Goodreads Ireland discussion

I’ve decided to do my Geographic challenge so that I visit all the states of Australia and clear out some of the books that have been sitting on my book shelf for a while. The first book for each state is the one that will be in the folder list to be read for the challenge and the second book will be read if I have time. I'll see how I go.

Victoria
• The Dressmaker Rosalie Ham
• Black Wattle Creek Geoffrey McGeachin

Tasmania
• The Birdman's Wife Melissa Ashley

South Australia
• One Remarkable Year Meredith E Resce
• The Popeye Murder Sandra Winter-Dewhirst (only people living in Adelaide would know this ‘iconic’ boat.)

Western Australia
• The Swan Book Alexis Wright
• The Secret Vineyard Loretta Hill

Queensland
• Women of the Outback Sue Williams

Northern Territory
• A Town Like Alice Nevil ShuteA

New South Wales
• One Enchanted Evening Charlotte Smith
• The Service of Clouds Delia Falconer

Thank you Declan. I'm looking forward to reading them. Some of them have been on my shelf for a long time. So it would be good if I can read them this year and tick some boxes. :-)

I've finished my first book of my challenge and will start reading Black Wattle Creek.

Finished Black Wattle Creek, The next book will be One Remarkable Year - Black Wattle Creek was not too bad. I gave it a 4.

Finished The Popeye Murder by Sandra Winter-Dewhirst. This was a very ordinary book. I gave it a 2. I'm going to NSW now because I miss it, and I'm going to read One Enchanted Evening. I feel like some fashion talk.

I've finished one enchanted evening and it was a delightful read.

looks like you are making good progress Marcia, any surprises good or bad so far?

No Surprises really, The Popeye book was as bad as I thought it would be. The main reason I read that one was it was about Popeye which is this really small boat that does cruises on the Torrens River. The boat has been around ever since I can remember and is a bit of an Adelaide icon. The cruises are nothing special and I was surprised that anybody would want base a book on it. The book did mention quite a lot of places around Adelaide though so I suppose if you can get past the bad writing it gives you an idea of what is around Adelaide.

I've given up on trying to read One Remarkable Year. It was just too boring. This was my second attempt to read it. I have even put it book in the second hand book shop pile this time to get it off my book shelf. I'm going to read The Secret Vineyard by Loretta Hill. I've read another of her books and quite enjoyed it. It has romance in it and a bit about Western Australia.

I had a day of reading today and finished The secret Vineyard. This was definitely a chick lit book book but an enjoyable one. I like Loretta Hill. I think she writes a good light book which is what I needed after trying to read One Remarkable year.

The book was based in Margaret River region of Western Australia. It was about a single mother of 3 children who had been cheated on by her husband who then left her for her best friend. The ex husband dies and the three sons receive an inheritance from him. The story is mostly about Grace (the mother) finding out mystery of her ex husbands past and her new relationship with a pop star who is coming to terms with a injuries from a car accident.

I think I'm going to read A Town Like Alice next.

I'm currently reading A Town Like Alice and it is an absolute pleasure to read this book. Why is it that some books have small details but they don't seem to have too much and then other books have small details but they are such a chore to read and you have to skip over some of the details because there is just too much.

The Secret Vineyard had lots of detail and so does A Town Like Alice. But A town like Alice is so much easier to read and so much more interesting. No.... enthralling is a better word. I'm really enjoying this book. If I had realised it was so good I would have read it a lot sooner.

Hi Marcia, I Came across your page via Goodreads Ireland and their choice of “The Dry” for a place read. I read it maybe 18 months ago. A Town Like Alice I read a few decades ago, enjoyed it immensely. I’ve looked at your list of places in Australia by location e.g. Queensland, NSW. I am quite interested on an author having read his “Bio”. MacGeachin I think, my spelling may be incorrect. He sounds interesting person so I will try to find some of his books here in Ireland.

Thanks for helping me find something outside of the norm for here and me. I do have a very high pile of “To Read” books which I acquired via charity book stalls and Amazon. I might even prioritize Mr MacGeachin when I find something he has written.

Thanks again Marcia.

That is not a problem. I'm glad you found Geoffrey McGeachin bio interesting. I heard him speak at the Adelaide Writers Week about his detective novels and really liked the way he had decided to write them with regard to the time period between each one. He is not a very well known author here in Australia which is a pity as I think he writes quite well and would definitely recommend his books. He has also written a comedy I think as well.

I have just finished A Town Like Alice and really loved it. It is such a gentle book but at the same time not boring. I don't think I've read a book like this before. I think the only violent part in the book (and that wasn't really that violent) was the part between the Japanese and Joe and Jean. It was just such a lovely book. I'm now going to read The Service of Clouds

Just had a look at a synopsis for that book. It looks like an interesting read too, I hope you enjoy and post your comments when you finish reading it.

I tried to read The service of clouds but just couldn't get into it. It wasn't my type of book. Too disjointed and went off on too many tangents for me. I did like the descriptions of the blue mountains though, just not in the context of this book. I am going to try either The Birdman's Wife or Women Of The Outback next

Because there are a couple of books that I didn't finish I think I'll add a couple to replace them. One will be Nine Days. Not sure which other book will be slotted in yet.

I have read Women of the Outback. It was ok. The stories were short which was good and some of them were quite interesting. I can now get this book off my book shelf. I have also tried to read The Swan Book. I was unsuccessful with this. It was just too disjointed for me. I didn't like the style of it. I think for me it was also too depressing. I am now reading The Birdman's Wife. So far I'm really enjoying this book.

I've been a bit slack with this challenge. It has sort of morphed into a challenge where I read Australian Books which has been good. I tried to read The Birdman's Wife. While it was an interesting book for me it gave way too much detail about how to draw and paint a bird. It was very focused only on Goulds wife and how she was coping with things, how she painted and not enough information about other things that were going on. I have now started to read Nine Days. So far I'm finding this book really good.

I have also just finished listening to Wimmera Wimmera. For all those people who love suspense novels this is definitely for you. I listened to this one but I think reading it would also have you on the edge of your seat as well. It has won a lot of prizes and for once I can see why this is the case. I thought it was very well written. The author was really able to make you feel what the characters were feeling. It was really good.

I have finished Nine Days. It was a really good book. It was so well written and easy to read. One of those books that was hard to put down. It was a bit sad at times but there were a lot of happy moments as well.

One of my favourite quotes out of this book is "People who work out are so gullible. It's a shame most of them aren't bright enough to realise that the extra time they added to their life when they're 80 and too old to do anything productive with it is roughly equal to all the time wasted in the gym when they're young and capable of having fun."

And this quote as well....... I don't usually share quotes but these two I really liked....
"Alec. You must know this. People disappear. They just go puff. Thin air. Every time you see someone, you never know if your're seeing them for the last time. Drink them in, Alec. Kiss them. It's very important. Never let anyone say goodbye, even for a little while, without kissing them. Press your lips against the people you love. Hands, they can touch anything. Open doors, hold cameras, hang clothes on the line. It's lips that matter."

I'm going to read The Transit of Venus next. I saw this book reviewed on a TV show. They said it was quite good so I'll give it a go. It's another Australian book about 2 Australian girls who go to the UK after the 2nd world war.

Transit of Venus looked like an interesting read. I picked up a copy but have yet to start it. (Somewhere in the To Be Read pile.). I will be interested in hearing your impressions, Marci, when you are done.