We get to celebrate Australia Day this weekend! Normally it is a day for relaxing but this weekend I have barbecues (there may even be prawns on the barbie!) and booze, maybe going to the fireworks nearby, watching the tennis, oh, and getting ready for back to school but I don't want to think too hard about that!
I am pleased though to be sharing some Australia Day celebrations with you! Today, I am participating in my first ever blog hop giveaway, the Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop being hosted by Book'd Out and Confessions from Romaholics! I am pleased to be giving away one book to the value of $30 (excluding postage). Because this is an Australia Day celebration, I am going to insist that the author be an Aussie!
As the giveaway is open internationally, it may give some of my international readers a chance to try some of the fantastic books we have that are only easily available here.
Need some ideas for books to choose from. Here are a few suggestions
Rural Lit - very popular here and kind of uniquely Australian. I certainly haven't read much like them set in other countries. All three of these books include outback settings, in very male dominated environments and all of them are great reads.
Historical Fiction - settings from WWII in Perth to ancient Etruscan civilisation to 19th century England
Contemporary Fiction -Set in Melbourne or Sydney both of these books made laugh, and one of them nearly made me cry!
Speculative Fiction - I am a big fan of the entire Twelve Planets series from Twelfth Planet Press
That's probably enough in terms of suggestions, despite the fact I haven't even gotten to some of my favourite authors or the authors I know I should have read but haven't yet or to romance as a genre or literary fiction! So many fab choices!
How to Enter
The Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop is open for entries until Midnight January 28. Open internationally! Winners will be announced before the following Friday.
Complete the form below
Be sure to visit Book'd Out to see all the other great Aussie blogs that are hosting giveaways this weekend too!
In the comments
I am sure that there are lots of favourite Aussie authors that I haven't mentioned. Share your favourite Aussie authors, or the books that you wish you could read by an Aussie author!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway and happy Australia Day!
ReplyDeleteI must confess, I don't know of any Aussie authors I can name offhand. But do I get brownie points for being a big Packed to the Rafters fan?
You would, except I haven't ever watched Packed to the Rafters! lol
DeleteSome interesting books there, I haven't read any of them
ReplyDeleteSo much good stuff out there!
DeleteA very generous giveaway Marg, thank you for offering it.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Aus Day long weekend :-)
You too Lauren1
DeleteThanks for the great opportunity:) And have a great Aust Day weekend:)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a lot of Australian writers, but I love Kate Grenville's historical fiction trilogy. So good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway, Marg! (If I win, I'm letting you pick my book for me).
Kate Grenville's trilogy was good!
DeleteThat could be too much pressure Beth! There is so much good Aussie fiction around!
There are so many great Aussie authors - i have a whole bookshelf full of them :) but there are some great new releases this year so i would have no trouble picking one - i'm really looking forward to reading Rachael treasure's new book!
ReplyDeleteBec
I haven't read Rachael Treasure for years. I did hear her speak at Melbourne Writer's Festival last year and she was very amusing.
DeleteThanks Marg for such a interesting list of genres and authors:) Australia is so lucky to have such talented writers! Have a lovely Australia Day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alissa! I am hoping to get to your book over the next few days too.
DeleteHappy Australia Day Marg, sounds like you've got a fun day planned. So many wonderful Australian authors but I've been meaning to read Helene Young's novels, I've seen great reviews for them.
ReplyDeleteI have had Helene Young's first book sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years. Time to dust it off I think!
DeleteHappy Australia Day
ReplyDeletethanl you a lot for opening your giveaway to international!
You are welcome! I know how frustrating it is when so many giveaways are for specific countries only.
DeleteThanks for the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff and books by Melina Marchetta! (so far I've read Finnikin, Froi and Jellicoe Road)
I haven't read any of those!
DeleteI just finished The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, an Australian now living in England. I loved the novel, enjoyed the story and the Australian setting.
ReplyDeleteI have that book out of the library at the moment!
DeleteI love Melina Marchetta! Anything she writes :) Thank you for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
I am such a bad Aussie reader! I still haven't read Melina Marchetta.
DeleteMy favourite aussie authors would be Melina Marchetta, Belinda Alexandra, Tim Winton, Kate Morton, Kate Forsyth....too many to name really!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to choose isn't it!
DeleteOh I just lost my comment!
ReplyDeleteWell you probably know already that my favourite author is Isobelle Carmody, and I doubt that most of my other favourites are new to you at all! John Marsden, Kate Forsyth, Jennifer Fallon, also one-offs like Libby Hathorn who wrote my absolute favourite book in primary school (before Obernewtyn, anyway!), and Sally Rogers-Davidson who wrote my favourite book from grade 12, Polymer. There are lots of others. I love Jaclyn Moriarty but I haven't read any of her siblings' books yet.
I really want to read The Girl in the Hard Hat, I keep hearing such great things about it! And I remember you review of Addition, really piqued my interest. Thanks for the giveaway Marg!
Good luck Shannon! Both Loretta Hill's books are fabulous!
DeleteSuch great books. Annabel Smith's "Whisky Charlie Foxtrot" is another I'd recommend. It's a love story, but not a romantic one. It's about brothers. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteI have heard a few good things about that book!
DeleteMelina Marchetta and Emily Rodda these were two first of now many Australian authors I read and still love
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking part in the Australian Day Hop
Another vote for Melina Marchetta! I haven't read Emily Rodda either.
DeleteSome interesting books. I have read a few of them. Liz Byrski is a favourite Aussie author.Contemorary or rural would be my choice if I won.
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of Liz Byrski fans!
DeleteThere's a lot of good books there - highly recommend the Loretta Hill!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
They are awesome aren't they!
DeleteHappy Australia Day! Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI work with children & have come to adore all of the work by Mem Fox. Ill be adding to my list of Australian authors today thank you.
ReplyDeleteMem Fox is definitely responsible for some fantastic Aussie children's books!
DeleteThank you very much! I`m in love with this giveaway! :) I`m from Europe and I`m non-native English speaker; there is not a very big choice of books in English here (except online shops) and they`re usually from American and British writers so this is a very beautiful opportunity to get to know the Australian writers :)
ReplyDeleteI recently won a book Shine Light by Marianne de Pierres who is also an Australian writer but haven`t read it yet since it is the 3rd book in the series so I`d love to win previous books in the series! :) And I`d also love to read Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff.
Thanks!
I have Marianne de Pierres on my list to read at some point! Good luck!
DeleteThanks for the giveaway Marg. I always love to read your posts about Australian books/authors. Happy Australia Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ana!
DeleteHappy Australia day and hope your weekend was fun and filled with good times :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny! It was a very pleasant weekend indeed! Shame it has to end really
DeleteHey Marg, great way to celebrate Australia Day and Australian writers, regards Joe Jeney
ReplyDeleteThanks Joe!
Delete