A new month and so time to round up my reading for December. And, of course, a New Year, so the last of my reading for 2025.  Was glad to get a bit more time to read after a hectic year, and finished eight books. Here they are.

Books for Children

1. The Wombles, by Elisabeth Beresford (Puffin Books, 1968).  Found this copy in an op-shop and it fell apart as I read it, but I didn’t care, because it was a lovely trip down  memory lane with  a childhood favourite. Found myself singing the television theme song from the series  based on the book.
2. Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady: The Robin Miller Story, by Dianne Wolfer (Fremantle Press, 2025). How wonderful to read the story of Robin Miller, who single handedly ensured remote Western Australians received much needed polio vaccines, just one of the many things she did both for Western Australia and to be a pioneer for women aviators.
3. Duck Boy, by Christobel Mattingley (Angus & Robertson, 1983). It’s the second time in the past two months that I had a book in my TBR pile which I’d accidentally bought twice. But having loved this when I read it last year (?), I was happy to read this one again.
4. When I Am Happiest, by Rose Lagercrantz & Eva Eriksson (Gecko Press, 2015). A delightful little chapter book about a girl who finds happiness even in some really difficult times.
5. The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie, by Kirsty Murray (Allen & Unwin, 2013). A time slip story from a writer I really admire.
6. Mila & Ivy by Katrina McKelvey & Jasmine Berry (Wombat Books, 2022). Gifted this one at the CBCA WA annual dinner, when Jasmine won it as part of a book pack. Glad I finally read it – a lovely story of sister trouble (and connection).
7. Volcano, by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin, 2025). Claire Saxby is a genius and a writer I really really admire. She’s also a wonderful friend – so I was lucky to catch up with her at the PETAA Conference in October and get this one signed.  Claire and Jess Racklyeft together produce outstanding books, and this one is, of course, no exception.

Books for Adults

1. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas (Penguin Archive, 2025). Poetry, portable sized Penguin edition. Winning all round.

That brings my total for 2025 to 100. That’s a low total for me – especially given that I include picture books (ones that are new to me). But I actually aimed to focus more on quality than quantity in 2025, and I think I achieved that. I’d like to stick to that in 2026 but do aim to make sure I am reading more new release books. I also have a big goal this year – to read War and Peace in its entirety. That will slow down my total, but it’s a long time goal I’ve had.

What have you been reading?

 

October has ended, and it’s time to share what I read. I got through 13 books, more than in previous months, partly because there’s a few picture books in there, but also because I spent time on aeroplanes, which is always a good chance to catch up on some reading. Anyway, here’s what I got through.

Books for Children

1. 1. Everywhere Babies 2, by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Harper Collins, 2001).  Read for a project I’m working on at university. Such a lovely celebration of babies, and families all their forms.
   2. Not cute., by Philip Bunting (Scholastic, 2020).  Needed a funny book to share with my children’s literature class, and this one was it.
   3. Play the Shape Game, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 2010).  A gift from my gorgeous friend Tamara after my deep dive into Browne’s picture books earlier this year, and discussions we’d had about using this book in one of our units at university.  A treasure.
   4. Making the Shrine: stories from Victoria’s war memorial, by Laura J. Carroll (Crossley Press, 2024).  A clever piece of history writing, with the use of graphic novel format to tell 25 stories that span the making of Victoria’s war memorial.
   5. The Forest in the Tree: How Fungi Shape the Earth , by Alisa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr and Gregory Crocetti (CSIRO Publishing, 2024). Part of the CSIRO Small Friends series, this one tells the story of fungi and the vital part they play in forests and ecosystems.
   6. Democracy!: A positive primer on people power. , by Philip Bunting (Hardie Grant, 2023). Bunting is such a clever author/illustrator – he has the power to make readers laugh but also to share complex and important topics with that humour blended with insight.
   7. Song of a Thousand Seas, by Zana Fraillon (UQP, 2025). Read this in one setting because I just couldn’t put it down, falling in love with the voice of the octopus, Houdini, and Fraillon’s mastery of the verse form.

 

Books for Young Adults

1. The Realm of Possibility,by David Levithan (Alfred Knopf, 2004). Found this on my verse novel bookshelf when I was looking for something else and was surprised to realise I hadn’t read it. Clever use of multiple voices (20) while still weaving a strong narrative.
2. Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds (Faber & Faber). Oh wow.  A stunning verse novel that shows just how powerful the form can be.   And, as you’ll see, I then sat down and read the graphic novel version, too.
3. Long Way Down (The Graphic Novel), by Jason Reynolds, with art by Danica Novgorodoff (Simon & Schuster). Reading this straight after the verse novel allowed me to see the text (literally) from a different angle, and to really engage with the depth of this story. So good in both forms!
4. The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo (Harper Collins, 2018). And a fourth YA verse novel. From the US, and not new, but new to me, and excellent.
5. Drift, by Pip Harry (Lothian, 2025). And a fifth. The luxury of having such a deep dive into verse novels is partly in seeing so many different ways they are used.  Dealing with some complex topics, including cyber bullying and self harm, this is also warm and touching.

Books for Adults

1. The Mademoiselle Alliance: Inspired by a true story, by Natasha Lester (Hachette, 2025). I was lucky enough to hear Natasha speak about this one earlier in the year. I love reading about the under-explored parts of history – especially when it profiles the women who, so often, are at risk of disappearing from memory.

 

That brings my annual total to 86, with only two months to go. How is it almost the end of the year?

What have you been reading?

 

What did I read in September? A LOT of manuscripts for a prize I’m a judge for and which, though book-length, don’t count for my total here.  So, only four books to report.

Books for Children

1. Stuff I’m (Not) Sorry For: 99 more poems for young people, by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hardie Grant, 2025).  The world needs more poetry, and fresh poetry for young people. This book delivers that in spades.
2. Trapped, by Julia Lawrinson (Fremantle Press, 2025).  At least 10 years ago I started a file labelled with the name Varischetti.  I’d stumbled across  n old news story about a trapped miner, and thought one day I would write a book about him. I didn’t – but I am very glad that the tale has now been told, deftly, by a writer I admire, and in verse novel form.
3. Bindi, by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler (Magabala Books, 2020). Not my first read of this book, but it’s been a while. Loved rediscovering this one, when I taught a class about the wonders of verse novels.

Books for Adults

1. The Ghost Walk: A psychological medical thriller, by Karen Herbert (Fremantle Press, 2025). Went to the launch of this one and, of course, came home with the book which took a little while to get through just because of busyness, but glad I read it.

 

This brings my 2025 total to 73 so far, with more to come, especially as the judging comes to an end.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

Wow. I don’t think I remember a month where I only got through 4 books – but that’s what happened in June.  It doesn’t mean I wasn’t reading – I read a lot for work,  academic articles and book chapters. But I don’t count these here unless I ever read the whole book cover to cover.  So, four books it is.

Books for Children

1. The Silver Donkey, by Sonya Hartnett (Walker Books, 2005).  I read this one some years ago, and was surprised to realise it first came out in 2005.  A beautiful story set in France during World War 2.
2. A Little Piece of Ground, by Elizabeth Laird with Sonia Nimr (Haymarket, 2006). Another war story, this one set in Gaza. The location, and the terrible events happening there at present made this confronting, but it is good to be confronted, to see what life might be like for a child living in Gaza, or in any place under constant attack.

Books for Young Adults

1. A Wreck of Seabirds, by Karleah Olson (Fremantle Press, 2024). I couldn’t put this one down. Set on the West Australian coast, with gothic tones, mystery, grief and more.

Books for Adults

1. Inciting Joy : Essays, by Ross Gay (Algonquin Books, 2024). This book definitely incites joy. This is the second Ross Gay book I’ve read since he was recommended to me by my friend Sally.  Very readable essays, about how we find joy during hard times.

 

This brings my total for the year so far to 58. Here’s to more reading for pleasure in July!