Amy | Lost in a Good Book

Have Yourself a Hairy Little Christmas by Rosie Greening

27 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, Christmas, dawn machell, rosie greening, three stars

Published: 27th October 2015
Publisher: Make Believe Ideas
Illustrator: Dawn Machell
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Santa wants a new hairstyle for Christmas, so Elf offers to help! Help Santa choose as you explore thick woolly beards, to ones that sparkle with glitter!

I got quite excited because looking at the touch and feel cover I thought this book might be like those “That’s not my…” books where each page had a different thing you could touch, but alas ‘tis not the case. The copy I read was just a special edition and not the norm for all of them.

So what we get instead is a cool beard you can touch on the cover, but inside are typical illustrations. That is not to say they are boring. After my disappointment subsided I actually quite liked them. They are cute and funny, Machell does a great job making these characters funny and represent the story Greening is telling.

The narrative itself is straight forward and simple, Santa wants a new look and each page depicts a new style the elf barber is trying. The rhyme is also simple, great for younger readers with big clear visual accompaniments and formatting that enhances reading aloud.

Overall, it is a sweet story. Santa finds his new look and the rhyming structure is clear and flows nicely. It is a creative holiday story and getting to play with a fluffy bear on the cover is an added bonus.

You can purchase Have Yourself a Hairy Little Christmas via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Book Bingo 2019: Win?

26 Dec 2019 1 Comment

by Amy in Book Bingo Tags: book bingo, book bingo 19

All year I have been keeping a fairly regular eye on my bingo card and for a while I was on track, then it seemed like I was behind, but finishing 2019 with two lines of bingo and the majority of my card filled I am seeing the success, but feeling a slight let down I was so close. It probably would have been easy to finish it off, I only needed a few squares, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Looking at my planned intentions at the start of the year I kept it relatively simple but with a decent challenge:

“For 2019 I’m looking at reading a variety of stories, voices, and genres I don’t explore that often.”

This was achieved because I spread out my categories once more and with the addition of the #LoveOzYABookBingo I was able to experience a lot of other amazing stories as well. The ideas for next year are already circling my mind – with the possibility of branching into narrative themes or maybe I’ll just have to challenge myself to do another bingo, smaller of course, but with a few different squares. Another thing I also said at the start of the year is “I don’t know if I will do a full card this year, but I will try for as many lines completed as I can” which, I think, 100% clears me from worrying about how successful I have been.

Graphic Novel: The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by Clint McElroy

Read a Series: How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Self Published: And All the Stars by Andrea K Host

Gay MC: Play It Again by Aidan Wayne

Free Choice: The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

Transgender MC: George by Alex Gino

Movie Adaptation: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Own Voices: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina

TBR for Over Two Years: Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus

Classic: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Non-Human MC: Watership Down by Richard Adams

Fantasy: The Wicked King by Holly Black

Set in Australia: The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Non Fiction: Good Girl Stripped Bare by Tracey Spicer

Debut: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Reread: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Historical: Emmie and the Tudor King by Natalie Murray

Science Fiction: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Bisexual MC: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Chosen for the Cover: Mr Darcy by Alex Field

AWW 2019 Wrap Up

24 Dec 2019 8 Comments

by Amy in Australian Women Writers Tags: #aww2019, australian women writers challenge, aww 2019, aww19 update

2019 was a great year for me and this challenge. I hit and exceeded my 40 book goal, even my reviewing one. I was super on form with my reviews and I got a lot of AWW books read while also getting to read a lot of other authors I enjoy this year. I think if I devoted my entire reading to AWW I would excel, but there’s too many other books I love reading so I am pretty sure my challenge numbers will always be around this number. Which is not to say it’s a small feat, I am impressed with myself for making it and I can’t wait to hit this same number next year. I started the year aiming for 30 so to hit 45 is incredible. I’ve read 180 books this year and AWW made up 25% of my reading.

My final official numbers are 45 book read, 35 reviewed. Looking at past attempts this is a vast improvement so while I know it is low looking at some other people’s numbers, it’s a fantastic personal achievement that I’m really proud of. In terms of the types of books I read it varied a lot. I read a mixture of picture books, young adult, adult fiction, and even a few non fiction and anthologies. There are so many other AWW books I had on my list to read that I’m eager to dive into in 2020 and get this challenge off to a cracking start once more. For now though, I will be content with my win and grateful I was able to read so many amazing and diverse books by some amazing Aussie women.

Did you participate this year? How did you do? If not, keep an eye on the website for the 2020 sign up form if you’d like to jump on board and celebrate the talents of Australia’s Women Writers!

AWW 2019 Books Read and Reviewed

And All the Stars by Andrea K Host – Review

The Book That Made Me ed. by Judith Ridge – Review

Blossom Possum by Gina Newton – Review

The Tales of Mr Walker by Jess Black – Review

The Accusation by Wendy James – Review

The Pirate Treasure by Zander Bingham – Review

The Haunted Lighthouse by Zander Bingham – Review

The Lost Temple by Zander Bingham – Review

Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories ed. by Michael Earp – Review

The Fifth Letter by Nicola Moriarty

Upside Down by N. R Walker – Review

Introducing Teddy by Jess Walton – Review

Wild Heart by Belinda Williams – Review

Jacob’s Toys by Claudia Woods – Review

The One by Kaneana May – Review

Once by Kate Forsyth – Review

Heartbreaker by Belinda Williams – Review

Lightening Tracks by A. A. Kinsela – Review

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – Review

The Lost Man by Jane Harper – Review

The Good Girl Stripped Bare by Tracey Spicer – Review

It’s Not Scribble to Me by Kate Ritchie – Review

December’s Wish by Karly Lane – Review

The Greatest Gift by Rachel Johns – Review

Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina

It’s A Long Way to the Shop by Heidi McKinnon – Review

Did You Take the B from my _ook? by Beck and Matt Stanton – Review

Millie Loves Ants by Jackie French

Sorry Day by Coral Vass – Review

An Aussie Year by Tania McCartney

The Easter Bunny’s Helpers by Ann Mangan – Review

We Love School by Lucie Billingsley

Amazing Babes by Eliza Sarlos – Review

Beginnings: An Australian Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Austin Sheehan – Review

You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied – Review

Emmie and the Tudor King by Natalie Murray – Review

Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas by Lucinda Gifford

Meerkat Splash by Aura Parker

Little Puggle’s Song by Vikki Conley – Review

Every Time He Dies by Tara East – Review

Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park – Review

Illuminae by Aimie Kaufman

A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird – Review

AWW Update Oct-Dec

24 Dec 2019 4 Comments

by Amy in Australian Women Writers Tags: #aww2019, aimie kaufman, aura parker, australian women writers challenge, aww 2019, aww19 update, lucinda gifford, natalie murray, ruth park, tabitha bird, tara east, vikki conley, yassmin abdel-magied

This is my final update of 2019, but I will be posting my complete wrap up post later on with all the books I read for the challenge. There is still another week left on the month and year but I am doing my round up early because I know the books I am planning on finishing won’t count to this challenge unless something wild happens. In the past three months I hit my new 40 book goal which was tentative and promptly forgotten about after my last update so to see I exceeded it is quite exciting. The October #LoveOzYABookBingo helped my numbers a bit and getting to catch up a bit on my review requests was another boost I was grateful for.

AWW19 BOOKS Oct – Dec

You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied – Review

Emmie and the Tudor King by Natalie Murray – Review

Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas by Lucinda Gifford

Meerkat Splash by Aura Parker

Little Puggle’s Song by Vikki Conley – Review

Every Time He Dies by Tara East – Review

Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park – Review

Illuminae by Aimie Kaufman

A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird – Review

AWW19 TOTAL

Read: 45/40

Reviewed: 35/30

That Christmas Feeling by Lili Wilkinson

20 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: amanda francey, children's picture book, Christmas, four stars, Lili Wilkinson

Published: January 1st 2018 by Allen Unwin
Publisher: January 1st 2018 by Allen Unwin
Illustrator: Amanda Francey
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Dottie is waiting for the Christmas feeling to arrive—that fizzy, excited feeling, where everything is a bit magical. But this year, Dottie, her brother, Jem, and their dog, Shortbread, are staying with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma and Grandpa are trying hard, but Christmas just isn’t the same . . . A gorgeous, heart-warming story about misplacing the Christmas spirit, and finding it again.

Wilkinson has created a sweet story about the hunt for the “Christmas feeling”. When Dottie and her brother stay with grandma and grandpa on Christmas Eve she can’t help but compare it to the Christmas last year which feels a lot of magical.

It’s initially unclear why the pair are at their grandparents, but by the end it’s evident and seeing Dottie go through her Christmas worries and how Jem tries to help is incredibly touching. The sibling relationship between Jem and Dottie is so adorable. The affection between them and the older/younger sibling relationship is beautiful. Jem comforts Dottie and tries to ease her worries as they make the best out of being at their grandparent’s house.

Francey’s illustrations add a lot to this story too, they are realistic pencil drawings with wonderful detail. The style she has used brings out emotion and heart which is perfect for the story Wilkinson is telling. There’s lots of colours but suitably subdued and not overbearing. The bright scenes and the beautiful scenery add a wonderful feeling of a special night and anticipation.

This is a beautiful story about how different Christmases can be just as wonderful as past Christmases and that the Christmas feeling can be found in the most unlikely of places.

You can purchase That Christmas Feeling via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust