**Autumn Challenge - 1st March- 31st May 2016**

[Sally906]

Carolyn wrote: "Sally, how could you not love hamsters? They are so cute especially when their little cheeks are stuffed with food! ..."


LOL - my cousins in England had a couple of them as pets - as I said they creeped me out. Now I used to breed Mice for the local petshop for pocket money in my teens- and my kids had Guinea pigs when they were small so don't have a problem with little furry critters - just hamsters!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Linda wrote: "This still seems weird to me, since our trees are just starting to ]think about getting green again and yours are getting orange, etc.

Anyhow, I really messed up the Summer Challenge, so I'm stret..."

Linda, can you please supply me with an ISBN as all I can find by google or on GR is the Saga Series? Thanks...I will be able to find it with the correct ISBN :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Linda wrote: "This still seems weird to me, since our trees are just starting to ]think about getting green again and yours are getting orange, etc.

Anyhow, I really messed up the Summer Challenge, so I'm stret..."

Here's your second one - listed as LES for the author! Gallipoli by Les Carlyon

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Excellent lists guys!!!

[Linda]

OK.

To edit my list, here's my ANZAC one

Gallipoli - Les Carlyon (but the name on the book is L.A.)

Gallipoli

The ISBN for the Rutherfurd one is 978-0099279082. Thanks for the help!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Linda, the ISBN is in the system - it's showing as the first in the Saga series... Dublin by Edward Rutherfurd


And if you edit your original post (if you haven't) you'll be able to add the Les Carlyon one plus the Rutherfurd one too:)

[Renee V]

#1. Labour Day: Police - Truth
✔ #2. REDUCE - Geomancer
#3. RECYCLE - The Seance
#4. International Women's Day - The Strays
#5. St Patrick's Day -The Stone Crown
#6. Easter - The Chocolate War
#7. ANZAC Day: Non-fiction - Australian History in Seven Questions
#8. Mother's Day - The Wolf Wilder
#9. The Captain Cook 1770 Festival - The Secret River
#10. Colours of Autumn - TBA

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Brenda wrote: "Linda, the ISBN is in the system - it's showing as the first in the Saga series... Dublin by Edward Rutherfurd


And if you edit your original post (if you haven't) you'..."

Edward Rutherfurd writes good but mammoth books Linda. I have read Sarum: The Novel of England and Londona a long time ago though.

[Linda]

Thank goodness it's for a seasonal challenge and not a monthly one, eh? I've heard a lot of good things about his books so it's about time I read one.

[Mell]

I am putting together a tentative list now and will post soon, even though I'm sure it will change!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

:)

[Sally906]

Melissa wrote: "I am putting together a tentative list now and will post soon, even though I'm sure it will change!"

Mine usually change - to be honest I put up my list as a guidance rather than as compulsory - LOL!

Mind you for the most part what I pick is what I read :)

[Heather]

OK my list
1. Labour Day - Police -
2. Reduce - TBR - My Melbourne Mystery Book -
3. Recycle - When I leave the library I will know - I think I shall just browse the shelves and surprise myself.
4. International Women's Day -
5. St Patrick's Day - Set in Ireland -
6. Easter - Chocolate - Probably - but I may reread -
7. Anzac Day -
8. Mother's Day -
9. Captain Cook 1770 Festival -
10. Colours of Autumn -

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good choices there Heather!

[Jude]

This was quite fun to put together. Most of them were already on my TBR list, thankfully.

#1 Labour Day | The Drop by Michael Connelly (police)

#2 Reduce | The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

#3 Recycle | Same as Heather, I'll know when I leave the library

#4 Int'l Women's Day | Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood

#5 St Patrick's Day | Dubliners by James Joyce

#6 Easter | Chocolat by Joanne Harris

#7 ANZAC Day | The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally

#8 Mother's Day | The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

#9 Captain Cook 1770 Festival | For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke

#10 Colours of Autumn | Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

#11 TBR | The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly

#12 TBR | Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

#13 TBR | The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Great picks Jude! You have some BIG ones there! But your #10 needs to have the cover in one of the colours stated for Autumn... perhaps you could choose one that has autumn colours on the cover:)

[Jude]

oops, must have mis-read about the colour in the title. I'll move catch-22 up and put The Scarlet Letter as #13

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Jude wrote: "oops, must have mis-read about the colour in the title. I'll move catch-22 up and put The Scarlet Letter as #13"

Well swapped:)

[Kerrie]

OK I'll give this a go. Compiling my list atm. Can I claim Deborah Challinor as an Aussie author (even though she's a Kiwi, she lived here when she wrote the Convict Girls series)??!

[Kerrie]

#1 Labour Day - Inconsolable by Ainslie Paton (council community relations officer)
I would have given this more than 5 stars if I could! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#2 Reduce - Forgotten Fragrance by Tea Cooper
4.5 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#3 Recycle - Outback Ghost by Rachel Johns
5 stars - my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#4 International Women's Day - Am I Black Enough For You? by Anita Heiss
Thought-provoking and entertaining. 5 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#5 St Patrick's Day - Upside Down, Inside Out by Monica McInerney
4 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#6 Easter - The Chocolate Promise by Josephine Moon
5 stars - my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#7 ANZAC Day - The Girl from Snowy River by Jackie French

#8 Mother's Day - Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly
5 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#9 Captain Cook 1770 Festival - A Tattooed Heart by Deborah Challinor
5 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#10 Colours of Autumn Under The Spanish Stars by Alli Sinclair
5 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#11 TBR - Darkest Place by Jaye Ford
5 stars. My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#12 TBR

#13 TBR

[Valerie]

Here we go, this has taken some work to choose, but so much fun!

#1 Labour Day The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
#2 Reduce, TBR,......TBC
#3 Recycle Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman
#4 Int. Women's Day Trois femmes puissantes by Marie NDiaye
#5 St. Patrick's A Few of the Girls by Maeve Binchy
#6 Easter Une nouvelle vie by Françoise Bourdin
#7 ANZAC Day Villers Bretonneux by Peter Pedersen
#8 Mother's Day The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham
#9 Capt Cook The Secret River by Kate Grenville
#10 Colours of Autumn Mr Wigg by Inga Simpson

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kerrie wrote: "OK I'll give this a go. Compiling my list atm. Can I claim Deborah Challinor as an Aussie author (even though she's a Kiwi, she lived here when she wrote the Convict Girls series)??!"

She's definitely Aussie Kerrie:) Great you're joining us!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Great lists Valerie and Kerrie :)

[Mell]

I am pretty confident that most of these will stick, but will see how we go - always open to change! But, I have managed to include a few that I've been wanting to read for a while which is good :)

#1. Labour Day Me Before You (based on the trailer for the movie, I am assuming that the MC is a personal carer)

#2. REDUCE January
#3. RECYCLE The Rosie Project

#4. International Women's Day Clockwork Prince

#5. St Patrick's Day

#6. Easter The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee (I gave up caffeine for lent)

#7. ANZAC Day A Town Like Alice

#8. Mother's Day Room

#9. The Captain Cook 1770 Festival For the Term of His Natural Life

#10. Colours of Autumn

[Andrea]

I changed my mind - I will give it a go. But I've had to pick a couple of alternatives for some categories, depending on whether I'm at home or away at the time. They could even become my 11-13 if I'm doing well.

#1 Labour Day - A Little Life (lawyer/architect) 5★
#2 Reduce - Only the Animals 2★
#3 Recycle - Tiddas 2★
#4 Int. Women's Day - A Golden Age 4★
#5 St. Patrick's Day - Fire On The Mountain 4★
#6 Easter - Siddhartha (alternative religion) OR The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris OR The Chocolate Promise 3★
#7 ANZAC Day - The Daughters of Mars 4★
#8 Mother's Day - Why You Are Australian: A Letter to My Children 4.5★
#9 Capt Cook Festival - A Woman Transported
#10 Colours of Autumn - The Shadow Lines OR The Year of the Runaways

[Sally906]

As always there are some fabulous books suggestions for me from people's picks

Challenge time is always dangerous from my book habit :)

[Trevor]

Hi Brenda, just to confirm that I only need to choose 9 books for the Autumn challenge, or have I misunderstood?

[Sally906]

10 books Trevor - one book for each of the 10 tasks

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Trevor wrote: "Hi Brenda, just to confirm that I only need to choose 9 books for the Autumn challenge, or have I misunderstood?"

Sorry Sally:) Yes Trevor, 9 is your minimum (as per Rule #1)

[Trevor]

Thanks Brenda, my list will be up soon.

[Trevor]

My short list for the challenge:

1) Labour Day (policeman) - Ten Days in August by Kate McMurray
2) Reduce - Puppet Boy by Christian Baines
3) Recycle - The Faithful Couple by A.D. Miller
4) International Women's Day - The Adventures of Holly White and the Incredible Sex Machine by Krissy Kneen
5) St. Patrick's Day - Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
6) Easter - TBC
8) Mother's Day Honour by Elif Shafak
9) Captain Cook 1770 Festival The Secret River by Kate Grenville
10) Colours of Autumn The Dictator's Last Night by Yasmina Khadra

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Some interesting picks there Trevor:)

[PattyMacDotComma]

My Autumn list, to be done as most of my promises are done - if the mood is upon me and the stars are right:

1) Worker (Police) Dead Lucky (DCI Lambert #2) by Matt Brolly 5★

2) Reduce (TBR) Running Against the Tide by AUSSIE Amanda Ortlepp 3.5★

3) Recycle (library) The Rosie Project by AUSSIE Graeme Simsion 5★

4) Strong female The Rosie Effect by AUSSIE Graeme Simsion 5★

5) Green cover The Australian Greens: From Activism to Australia's Third Party by AUSSIE Stewart Jackson 5★

6) Easter connection :) Rabbit-Proof Fence: The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time by AUSSIE Doris Pilkington (also known as Nugi Garmimara) 4.5★

7) Military Beneath the Darkening Sky by AUSSIE Majok Tulba 5★

8) Mothers/family Big Little Lies by AUSSIE Liane Moriarty 5★

9) Historical early settlement Girl of Shadows by AUSSIE Deborah Challinor 4.5★

10) Colours of autumn (cover) Death Sentence: The Decay of Public Language by AUSSIE Don Watson 5★

Heavily doubled up with other challenges, of course, especially the Aussie authors - since 9/10 of these are Aussie.

As for 3 optional from the TBR, I doubt my mood or the stars will stretch that far!

Well, it did stretch to (I chose a nicer cover than mine)
11) Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy 5★

12) Heavenfield: A DCI Ryan Mystery by L.J. Ross 5★

13) The Fairy Wren by Aussie author Ashley Capes [one of the best bookcovers ever!] 3★


Covers:

[Sally906]

Brenda wrote: "Trevor wrote: "Hi Brenda, just to confirm that I only need to choose 9 books for the Autumn challenge, or have I misunderstood?"

Sorry Sally:) Yes Trevor, 9 is your minimum (as per Rule #1)"

Oh dear - double demerit points for this bad Mod who didn't read the rules - LOL :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

LOL!!! Perhaps you were having a senior moment Sally?? ;)

[Sally906]

Ha! I get more and more of them as I approach my 60th later this year!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

A big one for you! We'll have to have a virtual celebration :)

[Kelly]

1. Dead Poets Society (teacher)
2. Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
3. Bossypants
4. Joan of Arc
5. Linger
6. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
7. Kokoda
8. Room
9. The Potato Factory
10. A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain
11. Memoirs of Cleopatra
12. GENIUS INTELLIGENCE: Secret Techniques and Technologies to Increase IQ
13. I Am Legend

[Jess]

#1. Labour Day (March in some states) -

A Nurse Abroad by Anne Watts
(Nurse)

Clean Up Australia Day (6th March)
#2. REDUCE - Read a book from your TBR shelf

Night Class by Hannah Crow

#3. RECYCLE - Read any book from the library

Zoo by James Patterson

#4. International Women's Day (8th March) - Read a book with a strong female character

Divergent by Veronica Roth

#5. St Patrick's Day (17th March) - Choose a book with a GREEN COVER OR is set in Ireland/has Irish characters

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

#6. Easter (25th-28th March) - Choose a book that YOU would associate with Easter...explain why you've chosen that particular book when posting your choice

According to Thy Word by Karen Kelly Boyce
(The cover reminds me of what Easter is about and after reading the reviews it is about a young Mary Catherine)

#7. ANZAC Day (25th April) - Read a book with connections to the Military - Fiction or Non Fiction - Aussie author

A Rose for the ANZAC Boys by Jackie French

#8. Mother's Day (8th May) - Read a book depicting mothers/grandmothers and family

The Long Walk by Kerry Greenwood

#9. The Captain Cook 1770 Festival (May) - Read an Historical Fiction novel set around our early settlement days - Aussie author

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

#10. Colours of Autumn - Choose a book which has the words, red, gold, brown, orange or yellow in the title OR whose cover is primarily one of those colours

The Settler by Brian Duncan

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Great list and picks Jess:)

[MaryG2E]

☼♄Jülie wrote: "Ooh Mary you are in for a reading treat! :)"

Thanks Jools, looking forward to the calendar ticking over to 1st March. (My strict rule - never start before the designated date!)

[MaryG2E]

Michelle wrote: "**Autumn Challenge - 1st March- 31st May 2016**
Completed 0/13

#1. Labour Day: The Last Will and Testament of Henry Hoffman by John Tesarsch (Henry Hoffman is a re..."

I've read several of the books on your list Michelle, and I feel sure you're going to have a most enjoyable Autumn of reading.

[MaryG2E]

I've spent some time thinking about my two missing choices for this quarterly challenge, and here are my selections:

#5. St Patrick's Day (17th March) - Choose a book with a GREEN COVER OR is set in Ireland/has Irish characters
A Star Called Henry by distinguished Irish author Roddy Doyle. The story takes place at the time of the Easter Uprising in Ireland in 1916. Relevant due to my Irish heritage.

#6. Easter (25th-28th March) - Choose a book that YOU would associate with Easter...explain why you've chosen that particular book
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. The drama takes place over the Easter weekend. If my memory serves me correctly, this book was highly rated by Jools recently, so I'd put it on my TBR list.

[MichelleG]

MaryG2E wrote: "Michelle wrote: "**Autumn Challenge - 1st March- 31st May 2016**
Completed 0/13

#1. Labour Day: The Last Will and Testament of Henry Hoffman by John Tesarsch (Henr..."

Ohh thanks Mary, I'm super excited for this challenge. I've been looking forward to reading some of these books for a long time now :)

[MichelleG]

MaryG2E wrote: "I've spent some time thinking about my two missing choices for this quarterly challenge, and here are my selections:

#5. St Patrick's Day (17th March) - Choose a book with a GREEN COVER OR is set ..."

Hi Mary,

Both of those books look really interesting, I've added them to my tbr and will be interested to hear what you think :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good start Renie:)

[Anna]

alex cross - homocide detective - does he fall under #1?

[Anna]

and does this autumny colours ? for number 10

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Anna wrote: "alex cross - homocide detective - does he fall under #1?"

Yes :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Anna wrote: "and does this autumny colours ? for number 10"

Not really Anna...