Shout Out to the Girls: A Celebration of Awesome Australian Women

Published: 26th February 2018Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Random House Australia
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Non-Fiction
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

Let’s give a shout-out to 50 awesome Australian women with these easy-to-read biographies of their incredible achievements. From Cathy Freeman to Turia Pitt, Edith Cowan to Julia Gillard, Cate Blanchett to Olivia Newton-John, plus rally car drivers, molecular biologists, and more, this book is a celebration of women in all fields, from all walks of life, and from Australia’s past and present. Brought to life by colourful illustrations from female artists, Shout Out to the Girls is the ultimate inspirational read for young and old.

This really is an amazing book because it shows kids and adults alike the hard work Aussie women have put into doing what they love and changing the world for the better. There are different career paths and starting points, as well as cultural background to gain inspiration from and to show that anything is achievable with passion and determination and being true to yourself.

I learnt a lot too which was great. I discovered a woman and former convict named Mary Reibey founded Westpac (something which is not mentioned in their history or on their website by the way), I also discovered the amazing work our women have done in the past to help the poor, sick, and injured, and fight for rights and better conditions of those around them – people like Mum Shirl, Jessie Street, and Edith Cowan. There’s also pages filled with women who are doing what they love and breaking boundaries and glass ceilings, not to mention there are so many fabulous young women and girls changing the world today which is incredible to see.

Each woman has a one page biography about their lives and their contributions to their field or the world. Even with this brief snippet you get a great sense of the work these women have done and the challenges they have faced to get there. Some of the entries I felt were simplified which was curious and left out key pieces of information but I understand this is not the point of this collection and not everything can be included, but it was an interesting omission for some. Alongside these biographies are an accompanying illustration drawn by different artists that captures the essence of these accomplished women and brings to life some recognisable faces and some that may not be as well known.

This is a great book to celebrate the amazing women Australia has given the world and the recognition is something that will no doubt inspire others who read this and show that women can and have changed the world and no one should let anything stand in the way of their dreams.

You can purchase Shout Out to the Girls via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Stuff Happens: Sean by Will Kostakis

book-bite

Published: 27th August 2014Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Penguin Australia
Pages: 120
Format: Paperback
Genre: Junior Fictions
★   ★  ★  ★  – 4 Stars

 

4 boys, 4 stories, 4 great Australian writers in an important new series.

Stuff happens sometimes.

Everyday stuff.

At school, at home, with sport, with mates.

For Ned it happened with a new teacher.

For Sean it happened starting at a new school.

For Michael it happened when he thought he was disappointing his parents.

For Jack it happened when a game at recess went wrong.

This is such a sweet story. It is a quick read and part of the wider series but there is a wonderful message in there about being a friend and finding your place in a new school. Despite the length the narrative is quite complicated which I was surprised about. Kostakis covers feeling scared of a new school and trying to make new friends. But he also explores how leaving one place doesn’t make the love of your old home go away. There are lessons about being helpful and making grown up decisions when you are scared of the consequences.

There are morals and messages but they are not obvious as they develop naturally around the characters and their actions. Kostakis doesn’t make it overly complicated either, Sean’s feelings and thoughts help tell the story as well as his feelings and the inclusion of the emotion chart at the bottom of some pages was a clever way to indicate how Sean was feeling.

I read this because it was a Will Kostakis book, now I might need to track down the others in the series as well to get the full scope of this fascinating set of books.

You can purchase Stuff Happens: Sean via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Clancy the Quokka by Lili Wilkinson

Published: 1st October 2019Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Allen & Unwin
Illustrator: Alison Mutton
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Here’s Clancy the quokka. So friendly and charming.
His innocent face is truly disarming.

Clancy the Quokka is super cute, but also has a super cheeky habit of raiding picnic food, so when he spots a magnificent birthday cake, how can he resist? After the mayhem he creates, will Clancy learn his lesson?

Clancy is a tiny adorable quokka and his thieving proclivities are the main focus on this book but Wilkinson also manages to highlight his charming and adorable nature. I liked the direction this story took, we’re introduced to Clancy and his world initially but as the story goes on we see the wider world and the bigger picture and his role within it. There’s humour and laughs from both story and illustrations, not to mention a recognition about many traditional Australian party pastimes that Clancy inadvertently takes part in.

I enjoyed this story because it makes Clancy a little villain which is hilarious and so enjoyable to read about. The rhymes are lovely and flow really well as you read them, plus the devilishly adorable illustrations show exactly what is going on alongside the words.

Mutton’s illustrations take up the entire page and are realistic but have a fun cartoonish quality as well. The colours are natural and depict the real world, the Australian bush as well as people and other surroundings. They are beautiful addition and they help bring our Clancy’s personality and his expressions show us how he’s feeling.

This is an absolutely adorable story that is filled with fun and cheekiness, with a few lessons learnt along the way. It is simple but fun and it’s a great celebration of one of amazing native animals.

You can purchase Clancy the Quokka via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon Aust

 

7th Blogiversary Celebrations + Int Giveaway!

As slow as 2019 was, the year seems to have come around quickly again as January means I get to celebrate my blogiversary, the day I took the plunge and started my blog all those years ago. There’s no seven year itch in sight as I make this blog into something which has taken up a lot of my life and something I genuinely enjoy doing and sharing with you all. I have found myself thinking about my ten year anniversary already which I really must not do because that is a ridiculous time, not to mention three years away. But while it has been a somewhat chaotic and often rewarding time, the past seven years seems to have gone by in a flash and those early years seem a lifetime ago.

Now that I‘ve become settled in my blogging routine it has become a stable, everyday party of my life that honestly I couldn’t see myself not doing. It’s a great habit to have though, sharing amazing books, sharing my favourite reads and spreading the book love, and maybe even introducing someone to their new favourite read.

Last year was my big reflection year, this year I am only here to be grateful for the amazing opportunities I have had since I started this blog and for the amazing people who read it. Not to mention the books I have had the chance to read, the new authors I’ve discovered which I never would have found if I hadn’t agreed to review their books, and the wonderful community I’ve become a part of.

To celebrate I’m running my giveaway featuring eight of my favourite books. I haven’t actually released my Top 5 of 2019 yet but I’ve added them into my giveaway, I’ll let you guess which ones are which. I’ve also added in a few of my favourites reads which I thoroughly enjoyed and think everyone should read.

The Selection

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman*

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson*

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by The McElroys*

The Wicked Prince by Holly Black*

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

What If? by Randall Munroe

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

 

*These items are sequels to other books that possibly won’t make any sense if you haven’t read the first one. Keep that in mind when picking your book.

 

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 the Book Depository ships to your country. To see if you are eligible you can check their website.

Thank you for helping me celebrate and if you entered the draw I wish you the best of luck!

Giveaway runs until midnight AEDT on Thursday 20th February 2020

Book Bingo 2020

Making my bingo cards are a real joy because I get to think about my reading habits, genres I want to read and stories I want to read about. It is always a hard decision with what to include because when you start thinking about it there is a very deep rabbit hole you fall into. Based on others I have seen around I tried to do a tropes or a theme approach but I have never been good at those so I’ll stick with these for now. Maybe I’ll try for next year, or maybe do a much smaller side bingo of them.

With the goals and other reading challenges I have set myself this year I have tried to adapt my bingo accordingly. I also mixed it up based on some things I read last year in other challenges because I got to experience some great stories and want to actively try and read some more. I know there are a few ones on there that I keep adding each year because I am determined to do them. Fairytale retellings are one of my favourite things but I have had such a bad run reading any these last couple years so it’s back on so I can try once more. I think I need to get it out of my mind which ones I want to read and find a new, fresh story that I can break my drought with instead do thinking of all the ones I have been wanting to read and never do. As for reading a play, I am giving it one more chance before I stop putting it on there and admit I am not going to read any plays, even the ones I do want to actually read. I need to not make it a bingo option and maybe then, ironically, I will have more success. Aside from those two I am super keen to dive into this. I hope over the next 12 months I can find 25 wonderful and exciting books that I can tick off this list and expand my reading circle a lot more.

Are you going to participate in a Book Bingo this year? As in previous years, you are more than welcome to use my card for your own Book Bingo, click the download link to grab a copy and remember to link to my page and attribute me properly if you post it somewhere. If you don’t want to use this one, follow my Book Bingo tag to find previous cards to use.

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