Category: Fables

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, Larrikin House, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, plays, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, Verse novels, Young Adult

Total Men

Ashleigh

So, in 2025, I read 44 books by men from around the world, with a focus on lesser-known Australian men. Yes, they get their own post because it’s much easier to split things up when you’ve read over 200 books, and make separate posts for things so people can find what they want in these… Continue reading Total Men

Anna James, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Cressida Cowell, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, The Nerd Daily, Young Adult

Non-Australian Women read

Ashleigh

In 2025, I read 25 books by women who weren’t from Australia. These authors were, based on what I was able to get, what I was sent for review, or what I had on my shelves, European, British, and at least one from New Zealand, and a few from the USA. Some of these were… Continue reading Non-Australian Women read

adventure, animals, biography, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Christmas, Crime/Mystery, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Non-Australian Men

Ashleigh

This one is a small list. I only read8 books by non-Australian men, and A Christmas Carol is there because I try to read it every December as my Christmas read. Most of the books in this list are from the UK, and ones that I stumble across in reviewing, or read for reading challenges.… Continue reading Non-Australian Men

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, adventure, Alice-Miranda, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, series

December 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

In December 2025, I read 16 books. Some were for reviews that will appear later in 2026, whilst others were ones I read for my own interest. Some were review books or books I wanted to read and review. December was a slower review month, so I was able to catch up on some other… Continue reading December 2025 Reading Round Up

adventure, animals, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Cressida Cowell, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Jane Austen, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, Speculative fiction, spies, The Nerd Daily, translated works, Young Adult

Non-Australian authors read

Ashleigh

Because my focus is on Australian books, reading books by authors outside of Australia has often consisted of those from the UK, the US or translated from European languages. So I only read 33 books by authors outside Australia. This has often happened based on what is available in the Australian market as well. I… Continue reading Non-Australian authors read

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, literary fiction, memoir, mythology, non-fiction, plays, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, spies, The Girls Who Change the World, Young Adult

#AussieYAChallenge 2025 Completed

Ashleigh

And that’s a wrap on this year’s #AussieYAChallenge. 45 books read, and all the prompts marked off. Some of the books I read probably also crossed over into children’s and middle grade for various reasons, which I aimed to explain in the reviews. And I did my best to read as diversely as possible, as… Continue reading #AussieYAChallenge 2025 Completed

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, animals, Anna James, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Friday Barnes, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jacqueline Harvey, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, The Nerd Daily, Wherewithal Way, Young Adult

My Favourite Books of 2025

Ashleigh

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… Continue reading My Favourite Books of 2025

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Jane Austen, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, non-fiction, Picture Books, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, spies, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Young Adult

Readings Book Bingo Completed-ish

Ashleigh

 One final challenge I took part in this year was the Readings book bingo. I managed to tick every prompt apart from the cookbook prompt off, which probably had more to do with time than anything else. 2024 Prize Winner:  A Gift from the Birds by Caroline Stills (Text Prize 2024) A debut author: Earth… Continue reading Readings Book Bingo Completed-ish

#AussieAuthors2025, #LoveOZMG, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, humour, literary fiction, middle grade, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, series

The 113th Assistant Librarian: Lost in a Book by Stuart Wilson

Ashleigh

Title: The 113th Assistant Librarian: Lost in a Book Author: Stuart Wilson Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Penguin Australia Published: 30th September 2025 Format: Hardcover Pages: 288 Price: $19.99 Synopsis: The exciting sequel to The 113th Assistant Librarian is here! Oliver has settled into his life as the 113th assistant librarian. He loves his job – even though it… Continue reading The 113th Assistant Librarian: Lost in a Book by Stuart Wilson

Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, Fables, Fantasy, literary fiction, middle grade, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

Gloam by Jack MacKay

Ashleigh

Title: Gloam Author: Jack MacKay Genre: Fantasy/Horror Publisher: Rock the Boat Published: 2nd September 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 272 Price: $16.99 Synopsis: In a creaky old house on a small, damp island, someone - or something - is waiting...Gwen doesn't want to admit that everything feels wrong since her mum died. There's no time for all these feelings… Continue reading Gloam by Jack MacKay