Monthly Archives: April 2012

Losing It by Julia Lawrinson

This is nothing more than blatant advertising for Julia Lawrinson's latest, Losing It.

Which is amazing.

To avoid Losing It in the bushes with some random guy in a heavy-metal T-shirt after too many tequila shots, four best friends make a bet: to lose it before schoolies week – and preferably in a romantic, sober way that they won't regret.

What follows is a sometimes funny, sometimes awkward, but always compelling comedy of errors as Abby, Mala, Bree and Zoe each try to find their Mr Right . . . or at least get laid.

 A hilarious and thought-provoking novel by the award-winning author of Bye, Beautiful and The Push.

I'm not reviewing it, and I'm kind of glad, as I don't think that going OMG THIS IS AMAZING would constitute as a good review.

I read it in days, and finished ...

Review: Andypedia by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

It’s an encyclopedia … all about Andy!

The Andypedia is a complete guide to every book, every story and every character in the world of Andy Griffiths’ books. It’s also a complete guide to everything you ever wanted to know about Andy himself – including the answers to questions people are always asking him, like “How old were you when you started writing?” and “How many books have you actually written?” and “Where do you get your ideas from?” and “Did all that stuff really happen to you?” and “Was Danny Pickett really your best friend?” and “Were you really in love with Lisa Mackney?” and “Did your bum really grow arms and legs and run away?”

Now, I know I say I don't review eBooks, but really, if I'm going to make an exception for anyone it should be Andy and ...

CBCA Book Awards: Judges Talk 2012

CBCA Book Awards Judges Talk was held in Bendigo and for the third time (2009, 2010) I made the trek up!

This one was going to be a little different. Firstly, I drove rather than got the train (less writing time, more singing to Glee at the top of my voice time) and thirdly I stayed over rather than going home.

This afforded me many more opportunities than usual, namely I had dinner with my friend Jen, and also stayed at her house. This was fantastic for a number of reasons, but mostly because it was so good to see her, and I got to see her husband Stephen and one of her sons as well. They have such a beautiful house, and it was such a treat catching up.

Stephen showed me this fantastic interactive book on his iPad - I really ...

Win: 172 Hours on the Moon

A chilling, edge-of-your seat thriller. Alien meets Moon.

Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back.

It's been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon and to grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch an historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2 - a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now. The three winners, Antoine, Midori and Mia, come from all over the world.

But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now - a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun...

Thanks to Hachette Australia, I have one ...

Excellent News!

In the last few days, several excellent things have happened and I'm celebrating with smiley balloons!

Two big news items:

I'm judging a short story contest AND I have a writers residency!

These come at a particular excellent time as the past few weeks have been down right horrendous but things are looking up people!

I am in excellent company for both of those; a friend from uni, Shannon, is also a judge for the short story contest as is Adolfo aka Fez, an acquaintance from Voiceworks. And my friend Sam has a residency as well. 

I am SO excited and feel so honoured to have been chosen for these roles. I really cannot believe it.

I've been doing a happy dance for a few days now :p

If you want to enter the short story contest, you can do so here.

If you want more information about the residency, ...

Three Bize-Sized Reviews – Plus Win a Copy of Night School!

…And so welcomes the third installment of mini reviews for 2012!

After starting them last year in an excercise of brevity (as I'm known to be quite the rambler!) (and, let’s be honest, to help me out time-wise!) I’ve decided to bring them back! Hooray!

You can refer to them for tiny bite-sized morsels of good reading:)

Today's bite-sized reviews comes with a special competition - scroll down for your chance to win a copy of Night School by CJ Daugherty!

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

This modern fable will delight lovers of Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne, (and it also reminded me of Lemony Snicket, whom I love) but more so anyone just wanting a fantastic read. Be warned, however, that although Oliver's strong, lyrical writing is there, take note that it's a very different style to her other books, and ...

Pretty Décor For Bookworms

I've always really loved gorgeous cards and postcards, and I've always had them sitting on my dresser or window sill, held in little card holders (these ones, from Typo). Problem with them in my new house they're right in my path to get to my bathroom so I am always knocking them over, plus my sister's car knocks them over. And shoving them in the spiral coil is slowly ruining them.

So last night I was all inspired after looking at Etsy and decided I needed to do something!

And look at the top photo - how pretty! They're my first six, a combination of cards and postcards, in white photo frames (frames three for $6! Love K-mart!).

I have some more of them too. Some of them I need to buy more of those white frames (annoyingly enough, you can't see the ...

Review: Preloved by Shirley Marr + Win a Copy!

I've done this a few times before, and I wanted to do it again today as I felt the two blurbs are so different, and give different views to the book.

So, blurb one from Walker Books:

A sassy ghost story with a Chinese twist.

Amy is always the support act to the beautiful and glamorous Rebecca. When they find a locket during an 80s dress-up day, Rebecca does not want anything to do with it as she thinks it is ugly. Using wisdom borrowed from Tolkien, Amy is able to open the locket and when she does she releases the ghost inside. Logan, the handsome teenager - obviously meant to haunt Rebecca, but stuck with Amy.

And blurb two, from Shirley's website:

If you had a second chance at love, would you do it all over again?

Amy has enough to deal with for one ...

Guest Post: Shirley Marr, Care Bear Child of the Awesome 80s – Plus win a copy of Preloved!

Thanks for having me on your blog today Megan! I was a teen of the 90s, but the 80s are very special to me because those were the years I spent my childhood. 1988 in particular is significant as it was the year my family emigrated to Perth, Australia. It's also the same year that features in Preloved as a catalyst of a very traumatic chain of events that reverberate right into the present that my MC, Amy, lives in. I think it slipped in there semi-consciously which is interesting, so today I'm going to talk about me, the great brown nation and the late 80s! As my novel is called Preloved, I will wear my heart on my sleeve a little bit today!

Shirley Marr: bubblegum pink rah rah skirtI was born on Christmas ...

Three Bite-Sized Reviews

…And so welcomes the second installment of mini reviews for 2012!

After starting them last year in an exercise of brevity (as I'm known to be quite the rambler!) (and, let’s be honest, to help me out time-wise!) I’ve decided to bring them back! Hooray!

You can refer to them for tiny bite-sized morsels of good reading:)

Today's theme of bite-sized reviews are books that seem to be jumping on a popular topic band-wagon...

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

I love a good dancing novel and this one is no exception. Flack, being a professional dancer herself, clearly knows ballet and this shines through in this excellent book. All Hannah has done for the last few years is dance, dance, dance: in the hopes of becoming a soloist with her company. She doesn't have any sort of a life outside ballet - barely knows ...