Final Reading Log 2024

In 2024 I read 244 books from authors covering a wide range of identities and nationalities, adult fiction, children’s and young adult books, and across a wide range of genres. There were some I loved some I didn’t, and some that I felt a bit middling about – they may not have been my thing, but they were someone else’s and that’s okay. We don’t have to like everything we read, and we don’t have to like the same things as everyone else. Reading a couple of popular authors and books this year proved to me that the hyped books and authors definitely are not for everyone, and we should not be forcing or trying to force them on people.

It was the books that will not get media attention that have the most powerful stories for me, because they touch on things that the popular books might avoid. Reading those two popular books also showed me that popular authors definitely do not always live up to the hype, and made me continue to wonder why they are so popular in the first place, and if everyone saying they like them genuinely does. That said, I am going to continue aiming to read the books that don’t get hyped, because they deserve the love and attention too.

1. Wild Love by Kiera Lindsey
2. Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters: The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast by Karen Foxlee
3. Hannah and the Bugbear Prince by Tom Steephen
4. Riz Chester: The Fingerprint Code by R.A. Stephens
5. Lani and the Universe by Victoria Carless
6. The Secret Science Society in Space by Kathy Hoopmann and Josie Montano
7. Simon Sees by Jenny Woolsey
8. The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning
9. Lemons in the Chicken Wire by Alison Whittaker
10. The Fish Girl by Mirandi Riwoe
11. The Wonder of Little Things by Vince Copley with Lea McInerny
12. Our Australian Heart by Just Write for Kids and Friends
13. PD McPem’s Agency for Mysterious Mysteries: The Puzzling Pet Parade by Anna Batteste
14. Tight Lines by Louise Lambeth
15. Andromache Between Worlds by Gabriel Bergmoser
16. The Beehive by Megan Daley and Max Hamilton
17. The Big Book of Australian Nursery Rhymes by Frané Lessac
18. Smoke and Mirrors by Barry Jonsberg
19. Millie, the Cutest Puppy in the World: New Home by Cate Whittle
20. Love, Just In by Natalie Murray
21. Decadence by Thuy On
22. Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie
23. Call of the Titanic by Lindsay Galvin
24. Late Bloomer: How An Autism Diagnosis Changed my Life by Clem Bastow
25. Voice of the Sea by John Williamson, illustrated by Andrea Innocent and Jonathon Chong
26. The Rewilding by Donna M Cameron
27. The Eleventh Floor by Kylie Orr
28. The Day of the Whale by Rachel Delahaye
29. How to Avoid Being Eaten by Sharks and Other Advice by John Larkin
30. Jawsome: Licence to Rock by RJ Timmis
31. 11 Ruby Road 1900 by Charlotte Barkla
32. Castle Rock Mystery Crew: The Jase Files by Vicky McClure and Kim Curran
33. Pearly and Pig and the Island of Secrets by Sue Whiting
34. Dragons Drumming by Sandra Bennett and Maya Bora
35. Time to Rest by Jack Carty and Natasha Carty
36. The Grimmelings by Rachael King
37. Losing the Plot by Annaliese Byrd
38. Square Me, Round World by Chelsea Luker and Eliza Fricker
39. The Unexpected Heiress: A Family Saga from Concentration Camp to Gold Mining Empire by George Mallory
40. Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas
41. Slug Dad and Monster Mum (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime: Early Morning Waking) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
42. Pick Your Nose (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime: Limit Setting Disorder/Sleep Onset Association) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
43. Bluey: Trains
44. The Old Bedtime Pass Puncher (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime: Bedtime Pass Technique) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
45. Marshmallow Puffins at the Window (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime: Nighttime Fears) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
46. Has Dad Joined the Circus? (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime: Camping Out) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
47. A Beach in the Bedroom (Kip’s Guide to Bedtime:  Visual Imagery and Relaxation Technique) by Robert Boddington and Jack Robertson
48. Twinning: BFFs (Not) by Alexa Moses
49. What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
50. The Peak (Spy Academy #1) by Jack Heath
51. Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman
52. The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Vicious Vendetta by Katrina Nannestad
53. The Sea Captain’s Wife by Jackie French
54. What They Told Me by Hayley Lawrence
55. Unpacking for Greece by Sally Jane Smith
56. Twin Stars by Charlotte Clutterbuck
57. Bin Chicken Feeding Time at the Zoo by Kate and Jol Temple
58. A Better Best Friend by Olivier Tallec
59. Tearaway Coach by Neridah McMullin
60. Seed to Sky: Life in the Daintree by Pamela Freeman
61. Look Me In the Eye by Jane Godwin
62. Fledgewitch: A Dragons of Hallow Book by Lian Tanner
63. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
64. Dragon Girls: Hana the Thunder Dragon by Maddy Mara
65. The Lighthouse at the World’s End by Amy Sparkes
66. Those Girls by Pamela Rushby
67. Tuckshop Terrors by Leo Baker
68. The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting
69. Penny Draws A Secret Adventure by Sara Shepard
70. Our Shellharbour by Karen Hendriks
71. Little Matilda and the Lost Bunny by Caz Goodwin
72. Drop Bear by Evelyn Araluen
73. Tracks in the Mist by Sandra Bennett
74. Frog Squad: Dessert Disaster by Kate and Jol Temple
75. Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
76. Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson
77. Let’s Never Speak of This Again by Megan Williams
78. Wurrtoo by Tylissa Elisara
79. The Greatest Hit by Will Kostakis
80. Cora, Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise
81. Urban Legend Hunters: The Dreaded Mr Snipe by Joel McKerrow
82. The Wolves of Greycoat Hall: Tayles of the Forest by Lucinda Gifford
83. Seven Wherewithal Way: Across the Mountains and Through the Desert by Samantha-Ellen Bound
84. Some Families Change by Jess Galatoa
85. How To Measure the Ocean by Inda Ahmad Zahri
86. Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson
87. A Small Collection of Happiness by Zana Fraillon
88. Princess of Thieves (A Twisted Tale) by Mari Mancusi
89. The Last Bookwanderer (Pages and Co) by Anna James
90. The Unexpected Mess of it All by Gabrielle Tozer
91. Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie by Shelley Burne-Field
92. The Apprentice Witnesser by Bren MacDibble
93. The She-Wolf of Baker Street by Narrelle M Harris
94. Roarsome by Joel Slack-Smith
95. The Autists: Women on the Spectrum by Clara Törnvall, translated by Alice E. Olsson
96. Sister Viv by Grantlee Kieza
97. Queen of Dogs by Joe Weatherstone
98. Stitch by Pádraig Kenny
99. A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
100. Nerra, Deep Time Traveller: The Broken Rainbow by Tasma Walton
101. How to Move A Zoo by Kate Simpson and Owen Swan
102. Dragonclaw (The Witches of Eileanan Book One) by Kate Forsyth
103. Dark Deeds Down Under 2: A Crime and Thriller Anthology edited by Craig Sisterson and Lindy Cameron
104. The Girls Who Changed the World: Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age by Jackie French
105. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
106. Pet Sitters: Billy Goat Boogie by Ella Shine
107. The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth
108. Spark: How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity on Fire edited by Atlin Merrick
109. Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies by Alison D Stegert
110. Repacking for Greece: A Mediterranean Odyssey by Sally Jane Smith
111. A Teaspoon of Light by Peter O’Connor and Nisaluk Chantanakom
112. The Postman’s My Mate by Kelly Louise Jarris
113. Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu
114. The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls
115. The Riding Gallery by Sally Murphy
116. Hurdy Gurdy by Jenny Ackland
117. Finding Bear by Hannah Gold
118. Stars in their Eyes by Jessica Walton and Aśka
119. When the Lights Went Out by Lian Tanner and Jonathon Bentley
120. Red Day by Sandy Fussell
121. Unreal: Can You Tell Fact from Fake by Kate Simpson and Leila Rudge
122. Friday Barnes: Collision Course by R.A. Spratt
123. The Raven’s Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey
124. Esme in the Limelight by Kate Gordon
125. Riley’s Foolproof Guide to…Breaking a School Record by Dani Vee and Jules Faber (illustrator)
126. The Helios Book by Slade Carter
127. Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly
128. A Way Home by Emily Brewin
129. Happy Millionth Birthday by R.W.R McDonald and Alexandra Colombo
130. Courage be My Friend by Jenny Davis OAM
131. Something Special by Emily Rodda
132. Marion and the Forty Thieves by Sarah Luke
133. Like a Curse by Elle McNicoll
134. Keedie by Elle McNicoll
135. Puppy Rescue (Ella at Eden #10) by Laura Sieveking
136. Gymnastics Diaries: Beam Queen by Georgia Godwin, Laura Sieveking and Amanda Erb
137. Hooray, Hooray, It’s Library Day by Julie-Anne Grasso and Heath McKenzie
138. The Other Shadow by Tania Ingram
139. Hi From Outer Space by Fiona Katauskas
140. Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra by Cassy Polimeni and Hykie Breeze
141. Read at Your Own Risk by Remy Lai
142. Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell
143. Highway 13 by Fiona McFarlane
144. The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage by Charlie Archbold
145. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
146. A Wish for Baby by Caz Goodwin and Sara Acton
147. The Echoes by Evie Wyld
148. Allen the Alien by Stephanie Ward and Aleck Morton
149. 11 Ruby Road 1925 by Charlotte Barkla
150. Secret Factopia: Follow the Trail of 400 Hidden Facts by Paige Towler and Andy Smith
151. My Father’s Suitcase by Mary Garden
152. What’s Murder Between Friends by Meg Gatland-Veness
153. Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria by L.M. Wilkinson and Lavanya Naidu
154. Diving, Falling by Kylie Mirmohamadi
155. The Medusa Situation by Gabiann Marin
156. The Best Witch in Paris by Lauren Crozier
157. The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood
158. Nerra, Deep Time Traveller: The Winds of Waa by Tasma Walton
159. This is Not A Sad Book (But it’s OK to Feel Sad): A Guide to Grief, Loss, and Getting Through the Hard Times by Elizabeth Vercoe with Kerry Ambromowski, illustrated by Grace Fraraccio
160. Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars by Catherine Norton
161. How to Free a Jinn by Raidah Shah Idil
162. The Grown-ups Guide to Picture Books by Lara Cain Gray, illustrated by Timothy Ide and Lorena Carrington
163. The Six Summers of Tash and Leopold by Danielle Binks
164. Millie Mak the Mender by Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng
165. When Santa Got Stuck in a Gum Tree by Jackie Hosking and Nathaniel Eckstrom
166. Ethel the Penguin by Ursula Dubosarsky and Christopher Nielsen
167. How to Draw a Dragon by Kate Talbot
168. Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment by Anna James
169. What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts
170. Madame Brussels: The Life and Times of Melbourne’s Most Notorious Woman by Barbara Minchinton
171. Maisy and Daisy Move House by Michelle De Robillard and Amanda Letcher
172. The Burrow by Melanie Cheng
173. High Wire by Candice Fox
174. Landovel: The Poison Taster by Emily Rodda
175. Blood and Stone: A Radazan Mystery by Tamara M Bailey
176. Landovel: The Secret Keeper by Emily Rodda
177. Skysong by C.A. Wright
178. My Family and Other Suspects by Kate Emery
179. Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney
180. When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman
181. Landovel: The Truth Teller by Emily Rodda
182. Sally’s Lament by Mari Mancusi
183. A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet by Ali Rutstein
184. Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica to Alison Lester and Coral Tullock
185. The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke
186. The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle
187. Junkyard Fairies: Dig Deep by Edwina Wyatt
188. Thunderhead by Sophie Beer
189. Lies and Deception: A Reggie Da Costa Mystery by Larraine Stephens
190. The Lost Book of Magic by Amelia Mellor
191. If Only He Never by T.C. Correy
192. We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix
193. 18,000 Holes in the Universe: Snack Attack by Adam Wallace, Lisa Foley and James Hart
194. Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein
195. All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad
196. The Lost Library by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
197. The Outback Court Reporter by Jamelle Wells
198. Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret by Amy Doak
199. Nanny Piggins and the Origin Story by R.A. Spratt
200. Hazel’s Treehouse by Zanni Louise and Judy Watson
201. 31 and a Half Things to Know as You Grow by Meg McKinlay and Nicky Johnston
202. Dog Beach by Julie Murphy and Annie White
203. The Strange Sighting: An Alice England Mystery by Ash Harrier
204. The Midwatch by Judith Rossell
205. The Cryptic Clue: A Tea Ladies Mystery by Amanda Hampson
206. Comes the Night by Isobelle Carmody
207. The Book Club and Other Stories by Natalie Conyer
208. Tilly in a Tangle by Margrete Lamond and Monty Lee
209. It Takes a Town to Solve a Murder by Aoife Clifford
210. The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
211. Tuesday Jocks and Other Stories by Fin J Ross
212. Bowerbird Brood by Aura Parker
213. Willa and Woof: Best Idea Yet by Jacqueline Harvey
214. The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
215. The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza
216. Frog Squad: Bungle in the Jungle by Kate and Jol Temple, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon
217. Meet Me at the Intersection edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina
218. Foul Play by Fiona McIntosh
219. Wasted? by Hazel Edwards
220. The Bridge over San Luis Rey by Thorton Wilder
221. Barq the Falcon by Judy Wollin
222. Return to Sender by Lauren Draper
223. Milly’s Mind: A Peek into Autism by Colin and Milly Armstrong
224. Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French
225. The Last Victim: The Full Story Behind the Hit Podcast Who the Hell is Hamish? by Tracy Hall and Summer Land
226. Bad Country by Kim Ulrick
227. Hayden, Food Label Ninja by Stefi Mac
228. Tales of the Minstrel Tongue by Narrelle M Harris
229. Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald
230. Ella’s World: Big Kids by Yvette Poshoglian and Camilla Frescura
231. Ella’s World: Sit, Bob Sit by Yvette Poshoglian and Camilla Frescura
232. Paper Magic by Jeffrey E Doherty
233. Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald
234. The Swordmaster’s Secret and Other Stories by Narrelle M Harris
235. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (DNF)
236. Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea
237. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
238. Septopus by Rebecca Fung
239. Joy Moody is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne
240. The Great Library of Tomorrow by Rosalia Aguilar Solace
241. My Brother, Finch by Kate Gordon
242. Jungle Escape by Nathan Luff
243. Grave Regret by Fiona Tarr
244. Stormy Normy by Leisa Fail