Review of Don't Fence Me In - Grassroots Wisdom From a Country Girl

Don't Fence Me In: Grassroots Wisdom From a Country Girl
by Rachael Treasure

This is truly a 'treasure' of a book (pun intended!) Rachael Treasure who, to quote an incident from this book is the 'godmother' of Aussie Rural Authors, has branched out from her usual brilliant Rural Novels to impart us with some home grown, grassroots Aussie Cowgirl wisdom. Even if your not a farm girl (or even one at heart) this little gem of a book has something for everyone. I have to admit when I finally got a copy of this book my mum actually borrowed (stole) it off me and read it first,...more This is truly a 'treasure' of a book (pun intended!) Rachael Treasure who, to quote an incident from this book is the 'godmother' of Aussie Rural Authors, has branched out from her usual brilliant Rural Novels to impart us with some home grown, grassroots Aussie Cowgirl wisdom. Even if your not a farm girl (or even one at heart) this little gem of a book has something for everyone. I have to admit when I finally got a copy of this book my mum actually borrowed (stole) it off me and read it first, I had to keep telling her to stop 'spoiling' it for me by reading out tasty titbits but its just that kind of book. With everything from sustainable farming to hugging your kids (something we practice in my family!) this is the kind of book you will go back to time and again. This book will make a perfect present for your daughter, your mother, sister, your best friend.... yourself. Just do yourself a favour and get a copy! This was also number to on my list for the Aussie Readers Challenge 2014!

Aussie Readers Autumn Challenge starts this Saturday!

Yep another month is about to end and for us here an Australian this means Autumn starts this Saturday 1st March!! For me this means I get to start on my reading list for the Aussie Autumn Reading Challenge. With 13 books to pick from my dilemma was which to pick first??? To solve that I used Random.org which also has a Sequence Generator option so this will be the order I read the books in:
1 Nurses of the Outback by Annabelle Brayley
9 Safe Harbour by Helene Young
3 No Biking in the House without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene
5 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
11 Firestorm by Tamara McKinley
7 Daughters of Mars by Tom Keneally
6 The Never Never Sisters by L. Allison Heller
8 The Secret River by Kate Grenville
2 The Tea House on Mulberry Street by Sharon Owens
10 House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod
13 Saving Grace by Fleur McDonald
12 Silver Clouds by Fiona McCallum
4 Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko

For the Goodreads links see my initial enter at http://geckogirlreads.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/book-list-for-aussie-readers-autumn.html

Can't wait to start reading. I have already read almost 2 off my Aussie Author Challenge (goes for the whole year).

Happy Reading

1st Book for the Aussie Reading Challenge

The Rabbits

by John Marsden, Shaun Tan (Illustrator)

 

I chose this book as part of the  Aussie Author Challenge 2014 (Fantasy Book) as Fantasy really isn't my genre to read and I knew we had this in our school library. I had seen it before I actually never read it.

This was an 'alternative' telling of the immigration of Australia, with the 'Rabbits' invading the territory of the native animals. Not only do they come, but the ruin the land and leave it barren.

With amazingly detailed drawings by Shaun Tan this is a great retelling of what happened to Australia, even if hopefully we don't ruin Australia as bad as the Rabbits did

Review of Silver Rain by Jan Ruth

Silver Rain

by Jan Ruth

While Silver Rain is set in Wales it could easily be set anywhere in the world. Silver Rain tells overlapping stories of middle life Kate and Al who find themselves in very different situations in their lives. Kate's second husband has recently died and she goes to visit her sister-in-law while trying to get her head around whether or not she actually loved her husband, what she is going to do about her hopeless sister and who is going to look after her ageing mother. Poor Al couldn't be more different, while he is still finalising his divorce this ladies man has found himself a young professional girlfriend and thinks life is all good. They cross paths in the ramshackle farm her sister-in-law calls home, which happens to be Al's family home 'Chathill Farm' but his (adopted) brother George is none to happy to see him. Will these too opposites become friends (or even more) or are they just too different (I'm not going to spoil it and tell you!)

Jan skilfully tackles many issues faced by middle-aged people everywhere such as dealing with aging parents, downsized jobs, failing marriages, and awkward dates in Silver Rain and she does this so realistically, even with a few well placed laughs as well as some heart in your throat moments.

This story does change between Al & Kate's stories but there is no overlapping boring bits like some in this style do and flows quiet easily. I wanted to sit and just read it but kept getting rudely interrupted, but it was quiet easy to just pick up where I left off.

If you haven't read any of Jan's other books check out my reviews:
Wild Water Review



Midnight Sky Review



Jan also has three other books which I am looking forward to reading,Her Novel :
White Horizon
And two collections of Short Stories:
The Long and the Short of it. A Long Way From Home

Another Challenge - Aussie Readers - Aussie Authors Challenge 2014

Well going to add to my challenge list this year by also doing the Aussie Author Challenge 2014  - since I do already read a lot of Aussie Authors I thought this shouldn't be too much of a stretch (although I did struggle to find a fantasy book to read - not my genre at all!). I've started with the bronze level which means 12 books for the year within the categories:

1. Female Author: Wings of Fear by Helene Young
Actually I really want to read this whole series this year. Helene's books are great! I have her new book in my Autumn Challenge List.
2. Female Author: What Alice Forgot by Laine Moriarty
Had this one in my TBR pile for a while - really looking forward to reading this.

3. Male Author: Bereft by Chris Womersley
I'm pretty sure we have this one at school - will have to check but it sounds interesting.

4. Male Author: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
This will be my first attempt at reading Tim Winton since I was in year 12 (just a 'few' years ago!) I'm not really looking forward to this one but this is a new book for our year 12's this year so I thought it would be a good idea to select it.
5. Debut Novel: Cicada by Moria McKinnon
This one sounds quiet interesting - I'm looking forward to it coming out.

6. 2014 Release: Rocking Horse Hill by Cathryn Hein
LOVE Cathryn's books - can't wait for this one to come out in April!

7. 2014 Release: Time Will Tell by Fiona McCullum
Same with Fiona's new book (did I mention I love Aussie Rural books?)

8. Classic: They're a Weird Mob by Nino Culotta & John O'Grady
Ok so I picked this one because even my DAD (who isn't a big reader) has read this - I think it was a TV show at one stage. It sounds really funny.
9. Fantasy: The Rabbits by John Marsden & Shaun Tan
I struggled with this category because Fantasy really isn't an area I read or want to but I remembered we had this book at school so I thought I could give it a go.

10. Historical Fiction: Elianne by Judy Nunn
I have a few of Judy's books but haven't had a chance to read them yet - looking forward to this one.

11. Favourite Genre (Rural Romance): Don't Fence Me In: Grassroots Wisdom From a Country Girl by Rachael Treasure. My mum pinched this off me when I brought it home and loved it. I can't wait to read it myself!
 
12. Favourite Genre (Rural Romance): The Farmer's Wife by Rachael Treasure
I LOVE Rachael's books. Her first book Jillaroo (this is the sequel) was my first taste of 'modern' Aussie Rural Fiction (after Tony Parsons) and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel. If I have time I might re-read Jillaroo first (it was released in 2002 - read just a 'few' books since then)

Since I have all year to read these books I decided to pick different books from my Autumn Challenge List to add some variety. Looking forward to ticking off these ones - I might make a dint in my TBR pile!    

Happy Reading

Book list for Aussie Readers - Autumn Reading Challenge 2014

Ok I've looked through my (extensive TBR pile) and picked the following books for the Autumn Challenge (here in Australia our Autumn (or Fall) runs from March to May):
1.  Labor Day:  a book who's lead characters are workers in construction, office, health, police force or teachers: Nurses of the Outback by Annabelle Brayley
 
2. St Patrick's Day: Green Cover/set in Ireland The Tea House on Mulberry Street by Sharon Owens
 
3. Moomba Festival: Book with fun activities (Moomba is fun long weekend in Melbourne (Australia) with crazy family activities it's the 60th Anniversary this year - here is their website
No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene
 
4.  Canberra Day: Book written on or about local indigenous people:
 Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko
 
5. April Fools Day: Humours Book:  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
 
6. Easter: Chocolate, Religion, hot cross buns or family fun:
The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller (I picked this for family fun - it's description is "highly entertaining novel about family secrets" so I figured it counted :)
 
7. ANZAC Day: War/Military  The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
 
8. Captain Cook 1770 Festival : Historical Fiction about Australian Settlement
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
 

9: Whale Shark Festival: Find a book with any of our beautiful sea creatures in it:
Safe Harbour by Helene Young (ok I may be stretching it a little bit for "sea creatures" but it does include mention of a whale station in the blurb so I definitely think this counts - plus I really want to read it!)
 

10. Colours of Autumn: Choose a book which has the words, red, gold, brown, orange or yellow in the title OR whose cover is primarily one of those colours
House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod (this totally qualifies - just look at the cover!)
 


11-13 Read 3 books from your TBR list for these:
11. Firestorm by Tamara McKinley
12. Silver Clouds by Fleur McDonald
13. Saving Grace by Fiona McCallum
Can't wait to start reading - bring on MARCH!

Autumn Reading Challenge 2014

I'm going to take part in the Aussie Readers Autumn Reading Challenge for 2014. I have to select 13 books to read from different subjects - to see the list check out the link to Goodreads below. I thought it would be a good way to help select books of my every growing TBR pile.

 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1701959-autumn-reading-challenge---2014

As soon as I finalise my list I'll post it up. I'm looking forward to Autumn - I am so over this hot weather we have been having here in Australia. Although I guess I shouldn't complain given the crazy weather they have been having in the northern hemisphere lately.

I'm back at work now - great to get a whole new group of young readers in, although I did have one sad moment when I had to delete off one of our best readers who had changed schools - she had borrowed 255 books in the 2 years she was with us!!

Happy Reading!