Aussie Author Challenge Update – March 2013

Quick update from our Aussie Author Challenge 2013 mascot, Edna the Echidna.

Since our last challenge update more booklovers have pledged to read and review books by Aussie Authors in 2013:

Kerrie @ Mysteries in Paradise

RaiderGirl3 @ An Adventure in Reading

Jacqui @ My Journal of Becoming a Writer

Welcome! Make sure you follow the links, say hi to the challenge participants and ask for their recommendations to help build your Aussie Author reading lists. There is still plenty of time to sign up – until December 2013 in fact.

The links to reviews of great books on the Aussie Author Challenge home page is growing steadily – 23 linked up so far.

• Kerrie is powering along (as always) publishing 9 reviews for the challenge already this year. Her most recent review spotlights much loved Phryne Fisher author Kerry Greenwood treading new ground in the somewhat autobiographical Taman Shud: The Somerton Man Mystery.
• Tracey (Carpe Librum) has shone a spotlight on a memoir from Major General John Cantwell about his career in the Australian Army, title Exit Wounds. With editing and guidance by Greg Bearup, Tracey describes this book as ‘hard-hitting and incredibly honest’.
• Shelleyrae (Book’d Out) has also recently featured an interesting non-fiction title, Love With a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche. This title’s book trailer is so cute too. Great to see non-fiction works getting more air time in this challenge.
• Belle (Belle’s Bookshelf) recently awarded 5 stars in her review of Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan. She says, “Lanagan’s beautiful way with words, elegant plot structure, whimsical world-building and remarkable cast of characters weave together to form a breathtaking book that I think everbody should read.”
  
• Kylie (Little Black Marks) and Teddyree (The Eclectic Reader) both enjoyed Pulling Down the Stars by James Laidler.

This is only a very small selection of the Aussie authors featured and reviews posted so far – check out the full list here.

Challenge participants, make sure to link up to your reviews on the challenge home page so Edna can let us all know about them. Remember to use the #aussieauthor hashtag on twitter when discussing your reads also.

Just in case you missed it, here’s a link to our spotlight on Book releases by Aussie Authors in March 2013.

So, to Edna’s question.

Are we choosing to read more non-fiction works these days or are publishers choosing to publish and promote more non-fiction titles?

Or is this a case of the chicken or the egg?

I have noticed a large number of non-fiction titles in the Australian publisher ‘New Releases’ lists, but they would not be publishing these titles if they did not sell. Are Australians becoming more enquiring leisure readers?

I do not find the time to read as much non-fiction as I would like. Travel memoirs are the non-fiction genre that most appeals to me.

A further question specifically for challenge participants.

Is the Aussie Author Challenge ‘Fair Dinkum’ level requirement that 2 of your 12 titles be non-fiction influencing your book selections, or would you have chosen to read that non-fiction title regardless?