Category: Speculative fiction

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January 2026 Reading Round-Up

Ashleigh

This year, I am working on balancing my review books with my other reading, so I can get through some of the books I have been wanting to read for a while. In January, I managed to read all my review books for the beginning of 2026, and some reviews are still coming, and there… Continue reading January 2026 Reading Round-Up

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Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea by Justin Somper

Ashleigh

Title: Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea Author: Justin Somper Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 3rd February 2026 Format: Paperback Pages:256 Price: $16.99 Synopsis: A weekend's adventure at sea turns into a terrifying test of true mettle for Jasmine, Jacoby and Neo, and the rest of the Pirate Academy crew in this fast-paced and… Continue reading Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea by Justin Somper

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2025 Reading Summary

Ashleigh

I write roundups that are broad and focused, and split them into men, women, Australian, non-Australian, children’s, young adult, adult, LGBTQIA, Disabled and co-authored books. There is also a post with everything and a summary at the end. So if people want to look at something in particular, they can. My final reading stats for… Continue reading 2025 Reading Summary

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Children’s and Young Adult Books Read in 2025

Ashleigh

In 2025, I read 198 children’s books, from picture books to middle grade books and young adult books. I covered every age range possible. I also have a separate post for young adult books. I covered a lot of different themes and ideas in this, as well as reading as diversely as possible. There seems… Continue reading Children’s and Young Adult Books Read in 2025

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Total Women

Ashleigh

Each year, I try my best to read as many books by women as possible, and to read as diversely as possible. In 2025, I read 234, participated in judging an award, and of course, continued to do my reviewing. Reading across as many styles and genres as possible, based on what I had from… Continue reading Total Women

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Australian Authors Read

Ashleigh

Every year, I aim to focus by reading on Australian authors, because I see authors from the UK and the US get widely promoted, and I feel that a lot of Australian authors, unless they’re super popular, get overlooked. Particularly the kids and young adult authors. So in 2025 I read 239 Australian authors in… Continue reading Australian Authors Read

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Australian Women Read

Ashleigh

In 2025, I read 210 books by Australian women, and may not have read as diversely as I wanted based on a focus for judging reading. That said, I did manage to get in as many diverse books as possible, where I could see or knew that the author was disabled, Indigenous or LGBTQIA, or… Continue reading Australian Women Read

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LGBTQIA Authors and Books Read

Ashleigh

Another category I like to count is books written by LGBTQIA authors, or that feature those themes. There are many more than the 18 books in this category I have read, and when I create this list, I make sure that the themes are obviously there, that they are positive, and that an author has… Continue reading LGBTQIA Authors and Books Read

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Co-written/Anthologies Read

Ashleigh

In 2025, I read 23 books that were written by two or more authors, or that were anthologies. These books crossed into all the other categories: men, women, Australian, non-Australian, LGBTQIA, Disabled, children’s and young adult. There were all sorts of things here too, from picture books, novels, and non-fiction. There were some very good… Continue reading Co-written/Anthologies Read

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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