Title: Promises and Other Lies Author: Sue Whiting Genre: Contemporary/Mystery Publisher: Walker Books Published: 1st September 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 304 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: A gripping middle-grade mystery from Australian author Sue Whiting, in which a small coastal town is torn apart by more than just a bushfire.One year on from a devastating bushfire, the… Continue reading Promises and Other Lies by Sue Whiting
Category: #AussieYAChallenge
2025 Dymocks Reading Challenge Volume 2 Completed
Volume two is complete! There was one prompt that required some research, and that was dark academia, as the books I was expecting to have for this prompt hadn’t arrived. So, when I found Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent on an Instagram post of dark academia books, I slotted it in there. I could… Continue reading 2025 Dymocks Reading Challenge Volume 2 Completed
This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
Title: This Fatal Kiss Author: Alicia Jasinska Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Walker Books Published: 1st August 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 416 Price: $22.99 Synopsis: An immersive fantasy, filled with dark magic, mystery and romance, from the author of The Dark Tide.Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa town where she drowned, water nymph Gisela… Continue reading This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
Celebrating 80 Years of the CBCA
CBCA Book Week artwork by Jess McGeachin (c) 2025 For 80 years, the Children’s Book Council of Australia has been promoting quality Australian children’s books for young readers of all ages. Every year since 1946, the CBCA has presented The Book of the Year Awards to promote Australian books that had a high literary and… Continue reading Celebrating 80 Years of the CBCA
Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2025 Shortlist
The Shortlist for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for 2025 has been announced. It is the richest literary prize in Australia, and celebrates the exceptional talents of emerging and established Australian writers, illustrators, poets, and historians. It acknowledges the contribution that Australian literature and its reflection the nation, and its cultural and intellectual life. 2025 is… Continue reading Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2025 Shortlist
The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge Completed
It’s taken me around 8 months, but I have completed another reading challenge for 2025. I embarked on The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge again, and enjoyed the prompts because they were broad enough to interpret for any book that I had on my shelf. There were some that were specific, and a few that I… Continue reading The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge Completed
Book Grocer Book Bingo Completed
In 2025, one of the book bingo challenges came from a bookshop I follow online called The Book Grocer. I moved a few things around, and made some changes to use some books that I felt were better suited to the prompts. This was one of my reading challenges for the year, and I am… Continue reading Book Grocer Book Bingo Completed
Drift by Pip Harry
Title: Drift Author: Pip Harry Genre: YA Contemporary/verse novel Publisher: Hachette Australia/Lothian Published: 30th July 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 312 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: A beautifully written verse novel that will resonate with younger teen readers who are beginning to understand themselves and the changing world they live in. Fourteen-year-old Nate has just moved back to Australia and… Continue reading Drift by Pip Harry
July 2025 Reading Round Up
In July, I read 22 books, and am keeping on track with maintaining reading mostly Australian authors, and reading as diversely as I can between what I have already and what I am being sent for review. I’m also focused on certain styles and genres, so there might be some that are, say, translated, that… Continue reading July 2025 Reading Round Up
The Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith
Title: The Pull of the Moon Author: Pip Smith Genre: Contemporary Publisher: UWA Publishing Published: 2nd June 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 280 Price: $26.99 Synopsis: Coralie threw the life jackets one by one, as hard as she could, and watched them catch on the wind and blow into the sea. Coralie is thirteen years old… Continue reading The Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith
