Tag: memoir

#AussieAuthors2026, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book Industry, Books, challenges, history, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews

The World Belongs to the Children: The powerful lessons of a childhood under the shadow of war by Raya Goldtwig

Ashleigh

Title: The World Belongs to the Children: The powerful lessons of a childhood under the shadow of war Author: Raya Goldtwig Genre: Memoir Publisher: Simon and Schuster Published: 31st March 2026 Format: Hardcover Pages: 224 Price: $36.99 Synopsis: A compelling and lyrical memoir of a young Jewish girl in WWII Europe and Russia, learning the… Continue reading The World Belongs to the Children: The powerful lessons of a childhood under the shadow of war by Raya Goldtwig

#AussieAuthors2026, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, adventure, Alice-Miranda, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Crime/Mystery, Disney Reading Challenge, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Jacqueline Harvey, 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

March 2026 Reading Round Up

Ashleigh

During March, I read 24 books, and reviewed most of them. Two reviews are coming from Sisters in Crime soon. One review is for much later in the month, so all up, I reviewed 23 of the books I read in March. All but three of the books I read were by Australian authors, and… Continue reading March 2026 Reading Round Up

#AussieAuthors2026, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, history, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, The Nerd Daily

Double Act: Eirene Mort & Nora Kate Weston by Dr Sylvia Martin

Ashleigh

Title: Double Act: Eirene Mort & Nora Kate Weston Author: Dr Sylvia Martin Genre: Biography Publisher: NLA Publishing Published: 1st March 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 256 Price: $36.99 Synopsis: The incredible 60-year creative partnership between Eirene Mort and Nora Kate Weston is explored in intricate detail in a moving new biography from NLA Publishing. Eirene… Continue reading Double Act: Eirene Mort & Nora Kate Weston by Dr Sylvia Martin

#AussieAuthors2026, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Book Industry, Books, challenges, Children's Literature, history, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

Treeshape by Trace Balla

Ashleigh

Title: Treeshape Author: Trace Balla Genre: Memoir Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 3rd March 2026 Format: Hardcover Pages: 136 Price: $32.99 Synopsis: An extraordinary, inspiring and hope-filled graphic novel from the multi-award-winning creator of Rivertime, Rockhopping, Landing with Wings and Leaf-light, Trace Balla's stunning memoir reveals her personal and life-changing experiences of place, her understanding of the natural… Continue reading Treeshape by Trace Balla

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, A.L. Tait, adventure, Alice-Miranda, Anna James, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, biography, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, Christmas, Chronicles of Whetherwhy, Cressida Cowell, Crime/Mystery, Dani Vee, Dervla McTiernan, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Ella at Eden, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, Friday Barnes, Futuristic Fiction, historical fiction, history, humour, Indigenous authors, Jackie French, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, Kate Temple, Larrikin House, literary fiction, Matilda Saga, memoir, middle grade, Natasha Lester, Nevermoor, non-fiction, Pages and Co Series, Picture Books, plays, poetry, Publishers, R.A. Spratt, Reading, Reviews, satire, Scholastic, Sci-Fi, series, short stories, Speculative fiction, spies, The Girls Who Change the World, The Nerd Daily, Verse novels, Wherewithal Way, Young Adult

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

#AussieAuthors2025, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, adventure, Alice-Miranda, animals, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, mythology, non-fiction, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, series

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

#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

#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, Aussie authors, Australian literature, Australian women writers, Blog Tour, Book bingo, Book Industry, Books, CBCA, challenges, check in post, Children's Literature, classics, Crime/Mystery, Dymocks Reading Challenge, Fables, Fairytales, Fantasy, historical fiction, history, humour, Junior Fiction, literary fiction, memoir, middle grade, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, The Nerd Daily, Young Adult

Dymocks Reading Challenge Volume 1:  January to April Completed

Ashleigh

I have completed the first stage of my Dymocks Reading Challenge for 2025. Volume one had nine prompts, and I managed to fill all of them, though I admit the Top 101 prompt is getting harder every year, mostly due to the proliferation of series, and overly popular books being on there. To tackle this,… Continue reading Dymocks Reading Challenge Volume 1:  January to April Completed

#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