I loved the premise of this book. The description of a family holiday house in a small town on the Queensland coast reached out to me immediately and I was quickly drawn into Laurie's story as she described visiting the River House at the age of four. It is the 1940s and life is simpler, although as we know humans have always experienced drama and tragedy - as well as happiness - within their lives throughout history.  All these emotions are played out as Laurie's life and that of her family moves forward. The book traces Laurie's life for the next sixty years, always with The River House at it's centre.

Janita Cunnington's expressive prose is the standout feature of The River House. Small town Queensland comes to life in vivid colour through the pages of the book - the sticky heat of summer, the sounds of the river and beach in the background, the call of the wildlife and the whistling of the wind through the weatherboard cottage. The holiday town of Baroodibah was easy to picture as was Australian society at that time. I was easily transported to The River House through the vivid descriptions and loved that particular journey.

There is a reason that Jaye Ford has become one of Australia's leading ladies of suspense thrillers - she never fails to deliver. Just when you think she has covered all possible scenarios her latest book appears with a fresh, original plot that is guaranteed to have you turning the pages and checking your doors and windows are locked in equal measure!

Charlotte Townsend aka Carly has been through the mill over the past ten years and has finally taken some positive steps towards getting her life back on track. Settling in Newcastle, Carly has a nice apartment, is enrolled at TAFE and has made some new friends in her new community. But just when she feels like she is almost "normal" again she is awoken in the early hours of the morning to the terror of a man next to her bed watching her sleep. The police are very helpful the first time, dusting for fingerprints and explaining how a not properly locked door could have provided an entry point. So Carly diligently ratchets up her security only to have the same experience a week later. After the third time the police are less than sympathetic, pointing out that there is no evidence of an intruder and no possible way in. They suggest psychological help or risk being known as a nuisance caller.

As if life is not already fraught enough for the average seventeen year old high school student, Georgia is burdened with a disturbing secret that she is unable to share with anybody. A talented fells runner, Georgia seeks solace in the beautiful, isolated trails that surround her home in the English Lakes District. This physical activity helps Georgia at first, allowing her to push her body and forget her secret just for a moment. But then one night a hit and run accident that involves Georgia and her cousin and best friend Sophia brings not only Georgia but her whole family to crisis point.

Almost everybody can relate to a "grass is greener" moment or two in their lives. It seems that it is part of being human to feel envy towards a friend, relative or even stranger who has or is doing something that we want to do. In this aptly titled book best friends Bronwyn and Claudia are facing that exact dilemma. Bronwyn has a position at a prestigious law firm and a great apartment in Perth but has no passion for her career. Instead she yearns to be at her best friend Claudia's family vineyard. Meanwhile Claudia is feeling major resentment that her legal career has been stifled to keep the family business afloat and would give anything to be where Bronwyn is. Then one day they get the opportunity to make it happen.

I am excited to be signing up for my fourth Australian Women Writers Challenge. My goal is to read 25 books and review 15 and I am looking forward to each one. Anyone is able to sign up for the challenge and you can sign up just as a reader if you like. Check is out: http://australianwomenwriters.com/sign-up/

I'm very happy to have once again completed the Australian Women Writer's Challenge for 2015. While I did not quite meet my reviewing target of 20, I am still happy with my tally of 23 books read and 15 reviewed. You can see all my reviews HERE. Thank you once again to the organisers of this wonderful supportive gesture for our female authors and thank you to all those who take the time to read my reviews. I look forward to doing it all again in 2016.

Having first met Isobel and her family in Distance and followed them through Further, it was lovely to round out the trilogy with Surfacing. There is a larger time gap between the second and third books, with Surfacing taking place several years after Further.

With her kids out of school and off her hands this should be a great time in Isobel's life, but sadly life has conspired to make it very challenging. While she is doing her best to put on a brave face, Isobel is slowly crumbling under the weight of grief and emptiness and is even questioning if staying in Australia is the best thing for her.

A nursing home may seem like an unusual setting for a novel, but author Helen McKenna has cleverly used it as an anchor for a story that contains many threads and several key characters.

Twenty year old Grace is a reluctant volunteer at Rosehill Gardens. She's only there to fulfill the new criteria for her welfare payments. Self conscious and uneasy her hope is to slip in and out each week without any fanfare. Volunteer co-ordinator Sylvia has other plans though and pairs Grace up with much loved resident Edith, assigning the young woman the job of reading and discussing a different story each week.

Growing up as an only child Sabina had a wonderful childhood and is still very close to her parents at the age of 38. Happily married for several years, she and her husband are delighted when Sabina falls pregnant. Assuming that her parents will be just as excited Sabina is floored when they are less than thrilled. Even more strangely her mother withdraws completely, refusing to talk about Sabina's pregnancy at all. After a few days of emotional turmoil the truth is finally revealed, Sabina is adopted.

This bombshell has a massive impact on Sabina causing her to question every aspect of her life and feel immense anger towards her adoptive parents. Unable to fathom why they hadn't told her, she is even more frustrated when they shut down completely, refusing to share any of the details of her birth or information about her biological mother. Unwilling to be held to ransom by their silence Sabina sets about finding her birth mother, embarking on an emotional, heart rending journey.

Six Degrees is certainly a surprise! For those like me who have read and enjoyed Honey Brown's trademark psychological thrillers, this book takes the reader is a completely different direction. It is in fact a collection of six short stories tied together with one tragic event that touched the lives of all the characters in different ways. The event itself is not really central to the stories, but provided a good anchor and allowed otherwise seemingly disparate characters and events to be woven together into a cohesive narrative.

The tying together of short stories with one central event is not a new storytelling technique, but it is one that can work well and Honey Brown has done that with this collection. While the tragic death of a man is the plot that connects the characters the theme is desire and attraction. As the subtitle states it does connect us all.

Georgie and Nina are best friends with one major difference. Georgie has long known she never wants kids and relishes the freedom that life choice brings. Nina on the other hand wants nothing more than to be a mother. Married for several years she and her husband have endured the rollercoaster of IVF with no success and it has taken its toll on their relationship. Deciding that she can't go through the torturous process again Nina and Georgie go out drinking one night and with her inhibitions lowered Nina asks her friend if she will be her surrogate.

Nobody is more surprised than Georgie herself when she reluctantly agrees to do the ultimate favour for her best friend. But as often happens in life things don't go quite as smoothly as planned, leading the two women on a journey that tests their friendship and teaches them surprising things about themselves. Georgie is hard to like at times and I can't say I really grew to enjoy her character. I don't know that she was as fully developed as she could have been, although she was realistic enough.

University academic Rebecca Turner is not in a good place. Apparently framed by a jealous colleague, Rebecca is accused of embezzlement by the department she heads. If that is not enough her husband Stephen is acting strangely, leaving Rebecca suspicious and fearful of their future together. The one positive in her life is a long planned overseas trip for work and Rebecca is determined to go, hopeful things will all settle down with time and distance. It is while on this trip that Stephen disappears, throwing Rebecca's already frazzled life into further disarray.

Although technically a psychological thriller The Lost Swimmer was a slow starter, with Stephen's disappearance off the Amalfi Coast not occurring until more than half way through the book. That's not to say the lead up was not interesting enough to keep me engaged, but knowing the disappearance was coming I felt a little distracted by the other events that were happening in the story.

As a Queenslander I am very familiar with Anna Bligh, having experienced her reign as Premier of our state for several years. Although not necessarily strongly affiliated with the ALP, I would consider myself a supporter of Anna and was very interested to read her biography.

I was aware that Anna's childhood was not always a happy one and she does not gloss over this fact. However I was very impressed with the balanced way she approached this time of her life - expressing the difficult times she and her mother and siblings experienced with some compassion for her father and his battle with alcoholism. Despite the hardships of her early life Anna also speaks of many happy times and also illustrates how her early love of learning and the determination of her mother that she secure a solid future for herself put her on the path to success.

One day Susan Berg was just a normal teenage girl with two parents, two sisters and a brother. Keen to try out the boat he has recently purchased, Susan's father invites his family along for the ride. Setting out in the freezing waters near Melbourne Susan and her parents and brother are not far into their journey when disaster strikes and their boat sinks. Initially they stick together, but soon Susan becomes separated from the rest of her family. Content with the knowledge that her brother (who is a champion swimmer) is with their parents, Susan strikes out alone, battling extreme cold and fatigue as she swims with the sole purpose of getting help. Miraculously she finally makes it to shore on a small island in the bay and finally raises the alarm. But devastatingly when searchers set out the next morning the bodies of her parents and brother are found and Susan's life implodes.

Jenny Sullivan is at the tail end of her successful career, but still the news that she will soon be made redundant leaves her shaken and a bit lost. While her children see it as an opportunity for her to become a live in babysitter for them she knows that she wants her retirement to be more about her. Randomly coming across a sand dollar in her home, it immediately brings back memories of her godmother Maddy in Oregon. On a whim Jenny decides she will visit Maddy and forget about her other life stresses for a while. Upon her arrival in the US, Jenny knows she has come to the right place. Despite her advanced age Maddy is very much as she remembered her and the scenery is beautiful. Jenny immediately slips into a happy and relaxing routine, relishing the time she is spending with her godmother. But then a chance discovery of an old letter while helping Maddy de-clutter presents Jenny with another body blow when she discovers a secret about her past.

Sullivan Moss has let his life slide so far into the void that he decides suicide is the only option. In his mind he is useless and the world will be far better off without him. But fate has other plans. It seems that Sullivan can't even kill himself properly, instead ending up in hospital very much alive and well. It it at this moment that Sullivan makes a decision - he still wants to commit suicide but this time before he does he will do something good, he will become a kidney donor.

In order to carry out his altruistic act Sully must first get himself fit and healthy - a fairly major challenge for someone who has some firmly entrenched junk food and excess alcohol consumption habits. But to the surprise of all who know him Sullivan sticks to his plan and starts transforming his life, even to the point of taking a job that nobody else wants - asbestos removal.