Welcome to the 2026 edition of Passion for Prose, a column dedicated to promoting everything about books, especially those created by Australian authors and artists.
To make up for my recent absence, this post begins with my Top 5 books read and reviewed in 2025:
#1: This Kingdom of Dust (2024) by David Dyer
#2: The Memory Collectors (2025) by Dete Meserve
#3: Wild Dark Shore (2025) by Charlotte McConaghy
#4: The None Shall Sleep Sequence (2020, 2023 and 2025) by Ellie Marney
#5: The Wild Robot Series (2016, 2018 and 2023) by Peter Brown
And the honourable mention: The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories (2022).
The 2025 highlight for me was the successful launch of the Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival. I also attended the Melbourne Taiwan Film Festival, where I watched the iconic A City of Sadness (1989), one of the must-see masterpieces probing the multifaceted and intersectional history of Taiwan.
Another highlight was Warm Winter Read 2025, for which I managed to read and record my reading for a total of 92 days. It was purely a personal exercise of will – nothing to write home about. Yet, it is rewarding to have spent time learning, musing and finding inspiration in something new and meaningful everyday.
I finished last year with the publishing of my mother-in-law’s recipe collection as a print book. She was a beautiful woman who passed away in 2022 at the age of 92, a brilliant seamstress, a great role model whose kindness and generosity had touched numerous people within and outside of our family.
As I wrote in the Editor’s Note: “These recipes reflect May’s personal style, tastes and interests. More importantly, they offer a glimpse into the many phases of her remarkable life – how the time went by, with Australia’s eating and cooking trends ever-changing…”
“As expected, many of these recipes are for seafood and sweets – party time for families and friends, and with plenty of wine! But there are also day-to-day meal ideas and tips that are worthy of note (such as cleaning the fridge with vanilla!).”
Indeed, we all read different books, and the books we read very much reflect who we are. Interestingly, what we read – as well as write, publish and/or review – are also a form of documentation of our life’s journey, how we respond to the demands of our times, how we act, react and interact as members of our community. A good example came to mind.
On the day this post was drafted, the temperature soared to 41 degrees and it was time to abandon work. As a result, I spent hours reading for pleasure, completely immersed in a recently published dark fantasy novel – and the day passed amazingly fast. I reckon reading is one of the best survival strategies anyone can use at times like this! I look forward to making 2026 a great reading year. Would you like to join me?
