Saturday, 27 August 2011

2011 Australian Author Birthplace Reading Challenge

The aim of this challenge is to select and read one author from each of the states and territories in Australia based upon their birthplace. My list of books is as follows:

Northern Territory (NT)
Every Secret Thing by Marie Munkara (Born on the banks of the Mainoru River in central Arnhem Land (NT) and then went to Nguiu on the Tiwi islands when 18 months old)  My Review

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The Fern Tattoo by David Brooks (Born 12 January 1953 in Canberra) Brief Thoughts

Tasmania (Tas)
The Year Of Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch (Born in Hobart in 1932) My Review

South Australia (SA)
The Fallout by Garry Disher (Born in Burra in the mid-north of South Australia in 1949) My Review

Queensland (Qld)
The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin (born in Brisbane, 1966) - Brief Thoughts

New South Wales (NSW)
Mystery Bay Blues by Robert G. Barrett (Born in Bondi, NSW) - My Review

Victoria (Vic)
Follow The Money by Peter Corris (born on 8 May 1942 in Stawell, Victoria) - My Review

Western Australia (WA)
Carnies by Martin Livings (Born in 1970 in Perth, WA) - My Review
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

2011 Australian State & Territory Reading Challenge

The aim of this challenge is to read a book that is set in each of the 8 states and territories in Australia. My list of books is as follows:

Northern Territory (NT)
Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland - My Review

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Dead Set by Kel Robertson - My Review

Tasmania (Tas)
No Weather For A Burial by David Owen - My Review

South Australia (SA)
Storm Boy by Colin Thiele - My Review

Queensland (Qld)
Diamond Eyes by A. A. Bell - My Review

New South Wales (NSW)
The Old School by P. M. Newton - My Review

Victoria (Vic)
The Diggers Rest Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin - My Review

Western Australia (WA)
Take Out by Felicity Young - My Comments
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Ongoing Ned Kelly Award Reading Challenge


The Ned Kelly Awards (named after bushranger Ned Kelly) are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres. They were established in 1996 by the Crime Writers Association of Australia to reward excellence in the field of crime writing within Australia. They are known with literary circles as the 'Neddies', and the award categories are as follows: 

  • The Best First Fiction
  • Best True Crime
  • Best Fiction
  • SD Harvey Short Story
  • Lifetime Achievement

Past winners and those nominated can be found here; 
New Kelly Awards Home Page
Crime Down Under Ned Kelly Past Winners & Nominations

My challenge is simple - to read as many Ned Kelly award listed books as I can lay my hands on.


  1. AVIESON, Bunty - Apartment 255 (2002 WINNER Best First Fiction) - Brief Thoughts
  2. BARRETT, Robert G. - The Tesla Legacy (2007 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  3. BELL, A.A. - Diamond Eyes (2011 Nominated Best First Fiction) - My Review
  4. CORRIS, Peter - Appeal Denied (2008 Nominated Best Fiction)
  5. CORRIS, Peter - Deep Water (2009 Nominated Best Fiction)
  6. CORRIS, Peter - Follow The Money (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  7. CORRIS, Peter - Lugarno (200 Nominated Best Fiction)
  8. CORRIS, Peter - Master's Mates (2004 Nominated best Fiction)
  9. CORRIS, Peter - Open File (2008 Nominated Best Fiction)
  10. CORRIS, Peter - Other Side Of Sorrow (2000 Nominated Best Fiction)
  11. CORRIS, Peter - Salt and Blood (2003 Nominated Best Fiction)
  12. CORRIS, Peter - Saving Billie (2006 Shortlisted Best Fiction)
  13. CORRIS, Peter - The Black Prince (1999 Nominated Best Fiction)
  14. CORRIS, Peter - The Undertow (2007 Nominated Best Fiction)
  15. CORRIS, Peter - Torn Apart (2010 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  16. DISHER, Garry - Chain Of Evidence (2007 WINNER Best Fiction) - My Review
  17. DISHER, Garry - Dragon Man (2000 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  18. DISHER, Garry - Kittyhawk Down (2003 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  19. DISHER, Garry - Snapshot (2006 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  20. DISHER, Garry - Wyatt (2010 WINNER Best Fiction) - My Review
  21. ENGWERDA, Robert - Mosquito Creek (2011 Best First Fiction) - My Review
  22. FOX, Kathryn - Blood Born (2010 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  23. FOX, Kathryn - Death Mask (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  24. FOX, Kathryn - Malicious Intent (2005 Nominated Best First Fiction)
  25. FOX, Kathryn - Skin and Bone (2008 Nominated Best Fiction)
  26. FOX, Kathryn - Without Consent (2007 Nominated Best Fiction)
  27. GREENWOOD, Kerry - Devil's Food (2006 Nominated Best Fiction)
  28. GREENWOOD, Kerry - Heavenly Pleasures (2005 Nominated best Fiction)
  29. HOWELL, Kathryn - Frantic (2008 Nominated Best First Fiction)
  30. HOWELL Kathryn - Violent Exposure (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Thoughts
  31. HYLAND, Adrian - Diamond Dove (2007 WINNER Best First Fiction) - My Review
  32. HYLAND, Adrian - Gunshot Road (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  33. IRWIN, Stephen M - The Dead Path (2010 Nominated Best First Fiction) - My Comments
  34. LIVINGS, Martin - Carnies (2007 Nominated Best First Fiction) - My Review
  35. MALONEY, Shane - Brush Off (1997 WINNER Best Fiction)
  36. MALONEY, Shane - Something Fishy (2003 Nominated Best Fiction)
  37. MALONEY, Shane - Sucked In (2008 Shortlisted Best Fiction)
  38. McGEACHIN, Geoff - D.E.D. Dead! (2006 Nominated Best Fiction)
  39. McGEACHIN, Geoff - Diggers Rest Hotel (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  40. McGEACHIN, Geoff - Sensitive New Age Spy (2008 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  41. NEWTON, P.M. - The Old School (2011 Shortlisted Best First Fiction) - My Review
  42. OWEN, David - How The Dead See (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  43. OWEN, David - No Weather For A Burial (2011 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  44. PALMER, Alex - The Tattooed Man (2008 Nominated Best Fiction) - Brief Thoughts
  45. QUINN, Maria - The Gene Thieves (2010 Nominated Best First Fiction) - My Comments
  46. REDHEAD, Leigh - Cherry Pie (2008 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Thoughts
  47. ROBERTSON, Kel - Dead Set (2006 Shortlisted First Fiction) - My Comments
  48. ROBOTHAM, Michael - Shatter (2008 WINNER Best Fiction) - My Review
  49. ROBOTHAM, Michael - The Night Ferry (2007 Shortlisted Best Fiction) - My Review
  50. SAYER, Mandy - The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (2008 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  51. TEMPLE, Peter - Broken Shore (2006 WINNER Best Fiction)
  52. TEMPLE, Peter - In The Evil Day (2002 Nominated Best Fiction) - My Review
  53. WOMERSLEY, Chris - Bereft (2011 Shortlisted Best Fiction) - My Review
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

2011 September Challenge - Goodreads TBR BOOK BONANZA

A straightforward book reading challenge for the month of September. The rules are simple - read as many books as you can, as long as they come from your Goodreads To Be Read list (otherwise known as Mt. TBR) and added to this list prior to September.




I will list the titles here along with links to the reviews.

 1.  Frantic by Katherine Howell - My Review
 2.  D.E.D. Dead! by Geoff McGeachin - My Review
 3.  The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - My Review
 4.  The Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Mandy Sayer - My Review
 5.  Kittyhawk Down by Garry Disher - My Review
 6.  Blood Born by Kathryn Fox - My Review
 7.  Death At The Spring Plant Sale by Ann Ripley - My Review
 8.  How The Dead See by David Owen - My Review
 9.  The Garden of Betrayal by Lee Vance - My Review
10. Dragon Man by Garry Disher - My Review
11. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson - My Review
12. The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham - My Review
13. The Old School by P.M. Newton - My Review
14. In The Evil Day by Peter Temple - My Review
15. X and Y by David Owen - My Review
16. Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs - My Review
17. Every Secret Thing by Marie Munkara - My Review
18. Death Of A Lake by Arthur Upfield - My Review
19. Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran - My Review
20. Bereft by Chris Womersley - My Review
21. Original Face by Nicholas Jose - My Review


I completed 21 books from my TBR Goodreads Reading List During September, 2011.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Friday, 26 August 2011

My 2011 A-Z Author Challenge

My 2011 A-Z Author Reading Challenge
Read a book where the author's surname starts with each different letter of the alphabet. I have tried to stay within the Australian crime fiction genre, but alas I had to expand my horizons when I could find no candidates for the letter X.












Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

My 2011 A-Z Title Reading Challenge

The plan is simple - To read a book where the title starts with each different letter of the alphabet during 2011

A: Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler
My Review

B: Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
My Review

C: Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher
My Review

D: Death Mask by Kathryn Fox
My Review

E: Echo Burning by Lee Child
My Review

F: Follow The Money by Peter Corris
My Review

G: Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland
My Review

H: How The Dead See by David Owen
My Review

I: In the Evil Day by Peter Temple
My Review

J: Jack and Jill by James Patterson
My Review

K: Killing Hour by Andrew Gross
My Review

L: Lost Empire by Clive Cussler & Grant Blackwood
My Review

M: Mystery Bay Blues by Robert G. Barrett
My Review

N: No Weather For a Burial by David Owen
My Review

O: O'Fear by Peter Corris
Brief Thoughts

P: Private London by James Paterson & Mark Pearson
My Review

Q: Q is For Quarry by Sue Grafton
My Review

R: Raise The Titanic by Clive Cussler
My Review

S: Sensitive New Age Spy by Geoff McGeachin
My Review

T: Torn Apart by Peter Corris
My Review

U: U is For Undertow by Sue Grafton
My Review

V: Virals by Kathy Reichs
Brief Thoughts

W: Wyatt by Garry Disher
My Review

X: X and Y by David Owen
My Review

Y: You've Been Warned by James Patterson &Howard Roughan
My Review

Z: Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark
My Review

Bonus Numerical: 10th Anniversary by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
My Review
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

The Goodreads Aussie Readers 2011 Winter Reading Challenge (COMPLETED)

I have decided to have a last minute crack at the Winter Challenge (to be completed by the end of the Southern Hemisphere Winter - 31st August, 2011). I might be cutting it a tad fine, but I'll have a go anyway! The books have to be chosen and reviewed on Goodreads according to the following guidelines:



UPDATE: Challenge completed 26th Aug, 2011

My list is as follows:
1. Pick a book that has a warm or summery theme on the cover: 
Mystery Bay Blues by Robert G.Barrett  My Review

2. Pick a book from your Goodreads To Be Read (TBR) list:
Killing Hour by Andrew Gross  My Review


3. Find a YA novel or a picture book to read:
Magpie Mischief by Jon Doust  My Review


4. National Tree Day – read a book you haven’t purchased:
Sensitive New Age Spy by Geoff McGeachin  My Review


5. Choose a book which has been made into a movie:
Raise The Titanic! by Clive Cussler  My Review


6. Read a book where a word in the title has to relate to a wintery theme:
Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler  My Review

7. Read an Aussie author's book:
Wyatt by Garry Disher  My Review


8. Read New Release out somewhere in the 3 month period of winter:
Private London by James Patterson  My Review


9. Pick a friend on your Goodread list and also select and read a book they have read: (from Brenda's list)
Running Blind (aka The Visitor) by Lee Child  My Review

10. Curl up beside the fire and grab yourself a book full of suspense or murder:
Follow the Money by Peter Corris  My Review


11. Bonus Book: Choose a book by a winter born author (June, July, August)
Garry Disher (born 15th August) Port Vila Blues   My Review


Link To The Goodreads Aussie Readers 2011 Winter Reading Challenge
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)