Aussie Readers discussion

April 2020 - Opposites Attract!

Easy - choose 2 opposites = 4 books (1 Aussie Author)
Medium - choose 3 opposites = 6 books (2 Aussie Authors)
Hard - choose 4 opposites = 8 books (3 Aussie Authors)

For example:

Male author/Female author
Fiction/Non fiction
Historical fiction/Current day
Set in country/set in city
Set in your home country/set away from home country

Don't forget the Rules: Minimum of 125 pages per book - full guidelines HERE

Be creative; choose from the above or choose your own and have some fun!

TEMPLATE
April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: ?
0/?

Participants


Alex
Amanda
Brenda
Carolyn
Cherie
Deborah
Erin
Jacm
Jane
Janelle
Janine
Jennifer
Kahlia
Kali
Kerri
Kim
Krystal
Kylie D
Kylie H
Kylie (kyliemaree)
Li'l Owl
Mari
Melissa
Nicola
Phrynne
Sarah
Sharon
Suzie
#Teresa
TheMadHatter
Tien
Trish
Valerie
Zoey

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard - 4 opposites
8/8

1. Female author/Male author
a) Red Dirt Country by Fleur McDonald 5★s 3/4/20 AA
b) The Sunken Road by Garry Disher 4★s 5/4/20 AA



2. Historical/Current
a) The Philosopher's Daughters by Alison Booth 5★s 4/4/20 AA
b) Find Her Alive by Lisa Regan 5★s 11/4/20



3. In series/Standalone
a) Amethyst Pledge by Leonie Rogers 5★s 10/4/20 AA (#1)
b) A Silent Death by Peter May 5★s 9/4/20



4. Australian author/Another country author
a) The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning 5★s 6/4/20 AA
b) Having a Great Crime - Wish You Were Here by Marja McGraw 4★s 5/4/20 US author

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: easy
3.5/4

Historic / present day:
The Book Thief by AA Markus Zusak DNF 28/4 but got to p329 so I'll call it.
Wolf Pack by C.J. Box 21/4 3.5★

Home / overseas:
The Long Con by AA Barry Weston 9/4 4★
Falling in Love: by Donna Leon 2/4 4★

COMPLETED

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard
8/8

1. Male Author / Female Author
a. Boy Swallows Universe Trent Dalton AA Read 11/4/20 5*
b. Riptides Kirsten Alexander AA Read 17/4/20 4*

2. Fiction / Non Fiction
a. The Sunday Girl Pip Drysdale AA Read 4/4/20 5*
b. Try Hard: Tales from the Life of a Needy Overachiever Em Rusciano AA Read 12/4/20 3*

3. Historical fiction / Current Day
a. Burial Rites Hannah Kent AA Read 13/4/20 4.5*
b. The Reckless Oath We Made Bryn Greenwood Read 21/4/20 3*

4. Set in home country / Set away from home country
a. Wimmera Mark Brandi AA Read 22/4/20 3*
b. The Dutch House Ann Patchett Read 26/4/20 4*

I'll start with easy and may upgrade :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard
8/8 (AA-3/3)

Fiction/Non Fiction
The Secret of Provence House by Aubrey Rhodes 3 stars 1/4/20
Best Bush and Beach Walks of the Gold Coast by Alan Ernst AA 5 stars 13/4/20

Male Author/Female Author
River of Salt by Dave Warner AA 3.5 stars 3/4/20
Operation Grizzly Camp by Kimberli A. Bindschatel 4 stars 2/4/20

Male MC/Female MC
The Blood King Takedown by David Leadbeater 4 stars 3/4/20
Galleon's Gold by David Leadbeater 4 stars 1/4/20

Northern Hemisphere/Southern Hemisphere
Evelyn, After by Victoria Helen Stone 3 stars 2/4/20
Death by Tradition: Fiji Islands Mysteries 2 by B.M. Allsopp AA 3.5 stars 4/4/20

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard - 4 opposites
8/8

1. Short / Long
Moshi Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto (219p) -Read 13/04
The Tower of Ravens (Rhiannon's Ride #1) by Kate Forsyth AA (565p) -Read 23/04

2. Light / Dark
Kappy King and the Pie Kaper (An Amish Mystery #3) by Amy Lillard -Read 09/04
Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels #1) by Anne Bishop -Read 16/04

3. Owned / Borrowed
Ballad for a Mad Girl by Vikki Wakefield AA -Read 25/04
Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper (An Amish Mystery #1) by Amy Lillard -Read 05/04

4. New / Old
The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks AA -Read 29/04
The Watch Tower by Elizabeth Harrower AA -Read 20/04

Kylie wrote: "I'll start with easy and may upgrade :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
0/4 AA-0/1

Fiction/Non Fiction
..."

Here you go Kylie - I added it to the database for you. The only thing I couldn't find was the publisher. Are you able to tell me that?

Best Bush and Beach Walks of the Gold Coast by Alan Ernst

I am in, I'll go for hard...

1 Set in Australia / Set overseas
The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee AA
Predatory Game by Christine Feehan


2 Australian author / American author
Deviant by Adrian McKinty AA
The Cellar byNatasha Preston


3 Fiction / Fact
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
Valerie Taylor: An Adventurous Life: The remarkable story of the trailblazing ocean conservationist, photographer and shark expert by Valerie TaylorAA

AA

4 Female Author / Male Author
The Witch Who Courted Death by Maria Lewis AA
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy - 2 opposites
4/4

Female author/Male author
A Dog Called Harry by Jill Baker AA 5★
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton AA 4★

Black cover/ White cover
Coffin Road by Peter May 4★
One Summer Between Friends AA 4★

Brenda wrote: "Kylie wrote: "I'll start with easy and may upgrade :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
0/4 AA-0/1

Fiction/Non Fiction
..."

Here you go Kylie - I added it to the..."

Thanks so much! The publisher is Woodslane Press :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard - 4 opposites
8/8 COMPLETED 14-APR-2020

1. Set in Australia/Set in USA
An Iron Rose by Peter Temple AA 3*
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter 5*

2. Male author/female author
Babylon South by Jon Cleary AA 4*
None the Wiser by Rachel Amphlett AA 4*

3. Going into Space/Staying on the Ground!
Quantum by Patricia Cornwell 1*
Broken Ground by Val McDermid 5*

4. Cozy Mystery/Standard Mystery
Forbidden Fruit by Kerry Greenwood AA 4*
Die for You by Lisa Unger 4*

Kylie wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Kylie wrote: "I'll start with easy and may upgrade :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
0/4 AA-0/1

Fiction/Non Fiction
..."

Here you go Kylie - I ..."

Thanks Kylie - I've added it to the book. And you're welcome :)

Some inventive opposites coming through!

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: medium
4/6

1. Nonfiction/fiction
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England
Stormbird

2. Female author/male author
The Locksmith's Daughter AA finished Apr4
The Chain

3. Set in Australia/set overseas
Devil's Lair AA finished Apr26
The Other Side of the Story

Welcome everyone :) You're all linked to here!

Janelle wrote: "April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: medium
0/6

1. Nonfiction/fiction
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England
Stormbird

2. Female auth..."

Janelle, Adrian McKinty is an Australian author too :)

Alex wrote: "April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: easy
0/4

Historic / present day:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Wolf Pack by..."

Alex Markus Zusak is an Aussie too :)

Isn’t Adrian McKinty Irish?

Janelle wrote: "Isn’t Adrian McKinty Irish?"

He sure is, but he lives in Australia now - Melbourne actually. I've met him at a writer's festival some years back :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: easy
0/4

1. Fiction/non-fiction
Non-fiction: Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus - Sandi Toksvig - 3.5* - 05/04/2020
Fiction: Maggie's Going Nowhere - Rose Hartley - AA - 3* - 10/04/2020


2. Past/present
Past: The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Alix E. Harrow - 4* - 19/04/2020
Present: The Lie of the Land - Amanda Craig - 3* - 13/04/2020

Ah I see, Brenda, so we can claim him! :)

Level - Hard: 8 books (3 AA)

1. Psychological Thriller/Cosy mystery
✔ Thriller: What Lies Between Us by John Marrs 5★
✔ Cosy mystery: The Fatality at the Funeral by Grace York AA 4★

2. Old/New
✔ Old: Firedrake's Eye by Patricia Finney (1992) 4★
✔ New: Shepherd by Catherine Jinks (2020) AA 4★

3. Historical/Contemporary
✔ Historical: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 5★
✔ Contemporary: The Hunted by Gabriel Bergmoser AA 5★

4. Stand alone/Part of a series
✔ Stand alone: Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza 4★
✔ Part of a series: Lullaby Town by Robert Crais 4★

TEMPLATE
April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
4/4
1. Single word title/Multi word
Maralinga by Judy Nunn AA
2.The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson


Cover I like/don't like
3. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
4. The Curse of Allie Mae by Aiden James

Janelle wrote: "Ah I see, Brenda, so we can claim him! :)"

Definitely Janelle :)

Amanda, Carolyn and Kerri - welcome! You're linked :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Medium
6/6

Past: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley ★★★☆☆ (5/4)
Present: The Long Distance Playlist by Tara Eglington AA ★★★★☆ (5/4)

Summer: The Girl with the Gold Bikini by Lisa Walker AA ★★★☆☆ (11/4)
Winter: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden ★★★★★ (15/4)

Ocean setting: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace ★★★☆☆ (13/4)
Space setting: Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell ★★★☆☆ (21/4)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Medium
6/6 books 2/2 Aussie Authors

✅Male author: To Kill a Man by Sam Bourne
- read 7/5/20 - 2 stars
✅Female author: The Misfortunes of Family by Meg Little Reilly
- read 5/4/20 - 1 star

✅Set in Australia: The Messenger by Markus Zusak AA
- finished 19/04/20 - 5 stars
✅Set Overseas: Dear Child by Romy Hausmann
- finished 11/4/20 - 4 stars

✅Dark cover: Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko AA
- finished 23/04/20 - 2 stars
✅Light cover: The Warehouse by Rob Hart
- finished 3/5/20 - 4.5 stars

Kahlia and Erin - welcome to the challenge :) You're linked!

Brenda wrote: "Alex wrote: "April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: easy
0/4

Historic / present day:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Wolf Pack b..."

Whoopy doo!!!

LOL!

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Medium
6/6 COMPLETED!


1. Author Initials JS / SJ
On the Java Ridge by Jock Serong AA 28/04/2020 5* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Landing by Susan Johnson AA 05/04/2020 3* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. Historical women's lives/ Present-day women's lives
Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater AA 10/04/2020 5* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 08/04/2020 5+* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3. Set in Australia / Set overseas
The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay AA 17/04/2020 3* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie AA 12/04/2020 4* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





reply | flag *

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard
8/8

1a. Male author: Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci 4 stars
1b. Female author: Angel with Two Faces by Nicola Upson 3 stars

2a. H/F: The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn AA 4 stars
2b. Contemporary: The Secret Life of Sarah Meads by V.K. Tritschler AA 3 stars

3a. Set in my country: The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman AA 3 star
3b. Set in another country: A Very English Murder by Verity Bright 4 stars

4a. Part of a series: Amethyst Pledge by Leonie Rogers AA 5 stars
4b. Stand alone: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware 4 stars

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
4/4

1Male author/Female author (also from library/own book)
Female Author - The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey 4★AA
Male Author - The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver 4★

2 Historical fiction/Current day
Historical Fiction - The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning 4★ AA
Current Day - Grown Ups by Marian Keyes 5★

Welcome Kali, Phrynne and Kylie - you're all linked :)

What a fun idea. Lots of great categories already.

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Medium
6/6 Completed 26th April

Owned/Borrowed:
✅ I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán 26/04 ★★★☆
✅ The Good Woman of Renmark by Darry Fraser *AA* 15/04 ★★★

Fiction/Non-fiction:
✅ Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano 25/04 ★★★★
✅ Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb 09/04 ★★★★★

Start of a Series/End of a Series:
✅ Arson at the Art Gallery by Grace York * AA* 08/04 ★★★☆
✅ Shoot Through by J.M. Green *AA* 03/04 ★★★★

Glad you like it Mari :) You're linked!

Finished! Just snuck in on the final day :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy - choose 2 opposites = 4 books (1 Aussie Author)
4/4


Male author/Female author
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta AA 5 stars
Lost at the Con by Bryan Young 2.5 stars



Fiction/Non fiction

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 4 stars
How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger 5 stars

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
4/4

Aus Author/US Author
The One Who Got Away by Caroline Overington AA 4★
Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke 3★

16th Century/20th Century
Gay Lord Robert by Jean Plaidy 3★
Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen 5★

Welcome Cherie and Zoey, you're both linked!

Just found out that Brisbane libraries will be closing from Monday so sadly going to have to rethink this challenge and possibly by Autumn challenges too. Hopefully I can find things that fit on my shelves or online. :-(

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: EASY
4/4 as of 30 April 2020

Male Author LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff AA
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (4 Stars)
Female Author Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (3.5 stars)

FictionFinnikin of the Rock by Melina MarchettaAA
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (5 MILLION TRILLION Stars)
Non-FictionWhy Does E=mc²? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (3.5 Stars)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Hard
8/8

1) Male Author - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 4 stars
Female Author - Hidden Goddess by Marina Finlayson AA 5 stars

2) Set in Australia - Up on Horseshoe Hill by Penelope Janu AA 4 stars
Set in another country - Lone Star Defender by Jennie Jones AA 4 stars

3) Romance - Caged Lightning by Marina Finlayson AA 5 stars
Crime - Desperate Creed by Alex Kava 5 stars

4) Aussie Author - Long Way Home by Nicola Marsh AA 4 stars
American Author - Lionhearted by Diana Palmer

Jane wrote: "Just found out that Brisbane libraries will be closing from Monday so sadly going to have to rethink this challenge and possibly by Autumn challenges too. Hopefully I can find things that fit on my..."

Good luck Jane...

MH and Jennifer, you're linked :)

Thank you for the challenge :)

April - Opposites Attract!
Duration: 1/4/20 - 30/4/20
Level: Easy
1/4

Short title/long title

1984 by George Orwell
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain 4★

Adjacent letters in author initials forwards/backwards

La Tempête des échos by Christelle Dabos
All The Green Year by Don Charlwood AA

That's clever Valerie - the second one! You're linked :)

Thanks Brenda :)

Hi Brenda, I'd love to join - like everyone, I'm not 100% sure which library books I'll actually get my hands on next month, so this will be a work in progress... Thank you!
Progress: 18/18 AA: 7/7

Male Author: The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza (7/4) 4*
Female Author: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (3/4) 5*

Fiction: Bitter Wash Road by Garry Disher AA (4/4) 4*
Non-Fiction: The Mystery Gut by Kerryn Phelps AA (25/4) 5*

Historical Fiction: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (21/4) 4.5*
Contemporary Fiction: The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan AA (11/4) 4*

Set in the country: Undara by Annie Seaton AA (29/4) 4*
Set in (and around) a city: Flesh House by Stuart MacBride (5/4) 4*

Set in Australia: The Yield by Tara June Winch AA (6/4) 5*
Set in another country (USA): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (11/4) 4.5*

Part of a series: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (4/4) 4*
A standalone: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (17/4) 3.5*

Long title: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (28/4) 4.5*
Short title: Peace by Garry Disher AA (16/4) 4*

Australian Author: Gathering Dark by Candice Fox AA (20/4) 4*
Non-Australian Author (Scottish): Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride (22/4) 4*

Female MC: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (27/4) 4*
Male MC: Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride (26/4) 4*

Welcome Sarah! You're linked :)