Hellooooo
It's been a little while... first, I fell sick and just when I got better ~ we all went away for my sister's wedding (!!) which was SO lovely. It was at the Wollongong Botanical Gardens (a nine hour drive from where I live in Coffs Harbour)
1. My Sister's Wedding (click images to embiggen)
2. While I was gone: I did a guest post over at Carla's The Crooked Shelf for Aussie YA month
(Thanks Carla!). I am also hosting a giveaway there for a Jaclyn Moriarty book of your choice (you all know who much I LOVE and ADORE Jaclyn) It closes in two days ~ so check it out :)
3. Winner and Melina Marchetta
ALSO, I would love to announce my random.org winner of Melina Marchetta's The Gorgon in the Gully
I asked everyone to tell me their fave Melina Marchetta character or book and here's the answers... (copied and pasted, sorry for the messy formatting...)
My favorite Melina Marchetta book would be Froi of the Exiles.
!!! I am in LOVE with Melina Marchetta!! Seriously- LOVE! But my very most favorite (actually my favorite book, period) is Jellicoe Road. I totally just squeaked out loud when I read the quote with the picture!! :D LOVE! I SO want to read this one!! Seriously- SO want!! :)
piper's son. oh boy. that book slays me.
*fan girl sigh* Jonah Griggs...On the Jellicoe Road is my favourite!
"If we're talking moments that stuck it's when Jonah says, ""“I’m here because of you. You’re my priority. Your happiness, in some fucked up way, is tuned in to mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell yes, but I don’t think that will be happening in my lifetime.”
As to my most loved character, it's Tom from THE PIPER'S SON.
My favorite Marchettas are Jellicoe Road and The Piper's Son. My favorite Marchetta character is Jonah Griggs, I love him!
I've only read one, so I know it's not fair to her other books, but I absolutely LOVED Saving Francesca. Melina Marchetta definitely knows how to write about high schol friends and relationships! :)
Definitely Jellicoe... I mean it basically became my favourite book ever when I read it. But The Piper's Son totally wrecked me as well (in a good way, of course).
"I love on the Jellicoe Road, I have such a vivid memory of sitting on the cross-town bus and opening it up and then just sitting there crying my little heart out after reading the prologue.
And I love Jonah Griggs, I love how he's tough and kind of hard but you can also tell he adores his family, and that he loves Taylor enough to want to protect her always but also knows when she just needs him to be around without him doing much else. He doesn't take over the people he loves, he's just there if they need hi.
Also, I think Jellicoe is the one I had to wait for the most, close to four years I think before I could get, because the US publication was so delayed.
"Looking For Alibrandi. It's the only one I've read. (yes, i will fix this)
Definitely Jellicoe. My favorite character would HAVE to be Jonah, though I do love Hannah and Raffie too :)
Mmmm. It's so hard to pick a favorite anything of Melina Marchetta's, but if I had a gun to my head, my favorite book would be Jellicoe Road, but my favorite character would be Evanjalin from Finnikin. As a whole Jellicoe is just so fantastic, but Evanjalin is a character with a lot of traits I really admire, though I do love me some Jonah Griggs... :)
I don't have a favourite Melina book yet, but I really want to read Finnikin of the Rock and that series, I think it will be good :)
Jellicoe Road is my favorite book, but my favorite character(s) is from Saving Francesca. I love the Spinelli family.
Ooo thats a tough one Nomes, for me it's got to be between Jellicoe Road and The Piper's son. I think I'm going to go with Jellcoe Road :)
That would be Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles!! MM was born to write high fantasy!!:)
I have only read one of Marchetta's book, The Piper's Son, but enjoyed it. I of course like Tom, but I think my favorite character was Georgie.
Oh so easy. Jonah <3
I think Thomas of Piper's Son and Saving Francesca (though for some reason I haven't gotten to that one yet!) is my favourite of her characters. And it's either Piper's Son again or Jellicoe Road as my favourite book. I'll have to reread PS to decide!
"That is actually really hard to decide for me. It tends to be the one I read most recently ;), but all her books are special to me. But if I had to pick one book, I would say ""Jellicoe Road"" because it's the one I feel most emotional about.
Quintana! Love that mad girl.
Finnikin of the Rock is my favorite, followed by Saving Francesca.
Jellicoe Road, of course. <3
"Fave - Jellicoe Road. Dying to read - Froi!! Though I'd love to read this one too!!"
Saving Francesca, always. I adore that book! I plan to play my children power songs when they are older and leave upbeat messages taped to mirrors :)
"Francesca, Nomes. Francesca seems to be my favorite book ever.
And certainly I am dying to read Gorgon. "
JONAH GRIGGS!!! That boy is a perfect male specimen!
"I think it's definitely between Jellicoe (which was the first book of hers I read and it just absolutely blew me away) and The Piper's Son because it's so different to any YA book I've ever read before.
But then you have Finnikin which is one of the only fantasy books I've been able to get through... nevermind adding it to my favourite list.
Hm, I'm not having much luck here am I?
Answering that question gives me a nosebleed.
I can tell you that my favourite character is Tom Mackee because he's so flawed and realistic. He is the perfect example of how to create a male YA character without making him either two dimensional, too good to be true or a borderline psychopath.
Also, he's totally hot. ;-)"
i've only read two, and my favorite one's Saving fransesca. loved that book so, so much <3
I would be such a let down to all my fellow Aussie YA girls if I didn't say Saving Francesca!!
"Georgie, of TPS, was my favorite character. I could relate to her feelings of humiliation, shame, and despair. But I'm also a huge Thomas Mackee fan! My first kid might be named after him. LOL"
this was definately very difficult. In the end mine would definately have to be Jonah Griggs. As much as I love the other characters (e.g. will, thomas, francesca, taylor), I think i will always love Jonah the most. He is like everything a older teenage girl (16/17) loves in a guy. Protective always there to help her, soulful and tells her the truth. He is fun, kind, a little bit rough...But wait there is more! haha. Even as a character - without being a boy, he is so complex, I think that is what makes him amazing. The way marchetta describes him is just amazing. Honestly I could go on about Melina Marchettas characters forever! I love all her books and cannot wait for the next one!
Jellicoe Road
I love anything MM writes but my favorite character is Jonah Griggs.
My favourite Melina Marchetta book is on the Jellicoe Road. It was my first and it is my favourite :D I love it. But I have read her other 2 books and am dying to read Finnikin of the Rock.
"It's a close call between Froi of the Exiles and On the Jellicoe Road...
Maybe Jellicoe Road a smidgen more. I have four copies of that book! I loved Taylor Markham from Jellicoe Road, because she's not a cliched character. She is who she is. She's tough, she's frank, and she gets Jonah. Who wouldn't love/want to be her? :)"
My favourite Melina Marchetta book is On the Jellicoe Road, although Finnikin of the Rock, Saving Francesa and Looking for Alibrandi are all close behind it.
I bought Saving Francesca & The Piper's Son so I can't wait to get stuck into them :)
What an awesome giveaway! My fave is On the Jellicoe Rd. I cry every single time.
At this point, I only have Froi to read, I've pretty much read everything else, and Looking for Alibrandi is by far my favorite contemporary. It has a certain sweet simplicity that really appeals to me.
"too hard a question
Finnikin for his strength loyalty and humility
Froi for his vulnerability
Jonah for his pure heart and ability to make you swoon
Francesca for here fearsomeness
Thomas Mackee for his friendship
My favorite book my Melina Marchetta is Finnikin of the Rock. I've read most of her other books (realistic fiction) and I loved those also. Why I'd say Finnikin is my all time fav would be because Marchetta wrote an absolutely amazing fantasy novel while she seems to mainly a realistic fiction writer. So I'd love to get my hands on Froi of the Exiles, but I guess that won't happen till March :(. This book caught my attention because you talk about your two boys. I have two little guys myself. I'd like to see how Melina fares in MG writing. Thanks for the chance to win.
GUYS! Your answers were so brilliant and varied. And FUNNY, LOL. I had a good chuckle at some of them. Thanks so much for entering :)
4. I have been in a reading slump.
It doesn't worry me too much, actually. It is kind of nice to have a little break. BUT I am wondering what I should read next. These are all the books I own but have not read yet.
What would you read if you were me?
It's been a little while... first, I fell sick and just when I got better ~ we all went away for my sister's wedding (!!) which was SO lovely. It was at the Wollongong Botanical Gardens (a nine hour drive from where I live in Coffs Harbour)
1. My Sister's Wedding (click images to embiggen)
 |
| My kids: Carissa, the flower girl; Reuben being the crocodile hunter; and my Sammy |
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| The entire side of the Taggart (my maiden name) family. My dad and mum, us three kids & our spouses, plus my three kids and my brother's two girls. My older brother is on the far right, my little sister is the bride :) |
(Thanks Carla!). I am also hosting a giveaway there for a Jaclyn Moriarty book of your choice (you all know who much I LOVE and ADORE Jaclyn) It closes in two days ~ so check it out :)
3. Winner and Melina Marchetta
Congrats! I'll email you shortly :)
My favorite Melina Marchetta book would be Froi of the Exiles.
!!! I am in LOVE with Melina Marchetta!! Seriously- LOVE! But my very most favorite (actually my favorite book, period) is Jellicoe Road. I totally just squeaked out loud when I read the quote with the picture!! :D LOVE! I SO want to read this one!! Seriously- SO want!! :)
piper's son. oh boy. that book slays me.
*fan girl sigh* Jonah Griggs...On the Jellicoe Road is my favourite!
"If we're talking moments that stuck it's when Jonah says, ""“I’m here because of you. You’re my priority. Your happiness, in some fucked up way, is tuned in to mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell yes, but I don’t think that will be happening in my lifetime.”
As to my most loved character, it's Tom from THE PIPER'S SON.
My favorite Marchettas are Jellicoe Road and The Piper's Son. My favorite Marchetta character is Jonah Griggs, I love him!
I've only read one, so I know it's not fair to her other books, but I absolutely LOVED Saving Francesca. Melina Marchetta definitely knows how to write about high schol friends and relationships! :)
Definitely Jellicoe... I mean it basically became my favourite book ever when I read it. But The Piper's Son totally wrecked me as well (in a good way, of course).
"I love on the Jellicoe Road, I have such a vivid memory of sitting on the cross-town bus and opening it up and then just sitting there crying my little heart out after reading the prologue.
And I love Jonah Griggs, I love how he's tough and kind of hard but you can also tell he adores his family, and that he loves Taylor enough to want to protect her always but also knows when she just needs him to be around without him doing much else. He doesn't take over the people he loves, he's just there if they need hi.
Also, I think Jellicoe is the one I had to wait for the most, close to four years I think before I could get, because the US publication was so delayed.
"Looking For Alibrandi. It's the only one I've read. (yes, i will fix this)
Definitely Jellicoe. My favorite character would HAVE to be Jonah, though I do love Hannah and Raffie too :)
Mmmm. It's so hard to pick a favorite anything of Melina Marchetta's, but if I had a gun to my head, my favorite book would be Jellicoe Road, but my favorite character would be Evanjalin from Finnikin. As a whole Jellicoe is just so fantastic, but Evanjalin is a character with a lot of traits I really admire, though I do love me some Jonah Griggs... :)
I don't have a favourite Melina book yet, but I really want to read Finnikin of the Rock and that series, I think it will be good :)
Jellicoe Road is my favorite book, but my favorite character(s) is from Saving Francesca. I love the Spinelli family.
Ooo thats a tough one Nomes, for me it's got to be between Jellicoe Road and The Piper's son. I think I'm going to go with Jellcoe Road :)
That would be Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles!! MM was born to write high fantasy!!:)
I have only read one of Marchetta's book, The Piper's Son, but enjoyed it. I of course like Tom, but I think my favorite character was Georgie.
Oh so easy. Jonah <3
I think Thomas of Piper's Son and Saving Francesca (though for some reason I haven't gotten to that one yet!) is my favourite of her characters. And it's either Piper's Son again or Jellicoe Road as my favourite book. I'll have to reread PS to decide!
"That is actually really hard to decide for me. It tends to be the one I read most recently ;), but all her books are special to me. But if I had to pick one book, I would say ""Jellicoe Road"" because it's the one I feel most emotional about.
Quintana! Love that mad girl.
Finnikin of the Rock is my favorite, followed by Saving Francesca.
Jellicoe Road, of course. <3
"Fave - Jellicoe Road. Dying to read - Froi!! Though I'd love to read this one too!!"
Saving Francesca, always. I adore that book! I plan to play my children power songs when they are older and leave upbeat messages taped to mirrors :)
"Francesca, Nomes. Francesca seems to be my favorite book ever.
And certainly I am dying to read Gorgon. "
JONAH GRIGGS!!! That boy is a perfect male specimen!
"I think it's definitely between Jellicoe (which was the first book of hers I read and it just absolutely blew me away) and The Piper's Son because it's so different to any YA book I've ever read before.
But then you have Finnikin which is one of the only fantasy books I've been able to get through... nevermind adding it to my favourite list.
Hm, I'm not having much luck here am I?
Answering that question gives me a nosebleed.
I can tell you that my favourite character is Tom Mackee because he's so flawed and realistic. He is the perfect example of how to create a male YA character without making him either two dimensional, too good to be true or a borderline psychopath.
Also, he's totally hot. ;-)"
i've only read two, and my favorite one's Saving fransesca. loved that book so, so much <3
I would be such a let down to all my fellow Aussie YA girls if I didn't say Saving Francesca!!
"Georgie, of TPS, was my favorite character. I could relate to her feelings of humiliation, shame, and despair. But I'm also a huge Thomas Mackee fan! My first kid might be named after him. LOL"
this was definately very difficult. In the end mine would definately have to be Jonah Griggs. As much as I love the other characters (e.g. will, thomas, francesca, taylor), I think i will always love Jonah the most. He is like everything a older teenage girl (16/17) loves in a guy. Protective always there to help her, soulful and tells her the truth. He is fun, kind, a little bit rough...But wait there is more! haha. Even as a character - without being a boy, he is so complex, I think that is what makes him amazing. The way marchetta describes him is just amazing. Honestly I could go on about Melina Marchettas characters forever! I love all her books and cannot wait for the next one!
Jellicoe Road
I love anything MM writes but my favorite character is Jonah Griggs.
My favourite Melina Marchetta book is on the Jellicoe Road. It was my first and it is my favourite :D I love it. But I have read her other 2 books and am dying to read Finnikin of the Rock.
"It's a close call between Froi of the Exiles and On the Jellicoe Road...
Maybe Jellicoe Road a smidgen more. I have four copies of that book! I loved Taylor Markham from Jellicoe Road, because she's not a cliched character. She is who she is. She's tough, she's frank, and she gets Jonah. Who wouldn't love/want to be her? :)"
My favourite Melina Marchetta book is On the Jellicoe Road, although Finnikin of the Rock, Saving Francesa and Looking for Alibrandi are all close behind it.
I bought Saving Francesca & The Piper's Son so I can't wait to get stuck into them :)
What an awesome giveaway! My fave is On the Jellicoe Rd. I cry every single time.
At this point, I only have Froi to read, I've pretty much read everything else, and Looking for Alibrandi is by far my favorite contemporary. It has a certain sweet simplicity that really appeals to me.
"too hard a question
Finnikin for his strength loyalty and humility
Froi for his vulnerability
Jonah for his pure heart and ability to make you swoon
Francesca for here fearsomeness
Thomas Mackee for his friendship
My favorite book my Melina Marchetta is Finnikin of the Rock. I've read most of her other books (realistic fiction) and I loved those also. Why I'd say Finnikin is my all time fav would be because Marchetta wrote an absolutely amazing fantasy novel while she seems to mainly a realistic fiction writer. So I'd love to get my hands on Froi of the Exiles, but I guess that won't happen till March :(. This book caught my attention because you talk about your two boys. I have two little guys myself. I'd like to see how Melina fares in MG writing. Thanks for the chance to win.
GUYS! Your answers were so brilliant and varied. And FUNNY, LOL. I had a good chuckle at some of them. Thanks so much for entering :)
4. I have been in a reading slump.
It doesn't worry me too much, actually. It is kind of nice to have a little break. BUT I am wondering what I should read next. These are all the books I own but have not read yet.
What would you read if you were me?
Hey Nomes,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, glad your feeling better.
Glad you had fun at the wedding, those pictures are so cute especially of the flower girl.
Going to go check out your post @ The Crooked Shelf. :)
Sorry, your in a bit of a reading rut - me too. I feel uninspired to read anymore and that's sad. :(
Even though I haven't read any of those books, I'd suggest Catching Jordan and Five Flavour of Dumb, as they both sound awesome and very Nomes-y.
:)
Take care and good luck reading.
Hi Nomes. Lovely family wedding pics. We recently had a family wedding at Coolum Beach which was lovely.
ReplyDeleteGreat reading about the favourite Melina Marchetta books. I still love Looking for Alibrandi.
What a great choice of books for you. I've passed my 100+ goal for the year and am still reading up a storm.
Happy Holiday Season to you and yours!
Denise
Sorry about the reading rut, Nomes! I'd say go for FIVE FLAVOURS OF DUMB, ONLY EVER ALWAYS or THE SURVIVAL KIT. I like the term Rebecca used - Nomes-y, and they are very much indeed. Or if you're just not feeling it, go and re-read something that you love!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a lovely time at the wedding. :) Happy holidays!! And I'm glad that you're feeling better now.
Nice to hear from you. =)
ReplyDeleteOoh I would definitely read 'Catching Jordan'. I totally adored it!!
FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB! :) That may be a bit too enthusiastic, hee. But I loved that book, and I think you may like Piper a lot, too. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're feeling better now. :D
Hey Nomes, glad you're feeling better now!
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend Five Flavors of Dumb, The Goose Girl, and The Blue Sword. :)
And lovely wedding pics!
Congrats to your sister. I love that she used red. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteLove the pics! they are brilliant!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Well, I would go for Five Flavors of Dumb because I've been meaning to read that one too!!
Congrats to Olivia!
:D YAY for the awesomeness that is Melina Marchetta
So glad to hear you're up and back!
ReplyDeleteThose photos are so pretty. Your kids are waaay too adorable <3
Just hopped over to The Crooked Shelf. As usual..superawesome recos, Nomes! :)
I'd probably pick out Chasing Brooklyn or My Sister Lives On A Mantelpiece. Yeah.
Welcome back, m'dear! Glad you had a great time at the wedding, but sorry you were sick. No bueno. =(
ReplyDeleteI give two heartily raised FIST PUMPS to Five Flavors of Dumb, too! After that, Marcelo in the Real World (which is actually one of my favorite YAs).
I've heard wonderful things about Catching Jordan and The Survival Kit from trusted blogger, though, too. =)
I loved those answers, Nomes. I can't believe I was the only one who chose Alibrandi (not counting the person who's read only that so far).
ReplyDeleteWill Grayson, Will Grayson is excellent and highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteYAY FOR WEDDINGS!!!
Sorry you were sick. :(
ReplyDeleteBeautiful family and congratulations to your sister!
I think I've read 4-5 on that list and I'm going with Absolutely True Diary.
Oh your kids are sooo cute and the wedding looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have only read Five Flavors of Dumb, but I LOVED it! I really want to read A Brief History though and The Survival Kit.
Loved everyones response to your MM question. My copy of Froi just arrived, so excited!
Congratulations to your sister! Sorry to hear that you were sick but glad you're feeling better. I would love for you to read The Blue Sword or The Goose Girl because those are two of my favorites. :)
ReplyDelete