Category: memoir

#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, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Awards, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Christmas, classics, Crime/Mystery, DANZ, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Nevermoor, Picture Books, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, spies, The Girls Who Change the World, Young Adult

Dymocks Reading Challenge 2025 Completed

Ashleigh

And just like that, another year of the Dymocks Reading Challenge is over. I managed to fill in each prompt for this one, and may have ummed and ahhed about the Gothic Ruins prompt, because I read a couple of books that seemed to fit it well. I did focus on Australian books and authors… Continue reading Dymocks Reading Challenge 2025 Completed

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Covers, Crime/Mystery, Dani Vee, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Ella at Eden, Elston-Fright, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Friday Barnes, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, Jane Austen, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Natasha Lester, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, The Nerd Daily, Verse novels, Writing, Young Adult

The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge Completed

Ashleigh

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

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Friday Barnes, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Natasha Lester, non-fiction, Picture Books, plays, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, The Nerd Daily, Young Adult

July 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

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

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Picture Books, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, Verse novels, Young Adult

#KT Book Bingo 2025 Completed

Ashleigh

Another #KTBookBingo completed! This was a tricky one at first, and one I thought would take me much longer to complete. But some books just worked so well in each category, and at times I had multiple choices. I got there in the end though, and can now focus on the rest of my reading… Continue reading #KT Book Bingo 2025 Completed

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Picture Books, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Verse novels, Young Adult

May 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

During May, I almost got caught up on my review reading, mostly completed all my reading for something else, and overall, I read 28 books. All these books were by Australian authors, which is a huge focus on my blog at the moment. That’s not to say there aren’t great books by authors not from… Continue reading May 2025 Reading Round Up