Australian Women Writers Challenge discussion

Hi everyone,

I am looking forward to reading and reviewing so many Australian women writers this year.

My mixed bag is:

Anna Funder - All That I Am
Helen Garner - The Children's Bach (a reread, seeing last time I read it I was chronically fatigued and now, years later, my memory is so bad that I can't even remember it)
Margo Lanagan - Sea Hearts
Geraldine Brooks - People of the Book
MJ Hyland - How the Light Gets In ***1/2
Leanne Hall - This is Shyness ***1/2
Alice Pung - Her Father's Daughter
Chardi Christian - The Selkie and the Fisherman
Enza Gandolfo - Swimming
Elizabeth Harrower - The Watch Tower
Simmone Howell - Notes from the Teenage Underground
Kylie Ladd - After the Fall
Favel Parrett - Past the Shallows *****
Ananda Braxton-Smith - Tantony ****
Judith Lucy - Drink Smoke Pass Out ****
Madeleine St John - The Women in Black**

Glug - I'm feeling a bit stuck in terms of writing a review for the two books I've read. How very annoying of me. I don't know what to write!

Time to get some inspiration from the rest of you who have managed to get your bums into gear :)

I know what you mean. I think we all struggle sometimes! I plan to read MJ Hyland's This Is How this year. Keen to hear what you think of How The Light Gets In...Hyland seems a fascinating woman.

Thanks, Sonia :) I don't know much about MJ Hyland, but I've been meaning to read her stuff for a while. She's a good writer, might have to add more to the list.

Thanks for the kick up the bum. Come on Susie!!! :)

Sue you don't need to write an epic, just your thoughts and no spoilers. I had never written a review in my life before I joined GR, now I review every book I read. I just started off small, then got a bit bigger as I went...I don't believe you need to write a massive long review..I know I'm less likely to read a really long one, but enjoy the 'few words' from others:) Good luck...write it out in word first, then copy and paste across. That way you can change, edit etc as much as you like AND there's no risk of you losing it, as has happened to me on GR!!

Thanks, Brenda. I regularly write stuff, so I don't know why I'm stalling. Actually, I do - I don't really know what I think of either of these books I've read so far. I think with some books you're brimming with sharing tidbits, but not this time. Ahh, that's alreet. It's like everything - once you park your bum and set your mind to it, it's always amazing what comes out, right? :)

Hahaha!! Re-read your last sentence Sue...it could be misconstrued!!!! lol

My first review, for Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett: here

Brenda wrote: "Hahaha!! Re-read your last sentence Sue...it could be misconstrued!!!! lol"

Haha, Brenda. I'm rather partial to poo metaphors, and here one pops out without me knowing it. It's getting a little messy :)

Sue wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Hahaha!! Re-read your last sentence Sue...it could be misconstrued!!!! lol"

Haha, Brenda. I'm rather partial to poo metaphors, and here one pops out without me knowing it. It's ge..."

Oh dear, I'm laughing again here!!! Do you write comedies Sue? If you don't, you should;)

I couldn't get your link for your review to work Sue, so here it is:) http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Thanks, Brenda, I updated the html to something that will work now :)

:)

My latest review of Judith Lucy's Drink Smoke Pass Out is here

A head-scratch over what all the fuss is about with Madeleine St John's The Women in Black here.

A great review Sue! (I'm smiling here...I'm sure you're light enough!)

Brenda wrote: "A great review Sue! (I'm smiling here...I'm sure you're light enough!)"

Haha, well I'm glad it made you smile, Brenda :) I am wondering if what I have been reading before and after it contributed to me feeling a bit dislocated from it, as both those books I really loved and both had sort of dreamy and ethereal feels for me. And then this thing. Maybe if I'd read something else around it I wouldn't have reacted to it in the same way? I dunno :)

That could be right Sue...I'm sure there are different things as we read, that affect our opinions. But the main thing is, you read it, and you didn't enjoy it....so be it!

Dear Goodreaders. While I love it here, the fact that Goodreads has been bought outright by Amazon just makes me uncomfortable. While the reviews I write here are still mine (at this stage), I feel uncomfortable about them remaining that way. Amazon are rather the censorial type when it comes to their reviewing system and I don't like that at all (even apart from the fact that such a megalith is not good for anyone other than itself). I don't have a problem with the owners of this site selling it to feather their nest. I do have a bit of a problem that it is now owned by Amazon. So while it's cosy here and comfy, I am packing up and moving over to Booklikes (http://susieq777.booklikes.com/) which, while it has certain affiliations by Amazon, at least it's not owned by them - yet).

I hate politics getting in the way of my reading but I really have problems with the idea of everything eventually being eaten up and owned by WorldCorp.

Cheers, y'all. Thanks :)