In 2025, I read 270 books across every genre, style, and author identity I came across. Reviewing and judging activities meant a lot more reading, and until the end of the year, a lot less time to read the books I wanted to get through on my shelves. It was a delicate balancing act to ensure I got through everything and didn’t neglect things, so I wasn’t overwhelmed at the end of the year. I also had to focus on judging reading and review reading at the same time – something I don’t think I will do again, because it did mean that I probably requested fewer books I might have taken a chance on, given y time constraints.
I write roundups that are broad and focused, and split them into men, women, Australian, non-Australian, children’s, young adult, adult, LGBTQIA, Disabled and co-authored books. There is also a post with everything and a summary at the end. So if people want to look at something in particular, they can.
- Searching for Treasure by Johanna Bell and Emma Long
- First Chapters: Your Kid’s Next Read Summer Series – Dani Vee, Riley’s Failproof Guide to Breaking a School Record
- A Killer Among Friends by Andrea Barton
- Chickenpox by Remy Lai
- Panic by Catherine Jinks
- Salty by Sandi Parsons
- The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter
- Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans
- Legend of the Lighthouse Moon by Helen Edwards
- Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles by Corey Tutt, art by Ben Williams
- Riz Chester: The Evidence Track by RA Stephens
- The Not-So-Little Tree by Marcus Addison
- The Spirit Circle by Tara Calaby
- Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran
- How to Be Normal by Ange Crawford
- The Other Shadow by Tania Ingram
- Original Twin by Paula Gleeson
- Shattered by Juanita Kees
- The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson
- Hello Butterfly by Leanne Frost
- Tuckshop Terrors by Leo Baker
- Kitty and Cadaver by Narelle M Harris
- Down the Track by Stella Quinn
- The Mail Train Murders by Kay Duke
- Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll
- Square Me, Round World: Stories of Growing Up in a World Not Built for You by Chelsea Luker and Eliza Fricker
- A Good Kind of Trouble by Brooke Blurton and Melanie Saward
- The Whispering Palms by Annette Leigh
- Bravepaw and the Rotwood Mire by L.M. Wilkinson and Lavanya Naidu
- Clutterbugs by Maura Pierlot and Maya Bora
- My Mum Is the Best by Nic McPickle and Tommy Doyle
- Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox
- Little Bones by Sandy Bigna
- The Search Party by Hannah Richell
- Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
- The Bank by Miriam Verbeek
- The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith
- Epically Good Greek Myths by R.A. Spratt
- Sunny at the End of the World by Steph Bowe
- Parrot Palace by Susanne Gervay, Pooja Mathur and illustrated by Sarah Tabassum
- Lest Tides Turn by Phillipa Nefri Clark
- Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White
- Moonboy by Anna Ciddor
- The Potent Perfume by Helen Goltz
- Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald
- Bold Ben Hall by Sophie Masson
- The Missing Book by Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern
- The Secret Ingredient by Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern
- Between Husbands and Wives by Susannah Glenn
- Wilder Zoo: Neeka and the Missing Key by Tina Strachan and illustrated by Max Hamilton
- Bin Chicken Goes for Gold by Kate and Jol Temple, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh
- The Hunt for the Tasmanian Tiger by David Webby
- The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up by Kate Solly
- Missing by Nicole Morris
- Finding Alfie: A D-Day Story by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman
- The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln
- Volcano by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft
- Jo and the No by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Judy Watson
- Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History by Melissa-Jane Fogarty, illustrated by Dylan Finney
- Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
- Crimes of the Cross: The Anglican Paedophile Network of Newcastle, its Protectors, and the Man who Fought for Justice by Anne Manne
- The Close-Up by Pip Drysdale
- Stories from Magic Beach by Alison Lester and Robert Connolly
- Better Days by Claire Zorn
- Myrren’s Gift by Fiona McIntosh
- The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners by Reece Carter
- The Masterpiece by Belinda Alexandra
- How to Sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton
- Black Silk and Sympathy by Deborah Challinor
- The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwan
- The Thylacine and the Time Machine by Renée Treml
- The Crag by Claire Sutherland
- Heidi by Johanna Spyri
- Frog Squad: Sink or Swim by Kate and Jol Temple, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon
- A Dance with Murder by Elizabeth Coleman
- The Colt from Old Regret by Dianne Wolfer and Erica Wagner
- The Thinning by Inga Simpson
- The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman
- Seven Wherewithal Way: Into the Faerie Realm by Samantha-Ellen Bound
- Woodwitch by Skye McKenna
- A Shadow at the Door by Jo Dixon
- Every Last Suspect by Nicola Moriarty
- Kip of the Karoo by Emma Gourlay
- Me and You by Ellie Royce
- My Cousins, My World by Sharara Attani and Michelle Pereira
- Yildaan: Our Dreaming Track by Uncle Bud Marshall with Yandaara, artwork by Hannah Smith and Elaine Carmady
- Blood Moon Bride by Demet Divaroren
- Bone Lands by Pip Fioretti
- Win, Lose, Kill, Die by Cynthia Murphy
- Splinters by Rachel Delahaye
- Bitroux: High Country by Jordan Harcourt-Hughes
- Ella at Eden: The Missing Piece by Laura Sieveking
- Into the Wild by Hayley Lawrence
- Our Dance by Jacinta Daniher and Taylor Hampton, illustrated by Janelle Burger
- The Only Branch on the Family Tree by Sherryl Clark
- The Chilling by Riley James
- On Gallant Wings by Helen Edwards
- How to Train Your Dragon School: Doom of the Darkwing by Cressida Cowell
- With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal
- Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins
- Poppy’s Monster by Shelly Higgs
- The Potion Experiment by Elle McFadzean
- Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King by Kate Simpson
- Looking for Eden by Caroline Overington
- The Surface Trials by HM Waugh
- The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
- To the River by Vikki Wakefield
- The Edge Of Everything by Miranda Luby
- Earth Speak: Boodjar Wangkiny by Sean McCann and Jade Goodwin
- Willow Bright’s Secret Plot by A.L. Tait
- The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell by Lucia Osborne-Crowley
- A Loo of One’s Own: A Mostly True Tale of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians by Eleri Harris
- This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey
- The Last Egg by Sofie Laguna and Jess Racklyeft
- The Girls Who Changed the World: Ming and Maria Explore the Universe by Jackie French
- Down the Rabbit Hole by Shaeden Berry
- Wait Here by Lucy Nelson
- Shadow City by Natalie Conyer
- Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
- Villain by Adrian Beck
- The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn
- Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter
- Somewhere Lost by Just Write for Kids and Friends
- The Girl and the Ghost by Jacqueline Harvey
- Woman, Missing by Sherryl Clark
- Wombat Dreaming by Caz Goodwin and Zoë Bennett
- Shadows of Winter Robins by Louise Wolhunter
- Gone by Glenna Thomson
- Welcome to Miracle by Shara Curlett
- R.I.P Nanny Tobbins by Lucie Stevens
- Sidney of Sydney by Sue Whiting and Liz Anelli
- Quoll by Christopher Cheng and Cindy Lane
- Music Camp by Penny Tangey
- In Bad Faith: Inside Australia’s ultra-Orthodox sect and the brutal betrayal it tried to hide by Dassi Erlich
- Golden by Jade Timms
- What I Would Do to You by Georgia Harper
- Everglade: Rise of the Witch by Kitty Black
- Red River Road by Anna Downes
- The Year We Escaped by Suzanne Leal
- Shmoof by Heidi McKinnon
- The Girl in the Painting by Dee White, illustrated by Sarah Anthony
- Who Might You Be by Robert Henderson
- The Enchantment of Gold Eagle by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Stephen Michael King
- Made of Steam and Stardust by Bianca Breen
- The Creeper by Margaret Hickey
- Edie Tells a Lie by Ingrid Laguna
- The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot
- Find Me on the Coast by Jess McGeachin
- Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough
- The Mushroom in the Sky by Jackie French
- Peculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid Bartkowiak
- Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue
- The Autist’s Guide to the Galaxy: Navigating the World of ‘normal people’ by Clara Törnvall, translated by Alice E. Ossman
- Andromache in the Dark by Gabriel Bergmoser
- Breaking School Rules is Easy by Rosie Schonell
- Ella at Eden Super Special: Paris Adventure by Laura Sieveking
- Alpacas in Space by Matt Cosgrove
- When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter
- Friday Barnes: In Plain Sight by R.A. Spratt
- Neeka and the Storm by Tania Strachan, illustrated by Max Hamilton
- Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
- Hedgehog or Echidna? Animals Who Are the Same but Different by Ashleigh Barton and illustrated by Amandine Thomas
- Gloam by Jack MacKay
- A Gift from the Birds by Caroline Stills
- My Name is Jemima by Olivia Muscat, illustrated by Allison Colpoys
- Mango and Hopscotch: The Inspiring Story of a Brave Kangaroo and her Joey Rescued from the Floodwaters by Sophie Cunningham, illustrated by Anil Tortop
- Moonlight and Dust by Jasmin McGaughey
- Danger Road by A.L. Tait
- Pirate Academy: New Kid on Deck by Justin Somper
- Vesper Jones and Marshmallow by Karen Hendriks, illustrated by Francesca Corso
- Secret Keeper by Di Walker
- The Set-Up Girl by Sasha Vey
- High Wire by Candice Fox
- Weaving Us Together by Lay Maloney
- Oceanforged #1: The Wicked Ship by Amelia Mellor
- Looking Out and Beyond by Toby Hammserschlag
- Raising Readers: How To Nurture a Child’s Love of Books by Megan Daley
- Tiny Dancer by Patrick Guest, illustrated by Mateja Jager
- The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester
- The Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith
- Drift by Pip Harry
- Our History: A House Divided by Clare Hallifax
- Animals on Country: Let’s look after the animals with Uncle Kuu by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen
- Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
- Bert’s Adventure in Bubbly Forest by Nicole Steyn
- Song of a Thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon
- Thunderhead by Sophie Beer
- Promises and Other Lies by Sue Whiting
- Flip by Rebecca Fraser
- Rainbow Street by R.W.R McDonald, illustrated by Kelly Canby
- Bin Chicken Lights Up the Night by Kate and Jol Temple, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh
- Koala Fairies by Anna Pignataro
- I Believe in You by Dani Colvin
- 11 Ruby Road 1950 by Charlotte Barkla
- Alice with a Why: Return to Wonderland by Anna James
- This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
- How Big Is Love? By Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler, illustrated by Jade Goodwin
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Evie P and Me by Petra James and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
- Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent
- The Peach King by Inga Simpson, illustrated by Tannya Harricks
- Naynay and the Mermaid by Tasma Walton, illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
- Seawitch (Hedgewitch #3) by Skye McKenna
- Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar
- Liam the Chid and the Kangaroo Warriors by Meredith Downes
- A Guide to Falling off the Map by Zanni L Arnot
- Mega Rich Guinea Pigs by Kate and Jol Temple
- Mooshy Crackerjack’s Big Day by Suzanne Patterson and illustrated by Maia Batumashvili
- Dogs with Jobs by Max Hamilton
- The Callers: The Hidden Forest by Kiah Thomas
- Maisy Hayes is Not For Sale by Allayne L Webster
- Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey
- The 12 Birds of Christmas by Jodie McLeod, illustrated by Eloise Short
- Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada, translated by Philip Gabriel
- Catch by Sarah Brill
- Worst Pets Ever: Locked Up by Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove
- The Legend of Jessie Hickman by Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frané Lessac
- Millie Mak Makes Her Mark by Alice Pung and illustrated by Sher Rill Ng
- Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis Featherstone
- There’s a Prawn in Parliament House by Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon
- The Messy Bath Monster by Tina Wilson, music by Matt Ottley
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
- The Story Writer’s Handbook: Adventures in Creative Writing by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini
- Dead Scary: Ghost Guitar by TJ Doom
- The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin
- Frances Bloom by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Marina Zlatanova
- Do We Deserve This? by Eleanor Elliott Thomas
- Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish by Judith Rossell
- Stonewitch (Hedgewitch #4) by Skye McKenna
- The Friendship Book by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Nicky Johnston
- Where Would You Go by Alison Lester and Jane Godwin and the children at Yalingu Yirramboi – the Royal Children’s Hospital School
- Villain: Respawn by Adrian Beck
- The Wintrish Girl (Talismans of Fate #1) by Melanie La’brooy
- Being Indy by Zoe Gaetjens, illustrated by Estee Sarsfield
- Whatever the Weather, We’re In This Together by Jessica Braithwaite and Rebecca Ralfe, art by Laura Bee
- This is Us: Essential Poems for Young People by Libby Hathorn and Jude Fell, illustrated by Tull Suwannakit
- What Have They Done to Liza McLean? by Amy Doak
- A Murder Is Going Down by Kate Emery
- Juniper’s Painting by Catherine Bauer, illustrated by Jennifer Horn
- The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe by Karen Foxlee
- All Shall Mourn by Ellie Marney
- The Ship of Doom (The Butterfly Club #1) by M.A. Bennett
- The Official Agatha Christie Detectives Club: 50 Mystery Puzzles for Children by Agatha Christie Ltd, Dr Gareth Moore, Laura Jayne Ayres
- Slashed Beauties by A Rushby
- The Mummy’s Curse (The Butterfly Club #2) by M.A. Bennett
- The Binding Spell by Marisa Linton
- giwang by Belinda Bridge, illustrated by Peta-Joy Williams
- Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein
- The Mona Lisa Mystery (The Butterfly Club #3) by M.A. Bennett
- Trip to the Moon (The Butterfly Club #4) by M.A. Bennet
- Dawn of the Dragons by Mari Mancusi
- The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary by Sarah Ogilvie
- The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets by Jacqueline Harvey
- Someone Like Me: An Anthology of Non-Fiction by Autistic Writers edited by Clem Bastow and Jo Case
- Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories edited by Tobias Madden
- The Colours of Nature: Discover the beautiful colours that brighten our world by Catherine Barr, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
- Victorian Fairytales edited by Michael Newton
- Wish You Dead by Rebecca Westcott
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- Travelling Bookshop #6: Mim and the Mother Muddle by Katrina Nannestad
- Alice-Miranda on Holiday by Jacqueline Harvey
- The 113th Assistant Librarian: Lost in a Book by Stuart Wilson
- Cape Fever by Nadia Davids
- The Tempus Imperium by Juliet A Paine
- The Kids’ Guide to Speaking Your Mind Without Losing Your Cool by Dr Matt Agnew
- The Flower Garden by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Lucia Masciullo
- Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead by Jacqueline Harvey
- The Nutcracker by E.T.A Hoffman, illustrated by Valeria Decampo
- Alice-Miranda at Sea by Jacqueline Harvey
- Growing into Autism by Sandra Thom-Jones
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