💕What's not to love about February?💕
💕💕Love is in the air and it's your chance to win 100 books 💕💕
Well hello lovely,
Here we are, it’s February, my least favourite month of the year. Not because my birthday falls in February and not because we have three birthdays within six days in which to buy presents, bake cakes etc etc. No, the reason I loathe February is because it is the muggiest month of the year. The only good thing I can say about February, actually three things, is/are that school is back and I can run my days as I please. There’s a tonne of great books arriving on my desk. And February always comes before March and Autumn is my favourite time of year. Win! Win! Win!
I had to laugh. I read through my December newsletter and saw my ambitions for my three weeks off. To remind you, I made promises of reading research books and working my way through the pile of summer reads. I did read a lot but I barely picked up a research book. At this juncture, my research reading is on the To Do list. I did, however, have a total break from social media and have returned, somewhat reluctantly, to the fold. I have noticed though, I don’t scroll on my phone. I wonder how long that will last?
But let me look at where I am at. Can you believe it’s that time of year again? As in, voting time. The Better Reading Top 100 is **open**. Vote for your favourite book and you could one of seven (7!!) giftpacks of all 100 books. All the deets are down below.
This is a very long introduction, so let’s move on and talk about books and news and giveaways and all the fun stuff!
Better Reading Top 100
Imagine this. There’s a knock on the front door. You go to answer it and, on your door step, you find a massive box. Inside is 100 of Australia’s all-time favourite fiction of 2023. A whole year of reading right there. And it’s all yours.
Free. Gratis. On the house.
If this idea sends your heart soaring, then you don’t have to imagine it, you just have to vote in the annual Better Reading Top 100. Even better, there are seven (7!!) gift packs to give away. No signing up for anything, no cost, except a couple of minutes of your time. Just jump on and vote. That simple.
Can I just say that thanks to your previous vote, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison has been on the Better Reading Top 100 for two years in a row. That’s astonishing! Can we make it a hat trick? Is that being greedy? Maybe, just a wee bit. But I would be ever so grateful if together, we made Derek and Lads grace the list for three years running.
Of course I want you to vote for The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, but why? Because the Top 100 books have dedicated shelf space at BIG W stores across the nation for a whole year. An entire year. It’s exposure an author can only dream of. It’s a way to connect with a whole new bunch of readers who are yet to discover the joy of spending time with Derek and the lads. Simply, it would make my day.
Voting closes 5pm Sunday 25 February 2024 … So get voting!
Behind the Scenes
Can I be honest? Not only did I not read my research books, I have yet to pick up my WIP (work in progress) and get cracking on the edits. I’m mean I’m desperate to but I had other writerly matters to attend to.
On the upside, I am doing a writing experiment in 2024. I have committed to writing two longhand pages a day of a story idea. I figure that if I write two pages a day, I will have 730 pages by the end of the year. Now, a novel is usually about half that, so technically, I should have a first draft of a novel by roughly 30 June. Worst case scenario, it’s complete rubbish and I’ll leave it at, ‘well, that was an interesting exercise.’ Best case scenario is that I will have the bones of a new novel and I would only have spent thirty minutes or so a day writing it. I’ll keep you posted.
Once this newsletter is done and dusted, I am rolling up my sleeves and getting out my sticky notes and coloured pens. Time to edit. I can’t wait to tell you what Igor and Delia have been up to 😊
Summer Reads
I read eight books over the two- and a-bit weeks I was on ‘holidays.’ (Writers don’t have proper holidays, but I like to tell myself I was. I didn’t touch socials or my PC at least.) It was a mixed bag in which there was some true gold. Some of these titles are old enough that you might’ve already read them, but if not, consider this a brief recommendation.
Books to Love
The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns
Librarian Bridget Jones has a superpower. She is convinced that the only people who don’t read are those who have not yet met the right book. She has never got this wrong, not once. Her love life, not so much. All she wants is the happy-ever-after ending but Bridget’s on-line dating has seen her pick one dud after the other. She’s given up on whole scene, if she doesn’t meet Mr Right in real life then she will live her love life through books with cuddles from the only guy who truly adores her, her sheepadoodle, JB.
Her quiet existence is interrupted by the annoying new guy who’s moved in next door. The appalling music he plays at all hours of the day and night makes JB hide in the pantry. And if that’s not bad enough, the guy spends hours thumping basketballs through a hoop. When she tries to be neighbourly, he’s just down-right rude. On the upside, the hot Italian barista who makes her morning coffee is fun to flirt with. When he offers Bridget his phone number, things are starting to look up. Then her boss retires and she takes over the Wednesday seniors book club. Bridget has found her happy place. Her love life has taken a turn for the better and she has a whole new group of people with whom to share her passion for books. But, as everybody knows, the moment things are looking up is usually right before it all comes crashing down.
Fans of Rachael Johns will be over the moon about her latest RomCom novel, The Other Bridget. It has all the ingredients for a perfect chillout read. Our heroine might be unlucky in love but Bridget is a girl whose heart is in the right place. She introduces the recently widowed Edgar to Jack Reacher and turns him into a reader. She meets Laura and Lola, a mother and daughter, who need books to save them in dire times.
But The Other Bridget has deep themes. The novel explores the role of libraries as refuges from loneliness, shelter from the greater world, and the joy books can bring. Deeper again, Johns’ exploration of body image and eating disorders is nuanced and compassionate. She also turns her eye to the growing number of women and older people vulnerable to online scams and the potential perils of the online dating world. This is such a fun read with enough meat on the bones to really get its hooks into you. It’s also lovely and thick so if you’re looking for an excuse to shut out the real world for a day or two, this is an excellent choice.
The Search Party by Hannah Richell
Max and Annie have left the London rat race to embark on a whole new adventure on their farm on the picturesque south-west coast of England. They are planning to turn part of the farm into a glamping site. To give it a test run, they invite their old friends from Uni days down for the long weekend. What could be better fun than everyone together again, sharing great food and wine, great company and bracing walks in the fresh salt-laden country air.
Except not everyone is there willingly. Dom is a kind of Simon Cowell from Got Talent, renowned for his vicious take downs of superstar wannabees. His second wife, Tanya, has never taken to this gang and her idea of glamping is a five-star hotel. Dom’s oldest daughter would rather be making eyes at the boy she has a crush on at a party back in London, not roughing it and forced to babysit her six-year-old sister, Phoebe. GP Kira hasn’t spoken to her friends since that disastrous night of her 40th birthday party where she got completely drunk and told a few too many home truths. But now, with a new man and a brand new baby, it’s time to try introduce both to the group and, hopefully, heal the rifts from her drunken rant. Max and Annie are nervous about their adopted son Kip whose social skills are underdeveloped thanks to a traumatic early childhood. How will he cope with all these strangers? Thank goodness Jim and Suze are solid. Suze might be a little bit earth-mothery and Jim a bit of a drifter but their kids are great. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, the dads are left in charge. They let the kids go off for a walk down to the cove on their own with instructions to stick together, look after your little sister. Except two don’t come back. No one knows where they are, what’s happened to them. There’s a storm building, they have to find them, soon. Frantic with fear, the friends turn on each other, pointing the finger at anyone and everyone. Long buried secrets rise to the surface. No one is beyond reproach and none of this is helping to find the lost children.
Hannah Richell has moved deep into thriller territory with her latest offering. The Search Party is terrific twisty read that cuts between the Sunday afternoon and the lead up to Saturday night. The police are interrogating everyone but the reader only gets slivers of the story from the various characters keeping the narrative tense and us guessing. It’s impossible to know who to believe. Everyone of them is protecting their own backside and emotions in the aftermath are raw.
But Richell has a firm grip on her material. She carefully balances the reveals with taut narrative tension. Above all, what makes The Search Party so compelling is the ordinariness of the cast of characters. It could be any group of friends away for a weekend with the kids. Terrible things do happen. It could happen to any of us. It’s this element that elevates The Search Party as it examines friendships, the way we cast people into roles in our lives, and how easily we point the finger rather than examine our own role in creating the circumstances in which we find ourselves. An excellent book from a writer who knows how to deliver a great story.
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
Cassie works in a bookstore in New York. She has a quiet life, living with her best friend in their tiny apartment, immersing herself in her love of books. One day, at the store, a favourite customer dies suddenly. After the police and paramedics have been and gone, Cassie realises he has left her a book. Not the one she saw him reading but a very old book, filled with strange words in other languages, drawings. At the front of the book are the words, ‘This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.’ Beneath it is written another message, especially for her.
The Book of Doors opens up a world of wonder. From her bedroom door she can return to Venice where she once had a memorable holiday. She can skip across town and enjoy a drink at a bar or a meal at her favourite restaurant. Yet, people have found out that Cassie has the book, that it is one of a number of books, such as The Book of Pain, The Book of Illusions and The Book of Shadows. The book hunters have long wanted to get their hands on The Book Of Doors but the one who wants it most goes by the name of the Woman and she is capable of inflicting cruel and unimaginable deaths on those who stand in her way. Cassie’s only hope of evading the Woman and saving the world from devastation and despair is to form an alliance with the man they call the Librarian. They having nothing but their wits and their books to protect them.
The Book of Doors is such a refreshing wonderful adventure of a read. Gareth Brown has written a story that traverses time, literally, but also examines the depths of human experience. Cassie herself is still grieving for the untimely death of the grandfather who raised her. But as she travels the world and meets those rare book collectors who are as invested as she is in keeping the books safe from the wrong hands, she begins to unravel the nature of that grief. That loss takes many forms and that books can be our saviour. That our actions have ripple effects that expand through time. The Book of Doors is big-hearted and fun, although sometimes a little gory, and Cassie is a thoughtfully wrought hero of this adventure. It is a book to take you out of yourself, filled with wonder and moments that will set your heart pounding. It’s the perfect piece of escapism.
Giveaways Galore!
What a wonderful way to start the year with two fantastic books to giveaway, thanks to the good folk at Penguin Books Australia. For your chance to be in the running to win a copy of either The Other Bridget or The Book of Doors, all you have to do is send me a reply email with the answer to the questions below.
Name one of the characters Bridget saves.
Name one of the other magical books from The Book of Doors.
The fine print: Giveaways are currently only open to subscribers and you must reside within Australia to be eligible to win (postage!) The winners will be picked at random and will be emailed on Monday 19 February 2024. Good luck!
Remember, if you want to enter for each book, you can do so in one email.
Upcoming Events
Goulburn Mulwaree Library
6pm Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Sadly this event is sold out (unsurprisingly, it’s Wendy Harmer!) But I know a few of you will be there on the night and I just wanted to say, I can’t wait to see you. Do make sure you come and say hello!
But this event will be going on sale soon. I’m delighted to be in conversation with Anne Buist (the Natalie King series) and Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project) about their fabulous new novel, The Glass House. I’ve already had the pleasure of reading this terrific book. I think you’ll love it. Here’s a taster:
Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital. It’s described as a compelling, addictive novel for readers of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine told with heart, humour and insight.
We’ll be Ulladulla Library on Friday 5 April at 10.30am. I’ll post all the details as they come to hand on socials and on my website but meanwhile it’s one for locals to add to their calendar.
I have a few more events coming up this year. I’ll keep you posted!
New Voices Down Under
And we’re back for a second year. Thank you to everyone who has supported New Voices Down Under and Australian debut fiction. It’s been a blast. The January edition is now out in the world. In this month’s Meet the Author, we talk to Amy Brown about her novel inspired by Miles Franklin’s My Brilliant Career and her sister Linda, in My Brilliant Sister. I review two great new works of fiction, Tidelines by Sarah Sasson and Everything is Perfect by Maxine Fawcett.
For you chance to **win** a copy of My Brilliant Sister and/or Tidelines, you must be a subscriber and answer the two questions in the January newsletter. You can do both of those things by clicking the button below.
The end of the cup
Well, my friend, my cup is empty. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today.
Don’t forget, you can check out updates on events at www.meredithjaffe.com or you will always find me chatting on socials on either Instagram or Facebook @meredithjaffeauthor Why don’t you leave a comment or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!
Keep well,
