I didn’t succeed in improving on my 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge, with only one book reviewed during 2015 and two featured as snapshots. However, I did read and enjoy eighteen books by Australian women writers and recommended many of them in my newsletter:
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney (YA) (read snapshot here)
The Wonders by Paddy O’Reilly (read snapshot here)
Beyond Home: A Daughter’s Journey by Robin Bower
The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader (read review here)
A Small Madness by Dianne Touchell (YA)
The Dying Beach by Angela Savage
The First Week by Margaret Merrilees
Black Glass by Meg Mundell (YA)
The Astrologer’s Daughter by Rebecca Lim (YA)
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay (YA)
Afterlight by Rebecca Lim (YA)
Feet to the Stars by Susan Midalia
A Guide to Berlin by Gail Jones
The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau
The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
In the Quiet by Eliza Henry Jones
At My Door by Deb Fitzpatrick (junior fiction)
Purple Prose (various, eds Liz Byrski & Rachel Robertson)
I also featured six Australian women writers in my 2, 2 and 2 series showcasing new books:
The Secret Son by Jenny Ackland (read here)
Feet to the Stars by Susan Midalia (read here)
Afterlight by Rebecca Lim (read here)
The Insanity of Murder by Felicity Young (read here)
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay (read here)
A Small Madness by Dianne Touchell (read here)
And so to the year ahead…
It promises to be an exciting one. I will (I hope) be finishing my current work in progress. And I’ve begun the always-exhilarating process of research on something new—this time in a different genre. And there’s also the release of Elemental in the UK on 11 February.
I won’t be signing up for the 2016 AWWC, but it’s a given that I will be reading and recommending books by Australian women writers (there are already at least a dozen of them—books, that is, not writers!—on the crowded bottom shelf of my coffee table). As far as I’m concerned, they are among the best in the world, so why wouldn’t I?
I hope 2016 brings you health and happiness, the inspiration to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself—and, of course, a year of wonderful reading!
looking up/looking down 
Nice work, Amanda. And you’ve reminded me of a few books to put on my TBR pile for 2016.
Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year. Special wishes for bringing your WIP to fruition.
Ah, the TBR pile… All best wishes to you, too, Angela. I really hope we have the opportunity to meet in the coming year.
That would be great!
You introduced me to several wonderful writers this year, Amanda, and I am very grateful! Happy New Year and I look forward to reading more of your posts in 2016. x
Right back to you, Nicole. I’ve loved reading your blog and look forward to more in 2016. x
So many to add to my TBR list in here! (And some that are already there. I’ll get to them soon, I promise.)
Incidentally, I just finished The Sinkings and I loved it! I’ll post a review soon 🙂
Sounds like your TBR pile is as large as mine!
Lovely to know you enjoyed The Sinkings—thanks for letting me know that 🙂
Very pleased to hear that the work-in-progress is almost finished. Happy New Year!
Not nearly finished enough, Lisa! It still has a way to go…