TBT
#LoveNZYA Throwback Thursday:
Throwback Thursday #LoveNzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Kiwi books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Brooklynne's pick
Title: Maddigan's FantasiaAuthor: Margaret Mahy
Released: 1st December 2005
Publisher: Harper Collins
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When twelve-year-old Garland Maddigan asks Timon and Eden where they have come from, she is overwhelmed by their answer: the future. In a post-apocalyptic time, Garland's family's traveling circus troop, Maddigan's Fantasia, leaves the city of Solis once a year to perform and earn a living. However, this year Solis has given the Fantasia the crucial task of obtaining a new solar converter, the only power source in Solis, because the old one is failing. Misfortune finds the Fantasia in their travels, and Garland's father dies in an attack by Road Rats. Then suddenly two mysterious boys, Timon and Eden, appear with their baby sister, claiming to be from the future - a world in which the Fantasia has failed in its mission and the evil Nennog has taken power. The boys have come to help the Fantasia, but danger has followed them across time. Can the Fantasia protect Timon and Eden, and succeed in their quest to save their world? Internationally renowned author Margaret Mahy spins a vivid tale of time travel, adventure, and magic that no reader will soon forget.
why I chose it
First off, is there a more Kiwi author out there than Margaret Mahy. She is the most prolific and well-known children's and Young Adult author in New Zealand, and this book is a great example of why. This dystopian novel is action-packed and fun to read, especially as it clearly takes place in New Zealand. I found it entirely gripping and that was before the time travellers arrive. It's also been made into a rather successful TV series Maddigan's Quest, which stars a young Rose McIver.#DiverseThrowback Thursday - The Ghost Bride
Throwback Thursday #Diverse edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist diverse books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Tash's pick
Title: The Ghost Bride
Author: Yangsze Choo
Released: August 1st 2013
Publisher: Hot Key Books
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Seventeen-year-old Li Lan lives in 1890s Malaya with her quietly-ruined father, who returns one evening with a proposition - the fabulously wealthy Lim family want Li Lan to marry their son. The only problem is, he's dead. After a fateful visit to the Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir. At night she is drawn into the Chinese afterlife - a world of ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, monstrous bureaucracy and vengeful spirits. Enlisting the help of mysterious Er Lang (a dragon turned clerk) Li Lan must uncover the secrets of the ghost world - before she becomes trapped there forever.
Drawing on traditional Malayan folklore and superstition, THE GHOST BRIDE is a haunting, exotic and romantic read perfect for fans of EMPRESS ORCHID and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.
why i chose it
Before Choo's 2019 wildly successful novel The Night Tiger, there was her debut The Ghost Bride which was released in 2013. I had the privilege of reading an ARC early the year it released in 2013.The Ghost Bride introduces readers to a practice that was common in the 1800s: the marriage of young girl to a ghost. It is a scared honour, and the heroine in this novel, Li Lan takes on to repair the damage her father has caused to her family.
For Li it is a chance for honour, however this novel clearly becomes divided by the path Li must take and what the heart wants. Li, at seventeen is on the cusp of adulthood - and in this period of time, she has limited choices.
It's hard to read her journey. She's forced into a shadow world where she must please her new in-laws, but at the same time fight to remain in the light. Her journey is fraught with danger and challenges. Choo doesn't mince the life of a girl in the 1800s who tries to break traditions.
Choo's debut is one that has stuck by me as it was my introduction to the Chinese culture in YA fiction. Growing up , I was exposed to certain culture events and partook in them but this book opens my eyes to historical practices that I was unaware of. Whilst there is obvious dystopian/paranormal influence on this novel, Choo stays true to her background and introduces readers to part of her culture that was significant in the past.
Throwback Thursday: Blueback
Throwback Thursday #LoveOzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Aussie books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Kelly's pick
Author: Tim Winton
Released: 1997
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
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Abel Jackson's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. On an idyllic stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish, he lives a simple, tough existence. It's just him and his mother in the house at Longboat Bay, but Abel has friends in the sea, particularly the magnificent old groper he meets when diving.
As the years pass, things change, but one thing seems to remain constant: the greed of humans. When the modern world comes to his patch of sea, Abel wonders what can stand in its way.
Blueback is a deceptively simple allegory about a boy who matures through fortitude and who finds wisdom through living in harmony with all forms of life.
why i chose it
Blueback is a beautiful and whimsical story of a boy and his friendship with a Blue Groper affectionately named Blueback. Tim Winton has used Blueback as a symbol of our marine wildlife and how it's paramount to protect our coastline. Although the storyline follows Abel from the age of ten up until he's in his thirties, it's his mother that is the shining example of an environmental warrior.Throughout Abel's lifetime, his mother has seen illegal poachers who threaten to destroy the Bay by illegal fishing, developers who want to spoil the magic of the serene coastal property, raising a child alone with no support and living off the land to make ends meet. She's a phenomenal role model that should be celebrated. But it's her determination to protect her coast that will resonate with environmentalists worldwide.
With the focus heavily on our environment, climate change and sustainability, Tim Winton writes incredible stories of environment and saving our natural resources set within the Australian landscape.
Follow Kelly at Diva Booknerd, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads
What's your pick for this week? Share on your blog, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or in the comments below! Make sure you tag your posts with #AusYABloggers so we can share the love.
Throwback Thursday Review: Withering- By- Sea by Judith Rossell
Throwback Thursday #Diverse edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist diverse books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Tash's pick
Author: Judith Rossell
Released: November 2014
Publisher: ABC Books
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Rating :★★★★
High on a cliff above the gloomy coastal town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful Aunts. But one night, Stella sees something she shouldn't have... Something that will set in motion and adventure more terrifying and more wonderful than she could ever have hoped for...
Review
This was a whim purchase that I'm now glad that I did purchase. Withering - by - Sea is a play on the classic Wuthering Heights. Aside from period of time , that where the similarities end. Instead readers are taken on an magical adventure that is not for the faint hearted. Stella Montgomery lives in one of the bath hotels that is known in this time period. The setting is key to this story as allows for the liberties that take place and explain the incident that unfolds and changes Stella's lifeStella is a free spirit that is controlled by her aunts. Until 'the incident' happens and then her word explodes. Stella is adventurous sort of young girl. Whilst her Aunts expect a prim and proper miss.Stella's true nature shone through and it played well with the mystery that unfolded.
The mystery at first seems to be a straight forward but the hints the author releases, indicate something more. The childish nature of Stella shows despite her bravery. It allows for growth and time to understand the gravity of the situation.
As this story isn't typical in any shape or form which makes it special. Rossell captures the time period well . With little nods to the history of the time that enhanced the mystery and help shaped the story.
The storyline is perfect for the target audience given the day and age. With YA fantasy releasing books like this now. This book is perfect for those who want to find a similar MG series.
The supporting characters fit the sort of people you would find in a town like this which relies on tourists and bathing houses.
Aunts are the dowdy type, the ones you find like in other novels. They don't care much for Stella and subscribe to the saying of that time. Little children shouldn't been seen or heard.
Encouraging Stella to fight and this bodes well given this is the first in three book series. This loveozmg was recently re-released by the publisher and it's perfect time as allows new readers to discover this magical series.
The perfect combination of history and fanasty allowing readers to enjoy a simpler reader before expanding their horizons to heavy fantasy. Stella is a character you won't forget any time soon.
Throwback Thursday: The Year Nick McGowen Came to Stay
Throwback Thursday #LoveOzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Aussie books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Kelly's pick
The Year Nick McGowen Came to StayAuthor: Rebecca Sparrow
Released: 2006
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
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It's 1989 and Rachel Hill is the girl most likely to succeed. And the girl most likely to have everything under control ... that is, until her father invites the moody Nick McGowan to live with them. With the help of her best friend Zoe, Rachel battens down the hatches in preparation for Nick McGowan to move into her old bedroom and into her life.
Nick immediately labels Rachel as uptight. With bad taste in music. Rachel immediately labels Nick a no-hoper. With a bad attitude.
But it's a secret from Nick's past that will draw them together and make the year Nick McGowan came to stay one that Rachel will never forget.
why i chose it
Funniest. Book. Ever.This book was one of the biggest surprises I've stumbled across so far. It was funny, heartwarming and funny. Yes, it was just that humorous I felt the need to mention it twice. I was nine years old in 1989 and the pop culture references throughout, helped me form a connection to the storyline and characters. Although some of Rachel's musical tastes are cringe worthy, back in the era, that's what the majority were listening to. Remembering Molly's death on A Country Practice, watching It's A Knockout, I absolutely loved reminiscing. Rachel's inner monologues are hilarious, but the real star is best friend Zoe. Some of the funniest lines in literature are courtesy of Rebecca Sparrow, and I'm an instant fan.
If you're an Aussie, thirty plus years old or remember the 1980's with a fondness, definitely add this one.
Follow Kelly at Diva Booknerd, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads
What's your pick for this week? Share on your blog, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or in the comments below! Make sure you tag your posts with #AusYABloggers so we can share the love.
Thursday Throwback : Hate is Such a Strong Word
Throwback Thursday #LoveOzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Aussie books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Tash's pick
Title: Hate is a Strong Word
Author: Sarah Ayoub
Released: September 1st 2013
Publisher: Haper Collins Australia
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I hate being invisible.
I hate that I still can′t fight my own battles.
I hate that I can′t keep up with the demands of high school.
Sophie Kazzi is in Year 12 at an all-Lebanese, all-Catholic school where she is invisible, uncool and bored out of her brain. While she′s grown up surrounded by Lebanese friends, Lebanese neighbours and Lebanese shops, she knows there′s more to life than Samboosik and Baklawa, and she desperately wants to find it.
Unfortunately, her father has antiquated ideas about women, curfews and the Lebanese ′way′. Bad news for Sophie, who was hoping to spend Year 12 fitting in and having fun - not babysitting her four younger siblings, or studying for final exams that will land her in an Accounting course she has no interest in.
Just when it looks like Sophie′s year couldn′t get any more complicated, Shehadie Goldsmith arrives at school. With an Australian father and a Lebanese mother, he′s even more of a misfit than Sophie. And with his arrogant, questioning attitude, he also has a way of getting under her skin...
But when simmering cultural tensions erupt in violence, Sophie must make a choice that will threaten her family, friends and the cultural ties that have protected her all her life.
Are her hates and complaints worth it? Or will she let go ... and somehow find her place?
why i chose it
A coming of age story of difference. One of the first Love OZ YA books that I read that challenged my own identity. Whilst Hate is a Strong World introduced me to the Lebanese culture,a culture that I was unfamiliar with but I could relate to in many ways.I dealt with similar issues and whilst my parents were willing to learn and adjust with trial and error. For Sophie it's is a different and more complex story.
Identity we can shape it to a extent but Sophie is governed by her parents. I feel the same growing up and especially in my final years of high school. I get the protective nature that comes from Sophie's dad , their culture see woman as precious and that he wants to retain the old fashion role he grown up with.
The introduction of Shehadie into her world was a catalyst that allowed her to explore those said boundaries. Sophie sticks out for the wrong reasons early on for the stereotypical behaviour of her parents. Shehadie being mixed raced and challenging everything single aspect is welcomed. He comes off as arrogant but there is another confused teenager under the layers who just might be the best thing happened to Sophie. If only she could get past the hate which drives this novel. Hate is a Strong Word challenges the usage of hate and how each generation needs to make their own mark on their own terms.
It's the coming of age novel perfect for Aussie teens that tackles the tough issues and lets them know that everything will be just right.
#LoveOzYA Throwback Thursday: Hating Alison Ashley
Throwback Thursday #LoveOzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Aussie books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
Star's pick
Author: Robin Klein
Released: 01 October 1985
Publisher: Puffin Books
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Erica has always believed herself to be the star of her sixth grade class. But then Alison Ashley shows up, and right from the start, seems to threaten Erica's position. Can these classmates ever see past their difficulties and find friendship?
why i chose it
This was one of the books we had to read in year eight English. I remember disliking the book at first, because the main character, Erica, was so annoying, but upon reflection, I realise she was just a girl who was threatened by Ashley. This book is also where I learned the word hypochondriac, so that’s something. I have a special edition copy of this book now, and I do want to read it again as an adult, rather than a 13 year old being forced to read it.Follow Star at Little Miss Star, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads
What's your pick for this week? Share on your blog, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or in the comments below! Make sure you tag your posts with #AusYABloggers so we can share the love.
#LoveOzYA Throwback Thursday - Looking For Alibrandi
Throwback Thursday #LoveOzYA edition is our way of spreading the love of backlist Aussie books that you might have missed. We'll hopefully be posting a new book every second week, and we'd love you to join us!
name's pick
Author: Melina Marchetta
Released: 05 October 1992
Publisher: Penguin Australia
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Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen, illegitimate, and in her final year at a wealthy Catholic school. This is the year her father comes back into her life, the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family's past and the year she sets herself free.
why i chose it
I remember reading Looking for Alibrandi for year nine English and I absolutely loved it. I found it so relatable, even though I’m not Italian, or lived anywhere near Bondi. This book was one of my favourites of the year (which is saying something, because 2000 was the year I discovered Harry Potter). I absolutely loved the family dynamics in this book, and the fact that Josephine ‘sets herself free’. As a 14 year old reading this book, that’s exactly what I wanted to do, too. (I also remember hating that the film changed things so she and her boyfriend actually stayed together? I thought they were better off broken up.) Just writing this is making me want to read this incredible book again! .Follow Star at Little Miss Star, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads
What's your pick for this week? Share on your blog, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or in the comments below! Make sure you tag your posts with #AusYABloggers so we can share the love.
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