**Summer Challenge 1/12/19 - 28/2/20**

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good job Sarah!!

[Trevor]

Eighth book finished, the very entertaining, but worrying - A Year At The Circus: Inside Trump's White House by Jon Sopel - 4★

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

[Janine]

Finished my 14th

Book 1
Exact Match
The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair(AA) 3*

[Kylie]

Hi Brenda, is it not too late to sign up to the Summer Challenge? I've got some books picked out for the easy level but I won't put them up until you let me know. :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

No definitely not Kylie. And if you have read any since December which would fit, you're welcome to add those in too :)

[Niamh]

Finished my 4th last night. Matched to book 2: murder mystery - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 4🌟

[Janine]

Challenge Completed
Hard Level for me
15/15

Book #1:

a) Exact Match
The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair(AA) READ 3/1/20 3*
b) Red Skirt on Cover
The Christmas Party by Karen Swan READ 4/12/19 4*
c) Australian Author
The Orchardist's Daughter by Karen Viggers(AA) READ 14/12/19 3*
d) Female Author
Beautiful Messy Love by Tess Woods(AA) READ 9/12/19 4*
e) Female on Cover
Singapore Sapphire by A.M. Stuart(AA) READ 7/12/19 4*


Book #2:

a) Exact Match
Death at the Dog Show by Grace York(AA) READ 15/12/19 4*
b) Cosy mystery
The Corpse at the Carnival by Grace York(AA) READ 13/12/19 3*
c) Ocean on cover
The Oceans Between Us by Gill Thompson READ 26/12/19 4*
d) Australian Author
Just One Wish by Rachael Johns(AA) READ 22/12/19 4*
e) Female Author
Saving You by Charlotte Nash(AA) READ 5/12/19 4*


Book #3:

a) Australian Author
Cradle to Grave by Rachel Amphlett(AA) READ 20/12/19 3*
b) Male Author
Blue Moon by Lee Child READ 18/12/19 4*
c) Published in 2019
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly READ 18/12/19 4*
d) Set in New York
Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan READ 27/12/19 4*
e) Author with Same Initials
A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham READ 4/1/20 3*

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Wow! Well done Janine - with almost 2 months to spare ;)

[Kylie]

Holy moly Janine! Excellent work! That is most impressive!

Brenda wrote: "No definitely not Kylie. And if you have read any since December which would fit, you're welcome to add those in too :)"

Terrific, thanks Brenda. I'll post them now. :)

[Kylie]

AR 2019/20 Summer Challenge
Duration: 01/12/19 - 29/02/20
Easy level: 5 books (at least 2 Aussie authors).

Progress: 4/5

Book #1:

a) Australian Author – Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham AA. Completed 23/12 - 5 stars.

b) Historical fiction – The Heart of the Ritz by Luke Devenish AA. Completed 06/01 - 4 stars.

c) Blue sky on cover – The Desert Midwife by Fiona McArthur AA. Completed 14/01 - 5 stars.

d) Female on cover – The Lily and the Rose by Jackie French AA.

e) Female Author – P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. Completed 15/01 - 5 stars.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

You're linked Kylie :)

[Mari]

Janine wrote: "Challenge Completed
Hard Level for me
15/15

Book #1:

a) Exact Match
The Cinema at Starlight Creek by [author:Alli Sinclair|77910..."

Great reading Janine 👍

[Li'l Owl]

Finished my first and second 2/5

Cover #1

a) Clouds on the Cover
The Book of Souls by James Oswald 12/12/19 5★'s

c) Author's Name is in All Capital Letters
The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett 12/24/19 5★'s

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I finished my last for this challenge today :)

**Summer Challenge - 1/12/19 - 29/2/20**
Match a book - or books!
Level: Hard
15/15

Book #1:



My choices:
a) Title starts with "C" - Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan 5★s 1/12/19
b) Historical fiction - The Stationmaster's Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark 5★s 18/12/19 AA
c) Blue sky on cover - Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon 5★s 10/12/19
d) Female on cover - The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper 5★s 13/12/19 AA
e) Female author - Last Bridge Before Home by Lily Malone 5★s 13/12/19 AA



Book #2:



My choices:
a) Cosy mystery - Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower 4★s 9/12/19
b) Dog on cover - Curse of the Scarab by H.Y. Hanna 5★s 5/1/20 AA
c) Ocean on cover - Kick the Dust by Rhonda Forrest 5★s 11/12/19 AA
d) Part of series - All The Rage by Cara Hunter 4★s 24/12/19
e) Boat on cover - Piranha by Clive Cussler 4★s 1/1/20



Book #3:



My choices:
a) Young adult - Blurred Vision by Steve Harrison 4★s 25/12/19 AA
b) Set in New York - Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb 5★s 31/12/19
c) Multiple people on cover - Izzy's Christmas Star by Berni Stevens 5★s 2/12/19
d) Male author - The Driving Lesson by Ben Rehder 5★s 14/12/19
e) Australian author - The Life She Chooses by Maggie Christensen 4★s 8/12/19 AA

[Lee at ReadWriteWish]

Read my fourth for this challenge. The Lawson Sisters by Janet Gover

3 out of 5 My review is here

[Sarah]

After a slow start to my reading year, I've finally finished my first book's worth of prompts!
Level: Hard Progress: 11/15 AA: 4/7
Book #1:
The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair

My choices:
a) Exact Match - The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair AA (6/1) 3.5*
b) Title starts with "C" - Cemetery Road by Greg Iles (15/12) 4*
c) Historical fiction - A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry (24/12) 3*
d) Reference to space in title - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (30/12) 4*
e) Female on cover - The Death of Lucy Kyte by Nicola Upson (13/12) 4*

[Trish]

Brenda wrote: "I finished my last for this challenge today :)

**Summer Challenge - 1/12/19 - 29/2/20**
Match a book - or books!
Level: Hard
15/15

Book #1:



My choices:
a) Title starts with "C" - [book:Cold He..."

Congratulations Brenda, that was quick!! :-)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Trish - they fell into place! :)

[Nicola]

First read of my Second Book
Death at the Dog Show / Grace York

3. Water on the cover

After Anna / Alex Lake 4*

[TheMadHatter]

Finished my first match. One book to go on the second match :-)

Match 1: Death at the Dog Show



a) Female author - Kick the Dust by Rhonda Forrest AA
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (5 stars)

b) Not the first book in a series - Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman AA and Meagan Spooner
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (3.5 Stars)

c) Mystery - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (3 Star - although this book was so very clever. This rating is more a mismatch between me and the writing style)

d) Orange Cover - Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (3 Stars)

e) Five word title - Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (4 Stars)

[Cherie]

TheMadHatter wrote: "Finished my first match. One book to go on the second match :-)

Wow you are flying! Congrats :)

[Odette]

Finished set of 5 books for Book #2 and 11/15 for challenge:

#2

1. Sea on the cover: The Long Call by Ann Cleeves - 4★
2. Mystery: The Wicked Trade by Nathan Dylan Goodwin - 4★
3. Orange cover: Khaki Town by Judy Nunn - 4★ AA
4. Caricature of animal on front cover: The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell - 4★
5. Female author: A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill - 4★ AA

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Doing well Odette :)

[Odette]

Thanks, Brenda. Hopefully, will get there with this one!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Odette wrote: "Thanks, Brenda. Hopefully, will get there with this one!"

You're certainly on target Odette :)

[Amanda]

Another country trip today - more audiobook time! Finished “The Shepherd’s Hut’ by Tim Winton - see GR review. Also started Michael Robothom’s latest, “Good Girl, Bad Girl”. Enjoyable so far.

[Kylie]

I finished Hard Level, with The Wife and the Widow by Christian White ,
Based on the 3rd book The Secret Runners Of New York- Male Author

[Genevieve]

I've finished my fourth book.

Female on the cover:

The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades 4.5★

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kylie wrote: "I finished Hard Level, with The Wife and the Widow by Christian White ,
Based on the 3rd book The Secret Runners Of New ..."

Congrats Kylie!

[Kylie]

Thanks Brenda 😊

[Lee at ReadWriteWish]

Finished the challenge (easy level). My final book was:

Sheerwater by Leah Swann

Highly recommend this book. 4 and 1/2 stars Review here

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well done Lee!!

[Krystal]

My 4th book has the same colour scheme as TSRONY

5. Red, white & blue cover
Supernova by Marissa Meyer



Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Steve]

And finished! Thank you mods for another great challenge!

The Cinema at Starlight Creek

Title starts with "C" A Crucible of Souls by Mitchell Hogan AA ★★★★★
Blue cover 2028 by Ken Saunders AA ★★★★★
Woman on the cover Retribution by Jennifer Fallon AA ★★★★★
Female main character Ashes of Victory by David Weber ★★★★☆
Historical fiction The Last Of The Bonegilla Girls by Victoria Purman AA ★★★★☆

Death at the Dog Show

Mystery Bats and Bones by Karen Musser Nortman ★★★☆☆
Fourth in series The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow ★★★★☆
Orange cover The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty ★★★☆☆
Title starts with "D" Dead Beat by Jim Butcher ★★★★☆
Involving the ocean Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations by William H. McRaven ★★★★☆

The Secret Runners of New York

Young Adult Marked by Benedict Jacka ★★★★★
Set in New York Festive in Death by J.D. Robb ★★★★★
Science Fiction Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire ★★★★★
Australian author This I Would Kill For by Anne Buist AA ★★★★☆
Red cover After America by John Birmingham AA ★★★★☆

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congratulations Steve! That was quick!

[Valerie]

Challenge complete! Thank you organisers.

Summer Reading Challenge 2019/20
Easy - 5 books, 2 AA
5/5 books read

Book #2


1. Five word title: Maybe The Horse Will Talk by Elliot Perlman AA 4★
2. Cosy mystery: Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood AA 3★
3. Female author: Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies 4★
4. Belongs to a series: The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4★
5. Canine on cover: L'Appel de la forêt by Jack London 4★

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Well done Valerie!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good job Valerie!!

[Trevor]

Finished my 13 book for the challenge, and it was a big disappointment: Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas - 2★

My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Trevor wrote: "Finished my 13 book for the challenge, and it was a big disappointment: Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas - 2★

My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Bad luck Trevor - hope your next is better!

[MaryG2E]

I guess the quiet time over the Christmas/New Year period allowed me more reading time, and I'm pleased to report that I have finished the medium level of this challenge well ahead of the deadline. I hope to continue to devote more time to reading in 2020, after an unusually busy 2019 kept me away from my beloved books.

AR Seasonal Challenge December 2019-February 2020
Level: MEDIUM, 10 books, including 4 AA
Duration: 01/12/19 - 29/02/20
Progress: 10/10

NOTE: All titles except one are written by Australian Authors

Book #1 The Cinema at Starlight Creek

✔ 1. Title Begins with 'C'
Closing Down by Sally Abbott 3.5★s
✔ 2. Young Woman on Cover
Morgan's Law by Karly Lane 4.5★s
✔ 3. Australian Author
The Feel Good Hit of the Year by Liam Pieper 3.5★s
✔ 4. Female Author
The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth 4★s
✔ 5. Historical Fiction
The Last Hours by Minette Walters 3.5★s (British author)

Book #3 The Secret Runners of New York

✔ 1. Science Fiction
The Second Cure by Margaret Morgan 5+★s
✔2. Brightly Coloured Cover
Please Explain by Karl Kruszelnicki 3.5★s
✔3. Title Begins with 'S'
Saga Land by Richard Fidler and Kári Gíslason 3.5★s
✔4. Male Author
Wetland: A Detective Sergeant Rory James Mystery by Colin King 3★s
✔5. Australian Author
Gravity Is The Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty 4.5★s

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congrats Mary! You've done well with 6 weeks to spare!!

[MaryG2E]

Brenda wrote: "Congrats Mary! You've done well with 6 weeks to spare!!"
Thanks Brenda.

[Amanda]

Challenge completed.

Summer Challenge - 01/01/19 to 28/02/20
Level Easy

Book #1: The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair
a) Eight syllable title: The Last Days of Ava Langdon - Mark O'Flynn - AA - 01/12/2019 3.5*
b) Female on cover: Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories - Svetlana Alexievich 14/12/2019 - 4*
c) Female author - Portraits Destroyed: Power, Ego and the History's Vandals - Julie Cotter - AA - 04/01/2020 - 3.5*
d) Historical fiction - The Unfortunate Victim - Greg Pyers AA - 16/01/2020 4*
e) Published in 2019 - Something to Live For - Richard Roper 18/12/2019 3.5*

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well done Amanda!

[Genevieve]

Summer Challenge, easy level, all complete.


Matching to book 1


1. Historical Fiction: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 5★
2. Blue sky on the cover: The Year of the Farmer by Rosalie Ham (AA) 3.5★
3. Female on the cover: The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades (AA) 4.5★
4, Set in the 1950s: The Stationery Shop of Tehran by Marjan Kamali 4.5★
5. Authors surname starts with S: The Lost Girls by Jennifer Spence (AA) 4★

[Jacm]

DONE! Somehow I managed to get through this challenge with a month to spare. And that included a 900+ pg book!

My 5★ review for that epic tome The Burning White can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Chosen book:

a) Author starting with 'A': The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do(AA) 4★
b) Figure in red on the cover: The Burning White by Brent Weeks 5★
c) Aussie author: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland (AA) 3★
d) Woman on cover: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 5★
e) Female author: Love Bites: 101 Tips for Dating Guys with Fangs by Claire Hooper (AA) 2★

4★ 5★ 3★ 5★ 2★

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well done Genevieve and Jacm!

[Kim]

Finished 3 of this Challenge whilst on holiday in Lanzarote:-

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout -
- 4* (9/10) - read the whole book in a day, started at the airport and finished during the flight!
My review is here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton
- 4* (9/10) - one of his best IMHO.
My review is here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Nowhere Child by Christian White
- 4.5* (9+/10) - really enjoyed this one.
My review is here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good job Kim!! Where is Lanzarote? Hope you had a fun holiday :)