**Spring Challenge - 1/9/16 - 30/11/16**

[Zoey]

All 4s & 5s Phrynne, you had a great Spring :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "Finished my challenge:)

C Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb5 stars

L Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward4 stars

O Off the Grid b..."

Congratulations Phrynne! Great result :)

[MichelleG]

Hi all, I've just started on my final book ~ yay :)

SPRING SPELL IT OUT CHALLENGE ~ Completed ~ 13/14

✔ S - The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Rated: 4 stars
##P - The Perfumer's Secret by Fiona McIntosh (AA) ~ Currently Reading
✔ R - The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Rated: 3 stars
✔ I - Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch. Rated: 3 stars
✔ N - Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix (AA). Rated: 3 stars
✔ G - Gemina by Amie Kaufman (AA) *Released End October*. Rated: 4 stars

✔ C - Comfort Zone by Lindsay Tanner (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ L - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. Rated: 3 stars
✔ E - Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (AA). Rated: 3 stars
✔ A - Across the Wall by Garth Nix (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ N - Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. Rated: 4 stars
✔ I - In Certain Circles by Elizabeth Harrower (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ N - The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood. Rated: 5 stars
✔ G - Girl of Shadows by Deborah Challinor (AA). Rated: 5 stars

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

You are racing to the finish Michelle:)

[MichelleG]

Phrynne wrote: "You are racing to the finish Michelle:)"

haha - isn't it funny how much you can get done when you've got a deadline lol

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Wow Michelle! Good on you :)

[Rosie]

I have finished all my books for this challenge.

[MichelleG]

Brenda wrote: "Wow Michelle! Good on you :)"

Thanks Brenda :)

[MichelleG]

Rosie wrote: "I have finished all my books for this challenge."

Well done Rosie

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Rosie wrote: "I have finished all my books for this challenge."

Congratulations Rosie!

[Niamh]

Finished Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs this morning. I give it 5 stars.

Two more books to go :)

[MichelleG]

Hi all, I've finished my final book :)

SPRING SPELL IT OUT CHALLENGE ~ Completed ~ 14/14

✔ S - The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Rated: 4 stars
✔P - The Perfumer's Secret by Fiona McIntosh (AA) . Rated: 5 stars
✔ R - The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Rated: 3 stars
✔ I - Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch. Rated: 3 stars
✔ N - Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix (AA). Rated: 3 stars
✔ G - Gemina by Amie Kaufman (AA) *Released End October*. Rated: 4 stars

✔ C - Comfort Zone by Lindsay Tanner (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ L - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. Rated: 3 stars
✔ E - Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (AA). Rated: 3 stars
✔ A - Across the Wall by Garth Nix (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ N - Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. Rated: 4 stars
✔ I - In Certain Circles by Elizabeth Harrower (AA). Rated: 2 stars
✔ N - The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood. Rated: 5 stars
✔ G - Girl of Shadows by Deborah Challinor (AA). Rated: 5 stars

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congratulations Michelle! Outstanding!

[MichelleG]

Thanks Brenda, it was a great challenge. Thank you for organising and all your efforts :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Good books and some not so good books in there Michelle. Well done:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

MichelleG wrote: "Thanks Brenda, it was a great challenge. Thank you for organising and all your efforts :)"

You're welcome Michelle :) It's not just me though...

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Brenda wrote: "MichelleG wrote: "Thanks Brenda, it was a great challenge. Thank you for organising and all your efforts :)"

You're welcome Michelle :) It's not just me though..."

She is being modest Michelle.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

LOL! No I'm not - we're a team :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Yes but you are the only one who keeps a diary and gets things done on time:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Lol!! Okay...I'll concede defeat..but I couldn't do it on my own :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

:)

[MichelleG]

ok, HUGE thanks to all the Mods, the group would not be the same without you all.

I'm sure I speak for more than just myself when I say our lives would be much less without our fabulous challenges to engage us and distract us ;)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Michelle, you're a sweetheart!

[Dree]

Couldn't really get into The Bees by, even though it's well written. so I'll have another go with The Broken Shore by Peter Temple, Also have added Neuromancer as my new N book.

N - ✔ The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 3★
E - ✔ The Executioner's Song - Norman Mailer 3.5★
W - ✔ White Noise by Don DeLillo 1.5★

(B - The Bees by Laline Paull DNF at pg 105)
B - The Broken Shore by Peter Temple (AA)

O - ✔ The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 4★
R - ✔ The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.5★

(N - The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (AA) - DNF at pg 150)
N - Neuromancer by William Gibson

[MaryG2E]

I've finished this Spring seasonal challenge and am pleased to advise I read many more books than originally anticipated. (Some of you may recall this was in the aftermath of moving house, a truly exhausting process.)
I had decided to tackle the EASY level, with 5 books, to form the word CHICK. Because I found I had both time and opportunity, I took on a second descriptor, in the EASY list, BIRDS.

C: A Tattooed Heart by Deborah Challinor 4.5★s (AA)
H: The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir by Anh Do 3.5★s (AA)
I: Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell 3★s
C: Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom 4.5★s
K: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal 4.5★s

B: The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion 5★s (AA)
I: In the Woods by Tana French 5★s
R: Red Wolf by Liza Marklund 3★s
D: Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland 4.5★s
S: Sovereign by C.J. Sansom 4.5★s (AA)

[MichelleG]

Well done Mary :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Great work Mary:)

[Heather]

Finished N of Rejuvenating
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North 5 ★

Loved it. If you thought the book was far fetched then check this out.

http://www.arubanetworks.com/solution...

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Heather wrote: "Finished N of Rejuvenating
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North 5 ★

Loved it. If you thought the book was far fetched then check this out.

http://www.aru..."

Loved the book Heather but don't see the relevance of your link.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

MaryG2E wrote: "I've finished this Spring seasonal challenge and am pleased to advise I read many more books than originally anticipated. (Some of you may recall this was in the aftermath of moving house, a truly ..."

Congratulations Mary! Great effort :)

[Pam]

Unless I can read 4 more books and find an Aussie author, I won't be able to finish my challenge. But, I did read one more book, that was a fantastic read, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu! My rating is 5 stars!!

[Carolyn]

I'm calling this challenge done!

P Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher 4★
O Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz 5★
L The Lake House by Kate Morton* 4.5★
L Lamentation by C.J. Sansom 5★
I The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach 5★
N Nexus by Ramez Naam 4★
A Abandoned Women: Scottish Convicts Exiled Beyond the Seas by Lucy Frost* 3.5★
T The Thief by Claire North 5★
E The Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn* 4★
D Devour by L.A. Larkin* 5★

*Aussie Author

[Michelle_Mck]

Carolyn wrote: "I'm calling this challenge done!

P Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher 4★
O Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz 5★
L The Lake House by [author..."

Bravo Carolyn!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congratulations Carolyn! Great effort :)

[Deb]

Well, I suspect that I will be acknowledging defeat for the spring challenge. Having been in and out of hospital for a couple of months though I am home now, my reading has been pretty random. Didn't do too badly, am still reading Dirt Music but I don't think I will get that and Voyage of the turtle done in ten days. Though I'll give it my best shot :)

V Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur
E Eirik the Red and Other Icelandic Sagas
R Remarkable Creatures
D Dirt Music*
A All Fool's Day
N Nectar Of Heaven
T Team Niklas *

*Australian

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

You did five Deborah! Well done:)
Hope you are feeling a lot better now.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well done Deborah :) Glad you're home and on the way to recovery!

[Deb]

Phrynne wrote: "You did five Deborah! Well done:)
Hope you are feeling a lot better now."

Getting there, still getting knocked about by antibiotics but getting there, I think.

[Deb]

Brenda wrote: "Well done Deborah :) Glad you're home and on the way to recovery!"

Thanks Brenda - it is great to be feeling a bit more like myself.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Deborah wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Well done Deborah :) Glad you're home and on the way to recovery!"

Thanks Brenda - it is great to be feeling a bit more like myself."

I can imagine :)

[Nicola]

2nd last one done.... I in BLOOMING
I - The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime / Miles Harvey
One more to go....

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

You'll squeak in Nicola ;)

[Nicola]

Brenda wrote: "You'll squeak in Nicola ;)"

Should do... Have 2 to read and 2 to finish for Spring and November challenges...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

And 9 days to do it :) Good luck!

[Niamh]

Finished my 11th - Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver, the L in FLOWER, which I give 5 stars.
1 week and 1 book left, and this time tomorrow I'll be done with my exams, so I'm planning to finish this challenge :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well done Niamh! Glad your exams are almost over and good luck with your last one :) Exam that is!

[Niamh]

Brenda wrote: "Well done Niamh! Glad your exams are almost over and good luck with your last one :) Exam that is!"

Thanks Brenda! I'll be so glad when it's over though! This year has been crazy

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Niamh wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Well done Niamh! Glad your exams are almost over and good luck with your last one :) Exam that is!"

Thanks Brenda! I'll be so glad when it's over though! This year has been crazy"

It'll be lovely for you to have a nice long break after it's all over too :)

[Niamh]

Brenda wrote: "Niamh wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Well done Niamh! Glad your exams are almost over and good luck with your last one :) Exam that is!"

Thanks Brenda! I'll be so glad when it's over though! This year has..."

Yeah, it will, and it will be even sweeter because as of tomorrow, I'm finished with university for the foreseeable future!! Tomorrow's exam is the last assessment of my current degree! :D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yay!!! Do you have a position lined up for the future which is tied up to your degree? Even bigger congratulations are in order! That's great :)