Author spotlight – Tate James

Sometimes you see an authors name get thrown around and you wonder, is the hype warranted. Are they really that good at what they do?

As I said a few weeks ago, I’ve was planning on reading pretty much all romance this month. I had a heap of authors I wanted to try and I managed to snag free kindle unlimited, so I’ve had plenty to choose from. Tate James is a name I’ve been hearing about on instagram for months and when I finally joined the TikTok ranks the romance readers seemed to love her. I selected 6 or so authors and was only going to read one book from each author. 

Australian authors I have loved.

I originally posted this in 2018 and I wanted to update it a little to add some other Australian authors that I have since discovered and thoroughly enjoyed. It’s going to make it a chonky post so I hope you make it all the way through.

John Marsden – born in Victoria in 1950, he had an interest in writing from a young age. He was a teacher and has written many books, he is successful internationally as well as at home.

The Tomorrow when the War Began series was my favourite series as a young teen. A group of kids go camping for a weekend and when they get back they discover that their area/country has been invaded. Their loved ones are held captive, so they do the only thing they can do – Guerrilla warfare. Ellie and her friends are a diverse bunch with many skills, they use these country kid skills to cause mayhem for the invading forces. I absolutely loved the idea of kids kicking arse and taking it to the bad guys. The relationships between the kids were complex and well written. John Marsden didn’t skim over the details, he handled the mental challenges the kids faced really well, the fallout for them. It’s not all sunshine and lollipops, these kids go through hell and their mental health reflects this. I still reread this series every couple of years. I cannot wait for my daughter to read this series. There are seven books in the series and I just discovered a follow-up series called the Ellie Chronicles that I have yet to read.

(2021 update – My daughter was not a fan of this and didn’t even make it through the first book… Does this mean I failed as a mum? lol)

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Goodreads  –  Amazon

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The Build-up Season by Megan Jacobson

I don’t know about you, but I’m a total cover whore. I don’t need to read the blurb, if it’s bright, shiny and pretty, my inner 4 year old comes out and I have to have it. Admit it, we all do it.

That is how I found one of my top 2016 reads; Yellow by Megan Jacobson. It had some of the most authentic Australian teenage dialogue and I read it in one sitting. So when I stumbled across The Build-Up Season, I didn’t read the synopsis, I didn’t check reviews, I didn’t care about that stuff, Yellow was such a strong, engaging read that I will automatically buy her next 10 books.

Looking ahead – 2021

New year means new books!! I thought I would have a look ahead and showcase a few 2021 releases that I’m super excited for.

Zero fantasy book haul

The fantasy genre is my go to, it’s my happy place, it’s comforting, exciting and magical. I spend 97.5% of my time there. But recently other books have been catching my eye. With bright, bold covers and a range of protaganists, I may be heading into a contemporary binge.

I wanted to share some of the books that have caught my attention over the last couple of months. (Chad if you are reading this, I’m writing this in October, they were all purchased before that).

WWW Wednesday.

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, you answer 3 questions and hey presto, you are all done.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading –
Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley – Yes, I’m still going on this. It’s not because it’s bad, it’s because I’ve actually been busy and I’m taking it slow and enjoying the ride.

Magic Unleased (Venators #1) by Devri Walls – I will get this read in time for the blog tour. I will get this read in time for the blog tour.

Recently Finished –
Skycircus by Peter Bunzl – Great middle grade read. Review should be up soon.

Ruin (Gods #1) by Samantha Towle – Second chance romances are like candy, I cant help but love them. This was my oldest NetGalley, almost two years old. I’m a bad book blogger.

Two NetGalley books… Who even am I? Now just to get the reviews done.

Next –
Binti Home by Nnedi Okofaror – I’m aiming to have all three finished by the end of February. I still haven’t gotten to this one yet, but it will be my read between big books I think.

Have you read any of these and what are you reading at the moment?

Stacking The Shelves

A weekly post where I can brag about my new books? Yes please. Granted I definitely won’t have something to post every week, I’ll just do it as required. I will be including everything from my purchases, to NetGalley, gifts and books from authors or publishers (haha as if I’ll get a book sent to me from a publisher).
For more information head over to Tynga’s reviews

I went op shopping last weekend for the first time in what felt like forever and picked up a couple of books. I was lucky enough to be sent an arc by an author for review and I got approved for a book or two via NetGalley, one of which is the second book in a series, so I have to grab the first book in the next couple of days.

Physical books
Toffee by Sarah Crossan
The Thousand Names Django Wexler

NetGalley
Priest of Lies by Peter McLean
The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Blood Awakens by Jessaca Willis

Review
The Sentinel’s Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson

See any favourites?

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmal

I have a soft spot for books that discuss mental illness. I guess it could be a way of seeing myself in a book, or getting an insight into what others may be experiencing. It makes me feel less alone and I find the topic fascinating.

Sheinmal does not disappoint with this intense look at mental illness. Her main character Hannah is a top student, a model daughter and she doesn’t deserve to be institutionalised over a simple accident, but her lawyer disagrees. Hannah decides not to waste her time and uses this as an opportunity to befriend Lucy and show the doctors, lawyers and judge, just how wrong they are about her. She would never have hurt her friend. She is the perfect friend, how could anyone think differently?

The Law of Inertia by S. Gonzales

“See, the thing is that happiness is a whore. I’ve never met a more disloyal emotion in my life. Nothing like misery, which proposes to you on the first date. Yet, like a mistress I swear off every time, all happiness has to do is peek it’s head around the corner, contrite and apologetic, and I give myself over to it completely. It’s transient and fleeting, and I know it won’t still be in my bed the next morning, but while I have it, it’s everything.”

September Shenanigans

Once again I prove that I’m terrible at sticking to any plans. I had grand dreams at the start of September. I was so excited about #SelfPubFantasyMonth and then it just so happened that the first book I read was a total stinker and blew all the wind out of my sails.