Book Thingo » Lucky dip

Review round-up: Australian women writers – Non-fiction

Kat — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:09 +0000

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.

Swept: Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

La Roche took me on a journey not just around the world but in overcoming her fears, and I couldn’t help but cheer for her as I went along for the ride. This book is for anyone with a sense of adventure, whether you’re an armchair traveller or someone who wants to see more of the world. I also think this is an adventure that romance readers would enjoy.

Affection: a memoir of love, sex and intimacy by Krissy Kneen

This book is, at times, almost unbearably honest. And yet Kneen’s lyricism dulls the edge off some of the darkest parts of the book: depression, attempted suicide, homelessness. It’s not that these events are less shocking when they happen; it’s that Kneen introduces them so gently that we’re smack in the middle of these bleaker memories before we realise where she’s taken us. Sometimes you find a book impossible to put down, not because of what it says about the world, but because of what it knows about you. Affection is that kind of book.

Anonymums by Anonymous

A stocking filler for any mum struggling to remember who she was before she had kids or who one day realises she has a brand preference for cleaning sponges. This book reveals some of our unspoken insecurities and fears with charm, wit and honesty.

How Now Brown Frau by Merridy Eastman

If you like funny, heartfelt memoirs, this one is for you. I cheered with Eastman through every adventure. She seems to have lived out her dream—successful career, great guy and a lovely family—and it’s always lovely to see that come true for someone.

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Welcome to Jen and there be spoilers

Kat — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:06 +0000

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.

Review round-up: Australian women writers – General fiction

Kat — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:02 +0000

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.

10 Short Stories You Must Read (Anthology) (romantic elements)

The female authors—and protagonisits—provide relief from their more sombre male counterparts. I don’t feel I liked them better because they’re by and about women per se, but because the majority of these stories are more whimsical, more humorous, more optimistic. In that sense, I suppose, there’s some lack of diversity in this anthology.

How to Break Your Own Heart by Maggie Alderson

You know what, some porntastic scenes might actually have made this plot bearable. I can’t recommend this book to romance readers. But if you’re after women’s fiction with a kind of Britishy feel to it (Aussie readers might understand what I’m talking about here), I guess this book might work.

Hearts of Gold by Janet Woods

If you like gentler romances with a more old-fashioned writing style, it’s worth slogging through the first 40 or so pages when the story really gets cracking—as long as you’re not a stickler for historical accuracy and you can stomach the hardback price tag.

Heartless by Tasma Walton (romantic elements)

This is a beautifully narrated tale of heartbreak, heartache and love. It’s a fairly easy read, and even though there are some brutal scenes, Walton dwells less on the actual violence than on its impact on the heart and spirit of the story’s protagonist. Heartless reminded me of why I love discovering new authors and, of course, reading about matters of the heart.

The Family Farm by Fiona Palmer (romantic elements)

This is worth a try if you like outback stories and more traditional romances in the style of Anna Jacobs. Otherwise, the plot is slow, the characters aren’t easy to relate to, and the romance, from a romance reader’s point of view, is pretty lacklustre.

River Run Deep (originally Jillaroo) by Rachel Treasure

This is the book I have dubbed The Vomit Book. In summary: They fight, they drink, they puke, they save the farm. The plot and characters are a bit of a mess and Treasure doesn’t manage to convey any depth despite the trauma they—and I, as the reader—endure in this book.

I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington

Much of this novel sheds light on the ineffectiveness of the welfare and justice systems. Sometimes this is due to negligence or poor management, but it can just as easily be the result of good intentions. It’s heartbreaking to see how misunderstandings and the lack of resources can put already disadvantaged families into worse circumstances.

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Review round-up: Australian women writers – Young adult and teen fiction

Kat — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:04 +0000

Blue Noise by Debra Oswald

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.

Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows

This book is a good debut novel and I’d recommend it solely on the fact that it’s set in Sydney—except that there’s enough meat in the story to make it interesting beyond where it’s set. Solace and her friends’ gifts are revealed slowly but deliciously, and the end of the book is a real page-turner. Wait. Actually, I think it was the cranky cat with a swan fetish that really sold the book for me.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

This is one of those rare books where you don’t want to peek at the ending. It pains me to say it but reading the ending will almost certainly change your response to the story. The story depends so much on the reader sifting through Micah’s narrative and choosing when to trust her. A fascinating and fantastical read that kept me in suspense until the very last word.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

This is just about the perfect YA novel, as far as I’m concerned. The characters feel like real people, reflecting the language and sensibility of the inner suburbs of Sydney, and the story accurately depicts the experience of attending a systemic Catholic school. If you only read one Marchetta book, read this one.

The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta

But what I love most about this book—indeed all of Marchetta’s work—is that the progress towards mending broken relationships happens in almost unnoticeable increments that aren’t fully recognisable until after multiple rereads. I love this book.

On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

This is a book to be sped through, then read again and savoured and, when it’s tattered and the pages are curling, passed on to your kids. Keep those tissues handy, because Marchetta will squeeze every emotion out of your soul. And it’s glorious.

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Review round-up: Australian women writers – SFF

PRE-RELEASE SPOILERS: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 11 – Will there be a book after Lover Reborn?

Kat — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 08:18:37 +0000

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

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Welcome to Aussie Author Month – April 2012

Kat — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

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.

We’ll be running the quickie series for authors again, although probably not to the same extent as last year—it took a lot of work and we were a little swamped, to be honest.

And, yes, there will be free books!

Wanna join us?

The more the merrier! Feel free to just join in the spirit of the month, or you can officially sign up here.

If you’re a romance blogger or tweep, or if you write a romance-related post during the month, please let us know in the comments or via email. If we get enough of a momentum,, we’ll post a weekly round-up of romance-related Aussie author items here on Book Thingo.

Aussie author recap

There’s no better way to show why we’re participating in this initiative than to showcase Aussie writing talent. Here’s a recap of all the reviews we’ve done of books by Australian authors so far. Enjoy!

Keepers
Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter (romance)
Affection: a memoir of love, sex and intimacy by Krissy Kneen
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (romantic elements)
The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta (romantic elements)
Steven Herrick — Slice: Juicy Moments From My Impossible Life (romantic elements)
Toni Jordan — Addition (romantic elements)
Dominic Knight — Disco Boy (romantic elements)
Melina Marchetta — Saving Francesca (romantic elements)
Bronwyn Parry — As Darkness Falls (romance)
Ann Somerville — Remastering Jerna (romantic elements)

Other reviews — Romance
One Perfect Night by Rachael Johns
Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens
Shadow Kin by M. J. Scott
The Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe
Viper’s Kiss by Shannon Curtis
Photo Opportunity by Jess Dee
Wings of Fear by Helene Young (formerly called Border Watch)
Border Watch by Helene Young (re-released as Wings of Fear)
Their Newborn Gift by Nikki Logan
Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry
A Most Sinful Proposal by Sara Bennett
Emma Darcy — Ruthless Billionaire, Forbidden Baby

Other reviews — Romantic elements
How Now Brown Frau by Merridy Eastman
Dominic Knight — Comrades
Fleur McDonald — Red Dust
Tracey O’Hara — Night’s Cold Kiss
Fiona Palmer — The Family Farm
Bronwyn Parry — Dark Country
Ann Somerville — Cold Front
Rachael Treasure — River Run Deep
Janet Woods — Hearts of Gold

Other reviews — Non-romance
Triptych by Krissy Kneen
Vroom by the Sea by Peter Moore
Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal’s Journey from Down Under to All Over by Geraldine Brooks
I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington
Maggie Alderson — How to Break Your Own Heart
Karen Brooks — Tallow
Deborah Locke — Watching the Detectives
Foz Meadows — Solace & Grief
Debra Oswald — Blue Noise
Rhonda Roberts — Gladiatrix
Peter Yeldham — A Distant Shore

Have you discovered any new (to you) authors recently? Share your favourites in the comments!

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Review round-up: Australian women writers – SFF

Kat — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:00:33 +0000

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.

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

It’s been a long time since I read a fantasy novel in which everything about the world felt original and so utterly fascinating that even 640 pages didn’t seem enough. I suppose wishing for a stronger love story would be asking for too much.

Tallow by Karen Brooks

Tallow struggled to keep my interest for most of the first half of the story, yet I couldn’t put it down from page 200 onwards. Brooks shows flashes of the kind of lyrical prose I love in my fantasy novels, and the world of Serenissima was something new and exciting for me.

Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows

Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts

There were two things I liked about this book: the beginning of the story is set in Sydney and most of the rest is set in Ancient Rome. There’s potential in this series, but I’m used to a lot tighter plotting and faster paced novels. Gladiatrix didn’t always hold my attention.

Shadow Kin by M. J. Scott (urban fantasy romance)

Scott’s debut noel straddles urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The story gets off to a fantastic start—fast-paced and intriguing, with a kick-arse but vulnerable heroine. If you’re not fussed about first person narrative and POV shifts, this book introduces a fresh voice in the genre that won’t have any trouble finding an audience.

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Review round-up: Australian women writers – Young adult and teen fiction

Review round-up: Australian women writers – Erotica and erotic romance

Kat — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:00:07 +0000

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.

Photo Opportunity by Jess Dee (erotic romance)

As an erotic romance, the sex is explicit but not acrobatic. And thank goodness for that! In fact, this book breaks the number one rule* for erotic romance because there’s no buttsecks to be found. For that alone, I’m glad I picked this book up. Yet in the absence of any real emotional resonance, the sex scenes at times felt disconnected from the story.

Triptych by Krissy Kneen

Kneen writes beautifully, and she lures the reader into these stories that read like they should be easy and acceptable and lovely. Too late, you realise you’re trapped in this quagmire of difficult questions around the ethics, maybe even the morality, of sexual desire in its (as society sees it) extremes, of love and its boundaries and constraints, and of consent.

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Review round-up: Australian women writers – Romantic suspense and crime fiction

Review round-up: Australian women writers – Romantic suspense and crime fiction

Kat — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:00:13 +0000

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.

Cold Front by Ann Somerville (romantic elements)

Worth a read, although strict romance readers may not enjoy it as much if they don’t also enjoy forensics and police procedurals because this is a major part of the story… But even when they’re not in bed (or the shower), Dek and Ren make a very good team… Their chemistry goes beyond sex and it made me want to see them together for the long haul.

Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry (romantic suspense)

The plot is complicated enough to sustain the suspense, and the love story is believable, although hardcore romantic suspense readers might find it a little sparse—more so than in Parry’s first book—and probably reflects its Australian target market. I may not have missed any meals reading this book, but it was definitely a page-turner.

Red Dust by Fleur McDonald (romantic suspense)

Although there may not be enough romance or mystery to sustain genre readers, I’d recommend it for its faithfulness to the outback setting, seen through the eyes of a strong, pragmatic protagonist. I’m a city girl through and through, but I felt the heat and the grit and the roughness and, yes, the romance of the land as I read this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing how McDonald’s style develops in future books.

Border Watch (re-released as Wings of Fear) by Helene Young (romantic suspense)

The writing was both intelligent and down to earth without being boring. The terrorist threat and security protocol were expertly handled. This is a book to refresh your romantic palate without completely departing from the genre.

Wings of Fear (formerly Border Watch) by Helene Young (romantic suspense)

I liked this book. It was a strong, action-packed debut. For me it was less of a suspense and more of an adventure—with guns.

Viper’s Kiss by Shannon Curtis (romantic suspense)

This book is a bit all over the place. There’s enough for the story to be a fun romp for readers looking for a quick romantic suspense fix, but it lacks the depth I want in a romance and the plausibility I want in suspense.

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Five dates in five weeks

Wandergurl — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:00:57 +0000

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.

Date #1

First date was with my friend’s friend. Let’s call him G. I had an engagement party to go to after my date, so I was kind of dressed up. As in, like, I was all booby and everything, in a dress that fit me for the first time in five years (go me!). G was in shorts. In fairness, I didn’t mind, and I took him to a place that didn’t care. We had drinks and lovely conversation. He was a nice bloke, and it was good to talk to him. The catch is that my friend neglected to tell me that his friend is really young. The kind of young that made me feel like a puma. (Cougars are 40+. I am under that age; therefore, I’m just a puma. :) They’re probably the same animal, but it’s all etymology.)

Date #2

My second date was my friend P’s cute geeky French friend. He’s here studying English. He was cute, smart, well mannered, funny, etc. etc. I kept wondering what was wrong with me because he seemed perfect on paper but really just did not do anything for me, chemistry-wise. Since he’s a good friend of my friend, I think we’ll all hang out together again soon, but I don’t forsee this progressing to any more than OMG-I-have-a- friend-with-an-apartment-in-Paris-that-I-can-stay-with-when-I’m-there.

Dates 3-5…

I want to make it clear that I have no expectations. I am happy to just meet people and make friends, or if it doesn’t work out, we never have to see each other again. All I’m hoping is that I get off my butt and make an effort to actually date because I’ve always been too lazy to do so.

That said, here’s hoping the next few dates aren’t a bust.

In case you’d like to contribute to my little cause, my donation page is here. A little goes a long way. And if you have a (male) friend who wouldn’t mind being set up on a random date…leave a comment! :)