Lost in a Good Book

Don’t Call Me Bear by Aaron Blabey

26 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: aaron blabey, children's picture book, picture book

Published: 1 January 2016
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Illustrator: Aaron Blabey
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

This is the book for me because it highlights my own pet peeve about calling koalas koala bears. It frustrates me to no end, so I sympathise with this koala. It’s worse too because for all the people joking about it, or saying it knowing it isn’t true, there are people out there believing it. There can only be koalas. Unless there is some cross species with a drop bear that gets a koala bear sub species a koala is a koala is a koala.

But that is beside the point.

I am falling in love with Blabey’s rhyming style. I don’t recall liking it as much with the Thelma books, that was more typical picture book rhyme, and I certainly didn’t notice with Pig the Pug, probably because I dislike Pig the Pug so much I wasn’t enjoying any of it. But I’m glad I’ve finally started reading these books because I can learn to love Blabey instead for these remarkable picture books. I must track down some others and see if they are all this fun or whether there’s going to be hits and misses as I’ve already seen.

The writing makes this a great book to read aloud or to yourself, it flows wonderfully, you keep the rhythm going as the story read like a poem. Blabey gets the humour, the melody and the tone right even as his characters become exasperated and frustrated it still works perfectly.

It’s fascinating reading picture books and noticing how differently a story flows depending on the rhyme. There’s fast rhythms and ones that slow your pacing, then there’s some that read like a story but happen to have rhyming in it but you read it just the same. Then there’s others where you are compelled to change your tone and pace as you read, rhythm and speed changing on the various rhymes. It’s amazing how you can do so much with words on a page to make the reading experience different. This is why I like Blabey because even with rhymes in his books, they are all read in different ways with different rhythms.

What also makes this book great is it plays with the formatting, the font, and the size. The position of the characters and the layout of the full page illustrations all play into the reading experience. I adored the illustrations, they were cute, creative, and they told a story themselves. Koala is a great character, their frustrations and exasperation add to the delight of reading without ever become over the top. Their humour and temper work well, and being adorable in little outfits is always a bonus. There’s fun facts, there’s jokes and a little bit of history in there, but there’s also delight in watching the little koala try their best to educate and still falling short because it’s hard to escape how they look.

You can purchase Don’t Call Me Bear via the following

QBD | Booktopia |

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

11th Blogiversary + International Giveaway

23 Jan 2024 7 Comments

by Amy in Giveaway Tags: adam silvera, becky albertalli, blogiversary, cesca major, clint mcelroy, giveaway, matt kirkland, rachel lynn solomon, robbie couch, tegan bennett daylight

Whose idea was it to start a blog so early in the new year when there’s barely any time to realise you’re in January let alone plan a celebration for our continual blogging ventures?

But we’re here and it is an exciting way to kick off the new year. Traditionally this is a time for a giveaway to celebrate the books I’ve read this past year, a look back, somewhat rambly, somewhat morosely at my previous years and blogging history. I think there has been way too much of that of late so I’m diving into the celebrations.

Eleven years! I still remember so vividly those early years it’s hard to imagine where the time has gone. This year’s anniversary gift is traditionally steel, I think we all have wills of steel, (wings of steel too if you like) to still be here, still reading this and committing. I know I’m probably a little mad for doing it, but I am honoured and very appreciative for those who have stuck with me for so long, or for those who came late to the party. The more the merrier, try the punch. This blog has been built up and sustained by steely resolve, or it’s being held up by a steel will and determination to persist. I don’t think that’s a bad thing?

I read a weird mix of books last year, I barley scraped through with my challenge, I have yet to announce my top five, and I am trying new things on the blog which I am feeling out of my depth about. But this is why we celebrate. All the achievements, the failed features, the ongoing features, the trying to remember to do the features.

Speaking of features, on to the main reason we’re here. The sharing of the goods. As I say, I read a weird mix of books but I have managed to select the ones I adored and ones I would love more people to know about, read, and fall in love with. I have included my Top Five in these eight so see if you can pick which ones they might be, and I’ve added some others that were too wonderful to not highlight.

An infographic that says Lost in a Good Book's 11th Blogiversary Giveaway. There is a selection of eight book covers underneath and a small picture of an owl holding a balloon. The background is a parchment colour with an ornate black border.

The Selection

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Dracula Daily by Matt Kirkland

Royals by Tegan Bennet Daylight

The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy*

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch

The First to Die at the End* by Adam Silvera

*Note: These items are sequels to other books.

To enter: For a chance to win one of the pictured books simply enter here and complete the Rafflecopter form.

Please note: This giveaway is international on the basis Blackwell’s ships to your country (I’m going to give Blackwell’s a shot after the Book Depo loss. Curse you, Amazon).

To see if you are eligible you can check their website.

Thank you for helping me celebrate eleven wonderful years of blogging and if you enter the draw I wish you the best of luck!

Giveaway runs until midnight AEDT on Tuesday 20th February 2024

2024 Goals

18 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in Rambles Tags: 2024 goals, goals, happy new year, rambles

2024 is here and well underway by this point. No one is wishing Happy New Years anymore, February is practically here and then we’ll forget we even had a break to begin with. I didn’t plan for my first of the year to be so late but here we are. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, got plenty of reading done, and have already added plenty of books to your TBR pile for 2024.

I have been looking at what I want my goals for this year to be and I am keeping it simple and relatively easy to strive for. I think my evergreen goal is trying to read a lot more Aussie YA. It was the first 2024 goal I made at the end of last year and already have failed because there are so many nice and shiny books from overseas. Of the eight books I have read so far this year, one is from the #LoveOzYA group, even the two I am half way through are both overseas stories. But I have plenty of time. The problem is I wish it was easier to search for them. The #LoveOzYA team fought hard to get the term recognised, I just need bookshops and libraries to have it as a category I can look up. There’s some great lists on Goodreads, I don’t think StoryGraph does lists the same way, if it does I’ve yet to discover it. Right now I am being guided by the #LoveOzYA website, their blog, lists and tags people put on social media, and looking up authors I already know that fit into that category. Of course I also need to read the back catalogue on my own shelves which is also part of my goal. So many potentially great Aussie YA books sitting unread on my shelf.

The problem is those overseas books are so tempting, so I am not making it a sole goal. But one I hope if I put some effort in to I shall achieve. The rise of audiobooks must be a help, but I fear it will be a wait before any back catalogues get converted. I’m doing it partly because I want to find more local authors, but I also need less USA high school books. Or at least if it’s going to be overseas YA it can’t be in a high school. Somehow the UK and Australians can make YA that isn’t set so heavily in the halls of a high school, I like those ones. But that is a me problem, I think I need a break from cheerleaders and football and not quite ready to jump further into the US fantasy quite yet. Years ago they had a great Book Bingo Challenge which I loved. I might make up my own one to aid me. What I need is a #LoveOzYA Challenge like the old Australian Women Writers where there’s goals to aim for. Oh, I may have given myself an idea of a challenge I definitely don’t have time to make but do kinda desperately want to make…I’ll keep you posted.

Away from that I have set my goal at 80 books again, hopefully we can be a bit less dramatic come December when I need to have finished. I am also creating my Book Bingo so that will go up soon as well. My plan was to less intense in January in terms of posting, but that has slackened further now it being the end of January and all with nothing posted yet, but I’ll get there. Keeping it fun and casual I tell myself. Fighting against my organisational instincts and keeping it casual like I promised myself last year.

Next week is my blogiversary, the one post I can’t skip. I have my Top Five up for grabs as well as a few other books I’ve loved. It’s times like this I wish I’d reviewed more because it’s hard to push books you love when there aren’t many reviews to read up on to tell you why I loved it. I will get the reviews up as soon as possible though because I need to tell you about these amazing books.

Other than that I am gearing up for a more relaxed year, reviews when I can, trying not to hold myself too accountable so I am not guilt ridden, but also balancing it so I don’t go full on neglect either.

Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Book Bingo 2023 Wrap Up

31 Dec 2023 3 Comments

by Amy in Book Bingo Tags: anna whateley, anne appert, becky albertalli, benjamin alire sáenz, book bingo, book bingo 2023, book bingo 23, book bingo update, bram stoker, cesca major, chris turner, clint mcelroy, douglas adams, emily carroll, erin stewart, imogen markwell-tweed, kaz delaney, laurinda lawrence, louise finch, matt kirkland, nd stevenson, neil gaiman, nikki rae, rebecca burgess, tegan bennett daylight, terry pratchett, wendy dalrymple

An image of a brown cartoon owl holding a bingo dabber. There are bingo cards to the left and a stack of books on its right. The words Book Bingo are in large print underneath. After last years complete nonexistent Book Bingo attempt, I am calling this a win. Not only for making it, but also for getting quite a lot of spaces filled. I liked my categories and I think I managed a great variety in books in filling each spot. Of course practically none have reviews, but maybe through the upcoming year I will be able to fill some review gaps with these books. Especially cause some were really great reads.

I am particularly proud of a few of them because they have been incomplete for decades. Decades. Now I can finally say I have finished them. Things like finally finishing The Hitchiker’s series, or finally finishing a book about The Simpsons I started reading sometime prior to 2010. That has to be an achievement in itself.

I took a few chances on these books too, looking for a certain style of book for research purposes, or to fit a holiday mood. Some were because I needed a book in that moment and it suited, others I had been hanging out to read for ages and finally got around to it. I love doing these bingos because it gives me a chance to pick things up, or finally read something I have had sitting on my shelf patiently waiting. It makes me broaden my reading, but it also makes me read the stuff I want to read but find excuse after excuse, or it seems to hard. I might try and force my hand a bit more next year and get through my TBR and my own shelves, especially because this one was filled accidentally. I should try to actively complete it next time. I already don’t like my chances but one can live in hope.

Did you do a bingo card this year? If you’re looking for ideas check through my bingo tag to find previous years and see if you can challenge yourself next year.

Graphic Novel – The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy

Self Published – Slither by Nikki Rae

Movie Adaptation – Nimona by ND Stevenson

Own Voices – Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal by Anna Whateley

Non Fiction – How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess

Bisexual MC – Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Anthology – Holiday Haunts by Wendy Dalrymple and Imogen Markwell-Tweed

Short Stories – Through the Woods ed. Emily Carroll

Finish a Series – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

On TBR Pile – The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart

Fairytale Retelling – The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Free Choice – Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major

Was a Gift –Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Author You’ve Never Read – The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch

Chosen for the Cover – Blob by Anne Appert

Retelling a Classic – Dracula Daily by Matt Kirkland/Bram Stoker

Published This Year – Dial M for Mudcake by Kaz Delaney

One Word Title – Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Set in Australia – Law of Entanglement by Laurinda Lawrence

Started and Never Finished – Planet Simpson by Chris Turner

Owned But Never Read – Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Another Year Gone.

31 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

by Amy in Rambles Tags: rambles

I don’t know why I feel such a sense of guilt writing this end of year wrap or, or any wrap up really. I think it’s because I put a lot of pressure on myself so if I don’t achieve the goal I feel I have failed. Even getting time to write this has been a challenge and certainly not my usual end of year schedule where it’s spaced out beautifully.

The weird thing is I felt little guilt over my neglect through the year, not so much because I didn’t post, but because I actually forgot a lot of the time so I wasn’t remembering to post. I think this also played into the fact I don’t feel I read a lot this year. I know I fell behind on my goal and I’m not quite game to check but I am almost certain I didn’t hit my target.

In other news I finished writing a book, have almost finished writing another. I’d like to think that played a role too but I know I am only grasping at excuses. I was incredibly busy with life and I think the combo of time, and not having a lot of books to think about, I didn’t feel the overwhelming crush of pressure and guilt about not posting reviews. Which I should be relieved about, but alas has actually made me feel guiltier on reflection.

It’s definitely a combination of the fact I have been doing this for so long, this was my tenth year, it was supposed to be better. But work and family commitments take up time. Life takes up time. In the past I’ve slipped because of illness, burnt out, holidays, plus a range of other things. But I know I can be better. Which I think is worse. I think my end of year tradition has become me lamenting about not doing things and neglecting this blog. I must stop doing that too (she says as she continues to do it).

Going into my eleventh year I am trying to be kinder to myself. Which, I know, I have said a lot in the past too. I make plan to change things up, change schedules, try and make it more manageable. But I think I am at a loss with plans. I think you can’t plan once you hit a certain point. I need to read more certainly, but also don’t be reliant on a schedule to keep.

If I read a book I will post about it. If I have a solid run for a while then I don’t I will try my absolute hardest to not feel weird about it. The blog will be here patiently waiting for my return.

I got to participate in a book release recently for an author who I have been reading since my very first year doing this. They were an author I picked up when I had opened my review requests (god how I miss those!) and I have been invested ever since. It took me back to those hectic but simpler earlier days. To be honest I think life and the general world was simpler then so it probably doesn’t count. But it has given me something to think about going into year eleven of this endeavour.

I honestly still love it. I love doing it. So why haven’t I been able to? I don’t think I will get an easy answer on that. I do think the lack of reading hasn’t helped. When a book speaks to you, and you love it, being able to sing its praises is easier. I think getting out of the habit made it hard. As hard as it is to make a habit, getting back to one I think is just as challenging.

I see the regular faces who like my posts when I do post and I want to thank you for sticking with me all this time. Through my weird schedules, my absence, through social media upheaval when nothing is seen, nothing connects anymore, and for still reading my words when you all no doubt have the exact same distractions going on in your own lives.

I am not ready to quit this. I do not want to give up on it. I only ask the world slow down a little and give me a chance to rediscover my deep love for this blog because it’s there below the surface, buried beneath a little dirt and mud but I have bought a shovel and I am willing to dig down deep to uncover it again.

Looking back I once again thrived in the first part of the year. I already have reviews lined up for next year so not doubt this will happen again. I read some wonderful books this year, not exceeding my goal or anything, I think it will be a tight finish if I meet it at all. Maybe with some last minute cheat shorty books but I think that’s ok. It’s definitely indicative of how I haven’t read a lot, couldn’t read a lot. But this is why I have thrown myself into audiobooks because you can listen anywhere, anytime. I’m 90% sure this is how I’ve gotten to read anything at all these past few years.

I’ve still got a few hours to go so reading will still be happening. I have added up my Book Bingo and matched the appropriate books to their places. I’ll do a separate post for those, but it isn’t as dire as I thought. One good things about reading so many books, and knowing my own tastes is I can get quite lucky by chance filling in those squares when I fall behind.

I reread last years wrap up, and it’s made me feel a bit better about everything. I definitely think I’m in an ok place going into 2024. I was always doing this for fun and my own enjoyment. If it ever stops being that I will worry, but for now, neglect and guilt aside, I am going into next year with this blog in tow, even if it’s a little battered and bruised and covered in a thin layer of dust.

But enough of that. For now I wish you all a happy new year and may 2024 bring you wonders and joy! I will be watching the fireworks with awe as per usual, and will step blindly into the new year with whatever may come.