Wrap-up of my 2021 Reading Challenges - Let's see how I went!

It's that time of year when we look back over our challenge pledges and see how we went.

You can read my 2021 sign up post HERE

My first one was the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

I signed up for the EMU level

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.

My completed challenge was:
58 x Female authors, 10 x Male authors, 40 x New to me authors, 8 x Genres. With a total of 68 books read.

 

I am a bit disappointed with my male Australian authors this year and will endeavour to increase this in 2022.

 

You can see the full list of books HERE 

 

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Next up was the Australian Women Writers Challenge 

 

 

 

I nominated to read and review 30 books for this challenge.

My completed challenge was 58 books read and reviewed.

You can see the full list of books HERE

 

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This was my second year with the Non Fiction readers challenge.

 

 

There were three challenge levels and I joined Nipper level

 Nonfiction Nipper : Read 3 books, from any category

 

I read four Non Fiction books but they only fit into 2 of the categories listed.

You can see my list of books HERE 

 

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This was my second year with the Historical Fiction challenge hosted by The Intrepid Reader

 

 There were 6 different reading levels and I will joined:

 Renaissance Reader - 10 books.

 

I completed this challenge by reading 12 books.

You can see my list of books HERE 

 

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 New to me in 2021 was the Cloak & Dagger Challenge 

 

 

There were 5 levels and I signed up for the lowest level:

Amateur sleuth 5 - 15 books

 

I completed this challenge by reading 20 books.

You can see my list of books HERE 

 

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 Well that's a wrap for 2021. I will be dropping some of my challenges in 2022 as they are very time consuming adding all the links. However I have found a couple of new ones that look like fun.
Look out for my 2022 challenge sign up post coming soon!

 

#AussieAuthor2021   #AWW2021  #HistFic2021 #2021ReadNonFic #cloakanddaggerchallenge  

 

 

Goodreads: Year in Books Meme 2021

 

 

This is my year in books 2021!

 

I read 26,618 pages over 109 books 

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Longest book                                                     Shortest book

576                                                                     20

pages                                                                  pages

 

                                                    

 

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Average book length in 2021 was 241 pages 

 

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Most popular                                                                          Least popular

321,215                                                                                   0

people also shelved                                                               People also shelved

 

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My average rating for 2021 was 4.3 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

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 My favourite book of 2021 was....  

 

I read 109 books in 2021 of which 49 were 5 star reads.
I have to admit of those 5 star reads 14 were children’s books. I can't really pick a stand out favourite this year, I loved so many.

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The year in books meme is hosted by Bite Into Books so head over and see her post. Why not join in and post a link to your year in books.   

 

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 I read 67 books by Australian authors and of these 56 were female authors.

I big thanks to everyone who supported my blog, my subscribers, readers, those that left a comment and the wonderful publishers and authors who supply the books for reviews and giveaways.

I'm looking forward to more great books, reviews, giveaways, memes and bookish tags during 2022.  

 

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

 

 

Book Review: The Fossil Hunter by Tea Cooper

 The Fossil Hunter

by

Tea Cooper

 

A rare fossil, an unsolved mystery, a trail into the past....

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 27th October 2021

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 384

 

RRP: $32.99 AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Wollombi, The Hunter Valley 1847

The last thing Mellie Vale remembers before the fever takes her is running through the bush as a monster chases her - but no one believes her story. In a bid to curb Mellie's overactive imagination, her benefactors send her to visit a family friend, Anthea Winstanley. Anthea is an amateur paleontologist with a dream. She is convinced she will one day find proof the great sea dragons - the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur - swam in the vast inland sea that millions of years ago covered her property at Bow Wow Gorge, and soon Mellie shares that dream for she loves fossil hunting too...

1919
When Penelope Jane Martindale arrives home from the battlefields of World War 1 with the intention of making her peace with her father and commemorating the death of her two younger brothers in the trenches, her reception is not as she had hoped. Looking for distraction, she finds a connection between a fossil at London's Natural History museum and her brothers which leads her to Bow Wow Gorge. But the gorge has a sinister reputation - 70 years ago people disappeared. So when PJ uncovers some unexpected remains, it seems as if the past is reaching into the present and she becomes determined to discover what really happened all that time ago...

 

My review

 

It was such a lovely coincidence that I picked up The Fossil Hunter to read after I had just returned from a weekend in Wollombi. This made the setting so easy to picture even though i had seen it over 100 years after the book is set I feel nothing much has really changed in this small town.

 

The Fossil Hunter is a dual time-line narrative with both time-lines (1847 &  1919) set in the past.

Tea Cooper's main characters are women interested in paleontology which was regarded as a strange pastime and was even cause for many rumours to morph and grow as the years passed.

 

I enjoyed how Cooper made paleontology interesting and even a little exciting. It is something I had never really thought about before.

What starts as an intriguing story of paleontology and finding fossils and possibly dinosaur bones soon turns to a compelling mystery.

 

There are times when we find questions in the second timeline which are yet to be played out in the first. I found myself eagerly reading not willing to put the book down until the final twist as Cooper adds elements of mystery and intrigue to the story. 

 

The Fossil Hunter is another fabulous read from Tea Cooper. Compelling, interesting and wonderfully immersive.

 

My rating 4.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 
 

 

About the author

 

Tea Cooper writes Australian contemporary and historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

 

https://www.teacooperauthor.com/ 

 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

                                   

                                   Historical Fiction Challenge 

 

 

Book Review: The Lolly Shop by L, B & E Hackney

The Lolly Shop

by

L, B & E Hackney 

 

Publisher: Self-published

Publication date: 6th July 2021

 

Genre: Children's chapter book

 

Pages: 142

 

Format read: paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

Join in the magic with Bax and Ethan as they make sweetness and mayhem in their lolly shop.

These lovable characters solve many problems with their special magic, loving and caring, working hard and having fun. Unfortunately they also create unexpected problems when their sweets have real magic added. Follow their triumphs and despair as they help their family through rough times.

 

My review

 

The Lolly Shop is a cute story about two boys who, wanting to help their parents out financially, make their own lollies and sell them in their lolly shop. 

The boys accidentally mix magic powder into a batch of lollies and when they taste the lollies they start to float. Thinking what great fun this is they start to mix the powder with different lollies and get different powers, such as speed, invisibility and super jumping.

 

The lolly shop was popular before but now everyone wants to try the magic lollies.

Much fun and mayhem ensues with the children playing tricks with their magic abilities. However the magic also helps some children overcome their fears.

Parents and teachers start to complain. What will the boys do to keep the children and the adults happy?

 

The Lolly Shop is fun, crazy and magical. Dot loved every minute of the story and it elicited many giggles as i was reading. I loved the interaction between the two brothers.

The two boys prove that they can work hard and keep up with their school work whilst they have a bit of fun with the magic lollies.

 

The story promotes imagination, teamwork and community spirit.

 

Recommended for 4 - 8 years

 

Dot's rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Lauren lives in a seaside suburb of Brisbane. She lives with her beautiful man, Geoffrey and their two boys Baxter and Ethan.

Together they love exploring, trying new things, laughing and being amongst nature.

 

Another pastime of theirs is story telling. Whether it be a bedtime story, a campfire story or a road trip story - they love each taking a turn and seeing where the story takes them.

They love their animals at home. They have chickens, fish, cockatiels and a recently adopted dog.

 

For many years Lauren worked in aviation however the pandemic put a stop to that so together they decided to put pen to paper and wrote this story. 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

 

 

Book Review & Giveaway: What LaVonda Robinette Did Next by Kirsten Maron

 What LaVonda Robinette Did Next

by

Kirsten Maron

 

Can she still get away with murder?

 

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 30th May 2021 

 

Genre: Cosy Crime / Humour

 

Pages: 470

 

RRP: $21.34 AUD (AmazonAU)

 

Format read: Paperback 

 

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

Three years have passed since the events that led LaVonda Robinette to murder. And yes, there are still plenty of people in her life giving her grief, including her ex-husband, her new neighbour, and a rather unwelcome character from her past.

But surely there are better ways, more creative outlets, for LaVonda to manage her frustrations than by committing murder?

Well, perhaps.

When she is faced with an unusual proposal, LaVonda must make one of the most difficult decisions in her life. A decision that has serious consequences and will force her to decide just how far she is willing to go to protect herself and her family.

Can she bring herself to kill someone in cold blood? Does she still have what it takes? Can LaVonda Robinette really go through with committing another murder?

Perhaps she already has.

 

My review:

 

In What LaVonda Robinette Did Next, LaVonda is back with her murderous thoughts in the sequel to What Would LaVonda Robinette Do? 

Kirsten Maron has delivered another outrageously funny story starring the morally skewed LaVonda Robinette. I think this second book is even better than the first book!!

Can LaVonda's family get any more crazy? Oh yes they can!

LaVonda has started her own cleaning business and as she gets to know some of her clients she comes to think there are some people who don't deserve to be on this earth.

LaVonda takes it upon herself to put the wrongs of the world right. A one woman vigilante and fabulous anti-hero.

A chance encounter with a former workmate leaves LaVonda with a moral dilemma and every situation she tries to sort out leaves her further in trouble.

"..there was a reason she hadn't bothered to keep in touch with any of her old workmates; they were all a little boring and annoying. And heaven knows, LaVonda had enough annoying people in her life without cultivating more."

LaVonda is menopausal, cranky and intolerant and can't understand why people have to be so irritating.

Maron has a witty and sharp sense of humour and clever observance of people's foibles and pet hates. I found myself agreeing with LaVonda more than once.

LaVonda's wild imagination and internal monologue had me laughing out loud.

I found myself eagerly reading to find out what LaVonda would do next and I had to force myself not to skip a few pages and read forward as the suspense built.

Kirsten Maron includes a host of diverse characters and I liked that their diversity wasn't the main focus. They are portrayed as any other character, their sexuality or disability does not override the plot.

With What LaVonda Robinette Did Next Kirsten Maron has proven herself in the cosy crime / humour genre. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

Kirsten Maron writes fictional stories and What Would LaVonda Robinette Do? is her second completed book. Don't bother looking for her first book; she decided she hated the ending and scrapped the whole thing.

Kirsten has been creating stories since she first learned to write and at the age of six won her first literary and only award with a cunning retelling of Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are.

The frustrations of middle-age provided Kirsten with the authorial fuel for writing her second book, but of course, unlike LaVonda, she would never actually murder anyone.

Kirsten lives in rural NSW with her husband and several bossy kangaroos. She is currently working on her third novel; a sequel called What LaVonda Robinette Did Next.

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

 

 

Thanks to the outstanding generosity of the author I have 4 double sets of the books to give away. 

 

GIVEAWAY 

This giveaway is now closed and the winners were announced HERE

Book Review: Happy Hour by Jacquie Byron

Happy Hour

by

Jacquie Byron 

 

Franny loves her dogs, her cocktails and her solitude. But life has other plans...

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 31st August 2021

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $32.99 AUD

 

Format read: Uncorrected proof paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Gin in one hand, paintbrush in the other, Franny Calderwood has turned her back on the world, or at least the world she used to love. Having lost her husband, Frank, in tragic circumstances three years earlier, 65-year-old Franny copes the only way she knows how: by removing herself completely from the life she had before. Franny lives a life of decadent seclusion, with only her two dogs, Whisky and Soda, a stuffed cat, cocktails and the memory of Frank for company.

Then the Salernos move in next door. The troubled but charming trio - beleaguered mother Sallyanne, angry teenager Dee and eccentric eight-year-old Josh - cannot help but pull Franny into the drama of their lives. But despite her fixation with independence, Franny's wisecracks and culinary experiments hide considerable trauma and pain, and when her eccentric behaviour has life-threatening consequences she faces a reckoning of sorts. Yes, Frank is dead, but did the woman he loved have to perish with him?

A story about one woman, two dogs and the family next door, Happy Hour is a hilarious and uplifting insight into grief, loss, true love and friendship.

 

My review:

 

Happy Hour is a thought provoking story of love, loss, friendship and forgiveness.

 

People often ask 'what book changed your life' and I can never really think of a book that was so profound it literally changed my life. However, I think Happy Hour has come close by changing my attitude towards friends I may have given up on a little too easily.

Franny is wallowing in self pity. For the last three years, since the death of her beloved husband, Franny has spent her days with her dogs and her memories, clock watching until she can have that first drink of the day. She has pushed everyone out of her life.

I loved Franny's family and friends who consistently rang her and asked her over, never giving up after three long years of excuses.

At times her self pity became too much for me and I did feel annoyed with her. And then Jacquie Byron gives us this quote....

"No one can criticise the way someone else handles grief." (so true)

Many part of Happy Hour are heart-breaking but there are also many heartwarming situations surrounding the blossoming inter-generational friendship between Franny and her young neighbours.

Byron puts her characters in difficult situations that make the reader stop and think about their own reaction to these situations.

Humour offers lightness in a book heavy with themes of loss, grief and alcohol abuse.

 

Happy Hour is a story that will make you stop and think. A fabulous debut! Funny, engaging and heartwarming. 

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Jacquie Byron grew up with wishing-chairs and Trixie Belden. Her love of reading morphed into a love of writing, leading her to study journalism while waitressing her way around various bars and tables in Melbourne and, for a short stint, the UK. Collecting and sharing stories has kept her busy professionally for more than twenty-five years, taking her from the Ogden Museum in New Orleans to an IDP camp in Uganda. Shocking herself as much as those around her, Jacquie has been a motoring writer, a jewellery editor, a fashion publicist and more. Today she writes for business and for pleasure. Happy Hour is her first novel. Whisky is her first cairn.

 

https://jacquiebyron.com/ 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

Book Review: Crocodile Tears by Alan Carter

Crocodile Tears

by

Alan Carter

 

from the winner of the Ngaio Marsh Awards 

 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

 

Publication date: December 2021

 

Series: Cato Kwong #5

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 336

 

RRP: $ 32.99 AUD

 

Format read: paperback

 

Source: Beauty and Lace Book Club

 

About the book

 

 Detective Philip ‘Cato’ Kwong is investigating the death of a retiree found hacked to pieces in his suburban home. The trail leads to Timor-Leste, with its recent blood-soaked history. There, he reunites with an old frenemy, the spook Rory Driscoll who, in Cato’s experience, has always occupied a hazy moral terrain.
Resourceful, multilingual, and hard as nails, Rory has been the government's go-to guy when things get sticky in the Asia-Pacific. Now Rory wants out. But first he’s needed to chaperone a motley group of whistleblowers with a price on their heads. And there’s one on his, too.

 

My review: 

 

My first introduction to Cato Kwong was with Getting Warmer which is book #2. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t feel it imperative to read book #1. However with Crocodile Tears book #5 I did feel like I had missed something. I do have books #3 & #4 on my shelf. I just haven’t found that every elusive time to read them.
 

I loved the Australianisms in Crocodile Tears, shown through the language, scenery and general laid back attitude of the characters.
 

Alan Carter has given his readers a twisty political thriller that has multiple plot lines running through it. I was intrigued to see how the different plots would come together and Carter managed to tie them all in nicely, pulling out surprise after surprise.
 

Returning nightmares and a reliance on anxiety medication see Cato in a bad way. However he still gives the case his all. He likes to get to the real answers and won’t let go of a case until he is totally satisfied, often putting his own life in danger. I didn’t see the humour of his previous book with the jams that Cato found himself in. He was more broken in this book and I assume this was Carter’s way of ending the series although I did find it a sad ending to Cato’s illustrious career.
 

The plot moves from Perth to Tasmania, Darwin and Timor-Leste. A fast paced police procedural that involves murder, greed, ambition, hatred and spies. No one can be trusted and strings are being pulled by Government authorities to suit their own agenda.
 

Crocodile Tears was my first introduction to Rory Driscoll; a likeable anti-hero who came across as a good bloke. He professes that he is retired, happy to spend his days fishing, but I would love to see him have his own series.
 

Although I am sad to see him go, I found Crocodile Tears an acceptable end to the Cato Kwong series.

 

 

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author 

Alan Carter is an award-winning crime author and sometimes television documentary director. His Cato Kwong series – Prime Cut, Getting Warmer and Bad Seed – has been published in the UK, France, Germany and Spain. His latest novel, Marlborough Man, is set in New Zealand. Alan was born in Sunderland, UK and immigrated to Australia in 1991. These days he divides his time between his house near the beach in Fremantle and a hobby farm up a remote valley in New Zealand. In his spare time he follows a black line up and down the local swimming pool. Alan Carter has won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (2018) and the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction (2011).

 

Challenges entered: Aussie Author Challenge

                                 Cloak and Dagger Challenge