Aussie Readers discussion

Welcome to our Merry Month of May challenge! As we read this month, let's look at the list of tasks below and see how many we can complete!



Rules:

#1. You need to complete three of the five categories listed below to finish this challenge. One read = one book per category.
#2. List (and LINK) all the books you plan to read for the challenge.
#3. Upon completion of a book, rate it and update your progress.
#4. Don't forget our guidelines HERE

The Categories:

1. May Day is 2nd May; Melbourne held the first May Day in 1892 - Read a Historical Fiction novel set at least partly in Australia, by an Aussie author.

2. Mother's Day is 8th May - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR with MOTHER in the title OR with a strong female protagonist.

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day is in May ("wear red lipstick and help kiss goodbye to MS") - Read a book with a RED cover OR the word KISS OR GOODBYE in the title.

4. National Sorry Day is 26th May - Read a book by an Aussie Indigenous author OR about Indigenous Australia (Fiction or Non Fiction)

5. Reader's Choice - Read a book of your choice but make sure it's by an Aussie author and from your owned TBR.

Some links to help you choose

Historical Fiction Australia
YA Historical Fiction Australasia
Australian Outback Literature
Indigenous Australian Writers
Five Must Read by Indigenous Authors

Kick back, relax and...

Very appealing challenge, thanks Brenda and Mods. I'm definitely going to do this challenge. Just haven't quite decided on my books yet.

My choices:)

1. May Day - Historical Fiction partially set in AU by an Aussie author - The Wife's Tale by Christine Wells 5★s

2. Mother's Day - Strong Female Protagonist - The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan 5★s

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS - Red Cover - Blood Ties by J.D. Nixon 5★s

4. National Sorry Day - Aussie Author - Indigenous - Nanberry: Black Brother White by Jackie French 5★s

5. Reader's Choice - Aussie Author owned TBR - Out of the Ice by Ann Turner 5★s

Here are mine:)

1. HF set in Aussie with an Aussie author Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French 4 stars

2. Family/mother. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell 4 stars

3. Red cover. A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava 3 stars

4. Indigenous author. The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina 5 stars

5. Readers choice Aussie author. The King’s Man by Alison Stuart 4 stars

MaryG2E wrote: "Very appealing challenge, thanks Brenda and Mods. I'm definitely going to do this challenge. Just haven't quite decided on my books yet."

Glad you'll join in this one Mary:)

Sounds great! I'll go with 3 this month :)

1. May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author

Freedom's Land READ

2. Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR with MOTHER in the title OR with a strong female protagonist.

Stay With Me READ

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS RED cover OR the word KISS OR GOODBYE in the title.

No Time for Goodbye READ

Good choices Chloe:) I like yours too Phrynne - especially your last one:)

Lol, didn't I just say this was coming!?

Will come back with my books :)

Tien wrote: "Lol, didn't I just say this was coming!?

Will come back with my books :)"

You did Tien!

Brenda wrote: "Good choices Chloe:) I like yours too Phrynne - especially your last one:)"

I am loving all her books so far!

Tien wrote: "Lol, didn't I just say this was coming!?

Will come back with my books :)"

:)

Phrynne wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Good choices Chloe:) I like yours too Phrynne - especially your last one:)"

I am loving all her books so far!"

I haven't read one I didn't like!

1. May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author The Blue Mile 3★s

2. Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR with MOTHER in the title OR with a strong female protagonist. Not Without My Daughter 4★s

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS RED cover OR the word KISS OR GOODBYE in the title. Bones Never Lie 5★s

5. Reader's Choice Aussie Author Indigo Storm 4★s

I'm moving house in June, and so May will be a very busy time. I've decided I'm committed to three of the five categories. Any more will be an added bonus!

1. May Day - Read a Historical Fiction novel set at least partly in Australia, by an Aussie author.
The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay

2. Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR with MOTHER in the title OR with a strong female protagonist.
Brumby's Run by Jennifer Scoullar

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day - Read a book with a RED cover OR the word KISS OR GOODBYE in the title.
Goodbye Sweetheart by Marion Halligan

Jenni wrote: "May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author Daughter of Australia

Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR with MOTHER in th..."

Jenni, I made the same mistake as you - Harmony Verna isn't an Australian author - she hasn't even been here! The book is brilliant and I assumed she was Aussie - I got in touch with her and she lives in the US and has only dreamed of coming to Australia. So that one doesn't fit the criteria I'm sorry!

MaryG2E wrote: "I'm moving house in June, and so May will be a very busy time. I've decided I'm committed to three of the five categories. Any more will be an added bonus!

1. May Day - Read a Historical Fiction n..."

You WILL be a busy girl! Good luck:)

Hm, could I read Culture Is ... Australian stories across cultures: An anthology for #4? Not 100% indigenous but thought I'd ask :)

Brenda wrote: "Jenni wrote: "May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author Daughter of Australia

Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relationships OR wit..."

Thank you I will make another pick :)

Tien wrote: "Hm, could I read Culture Is ... Australian stories across cultures: An anthology for #4? Not 100% indigenous but thought I'd ask :)"

Well the blurb reads "all writers including indigenous" so yes, I would say that covers it pretty well...

Jenni wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Jenni wrote: "May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author Daughter of Australia

Mother's Day - Read a book about family/mothers/relat..."

Great!

I'm in, I'm going with 4/5 to start with.

1. Historical Fiction: Paper Daisies

2. family/mothers/relationships: The Same Sky
3. RED cover: Horns.

4. Read a book by an Aussie Indigenous author OR about Indigenous Australia (Fiction or Non Fiction)

5. Reader's Choice: Barbed Wire and Roses

Brenda wrote: "Jenni wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Jenni wrote: "May Day Historical Fiction - set at least partly in Australia Aussie author Daughter of Australia

Mother's Day - Read a book about family..."

My struggle is finding Australian 'Historical fiction', are you allowed to suggest some authors?

Hope you love Paper Daisies as much as I did Kerri!

Kim Kelly's are all HF Jenni, plus Deborah Challinor's Convict girl series - start with #1 if you read that one:) Also Heart Of The Country by Tricia Stringer is the first in a HF series - I'm going to read the second for this challenge which is ALMOST out:) A lot of Bryce Courtenay's books....

Hope that helps:) Check the other member's lists too for ideas plus the links in the original post:)

Brenda wrote: "Tien wrote: "Hm, could I read Culture Is ... Australian stories across cultures: An anthology for #4? Not 100% indigenous but thought I'd ask :)"

Well the blurb reads "all writers ..."

Awesome, thanks! Had it for ages!

Great... hope you enjoy it!

Brenda wrote: "Hope you love Paper Daisies as much as I did Kerri!"

Thanks Brenda, I'll be interested in you review of Out of the Ice.

I'm looking forward to reading it too Kerri! Loved her previous one:)

Brenda wrote: "Kim Kelly's are all HF Jenni, plus Deborah Challinor's Convict girl series - start with #1 if you read that one:) Also Heart Of The Country by [auth..."

Thank you, I decided to go with Kim Kelly. I have read a lot of Bryce Courtenay's books, but wanted to read an author I had not read before, I also have an Aussie author up my sleeve to read for #5 in list if I have time :)

Excellent! Kim's work is brilliant IMO!

Brenda wrote: "Excellent! Kim's work is brilliant IMO!" :)

Would you say that Spirits of the Ghan or The Secret River would be acceptable for #4 as novels that deal with indigenous issues?

Definitely Carolyn:)

Thnx Brenda :) I've decided to use them both to give my AWW challenge a boost!

Here's my list:

1. historical set in Australia by Aussie author - The Secret River by Kate Grenville 5★
2. Book about family or mother - Wildlight by Robyn Mundy
3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day- Red cover - The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
4. Written about indigenous Australians - Spirits of the Ghan by Judy Nunn 4.5★
5. Aussie tbr - The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer 4★

Great list Carolyn! I've loved two of them and have your #5 to read soon too:)

I am in.

1. Behind the Sun

4. Spirits of the Ghan

5. April's Rainbow

Excellent Rosie! Look forward to your list:)

Here is my list (completed 27 May):
1. May Day: Coal Creek by Alex Miller 5
2. Mother's Day: The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky 2
3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day: Goodbye Lullaby by Jan Murray 2
4. National Sorry Day: Plains of Promise by Alexis Wright 4
5. Reader's Choice - The Hamilton Case by Michelle de Kretser 4

I'm in - here are my 3 choices:

1. May Day is 2nd May; Melbourne held the first May Day in 1892 - Read a Historical Fiction novel set at least partly in Australia, by an Aussie author.
To Love a Sunburnt Country by Jackie French - starts in Australia in 1942 and then the setting follows the Aussie main character over to Malasia and then a POW camp in Singapore - 4★s

4. National Sorry Day is 26th May - Read a book by an Aussie Indigenous author OR about Indigenous Australia (Fiction or Non Fiction)
Nanberry: Black Brother White by Jackie French - based on a true story, Jackie first heard about Nanberry when she met his descendants set in 1789 - 3★s

5. Reader's Choice - Read a book of your choice but make sure it's by an Aussie author and from your owned TBR.
Secrets in Time by Alison Stuart 4★s

I VERY, VERY MUCH LIKE THIS CHALLENGE.

Will look at my TBR shelf and try

If I get work will buy and indigenous author for number 4.

1. May day: Aussie historical fiction: My Life as a Fake by Peter Carey (to be confirmed)
2. Mother's day: families, mothers, relationships strong female: The Color Purple by Alice Walker
3. Kiss goodbye MS: red/kiss/goodbye
4. National Sorry Day: Indigenous author or non-fiction about Indigenous Australia (not a bad idea): Tiddas by Anita Heiss IF I can get hold of a copy
5. TBR Aussie:

Hi everyone,

Many thanks to Brenda and all the fantastic Mod's for another fantastic challenge :)

I'm going to go with:

Merry Month of May Challenge - 0/5 books completed

1. May Day Read a Historical Fiction novel set at least partly in Australia, by an Aussie author.
Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar

2. Mother's Day is 8th May - Read a book about family.
The Patterson Girls by Rachael Johns

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day is in May ("wear red lipstick and help kiss goodbye to MS") - Read a book with a RED cover.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

4. National Sorry Day is 26th May - Read a book about Indigenous Australia.
Spirits of the Ghan by Judy Nunn

5. Reader's Choice - Aussie author and from your TBR.
The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

Some lovely lists and reads coming through guys! Well done!

Michelle, I've read #1, #2 and #4 of yours and loved them all...hopefully you will too!

1. May Day: Miles Off Course (Rowland Sinclair #3) by Sulari Gentill -Read 27/05

2. Mother's Day: Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexandra -Read 20/05

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS Day: For His Holy Name by Eugene Hor -Read 19/05

4. National Sorry Day: Culture Is ... Australian stories across cultures: An anthology -Read 25/05

5. Reader's Choice: All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld -Read 21/05

COMPLETED as at 27/05

Brenda wrote: "Some lovely lists and reads coming through guys! Well done!

Michelle, I've read #1, #2 and #4 of yours and loved them all...hopefully you will too!"

Thanks Brenda :). They have been on my tbr for a while, it's great to be able to get to them now :)

I'm going to read three Aussie books for this challenge:
3. Red cover No Chopsticks Required by Katrina Beikoff
4. Indigenous The Fringe Dwellers by Nene Gare
5. Reader's choice Spiral Road by Adib Khan

Hmm, its a good challenge but my personal year challenge is eclipsing all others at the moment, plus most of the books are slow reads. If I wanted to complete this challenge I suspect I would have to cheat and list one I am already reading.....



It definitely fits the challenge, being Australian history, often Aboriginal history and written by an Australian Author.

I love the tasks this month. I will come back in later with my choices.

Here's my list:

1. May Day - Historical Fiction partially set in AU by an Aussie author: Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

2. Mother's Day - Strong Female Protagonist: Assassin by Tara Moss ★★★★

3. Kiss Goodbye to MS - Red Cover: Bloodmark by Aurora Whittet ★★

5. Reader's Choice - Aussie Author owned TBR: Claiming the Rebel's Heart by Alison Stuart ★★★★

Deborah wrote: "Hmm, its a good challenge but my personal year challenge is eclipsing all others at the moment, plus most of the books are slow reads. If I wanted to complete this challenge I suspect I would have ..."

You're allowed to miss a month Deborah;)

Suzie wrote: "I'm going to read three Aussie books for this challenge:
3. Red cover No Chopsticks Required by Katrina Beikoff
4. Indigenous The Fringe Dwellers by ..."

Well done!