Category: Writing

#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, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, middle grade, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Writing, Young Adult

The Story Writer’s Handbook: Adventures in Creative Writing by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Ashleigh

Title: The Story Writer’s Handbook: Adventures in Creative Writing Author: Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini Genre: Language Arts, Composition and Creative Writing Publisher: HarperCollins Australia Published: 30th September 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 192 Price: $26.99 Synopsis: Learn how to write with the multi-award-winning Katrina Nannestad! There is so much about writing that I love… Continue reading The Story Writer’s Handbook: Adventures in Creative Writing by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

#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

Aussie authors, Australian women writers, Crime/Mystery, short stories, Writing

The 32nd Scarlet Stilett Awards are open!

Ashleigh

Crime writers, your time has come! The 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards are back. The Scarlet Stiletto Awards are Sister’s in Crime’s annual short story competition, composed of twelve awards, where winners have the chance to win a share of $13,050. If you’re feeling stabby, then these might just be right for you. So, report what… Continue reading The 32nd Scarlet Stilett Awards are open!

#AussieAuthors2024, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, Alice England, Alice-Miranda, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Author interviews, Awards, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Chronicles of Whetherwhy, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dani Vee, DANZ, Dervla McTiernan, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Ella at Eden, Ella Diaries, Ella's World, Elston-Fright, Emily Rodda, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Gannet Quartet, historical fiction, history, Jackie French, Junior Fiction, Kate Forsyth, Kate Temple, Larrikin House, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, NCACL, non-fiction, plays, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, satire, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, short stories, Solomon Macaroni, Speculative fiction, Sulari Gentill, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Wherewithal Way, Willa and Woof, Wolves of Greycoat Hall, Writing, Young Adult

2024 Reading Summary

Ashleigh

In 2024, I read 245 books and completed 7 reading challenges. Below are my stats, broken down into categories and months, with everything linked back into this post so it’s easy to find a specific challenge or month, and most, if not all reviews should be linked in as many of these as possible. I’m… Continue reading 2024 Reading Summary

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Australian authors read in 2024

Ashleigh

I read 206 Australian authors in 2024, many more than international authors, because I feel like Australian authors are often overlooked in favour of US or UK authors, unless they have a big name that is almost guaranteed to sell books. My Australian reading has been as diverse as possible, within genre and author identity.… Continue reading Australian authors read in 2024

#AussieAuthors2024, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, adventure, Alice England, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, challenges, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dani Vee, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Ella at Eden, Ella Diaries, Ella's World, Emily Rodda, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Friday Barnes, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, Kate Forsyth, Kate Temple, Larrikin House, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, Miss Mary-Kate, mythology, NCACL, non-fiction, Pamela Hart, Picture Books, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, satire, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Solomon Macaroni, Speculative fiction, spies, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Wherewithal Way, Willa and Woof, Wolves of Greycoat Hall, Writing, Young Adult

Australian Women Read in 2024

Ashleigh

For the past several years, I have been eager to promote Australian women writers. Not to the detriment of men or international authors, but because Australian women writers are brilliant and often overlooked, so don’t always get the recognition they deserve. There are some who are popular, but for those who aren’t, I feel that… Continue reading Australian Women Read in 2024

#AussieAuthors2024, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, Aussie authors, Australian literature, biography, 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, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Sleep with Kip, Writing

Total Men Read in 2024

Ashleigh

During 2024, I read 41 books by men from across the world. As with my other reading, I have done my best to be as diverse as possible with what I read for review and other reading, and I have included anthologies edited by women here because they include essays or stories by men, and… Continue reading Total Men Read in 2024

Anna James, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, non-fiction, Pages and Co Series, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, series, Speculative fiction, Writing, Young Adult

Non-Australian Women Read in 2024

Ashleigh

I read 30 books by non-Australian women in 2024 – these authors came from all over the world, and some were translated, whilst others I had to do some research to determine where they’d fit into, because not every author’s biography tells you where they live. I tried to be as diverse as possible, but… Continue reading Non-Australian Women Read in 2024

adventure, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, non-fiction, Pages and Co Series, Picture Books, plays, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, The Nerd Daily, translated works, Writing, Young Adult

Non-Australian Authors 2024

Ashleigh

In 2024, I did my best to work out how my complete totals broke down into various categories. One of these categories was Non-Australian authors – and these authors could come from any country other than Australia. No limitations other than what I had, bought, was given as a gift or sent for review, so… Continue reading Non-Australian Authors 2024