• Books by First Nations authors

First Nations Voices

January 22nd, 2022|Comments Off on First Nations Voices

Someone asked for some recommendations of books to read by First Nations authors, so I thought I’d update my list from a year ago... I’ve read 45 books by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander authors

  • November Reads 2021

A Book A Week – November Reads…

January 21st, 2022|Comments Off on A Book A Week – November Reads…

Audiobooks for the win! Plus some wonderful books I reviewed for Explorers magazine or read to interview the authors... I love Mel Robbins, she’s so real and inspiring and down to earth and hilarious, and

  • October Reads 2021

A Book A Week – October Reads…

January 15th, 2022|Comments Off on A Book A Week – October Reads…

Funny to think how recently I became an audiobook lover, since three of my four “reads” this month were actually listens, and the fourth was one I had to review for the magazine. My deadline

  • September Reads 2021

A Book A Week – September Reads…

January 15th, 2022|Comments Off on A Book A Week – September Reads…

September was a wonderful month for reading - and I was grateful again for audiobooks, which helped me get through a few extra titles in a busy work month... I would never have read Jacqueline

  • August books

A Book A Week – August Reads…

September 15th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – August Reads…

It’s been a crazy month with work, and not much time to read, but audiobooks have been a joy, helping me add two more to my monthly tally, since I can listen as a I

  • July reads

A Book A Week – July Reads…

September 4th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – July Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I’m looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! No wonder I

  • books june 2021

A Book A Week – June Reads…

July 28th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – June Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I’m looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! My first June

A Book A Week – May Reads…

June 17th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – May Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I’m looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! The beautiful, heartbreaking,

  • Books April 21

A Book A Week – April Reads…

May 10th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – April Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I’m looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! I’m so behind

A Book A Week – March Reads…

April 14th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – March Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! The Australian Fairy

A Book A Week – February Reads…

March 10th, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – February Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! Wow, February flew

  • January Reads

A Book A Week – January Reads…

February 1st, 2021|Comments Off on A Book A Week – January Reads…

In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! My first read

  • Indigenous authors

First Nations Voices

January 26th, 2021|1 Comment

Someone asked for some recommendations of books to read by First Nations authors, so here are some that I read in 2020 and early 2021. There are many many more – let me know if

  • books read december

A Book A Week – December 2020

January 4th, 2021|1 Comment

Hooray! I hit my 52-Books-A-Year, Book-A-Week goal at the end of September, and ended up reading more than 70 books by December 31. So many amazing reads this month, including Tiddas by Anita Heiss, Pages

  • November reads

A Book A Week – November 2020

December 6th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – November 2020

November was NaNoWriMo month, so I didn’t get a chance to read as much as I’d like to, but it was for a good cause (I hope!)... Took the Children Away (60 of 52) by Archie

  • October reads

A Book A Week – October 2020

November 1st, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – October 2020

October started and ended with two awesome magical reads, Darkness Unknown, the first book in Selina Fenech’s new paranormal trilogy Beshadowed, and Last Born Daughter, the third book in Kastie Pavlik’s series Children of the

  • September books read

A Book A Week – September 2020

October 16th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – September 2020

In September I had two big deadlines, so I didn’t get to read as much as I would have liked, and three of the four were related to our research/discussion for the Australian Fairy Tale

  • August Books Read

A Book A Week – August 2020

September 14th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – August 2020

August was a wonderful mix of important stories, gorgeous fantasy, a nostalgic hit, and faery tales and faery tale reimaginings. An Enchantment of Ravens (47 of 52) by Margaret Rogerson is a lovely, magical tale of

  • July Reads

A Book A Week – July 2020

August 3rd, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – July 2020

July was a fascinating month for books, and online book launches. Living On Stolen Land (40 of 52) by Ambelin Kwaymullina is a short, powerful book that *everyone* should read (although sadly those who most

  • June Books Read

A Book A Week – June 2020

July 6th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – June 2020

June has been a strange, unsettling month, of high tension, of long overdue attention on black lives mattering, and of educating ourselves to learn more, do more and be better. Award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book

  • May reads

A Book A Week – May 2020

May 31st, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – May 2020

Book-A-Week – May books read  May was a month for extraordinary books. Blackbirds Sing by Aiki Flinthart and Phosphorescence by Julia Baird are two of my favourites this year, but the rest were awesome too! I loved

  • April books

A Book A Week – April 2020

May 5th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – April 2020

Book-A-Week – April books read  April was a strange month for everyone. Like many I’ve been struggling a little to write, and for a while I was having trouble focusing on books too. But when

  • March 2020 books read

A Book A Week – March 2020

March 30th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – March 2020

Book-A-Week – March books read  As I get ready for the online launch of The Swan Maiden on April 1, it’s no surprise that my March was filled with faery tales, and faery tale-inspired books.

  • Selina Fenech

Special Guest Selina Fenech

March 28th, 2020|Comments Off on Special Guest Selina Fenech

Countdown to The Swan Maiden Launch... Selina Fenech is an amazing artist – her stunning paintings grace the covers of the Into the Mists and Into the Storm Trilogies – and also an incredible writer.

  • February Books Read

A Book A Week – February 2020

March 4th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – February 2020

Book-A-Week – February books read  My first book I read this month was Angela Slatter’s A Feast Of Sorrows (7 of 52), because our Australian Fairy Tale Society story was The Jacaranda Wife, one of

  • January books

A Book A Week – January 2020

February 4th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – January 2020

Book-A-Week – January books read 💕📚🌟 Last year I challenged myself to read a book a week, and I did! 52 books in 52 weeks. And it was awesome. It’s so easy to not make

  • December reads

A Book A Week – December 2019

January 14th, 2020|Comments Off on A Book A Week – December 2019

I can’t believe I reached my goal and read 52 books this year. I was always feast or famine in my reading – banning myself on deadline, then bingeing and getting no work done –

  • November reads

A Book A Week – November 2019

November 26th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – November 2019

November is NaNoWriMo month, where I write feverishly to try to hit 50,000 words in 30 days. I made it, but it did unfortunately limit my reading. I did skim-read Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives

A Book A Week – October 2019

November 10th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – October 2019

In October I attended three mini workshops (and some great panels) as part of the HNSA (Historical Novel Society Australasia) Conference – by Kate Forsyth, Meg Keneally and Alison Goodman, so I read the latter’s Lady Helen

  • September books

A Book A Week – September 2019

September 30th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – September 2019

My favourite book this year is Harp of Kings (39/52) by my favourite author Juliet Marillier (with her Beautiful novel and Madeline Miller’s Circe very close second). It’s the first in her new Warrior Bards

  • August books

A Book A Week – August 2019

September 1st, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – August 2019

Circe is one of my absolute favourite books I’ve read this year, and author Madeline Miller’s previous book The Song of Achilles (32/52) is as beautifully written and almost as wonderful (it’s just obvious that

  • Book A Week July

A Book A Week – July 2019

August 6th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – July 2019

July was all about high tea book launches (thanks Kate Forsyth!), and falling for audiobooks, thanks to Juliet Marillier’s audiobook exclusive last month (well played Audible!). I’ve been listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming when I

  • Book a Week June

A Book A Week – June 2019

July 1st, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – June 2019

I read some wonderful books in June as part of my Book A Week Challenge – although two have to be kept secret for now (yes, it is killing me – one is by one

  • Books May 2019

A Book A Week – May 2019

June 17th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – May 2019

May was a little tricky for reading, because I was in England for the month with my beloved, and we spent all our time searching for stone circles, wandering across the moors, climbing tors, and

  • April books

A Book A Week – April 2019

May 2nd, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – April 2019

I’m still doing well with my Book A Week Challenge, and managed five this month too (although I can’t talk about or show you the cover of one just yet – but it shouldn’t be

  • March 2019 Books

A Book A Week – March 2019

April 13th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – March 2019

One of my plans for 2019 is to make time to read more books. My post-NaNoWriMo December book binge* got me off to a great start – I devoured five books, which was bliss 💕📚🌟

  • February books

A Book A Week – February 2019

March 10th, 2019|Comments Off on A Book A Week – February 2019

One of my plans for 2019 is to make time to read more books. My post-NaNoWriMo December book binge* got me off to a great start – I devoured five books, which was bliss 💕📚🌟

  • seven books

Seven Books I Love

May 21st, 2018|Comments Off on Seven Books I Love

I was nominated by a friend to post seven books (one a day), that I really loved reading, so I thought I would share them here too as I go. 1. Juliet Marillier is my

  • September Update

Catch Up – September 2017

September 19th, 2017|Comments Off on Catch Up – September 2017

Oh my god! How is it almost the spring equinox? Where is this year going? Here’s a little update of what’s going on in my world, and what is coming up... I spent the beginning

The Joy of Books

September 15th, 2017|Comments Off on The Joy of Books

Let’s Talk Reading: The Joy of Books This blog first appeared on the Story Queens website. My idea of bliss is to curl up on the couch with a mug of tea and a good

I, Morgana – A Magical Book

July 30th, 2014|Comments Off on I, Morgana – A Magical Book

I, Morgana by Felicity Pulman I, Morgana is a new interpretation of the King Arthur story, and a rich new addition to the much-loved (and hotly debated) canon. Morgana, the daughter of a king, half

Australian Women Writers Challenge Update

July 5th, 2014|Comments Off on Australian Women Writers Challenge Update

Can’t believe it’s already July. I guess I couldn’t really update my Australian Women Writers Challenge because for the first several months of the year I was on a reading-for-pleasure ban while I finished writing Into

  • Guest Menna van Praag

Special Guest Menna van Praag

March 30th, 2020|Comments Off on Special Guest Menna van Praag

I can’t even remember how I stumbled across English author Menna van Praag’s first novel, The House At the End of Hope Street, but I bought it in hardback not long after its release in

  • Guest Lucy Cavendish

Special Guest Lucy Cavendish

March 29th, 2020|Comments Off on Special Guest Lucy Cavendish

Lucy Cavendish is a writer and a witch and an oracle reader and creator, and a surfer and a nature lover. We first met in the nineties in magazine circles, as we’ve both been journalists

  • Selina Fenech

Special Guest Selina Fenech

March 28th, 2020|Comments Off on Special Guest Selina Fenech

Countdown to The Swan Maiden Launch... Selina Fenech is an amazing artist – her stunning paintings grace the covers of the Into the Mists and Into the Storm Trilogies – and also an incredible writer.

  • Author Selina Fenech

Selina Fenech’s Beautiful Stories

September 2nd, 2018|Comments Off on Selina Fenech’s Beautiful Stories

As we count down to the launch of Into the Fire, I wanted to introduce you to my two awesome guest hosts. Selina Fenech is an amazing artist – her stunning paintings grace the covers

  • K. A. Last

K. A. Last’s Cool New Series

August 30th, 2018|Comments Off on K. A. Last’s Cool New Series

As we count down to the launch of Into the Fire, I wanted to introduce you to my two awesome guest hosts. Australian author K. A. Last is in the middle of releasing her three-part

  • seven books

Seven Books I Love

May 21st, 2018|Comments Off on Seven Books I Love

I was nominated by a friend to post seven books (one a day), that I really loved reading, so I thought I would share them here too as I go. 1. Juliet Marillier is my

  • Platinum Brunette

Carlie’s Favourite Songs

January 11th, 2017|Comments Off on Carlie’s Favourite Songs

Here are a few of Carlie's favourite songs... Visit Platinum Brunette here... Visit Mick Thomas here... Visit Platinum Brunette here... Visit Green Day here... Visit Platinum Brunette here... Visit POD here... Visit Platinum Brunette here...

  • Selina Fenech, Story Queens

Story Queen Selina Fenech

November 14th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Selina Fenech

Story Queen Selina Fenech is an amazing artist, and also an incredible writer – she’s the author of the beautiful fantasy series Memory’s Wake, and the intriguing Empath Chronicles. When did you start writing? I

  • L. L. Hunter, Story Queens

Story Queen L. L. Hunter

November 14th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen L. L. Hunter

Story Queen L. L. Hunter is the author of The Legend of the Archangel series, The Eden Chronicles and many more. When did you start writing? I started writing in my teens, primarily song lyrics

  • K. A. Last, Story Queens

Story Queen K. A. Last

November 14th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen K. A. Last

Story Queen K. A. Last is the author of the paranormal romance series The Tate Chronicles, and the beautiful Immagica, which has been described as “a little bit Alice in Wonderland, a little bit The

Story Queen Selina Fenech

March 13th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Selina Fenech

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. Selina Fenech is an amazing artist, and also an incredible writer – she’s the author of

Story Queen Lauren K. McKellar

March 11th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Lauren K. McKellar

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off (two more sleeps!), I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. Lauren K. McKellar is the author of romance reads that make you feel.

Story Queen L. L. Hunter

March 11th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen L. L. Hunter

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch progresses, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. L. L. Hunter is the author of The Legend of the Archangel series, The Eden Chronicles and

Story Queen K. A. Last

March 10th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen K. A. Last

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. K. A. Last is author of the paranormal romance series The Tate Chronicles, and the beautiful

Story Queen Heather Bryant

March 10th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Heather Bryant

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. Heather M. Bryant s an escapist reader and writer who is currently shopping her YA fantasy

Story Queen Serene Conneeley

March 9th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Serene Conneeley

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens, which I guess includes me 🙂 How do you describe your books: The Into the Mists

Story Queen Rebecca Bosevski

March 9th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Rebecca Bosevski

As the countdown to the Story Queens online launch kicks off, I wanted to introduce my fellow Story Queens. Rebecca Bosevski is a Central Coast adult fantasy writer. Her first book, Enchanting the Fey, will

Story Queen Stacey Nash

March 8th, 2016|Comments Off on Story Queen Stacey Nash

Stacey Nash has a passion for writing stories set in speculative, science fiction and fantasy worlds, with an element of romance and a lot of adventure. How do you describe your books: Action, adventure, danger