Tag: Fantasy

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, Kate Temple, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction, The Nerd Daily, Young Adult

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

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, adventure, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Indigenous authors, Junior Fiction, Larrikin House, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, plays, poetry, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, Verse novels, Young Adult

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

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

Awards, Book Industry, Books, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, history, literary fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Young Adult

The Binding Spell by Marisa Linton

Ashleigh

Title: The Binding Spell Author: Marisa Linton Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Scholastic Australia Published: 1st December 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 464 Price: $22.99 Synopsis:  A debut atmospheric fantasy, think dark academia meets Mexican Gothic. Morgan hopes her nightmares are behind her. Meeting Joe Harper helps. His secrets seem as tangled as hers and their time together is… Continue reading The Binding Spell by Marisa Linton

adventure, animals, Book Industry, Books, check in post, Children's Literature, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, literary fiction, middle grade, mythology, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic

Dawn of the Dragons by Mari Mancusi

Ashleigh

Title: Dawn of the Dragons Author: Mari Mancusi Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Scholastic Australia Published: 1st December 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 320 Price: $19.99 Synopsis: The dragons are coming ... are you prepared? This thrilling, dystopian adventure story is perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and Impossible Creatures. Lucas isn't having the best summer. While… Continue reading Dawn of the Dragons by Mari Mancusi

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #loveozya, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, literary fiction, middle grade, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, Speculative fiction

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