Aussie Readers discussion
Book Related Banter
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Do you include audiobooks in your GR Reading Challenge? I'm a bit ambivalent about them being 'real books' but I can't wait for the third installment in Will Dean's ..."
It has never occurred to me not to include audio books. After all they are just someone else reading the book to you. It is still the same book!
Diana wrote: "Just a query. Do you include audiobooks in your GR Reading Challenge? I'm a bit ambivalent about them being 'real books' but I can't wait for the third installment in Will Dean's ..."
Absolutely! And I’m 40% into that book right now and can highly recommend it. I think you’ll enjoy Maya Lindh’s narration, as she lends Tuva an extra dimension somehow.
I've just been looking at voting in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020 - don't know if it's just me, but I've not even HEARD of most of these books, let alone read them?!
Kim wrote: "I've just been looking at voting in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020 - don't know if it's just me, but I've not even HEARD of most of these books, let alone read them?!"I think a lot have not been out in Australia too long! I always find it a bit frustrating. This is the first year I've even read selections from a few of the categories, as opposed to just one or two lol
Krystal wrote: "Kim wrote: "I've just been looking at voting in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020 - don't know if it's just me, but I've not even HEARD of most of these books, let alone read them?!"I think a ..."
I'm in the UK and still not heard of most of them!!
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I agree Kim - it certainly seems to only fit the US.
Kim wrote: "I've just been looking at voting in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020 - don't know if it's just me, but I've not even HEARD of most of these books, let alone read them?!"Even in other groups dominated by US readers, a lot of people don't seem to have read all that many.
Brenda and Leonie, me too I went through the whole list only one Aussie author. I did vote for 1 book that I had read.
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I named Honeybee as my favourite read of the year and this raised debate in my family. My niece who is transgender says it's not the place of a straight, white male to write the story of a Trans character. As it's fiction I think we would lose a lot of great work if authors were limited to only their own realm of experience - social, emotional, gender identity etc. when writing. I know working in a library we don't discriminate with authors. What are your thoughts?
Diana wrote: "I named Honeybee as my favourite read of the year and this raised debate in my family. My niece who is transgender says it's not the place of a straight, white male to write the sto..."I always find this such a fascinating argument. I understand where the idea comes from, but to simplify I feel it's almost like saying men have no place writing female characters and vice versa.
I think as long as the author is doing enough research to treat the subject respectfully then there's no harm done. If an author goes into it without trying to understand the experiences of the kind of people they write about, that's when things get messy.
In the case of Honeybee, I thought it was written well, but I am curious as to whether your niece made the comment having read the book or just as a broad statement?
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I'm sorry to say, but in my view that is a rubbish comment! As you stated, it's fiction so anyone can research and write. And Honeybee was respectful, compassionate and was written with indepth and deep caring.
It was the same argument with American Dirt and the author who wrote that. Silly!
What of earth has happened to the Goodreads 'see what your friends are reading' update page? The new format is useless on small devices, passable on my laptop, and with no way to communicate with GR directly I unsubscribed. From now on I will go through the Aussie Readers page and hope for the best.
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Krystal wrote: "Diana wrote: "I named Honeybee as my favourite read of the year and this raised debate in my family. My niece who is transgender says it's not the place of a straight, white male to..."My niece hasn't read the book!
Think of how many good books we would lose if authors couldn't imagine new worlds and characters! Still my best book of the year.
Diana wrote: "Krystal wrote: "Diana wrote: "I named Honeybee as my favourite read of the year and this raised debate in my family. My niece who is transgender says it's not the place of a straigh..."Yes that's just it. I know I have read some where it's been really apparent that the author just has no idea (mostly when I'm reading women written by men) but I do think most authors do their research and understand the sensitive nature of the topics they're writing about.
I hope your niece does decide to read it and hopefully it will change her opinion!
Brenda wrote: "Where is that page Alex? I only use the home page and it's okay..."They seem to have reformatted it, with my "currently reading" shifted from first up to the end, and using larger book cover images. I'll see if I play around with it. Cheers
Alex wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Where is that page Alex? I only use the home page and it's okay..."They seem to have reformatted it, with my "currently reading" shifted from first up to the end, and using larger ..."
Is that on the app? I got so frustrated with the app that I've just switched to the web view for when I'm on my phone lol
Hi Librarians, not sure if this is the correct place to ask, by the wrong William Boyd is linked to the book Trio, it should be William Boyd not William Boyd. Would you be able to update this?
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Brenda wrote: "All fixed Trevor :) We have a Librarians thread - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... - for next time :)"Thanks Brenda, I'll remember for next time
I've just been adding a recent acquisition to my TBR list - Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
and noted in the author's blurb that she was 'born in New Zealand but now resident in Australia...'
Just wondered if she is regarded as an Aussie author for the purpose of reader challenges?!
Mod
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
and noted in the author's blurb that she was 'born in New Zealand ..."
Yes she is Kim.
Phrynne wrote: "Kim wrote: "I've just been adding a recent acquisition to my TBR list - Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
and noted in the author's blurb that she was 'born in ..."
Thanks Phrynne - that's great!
For future reference, is there a full list of Aussie authors anywhere on the group's site?
Mod
This list is useful but it is not a complete list.
Listopia (under the Browse button) can be helpful too
Phrynne wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...This list is useful but it is not a complete list.
Listopia (under the Browse bu..."
Hi Phrynne (and everyone!)
I've been considering this and remembered the useful website 'Fantastic Fiction'. Just looked on this and they have a 'Countries' page which produces the following list of 'Authors from Australia'
- link is here:-
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/coun...
- don't know if there are some on there you wouldn't accept but apparently there are 693!:-
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A concerned GR user contacted me to let me know that one of my recent reviews has been plagiarised off-site. Not even very well disguised. It seems to be a fairly new media account on GR called Gobookmart, based in India. The account holder may be another GR user named Sashi or Shashi. So far they haven’t tried to republish my review on GR itself, but it appears on their own website and has been cross-promoted on Facebook. If it shows up here I will report them, and I have flagged the FB post, but apart from that I’m not sure what else can be done.*Posting this to raise awareness*
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That’s terrible Andrea but not the first time I’ve heard it mentioned. Can anyone help me? We had our student book club today and in discussion about The Enola Holmes Mysteries, #1-6 the head of the English department said she’d like to read a fiction book about suffragettes. Any ideas?
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Can anyone help me? We had our student book club today and in discussion about The Enola Holmes Mysteries, #1-6
Felicity Young writes a great series starting with A Dissection of Murder which features Suffragettes in a big way.
WHICH VIRGINIA WOOLF??!!So, for one of my Challenges, I've got to read To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway and Orlando - but which one should I start with??
Any recommendations/comments please?!
So sad to see that Larry McMurtry - the author of epic novels such as Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, the Brokeback Mountain screenplay and the book that went on to become the film 'Hud' - died of heart failure last month. His book Lonesome Dove, which fittingly won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986, is one of my all-time favourite books and and was lauded by 'USA Today': 'If you read only one Western [cowboy] novel in your life, read this one', a sentiment with which I totally agree!
He will be sadly missed but he has left a legacy to all book-lovers in the shape of his brilliant writing.
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Do any of you read many of the award winners? I ask because my US friend, Bonnie is reading many Newbery Medal winners (middle grade fiction) and I thought I might try and catch up on some Michael L. Printz winners. This is the US YA American Library Association award. I already read a lot of the Australian YA award winners.
Kim wrote: "WHICH VIRGINIA WOOLF??!!So, for one of my Challenges, I've got to read To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway and Orlando - but which one should I start with??
A..."
Oh I loved Orlando when I first read it! I should revisit it. In hindsight I was probably too young to be reading it, but I was still enchanted.
I hope you like it too Kim.
Diana wrote: "Do any of you read many of the award winners? I ask because my US friend, Bonnie is reading many Newbery Medal winners (middle grade fiction) and I thought I might try and catch up on some Michael ..."Most award winners are literary fiction, and to be honest I tend to find them a bit boring! I prefer action over pretty language so award winners are more often than not a miss for me sadly!
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Kim wrote: "So sad to see that Larry McMurtry - the author of epic novels such as Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, the Brokeback Mountain screenplay and the book t..."I'll put Lonesome Dove on my TBR. Thanks Kim.
Diana wrote: "Do any of you read many of the award winners? I ask because my US friend, Bonnie is reading many Newbery Medal winners (middle grade fiction) and I thought I might try and catch up on some Michael ..."I was thinking of reading the nominees for the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year (it's a separate category to Literary Fiction).
Here's a link to the nominees, if anyone's interested in upping their "AA" quotient: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
Krystal wrote: "Diana wrote: "Do any of you read many of the award winners? I ask because my US friend, Bonnie is reading many Newbery Medal winners (middle grade fiction) and I thought I might try and catch up on..."Well I guess the Printz and Newbery winners are nowhere near ‘literary fiction’ which is why they appeal to me. I’m not a literary fiction reader either.
Award winners are always problematic for me, including film awards. I definitely have problems with literary fiction, possibly stemming from a hatred of required reading for English at school. I dislike all the flowery, overly descriptive language, the obfuscation of poetic language and the apparent rules of journalism. I tend to avoid journalists as writers but have had to change my mind with some recent reads.Reading, like movies, art, fashion etc is all about finding what you like; experimenting with different genres, and perhaps finding critics that think in a similar fashion to you. No one award winner is going to suit everyone, whatever the award.
I believe a few of us received Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz.I was interested to read in this article that it was inspired by a murder that happened here in Melbourne. I've got this book coming up to read next month so extra keen for it, now!
https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainm...
Krystal wrote: "I believe a few of us received Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz.I was interested to read in this article that it was inspired by a murder that happe..."Thanks for posting this Krystal, I’d been reading the reviews rolling in, but didn’t know where the story came from. The murder she’s referring to is one that haunts me too, as it happened practically on my doorstep. I can’t walk past the Police memorial without thinking of her. And I agree, for such a shocking, opportunistic crime, it didn’t really get the attention or public outrage it deserved. I’m actually more interested in the reading the book now!
Andrea wrote: "Krystal wrote: "I believe a few of us received Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz.I was interested to read in this article that it was inspired by a mur..."I don't even recall the murder so definitely in agreement with the lack of attention it received! Shocking really! This article made the book more appealing to me, too. :)
Library lovers might enjoy this and Lydia’s picture book Dear Librarianhttps://www.thisamericanlife.org/664/...
Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Heather Morris (other topics)Tea Cooper (other topics)
Alison Stuart (other topics)
Ann Cleeves (other topics)
Sarah Barrie (other topics)
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Do you include audiobooks in your GR Reading Challenge? I'm a bit ambivalent about them being 'real books' but I can't wait for the third installment in Will Dean's ..."
Definitely Diana :)