To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
Watching the Detectives by Deborah Locke
I read this book in a day and couldn’t put it down, but this was due to the subject matter. My biggest complaint about the book is that the structure was a bit of a mess. I didn’t think the transitions between personal life and police life were done very well, and the sequencing of events was just serviceable.
Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal’s Journey from Down Under to All Over by Geraldine Brooks
I thought this book was lovely, even if at times a bit sad, and would recommend this for an armchair read for someone looking for a little bit of recent history and adventure, not just from out in the wide world but also from their own backyards.
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Source: stockxchng
And then there were five…
I’ve been meaning to announce this for a while, but some time ago Jen (aka @dumblydore) joined the Book Thingo team!
(It might have been around the time she posted this awesome review of Twilight, the graphic novel, complete with customised sparkly features.)
Jen is a Melbourne-based graphic designer with a particular interest in popular culture, and I think she brings quite a different perspective to reviewing books than any of the other Book Thingo bloggers. Many Aussie romance readers have probably seen her work—she has designed banners for ARRA and websites for various authors.
We’re totally chuffed to have her as part of the team!
Book Thingo at Google+
For those of you who play over at Google, we now have a Google+ page. At the moment, it mimics our Facebook page, so you can choose your preferred social network.
Kill a fairy
Last year I created Kill a fairy, a site dedicated to spoiling book endings for those who, like me, won’t read a book without knowing the ending first. There are no spoilers on the front page—they’re all behind the cut—so you can check it out without fear of spoilage.
I’ve tried to walk a tight line between revealing the ending and revealing everything about the novel. It’s not meant to be a full recap, but another way of helping people decide whether or not they want to read a book.
Bits of love strewn online
And for the curious, I post excerpts of my current reads in a tumblelog. This isn’t updated often, but it’s there for when I want to bookmark quotes from books that will either expire (eARC) or need to be returned to its owner (especially library books). I’m tossing up the idea of using it for review notes, as well, as I usually read when travelling, and I don’t always have pens and post-its handy.
To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
Addition by Toni Jordan (romantic elements)
I loved this book. I read a library copy, but it’s definitely a keeper, and I’m torn between getting the original Australian edition or ordering the hardback US edition. While the romance doesn’t dominate, it drives the story. Grace and Seamus are at times lovely, sad, thrilling, devastating and always unpredictable. It was an absolute pleasure to be in their company.
Read the rest of this post.
To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
Despite its straightforward storytelling style—or maybe because of it—there’s something rather charming about Debra Oswald’s latest young adult novel about a group of high school students who form a blues band. This isn’t the most sophisticated young adult novel I’ve read, but it has an accessible style and uplifting message that may well suit young teens or older reluctant readers.
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Look, I know you’re all googling it, so to put you out of your misery, our resident Black Dagger Brotherhood expert has tweeted yes.
According to Decadence (@my_lheage):
So there you go. In case you can’t see the graphic: There is a BDB book coming out next year, and it will focus on Qhuinn and Blay.
And according to @sheepangel, it comes out in hardback.
Both of them are the most avid BDB fans I personally know, and I’ve never known them to be anything but accurate when they pass on BDB news.
If you really have to know their source, you can ask them yourself. :D
We’re back for another month-long celebration of some of our favourite local authors!
After last year’s success, we’ve decided to participate in Aussie Author Month again. For all of April, we’ll be focusing on Aussie authored books with a (mostly) romantic bent. The event ties beautifully with another huge initiative we’ve been supporting—the Australian Women Writers Challenge.
So if, by the end of April, you still haven’t discovered some great new Aussie romance authors, it won’t be for lack of trying on our part!
(Note: BDB fans need not despair. We’ll still be updating the cheat sheets and posting and reviews of Tohr’s book. I’m reading it now!)
Official site
There’s now an official blog for Aussie Author Month. Or you can follow us on Facebook. The Twitter hashtag is #ausbooks.
Fundraising (not for us!)
As part of Aussie Author Month, we’re hoping you’ll consider donating to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). The ILF provides books and resources to indigenous communities in order to improve literacy among those in remote and isolated regions.
You can make a donation via GoFundraise.
Please note that none of the Aussie Author Month participants will be collecting money directly. All donations should go through GoFundraise, who will send the donations directly to ILF. You can read more about their process here.
Blogging schedule
Believe it or not, we’re a little bit more organised this year and have already scheduled at least two reviews per week for this month. This means there will be an increase mail notifications and Facebook activity for those of you who subscribe via email or follow us via Facebook.
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To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
Night’s Cold Kiss by Tracey O’Hara (romantic elements)
A good debut effort. Does it stand out from the many vampire romances in the market? I’m not sure, but O’Hara has a way with words when it comes to vampire seduction that should appeal to readers who like their urban fantasy with a decent romance.
Read the rest of this post.
To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
Remastering Jerna by Ann Somerville (romantic elements)
If, like me, you’re frustrated by the lack emotional depth in many BDSM romances, I’d strongly recommend this book. Forget about any ick factors—if this book doesn’t help you see past those, I’m not sure anything will. The plot and characters are carefully developed, and the book’s underpinning ideas of consent, submission, domination and, to some extent, love are explored from different perspectives, giving the story layers of meaning that I don’t feel I could fully appreciate from just the one read. This is definitely a keeper.
Read the rest of this post.
To kick-off #AWW2012, I thought I’d post a list of reviews we’ve previously posted for books written by Australian women. I’ve included a short except from each review to give you an idea of what we thought of each book.
If you’re on Twitter, I’ll also be retweeting links to these reviews because, in the era of e-publishing, there’s no reason why you can’t grab a copy of their books and try them yourself! Click here for a full list of our #AWW2012 reviews.
As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry (romantic suspense)
An excellent debut novel, and it makes me so glad to finally read an Aussie romance that never once had me rolling my eyes. You can read the first chapter here. If you’re still not convinced, I’d encourage you to check your local library. If, like me, you’ve basically been reading decades worth of US-centric romances, you may find something refreshing and real and genuinely touching in this novel.
Read the rest of this post.
Source: first date by ~Boston Bill~ (via Flickr)
In which romance and charity go hand in hand. Also, Wandergurl needs your help to get her mojo back! (And we’re not talking about reviewing books.)
While I read romance novels, and believe that there’s somebody out there for me somewhere (God only knows where) I am the most cynical person when it comes to love and romance in real life. For one thing, there’s a man drought in Sydney. And it’s not like it’s the easiest thing in the world to go out and meet someone (anyone).
And there’s the part where I’m lazy, and I prefer to go to nice, cozy bars where boys don’t try to pick you up, and while I love meeting people there’s all this effort involved in dating. Effort I haven’t always been keen to make.
This year, I said to myself, well, it’s time for you to just do it. Before you can complain about there not being any men around, you’ve actually got to go and try and find one. You don’t even have to forage, you just kind of have to show up. (Like, you know, not sit at home all the time and just read.) So to kickstart my dating adventure I let myself get roped into this: Five in Five.
Five in Five
What exactly is Five in Five? Well, you know how people run 14k (City to Surf), bike for cancer, etc.? I’m dating for the urban poor. Yep. You read that right. Go on five dates in five weeks in the name of raising money for charity (the LiveWires Program). You can’t use the internet—it’s called ‘vintage dating’—you have to get friends to set you up or you have to just ask a guy out. (When did that become ‘vintage’? Am I just showing my age here?)
How is it going so far? I’ve gone on two dates.
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