Bookish Book Lover Tag

I came across the Bookish Book Lover Tag on Stephanie’s Book Reviews and thought it looked fun, thanks Stephanie 🙂 From what I can work out it was originally created by Shantelle @ A Writer’s Heart, so thank you Shantelle, and OOPS if I got that wrong.

The Rules: Use the Banner, Answer the Questions, Use Lots of Book Covers, Tag Your Bookish Friends.old-books-436498_19201) What Book Are You Currently Reading?6930002The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch #1) by Karen Mahoney.

2) What’s The Last Book You Finished? 
26156443Hero by Belinda Crawford Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA
3) Favorite Book You Read This Year?25574212

So far it’d have to say The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA or Chains of Water and Stone by Katherine Hurley.

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4) What Genre Have You Read Most This Year? Graphic Novels /Comic Books.
5) What Genre Have You Read Least This Year? Contemporary.
6) What Genre Do You Want To Read More Of? Contemporary YA. I always say I’m mainly a Sci-fi /fantasy reader, but the contemporary YA I’ve read this year has really impressed me and I’ve enjoyed them much more than I expected I would.
7) How Many Books Have You Read This Year, And What’s Your Goal? I’ve read 65 and am aiming for 125 or hopefully more!

8) What’s The Last Book You Bought? IMG_6455It was a four book haul; Three Jane Austen classics in pretty paperbacks and Black by Fleur Ferris Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA (is my Aussie Aussie chant getting annoying yet).

9) What Book Are You Saving Up To Buy Next? Whatever tickles my fancy when I see it on a shelf or read a review of it.
10) How Many Books Did You Check Out Last Library Visit? IMG_6454Two; The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.
11) What’s A Book You Can’t Wait To Read?15704307 I’m always hanging out for the next installment of SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples.
12) What’s A Series You’d Recommend to Everyone? 13552764I feel funny recommending books to strangers, because how the hell would I know what they like, friends and family are a different matter. BUT I have been raving about The Tribe Series by Ambelin Kwaymullina to anyone who will listen lately and I haven’t even read the third book yet. I’m dragging out reading the last book as I don’t want the story to be over!
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Here we go again!  Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA 18872201
13) Who’s An Author You’re Hoping Writes More? I’d love to read new YA series or standalone from Ambelin Kwaymullina (see above), J.K. Rowling (and/or I’d totally be happy with anything further in her wizarding world – I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Stephenie Meyer (shut them haters up girl!) and Alisa Jeruconoka (I loved her Unparallel Worlds back in 2012 by a sequel hasn’t surfaced yet).

14) A Few Books Your Heart Adores? Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and All the Harry Potter’s 😛 – I could keep going!!!!
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15) What Series’s Coming Conclusion Makes You Sad? The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy a Trilogy in Five parts by Douglas Adams, it’s conclusion plain upsetting. I just wanted Arthur Dent to live happily ever after with Fenchurch. Why Mr Adams, you murder, why!!!!6356002
16) What Books Are On Your Wish-List? All of them! All of them I tell you. I want them all MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
TAGGED: Anyone who wants to have a go :-).

Review: The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

13552764“There will come a day when a thousand Illegals descend on your detention centres. Boomers will breach the walls. Skychangers will send lightning to strike you all down from above, and Rumblers will open the earth to swallow you up from below. . . . And when that day comes, Justin Connor, think of me.”

Ashala Wolf has been captured by Chief Administrator Neville Rose. A man who is intent on destroying Ashala’s Tribe — the runaway Illegals hiding in the Firstwood. Injured and vulnerable and with her Sleepwalker ability blocked, Ashala is forced to succumb to the machine that will pull secrets from her mind.And right beside her is Justin Connor, her betrayer, watching her every move.

Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?

 * * * * *   MY  THOUGHTS   * * * * *

The last few Dystopian novels I’ve read have been let downs, so I was holding off starting this series as it is labelled a Dystopian. I saw it at my local library when I was there last and my interest in the Author’s Bio caused me to borrow it and boy am I glad I did.

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is the first book in The Tribe series by Australian author Ambelin Kwaymullina. Within the first few pages on a coffee fueled Sunday morning this story had reeled me. I didn’t put it down until I finished it later that night! Devouring a book in one sitting doesn’t happen to me very often.

This story felt fresh and exciting. The story is action packed, high danger with just the right about of young romance. Ashala is amazing, in fact so are all the Tribe members and Ashala’s connection to natural world is truly beautiful.

I think the dystopian world, set 300+ years into our future, that Ambelin Kwaymullina has created is brilliant and enthralling. I love the terrifyingly possible way the earth was destroyed by our toxic behaviors and the way humans have evolved because of it. In this future earth there isn’t enough humans left to be concerned with the colour of someone skin, but as we humans are horrible creatures who fear anything different from ourselves, the future government hunts down anyone showing any signs of extraordinary abilities; Ashala and her tribe all have these extraordinary abilities.

Thought-out this story we see the world as Ashala sees it. We meet allies and enemies and experience some vivid dreaming scenes and painful memories as she does.

While I was really enjoying the first half of the book, there was a twist half way though that I didn’t see coming that for me turned the second half of the book into a frenzy. I was running a mad race with myself to find out how the book ended.

Ambelin Kwaymullina writing flows beautifully and is filled with powerful energy. This book was a real pleasure to read. I’m off to get my hands on book number two!star.5

the tribe

Ambelin KwaymullinaAmbelin Kwaymullina loves reading sci-fi/fantasy books, and has wanted to write a novel since she was six years old. She comes from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. When not writing or reading she teaches law, illustrates picture books, and hangs out with her dogs.  Links: Website | Goodreads | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Book Depository