Sarah’s Comments (group member since Jul 18, 2019)

Sarah’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

Sign me up please, Brenda! I've enjoyed several of Arthur Upfield's books over recent years, both his "Bony" series and a couple of standalones.

December's Featured Author - Arthur W. Upfield
Duration: 1/12/25 - 31/12/25
Level: I will aim for Hard and see where I end up
Progress: 0/? AA: 0/?

Part 1: TASKS

1. Arthur W. Upfield (1 September 1890 – 13 February 1964) was an Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') of the Queensland Police Force, a half-caste Aborigine.
Read a book by a deceased author (tell us when) OR
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (d. 28 March 1941)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (d. 2 March 1982)
Read a detective fiction book
Silent Bones by Val McDermid

2. Born in England, Upfield moved to Australia in 1910 and fought with the Australian military during the First World War.
Read a book set in England OR
The White Crow by Michael Robotham AA
Read an historical, set during war times
The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson (set in England over Christmas 1943)

3. Following his war service, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, obtaining a knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture that would later be used greatly in his written works.
Read a book set in Australia OR
Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin AA (a First Nations author)
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into ABORIGINAL (Min 2 words)

4. Upfield was also a member of the Australian Geological Society and was involved in numerous scientific expeditions. Upfield's works remained popular after his death, and in the 1970s were the basis for an Australian television series entitled "Boney"
Read a book which has been made into a tv show or a movie OR
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Read a book where the author's initials fit into AUSTRALIAN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu

BONUS: Read a book by Arthur W. Upfield

Part 2: SPELL OUT

T.B.A.

Sign me up, please Brenda!

Summer Challenge - Mini Bingo
Duration: 1/12/25 - 28/2/26
Level: Hard
Progress: 0/25 AA: 0/5

1 Across
On Bestseller list Silent Bones by Val McDermid
Dog on cover Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Male MC The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
Aussie author Accidental Feminists by Jane Caro AA
Suspense / Crime Secrets on the Fens by Joy Ellis

2 Across
Received an award The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Snow on cover The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson
Male author Pig's Head by David Owen AA
Red cover The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
On TBR over 2 years Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

3 Across
Female MC Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Over 500 pages Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
One word title Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin AA
Published in 2016 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Favourite Genre Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch

4 Across
Set in Australia A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon AA
Historical fiction The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Novella (over 125 pp) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Set in another country Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu (Singapore)
Love that cover! The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

5 Across
Child on cover The Season by Helen Garner AA
Young adult Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Female author The Royal Family vs 'The Crown': Separating Fact from Fiction by Catherine Curzon
Beach on cover One Lucky Summer by Jenny Oliver
Paranormal Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Books 111 - 120

The Watsons and Sanditon by Jane Austen (10/11) 4*

Here's my review of Guards! Guards!, a satirical fantasy novel by the late Sir Terry Pratchett. An amusing read, even for a reader who's generally not into fantasy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here's my review of The Watsons and Sanditon, an audiobook edition containing two part-finished novels by Jane Austen. It made for an interesting listen.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Helen wrote: "Harlequin AU have added four books"

Thanks for the heads-up, Helen. Iluka sounds right up my street. I'll put in a request for it, but not sure how likely I am to be accepted, given how far behind I am with reviews at the moment!

Carolyn wrote: "I'd read four in mystery & thriller and two in the historical (the genres I read the most) but didn't think any of them were the best in that genre for 2025 so didn't vote in those categories."

It's a pretty meaningless vote overall, isn't it? I doubt many Goodreads members have read ALL the books in any category, so people tend just to vote for the ones they have read in each category. Probably, many people vote for books they haven't even read, based on a book they have heard of, or an author they've read before. At least all the Booker judges read all the books!

Carolyn wrote: "I just had a look at the Goodreads Choice awards for 2025 and voted in one category. For me it was mostly an exercise in seeing what I HAVEN'T read this year! 😂"

I agree - it was pretty thin on the ground, and I imagine generated by Amazon sales numbers + ratings. I'd read one of the fiction (Three Days in June), three of the crime & mystery and (surprisingly) one of the fantasy - The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I hadn't realised it was a 2025 release, but enjoyed it, so gave her a vote as a fellow Aussie!

I also wish you well for a great meet-up, those in the Sydney catchment area!

I wonder if Tassie members would like a catch-up sometime?

All done! It took me a while to finish that last one - I keep getting distracted by November reads and Library due-dates! Thank you for another great challenge!

October Featured Author - Kelly Rimmer
Duration: 1/10/25 - 31/10/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 10/10 AA: 4/4 (min 4)

Part 1: TASKS

1. Kelly was born and brought up in Sydney, NSW, Australia. When she was in kindergarten, she told her dad she'd be an author one day, so it's fair to say her published books represent a lifelong dream.
Read a book by an Australian author
On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs AA (16/10) 4.5*

2. Kelly's latest standalone novel, The Midnight Estate, was published in Australia on 30th July, 2025.
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into "THE MIDNIGHT ESTATE" (minimum 2 word title)
The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen AA (24/10) 4*

3. Kelly is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, including The Secret Daughter and The Things We Cannot Say. She has sold more than one million books, and her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Read a book set in the USA
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (26/10) 4* (Baltimore)

4. Kelly lives in the Central West of New South Wales with her family and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil.
Read a book with a dog on the cover
The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis AA (14/10) 5*

BONUS: Read a book by Kelly Rimmer
The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer AA (used in Spell-it-Out)



Part 2: SPELL-IT-OUT

R: The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer AA (6/11) 4.5* (Author's Name)
O: Spider's Web by Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne (10/10) 4* (Author's Name)
M: Martha Moxley Murder on Mischief Night by Michel Suárez (9/10) 1* (Title / Author's Name)
A: Spring by Ali Smith (22/10) 4.5*
N: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (13/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)
C: The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland (18/10) 5* (Title)
E: Darkness on the Fens by Joy Ellis (8/10) 4.5* (Author's Name)

Alex wrote: "I'm on track to complete my October challenge by the end of November. After that, it gets a bit hazy."

Alex, if it's of any assistance - and as one who often struggles to finish all the annual, seasonal and monthly challenges by 31/12 - I tend to prioritise my outstanding annual challenge books in November and December, slotting in as many as I can into the last month of Spring / first month of Summer seasonal challenges and monthly challenges as I go. I often wind down to Easy Level in the monthly challenges at this end of the year for this reason. Do you just do the Aussie Readers' challenges or other ones as well?

Andrea wrote: "Who else is ready to write off their 2025 reading plans and start thinking about 2026? 😏😜"

Ha ha ... I'm definitely at that stage of the year when I'm cramming my remaining books in to finish as many challenges as possible. I think I'm on track to complete them all for the first time in years if I read about 15-20 books in both November and December. Should be do-able, but will take discipline, as there are lots of great new titles coming out.

I might need to hold off filling in 2026 challenges until after I've completed 2025 - Anyway, I made this meme:

Brenda wrote: "I've been bombarded with all the missing notifications overnight!!! At least they seem to be back on track, slowly..."

Yes, they're a bit weird, though. I think Rowan's right and the algorithm has been re-booted as a result of the outage.

I've created a List for linking:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

I agree - this was a bookish extravaganza! I think I’ve read about half the listed books, but most are on my TBR! I think I’ll try to prioritise at least a few for my 2026 reading list.

Brenda and Phrynne, would this make a good potential prompt for one of the annual challenges next year?

Read a book that appears in the Radio National Top 100 of the 21st century (those who have already read all 100 books may read a book of their choice / a book they believe should have been on the list).

How did everyone cope during last night’s Amazon (including Goodreads) crash? I was convinced it was me at first! It was very discombobulating not to be able to access “My Books” on demand, illustrating how much I rely on GR on a daily basis!

On a side note, how much better would it be if the App took you directly to the most recent comments in a thread, rather than the first comment, which in this and many cases was years ago?

I think I’ve been saying this since June, but I can’t believe it’s almost November! Count me in please, Phrynne!

November's Featured Author is Lee Child
Duration: 1/11/25 - 30/11/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 0/10 AA: 0/4 (min 4)

Part 1: TASKS

1. Lee Child is a British thriller writer who was born in 1954. His real name is James Dover Grant
Read a book which has been written under a pen name
Murder in the Winter Woods by Katie Gayle (pseudonym of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel)
OR Read a thriller
The Hunter by Tony Park AA

2. Lee is best known for his Jack Reacher series , the first of which was Killing Floor published in 1997
Read a book where the first letter of each title word fits into KILLING FLOOR (minimum 2 word title) OR
Read a book from a series.
Spirit Tiger by Barbara Ismail (Kain Songhet Mysteries #3)

3. Lee Child was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Literature.
Read a book set in England
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Read a book by an author who has won an award
Mischance Creek by Garry Disher AA (Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel - 2007 (Chain of Evidence), 2010 (Wyatt) & 2021 (Consolation) and Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award 2018)

4. Lee worked for 18 years for Granada television in England. When his job was phased out he decided to try writing fiction. As his Jack Reacher novels gained popularity he moved to the USA. Read a book which has been made into a tv show or a movie
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (A miniseries adaptation premiered on Apple TV+ on 13 May 2022.)
OR Read a book set in the USA
Horse by Geraldine Brooks AA

BONUS: Read a book by Lee Child



Part 2: SPELL OUT

A: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
U: Understanding Hamas And Why That Matters by Rami G. Khouri
T: Tinker, Tailor, Schoolmum, Spy by Faye Brann
H: Hidden on the Fens by Joy Ellis
O: Pig's Head by David Owen AA
R: The Royal Family vs 'The Crown': Separating Fact from Fiction by Catherine Curzon

Brenda wrote: "Great work Sarah!!"

Thank you Brenda!

Sarah wrote: "Arrgghhh... I've just realised I've stuffed up! "

Scratch that - I've re-jigged the challenge with different authors and counting a few of my September and October books. I'll make sure that I don't double count them in my Spring challenge!

**Winter Reading Challenge**
Duration: 1/6/25 - 31/8/25
Level: Hard
Progress: 33/33 AA: 9/9

June: Chris Hammer
C: Lyrebird by Jane Caro AA (7/6) 5* (Author's Name)
H: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (14/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)
R: Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza (30/6) 5* (Author's Name)
I: Cold Query by Ivanka Fear (15/6) 4* (Author's Name)
S: Tell Me Why by Sandi Wallace AA (6/6) 4* (Author's Name)

H: The Hunter by Tana French (19/6) 4.5* (Title)
A: Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson AA (9/6) 4* (Title)
M: Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H. Eccleston (8/6) 4* (Author's Name)
M: Broke Road by Matthew Spencer AA (28/6) 5* (Author's Name)
E: Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis (14/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)
R: Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (18/6) 4.5* (Author's Name)



July: Jane Harper
J: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (28/7) 5* (Author's Name)
A: A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (27/6) 3.5* (Title / Author's Name)
N: The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose (30/6) 4* (Author's Name)
E: Buried on the Fens by Joy Ellis (13/7) 5* (Author's Name)

H: The Sirens by Emilia Hart AA (20/7) 4.5* (Author's Name)
A: A Good Hanging and Other Stories by Ian Rankin (31/7) 4* (Title)
R: The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns AA (31/7) 4* (Author's Name)
P: The Science of Menopause: Understand Your Body, Make the Right Choices by Dr Philippa Kaye (10/10) 5* (Author's Name)
E: James by Percival Everett (28/7) 5* (Author's Name)
R: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (10/9) 4.5* (Author's Name)



August: Agatha Christie
A: Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie (10/8) (re-read) 4* (Author's Name)
G: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (20/7) 5* (Author's Name)
A: An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris (14/9) 3* (Title)
T: Thieves on the Fens by Joy Ellis (3/8) 5* (Title)
H: High Wire by Candice Fox AA (14/8) 5* (Title)
A: Bony and the Mouse: Journey to the Hangman by Arthur W. Upfield AA (20/9) 4* (Author's Name)

C: Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan (13/7) 5* (Author's Name)
H: The Wedding Party by Rebecca Heath AA (7/8) 4* (Author's Name)
R: The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (29/9) 5* (Author's Name)
I: Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin (15/7) 4* (Author's Name)
S: Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic AA (8/7) 5* (Title)
T: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune (30/9) 3.5* (Author's Name)
I: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin (3/10) 4* (Author's Name)
E: Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis (17/9) 5* (Author's Name)

Thanks Brenda! Part 2 is now also complete. I needed a couple of my October books to finish words. Thanks for another great challenge!