Aussie Readers discussion

I have a strong preference for a small number of genres, mainly Historical Fiction, Crime/mystery, and Rural Lit. So for 2017 I want to challenge my mindset and read more broadly. I am aiming to read 12 books, one per month in the following genres:

Non-fiction
Humour
Fantasy
Poetry/verse
Sci Fi
Western
Romance
YA
Travel
Chick Lit
Memoir/biography
Short Story Collection

That was my challenge for this year. Enjoyed it. Good luck

Noelene wrote: "That was my challenge for this year. Enjoyed it. Good luck"

Thanks Noelene. How has your reading ended up for the year?

I transferred your thread into the 2017 Personal Challenges folder Mary :) Great challenge and one I know you'll pull off :)

MaryG2E wrote: "I have a strong preference for a small number of genres, mainly Historical Fiction, Crime/mystery, and Rural Lit. So for 2017 I want to challenge my mindset and read more broadly. I am aiming to re..."

Now that sounds like a good and do-able idea!

I think you'll love some of these Mary. The only ones I haven't read are Western & Travel.

Mary you have Western as a genre - would that be classed as US and the accompanying genre for AU would be Rural? There is such a large amount of Rural Fiction, either romance or suspense which is set in Australia...

Great challenge Mary. Good luck :)

Hi Mary. If you are looking for ideas for sci-fi, I really enjoyed Anne Leckie's trilogy Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy and Ancillary Sword. I also usually stick to crime, mystery and historical fiction, so reading these this year was branching out a bit for me. In humour, I really like David Lodge's campus novels. Try Changing Places. A little old now, but doesn't feel dated at all

Brenda wrote: "Mary you have Western as a genre - would that be classed as US and the accompanying genre for AU would be Rural? There is such a large amount of Rural Fiction, either romance or suspense which is s..."

Yes, definitely Brenda. In my thinking 'Western' refers to the USA, wild west and ranch/cowboy life, of which there is a substantial collection of titles in my local library. I walk past those shelves so often, but I've only ever borrowed one book from there. Time to broaden my mind...! Aussie Bush = Rural Lit, and I classify it as quite separate.

I see Westerns, particularly those with an historical perspective, as part of the US narrative of settlement, so very different from our own post-contact history.

Nigel wrote: "Hi Mary. If you are looking for ideas for sci-fi, I really enjoyed Anne Leckie's trilogy Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy and Ancillary Sword. I also usually stick to crime, mystery and historica..."

Thanks for these suggestions Nigel. Always interested to pursue new avenues of reading.

Looks like a good list. Based on our book comparisons, it looks like you have not read any Bill Bryson, that will bundle travel and humour quite well if you want to try him.

That's a great mix. I read such a wide range of genres, but this year I noticed most of mine leaned towards some kind of romance. Thankfully, romance is such a broad spectrum. There are somany sub-genres, that you are bound to find something you will like. Good luck, Mary.

Good luck, I hope you enjoy them all!!

#1 January: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer 3★s
Genre: Humour (And I think the front and back covers are clever)

Nigel wrote: "Hi Mary. If you are looking for ideas for sci-fi, I really enjoyed Anne Leckie's trilogy Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy and Ancillary Sword. I also usually stick to crime, mystery and historica..."

Thanks Nigel. I've got a book by David Lodge sitting on my TBR shelf, which I plan to read sometime in '07. I'll keep an eye out for Ann Leckie's titles.

#2 February: Here Come The Dogs by Omar Musa (AA) 5★s
Genres: Verse Novel, Contemporary Fiction
Another great book cover to enjoy.
Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne (AA) 5★s
Genres: YA, Indigenous

#3 March: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed 3.5★s
Genres: Travel, Memoir

The Trivia Manby Deborah O'Brien (AA) 5★s
Genre: Contemporary Australian Literature

#4 April:: Absent Without Leave: The private war of Private Stanley Livingston by Paul Livingstone (AA) 3.5★s
Genre: Non-fiction

#5 May: Kinglake-350 by Adrian Hyland (AA) 4★s
Genre: Non-fiction

The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout 4★s
Genre: Humour

#6 June: Father Bob: The Larrikin Priest by Sue Williams (AA) 3★s
Genre: Biography

The Pretty Delicious Cafe by Danielle Hawkins 4★s
Genres: Chick Lit, Romance
(lovely cover)

#7 July: Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler
Genre: Action Adventure

This book comes from a category I very rarely read, and now I know why. Just not my cup of tea at all. I decided not to give it a rating, because I really don't understand the genre well enough. It was good to try something completely different from my usual reading.

#8 August: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 5★s
Genre: Science Fiction

Angels by Marian Keyes 3.5★s
Genres: Chick lit, Humour

Don't know why I hadn't seen your challenge until now, Mary, but it looks fun. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to venture into some of those categories! You're braver than I am!
Seems like some are not to your liking. Hence why you don't normally read them!
Still, good for you! =o)

Really liked the review for Station Eleven, I will try and keep an eye out for it.

Great challenge too btw, would not work for me since I am a pretty omnivorous reader at any time, but it is interesting diversifying ones groove.

Li'l Owl wrote: "Don't know why I hadn't seen your challenge until now, Mary, but it looks fun. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to venture into some of those categories! You're braver than I am!
Seems like some a..."

Thanks Owl. Generally speaking they've been enjoyable. Only one that really turned me off! When you don't know an author or a genre, you rely on the publisher's blurb to get a sense of what you're getting into. Some of what I've read didn't quite live up to their promises, hence slightly reduced star ratings. Like the well-known US comedienne, whose supposedly humorous writing was just not that amusing!

Deborah wrote: "Really liked the review for Station Eleven, I will try and keep an eye out for it.

Great challenge too btw, would not work for me since I am a pretty omnivorous reader at any time, but it is inte..."

Thanks Deborah.

Lil Owl's recent comments got me thinking. I realise I've been reading across a wider range of genres each month. One of the reasons for that is the year-long challenges I'm attempting. Aussie Readers Additional Challenge for 2017 A-Z, and the 2017 Pop Sugar Challenge. Both of those challenges force the reader to choose widely in order to complete the tasks. It works for me. So I've gone back through my Personal Challenge to read different genres than my preferred ones, and added in more books that I've completed during the months.

Good for you Mary :) It makes for more fun and enjoyment in your reading too doesn't it!

Brenda wrote: "Good for you Mary :) It makes for more fun and enjoyment in your reading too doesn't it!"

Definitely, Brenda. The yearly challenges are precisely that - challenging. I still feel I have too many crime novels in my reading. Nothing wrong with reading lots of crime, but I think it is better to broaden the range of books.

It's nice to have a fall-back genre that gives you a good feeling ;)

#9 SEPTEMBER: Wreck by Fleur Ferris (AA) 4★s
Genre: YA

#OCTOBER: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 4★s
Genre: Literary Fiction

The Blue Dressing Gown and Other Poems by Ross Donlon (AA) 4★s
Genre: Poetry

#NOVEMBER: Sanctuary by Judy Nunn (AA) 5★s
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Holy Cow!: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald (AA) 4★s
Genre: Travel

Wow! I've finished my Personal Challenge for 2017 to read a wide range of genres. Feeling very pleased, and also very happy to have embraced styles of writing and types of stories I don't normally encounter.

#DECEMBER: Zoe's Muster by Barbara Hannay (AA) 5★s
Genre: Romance, Rural Lit

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan 5★s (AA)
Genre: Short Stories

Genres I've read during this year-long challenge:
Humour
Verse/poetry
Travel
Non-fiction
Memoir
Biography
Science Fiction
YA
Literary Fiction
Contemporary Literature
Romance
Short Stories
Chick Lit
Rural Lit

Congrats Mary!! Well done :)

Brenda wrote: "Congrats Mary!! Well done :)"

Thanks Brenda. It was a very interesting and ultimately satisfying challenge. How are you going with your challenge to reduce your TBR?

Very well thanks Mary :) I've succeeded in my minimum of 3 per month, sometimes it's been more :) I'm going to continue it next year too!

Congratulations Mary!! Nicely done! =o)

Excellent. a minimum of 3 per month is impressive.

Congratulations Mary. Looks like you had some great reads during the year. Always good to get out of your comfort zone.