READING CHALLENGES 2019 - My Wrap-Up Post

Aussie Author Challenge 2019

This year I participated at the Wallaroo level: read and review 6 titles written by Australian Authors of which at least 2 of those authors are female, at least 2 of those authors are male, and at least 2 of those authors are new to you; Fiction or non-fiction, at least 2 genres.

My statistics show that I read a total of 29 books by Australian authors: 26 by female authors, 3 by male authors and 1 by a father and daughter team. What I
read for this challenge did differ from my original list.

Here are the books I read. Unfortunately, I didn't write reviews for them all.

01. Artist on Campaign by Caroline Miley (historical fiction, author new to me)
02. Jack Maggs by Peter Carey (historical fiction, author new to me)
03. Shepherd by Catherine Jinks (historical fiction)
04. Home Fires by Fiona Lowe (contemporary fiction)
05. Bloody Colonials by Stafford Sanders (historical fiction: satire, author new to me)
06. The Millwood Mystery by Jeannie Lockett (historical fiction: crime, author new to me)

Although this challenge was a fail for me, I'm signing up again in 2020, at the same level.

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2019

For this challenge, I opted for the Franklin level: read 10 books - if reviewing, review at least 6.

As mentioned above, I read 26 books written by female authors, well over the target of 10. As such, I'm counting this challenge as being successfully completed, even though I only reviewed 4 books.

Once again my original list differs from what I actually read. Some books I also used in the Aussie Author Challenge.


Here is what I read:

01. Artist on Campaign by Caroline Miley
02. Shepherd by Catherine Jinks (historical fiction)
03. The Millwood Mystery by Jeannie Lockett
04. The French Photographer by Natasha Lester
05. The True Story of Maddie Bright by Mary-Rose MacColl
06. Four Respectable Ladies Seek the Meaning of Wife by Barbara Toner
07. Devil's Lair by Sarah Barrie
08. Finding Eliza by Heather Whitford Roche
09. The Postmistress by Allison Stuart
10. Undara by Annie Seaton

I'm signing up for this challenge in 2020, at the same level, but hoping to do better!

Historical Fiction Challenge 2019

For this challenge. there were six different reading levels: 20th Century Reader (2 books), Victorian Reader (5 books), Renaissance Reader (10 books), Medieval (15 books), Ancient History (25 books) and Prehistoric (50+ books). I opted for Prehistoric (50+ books).

While I read over 100 books, I only wrote reviews for 25. This challenge I consider a fail, but I'm signing up again in 2020, maybe at a lower level.

These are the 25 books I reviewed:

01. Child of Love & Water by D.K. Marley
02. The Millwood Mystery by Jeannie Lockett
03. The Traitor of Treasure Island by John Drake
04. Annelies: A Novel of Anne Frank by David Gillham
05. The Road to Newgate by Kate Braithwaite
06. An Abiding Fire by M.J. Logue
07. Reasons to Kill God by I.V. Olokita
08. Brandon - Tudor Knight by Tony Riches
09. Georgiana Darcy by Alice Isakova
10. Valentines from Bath by Jessica Cale, Sherry Ewing, Jude Knight, Amy Quinton & Caroline Warfield
11. Captain Cook's Apprentice by Anthony Hill
12. The Alchemist of Lost Souls by Mary Lawrence
13. The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh
14. Finding Eliza by Heather Whitford Roche
15. Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati
16. The Spirit of Grace (The Sarah Bennett Mysteries #1)by Terry Lynn Thomas
17. The House of Secrets (The Sarah Bennett Mysteries #2) by Terry Lynn Thomas
18. The Drowned Woman (The Sarah Bennett Mysteries #3) by Terry Lynn Thomas
19. Artist on Campaign by Caroline Miley
20. Bittersweet Tapestry by Kevin O'Connell
21. The Name Beneath the Stone by Robert Newcome
22. Shepherd by Catherine Jinks
23. Katherine Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches
24. Entertaining Mr. Pepys by Deborah Swift
25. Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor


2019 New Release Challenge

I opted for New Release Veteran (61-100 books) based on having read 67 new releases in 2018. Sadly, I didn't reach my target this year, with only 53 new releases read. I do have 11 other new releases in my TBR pile that I will get around to reading in 2020. Most of the books I reviewed for the Historical Fiction Challenge were 2019 releases.

Even though this challenge was a fail, I'm not too unhappy about the result. Here's hoping I'll do better in the 2020 challenge.


As you can see, my success rate isn't very good when it comes to challenges, but I do enjoy them. Every year I hope to do better than the previous year. Maybe 2020 will be the year of successfully completed challenges!