Australian Women Writers Challenge discussion

I just call it contemporary fiction - not an exact label but accurate enough *shrug*

There are so many different genres now, I discovered one called 'cozy' mysteries the other day!

Brenda wrote: "There are so many different genres now, I discovered one called 'cozy' mysteries the other day!"

Oh I love cozy mysteries lol I have been reading them for quite a while though you rarely find them in Australia :)

Do you belong to the GR Cozy Mysteries group Sheleyrae? That's where I found them:)

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...

EDIT: Just had a look, and saw you do!!

Brenda wrote: "Do you belong to the GR Cozy Mysteries group Sheleyrae? That's where I found them:)

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...

EDIT: Just had a look, and saw you do!!"

LOL - yes and i am doing the Crusin Thru the Cozies Mystery challenge this year - I have so many on my real and virtual shelves that I want to read, I've been collecting them for quite a while

I just joined the group, so will check it out. So many challenges on the go O.o!!

Shellyrae, if you like cozy mysteries you'll love Jennifer Rowe's Love, Honour and O'Brien - a really delightful cozy mystery set in the Blue Mountains.

Love, Honour, and O'Brien..sounds good:)

Today I started a chunkster. Lots of my reading friends have recommended Olivia and Jai but I am only now getting to it.

I am also reading Nalini Singh's Slave to Sensation which I should finish tonight.

I have just finished Matilda is missing... Was quite different to my expectations. Have started Henna for the Broken Hearted

Brenda wrote: "I just joined the group, so will check it out. So many challenges on the go O.o!!"

Thanks Claire - I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it so I reviewed it just as it was released. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I have read all of Jennifer Rowe's mysteries - in fact the Verity Birdwood series is probably where my love of the genre started when I was in high school :)

Yay, one book down! I finished Loretta Halls, The Girl in The Steel Capped Boots yesterday.

A very enjoyable read set in the Pilbara on a mining construction site.

Yay Helen - apparently I won't get my copy til next week.

BTW I stayed up til 3am finishing Wings of Fear last night - loved it!

I just borrowed a copy of your Shattered Sky, Helene Young, from the Library.

(Wish I was a faster reader. Still on Swedish crime novel I received for Christmas.)

Shelleyrae wrote: "Yay Helen - apparently I won't get my copy til next week.

BTW I stayed up til 3am finishing Wings of Fear last night - loved it!"

Oh that's lovely to hear, Shelleyrae! Thank you :) There is no greater compliment than keeping someone from a good night's sleep. You've made my weekend!

Elizabeth wrote: "I just borrowed a copy of your Shattered Sky, Helene Young, from the Library.

(Wish I was a faster reader. Still on Swedish crime novel I received for Christmas.)"

I know that feeling, Elizabeth, although I'm having a little reading fest at the moment as I know I have edits coming my way shortly and everything else will go on hold...

Hope you enjoy SS when you get to it!

I'm reading Empire Day as my first AWW challenge book - it has to be back at the library by Australia Day so I squashed it into my schedule

Shelleyrae wrote: "I'm reading Empire Day as my first AWW challenge book - it has to be back at the library by Australia Day so I squashed it into my schedule

"

I really enjoyed that when I read it last year

Shelleyrae wrote: "I'm reading Empire Day as my first AWW challenge book - it has to be back at the library by Australia Day so I squashed it into my schedule

"

Sounds really good Shelleyrae, I've added it to my TBR list:)

Shelleyrae wrote: "I'm reading Empire Day as my first AWW challenge book - it has to be back at the library by Australia Day so I squashed it into my schedule

"

Will be interested to hear what you think! I read it last year.

I'm still working on The Orphan Gunner for the AWW challenge, and when I feel like a break from WWII (a few of my other currents/recents have been in that era) I'm working on Closets are for Clothes: A History of Queer Australia by Rachel Cook.

Also, I really do need to write my review of the middle two books in Gabrielle Wang's "My Australian Girl: Poppy" series, and find the final one! Am so looking forward to reading about Poppy in Beechworth!

Hi Bernadette, I read Matilda is Missing a few months ago and would almost put it in the Crime category, although I think the publishing industry puts too much emphasis on genres. I enjoyed it, but not as much as her earlier work Ghost Child, which I finished last week.

I've just tallied up the books I read in 2011. Out of the 48 books read, 27 were by female authors and 21 were by male; 33 fiction and 15 non-fiction; Nationalities US=18, Australian 15, British 10, and Other 5. Now to 2012! The first two books I've read this year are for the Australian Women Writers' challenge: Ghost Child by Caroline Overington (4 Stars) and Diamonds in the Mud and Other Stories by Joy Dettman (3 stars). I'm not reviewing these books as such, but wrote a brief comment on my book list. I'm not really sure how all this works - still feeling my way through it.

Denise wrote: "I've just tallied up the books I read in 2011. Out of the 48 books read, 27 were by female authors and 21 were by male; 33 fiction and 15 non-fiction; Nationalities US=18, Australian 15, British 10..."

That's impressive, Denise. In Goodreads reviews can be as short as you like. If you feel inspired to write a substantial review and want to post it to the AustWomenWriters website, just use the GoodReads URL when you post your link in the second Mr Linky box on the challenge page where you signed uo (put "Title by Author, rev. by your name" where Mr Linky asks for your name).

Also, here in Goodreads, for comments directed to a particular person you can use the "reply" button which quotes some of the message you're answering (took me a while to work that out!). Is your reply to Bernadette from a different thread??

You'll get the hang on it. I am, but only slowly!

Hi Elizabeth, I replied to Bernadette's Matilda is Missing comments, but I'm not sure where the above entry went! Thanks for the added info about reviews. I'm going to the library today and when life gets a bit less hectic, I'll try to post a more substantial review in the next few weeks.

Denise wrote: "Hi Bernadette, I read Matilda is Missing a few months ago and would almost put it in the Crime category, although I think the publishing industry puts too much emphasis on genres. I enjoyed it, but..."

I agree that there is too much emphasis on genres these days...I'd be happy to go with fiction and non-fiction myself. I don't remember things being so segmented 20 years ago. But maybe I am just putting a gloss on the past in the way that we humans often do.

Thanks for the tip, I'll look out for the earlier books by Caroline Overington

Heidi wrote: "I'm still working on The Orphan Gunner for the AWW challenge, and when I feel like a break from WWII (a few of my other currents/recents have been in that era) I'm working on [book:..."

Hi Heidi

I am currently in the middle of reading all four series within the Our Australian Girl series. I can't remember which one I have sitting on my shelf to read next!

I am in the middle of listening to Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood which is my next book for the challenge. I am thoroughly enjoying it so far and cannot wait for the ABC adaptation to air this year. I will certainly read all the sequels but perhaps not for the challenge :) Too many other books to read. I think my list is changing as I discover all these new Aussie authors (new to me I should say as Kerry has been around for a long time)

I'm reading The Indigo Sky by Alison Booth at the moment. It's the sequel to Stillwater Creek which I read late last year. I'm really enjoying it:)

I started Fetish by Tara Moss but realised I've already read it. (I'm doing the Aussie Authors with a Twist challenge and this was to be my February read - getting in early.) My alternative is Anna Funder's All That I Am: A Novel but my sister borrowed it and hasn't returned it.

The only book by an Aussie women I can find where I'm staying? Geraldine Brooks' Caleb's Crossing. I've spoken to several bookshop owners and Brooks is their top selling Australian woman author. Caleb's Crossing is proving to be a great read - but it's set in America, she lives in America, she won a huge American prize for her writing...

I'm really interested to learn whether an author living in Australia writes just as well, but is not known because of poor publicity! (But that's a topic for another thread)

I've just finished Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing - brilliant,funny,disturbing and the perfect example of why white Australians can't write honestly about the experience of Aboriginal Australians - even if they're able to understand it, which I think is debatable. They can't drop the piousness for a start.

Munkara's book would be considered shocking, offensive, even, if written by a white Australian. As it is I guess we cope by ignoring it. This book won the 2010 NT Book of the Year but who's ever heard of it? I hadn't till I went looking for books by Aboriginal women writers (thanks for inspiring me Elizabeth - perhaps there should be a link to Anita Heiss's list of indigenous women writers from your challenge, Elizabeth, if there isn't already?).

It wasn't even mentioned in the NYR2012 list for the Northern Territory, though books written about Aboriginal/white experience by white authors were.

Don't let me put you off though - it's a very enjoyable, funny and true read but leaves you heartbroken by the end.Every Secret Thing

Claire wrote: "I've just finished Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing - brilliant,funny,disturbing and the perfect example of why white Australians can't write honestly about the experience of Aboriginal Australia..."

Really interesting points, Claire.

Love2Read is currently compiling a list of "ones that got away". Have you thought of suggesting this book for their list?

They're on Twitter @Love2Read2012 & Facebook Love2Read. They also have a January "Amazing Read" page on their website.

The AWW challenge also has a WeLove2Read2 page where you might make a comment.

Claire wrote: "I've just finished Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing - brilliant,funny,disturbing and the perfect example of why white Australians can't write honestly about the experience of Aboriginal Australia..."

It Is No Secret: The Story Of A Stolen Child by Donna Meehan is a book by an Aboriginal author which I read last year, and really enjoyed. I met Donna early in November, and she's coming to our February bookclub at the library. She's a very humble lady, and lovely. Her book is really worth reading.

Elizabeth wrote: "Claire wrote: "I've just finished Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing - brilliant,funny,disturbing and the perfect example of why white Australians can't write honestly about the experience of Abori..."

Thanks, think I've already added it to their list - will check. Thanks for your rec, Brenda. Will check it out.

I agree wholeheartedly with Claire. I heard Marie Munkara speak at the Ubud Writers Festival a couple of years ago & bought the book there. She is inspirational. The problems she had getting a passport defy belief - no whitefella records of her birth!

Claire wrote: "I've just finished Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing - brilliant,funny,disturbing and the perfect example of why white Australians can't write honestly about the experience of Aboriginal Australia..."

Readingjay wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly with Claire. I heard Marie Munkara speak at the Ubud Writers Festival a couple of years ago & bought the book there. She is inspirational. The problems she had getting a pass..."

Thanks - what an interesting comment. And what a fabulous place to hear Marie speak. So want to go to Ubud writers festival.

It's a wonderful festival. Maybe you will get an invitation ...

Claire wrote: "Readingjay wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly with Claire. I heard Marie Munkara speak at the Ubud Writers Festival a couple of years ago & bought the book there. She is inspirational. The problems she..."

I'm currently reading Under the influence by Jacqueline Lunn

I have started the first Phryne Fisher mystery by Kerry Greenwood (Cocaine Blues). I have been meaning to read one for ages, as friends have told me how enjoyable they are, and now that they will also be an ABC TV series, I wanted to see how Phryne's story began. It is delicious writing. Melbourne in the late 1920s, woman of the world Phryne with her new money and the most delectable descriptions of fashion. Melbourne is as much a character as the people - society and underclass and dirty deeds with cocaine. Really enjoying it.

Cocaine Blues

Thanks, Brenda. Will do better next time :)

Brenda wrote: "Cocaine Blues"

The html is tricky, isn't it? I use the "(some html is ok)" link above to cut and paste the example for "link". One day I might actually learn the code and use it properly. :)

Readingjay wrote: "Thanks, Brenda. Will do better next time :)

Brenda wrote: "Cocaine Blues""

That's ok Readingjay..I just like the link there so I can look at the book easily, plus it helps others do the same:)

@ Elizabeth....for linking, click on 'add book/author' at the top right hand side of your comment box, type in your book, hit search, a drop down box will give you the titles, click 'add' on the one you want, and it will automatically go into this comment box. Click on 'author' the same, and if you want the book cover, go to the bottom of the drop down box, and click on 'cover'.

I hope that helps:)

Thanks, Brenda. (I meant for external links - not relevant in this instance, I realise. Can't even think when it *is* relevant!)

Oh sorry Elizabeth!! :(

Oh, no, don't apologise. I'm sure others will find it helpful - it was all a mystery to me at first.

:)

I'm reading Magical Creations by Nicola E. Sheridan. It's a light and fun paranormal romance.

I'm about to start Five Bells by Gail Jones.

I'm just about to start The Girl in The Steel Capped Boots by Loretta Hill