**Autumn Reading Challenge - 1/3/13 - 31/5/13**

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Here's my progress on this challenge, with one to go:

1. Strong female character - Web of Deceit by Katherine Howell (Det. Ella Marconi) ★★★★★

2. Reduce - Tiger Paw by Charles A. Cornell ★★★★★

3. Recycle - House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod ★★★★

4. Murder or Assassination - The Orchid Murder: Untangling a Web of Unsolved Murders and Legal Malpractice by Christine Hunt ★★★

5. Irish (character) - Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb★★★★★

6. Working class character - The Black Echo by Michael Connelly (Detective Harry Bosch #1) ★★★★★

7. Colours of Autumn - A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee ★★★★

8. Easter - Death by Chocolate by Julie Anne Lindsey (chocolate!) ★

9. Anzac War related - The Mine by John A. Heldt ★★★★

10. Mother's Day - Barry and the Fairies of Miller Street by Barry Dickins (Mother is waiting to have baby, while Barry goes to Nan and Pop's)

11. TBR - Mine To Avenge by Kerry Letheby ★★★★★

12. TBR - Dark Horse by Honey Brown ★★★★★

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "Here's my progress on this challenge, with one to go:

1. Strong female character - Web of Deceit by Katherine Howell (Det. Ella Marconi) ★★★★★

2. Reduce - Tiger..."

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in your house for a day just to see how you manage to get through so many books so quickly!!! Amazing.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Haha!! No you don't...if I knew you were there, there would be no reading done...I'd feel too guilty;)

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "Haha!! No you don't...if I knew you were there, there would be no reading done...I'd feel too guilty;)"

Lol!!! The whole point would be that you wouldn't know. Just to watch you in action.I've put you on my Bucket list as someone I'd like to meet in person.I don't know anyone who reads the way you do and still seems to do other things. I spent a year where I hardly did anything but read and my family have never let me forget it!!!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I'd love to meet you one day too Elaine...but definitely not as a fly on my wall! I'm deadly with a fly swat, and hate flies, so you wouldn't last long I'm afraid;)

I guess I'm able to read very quickly, I'm very fortunate in that...my sister is also able to speed read, even faster than me!

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "I'd love to meet you one day too Elaine...but definitely not as a fly on my wall! I'm deadly with a fly swat, and hate flies, so you wouldn't last long I'm afraid;)

I guess I'm able to read very q..."

You just made me laugh out loud Brenda, with that fly comment!!! I guess it is a gift and maybe it's genetic then too if your sister is the same.I've never been to your part of the country so when I do I'll be sure to look you up.

[Mish]

I'm a slow reader too Elaine. We should look into a course on speed reading :)

Hmm! I wonder if they actually work?

[Elaine]

Mish wrote: "I'm a slow reader too Elaine. We should look into a course on speed reading :)

Hmm! I wonder if they actually work?"

I have a hard time remembering the storyline of books I read now, Mish!!! I reckon if I was speed reading I'd never remember anything about the book!! Or doesn't it work that way, Brenda?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

No it doesn't Elaine...I remember a lot of books, especially books that have an impact. I guess there are some people who read a book over a period of a week or more, and others who can read that same book over a couple of days. I don't know, I've always been able to read quickly...

[Mish]

I would assume that reading a book over a 2 day period the plot flows & would be fresh on your mind.

Where as with me I have to go back a page or 2 to work out where I left off & remember what happened last.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes that would happen I guess. I always try to finish at the end of a chapter, so it's easier to pick up, but if you can't, flicking back would be necessary. I have to do that with books that are really involved, with a lot of characters and different plots so I can remember which plot I'm in, sometimes:)

[Steve]

I have just finished the 11th of my second list, The Shadow Rising while waiting for my flight to Oakland to board at LAX. My review is at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

[Zoey]

Update so far - Need to hurry up a bit or Im not going to get this one finished :0

1. Strong Female Character - Déjà Dead Kathy Reichs
2. Reduce - Jump! Jilly Cooper 3★
3. Reuse - Dead Girl Sing Tony Cavanaugh 3 ★
4. Murder - Bad: The True Story of Australia's Biggest Ever Murder Investigation Michael Duffy
5. Irish Author - Whitethorn Woods Maeve Binchy
6. Labour Day - Wicked!Jilly Cooper(Teachers) 2 ★
7. Autumn Colours - Virgin Earth Philippa Gregory - currently reading
8. Easter - After the DarknessHoney Brown(Easter = Long weekend holidays - The main Characters are returning from a weekend holiday) 4 ★
9. ANZAC - The Promise Lesley Pearse(Set during WW1)
10. Mothers Day - Handle with Care Jodi Picoult
11. TBR - Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Diana Gabaldon 4★
12. TBR - The King's Concubine Anne O'Brien 4★

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

You're half way there Zoey, with a bit less than half the time to go:) Good luck!

[Kathryn]

Oh dear, I thought I'd posted this yesterday - I remember typing it, but I can't see my post... Maybe I got distracted and forgot to hit post :-( So here we go...again! I've read 10+1 of the challenge categories 1 - 10, so just numbers 11 and 12 - TBR to go!


1. International Women's Day - Read a book about a strong female character either fiction or non-fiction.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith 4★ I love all of the books in these series - I love Alexander McCall Smith's way of writing and the description of life in Botswana. The main character, Precious Ramotswe, is a strong and insightful woman who owns a detective agency. These make me smile!

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen 3★ I enjoyed this - the main character is a single woman who teaches an adult writing class who is also dealing with her mother (with whom she has a difficult relationship) living in a nursing home and of deteriorating health. I loved the little class assignments that she set her class - they almost made an author of me!

Clean Up Australia Day - 3.3.13 -
2. REDUCE - Read a book from your TBR shelf
The Woman Who Wasn't There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception by Robin Gaby Fisher 2★

3. RECYCLE - Read any book from the library
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham 2★

4. The Ides of March - 15.3.13 -
Read a book with a murder or assassination in the plot.
Bloody Brisbane: Murder In The River City by Jack Sim 3★ I'm not sure I'll ever look at parts of Brisbane in the same light again! This is about various murders that occurred in Brisbane in the 20th century. Some of them I'd heard about, but others I hadn't. The old photos of familiar places were interesting to see. I think the incident that surprised me most was of a man who went door to door at some doctors' rooms in the inner city, shooting 3 doctors (2 fatally) and letting off bombs before killing himself - I would be shocked if this happened nowadays, even with the seemingly recent increasing violence, but this happened in the 1950's!! And I'm also surprised that I'd never heard of this before - I would have thought Brisbane would have been talking about it for decades afterwards.

5. St. Patrick's Day - 17.3.13 -
Read a book written by an Irish author, set in Ireland or has an Irish character.
An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor 4★

6. Australian Labour Day - Choose a book whose main characters are working class people, e.g. construction, office or health workers, policemen or teachers.

A Mercy by Toni Morrison - slaves - 1★ - I didn't like the writing style of this one, which surprised me as it's written from several different characters' points of view, which is normally a writing technique I enjoy. The dialect also put me off - I found it difficult to understand what was happening. I think I also found it difficult because half the time I couldn't work out who was speaking in each section which didn't help in working out what was happening!

7. Colours of Autumn - Choose a book which has red, gold, brown, orange or yellow in the title or whose cover is primarily an Autumn colour.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke 4★ I thought this book was great! I wasn't sure whether I would like it - it sounded quite science-fiction-y (not my favourite genre) - with the main character a man who unintentionally brings characters or objects out of stories when he reads aloud. It is written for children and therefore is written at a level that would interest them. Having said that, I did still enjoy it, but I wonder whether there are any novels written for adults that are similar...


8. Easter - 29.3.13 - 1.4.13 -
Read a book that YOU would associate with Easter: death and resurrection
90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life by Don Piper 3★ This is an amazing story - a driver of a car is squashed by a truck on a covered bridge and is clinically dead for about 90 minutes. During this time, he experiences heaven but is sent back to this life to live in constant pain and missing parts of both legs. I know you don't know what you can cope with until you are forced into a situation, but he came to a place where he was able to accept that his life would be very different from now on. He called it "a new normal". So previously, normal for him had meant being able to walk wherever he wanted without too much consideration whereas after the accident, that was never going to be normal again. He had to learn to accept a new "normal" - where he could still get around, but it required more effort and pain, and sometimes allowing people to do things for him, rather than trying to do everything himself - and this is now normal for him.


9. Anzac Day - 25.4.13
Amber Road by Boyd Anderson 3★

10. Mothers Day - 12.5.13 -
The Mothers' Group by Fiona Higgins 4★
I enjoyed the story told from the points of view of 6 women who come together in a mothers' group and who are forced to deal with some terrible issues, both individually and as a group. I have read things similar to this before, so I guess it could be seen as a little cliched, however I still enjoyed it - there was enough that was different about it that it kept me interested. And I do really enjoy books written from different people's viewpoints and the different things that the author is able to reveal about their characters when seen from more than one angle.

11. & 12. Finish the challenge with at least two books from your TBR list - Just because you can!!

I already have The Comfort of Figs by Simon Cleary and am also going to make Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse a priority, at Trevor's suggestion (and I could include it in my Aussie Author Challenge for next month since he's a male Aussie author!).

I would really like to read these others too, but I think the next in line will be Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear but I'll see how I go and what's available at my libraries!

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kathryn wrote: "Oh dear, I thought I'd posted this yesterday - I remember typing it, but I can't see my post... Maybe I got distracted and forgot to hit post :-( So here we go...again! I've read 10+1 of the cha..."

Fantastic Kathryn! Good added parts on your thoughts too...well done!

[Trevor]

Kathryn wrote: "Oh dear, I thought I'd posted this yesterday - I remember typing it, but I can't see my post... Maybe I got distracted and forgot to hit post :-( So here we go...again! I've read 10+1 of the cha..."

Hope you enjoy Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse as much as I did.

[Sally906]

Steve wrote: "Without further ado, here is my third list. I have yet to finish my second list, but I suspect I will finish it while I am many thousands of feet in the air contained in a large metal tube."

This is what I hope to do with the Winter Reading challenge - have a stack of e-books to come up with a list from - nothing like 48 hours of air travel (there and back combined) to catch up on reading.

or I could watch all the episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' comedy show which the tv show channel has on our flight!!!

Maybe I'll do both - LOL!!!

[Sally906]

Steve wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Oooh! That's not nice:( Hopefully you will sleep some of that time! Have fun anyway:)"

It's better than a trip to Europe, that's for sure. That is 8 hours to Singapore, 12 to London..."

That's what we're doing - Europe - living in Darwin means it is only 4 hours to Singapore then 14 hours to Budapest with a 7 hour stopover in Doha (so 21 hours all up). Sadly we have to put up with Business class :( LOL - been saving for 5 years, I told hubby I refused to go to Europe unless we could fly business. A sheer fluke got us half price tickets last year in July so I had no more excuses!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Sally906 wrote: "Steve wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Oooh! That's not nice:( Hopefully you will sleep some of that time! Have fun anyway:)"

It's better than a trip to Europe, that's for sure. That is 8 hours to Singapore..."

Wow Sally, half price tickets! That's awesome, good on you:) You will have a ball. It doesn't matter where you are going, the long flights are yuk, but it's worth it at the end:)

[Louise]

Here is my updated list. I've had to re-organise it a bit due to availability issues (ie I can't get it from the library in time!!)

1. International Women's Day: Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey READ
2. Reduce: Blue Coyote Motel, Dianne Harman
3. Recycle: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams
4. The Ides of March: Shadows in Bronze, Lindsey Davis
5. St Patrick's Day: Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts, George Bernard Shaw
6. Australian Labour Day: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, Douglas Adams He’s a private detective… of sorts…. 
7. Colours of Autumn: The Silver Pigs, Lindsey Davis
8. Easter: Easter Bunny Murder, Leslie Meier
9. Anzac Day: Gilgamesh,Joan London
10. Mother's Day: All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye, Christopher Brookmyre
11. TBR List: The Wars of the Roses, Robin Neillands
12. TBR List: The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales, Chris Baldick

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Louise wrote: "Here is my updated list. I've had to re-organise it a bit due to availability issues (ie I can't get it from the library in time!!)

1. International Women's Day: Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey R..."

You're doing well Louise not many to go now:)

[Janine]

Finished!
1. International Women's Day The Girl in the Hard Hat by Loretta Hill 3*
2. Reduce Stella Makes Good by Lisa Heidke 3*
3. Recycle The Amber Amulet by Craig Silvey 3*
4. Ides of March The Black Box by Michael Connelly 4*
5. St Patrick's Day The Brightest Star In The Sky by Marian Keyes 3*
6. Labour Day The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly 4*
7. Colours of Autumn Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell 1*
8. Easter Chocolat by Joanne Harris 3*
9. Anzac Day White Feathers by Deborah Challinor 4*
10. Mother's Day Summer Island by Kristin Hannah 4*
11. TBR The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas 4*
12. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones 3*

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Janine wrote: "Finished!
1. International Women's Day The Girl in the Hard Hat by Loretta Hill 3*
2. Reduce Stella Makes Good by ..."

Congratulations Janine! Good job!!

[Lynxie]

Yay!!! Finally finished my latest book!

Cloud Atlas ★★★

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Kelly]

1.Cleopatra: A Life
2.The War of the Worlds
3.To the Lighthouse
4.Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
5.The Picture of Dorian Gray
6.Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War
7.The Casual Vacancy
8.The Enchanted April
9.The ANZAC Book
10.Son of a Witch
11.So Much to Tell You
12. Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves

3 to go.

[Elaine]

Finished my 7th for this challenge. My Ides of March choice The Princes in the Tower . I'm a liitle bit ambivalent about this book. As much as I like Alison Weir, I didn't really like what she had to say about Richard III.Inspite of that I still enjoyed it and gave it 3 stars.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kelly wrote: "1.Cleopatra: A Life
2.The War of the Worlds
3.To the Lighthouse
4.Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
5.The Picture of Dorian Gray
6.Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Wit..."

Doing well Kelly!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Elaine wrote: "Finished my 7th for this challenge. My Ides of March choice The Princes in the Tower. I'm a liitle bit ambivalent about this book. As much as I like Aliso..."

Well done Elaine:)

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Finished my 7th for this challenge. My Ides of March choice The Princes in the Tower. I'm a liitle bit ambivalent about this book. As much ..."

Thanks Brenda.

[Nicola]

Update on my list….
1. International Women's Day

The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher / Hugo Young Currently reading (1/3 of the way through)

Clean Up Australia Day
2. REDUCE - Read a book from your TBR shelf

All That I Am / Anna Funder

3. RECYCLE - Read any book from the library

Plum Lucky / Janet Evanovich

4. The Ides of March

The Accusers / Lindsey Davis

5. St. Patrick's Day

And Another Thing... / Eoin Colfer Also currently reading and loving it!

6. Australian Labour Day

The Time of Their Lives: The Eight Hour Day and Working Life / Australian Society for The Study Of Labo
The history of the movement

7. Colours of Autumn

The Rosie Project / Graeme Simsion 5* without a doubt, fantastic.

8. Easter – I don’t associate Easter much with anything but thought this book would be interesting!

Easter Bunny Murder / Leslie Meier

9. Anzac Day

Anzac Day: The Undying Debt / J. G. Pavils

10. Mothers Day

Lady Susan / Jane Austen

11. & 12. Finish the challenge with at least two books from your TBR list –

Will choose if I actually get this far!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Nicola wrote: "Update on my list….
1. International Women's Day

The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher / Hugo Young Currently reading ..."

Doing well Nicola:)

[Amber]

I've made another change! Instead of reading The Fiend in Human for my Ides of March book, I've just started The Child Thief by Brom, and it's fantastic so far!

So to update my progress:

1. Strong female character - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson ★★★★☆
2. Reduce- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ★★★★☆
3. Recycle - Mr Chen's Emporium by Deborah O'Brien ★★★☆☆
4. Murder - The Child Thief by Brom 
5. Irish - 'Tis by Frank McCourt ★★★☆☆
6. Workers - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick ★★★★☆
7. Colours of Autumn - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters 
8. Easter - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 
9. Anzac War related - Hannah and Emil by Belinda Castles ★★★☆☆
10. Mother's Day - The Harp in the South by Ruth Park ★★★★☆
11. TBR - The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood ★★★★☆
12. TBR - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (reading this to my daughter at bedtime, a chapter or two a night, and we're nearly finished!)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Nearly there Amber:)

[Louise]

I've knocked off another one:
No 4 the Ides of March with Shadows in Bronze, Lindsey Davis

And I've changed No 12 TBR List from The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales to , Charles Portis, which is my book club book for this month.

[Trina]

Finished The War of the Worlds for a bonus to read. Going slowly through The Vampire Lectures, it's good but not particularly engaging.

[Trevor]

Book number nine finished Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin, my Labour Day book about a policeman in Edinburgh. Will start on one of my TBR books now Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola.

[Lynxie]

And I'm finished my Irish one (although now I'm not sure how it classified as Irish...)

A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull ★★★☆☆

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I've finished!!!

1.Strong female character 3 stars. It was okay but I may not read the sequel
2. TBR: 2 stars. Not the best book she has written.
3. Library book: 3 stars. A funny little book which I enjoyed!
4. Murder: 3 stars. A good book but what a hopeless ending.
5. Irish character: 4 stars. Very good but not her best!
6. Working class: 3 stars. Heavy going in parts but in the end worth reading.
7. Autumn colours: 4 stars. Delightful!
8. Easter: 3 stars. This was really funny.
9. ANZACS: 3 stars. Good reading.
10. Mothers: 1 star. Sorry to fans of this book but I hated it.
11. TBR: 3 stars. I liked it and will read the sequel.
12. TBR: 4 stars. I really liked this one.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congratulations Phrynne!! Great effort...

[Steve]

Phrynne wrote: "I've finished!!!"

Wooo! Well done!

[Ben]

I liked A Drink Before the War... it was my first and definitely not my last Lehane. Gonna have to crack the whip to try and finish the challenge by end of the month!

1. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh ★★
2. Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard ★★★★
3. Raylan by Elmore Leonard ★★★★
4. Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross ★★★★
5. Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
6. A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane ★★★★
7. The Cold Commands by Richard K. Morgan
8. The Jerusalem Syndrome: My Life as a Reluctant Messiah by Marc Maron ★★★
9. Kokoda by Peter FitzSimons ★★★
10. TBC
11. The Human Division by John Scalzi ★★
12. Wool by Hugh Howey

[Steve]

I've just finished the 12th of my second list, The Fires of Heaven, with my review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

I did not end up reading as much as I would have liked while I was overseas, since I fell sick and I'm still recovering.

I will make a start on my third list, but I suspect I don't really stand a chance of finishing it off before the month ends.

[[deleted user]]

I finished and started

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

@Ben..doing well..I'm sure you'll manage to finish:)

@Steve..well done..sorry you were sick, never good while you're away from home!

@Arena..how many left now to finish?

[[deleted user]]

Brenda wrote
Arena..how many left now to finish?

None I am reading the last book of this challenge

[Trina]

Ok I just finished Saving Max and I feel like I'm finally making a tiny bit of progress!

1. International Women's Day: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson cause Lisbeth Salander is one kick ass chick. 4/5

2. Reduce: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin 5/5

3. Recycle: I don't use libraries, so I'm reading one I borrowed off a friend. The Vampire Lectures by Laurence A. Rickels currently reading

4. The Ides of March: 11.22.63 by Stephen King

5. St Patrick's Day: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

6. Labour Day: The Dead Sea Deception by Adam Blake (one of the main characters is a cop) 3/5

7. Colours of Autumn: (it looks a little autumn-ish to me I guess)1/5

8. Easter: Aesop's Fables Easter makes me want to think of younger years because many of my adult easters have been pretty awful, so childhood it is.

9. ANZAC Day: Incurable by John Marsden (it's a fictional war, but anyway)

10. Mothers' Day: Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugton 5/5

11. TBR: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 5/5

12. TBR: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells 4/5

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Arena wrote: "Brenda wrote
Arena..how many left now to finish?

None I am reading the last book of this challenge"

Wonderful!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Trina wrote: "Ok I just finished Saving Max and I feel like I'm finally making a tiny bit of progress!

1. International Women's Day: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson cause Lisbeth Salande..."

Getting there Trina:) Good on you!

[Christy]

Ok I can't wait any longer :). When will the Winter Challenge be announced? I'm just dying to put my list together :)