Category: Speculative fiction

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Christmas, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Junior Fiction, Kate Temple, literary fiction, middle grade, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, translated works, Writing, Young Adult

September 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

In September, I read 20 books for review, and some reviews will be appearing at later dates for various reasons. I mostly read Australian authors, and focused on children’s and young adult books. I also made progress on reading challenges, and am almost done with my last few. Most books were by women authors, and… Continue reading September 2025 Reading Round Up

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

The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

Ashleigh

Title: The Keeper of the Octopus Author: Neridah McMullin Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism Publisher: Walker Books Australia Published: 1st October 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 272 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: Engaging, heartfelt and imaginative - magical realism from the award-winning author of Evie and RhinoSince her father sailed away, Uncle Isaac is the only family Pippy has left.… Continue reading The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, 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, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, mythology, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, Speculative fiction, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Verse novels, Young Adult

2025 Dymocks Reading Challenge Volume 2 Completed

Ashleigh

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

#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, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jane Austen, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, Nevermoor, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, Speculative fiction, Young Adult

Book Grocer Book Bingo Completed

Ashleigh

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

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

New Kid on Deck (Pirate Academy #1) by Justin Somper

Ashleigh

Title: New Kid on Deck (Pirate Academy #1) Author: Justin Somper Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 29th July 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 224 Price: $16.99 Synopsis: From Justin Somper, award-winning author of the Vampirates series, comes a fast-paced and exciting fantasy adventure series perfect for readers of How to Train Your Dragon or Artemis Fowl. 'A… Continue reading New Kid on Deck (Pirate Academy #1) by Justin Somper

#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

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Ella at Eden, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, series, Speculative fiction, Young Adult

April 2025 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

In April, between reviewing and other reading, I read 27 books, and most of them were Australian, which is a goal I have to help promote Australian authors and their books. I read quite a wide range of genres, audiences and styles to help me reach my challenges and goals. It’s always interesting to see… Continue reading April 2025 Reading Round Up

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, adventure, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, Futuristic Fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Speculative fiction, Young Adult

The Surface Trials by HM Waugh

Ashleigh

Title: The Surface Trials Author: HM Waugh Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 29th April 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 336 Price: $18.99 Synopsis: An epic page-turner full of twists you won't see coming, set on an alien planet where, under the watch of a galaxy-wide TV audience, Ammy Antares and her fellow competitors… Continue reading The Surface Trials by HM Waugh