#Bookishbloggersunite is a tag created by a bunch of bookish friends who wanted to talk and write about books together. This week’s post is hosted by the sensational Sarah over at Reviews and Readathons. Make sure you drop by to check out her blog. Also you can join up at any time – just share your link at the link up on the host’s page.

This week we’re talking about books for all seasons. Here in Brisbane it finally feels like winter might happen (I spotted someone on the street in a beanie and gloves last week, a sure indication that the morning’s temp had dropped below 17 degrees Celsius – Brisbanites are notorious wusses when it comes to the “cold”)

Here are some seasonal recommendations for you:

Summer:

The Waves by Virginia Woolf is my favourite beach read. Her lyrical prose magically captures the rhythm of the waves, and having them in the background while reading this made the experience of this book an incredible one.

Autumn:

We don’t really have an autumn here – the colours of the trees don’t change or anything. Autumn is more being aware that you can go back outside again without the sun melting you into a little puddle.

Although it’s set in the Canadian summer That Inexplicable Victorian Thing has more of a fun “it’s no longer summer and you can do fun things outside” feel to me.

Winter:

One of the great things about living in a sub tropical climate is that most of our winter days are very similar to summer days in places like the UK and Europe, so I don’t mind too much reading about people freezing their arses off and reminding myself about how good I have it. The terrible cold is like a character in Burial Rites, making itself known and felt, like a wolf at the door.

Spring:

Again, Spring isn’t really a thing that happens here. I’m always sad when my jasmine flowers in August as I know the heat isn’t far away, and by the time the jacarandas are flowing in November, the summer heat is already extending it’s tentacles.

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a fun spring read – girls in stiff dresses climbing through the bush and disappearing? All the fun times!

Do you have any favourite seasonal reads?

Cheers,

#Bookishbloggersunite is a regular tag created by a group of avid readers who wanted to write about books together. I’m playing catch up this week – this post is from last week’s round, which was hosted by the ever-delightful Bron. Make sure you check out her blog. Plus you can join in any time – just add your page link to the link up on the hosts’s page.

I’ve been pretty lucky to meet some amazing authors in recent time, but my wishlist of people who I would like to meet is ever growing. I’m a little sad that I haven’t been to an author event yet this year (most of the ones I would like to get to are happening during the week here in Brisbane, which just isn’t feasible given the hours I work.)

Anyhoo, here is a bunch of amazing authors I would love to listen to/fangirl at/ hear how their brains work.

Claire Coleman – author of Terra Nullius. As far as I’m aware, Coleman is the first Aboriginal author to produce sci-fi, which to me is incredibly exciting (and if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you will have seen me being generally excited about this book for a while). She’s recently received a deal for her second book. She’s been doing the rounds of the writing festivals in the southern states, so I’m hoping she’ll make it to the Brisbane festival in September.

Yoon Ha Lee – author of the Machineries of Empire trilogy. I’m waiting with bated breath for the third book in this amazing series (I’ve even pre-ordered it, which isn’t generally a thing I do). I love these books so much, there is so much in them. Raven Stratagem left a huge hole in my heart that I’m hoping book three will sort out. Lee works as a mathematician and is also a trans person (there is some seriously amazing gender bending going on in these books). This article by Lee about being trans and writing trans characters is well worth a read.

Kameron Hurley – author of The Stars are Legion plus a bunch of other stuff. The Stars are Legion is nothing like anything I’ve ever read – warring lesbians in space (there are no male characters) with some serious body horror going on. Her backlist (and anything else she ever writes) is on my TBR. Hurley works in marketing when she isn’t writing books, and I recently discovered that she has a delightfully sweary podcast called Back to Work Hurley.

N.K. Jemisin – author of the Broken Earth trilogy and others. Jemisin has won the Hugo two years running for the first two instalments in this trilogy and has been nominated for the third. Emotionally devastating is the only way I can summarise these books, but their exploration of slavery, diversity, betrayal and the human condition and determination to survive is totally worth it.

I could definitely add more to this list (and you’ll note this is my sci-fi list) – Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon and Nnedi Okorafor for instance – but I will leave it here.

Which authors would you most like to meet?

Cheers,

#BookishBloggersUnite is a group of like-minded bloggers wanted to write about books together. This week I found this cool tag over at Talking Tales by the lovely Amy, who runs our local book store. Make sure you check out her blog! Remember you can join us at any time!

I’m hosting us this week, so feel free to pop in your link at the bottom of this post!

My Life in Books Tag

1. Find a book for each of your initials.

S –

A fictional retelling of the Lizzie Borden murders – this one is on my TBR.

J – Jinangga by Monty Walgar – Walgar’s memoir of his life of hard work and struggle with alcohol addiction from a member of the first generation of Aboriginal Australians who had access to alcohol.

D –

This is the second in the Wayward Children series, this is the second book and follows Jack and Jill on their initial journey through their door.

2. Count your age across your bookshelf.

Hmmm, which shelf? I picked the one that’s best arranged and came up with Autonomous by Annalee Newitz. This book is an amazing exploration of gender and consent, with additional social commentary about big pharma and bonus lady pirates.

3. Pick a book set in your city/country.

The Boundary by Nicole Watson really brings to life the feel of the Brisbane I grew up in. Set in the 80s it explores the tension between politicians at the time and the Aboriginal people.

4. Pick a book that represents a destination you want to travel to.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. I’ve always been fascinated by Iceland and this book really brought the landscape to life. I’ll be happy to go in this century with modern heating conveniences though.

5. Pick a book that’s your favourite colour.

All of the purple, thank you.

6. Which book do you have fondest memories of?

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’ll know my fondness for HHGTTG. I first read it when I was 15 (when all my friends were reading Flowers in the Attic) and it completely changed my thinking.

7. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

Curse you, Joyce! Ulysses was an absolute slog, and I’m not even sure it was worth it.

8. Which book on your TBR will give you the biggest accomplishment when you read it?

Probably The Quiet Violence of Dreams. I picked it up last year but stalled. That sucker is big.

That’s it from me – again feel free to add your post in the link up if you’re playing along.

Cheers!

This week for Bookish Bloggers Unite we’re talking about best opening lines. This week we’re being hosted by Tina over at TBR, etc so make sure to pay her a visit at her wonderful blog. Remember you can join the fun at any time, just pop your post link into the linky on Tina’s site.

I don’t necessarily pay a lot of attention to opening lines in particular – I’m generally pretty keen to get to what happens after that. An opening line does give you a particular way of approaching a book and can set the tone for the rest of the novel. I confess I had to go searching for opening lines to share with you – I only had one that I remembered, but it turns out that some books that I love do have great openings.

I do’t speak about him much on the blog (as he is a dead white guy) but I do have a deep and abiding love for Douglas Adams. My first opening line is from his Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, my favourite of his books. (The photo is of the copy I bought when I was in my last year of school, which means it’s nearly 30 years old.)

“It can hardly be a co-incidence that no language on Earth has produced the expression ‘as pretty as an airport’.”

I love Adams for his mix of humour and dark social commentary, both of which are abundant in this book.

Next up is Fools by Pat Cadigan, which is one of my all time favourite sci-fi novels. (The photo is my copy purchased in 1994.)

“Everywhere I looked in Davy Jones’ Locker, I saw me, or people who wanted to be me.”

It launches you into the book with the feeling of confusion and WTF-ness if you like, which lasts for the entire acid trip that this book is.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern has a simple opening line that sucks you in.

“The circus arrives without warning.”

I don’t know about you, but where I live when the circus comes to town it is heralded by some seriously disturbing large inflatable clowns, so a circus that arrives without warning seems intriguing and mysterious.

Last but not least, the opening to book one of the Illuminae Files sets up some high expectations of what’s to come.

“So here’s the file that almost killed me, Director.”

Consider me sucked in to the action! (I recently bought the hardcover version of his one, it is a thing of beauty.)

Do you have any favourite first lines? I’d love to hear them!

Cheers!

Hi folks,

I’m back with another #BookishBloggersUnite post. This week we’re hosted by the lovely Laura over at her blog That Librarian Lady . Remember you an join in this weekly tag at any time – just pop over to Laura’s blog and pop your link in.

I think I’ve mentioned before that there is no method to my reading madness. I am 100% a mood reader and my reading is more directed by my library books’ due dates than anything else. Because I have some eye issues and a long commute, audiobook availability effects my reading as well. Joining a subscription service recently has given me a lot more audiobook options, which has been great.

My general goals are to read diversely – more authors of colour, more LGBTQ+ authors, more books in translation and more Aussie authors. And so I meander through my reading life. I’m a member of the Book Riot Insiders, and we have been challenging ourselves each month to read more diversely as well which is great. They are a great bunch of people and bring so many wonderful recommendations with them I think my TBR shall never run dry. So far we’ve had Black History Month (Feb) and women authors (March) and we have others planned for the rest of the year.

Other challenges I’m participating in are the Read Harder Challenge (Book Riot), the Reading Women Challenge, and my own Aussie’s Rule Challenge. Plus the annual Goodreads challenge of course.

Challenge progress:

So far this year I’ve read 67 books. I have 7 books to go to complete the Read Harder Challenge, and 9 books left for the Reading Women Challenge. I have about 15 books to go for the Aussies Rule Challenge – I’ve been reading multiple books for each prompt and I’m also trying to to use any one book for more than one prompt.

First Quarter Faves:

I’ve read so many really great books so far this year. Here’s a handy picture collage that has a few in it.

These are all amazing reads for completely different reasons. But don’t just take my word for it 🙂

How is your reading year going? Are your challenges progressing as you want them to? Do you plan your challenges out in advance or are you a seat of your pants reader? What are your favourite reads so far this year?

Cheers,

Hey peeps,

This week’s #BookishBloggersUnite tag is about which books by female authors would you give to graduating students + the end of the school year is rapidly approaching in the US. This week’s tag is being hosted by Katy over at The Bookish Cronk. Make sure you check out her blog, and remember you can join us at any time – just pop your link in at Katy’s page.

Because I can never decide on one thing ever, here’s my list (which is aimed at Aussie students).

I would love for every Australian to read this book. The concept of Terra Nullius and the impact it had on the way Europeans came to this country and the way the Aboriginal people were treated is not adequately dealt with in schools. We should understand under what circumstances we are here.

In this series of essays Virginia Woolf argues that women need education, an income and privacy in order to be creative. Remember to maintain your independence, have your own space and your own money.

It’s okay to be any type of feminist you want, but never stop fighting. Both of these books talk about the fact that even though it is the 21st century, the idea that women are people is still a radical one, and that ‘women’ are not just white and determined by their birth gender.

Now go forth and be amazing.

Cheers,

Hi folks, welcome to another #Bookishbloggersunite post. This tag came about as a group of bookish friends decided they wanted to blog about books together. This week is being hosted by the lovely Jade over at Bindrosbookshelf. You can participate at any time, so please pop your link in over at Jade’s blog.

Jade is mixing it up this week with her Who Runs the World Spotify list (you can find the link on her page) and some wonderfully inspired prompts. (I’ve only done about half of the prompts, because I’m a wuss.) Here we go!

Your persuasion can build a nation, endless power, our love we can devour, you’ll do anything for me.

Beyoncé’s Run the World (Girls)

Favourite Queen/Ruler in a Novel.

I don’t read a lot of books with queens in it seems, but this one is pretty awesome. Maya seems to be cursed – her horoscope promises a marriage of death and destruction. She escapes an arranged marriage to become the Queen of Akaran and the wife of Amar and hijinks ensue. By hijinks, I mean a beautifully woven tale through mythological landscapes between life and death. This book is gorgeous and Maya is fabulous.

And it’s hard to dance with a Devil on your back so shake him off.

Florence + The Machine’s Shake it Off

Character battling with demons.

Grace and Ben are twins, Grace the younger by 19 minutes and feels that she is the moon to Ben’s sun. Ben is a rising surfing star in their small beachside town, popular at school, and Grace is happy to follow along in his shadow. A tragic accident turns Grace’s universe upside down and she has to come to terms with her life moving forward under very different circumstances.

This book has not had anywhere near the press it deserves. Lyrically written, it tells of Grace’s battle through grief and maps her disintegration and her slow pull back together. It is both beautiful and devastating. (This is a five alarm snot bomb, do not read in public, or you will probably end up snivelling on a train in peak hour the way I did.)

So no, I don’t want your number, no I don’t want to give you mine, and no I don’t want to meet you nowhere, and no I don’t want none of your time.

TLCs No Scrubs

Character who takes no “you know what” from anyone.

If you ever wanted a more murdery version of Jane Eyre, here it is. Jane takes no crap and also dishes out retribution. You go girl!

Oh, she’s got both feet on the ground and she’s burning it down.

Alicia Keyes Girl on Fire

Character on Fire

I’m pretty sure you know about this book (if you don’t, it’s time to get out from under your rock.). Starr’s journey in this book is heartbreaking and inspiring.

I’m spreading the love, there’s no need to fear, and I just feel so glad, Every time I hear I’m coming out I want the world to know.

Dianna Ross’s Coming Out.

Favourite Coming Out Novel

Dreadnought by April Daniels is probably not generally thought of as a coming out novel, but it’s definitely my favourite. Danny knows that he is actually a girl, but the only concession he allows is to buy a new nail polish to paint his toenails. He is doing this in an alley when a superhero fight explodes overhead and, fatally injured Dreadnought crashes to the ground beside Danny. Before he dies, Dreadnought passes on his powers to Danny, which has the unexpected side effect of blasting her into her ideal body. Danny is suddenly outed for the whole world to see. She has to deal with how this effects her at school and at home, AND deal with her new super powers.

Well my name’s not Alice but I know how she felt when her world started turning into something else.

Lisa Mitchell’s Sometimes I Feel Like Alice

Favourite fantasy book or character who gets thrown into one.

Jade mentioned The Night Circus for this prompt, which I just love. Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series leapt to my mind for this one, as it’s all about children who have gone through doors to other worlds, in the same way Alice fell down her rabbit hole. I love all three books, but I really enjoyed the story of Jack and Jill and how what happened through their door changed them into the people we meet in Every Heart a Doorway.

These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

Nancy Sinatra These Boots Were Made for Walking

Favourite Sassy Character or Best Revenge Plot

I’m going old school for this one, but one of my all time favourite sassy characters is Beatrice from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. It’s one of my favourite Shakespearian comedies and the rebalance sparring between Beatrice and Benedick is wonderful.

I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that: I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.

You tell him girl!

If I were a boy I think I could understand How it feels to love a girl, I swear I’d be a better man.

Beyoncé’s If I Were a Boy.

Favourite “Girl Pretending to be a Boy” story.

I’m going old school for this one as well but staying in modern times. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett is a wonderful story of Polly, who masquerades as a boy so she can join the army to find her brother. Trying to hide who she really is is tough, until she realises she’s not as alone as she thought she was.

I’d love to see your take on these prompts (or some of the others Jade has provided). Feel free to join in!

Cheers,

PS. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written an Aussies Rule post, but there will be one coming your way very soon!