The Family Man

Finished January 26

The Family Man by Elinor Lipman

This novel is centered around Henry Archer, a lawyer recently retired, who reaches our to his ex-wife when he sees that her husband has died. He didn't expect her to latch onto him so avidly, and he didn't expect this to awaken suppressed feelings about losing access to the daughter he adopted when they married. As Henry finds his world changing, he must relinquish some of the control he is used to having, and open his mind to new experiences. 

This feel-good novel takes place in New York City with characters who find themselves in unexpected situations and often without the control they are used to having. Taking chances opens their horizons while also changing their paths in unexpected ways.

I liked Henry, and his new love, and found his stepdaughter Thalia an interesting character. The male characters who interact with Thalia are less defined but have some interesting behaviours as well. I would have liked to meet Celeste, Henry friend who died recently, too. 

You also get a sense of New York City, as in many of Lipman's novels. From the shopping to the club scene, the city comes to life here. 

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch

Finished January 24

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch: A Novel by Rivka Galchen

This historical novel is based on real people and history. Johannes (Hans) Kepler, the astronomer, had long before left home and started his professional life by the beginning of this story. 

His mother Katharina Kepler is accused by a neighbour of being a witch. At first she thinks she should ignore it, and then she reconsiders as she understands that more people have heard of it, and she determines to speak out on her own behalf. She must have a legal guardian with her because as a woman she can't actually speak for herself. With her two sons, only one of whom is in the same town as her, struggling to make livings, she asks her neighbour, a man around her own age, to be that person. 

I found that relationship interesting as they'd had little to do with each other before then. We see them spending more time together and getting to know each better. 

It is a time of great uncertainty. The plague is still a threat and very soon the Thirty Years' War will begin. Hans makes a living in various ways, supporting his two children from his first marriage, and his second wife Susanna and young daughter Maruschl. Katerina's other son Christoph is a pewtersmith and lives near Katharina with his wife Gertrauta (Gertie) and daughter Agnes. He is worried about the effect her accusation will have on his business and ability to make a living. Her daughter Greta has married later than usual for those times, to a pastor, and soon into Katharina's ordeal they more to another town.

All three of Katharina's surviving children are supportive, and yet they or in Greta's case her husband, are worried about the stigma rubbing off onto them and their families. When she visits, she keeps her head low, and avoids interaction with friends and neighbours. At home, she becomes worried about what stories people are saying about her, and continues over many months to struggle to clear her name. 

Through the course of the book, we also learn about her past, her youth and her marriage, and why she now lives alone. We get a sense of the external world that she deals with, as well as her feelings and motivations. Katharina is a simple woman, who tends her garden, takes good care of her cow, and makes both food and remedies from plants she grows and gathers. She is illiterate, and requires someone, here Simon, to write her words for her. She is older and enjoys spending time with her young grandchildren, telling them stories, and playing with them. 

As this story unfolds, it becomes larger, representing the story of others falsely accused, and women's lower position in many eras. We see how it affects her community and her independence. 

A fascinating tale, well-researched. 

The Appeal

Finished January 18

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

This book has an unusual format with the whole story told in emails, documents and chat. Two early career lawyers are asked to look over the gathered conversation from a case to see what conclusions they make about who may be the murderer in the case.

They are given no background information at all, and it seems like the case hasn't come to their attention in any other way, such as through the news, as they appear to have no knowledge of it at all.

The book mostly consists of email between the various players in the small community, people who are linked together through their involvement with a local theatre group and the family that runs it. 

One of the main players is a young nurse, who is a bit of an outsider, tolerated, but not liked, and who comes across as quite needy. The family who runs the theatre group consists of a local couple, their two adult children, the children's spouses, and their very young granddaughter. 

There is also another young couple, both nurses, who have recently come back to England after working for several years in Africa. We don't have access to their emails, but can see some that are sent to them by the others. 

Every so often the two lawyers chat about what they're reading in the case notes, and as the book nears its close, they begin to draw conclusions and make arguments for their reasoning, interacting with the older lawyer who has assigned them this task. 

It is an interesting structure, and an interesting case, and because of the limited glimpse you get into people's lives, you aren't sure how much to trust any of them. 

Die For You

Finished January 15

Die For You by Lisa Unger

This is a fast-moving suspense novel that I had trouble putting down. 

Isabel has been married to Marcus for a few years, after he showed up at a bookstore where she was doing an author reading. Before that, she'd thought that a deep and lasting relationship like that of her sister's was something that would never be hers.

There have been a couple of blips in their marriage, but things are going well as the novel begins. Marcus leaves for work one morning, prepping for an important meeting, and doesn't come home. The following day, when Isabel goes to his office in search of answers, there is a dramatic raid there and she is left with even more questions.

When the police begin to dig into her husband's past and find that he wasn't who she thought he was, she remains determined to get to the bottom of things, and find the real answers as to why he married her and where he has gone. 

Isabel is a writer of novels herself and her mind works in problem-solving ways on a regular basis as she creates her plots. She is good at piecing together bits and pieces to make a story, and she begins to do that with her husband. She has some bits from her own experiences with him, and more from others who interacted with him, and as she researches she finds more disparate pieces that bring her to follow a faint trail back to his native Czech Republic. 

I loved Isabel as a woman who has been taken advantage of and won't give up in her search for answers. She has been underestimated by more than just her husband, and she faces the unknown with facts. 

Rabbit Ears

Finished January 12

Rabbit Ears: TV Poems edited by Joel Allegretti

This is a book that has been on my shelf for a while, long before I stopped really watching television. But I did watch my share of television previously and recognize the allusions to shows, commercials and other television-related subjects. 

The editor conceived the idea of this anthology after writing a couple of television themed poems himself, and gathered, sifted, and chose the poems included here.

It is organized roughly by subject into "channels" with commercial breaks between them. A fun way to structure the anthology. 

The poems are about TV shows from the Munsters to Dick van Dyke, cartoons to reality television, from Bette Davis to the Mod Squad, Lawrence Welk to the X-Files. There is something here for everyone. 

The styles of poetry vary widely as well, and the tones vary from serious to slyly humorous. 

A fun and unique collection. 

Cold to the Touch

Finished January 10

Cold to the Touch by Frances Fyfield

Fyfield is one of the queens of the psychological suspense novel and this one is no exception. The central character here is Sarah Fortune , a woman who has made a career out of helping men overcome a variety of issues and build relationships. This is the sixth book in the series featuring Sarah. Here she has a younger friend, Jessica, who she encounters one early morning in London and takes back to her flat. She tries to find out what is going on with Jessica, discovering only that Jessica had gone to the Smithfield meat market in hopes of meeting a man she has strong feelings for and ended up making a fool of herself. Jessica is a very spontaneous, emotional young woman, and when Sarah makes an offhand remark about wanting to leave London for a cottage near the sea, Jessica immediately seizes upon it, and arranges for Sarah to rent a house that Jessica's mother owns in the small village of Pennyvale, where Jessica grew up.

As Sarah enjoys the village, spending time walking through the countryside, watching the people, and the sea, she stays in touch with Jessica, and tries to find out why Jessica feels she can't come home, and also tries to advise Jessica about this mysterious man she can't seem to get over. Sarah hasn't yet engaged directly with Jessica's mother who seems to be a sad figure, unhappy and yet somehow still involved in many of the village goings on. 

When Jessica tells Sarah that she will come visit, and never arrives, Sarah must go back to London, looking for the clues for Jessica's fate, and trying to find her mystery man. 

Sarah is a very interesting character, a woman who is open-minded, intelligent, and kind. She seems to have good relationships with the men she's been involved with previously, and is attractive to men in general. She has good instincts, and pays attention to details. She is a good friend and cares about people. 

And yet she can also be ruthless when needed, and calculating. 

I really enjoyed both the characters here (Andrew the local vicar, and Jeremy the butcher's helper in particular in addition to Sarah) and found the plot quite intriguing. A great read. 

Between a Book and a Hard Place

Finished January 5

Between a Book and a Hard Place by Denise Swanson

This is part of a series of books set in the small town of Shadow Bend, Missouri. The main character, Devereaux (Dev) Sinclair runs the local five-and-dime store, which also has a soda fountain. She moved back to town for family reasons leaving a career in the investment industry. When Dev was sixteen, her father Kern went to jail (for a crime he didn't commit) and her mother Yvette left town, dropping Dev at her paternal grandmother' Birdies house as she left. 

Now Dev's dad works at her store and both of them live with Birdie. Dev has a few close friends: Poppy who runs a local nightclub called Gossip Club, and who is estranged from her own father, the local police chief; Ronni, who owns the local bed and breakfast; and Boone, who is on the town council and hopes to find funding to reopen the local library.

Dev also has a couple of boyfriends, and is struggling to choose between them. One is Noah, a local doctor who was her high school boyfriend, but who dumped her when they both went off to college. The other is Jake, a former US-marshall, who now lives on a neighbouring farm, helping out his aging uncle. 

Now Yvette is back in town with her latest husband Jett, it looks like the local library will be getting funding, and a strange professor claims to see lights from UFOs in the local area. But when Jett turns up dead, Dev must not only protect her family by finding out who the killer was, but also take on other local issues. 

A light read with a lot of side plots that will likely lead to more possibilities for future books in the series. 

The Apothecary's Curse

Finished January 3

The Apothecary's Curse by Barbara Barnett

This story has mystery, pain and suffering, romance, and friendship. Gaelan Erceldoune is an apothecary in Victoria London, working in Smithfield and helping the poor as best he can. He has a dedicated clientele who depend on him. But he is threatened by a man who controls much of the crime going on in his neighbourhood, and has isolated himself lately from his colleagues after the death of his wife and child. When a former acquaintance, Simon Bell, comes to him in desperation for a remedy for his wife's illness, he gives in and supplies a medication he has never created before. When it doesn't work as expected, Simon takes the remainder of the flask, and finds himself changed in an unexpected way.

When his world is destroyed shortly thereafter, and he becomes an object of experimentation in Bedlam, he nearly loses his mind. When Simon eventually learns of Gaelan's situation, he saves him, taking him into his own home, and requests a solution to the problem he himself now finds himself in. 

Revealing his own secrets, Gaelan and Simon join together to search for the book that Gaelan has been entrusted with by his father. 

By 2016, the two are still searching, and Simon follows every clue he can, growing ever more desperate. When Gaelan's actions put him in danger of revealing his secret to the world, he finds himself helped by a woman he never expected.

This is a story of cruelty, greed, and man's inhumanity to each other. But there are pockets of hope, of selflessness, and of true caring. It is a story of magic, but one less unbelievable than most. 

Gaelan is a man who loves strongly, and who cares not only about those close to him, but for all humanity, and his sufferings and resulting PTSD haunt him throughout his life. 

I found myself drawn into this book, not wanting to put it down, hoping that the characters would find some kind of happiness. 

Hidden

Finished January 3

Hidden by Fern Michaels

This is the first book I've read by Fern Michaels, and I was surprised how badly written it was. She is an established author with a large fan base, which led me to suppose that she was a good writer. I plan to read at least one of her earlier books to try her again to see if this is an outlier for her, but if it isn't, I certainly won't be recommending her to readers. 

This book follows a few characters: brother and sister Cullen and Luna who have broken away from parental expectations to do what they want, for him furniture restoration, for her a cafe and psychic readings. There is a lot of backstory for her, less for him. She met a police officer several years ago when a small child was lost and she helped find her, and developed a crush on him, and has worked with him a few times since, but the relationship never developed on a personal level. This part just seemed odd.With such a strong reaction from her, why did she do nothing to show her feelings. She talks much younger than she is and a lot of the conversations in the book are very stilted. 

There are a wealthy couple, stereotypically evil, but not very smart, who are looking for something that they think may be hidden in a piece of furniture they disposed of. Their actions are not well planned, and they seem to be very flat characters. They hire a detective to search for a woman, and he appears for a while and then is dropped from the plot. 

The woman they are searching for appears and she seems more normal, but still not well-developed. As the storylines come together at the end, a lot of things happen without being documented in the book and it is wrapped up very quickly, especially given all the description and backstory earlier.

Not a winner. This is supposed to be the first book in a new series. Hopefully an editor gets involved before the next one. The cover art seems to have no connection to the plot either.

Sign-Up for 2022 What's In a Name Reading Challenge

I've done this challenge a few times. It is hosted here. 

This challenge has six prompts and you have to read a book to match each to complete it. For 2022, the prompts are: 

* Compound word

* Speed

* Person and their description

* Mythical being

* Season

* Colour

TBR 22 in '22 Reading Challenge Sign-Up

 

This challenge is hosted here. 

The aim of this challenge is to read books you already own to clear them off your shelves and make room for new ones. I certainly have a lot of books on my shelves unread, so this is a perfect challenge for me to join. 

2022 European Reading Challenge Sign-Up

 The goal is to read 5 books set in different European countries. The challenge is hosted here. 

I've done this challenge for several years now and always enjoy it. I'm looking forward to seeing if I get some less common countries this year, maybe ones I haven't done before.

52 Book Club's Reading Challenge 2022 Sign-up

I did this challenge for the first time last year and didn't quite make it, so decided to try again this year.

There are 52 prompts to match books to, and ideas are available in the guide on their site.

I enjoyed the interactivity provided through the Goodreads site as well last year, so look forward to this challenge. 

The list of challenge prompts is:

1.     1.        A second-person narrative 

2.     Featuring a library or bookstore
3.       Title starting with the letter “e”
4.       Title starting with the letter “f”
5.       Chapters have titles
6.       Household object on the cover
7.       A non-fiction bestseller
8.       Involving the art world
9.       A book that sparks joy
10.   A book based on a real person
11.   A book with less that 2022 Goodreads ratings
12.   Set on at least two continents
13.   Includes a club
14.   A character with superhuman ability
15.   A five-syllable titles
16.   A book you’ve seen someone reading in a public place
17.   A book picked based on its spine
18.   Jane-Austen-inspired
19.   A book that has an alternate titles
20.   Related to the world “gold”
21.   Published by Simon & Schuster
22.   An unlikely detective
23.   Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name
24.   Addresses a specific topic
25.   A wealthy character
26.   Has an “Author’s Note”
27.   Includes a map
28.   Award-winning book from your country
29.   Over 500 pages long
30.   Audiobook is narrated by the author
31.   Technology-themed
32.   A book that intimidates you
33.   A bilingual character
34.   An author’s photo on the back cover
35.   From the villain’s perspective
36.   Recommended by a favourite author
37.   Set in a rural area
38.   Don’t judge a book by its cover!
39.   A middle-grade novel
40.   A book with photographs inside
41.   Involves a second chance
42.   An indie read
43.   Author who’s published in more than one genre
44.   An anthology
45.   A book with illustrated people on cover
46.   A job title in the title
47.   Read during the month of November
48.   Redo one of this year’s prompts but with a different genre
49.   Book title starts with the same letter as your first name
50.   A person of colour as the main character
51.   The word “game” in the title
52.   Published in 2022.

Wrap-Up of Colour Coded Reading Challenge 2021

 Colour Coded Reading Challenge

I definitely didn't do well on this one, 

The challenge is hosted here: https://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2020/10/color-coded-reading-challenge-2021.html

You have to read nine books in the following categories

* A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue in the title or on the cover

* A book with "Red" or any shade of Red in the title or on the cover

    The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo. Finished April 22

* A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow in the title or on the cover

    Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson. Finished March 27

* A book with "Green" or any shade of Green in the title or on the cover

* A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown in the title or on the cover

* A book with "Black" or any shade of Black in the title or on the cover

    The Blackhouse by Peter May. Finished December 1

* A book with "White" or any shade of white in the title or on the cover

    Two White Queens and The One-Eyed Jack by Heidi Von Palleske. Finished May 12

* A book with any other colour in the title or on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, etc.)

* A book with a word or image that implies colour in the title or on the cover (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc.)
    The Blondes by Emily Schultz. Finished January 4

Wrap-Up of Novelist Reading Challenge for 2021

 Novelist Reading Challenge 

I definitely got sidetracked from this one, and didn't complete as many as I'd hoped. I had trouble with the TV one, as I don't really watch television, and although I did start reading a pandemic book, it felt too close to reality at the time, and I set it aside. 

Book Challenge Beginners  

• Read an own voices memoir. (Tip: search for AP own voices AND GN autobiographies and memoirs to find titles) The Poetry of Strangers by Brian Sonia-Wallace. Finished July 23
• Read a novel with an unreliable narrator.  In Another Light by A.J. Banner. Finished December 22.
• Read a book described as being gritty, atmospheric, or having a strong sense of place.  Snow by John Banville. Finished February 4
• Read a historical novel that takes place anytime except during World War II.  Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. Finished February 5
• Read a romantic comedy by a BIPOC author.  Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson. Finished April 29
• Read a book recommended by a NoveList staff member.  (Tip: Browse through our NoveList Staff Faves Recommended Reads list)  Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. Finished February 5 [on recommended list of Amie Reno]
• Read a book recommended for fans of a TV show you like.  
• Read a book that features a global pandemic.  
• Read a book recommended by someone who works at your local library.  
•  Read a book described as feel-good, heartwarming, or hopeful.  Twenty-One Wishes by Debbie Macomber. Finished February 9
•  Read a graphic novel with minimally colored illustrations.  
•  Listen to an audiobook featuring multiple narrators.  

Book Challenge Afficionados

•  Read a locked room mystery.  
•  Read an epistolary novel.  
•  Read a short story collection written by a woman.  Season of Fury and Wonder by Sharon Butala. Finished March 28
•  Read a speculative novel with the theme “Vengeance is mine.”  
•  Read a novel by a trans author.  (Tip: Search AG transgender) 
•  Read a book with an unconventional or nonlinear storyline.  Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman. Finished February 17
•  Read a book selected as a best of 2020 title by NoveList staff.  Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Finished November 30
•  Read a book that is an adaptation, retelling, or spin-off of a classic.  If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. Finished June 11
•  Read a nonfiction book about antiracism.  
•  Read a book about celebrating identity. (Tip: Search TH celebrating identity) 
•  Read a book starring a main character with a disability.  Float Plan by Trish Doller. Finished February 27
•  Read a book that has been or will be made into a movie.  Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. Finished January 28

Wrap-Up of 2021 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

 Book Bingo hosted here: https://carolinabooknook.wordpress.com/2021-challenges/book-bingo-2021/

I achieved two Bingo lines for this challenge.

Bingo card:

In Support of Indie Publishers:  Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh. Finished January 3

A Book You've Been Meaning to Read but Haven't: The Blondes by Emily Schultz. Finished January 4

The Start of a Series: What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan. Finished January 5 (Jim Clemo, #1)

Herstory: Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce. Finished January 10

Your Choice: Her Aussie Holiday by Stefanie London. Finished January 13

A Book that Everyone Has Been Talking About. The Push by Ashley Audrain. Finished January 22

A Book Where a Dancer is a Protagonist: The Other Me by Saskia Sarginson. Finished January 31

Once Upon a Time: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. Finished February 5

Hobby Lobby: Improper Cross-Stitch by Haley Pierson-Cox. Finished February 6

In Love with the Typography on the Cover: The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams. Finished February 12

A Book by an Author from My Country: Midnight Cab by James W. Nichol. Finished February 18

A Book by a South Asian Author: Your Truth or Mine? by Trisha Sakhlecha. Finished March 14

Ravaged by War: The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally. Finished March 18

A Book Released in 2021: Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson. Finished March 27

Special Interest: Double-Running or Back-Stitch by Louisa F. Pesel. Finished May 6

An Eagerly Anticipated Release: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. Finished June 11

Recommended by your favourite blogger (or friend): The Dutch Wife by Eric McCormack. Finished June 13

A Genre You Don't Normally Read: It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch. Finished October 26

Wrap-Up of A-Z Reading Challenge 2021

 A-Z Reading Challenge. I did pretty good on this one, only missing X and Z for it.

I also did most of the monthly mini-challenges, except for the three spring months. 

It is hosted: https://bookstacksngoldenmoms.com/2021-atoz-reading-challenge/

The challenge is to read a book starting with each letter of the alphabet.

A Armadillo by William Boyd. Finished January 7

B The Blondes by Emily Schultz. Finished January 4

C Chances Are by Kellie Coates Gilbert. Finished March 25

D The Dog Who Saved Me by Susan Wilson. Finished January 16

E Everything At Last by Kimberly Lang. Finished April 7

F Float Plan by Trish Doller. Finished February 27

G Gravity Is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty. Finished March 14

H Hearts of Stone by Simon Scarrow. Finished January 3

I Improper Cross-Stitch by Haley Pierson-Cox. Finished February 6

J Juliet's Answer by Glenn Dixon. Finished April 8

K Keep Saying Their Names by Simon Stranger. Finished December 9

L  The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke. Finished February 13

M Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce. Finished January 10

N Nowhere Is a Place by Bernice McFadden. Finished February 2

O The Other Me by Saskia Sarginson. Finished January 31

P The Push by Ashley Audrain. Finished January 22

Q Quakeland by Kathryn Miles. Finished August 29

R Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane. Finished February 16

S Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley. Finished January 16

T Twenty-One Wishes by Debbie Macomber. Finished February 9

U The Usual Santas. Finished January 16

V  Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh, Finished January 3

W What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan. Finished January 5

X

Y Your Truth or Mine? by Trisha Sakhlecha. Finished March 14

Z

Here are the mini-challenges: 

JANUARY – A book you purchased in 2020 but didn’t read
    Her Aussie Holiday by Stefanie London. Finished January 13
FEBRUARY – A book with non-romantic love (siblings, parent-child, friendships)

    Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane. Finished February 16
MARCH – A book written by a person of a different race than you

    Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson. Finished March 27
APRIL – A book with an Autistic main character (April is Autism Awareness)
MAY – A book about a nurse (Nat. Nurses Week 2021 is May 6-12)
JUNE – A co-written book (2 authors)
JULY – A Christmas book (Christmas in July!)

    Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah. Finished July 9
AUGUST – A book by an Indie author (self-published or independent)

    By the Light of the Crescent Moon by Ailsa Keppie. Finished August 26
SEPTEMBER – A memoir/biography

    This Is The Night Our House Will Catch Fire by Nick Flynn. Finished September 3
OCTOBER – A book written by a new-to-you author

    The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Finished October 10
NOVEMBER – A book outside your normal genre

    Autumn Bridges by Kathryn Springer, Katie Ganshert, and Beth Vogt. Finished November 4
DECEMBER – A backlist title (published BEFORE Jan 1, 2021)

    The Blackhouse by Peter May. Finished December 1

Wrap-Up of What's In a Name Reading Challenge 2021

 What's in a Name Challenge

I completed this challenge in July, but somehow missed doing a post about it until now. 

It is hosted: https://carolinabooknook.wordpress.com/2020/12/26/whats-in-a-name-2021-sign-up/

Choose 6 books that have titles that contain a:

* One / 1

     Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh. Finished January 3 

* Doubled word 

    Who Rescued Who by Victoria Schade. Finished June 8

* Reference to outer space

    The Last Stargazers by Emily Levesque. Finished May 18

* Possessive noun

    Swallow's Dance by Wendy Orr. Finished February 24

* Botanical word

    Heart of Palm by Laura Lee Smith. Finished June 5

* Article of clothing

    The Dress in the Window by Sofia Grant. Finished July 18

Wrap-Up of Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge 2021

 Pick Your Poison: 

Hosted here: http://gregoryroad.blogspot.com/2020/01/new-years-resolutions.html

There are a variety of levels. I aimed for Fortnightly level. I read the required number of books, but didn't manage to get one from each grouping. I always have trouble with ones around favourites, as I don't have definite favourites in authors, colours, etc. 

1.  Challenges: A Book about Overcoming Obstacles: Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh. Finished January 3 

2. Those Bodies: A Book with a Picture of the Ocean on the Cover: Hearts of Stone by Simon Scarrow. Finished January 3

3. TBR Burners: A Book That Has Been on Your TBR List More than a Year: The Blondes by Emily Schultz. Finished January 4

4. The Tools of Writing: A Paperback Book: What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan. Finished January 5

5. That Creepy Feeling: A Book with an Insect on the Cover: Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce. Finished January 10

6. TBR Burners: Anything You Want: Her Aussie Holiday by Stefanie London. Finished January 13

7. Picture This: A book by a journalist or news photographer. Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley. Finished January 16

8. Shapes and Colours: A Book with a Shape on the Cover that Reminds You of a Rorschach Test. The Push by Ashley Audrain. Finished January 22

9. Reflections: A Book with a Mirror on the Cover: The Other Me by Saskia Sarginson. Finished January 31

10. Weather: A Book with the word "Snow" in the title: Snow by John Banville. Finished February 4

12. Drinking Game: A Book Title That Could Be a Drinking Game: Twenty-One Wishes by Debbie Macomber. Finished February 9

13. Reflections: A Memoir: Uncharted by Kim Brown Seely. Finished February 10

14. Shh: A Book with the word "secret" in the title: The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams. Finished February 12

15. Occupations: A Book Written by a College Professor: Breathless by Nancy K. Miller. Finished February 14

16. Wildcards: A Book by Two or More Authors: The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber and Christine Trent. Finished February 21

17. Borrowing: A Book Borrowed from the Library: Dig by A.S. King. Finished February 25

18. Wildcard: A Book Published in 2021: Float Plan by Trish Doller. Finished February 27

19. Challenges: A Book Over 500 Pages: The Brothers York by Thomas Penn. Finished March 5

20. That Creepy Feeling: A Horror Story or Thriller. Foe by Iain Reid. Finished March 6

21. Shapes and Colors: A Book with a Primarily Black Cover: The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. Finished March 8

22. Favourites: A Book in Your Favourite Genre: Gravity Is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty. Finished March 14

23. Borrowing: A Book Written by an Author with a Pseudonym: Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles. Finished March 16 

24. Where You Sleep at Night: A Book with the Word "House" in the title: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. Finished March 18

25. Drinking Game: A Book with a Picture of an Alcoholic Beverage on the Cover: Finbar's Hotel by Dermot Bolger, Roddy Doyle, Anne Enright, Hugo Hamilton, Jennifer Johnston, Joseph O'Connor, and Colm Toibin. Finished March 31

26. Ways to Die: A Book with a Knife on the Cover: Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson. Finished April 4

27. Shhh: A Book with a Peaceful Cover: Everything at Last by Kimberly Lang. Finished April 7

28. Those Bodies: A Book with a Dead Body on the Cover: The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths. Finished April 10

29. Make 'Em Laugh" A Book with a Pun in the Title: Worth the Weight by Mara Jacobs. Finished May 4

30. Crossing Boundaries: A Book about an Interracial Romance: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. Finished May 14

31. Occupations: A Book about a Scientist. The Last Stargazers by Emily Levesque. Finished May 18

32. Borrowing: A Book with a Character from a Different Book: Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. Finished May 22 (This is the third in a series, so several characters were in the previous books)

33. Weather: A Book with a Picture of Clear Blue Sky on the Cover: Heart of Palm by Laura Lee Smith. Finished June 5

34. Bringing the World Into Your Home: A Book about Taking in a Stranger: The Dutch Wife by Eric McCormack. Finished June 13

35. Borrowing: A Fairytale or Myth Retelling in a Modern Setting: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. Finished June 11 

36. Occupations: A Book about a Librarian or a Bookseller: The Widening Stain by W. Bolingbroke Johnson. Finished June 16

37. Bringing the World Into Your Home: A Book about Radio, Television, or the Internet has Changed Us: Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch. Finished July 1

38. The Tools of Writing: A Book with a Typewriter on the Cover: The Poetry of Strangers by Brian Sonia-Wallace. Finished July 23

39. It's All Relative: A Book Set in Your Grandparents' Era: Hannah's War by Jan Eliasberg. Finished July 30.

40. Wildcards: A Collection of Essays: Crazy Salad by Nora Ephron. Finished August 10

41. Putting 2020 Behind Us: A Book Set After a Major World Event: Reset by Sarina Dahlan. Finished August 31

42. It's All Relative: A Book You'd Share with Your Child: Outside, You Notice by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Andrea Blinick. Finished September 3

43. Reflections: A Fiction Book about Reminiscing: Last Impressions by Joseph Kertes. Finished September 6

44. TBR Burners: A Book You're Excited to Read: Molly of the Mall by Heidi L.M. Jacobs. Finished September 17

45. Swashbuckling: A Book with a Map on the Cover: The Mapmaker's Dream by James Cowan. Finished October 15

46. Things We Don't Talk About: A Book About Oppression: The Book Collectors by Delphine Minoui. Finished October 16

47. Plaids: A Book with a Kilt on its Cover: It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch. Finished October 26

48. Things We Don't Talk About: A Book About Terminal Illness. Crow by Amy Spurway. Finished October 28

49. The Tools of Writing: A Book with "Words" in the Title: The Saddest Words by Michael Gorra. Finished November 9

50. Shapes and Colors: A Book by an Author Whose Name is a Color: Easy Crafts for the Insane by Kelly Williams Brown. Finished November 12

51. Plaids: A Book written by Someone from Scotland: The Blackhouse by Peter May. Finished December 1

52. Where You Sleep at Night: A Book About a Haunted House: Keep Saying Their Names by Simon Stranger. Finished December 8

53: Wildcard: A Book by an Author under 30: Dirty Work by Anna Maxymiw. Finished December 16

Wrap-Up of 2021 Aussie Author Reading Challenge

Aussie Author Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted at: https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/reading-challenges/aussie-author-challenge-2021-australian-writers-book-reviews

I went for the Wallaroo level again this year, and I met the challenge.

WALLAROO
Read and review 6 books written by Australian authors, of which at least 2 of those authors are female, at least 2 of those authors are male, and at least 2 of those authors are new to you; Fiction or non-fiction, at least 2 different genre.

1. Her Aussie Holiday by Stefanie London. Finished January 13 (female, new to me)

2. The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke. Finished February 13 (female)

3. Gravity Is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty. Finished March 14 (female, new to me)

4. The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally. Finished March 21 (male, new to me)

5. Shiver by Allie Reynolds. Finished March 18 (female, new to me)

6. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. Finished September 7 (female)

7. The Mapmaker's Dream by James Cowan. Finished October 15 (male, new to me)