Given that this is also the National Year of Reading, it’s also a good opportunity to promote women writers- and there are so many great writers too! A recent article in The Age recounted the issue of literary sexism, where women’s writing is not considered good enough to merit literary awards. The challenge’s purpose is to widely promote Australian female authors through the review process.

The challenge period is between January 2012-December 2012. Quoting from the site:

Goal: Read and review books written by Australian women writers – hard copies, ebooks and audiobooks, new, borrowed or stumbled upon by book-crossing.

Genre challenges: 
Purist: one genre only
Dabbler: more than one genre
Devoted eclectic: as many genres as you can find
 
Challenge levels: Some readers have complained that the original challenge levels were too easy, so “casual” and “dedicated” levels have been added here.

Casual:
Stella (read 3 and review at least 2 books)
Miles (read 6 and review at least 3)*
Franklin-fantastic (read 10 and review at least 4 books)*
* The higher levels should include at least one substantial length review

Source http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html accessed 22/1/2012

Blog posts can be posted on GoodReads, on the Australian Woman Writers Website and will also be promoted on Twitter at @AusWomenWriters. I’ll be reviewing on the blog and posting on the website, as well as on Twitter.

I’m more of a devoted eclectic and am aspiring to be a Franklin-fantastic!

Epiphany- the sudden realization of a larger meaning of something, from the Greek epiphaneia, “manifestation, striking appearance”. That moment of complete clarity, which puts your mind at rest, and spurs you to make a decision.

Parasol- A wonderful way to keep the sun biting at your shoulders. Why need a hat when you can have a parasol?

Reduced capacity- two words you do not wish to hear regarding your train home, as it usually means sitting on the floor of the train for over an hour. Nor did it help being stuck behind a suburban train which stopped at every station for the first half hour of the trip.

Hello- the best words in the world as I come in the front gate from the little BGs as they came out to greet me, and drag me off to the local fish and chip shop for dinner.

Master BG got books from Santa and his nana for Christmas and was thoroughly stoked. He has read a few of them already, when he’s not playing with Lego, the computer, or playing games with his sister that involve a lot of giggling and yelling.

He is nothing like my youngest brother Andrew, who at the same age LOATHED reading and would rather be zipping around on his bike terrifying little old ladies (not really, but just a bit of creative licence) and his older sisters (actually that bit is true). So what do you do to get reluctant readers reading, especially in the National Year of Reading?

Ken from NannyPro has written an article on 10 Books to Get Kids Reading Again. The books suggested are classics and aimed at an older readership, like middle to late primary. Ken also has some great words of wisdom  about finding the right stories for reluctant readers

For children who are resistant to reading, the secret is to find books that they are interested in. Stories about young people help them identify with the characters and relate to the plot. Fantasy and humor are also good ways to get kids hooked on books. Giving them a variety to choose from will help determine what genre captures their imagination.

Fo my brother Andrew, he started reading books by Paul Jennings, which were essentially short stories and progressed to fantasy fiction. Along the way, he would borrow books from the library about ancient Egypt, or whatever subject took his fancy. The reading paid off as he went on to do really well in his VCE, went to university and now works in London.

Here are 5 tips on turning a reluctant reader into a ripper reader.

1. Pick something short to read- funny rhymes which can be read aloud to get the feel and sound of language are really good. Chapter books with short chapters are good as you feel you have accomplished something in a short space of time. As a child’s attention span increases, books with longer chapters can be introduced.
2. Have books in the house. Make them part of the room and part of your life.
3. Don’t limit your reading material to fiction- include non-fiction, such as dinosaurs, robots, space and myths and legends are always popular books with children.
4. Lead by example and read yourself. My earliest memories are of my dad reading the paper. Mr BG’s memories of his father were of him sitting by the fire with a book, or sitting in a car in the pelting rains reading a book. If you are reading for enjoyment, your child will hopefully see it as a means of entertainment.
5. Read to your child- it’s a great way to spend time with them and if you’re enjoying it, chances are they will too.

Do you have any tips on encouraging kids to read?

It’s not just content- it’s information and the right to interact with this information that is under threat with this legislation. It’s yet another attempt by a national government to try and censor global information at the behest of a group who are fearful of losing  traditional revenue sources.

Mashable has suggested other alternatives to Wikipedia, to allay the concerns of students and trivia nerds everywhere (cough), and libraries have been keen to emphasise their resources.

So for the next 24 hours, if you have a question and you can’t ask Wikipedia, ask a librarian. Or me .

One of the advantages of living in Ballarat, is that due to the cooler climate, people love cafes, as a way to get out of the cold . As a result there are heaps of cafes (at least one per block on Sturt Street) and some great coffee as a result!

Vegas and Rose is a lovely new cafe which has just opened up in Humffray St North. Its location is a little off the beaten track of Sturt Street, but still close enough to town to drop in and have a cuppa.

Pen (short for Penthea) has decided to combine her love of retro ephemera and collectables with a love of coffee. There is a small collection of collectables that can be browsed and oohed and aahed over- Pen has an Etsy shop also called Vegas and Rose .

And the coffee is good too! There is a little collection of shortbready mini melting moments and the muffins, both sweet and savoury are delicious.

Little people are also catered for, with little benches, books and the babycino

1. Swimming lessons at the YMCA- the kids have had fun this week and are gaining in confidence in the water. While I have been sitting out watching, I’m going to take advantage of my membership and do a few laps in the big persons pool tomorrow!

2. Painting splotches of paint on the lounge rom wall. Sample pots are a boon, though the lounge currently looks like a young child has decided to become the next Picasso in his ‘green period’

3. Dentist visits. Both children needed fillings this week and appointments were scheduled on separate days so I could go in with them separately. Master BG was full of questions, even when he had happy gas, anaesethetic, and copious dental tools in his mouth- that boy could talk underwater! Miss BG, apart from an inital case of nerves, that involved onyl sitting in the dentists chair, as long as I was sitting there with her, was a trooper, and both of them deserved a…

4. Trip to the bookstore. This was the promised treat for being so brave at the dentist’s (I kinda figured that sweet treats were out of the question). Mr BG ended up with a Horrible Histories activity book, Miss BG loves her new book of fairy tales and I came away with two classics, The Harp in the South and Playing Beattie Bow. The last time we were there, Master BG came away with the idea he wants to buy the bookstore when he’s older. I suggested going to the library was a cheaper option…

5. Shivering. This is something I am used to doing for about 6 months of the year in Ballarat, but January was not a time I was expecting to have to put the heater on. It’s been bitterly cold the last few days which was probably why I was inspired to start…

6. Crocheting! It had been ages since I last picked up a hook and with an impending project I have to start soon, I thought it was as good a time as any to practice with granny squares. They’ll be joined up soon to be a rug for my bed. It’s being worked in blues to complement the bedroom which is blue and white. I have been crocheting at night on the couch, and for the past couple of days at the swimming pool. The aspect of crochet I like is that there’s only one hook, rather than two knitting needles and it’s faster than knitting.

7. Reading books, as opposed to reading blogs. I’ve been dipping into crochet books, but I have started a couple of books which hold promise.

8. Watching TV with the kids- now this is a bit unusual, as we’ll watch DVDs together, but TV shows are a bit hit and miss. This has been made easier for us by the ABC which is currently screening Doctor Who  from 2005 onwards at 7.30 pm. If anything it reminds me of my own childhood, watching Doctor Who with my parents and sister and brothers a long, long time ago.

9. Plotting stuff for the blog. I may not be writing anything down, but things will pop into my head, while I’m hanging out the washing. The washing line is where a lot of my thinking about life takes place, as it’s as far away from the house as possible and I can’t hear the kids .

10. Getting acquainted with Pinterest and reacquainted with Tumblr, though admittedly not spending a great deal of time with either.

Following requests from Kerrib and @gigglesigh to know more about my brushing up of my Italian, I’m letting you in on the grand plan.

We’re going on holiday- again. We went overseas 15 months ago, but time is of the essence and the little BGs won’t be so disadvantaged by missing a term of kinder and school now. The holiday will be for 10 weeks, and will involve

• visiting relatives in Ireland (something I can’t not do),
• seeing my brothers in London
• visiting Derbyshire and Yorkshire, which is where my maternal grandfather was born
• staying in Glasgow and Skye, which is where Mr BG’s maternal ancestors were born
• one week in Paris, staying in an author’s apartment in Montmartre and …
• two weeks in Italy! We’ll be spending time in Rome and Florence, with possible day trips to Pisa and Siena.

Master BG is very excited we are going to the land of pasta, Mr BG is very happy to be seeing some Roman ruins and I am over the moon to be seeing Florence. Ever since studying Year 12 European History and looking at the Renaissance and the Reformation, I have been yearning to go. I did Italian at uni concurrently with French, and want to use it. I want to walk through the streets and piazzas, stand in front of masterpieces and drink it all in- not to mention drink lots of coffee and beautiful Italian vino .

Travelling will include trains, planes and ferries, including a trip on the magic Hogwarts train.

The plane tickets have been booked (thanks to Hannah our lovely travel agent at Travelscene), most of our accommodation in self-catering apartments has also been booked and soon we will start looking at train timetables.

The excitement is beginning to bubble, but I won’t let myself get too carried away, not until I’m walking through the departure gates at Tullamarine!

]]> http://bookgrrl.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/roman-holiday/feed/ 8 bookgrrl romanholiday http://bookgrrl.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/ready-set-read/ http://bookgrrl.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/ready-set-read/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:20:40 +0000 bookgrrl http://bookgrrl.wordpress.com/?p=3105 Continue reading →]]> 2012 marks the National Year of Reading and is part of a compaign by libraries and library associations to help children learn to read, help readers find new stories and inspiration and to promote reading across Australia. Many notable Australians have been awarded the title of Reading Ambassadors, including authors, illustrators, politicians and people in the public eye.

Essentially it is set around books, with competitions being held to determine which books personify Australia, events in Adult Learners Week, as well as those targeting children, youths and indigenous literacy. It is exciting and one that promises to be a great way to expose more Australians to the wonders of reading.

It has also made me reflect upon my own reading habits. I have found over the last few years, the number of books I read have dwindled. I’m still reading every day, but so much of it is online, on online newspaper sites, websites and blogs, facebook and twitter.Much of the information I retrieve for my users at work tends to be online content, which is easily transmitted, or able to be viewed on a desktop. Even my professional development information comes in the form of online articles rather than journals, and I have gotten into the habit of skimming across an article to save time.

Like Kate said in a recent blog post it feels like I’m grazing, rather than reading in depth.

I’d like to, in this National Year of Reading to read mindfully, to absorb and reflect more upon what I have read. I could aim to read over 100 books this year, but I would rather focus on quality reading, rather than powering through a heap of books.

How do you read? Do you have any reading challenges for yourself this year?

Rather than make resolutions that will get forgotten in the maelstrom of daily life, I’m making a to-do list, right here and now. It will be here so I can tick things off as they get accomplished. There will be other things that will go on this list, but for today’s brainstorm there is enough!

Blog

• Write every day- I realise now that while I may not publish a post every day, I do write every day- it is something of a compulsion and the day does not feel right unless I have sat in fron of the pc and written something.
• Self-host, which basically means new URL, and other fun stuff.
• Survey my readers so I know who you are, what you like and what you want.
• Tinker with look of blog- am on somewhat of a tinkering drive at home.
• Blog 2-3 times per week

Challenges

• #exercisestreak  which is an idea inspired by Kelly to have as many consecutive days of exercise as possible.
• friday photos on flickr which will also be posted on Twitter with the #fp2012 tag
• revise my Italian for an upcoming trip, which will be revealed soon
• crochet project for my sister, which will also be revealed soon!

House

• Back deck sanded and oiled
• Paving done in backyard
• Lounge room painted
• Skirting boards and doors  in house sanded and painted
• Front verandah boards replaced

Work

Be more professional- a tad airy fairy, but try and find the passion that I feel I have lost in my job.

Family

• institute one on one time with every BG
• help out in Master BG’s class once a month
• help out in Miss BG’s kinder once a term

Personal

• Be true to myself
• Trust my personal trainer with my personal fitness and weightloss goals
• Have fun and enjoy life

I’m hoping for a fun-packed 2012

• I learned to make school lunches again after a break of 23 years, and how to put hair up in a bun so it doesn’t come down.
• I have also learned that some friends can relied upon and others cannot.
• I have realised that friends can pop up in the most unexpected places, both near and far:).
• I have discovered that if I want to draw well, I have to do it every day. At the moment I am happy to be a writer, not an artist .
• Workwise it was a quiet year- I have felt 2 days a week in paid work can be frustrating in being not able to achieve much. Next year will be about working smarter and more realistically, as well as being more visible.

Looking back on my resolutions that I made at the start of the year, I think they were noble, but a bit intangible. Next year will be more about setting specific goals and achieving them, rather than aiming for the stars and feeling frustrated at not being able to measure achievement.

1. Be brave. Meet whatever challenges or opportunities come my way this year. I think the first challenge may be turning 40 with grace and a big bang!

I turned 40 and it was lovely celebrating with my family and lots of lovely messages on Facebook and Twitter. I didn’t have a party because I’m not great in big to-dos with the focus on me, which is pretty silly! I could have been braver.

2. Learn to say no. I’m going to not volunteer for everything, because I can’t do it all- or rather I can do it, but in a half-assed way. I should accept my limitations and weaknesses and work to my strengths.

I said no a couple of times, but I don’t think I said it enough. I still felt as if I was treading water and trying to do it all.

3. Remember what is most important- my little family, my friends, my health, both physical and mental. That may mean spending less time on the PC…

Well less time was spent on the PC, but a bit more on my phone. I could have focussed more on my family and more on my friends and I think it will be less a New Year’s Resolution, but more of a life-long resolution.

oh, and brush up on my German and Italian, do more crochet and knitting, and read more…

Well my German and Italian certainly did not get a look in- but I will need to do something with my Italian next year, as well as my French . I didn’t do any crochet, and knitting was done in spits and spurts.

Enough pondering for now- the sun is shining, the back deck is shady and Mr BG is playing his guitar.

Enjoy your New Year, wherever you are.

Cheers!

xo