Category: Picture Books

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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

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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

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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

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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

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November 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

I didn’t read as many books in November. It was a quieter month in terms of review books, so I took the chance to catch up with some of my other reading that I’ve had on my shelves for a long time. I had two review books, but reviewed three out of the 11 books… Continue reading November 2025 Reading Round Up

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giwang by Belinda Bridge, illustrated by Peta-Joy Williams

Ashleigh

Title: giwang Author: Belinda Bridge, illustrated by Peta-Joy Williams Genre: Language and learning Publisher: Aboriginal Studies Press Published: 1st November 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 32 Price: $24.99 Synopsis: The dry central western region of New South Wales is Wiradjuri Country. Here, the landscape slips from one weather cycle into another as hot, dry and windy… Continue reading giwang by Belinda Bridge, illustrated by Peta-Joy Williams

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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

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Dymocks Volume 3 2025 Completed

Ashleigh

And that’s the third volume completed! I found the prompts in this one easy to fill. They had a good balance of being open and specific, and I had a few options for some whilst others I took a good guess at where they would fit. I chose a translated book for the Branching Out… Continue reading Dymocks Volume 3 2025 Completed