Well, I pledged to read 40 YA books this year, and I did! Some crossed over from middle grade into YA, or would be suitable for lower YA, and the rest seemed to cover as much of the spectrum as possible. Most were fiction and I reviewed nearly all of them, and I did have… Continue reading Aussie YA Challenge Completed!
Category: adventure
July Dymocks Completed
I finished the July prompts in mid-July, but have been waiting for reviews to go live. I had to get a bit creative with the translated novel, because I wasn’t really interested in the ones I looked up. They often weren’t in a genre I found interesting. So I used a really cool bilingual picture… Continue reading July Dymocks Completed
July 2026 Reading Round Up
What a month July was. I read 21 books this month and reviewed as many of them as possible, and others were read for fun. I also didn’t have time to review everything. And what I did read was chosen for various purposes to fit in with reviewing and challenges. Some books were longer or… Continue reading July 2026 Reading Round Up
Aidan versus the Ocean by Dannika Patterson, illustrated by Heidi Cooper Smith
Title: Aidan versus the Ocean Author: Dannika Patterson, illustrated by Heidi Cooper Smith Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Wombat Books Published: 1st August 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 130 Price: $16.99 Synopsis: All Aidan thought he'd have to survive during the summer school holidays was yet another game of Fortnite with his mates. But his plans are suddenly… Continue reading Aidan versus the Ocean by Dannika Patterson, illustrated by Heidi Cooper Smith
The Lost Island by Samantha Wheeler, illustrated by Anke Noack
Title: The Lost Island Author: Samantha Wheeler, illustrated by Anke Noack Genre: Fantasy Publisher: UQP Published: 4th August 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 224 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: Bestselling and award-winning Australian author Samantha Wheeler returns with this thrilling desert island survival story full of action, mystery and adventure.Theo thinks there’s nothing worse than being stuck on… Continue reading The Lost Island by Samantha Wheeler, illustrated by Anke Noack
Our History: Hill End Gold by Sue Whiting
Title: Our History: Hill End Gold Author: Sue Whiting Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Walker Books Published: 1st June 2026 Format: Paperback Pages:n240 Price: $18.99 Synopsis: When Pa buys a stake in a gold mine at Hill End, Alfie knows his life is about to change. A golden future is just within reach, and fortune favours… Continue reading Our History: Hill End Gold by Sue Whiting
June 2026 Reading Round Up
In June, I read 21 books, and reviewed most of them. All but one were by Australian authors, and one or two were re-reads. I also finished reading the Alice-Miranda books that I hadn’t read yet, and have been staying on top of my review books. It’s meant I have been able to squeeze some… Continue reading June 2026 Reading Round Up
Hunt for the Nighthawks by Felice Arena
Title: Hunt for the Nighthawks Author: Felice Arena Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Penguin Australia Published: 30th June 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 192 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: It’s Jake and his friends versus the Nighthawks . . . and the Nighthawks will stop at nothing to get what they want.A thrilling middle-grade adventure of friendship and… Continue reading Hunt for the Nighthawks by Felice Arena
Bear Rescue by Hannah Gold
Title: Bear Rescue Author: Hannah Gold Genre: Contemporary Publisher: HarperCollins Australia Published: 24th February 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 96 Price: $12.99 Synopsis: Join April Wood on a thrilling Arctic adventure set in the world of the THE LAST BEAR, FINDING BEAR and THE LONE HUSKY. August Wood lives in the far north of the Arctic.… Continue reading Bear Rescue by Hannah Gold
Nowhere House by Adrian Beck
Title: Nowhere House Author: Adrian Beck Genre: Thriller Publisher: Scholastic Australia Published: 1st July 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 208 Price: $15.99 Synopsis: A cursed house. A decades-old mystery. A brother and sister on the edge. Nate is furious that he's had to leave his school, break up his band and move to the middle of… Continue reading Nowhere House by Adrian Beck
