My Favourite Books of 2025

I haven’t done this for a while, because whenever I see posts about people’s top ten reads of the year, I never know what to put on mine. Somehow, I always end up with more than ten, or not quite ten, or I’ll have read a series during the year, and have enjoyed all of them. And I always try and wait until it’s closer to the end of December to post my favourites, because what if I read something stellar in the last few weeks? What happens then? Which is why I am publishing this today on the 29th of December 2025. This list is skewed towards Australian authors, and Australian women authors in particular because that is what I focused on this year.

Now, in no particular order, because I struggle to rank things:

• The 113^th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson (middle grade, 10+, Fantasy, Allen and Unwin)
• Little Bones by Sandy Bigna (middle grade, 9+, Verse novel, UQP)
• Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson (young adult, 15+, dark academia, Allen and Unwin)
• Epically Good Greek Myths by R.A. Spratt (middle grade, 8+ Penguin)
• Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History by Melissa-Jane Fogarty, illustrated by Dylan Finney (picture book, 4+, history/non-fiction, Hachette/Lothian)
• How to Sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton (middle grade, 9+, fiction, Hachette/Lothian)
• Seven Wherewithal Way: Into the Faerie Realm by Samantha-Ellen Bound (middle grade, 10+, fantasy, Affirm Press)
• Woodwitch by Skye McKenna (middle grade, 10+, fantasy, Welbeck Publishing)
• On Gallant Wings by Helen Edwards (middle grade, 10+, historical fiction, Riveted Press)
• Willow Bright’s Secret Plot by A.L. Tait (middle grade, 9+, mystery, Scholastic)
• Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (middle grade/young adult, 10+, fantasy/mystery/crime, Hachette/Lothian)
• The Girl and the Ghost by Jacqueline Harvey (middle grade, 9+, mystery, Penguin)
• R.I.P Nanny Tobbins by Lucie Stevens (middle grade, 8+, historical fiction/mystery, HarperCollins Australia)
• Everglade: Rise of the Witch by Kitty Black (middle grade, 8+, fantasy, Affirm Press)
• The Year We Escaped by Suzanne Leal (middle grade, 9+, historical fiction, HarperCollins Australia)
• The Mushroom in the Sky by Jackie French (middle grade, 10+, historical fiction, HarperCollins Australia)
• The Autist’s Guide to the Galaxy: Navigating the World of ‘normal people’ by Clara Törnvall, translated by Alice E. Ossman (Adult, non-fiction, Scribe)
• Friday Barnes: In Plain Sight by R.A. Spratt (middle grade, 9+, mystery, Penguin)
• Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (young adult, 15+, fantasy/historical fiction, Allen and Unwin)
• Hedgehog or Echidna? Animals Who Are the Same but Different by Ashleigh Barton and illustrated by Amandine Thomas (picture book, 3+, animals, Hachette/Lothian)
• My Name is Jemima by Olivia Muscat, illustrated by Allison Colpoys(picture book, 3+, non-fiction, Scribble Kids)
• High Wire by Candice Fox (adult, crime/mystery, Penguin)
• Raising Readers: How To Nurture a Child’s Love of Books by Megan Daley (adult, education/nonfiction, UQP)
• Alice with a Why: Return to Wonderland by Anna James  (middle grade, 9+, fantasy/historical fiction, HarperCollins Australia)
• There’s a Prawn in Parliament House by Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon (middle grade/young adult, 10+ non-fiction, Allen and Unwin)
• The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets by Jacqueline Harvey (middle grade, 9+, mystery, Penguin)
• Someone Like Me: An Anthology of Non-Fiction by Autistic Writers edited by Clem Bastow and Jo Case (adult, non-fiction, UQP)
• Legend of the Lighthouse Moon by Helen Edwards (middle grade, 10+, historical fiction, Riveted Press)
• Kip of the Karoo by Emma Gourlay (middle grade, 9+, historical fiction, HarperCollins Australia)
• Danger Road by A.L. Tait  (middle grade, 10+ crime, Scholastic)
• Stonewitch (Hedgewitch #4) by Skye McKenna (middle grade, 10+, fantasy, Welbeck Publishing)
• What Have They Done to Liza McLean? by Amy Doak (young adult, 14+, crime/mystery, Penguin)
• A Murder Is Going Down by Kate Emery (young adult, 14+, crime, Allen and Unwin)
• All Shall Mourn by Ellie Marney (young adult, 16+, crime, Black Hand Press)
• Thunderhead by Sophie Beer (middle grade/young adult, 10+, disability, Allen and Unwin)