Bec’s Comments (group member since Oct 31, 2022)

Bec’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

Spring Challenge: Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/9/24 - 30/11/24
Level: Hard: 6 pairs (12 Books - THREE Aussie Authors)
Progress: 12/12
AA: 8/3


Female/male author - done - ✔
✔ #1.a. Male: The Good Samaritan by John Marrs - finished 14/9/2024 ★★★★
✔ #1.b. Female: Ex Marks the Spot: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy by Hazel Jones - finished 8/9/2024 ★★★★★



Set in rural location/set in city - done - ✔
✔ #2.a. Rural: Outback by Patricia Wolf AA - finished 7/9/2024 - ★★★★
✔ #2.b. City(NY): Devil's Kitchen by Candice Fox AA - finished 4/10/2024 - ★★★★


Book in series/stand alone - done - ✔
✔ #3.a. Series: Paradise by Patricia Wolf AA- finished 13/9/2024 ★★★★
✔ #3.b. Stand alone - Head for the Hills by Tricia Stringer AA - finished 1/10/2024 ★★★★


Australian/non-Australian author - done - ✔
✔ #4.a. Australian: The Seachangers by Meredith Appleyard AA - finished 3/9/2024 ★★★★
✔ #4.b. Non-Australian If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia - finished 16/9/2024 ★★★★


Thriller/Romance
✔ #5.a. Thriller: Opal by Patricia Wolf AA - finished 17/9/2024 ★★★★
✔ #5.b. Romance: Past Tents: A Small Town Romance by Stacy Travis- finished 19/9/2024 ★★★★


Single POV/multiple POV - done - ✔
✔ 6a. multiple POV: The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods - AA - finished 6/10/2024 ★★★★★
✔ 6b. single POV: Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor - AA - - finished 8/9/2024 ★★★★

Allen and Unwin seem to have some new ones for request including Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald

Well done Jane and Janine!

Well done Kylie and Carol

Well done Janelle

Great work Jackmeister

Brenda wrote: "You didn't notice it's #3 in the series Bec? 😉"
Yeah but I read it was the first translated in English so figured it was okay to read as a standalone.

Andrea wrote: "Although it's published tomorrow, The Oyster Diver's Secret is a little gem that's not due to be archived until 13 August, if anyone's interested."

Ahhh, nope I don't want more books....go to this one and what do you know, read now...so what did I press, yep, read now haha

Thanks Brenda and Phrynne

Challenge completed

A-Z Authors
1/1/24 - 31/12/24
26/26
13/6 AA

✔ A - Averil Kenny - Those Hamilton Sisters - AA finished 14/3/2024 - 4 stars

✔ B - Matthew Blake - Anna O. finished 6/2/2024 - 4 stars

✔ C - Cathy Kelly - Sisterhood finished 11/2/2024 - 4 stars

✔ D - Dervla McTiernan - The Fireground - AA - finished 7/2/2024 - 4 stars

✔ E - Nora Everly - Passing Notes - finished 14/3/2024 - 4 stars

✔ F -Fiona Lowe - The Accident - AA - finished 22/2/2024 - 5 stars

✔ G - Georgina Lees- True Crime - finished 20/1/2024 - 3 stars

✔ H -Holden Sheppard - Invisible Boys - AA - finished 18/2/2024 - 4 stars

✔ I - Lisa Ireland- The One and Only Dolly Jamieson - AA - finished 10/6/2024 - 4 stars

✔ J -Jeneva Rose - One of Us Is Dead - finished 31/1/2024 - 3 stars

✔ K -Kingsley Allen - Ocean Street - AA - finished 1/2/2024 - 3 stars

✔ L -Natasha Lester - What Is Left Over, After - AA - finished 10/2/2024 - 4 stars

✔ M - Meg Shaffer- The Wishing Game - finished 8/1/2024 - 5 stars

✔ N - Natalie Murray - Love, Just In - AA - finished 5/1/2024 - 4 stars

✔ O - Julie Olivia - Out with the Tide - finished 18/3/2024 - 4 stars

✔ P -Matthew Perry - Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - finished 7/1/2024 - 4 stars

✔ Q - Meghan Quinn - The Locker Room - finished 24/4/2024 - 4 stars

✔ R - Simon Rowell- The Good Dog - AA - finished 12/1/2024 - 4 stars

✔ S -Angela Yuriko Smith - Inujini - finished 14/1/2024 - 4 stars

✔ T - Anni Taylor- Birds in Flight- AA - finished 4/4/2024 - 4 stars

✔ U - Michelle Upton - Emergency Exit Only - AA - finished 9/5/2024 - 4 stars

✔ V - Karen Viggers- Sidelines - AA - finished 20/2/2024 - 3 stars

✔ W -J. Wheeler - Forgive Me Father - finished 4/4/2024 - 4 stars

✔ X -Jo Dixon - The House of Now and Then- AA - finished 1/3/2024 - 5 stars

✔ Y -Yvonne Vincent - Losers Club: A Murder Mystery - finished 15/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ Z -Robert Bryndza - The Not So Secret Emails Of Coco Pinchard - finished 29/1/2024 - 4 stars

I've completed the easy level for 12 books:

Annual Aussie Author Challenge 2024 - Everything is Australian
Duration: 1/1/24 - 31/12/24
Level: Easy
12/12

1. KANGAROO.
In South Australia there is a beautiful place called Kangaroo Island where you can see kangaroos on the beach.
** Read a book set near a beach or with a beach on the cover.
Love, Just In by Natalie Murray - finished 5/1/2023 - 4 stars

2. DINGO.
Australia may have some of the worst poisonous creatures in the world but our apex predator is a wild dog! There are lots of them to be found on Fraser Island in Queensland.
** Read a book set in Queensland
Captive by Cally Jackson - finished 25/2/2024 - 4.5 stars


3. KOOKABURRA
When a flock of these birds start laughing it is hard not to laugh with them. They are the noisy relations of the Kingfisher family but they prefer to eat lizards to fish. The Kookaburra is one of the emblems for NSW.
** Read a book where the author's initials can be found in kookaburra.
Those Hamilton Sisters by Averil Kenny - finished 14/3/2024 - 4 stars


4. KOALA.
These cuddly creatures spend about eighteen hours per day asleep in their eucalyptus trees. Even though they may look like a teddy, Koalas are not bears!
** Read a book where you can find the letters O,L,A in the title (in any order)
What Is Left Over, After by Natasha Lester - finished 10/2/2024 - 4 stars

5. COCKATOO
The Gang Gang Cockatoo is an emblem of the Australian Capital Territory, which is the home of our capital city, Canberra.
** Read a book where you can find the letters T,C,O in the title (in any order)
** Read a book set in Canberra or any of our state or territory capitals. (Hobart)
The Chocolate Factory by Mary-Lou Stephens - finished 27/1/2024 - 4 stars

6. QUOKKA
Found in Western Australia and called the happiest animal in the world because it has a smiley little face.
** Read a book where the author's initials can be found in happiest
Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard - finished 18/2/2024 - 4 stars

7. PLATYPUS
This strange creature frequents freshwater rivers all around Australia. Sadly numbers are dwindling and we do not often see them.
** Read a book with some association to water or swimming.
The Shallows by Holly Craig - finished 18/6/2024 - 3 stars

8. POSSUM
Very cute but they can also be a big pest. The possum is the emblem for Victoria
** Read a book set in Victoria.
The Good Dog by Simon Rowell - finished 12/1/2024 - 4 stars

9. CROCODILE
There are saltwater crocodiles in the sea and freshwater ones in the rivers but mostly in the Northern Territory. If the sign beside the waterhole says No Swimming then don't swim.
** Read a book where you can find the letters C,D,E in the title (in any order)
The Accident by Fiona Lowe - finished 22/2/2024 - 5 stars

10. TASMANIAN DEVIL
As the name suggests this animal is found in Tasmania. Not sure why it acquired the name Devil but I suppose it isn't the prettiest furry friend you have ever seen.
** Read a book where the author's initials can be found in Tasmanian Devil
What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan - finished 17/2/2024 - 4 stars


11. NUMBAT
One of our rarer creatures which lives in Western Australia.
** Read a book set in Western Australia
The Fireground by Dervla McTiernan - finished 7/2/2024 - 3.5 stars

12. WOMBAT
A long, long time ago these furry chaps were the size of elephants. Can you imagine the size of their burrows? Today they are a much more reasonable size and the Hairy Nose Wombat is the emblem of South Australia.
** Read a book set in South Australia
Ocean Street by Kingsley Allen - finished 1/2/2024 - 3 stars

I've finished the medium level with the Resolution: Clean up that TBR! Read only books that were on your TBR shelf before the start of the challenge. I added to the challenge by not counding ARCs (even though they were on my TRB prior to the challenge).
I'm really pleased I finally got to some of these books.

Level: Medium (9)
9/9
3/3 AAs

✔ 1. Daisy and Kate by Meredith Appleyard AA - finished 19/6/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 2. The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson AA - finished - 26/6/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 3. Losers Club: A Murder Mystery by Yvonne Vincent - finished 15/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 4. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris - finished 4/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 5. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - finished 11/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 6. The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden - finished 18/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 7. Marks on the Moon by T.D. Colbert - finished 19/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 8. Honeybee by Craig Silvey AA finished 22/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 9. What Lies Between Us by John Marrsfinished 27/7/2024 - 4 stars

Carolyn wrote: "I can't really say until I've read it Bec, but the plot looks to be quite separate from previous ones, so it should be okay. As this is the third in the series, you would miss out on some character development, especially for Nell who was quite inexperienced at the start...."

Thanks Carolyn, seems I have book 1 on audible...maybe I need to get into that!

I've been reading and recording in my excel spreadsheet but haven't updated this thread. I've just got Y to go and I'm planning on reading Losers Club: A Murder Mystery by Yvonne Vincent

Carolyn wrote: " The Valley by Chris Hammer is available to request."

Could this be read as a standalone? It seems like it's in a series. I've not read anything of Chris Hammer before.

Brenda wrote: " The Seachangers by Meredith Appleyard is available on NG"

Got it thanks! And after finally getting around to reading Daisy and Kate (on my holiday), I'm looking forward to another book by Meredith Appleyard.

Weekend total

The One and Only Dolly Jamieson - 273
Thank You, Next - 242
The Last Trace - 167
Total = 682

Saturday I finished Thank You, Next with 93 pages then started The Last Trace with 67 pages.
I listened to 32% of The One and Only Dolly Jamieson for 118 pages. total for satruday 278.

Haven't had much time reading today as I've had my parents over all day....so trying to get into some tonight.

Coming in to log my Friday reading.

Total of 223 pages
Thank You, Next - 149 pages
The One and Only Dolly Jamieson - 74 pages - this one I listened to on audio but have done a page conversion by the fact I listened to 20% and it's 368 pages in total.

I think I'll be better for today...

I'm in!

Winter 2024 Challenge - Reading Resolutions
Duration: 1/6/24 - 31/8/24
Resolution: Clean up that TBR! Read only books that were on your TBR shelf before the start of the challenge.
Level: Medium (9)
9/9
3/3 AAs

Plans
Challenge - Not going to use any ARCs as I want to knock off some of the books I've wanted to read but keep putting off for ARCs!

✔ 1. Daisy and Kate by Meredith Appleyard AA - finished 19/6/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 2. The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson AA - finished - 26/6/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 3. Losers Club: A Murder Mystery by Yvonne Vincent - finished 15/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 4. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris - finished 4/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 5. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - finished 11/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 6. The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden - finished 18/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 7. Marks on the Moon by T.D. Colbert - finished 19/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 8. Honeybee by Craig Silvey AA finished 22/7/2024 - 4 stars

✔ 9. What Lies Between Us by John Marrsfinished 27/7/2024 - 4 stars



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