Warm Winter Read

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1 June – 31 August 2025

Make time to read this winter. Listen to an audiobook. Flip through a graphic novel. Browse a magazine. Curl up with a paperback. It’s all reading. And all reading does you good. 

If you would like to read more often then the Warm Winter Read is for you! This state-wide reading program encourages readers aged 16+ years to strengthen their reading habits over the cooler months.

By finding time to enjoy books this winter, you’ll be in the running to win some exciting prize draws!

We’ll help you get started with recommendations from authors you love.

Presented by Public Libraries Victoria.

How to participate

Participation is free and open to Victorian readers aged 16 years and over.

To register, you’ll need to create an account online. Then choose how you participate!

Level one:
Write and submit one book review and/or track five days of reading
Prize: Book bundle

Level two:
Write and submit three book reviews and/or track ten days of reading
Prize: Bookish hamper

Level three:
Write and submit six book reviews and/or track twenty days of reading
Prize: Sony headphones

Level four:
Write and submit nine book reviews and/or track forty-five days of reading
Prize: Kobo eReader

As you level up, you will stay in the running for each prize level, increasing your chances of winning!

Six steps to stronger reading habits

1. Set goals

Whether it’s 10 minutes or one hour every day, or just some daus, set an achievable goal that you’ll enjoy.

2. Dedicate reading time

Set an alarm to remind yourself that you made time to read, and that time has come.

3. Always carry a book

Remember, digital books weigh nothing extra.

4. Find bookish friends

Connect with reading communities online, follow Bookstagram or Booktok accounts, or join a book club for an in-person connection.

5. Keep a list

Never forget what you hope to find time to read by keeping a list.

6. Eliminate distraction

Turn off devices or notifications and find a quiet place.

Recommended reads by authors you know and love

Looking for recommendations? Dive into these titles, recommended by this year’s author ambassadors. 

Connie Cao, author of Your Asian Veggie Patch, recommends:

  • Garden Like a Nonno - Jaclyn Crupi
  • Australian Native Food Harvest - Julie Weatherhead
  • Tenderheart: Hetty McKinnon
  • Everyday Permaculture - Anna Matilda

Christian White, author of The Ledge, recommends:

  • The Valley by Chris Hammer
  • Red Rover Road by Anna Downes
  • The Chilling by Riley James
  • The Ones We Love by Anna Snoekstra

Rachael Johns, author of The Bad Bridesmaid, recommends:

  • The Love Contract by Steph Vizard
  • Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast by Karina May
  • The Hemsworth Effect by James Weir
  • The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood

Emelia Hart, author of The Sirens, recommends:

  • Women and Children by Tony Birch
  • A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
  • At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker
  • Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter by Lizzie Pook

Melanie Cheng, author of The Burrow, recommends:

  • Theory and Practice by Michelle de Krestser
  • The Sitter by Angela O'Keeffe
  • The Degenerates by Raeden Richardson
  • The Burnished Sun by Mirandi Riwoe

Ann Liang, author of I Am Not Jessica Chen, recommends:

  • The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
  • Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
  • The Spider and Her Demons by Sydney Khoo
  • Dark Rise by C.S. Pascat

Sarah Firth, author of Everything Eventually Connects, recommends:

  • Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed
  • I Ate the Whole World to Find You by Rachel Ang
  • Follow Your Gut by Briony Barr, Ailsa Wild, Gregory Crocetti
  • When One Person Dies the Whole World is Over by Mandy Ord
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