query by Ivanka Fear: 3% - end (334 pages)
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: start - p.207 (207 pages)
The Writing Class by Esther Campion AA: start - p.47 (47 pages)
The Hunter by Tana French: start - 22% (104 pages)

GRAND TOTAL: 1,123 pages

Thanks Brenda - this was a great opportunity to sign off a couple of challenges and to give my mid-year reading a good kick-start!

Aussie Readers' June Read-a-Thon
Totals to end of Saturday:
Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis: 68% - end (101 pages)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson: 20% - end (330 pages)
Cold Query by Ivanka Fear: 3% - 50% (162 pages)
Running Total: 593 pages

I'm aiming to hit 1000 by midnight tonight!

Brenda wrote: "Tut tut Sarah!! You should mark it in your diary ;)"

LOL - you're absolutely right!

Starting points for Read-a-Thon:
Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis: 68%
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson: 20%
Cold Query by Ivanka Fear: 3% (just started!)

Brenda wrote: "Who's ready for the readathon to begin at midnight tonight? Do you have your planned reads ready to go??

Happy readathon weekend everyone :)"

Ooooh... thank goodness you reminded me - I'd forgotten it was this weekend. Lots of books stacked up to read, and more on hold at the Library for collection!

Thank you, Brenda and Phrynne!

Thanks Brenda and Phrynne!

Arrghhh... Just realised I haven't signed up! Can I join please, Brenda?

June Featured Author - Tea Cooper
Duration: 1/6/25 - 30/6/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 11/11 AA: 4/4

PART 1: TASKS

1. Tea Cooper was born in the United Kingdom.
Read a book which is set in the UK Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza (30/6) 5*

2. Prior to beginning her writing career, Tea was a teacher, journalist and farmer, where she cared for a herd of alpacas.
Read a book which has a character who is a teacher or journalist OR
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into HERD OF ALPACAS (2 word minimum)
The Writing Class by Esther Campion AA (24/6) 4.5* (fulfills both sides of prompt!)

3. Tea's debut novel was The Horse Thief which was published in November 2015
Read a book by an Australian author
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer AA (28/6) 5*

4. Tea's great love is writing and researching historical fiction; she haunts museums & indulges her passion for storytelling. Her twisty historical mysteries mix fact with fiction.
Read a mystery
Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic AA (30/6) 5*

PART 2: SPELL-IT-OUT

T: The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose (30/6) 4* (Title)
E: Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H. Eccleston (8/6) 4* (Author's Name)
A: A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (27/6) 3.5* (Title / Author's Name)
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)
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*

Sorry I'm a bit late checking in, Phrynne - thanks for another great challenge!

May Featured Author - Lisa Regan
Duration: 1/5/25 - 31/5/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 9/9 AA: 3/3

TASKS

1. Read a book which is set in America
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (1/6) 5* (set in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York)

2. Read a mystery with a female main character
Stalker on the Fens (Nikki Galena #5) by Joy Ellis (27/5) 4.5* (D.I. Nikki Galena)

3. Read a debut novel
Eye of the Moon by Ivan Obolensky (28/5) 4.5*

4. Read a book with a detective in it.
Vanish by Shelley Burr (23/5) 4.5* (Lane Holland is a private investigator)

SPELL-IT-OUT

D: Dead Man's Shoes by Marion Todd (8/5) 4.5*
E: The Wedding People by Alison Espach (15/5) 5*
B: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (12/5) 4.5*
U: The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan AA (6/5) 4.5*
T: Tell Me Why by Sandi Wallace AA (6/6) 4*

Oh! So wish I lived in Sydney... Are any Tasmanian members keen for a catch-up?

All done! Thanks Brenda, for another inventive challenge.

Autumn Reading Challenge
Duration: 1/3/25 - 31/5/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 29/29 AA: 6/6

1.
a) Read a book which is "steamy", set in a hot climate or makes you feel warm inside.
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H. Eccleston (8/6) 4*
Read a book where the author's first name or book title begins with B, O, I or L .
One Dark Night by Hannah Richell AA (13/4) 5*

b) Read books with a colour on the cover to match the type of tea you choose:
Black - black tea
Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (8/3) 4.5*
Green - green tea
The Examiner by Janice Hallett (23/3) 5*
White - white tea
Tooth and Nail (Rebus #3) by Ian Rankin (15/4) 5*
Brown - oolong tea
Hunted on the Fens by Joy Ellis (28/3) 5*
Red - rooibos tea
The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel (27/3) 5*
Orange - herbal tea
This Motherless Land by Nikki May (15/3) 5*

c) Read a book with page counts to indicate how strong you like your tea:
Weak - under 150 pages
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose (28/3) 3* (128 pages)
Medium - 151 to 300 pages
New Year's Eve by Sarah Todman AA (20/4) 5* (250 pages)
Strong - 301 pages or more
The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller (9/3) 4* (320 pages)

d) Read a book to indicate how sweet you like your tea:
No sugar - Stand alone novel
Death in the Arctic by Tom Hindle (9/3) 4*
One spoonful - Book one in a series
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd (13/3) 5* (Nora Breen #1)
Two spoonfuls - Book two in a series
The Retreat by Sarah Pearse (21/3) 4* (Elin Warner #2)
Honey - Book three in a series
The Wilds by Sarah Pearse (7/4) 5* (Elin Warner #3)
Artificial sweetener - Book four in a series
The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan AA (6/5) 4.5* (Cormac Reilly #4)

e) Read a book to indicate what else to add to your tea:
No milk - General fiction
Eye of the Moon by Ivan Obolensky (28/5) 4.5*
Just a dash - Romance/chick lit
The Wedding People by Alison Espach (15/5) 5*
Lots of milk - Young Adult/new adult
I'll Look for You, Everywhere by Cameron Capello (31/3) 3* (new adult romance)
Cream (Yuck!) - Fantasy/sci fi
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick (17/3) 4*
Soy milk - Mystery/thriller
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (12/5) 4.5*
Lemon - Non fiction
On the Trail of the Yorkshire Ripper: His Final Secrets Revealed by Richard Charles Cobb (27/4) 4*

2. Read a book by an Aussie Author which has been on your TBR for at least a year...
Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson AA (9/6) 4* (added to my TBR 17/6/2023)

3. Pick up a book you've been desperate to read
Dead Man's Shoes by Marion Todd (8/5) 4.5*
Re-read an old favourite
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audiobook edition) (31/5) 5*

4. Read a book which has GOOD or FRIDAY in the title
The Longest Goodbye by Mari Hannah (30/3) 5*
Read a book about a family
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (3/4) 5*

5. Read a book which features a strong female MC
Gunnawah by Ronni Salt AA (22/3) 5*

6. Read a book by an Aussie Author which is released in Autumn 2025 - March, April or May
Vanish by Shelley Burr AA (23/5) 4.5* (published on 30/4/25)

Books 51-60

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (1/6) 5*
Tell Me Why by Sandi Wallace AA (6/6) 4*
Lyrebird by Jane Caro AA (7/6) 5*
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H. Eccleston (8/6) 4*
Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson AA (9/6) 4*
Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis (14/6) 4.5*
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (14/6) 4.5*
Cold Query by Ivanka Fear (15/6) 4*
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (18/6) 4.5*
The Hunter by Tana French (19/6) 4.5*

Count me in, Brenda - I'm hoping to be caught up with my May reads by then, but the readathon will be a good chance to ensure I can enter the second half of the year on a clean slate!

Sharon wrote: "The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer is up for request on NG"

Thanks Sharon! I've put my hand up for this one, having enjoyed her previous novels.

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

Phrynne wrote: "Well done Sarah!"

Thanks Phrynne!

All done - Thanks Phrynne for another great challenge!

Annual Challenge - Book Bingo
Duration: 1/1/25 - 31/12/25
Level: 2
Progress: 25/25 AA: 8/25 (min 6)

1 Across
a. Male author
You Are Here by David Nicholls (27/2) 4*
b. Cosy mystery
Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu (12/1) 4.5*
c. Published in 2025
I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman (16/2) 4* (published 7 January 2025)
d. Part of a series
A Lethal Deception by Rachel Amphlett AA (6/1) 4* (Detective Kay Hunter #11)
e. One word title
Gunnawah by Ronni Salt AA (22/3) 5*

2 Across
a. Four word title
Shadow Over the Fens by Joy Ellis (7/2) 4*
b. New to you author
The Janes by Louisa Luna (21/1) 4*
c. Young adult
Looking for Alaska by John Green (19/2) 4*
d. Favourite genre
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman (23/1) 3.5* (Mystery-Thriller)
e. Female author
Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans AA (26/1) 4*

3 Across
a. Blue cover
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (3/4) 5*
b. Set in Australia
New Year's Eve by Sarah Todman AA (20/4) 5* (set in regional Queensland)
c. By a favourite author
The Kill List by Nadine Matheson (28/1) 5*
d. Title starts with D
Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (8/3) 4.5*
e. Aussie author
The Rush by Michelle Prak AA (24/2) 4*

4 Across
a. House on the cover
With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal AA (30/1) 4.5*
b. Female MC
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd (13/3) 5* (Nora Breen)
c. Male MC
Prime Cut by Alan Carter AA (25/1) 5* (D.S.S. Phillip "Cato" Kwong)
d. Book you bought
Tooth and Nail (Rebus #3) by Ian Rankin (15/4) 5* (Kindle / Audible)
e. Borrowed from library
This Motherless Land by Nikki May (15/3) 5*

5 Across
a. Mystery
The Examiner by Janice Hallett (23/3) 5*
b. Has a place in the title
Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis (22/1) 4*
c. Set in another country
One Dark Night by Hannah Richell AA (13/4) 5* (set in England)
d. Author’s name begins with T
Listen To Me by Tess Gerritsen (re-read) (31/1) 5*
e. Colourful cover
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (7/2) 5*