Reading

Review: I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 6 Comments

34396859I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

Hardcover, 32 pages
Published March 1st 2017 by Scholastic Australia.
Goodreads View.
Mem’s Website.

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Mem Fox my dear, I didn’t think it was possible to love you anymore than I did after Possum Magic and Time for Bed, but now I do!

I was so excited when I saw this beautiful book by Mem Fox and illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh. It celebrates Australia’s multiculturalism, promotes racial equality and shines a spotlight on refugees. All this is wrapped up as a fun and colourful sing-song story to be adored and absorbed by the minds of our young children. Mem Fox you are a wonderful, wonderful woman. I will be repeatedly reading this to my boys.

I’m writing this review after just reading I’m Australian Too for the first time with my 3.5-year-old son. He was fresh out of the bath and about to get into bed, perfect mummy and son book reading time.

This book is absolutely beautiful.  On our first read through when I got to the page that starts with “Sadly, I’m a refugee – I’m not Australian yet.” My spine tingled and a wicked smile crept on my face. I was thinking: You go Mem Fox! Stick it to the haters.

By the end of the second read through I had tears in my eyes and was getting choked up trying to finish the last page. My heart is humming and I need to tell the world about this book. READ IT TO YOUR KIDS. Refugees are mentioned. Aboriginals, Italians, Greeks, Somalians – the list goes on and on – are mentioned. It is truly beautiful.

The last page ends with the line “Together now, we live in peace, beneath the Southern Star.” Oh Mem, how I wish that was so and I hope for a tomorrow when it is!I’m Australian! How about you?

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My Misadventures in Procrastination

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 4 Comments

I have so much stuff to do and I’m running out of time – Yet here I am procrastinating by writing a blog post about it.p9x7by

Three will become four (well six if you include the fur-babies) on around the 22nd of December. The house will be bursting full, as will my head. But before I start maternity leave with Baby #2 I have a whole bunch of stuff I need to get set up/finished off to make life easier for everyone at work while I’m away. It’s a small family business so I actually care and it’s nice to try and make things as easy as possible for the others. I’ve still got two TAFE assignments to hand in before December and I’ve still got to clean out the junk room and turn it into a nursery. No one will be getting Christmas cards this year, that s*** will just not be happening.

I’ve been feeling very unreviewy lately 😦 which is probably obvious given the mini review posts I’ve been doing. I’ve only got two review ARC’s left and they just need reviews up before November. I’ll definitely have to keep myself off of NetGalley for the next six or so months if I want any chance of retaining my sanity post Baby #2. I still intend to read as much as possible, but at least if I’m reading books I’ve purchased I don’t have to write a review if I don’t feel up to it. I actually got quite a lot books read while I was off on maternity leave with Riley. When he was awake I’d read aloud whatever I was in the middle of, it always put him back to sleep – Thank you Rick Riordan whose whole Percy Jackson series we devoured at that time.

Once I get on top of my pre-baby to do list – hahahahahahaha, seriously you should see the f***ing list – my reading plan will be to catch up on any series I’ve started, then to tackle the ageing of my TBR. The oldest book on my Goodreads TBR was added back in 2013. I’m now only 3 years behind lol, actually I think that’s pretty good. My plan is to bounce between the eldest on my list and a new release so I can get through all my old amazon kindle purchases but still feel like I know whats going on in the book blogger world. But for now >>>>dmwny

Yes like writing this blog post :-P.

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Yes, yes it has :-P.

imagesMine as well! Can I get a hell yeah, HELL YEAH!

Until next time 🙂 enjoy your shelves :-).

Hello 2015

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 1 Comment

So 2014 is about to come to an end and I have no idea where it went. Crazy fast. I had a baby in 2013 and then BOOM it’s 2015.

The first eight months of 2014 were wonderful, watching my bubba boy grow and develop into a really cheeky little smarty pants who amazes me every day.
But alas September was a bittersweet month; we bought our own home only two houses up from my parents :-), but we lost our beloved fifteen year old wolfhound cross Buster :-(.

2014 was full on; I went back at work four days a week and was going to TAFE at night two times a week. I managed to publish two poetry eBooks and one tree book, but we won’t talk about how behind I am in my TAFE work. Riley has been attending day care when I’m at work and other then a little tantrum at drop off time, seems to be enjoying it.

We are down to four; Shane and I, Riley now seventeen months old and Ellie our four year old rather small wolfhound cross. We’ve all settled into our new forever home and are looking forward to celebrating Riley’s second Christmas and all that 2015 has to offer. I really hate the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but love catching up with my family.

I am determined in 2015 to (A) not miss a Friday Fictioneers (B) Finish my Cert 4 in Work Health & Safety (C) make some serious progress on my fiction works (D) as always, lose weight and get fit – this one I’m not as determined about as the others, obviously because I find it the hardest, damn Crispy M&M you will be the death of me (E) I’m going to up my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2015 to 80 books! that will be a record for me if I achieve it and (F) I’m going to sign up for the >>Debut Author Challenge ButtonI’ve read some debut authors this year and really enjoyed them. I see this challenge as a great way to find out about the other Debuts that other challenges may come across. It is easy to pick up the same author or one of the well publicized top ten best seller at your local supermarket to read, but in 2015 I’d like to focus on helping the new guys starting out. **AND** (G) I’m also signing up for the >>

 For my first Diverse Books I’m going to start off with the three that “Reading Wishes” recommends – The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell – Jasper Jones by Criag Silvey – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.

**AND** (F) I’m also also signing up for the >>

aww-badge-2015

Where I’m going to try and read as many books by Aussie Authors as possible.

Anyway I’m going to go get some reading in 🙂 Until Next Time – Happy Reading.

The Calling by Louise G. White

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 2 Comments

The Calling by

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the run and hiding from the suits, Carolyn’s life is far from straightforward. After her mother and brother go missing in a most extraordinary way, (through a hole to another world which appears in the kitchen wall!), she is determined to track them down and bring them home. But life is never that easy! Rescued and protected by a group of unusual and like minded people , Carolyn hones her magic and fighting skills. Whilst answering a call to retrieve a human from another world she is faced with a quick decision and ends up bringing a demon back with her. Little did she know what effect this demon would have on her. As each day passes her strengths grow and her magic develops to assist her in her quest to track down her family, but there are decisions to make that will affect the rest of her life.

My Thoughts:

Wow this book was a rollercoaster, I don’t even know where to begin.

The first couple of chapters are hard to get into as there is so much thrown at you and so much going on, but you immediately fall for the main character Carolyn and you can’t stop yourself from reading as you NEED need to know what happens to her and you can’t sleep until you know she safe from the suits.

Oh dear sweet Carolyn, her family and the life that she knew is ripped from her when she is fifteen. Carolyn spends the next two years as a possessed incoherent killing machine, ruled only by primal instincts she never knew existed inside her. It isn’t until she meets Note (spoiler- he’s not human) that she truly regains her self. The thrill ride that becomes their life on the run draws you in even more than you thought possible. Eventually Carolyn finds her place with a bunch of ”special” people just like her and comes to peace with what and who she is – Only to have the story finish on the dramatic cliffhanger that rips the whole world and her relationships to shreds.

This was a fast paced, actioned packed romance/ Fantasy/ Sci-fi Novel that was a great start to kick of a new series of awesomeness. I really think there is a little bit for everyone here.

I’m going to give it four stars. I really think the only reason I didn’t fully love the story was that I fell for Ethan (is human), not Note as the leading “man”. Note gets Carolyn (to an extent, but I won’t give away too much) and Ethan is left to struggle with his frustrating and unrequited feelings – Yep Ethan I feel for ya buddy.

I wanted Carolyn with Ethan but she ends up with Note and don’t get me wrong I loved Note as well. I can’t really explain it. I tend to do that; I wanted Jacob not Edward (in new moon & eclipse, but fell for Edward in breaking dawn), Homer not Lee (in tomorrow when the war began, the whole ten books I was like “no not Lee, choose HOMER!! that handsome cheeky greek devil thats been your best friend always!!! my Mum and most of the population where Pro Lee though LOL)

Anyways a Frustrating, Fascinating, Captivating read and Fours Stars. I await the next installment to find out what happens to Carolyn “The Destroyer” next.

What I’ve Read So Far

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Here is a recap of the books I’ve managed to read and review so far this year 🙂

Books Read in 2014 =

January:

  1. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-3x )
  2. The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-44 )
  3. Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-4u )
  4. The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-50 )
  5. The Visitor (Jack Reacher #4) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-5U )
  6. The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-66 )
  7. The Son of Sobek (Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles Crossover #1) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/431Gp )

February:

  1. The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6E )
  2. Midnight Sun (Twilight #1.5) by Stephenie Meyer (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6y )
  3. The Enemy (Jack Reacher #8) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6R )
  4. Harry Potter – Three Short Stories by Bruce T Forbes
  5. Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology by Amy A. Bartol, Tammy Blackwell, Amanda Havard, Heather Hildenbrand, Tiffany King, C.A. Kunz, Sarah M. Ross, Raine Thomas (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7b )
  6. Here Among The Ruins by Regina Puckett (my Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6K )
  7. Day Trips to Narnia by Bruce T. Forbes
  8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  9. Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7F )

March:

  1. The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7L )
  2. Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-8d )
  3. Salvation by A.M.C. (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-8J )
  4. Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker
  5. Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-9m )

April:

  1. Lust & Longing: A Collection of Erotic Shorts by Charity Parkerson
  2. Dementional by Tonya Cannariato (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-9z )
  3. Words by Robert Zimmermann
  4. Time Shifters by Shanna Lauffey (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-at )
  5. Vaempires: Revolution By Thomas Winship (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-aN )
  6. Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology
  7. Now You Shall Know – Newcastle Poetry Prize 2013 Anthology
  8. Thunderhead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-bc )
  9. Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-bz )

Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey

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Goodreads Synopsis:

What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?

After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad’s to come to terms with the event and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who…what they really are and that they are falling too.

Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, find a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?

My Thoughts:

Oh wow I was enjoying this so much that I just didn’t want it to end!

Bam! straight up I’m giving this a FIVE out of Five stars. I’m trying to figure out what I liked best about this book, but words fail me. It’s a young adult book but it deals with some major issues (Death, Loss, Love, Guilt, God, Good vs Evil). I think it would suit from anyone from the age 12 to 102 and leave everyone craving more. It made me warm and fuzzy inside. There was Drama and Suspense, Love and Romance and the ongoing battle of good and evil.

You can tell that this book is leading up to an epic series, I’m really looking forward to the next book to see where it goes.

 

For more on Shawna see her website http://www.shawnaromkey.com/

I was found this book through the wonderful Booktastik. Sign up here http://booktastik.com/ for great deals on awesome books.

 

Time Shifters

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5234978Time Shifters by Shanna Lauffey

Synopsis:

An ancient people who can move through time or space…

A secret that never should have been revealed…

One day in a Los Angeles restaurant, Akalya of the Harekaiian witnesses the capture of several of her people and is the only one to get away. Now it is up to her to rescue the captives and learn how… and why… they are being apprehended.

The key lies in discovering who is behind the hunt for her people, when no one should have known they existed.

My Thoughts:

My only complaint with this book was that it was too short, I wanted it to never end. I’ve just gone and Liked Shanna’s Facebook page because I want to know immediately when the second instalment is out.

I really like Shanna’s take on Time travel. I was immediately drawn into the world of the Harekaiian. The main character is a female by the name of Akalya, she felt real and warm to me, I immediately cared about her. Akalya is a Harekaiian and she possesses the ability to move through space and time. Akalya witnesses some of her own kind being kidnapped and takes it upon herself to rescue the captives.

I really enjoyed this story it was fast paced and I didn’t want to put it down. Shanna gives us mystery, suspense, characters you can feel for, plot twists and romance. Even with all the time shifting and jumping around going on Shanna’s writing is of such high quality that as a reader you don’t get lost and are able to keep up with the fast passed action.

As this is the first Novella in a Ten part series and you can tell that the dark dealings of the ‘bad guys’ are only just coming to light and things are only going to get more intense and more interesting.

I am really looking forward to see how it all concludes.

According to Shanna’s website Time Shifters is only available in eBook on Amazon at the moment, but don’t despair if your still not on the eBook train the paperback is in progress and you’ll be able to grab a copy soon. Keep an eye on Shanna’s website http://shannalauffey.weebly.com/ and FB www.facebook.com/ShannaLauffeyBooks page for updates.

Dementional by Tonya Cannariato

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Dementional by Tonya Cannariato @tmycann

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mark Inman has two loves: particle physics and Sarah. She agrees to become his wife at the same time his experiment to find the Higgs boson goes off the rails.

Journey with Mark while his existence melts and reforms in unpredictable ways as the veils between realities thin. His exploration of the minutiae of quantum physics builds a fascinating tapestry of alternate universes.

His search for survival, and the search for meaning and what is real, drive Mark as he experiences lives he never dreamed possible. His only touchstones: find Sarah and find his way home.

My Thoughts:

“I’m beginning to think every timeline has a moment of crisis – a turning point when that reality’s participants are forced to choose whether their space-time implodes or evolves.”

Thank you Tonya, Five Stars. The last couple of books I’ve reviewed didn’t had any love in them, this did, THANK YOU. So so so much love. This is a beautiful story about True Love and Soul Mates. This adventure through time and parallel dimensions, gives us science to make us think and an everlasting bond between a husband and wife that makes you feel good inside.

I really enjoyed this book, it was fresh and unlike everything else I’ve been reading lately. I loved how the story made me think about parallel and alternate versions of myself. I wanted Mark to shift to the next dimension, but then I didn’t because I was enjoying it, I wanted him to get home. I was so caught up and wanted to see how it would all end, but I was mourning the loss of Petal as well. I loved how even amongst the scientific research and theories that spiritualty and love was all up in there as well. I don’t want to say too much and give the story away (Go & Read it), but I loved going on this trip with Mark and Sarah it was brilliant.

Authors Good reads page: http://www.goodreads.com/tmycann 

I found this book through Booktastik >> Great site check it out >> http://booktastik.com/

 

Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 2 Comments

Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Government made him Deadly, Vampires made him Immortal…

A new hero and a new genre from Kindle bestselling author Alex Shaw.

Brad Black, call-sign ‘Peter Pan’ is a member of America’s elite Delta Force unit. Tasked to recon a tunnel network in use by the Taliban it is just another day in the sandpit for the Delta Boys until something attacks them in the darkness.

Presumed Killed in Action, Black is abducted by a shadowy figure before being forced to cross the inhospitable Afghan wilderness to be reunited with what is left of his team.

Meanwhile a General from Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) arrives at Firebase Python brining news of a Cold War weapons experiment so shocking that its existence has until now remained top secret.

 Horrific secrets buried in the Afghan mountains for a quarter of a century are about to be unleashed.

My Thoughts:

It took me a little while to get into this book, but in the end I did enjoy it.

I was quite impressed with Shaw’s Vampires; they had some very traditional traits and in other ways felt more human and believable than others I’ve read stories about. There was a line in the book that stated that all humans are born with the Vampire gene and that’s it just waiting to be activated – I really like this theory!!

You get Action, War, Friendship, allied enemies and some spunky Delta boys that become spunky Vampire Delta boys. This is the first book in a new series by Shaw and it will be interesting to see where it goes.

I’m giving it three Stars. It is a good book suited more to anyone into armed forces action adventures. For me personally if there had been some sexual tension or a little bit of romance it would have made more four or five stars, but that’s purely my own reading style. Give it a read, you won’t regret it.

Casting Shadows Everywhere

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Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus – www.ltvargus.com.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In his own words, 15 year old Jake is a “huge pussy.” He flinches. Always. He’s too timid to make a move on Beth, the buxom girl of his dreams, and too busy getting face-slammed into lockers by bullies to do much else. He seeks the guidance of the biggest badass he knows, his cousin Nick.

Nick is a professional burglar and makes Jake his apprentice. They stalk suburban neighborhoods night after night, ransacking houses for jewelry and sweet valuables. Nick teaches Jake the finer points of breaking and entering along with his dark philosophy – that there is no right or wrong in the world, just a series of events that happen without meaning.

At first, adopting Nick’s callous worldview helps Jake get over his fears and confront his tormentors, but he also unleashes an aggression in himself he never thought possible. And as he learns more about his cousin, he realizes that Nick’s crimes go way beyond burglary.

In the end, Jake must face not only the monster in his cousin but also the one in his own heart.

My Thoughts:

Oh wow, full on. To say this story is intense is an understatement. The story deals with; peer pressure, crime, absentee fathers, over bearing mothers, bulimia, consumerism, materialism, murder, and chuck in a huge dose of teenage angst as well.

Wow, I did like the story. Its starts off light-hearted and humorous. I found myself giggling at times. There was a part, I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil it, that I went, WTF! where is this going. The story got very dark at one point and I had to push myself to keep reading – but I promise you it was worth it in the end. This is a full on story that deals with the meaning of life. I would recommend it for a M15+ age group, due the language and themes. I’m rather conflicted as to how to rate it. I loved the first half, before s#*t got super serious lol but that’s just my reading preference!! So I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars for my enjoyment, BUT I urge you to read it, because it really is a good story.

Seriously it’s free on amazon for Kindle. If you have a kindle or use a kindle app you’d be mad not to download it and read it. Give it a go it might be right up you ally >>>>>>