Aussie Readers discussion

As well as the normal challenges here on GR, I've decided to challenge myself to read as many books...well 52 to be precise...on John F Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and anyone related to them or their history. According to my friend Kathryn, here on GR, I seem to be a bit obsessed with this topic and subject matter. I think she may be right!!! I'm hoping to include both non-fiction, memoir, biography style books as well as fiction.

I have already read one towards this challenge this year so I'll it include here now.

Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir . I gave it 4 stars.

Hope I've done this correctly!!

My review for this book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

52 books!! You'll be able to write one of your own after all that research, Elaine! Unless you're thoroughly sick of the topic after reading 52 books on it!

Are you planning to read all those this year, or is it going to be an on-going challenge?

Gosh Kathryn, it would be awesome to be able to write but I don't think I have the discipline involved. I do love the research part of it though. Yes I was planning on reading them all this year. Probably a bit ambitious of me I know!!! I just figured that's one a week as well as fitting in some of the other challenges. I was hoping to average about 2 books a week.One for this challenge and one other. We'll see. You're probably right though I think I may be sick of it by then. And I don't even know if I can get that many books on the subject. Although I will go off on a bit of a tangent and read some others on other Kennedy's and others involved closely with them. At the moment this family fascinates me. Talk about needing to get a life!!

Wow what a challenge Elaine! Congratulations:) Good luck with finding that many on the topic too;)

I imagine there are hundred of books on conspiracy theories and you’d never run out of subject matter.

Thanks Brenda. I think between all The Kennedys and then looking at Jackie's life after JFK I might come close. That's the plan anyway. Sharon there are loads of books on the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's assassination, many of them released last year for the 50th anniversary. I'm not really that interested in the theories...more about his life and those close to him. I may read a few new books about the assassination but not really keen to rehash any old theories. I think 50 years on and people will still be coming up with theories about who really killed Kennedy!!

Wow, that's a lot. Well done.

Tanvi wrote: "Wow, that's a lot. Well done."

Thanks Tanvi but I haven't done it yet!! Not even sure if I'll get there but it will be fun trying. :)

Great challenge Elaine. Good luck and enjoy :)

Thanks Sharon. :)

Elaine wrote: "Tanvi wrote: "Wow, that's a lot. Well done."

Thanks Tanvi but I haven't done it yet!! Not even sure if I'll get there but it will be fun trying. :)"

Whoops, my mistake! Well, good luck!

You'll definitely have fun trying Elaine:)

Tanvi wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Tanvi wrote: "Wow, that's a lot. Well done."

Thanks Tanvi but I haven't done it yet!! Not even sure if I'll get there but it will be fun trying. :)"

Whoops, my mistake! Well, good ..."

Thanks Tanvi. I knew what you meant and Brenda I just figured if I'm going to read some of these books I might as well make them count towards my goal.

Incredible idea for a challenge; I can fully understand being so involved with a topic. Wishing you every success:)

Elaine wrote: "Tanvi wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Tanvi wrote: "Wow, that's a lot. Well done."

Thanks Tanvi but I haven't done it yet!! Not even sure if I'll get there but it will be fun trying. :)"

Whoops, my mistak..."

Good idea Elaine!!

Bette wrote: "Incredible idea for a challenge; I can fully understand being so involved with a topic. Wishing you every success:)"

Thanks Bette. I tend to go off on a tangent like this and read as many books as I can on a subject I'm interested in and then I can't bear to read anymore!!! Hopefully this won't be the case with this topic until I've completed or am close to completing the challenge.

Just finished my second for this challenge Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images of the Kennedys . I thoroughly enjoyed it. The photograph on the cover of JFK and his son is such a touching image.
My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lovely review Elaine:)

Thanks Brenda. It's a lovely book.

:)

Finished my 3rd for this challenge. Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books . It was interesting and I gave it 3 stars. I think I'm on track with one book a week.

I've been thinking about your challenge. What made you become so interested?

Sharon it all started last year when I read JFK: The Smoking Gun which captivated me. That read happened to coincide with the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination and there was a lot of stuff on TV and a lot of new books being released. I just became fascinated and I figured if I'm going to read some books about him and that period I'd make them count towards my reading goal.

Wow Sharon I just looked you up and discovered two things about you. One is that you're the author that wrote A Woman Transported, which I really want to read and two that we share a birthday..29th March. I feel a bit foolish now that I hadn't made the connection before!!! About you being the author that is, not the birthday!! I know that you have another book as well that a lot of members have been raving about.Haven't added that one yet but I might have to. I'm in awe now!!! :)

Oh, Elaine, nothing Wow about me. I am just a reader who writes who decided that I didn't want a writer photograph. I decided to forgo convention. I hate photographs but my avata photograph is precious to me and is of my husband and daughter and self at my 45th birthday and our daughters 14th birthday, and our 15th Anniversary. My birthday is the 29th as your slooth and private eye skills discovered and our daughter 4th April...I had a lovely 31st birthday - our precious gem that has now turned into an almost 17 year old teenager, that I want to swipe now and again :D

We got married on my 30th birthday, which I suggest no one ever do, because every anniversary for a few years, my husband thought it was all about his anniversary, and I was a bit pinged that he seemed to forget it was my birthday LOL

I'd be happy to send you an electronic version of A Woman Transported if you have any type of ereader..epub or kindle or pdf, that way if you don't like it, I won't feel guilty for you paying for it LOL

As for sharing birthdays....I will have a drink for you :D oh, unless you live someone close, in which case we could share straws?

Thanks so much for the offer Sharon but I don't like reading ebooks, I just discovered.This Jackie biography that I just finished was an ebook I downloaded from the library onto my laptop. It wasn't available in hard copy. I hated it. Not the book the fact I couldn't take it to bed. I don't have a smaller device. I am a bit resistant of ebooks, also I work at Dymocks so I kind of have to support physical books.I'm more than happy to buy your book. I like supporting our local talent and I think you need to give yourself more credit. I'm a reader but I could never write. The discipline involved and coming up with a story that people actually want to read, that is definitely deserving of a WOW!!! It's awesome. I'd love to celebrate our birthdays unfortunately we live in different states. I'll be 46 on the 29th March!!

Elaine wrote: "Thanks so much for the offer Sharon but I don't like reading ebooks, I just discovered.This Jackie biography that I just finished was an ebook I downloaded from the library onto my laptop. It wasn'..."

Elaine, I don't own an ereader and only read ebooks on my computer for other writers that I know and that happens rarely.

I have no interest in reading ebooks, which blows my mind away of how many ebooks are sold... that said I told my husband I want an ebook reader LOL so than I can make my final decision.

And argggg... I will be 47 this March LOLLOL..actually, I am not sure why I am laughing about getting that bit closer to 50 except, I guess it is kind of humbling and well there is nothing to begrudge getting to see and feel another year, I don't think

Wow that's bizarre!! We're so close in age. I'm resisting the whole ereader/ebooks craze but I think it may be only a matter of time that that's the only option, although I certainly hope not. Plus how could we have book signings and all that great stuff that goes along with books?

I've resisted the ereader because of the whole Amazon thing, where they have tried to monoplyise book sales. There is not an older reader who doesn't want to hold a book and actually that goes for those younger readers who read Harry Potter and Twilight...my daughter will not touch any book unless it is printed. She also wants to hold books.

We might be lucky that Rowling taught another generation after us to want to read and before ereaders become the main source, you have to get past this younger generation, I think.

I don't have exact figures but at this stage ebook sales are only something like 10% of total book sales world wide...and Australians are certainly leading the field of reluctance, despite a few million owning kindles or kobo readers, still want to hold a book if they can.

And oh, I don't have a book shop up here, and I'm not even sure there is now too many in Newcastle. Brenda, if she is lurking somewhere, might highlight that. I know Angus & Roberts closed down a few hundred stores and we no longer have a store here, and I'm sure Borders closed down in Newcastle but might be wrong.

Without bookstores, I wonder how signings would continue to happen...except that perhaps they will be held in librarys and within writing and reading groups.

Now Elaine, you have a challenge to get back too :D

Yes it's sad but true Sharon. Bookshops are dying out. Yes I'm about to go to bed with my book but it's so hot here in Melbourne that I don't think sleep will be possible. Oh well more time to read!!! Maybe when you write your next book Sharon you can come to Dymocks in Melbourne and do a signing???!!! One last quick question for you. Are your books available through Dymocks? I'm on holidays at the moment but when I go back I'll try and look them up.

Dymocks don't have the books listed on their site, although Angus & Roberts say they have them in stock. At the moment it appears the bookdepistory has them the cheapest including shipping. I wonder if Dymocks only list books by the big publishers.

Yes I think so Sharon. They normally only stock the more mainstream publishers. So if you're with an independent publisher or a smaller one we may not stock your books. We can get them sometimes but usually at an extra cost as they're not part of our larger distributors. I'll suss it out when I'm back at work. But I can get them through the book depository.

What a wonderfully enjoyable conversation girls! Thanks... eerie about you two too!!

We have Dymocks here (in Charlestown) Sharon, plus independent booksellers McLeans, who have stores in both Hamilton and Toronto. http://www.macleans.indies.com.au/ You could approach them with your books I'm sure:)

We also have Big W, Target, KMart of course, but Borders and Angus and Robertson both went some time back...

Elain, they are probably supplied by Inghams. And Brenda, I used to love that big Borders store. Was only in it a couple of times but it was gorgeous.

Sharon wrote: "Elain, they are probably supplied by Inghams. And Brenda, I used to love that big Borders store. Was only in it a couple of times but it was gorgeous."

I did too Sharon, it was massive. And I often sat in the coffee shop on the top level, sipping and browsing;)

Brenda wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Elain, they are probably supplied by Inghams. And Brenda, I used to love that big Borders store. Was only in it a couple of times but it was gorgeous."

I did too Sharon, it was mass..."

I wondered how many people brought books when they could sit in comfy lounges and read to their hearts content.

Haha! They wouldn't let you sit too long I would imagine;)

Thanks Brenda. I enjoyed chatting to Sharon,even though I was in awe of her being an author!!! Only kidding Sharon but I'm still impressed. Funny you should say that Sharon because one of the girls I work with, who's worked in the industry for 7 years, has the theory that the reason Borders closed down was that too many people were just going in there for the coffee and just to browse while they sat but did not actually buy books. Brenda I know the store we had here in Carlton never said anything about how long you sat for. Must say I'm guilty of having done that too, although I did also buy.

I don't know that they ever said anything, certainly not to me anyway - but I felt bad sitting too long as there were always people waiting:)

You're just more considerate than most Brenda. I'm sure there were people there that sat for hours. I know there were uni students from nearby Melbourne Uni that would sit on one coffee and do their work. They were probably using the books too!!!

Haha! Oh dear;)

Yeah, I'd take a punt that is why they couldn't be maintained...basically allowing books to be read there. The concept was brilliant, but perhaps should have had something like they do with videos...you want it for a day, you pay $2 or something LOL

Finished my 4th for this challenge, Five Days in November . Once again thoroughly enjoyed this author's book and gave it 4 stars.

Well done Elaine!

Interesting choice for a challenge. :P

Thanks for the support Guys. I'm really enjoying it. Only problem is I haven't really read any books for my other challenges!!! I will rectify that though. The plan was always to have two books going...one for this challenge and one for one of the other challenges. That's per week...Mmmm we'll see. One good thing is if I manage to finish 11/22/63 before the end of Jan, it can double for this challenge and my January challenge Book recommendations and TBR. So fingers crossed.

Good luck Elaine! You can do it:)

Liam wrote: "Interesting choice for a challenge. :P"

Probably not many would find it interesting Liam but I'm just fascinated by it at the moment. I'll probably be sick of it by the end of the challenge though...if I make it that is. I'm trying to mix it up a bit by including fiction books on the subject, unfortunately there's not many..that I can find anyway. :)

Brenda wrote: "Good luck Elaine! You can do it:)"

Thx :)