Book Bingo - Round 1 #BookBingo2020

Welcome back to Book Bingo for 2020. This year I am completing two book bingo challenges so I'm assuming that a few of the books will crossover with both challenges.

Book Bingo is a reading challenge hosted by Theresa Smith Writes , Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse. The second Saturday of each month book bingo participants reveal which bingo category they have read and what book they chose. 

This week I have chosen the category ''Coming of Age"

A Coming of Age

For this category I have chosen "Such a Fun Age".  

This was an interesting book about race, class, white saviour complex and do-gooders.  However it also had themes of growing up and at 25 Emira was still uncertain what she wanted to do with her life. She was currently hired as a babysitter, a job that was usually associated with 16 year olds. A roller coaster series of events cause Emira to take stock of her life and force her to take action.

You can read my full review here 

#BookBingo2020 

Book Review: Lost but Found (Rescue dogs and their stories of adoption) by Peter Sharp

Lost but Found

by

Peter Sharp

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication date: 29th October 2019
Genre: Non Fiction
Pages: 216
RRP: $24.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

In Lost but Found , you will meet forty special dogs who have spent time at the Home. Their stories reveal how the dogs came to be lost, how and why they were in the shelter, and the love and care they received while there and in their new forever homes.

Fully illustrated and with both before- and after-adoption photography from award-winning pet photographer Peter Sharp of Tame & Wild Studio, this touching collection of precious pups will warm the hearts of animal lovers near and far.

About Sydney Dogs & Cats Home:

Sydney dogs and cats home is unique in its ability and commitment to find that ‘one in a million’ owner for animals in their care, as well as that ‘one in a million’ pet for people looking to adopt.

The home services multiple councils across Sydney, they take care of some 3,000 lost, abandoned and neglected pets each year. If they are unable to reunite a pet with its owner, they seek to find them a new and loving home.

The home has an extensive network of foster carers who take animals temporarily into care if they are not coping with the shelter life or if the shelter is at capacity. The home has a strict no-time-limit policy on every animal awaiting adoption.

If you would like to find out more about adopting or fostering please see the Home’s webite sydneydogsandcatshome.org

My thoughts on the book: 

You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy this gorgeous book. The 40 dogs featured all have a story, each one different and interesting, of how they came to the home, the search for their owners and the story of how their new adoptive owners came to the shelter and found them. There is a follow up with each dog’s new owners saying how they are getting on with cute details about their antics and bonding.

The parts of the book I really loved were the interviews with the dogs which were quite often funny. Then each dog has a photo shoot with Peter Sharp. I can see why Peter is revered as a pet photographer. The photos were cute, charming and funny and showed off each dog’s personality.

The book also explains the senior pet project which is something I’ve never heard of before. In this project they adopt out older dogs in their twilight years. There are advantages to this for some people as the dogs need less exercise, the commitment is shorter and the dogs lead a quieter life. The new owners have the satisfaction that they have made the dog’s last years of life loving and comfortable.

A few important points on finding a new friend, microchipping and desexing are also included.

      

                         🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  5/5 (how can you not love a cute book of dog photos)

Peter Sharp is a Sydney-based photographer who has had a love of animals for as long as he can remember. Peter does all the photography for the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, while also running his business Tame & Wild Studio, and volunteering his services at three not-for-profit organisations. 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge  

and part of the NonFiction reader challenge Category: Nature. 

 

Book Review: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid #BRPreview

Such a Fun Age

by

Kiley Reid

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing 
Publication date: 7th January 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction 
Pages: 320
RRP: $29.99 AU
Format read: Uncorrected proof paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. A mother to two small girls, she started out as a blogger and has quickly built herself into a confidence-driven brand. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains’ toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make it right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix’s desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix’s past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone “family,” the complicated reality of being a grown up, and the consequences of doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

Alix Chamberlain is a rich online influencer, feminist and does speaking events on women in the workplace. She is trying to land a job on the Hilary Clinton campaign. Alix employs Emira Tucker, a 25 year old black college graduate to babysit her three year old daughter Briar. Emira uses the babysitting to supplement her typing job. Emira is well educated with a college degree so she feels babysitting, as much as she loves it, is not a permanent job. She quite enjoys looking after the inquisitive three year old but both jobs are seen as temporary while she decides what to do with her life.

Whilst the story centres on Emira and Alix’s relationship we are also introduced to Emira’s love interest, Kelley, who just so happens to have some connection to Alix from their High School days. This brings quite an interesting mix of emotions into the story as both Kelley and Alix think they need to protect Emira from each other.

The story is told from the perspective of both Emira and Alix and while it was an easy fun read it brought up some relevant issues concerning race, class, white saviour complex and do-gooders who think they know what is best for everyone else. Kiley Reid addresses these issues with a light tone and sensitivity. She also explores different friendships and how sometimes even our best friends get it wrong in trying to control help in our life.

These tough topics are interspersed with touching interactions between Emira and her charge, Briar. These were quite heart-warming to read.

I am certain this book will be much talked about when it is released. It would make a great book club read.

Kiley Reid is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, where she was awarded the Truman Capote Fellowship. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a babysitter for six years. Such a Fun Age is her first novel. 

 

Book Review: The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths & The Quest Diaries of Max Crack by Jules Faber

Now that Christmas is firmly behind us and the new toys have all been played with parents and children are faced with a long school holiday period to fill.

What is better than books to keep your children occupied and amused. 

Children have the wonderful capacity to read the same book over and over and not be bored with it. Knowing what is going to happen in the story seems to enhance their reading experience, not hinder it. I'm sure you can remember a book you read a gazillion times as a child. 

Today I have two hilarious books that will keep children occupied for hours.

The Treehouse Joke Book

by Andy Griffiths

Illustrated by Terry Denton 

Publisher:Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication date: 24th September 2019
Imprint: Pan Australia
Genre: Children's / Junior Fiction
Pages: 304
RRP: $12.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Andy and Terry live in the world's craziest treehouse. They like making books and telling jokes. And now they've made the world's funniest jokebook!

From bears to birds, penguins to pirates and skeletons to space, there are gags galore. Perfect for fans of the Treehouse series!

The Treehouse Joke Book from the best selling authors of the Treehouse Series has 293 pages of rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud jokes. There are bear jokes, dinosaur jokes, music jokes, pirate jokes, space jokes and many more in the 26 different categories of jokes.

Q: What kind of ant is good at maths?
A: An account-ant

Q: Where do books sleep?
A: Between their covers.

Q: Why did the girl tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?
A: She didn't want to wake the sleeping pills.

There are hundreds more! A wonderful book to share with a child, Well, they will need to try the jokes on someone!

The children I shared the book with loved the jokes and thought the book was funny. 

🌟🌟🌟🌟

My rating   4/5

 

Photo credit: Macmillan Aus

Andy Griffiths is one of Australia's most popular children's authors. He and illustrator Terry Denton have collaborated on more than 30 bestselling books since their first title, Just Tricking, was published in 1997.

In Australia Andy and Terry's books have sold over 10 million copies, won 80 children's choice awards and 10 Australian Book Industry Awards-including Book of the Year for The 52-Storey Treehouse in 2015. 

Andy is a passionate advocate for literacy and in 2015 was awarded the Dromkeen Medal to honour his outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature. He is also an ambassador for both The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation.
 

About the Illustrator

Photo credit: Macmillan Aus

Terry Denton is a writer and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. His work is mainly humour-based cartoon style.


Terry Denton has illustrated bestsellers such as the JUST! series and the Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths. He has three children and is the owner of a back garden burial ground for dead pets. 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

The Quest Diaries of Max Crack 

by

Jules Faber

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 27th August 2019

Imprint: Pan Australia

Genre: Children's / Junior Fiction

Pages: 204

RRP: $12.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Hi everyone! I'm Max Crack and this awesome book is all about me and my quests and my best friend Frankie!
Buried treasure, new school, doodles, peanut butter and honey toast, best friends, horrible blobs, mysteries, Meddlyslop, spelling bees (hard words, harder words), more doodles, comics, World War Undies ... this book has it ALL. 

Written in diary form we follow Max as he traverses the minefield that is the New Kid in town.

It's Max's first day in Piddown and Max makes a list of things he wants to achieve - his quest.

1. Make a best friend

2. Explore the new town

3. Win a trophy

4. Solve a mystery

5. Get my picture in the paper

On his first day out he meets Frankie and they quickly become firm friends. Max is an only child and Frankie is one of eight. Through Frankie, Max learns about sharing and the ups and downs of friendship and that it involves give and take. Together they compete in the spelling bee, earn some pocket money and solve a mystery.

The Quest Diaries is a story with lots of humour. Not only told in the written word but also very visual with different fonts, funny drawings and etchings. Some of the story is told in comic form. There are lots of fart jokes, gross stuff and embarrassing moments. All the things kids love to read and laugh about.

There are blank pages at the end of the book to write your own quest list and sketch a picture or two.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  4/5

Jules Faber is a cartoonist and illustrator, most well-known for illustrating the WeirDo series by comedian Anh Do, for which they've won multiple awards, including Book of the Year for Older Children at the Australian Book Industry Awards.
He's also illustrated David Warner's 'Kaboom Kid' series, Michael Pryor's 'Leo Da Vinci' series, Alex Ratt's Stinky Street Stories and some of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki's science books.
When he's not illustrating books, Jules loves reading books and graphic novels, and collecting comics. He has served four, two-year terms as the President of the Australian Cartoonists Association and is a Member of the CBCA NSW Committee.



This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

 

 

My 2020 Reading Challenges

 

It's no secret I love reading challenges and this year I have decided to sign up for a couple of new challenges that I've seen mentioned around the blogosphere and on Facebook.

I will again be joining the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

The objective of this reading challenge is to showcase the quality and diversity of the books being produced by Australian authors.

I will again sign up for KANGAROO level:
Read and review 12 titles written by Australian Authors of which at least 4 of those authors are female, at least 4 of those authors are male, and at least 4 of those authors are new to you; Fiction or non-fiction, at least 3 different genre.

However if I can increase my male Aussie authors I may acheive the new level of EMU
Read and review 24 titles written by Australian Authors of which at least 10 of those authors are female, at least 10 of those authors are male, and at least 10 of those authors are new to you; Fiction or non-fiction, at least 4 different genre.

To see the full details and to sign up please visit 

https://bookloverbookreviews.com/reading-challenges/aussie-author-reading-challenge-2020

Another favourite of mine is the Australian Women Writers challenge which I will be participating in again in 2020. 
I chose to nominate my own goal to read and review 30 books. 

You can find the full details and sign up links here 

http://australianwomenwriters.com/sign-up/

2020 Book Bingo challenge.

This is a collaboration between Mrs B’s Book reviews, Theresa Smith Writes & The Book Muse. However these lovely bloggers are more than  happy for other readers to join in.

Fill one square on the second Saturday of each month.

 You can find the full details at Theresa Smith Writes.

https://theresasmithwrites.com/2019/12/22/bookbingo2020-the-big-reveal/

New challenges I will be joining this year are:

The 2020 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out

There are three challenges levels and as I am not a huge Nonfiction reader I will be joining Nipper level.

Nonfiction Nipper : Read 3 books, from any category
Nonfiction Nibbler : Read 6 books, from any category
Nonfiction Know-It-All : Read 12 books, one for each category

To get more information or join please visit Book'd Out

https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/2020-nonfiction-reader-challenge/ 

Another new to me is the Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by Passages to the Past. I found this challenge via Carpe Librum, thanks Tracey.

 

There are 6 levels and I will be joining Victorian Reader level

20th Century Reader - 2 books
Victorian Reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 books
Ancient History - 25 books
Prehistoric - 50+ books

You can find out the full details at Passages to the Past

http://www.passagestothepast.com/2019/12/2020-historical-fiction-reading.html

And my last one is another bingo challenge with Facebook group Books and Bites with Monique Mulligan