Our staff share the books they loved in 2014, but wouldn’t have read without a recommendation.

My colleague Nina introduced me to one of my favourite books of the year: The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman. I somehow missed this one when it came out and Nina recommended it as soon as I mentioned that I needed something new to read. She thought I would love it – she was right! It is clever, observant and witty, the prose elegant and lively, the story hilarious and sharp. Now it’s my turn to recommend it, particularly if you enjoy anything from Jane Austen to David Sedaris! It is no fluke that this book has been praised by both Jonathan Franzen and Lena Dunham, among many others.
– Elke Power, editor of Readings Monthly

Without a passionate recommendation, I wouldn’t have touched The Jewel with a taffeta-covered barge pole. They say people look at a book cover for an average of 3 seconds before making a decision on whether to investigate further – I’d say I’ve been bringing the average right down when it comes to cover designs involving women in over-the-top gowns. So, without question, The Jewel exceeded my expectations. An earnest, entertaining novel for teenagers.
– Emily Gale, Online Children’s Specialist

Without a recommendation from my colleague Bronte I wouldn’t have read My Brilliant Friend, and I wouldn’t have the next two books in the series on my wishlist. This is all her fault …
– Chris Gordon, Event Manager

One of my favourite things about working in a bookshop is having access to so many great readers and their reading recommendations. This year I owe a particular debt to three colleagues: Nina, who convinced me to read try Curtis Sittenfeld a second time with American Wife (read my thoughts here); Emily Gale, who introduced me to Justine Larbalestier (read my thoughts on her young adult novel here); and Martin Shaw, who initially piqued my interest for Ceridwen Dovey’s Only the Animals which happens to be one of my favourite books of the year (read my review here).
– Bronte Coates, Bookseller

I only read Mothers Grimm by Danielle Wood because of my book club. Traditionally we only read young adult novels, but my friend Michael was keen on this concept: four fairytales about terrible mothers, retold by award-winning Tasmanian author Danielle Wood. Retellings aren’t traditionally my style and so I’d shied away from this book on release, but I soon realised I didn’t need any personal investment in fairytales to be swept up in these stories of four mostly-modern-day mothers – none who are really evil on purpose. As much as I hate the phrase ‘as a mother I …’, I can only say that, well, as a mother of a small child who can really test my limits at the moment, I could see a lot of myself in these bad mothers – in their lack of sleep and relentless guilt about how perfect they need to be as caregivers for their children. While I would never find myself in the extremes that the women in these tales do, there was still enough in there to make me remember, unexpectedly, that I am not alone in this unrelenting torrent of emotion.
– Fiona Hardy, Bookseller

I just finished Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe. This is a memoir I would never had read if I didn’t have to read it for my book club. Set in London in the early 1980s, it’s a collection of letters written by a twenty-year-old nanny to her sister, recounting her day-to-day experiences. The subject matter didn’t appeal to me and I was disappointed when it was chosen for my book club. I thought I’d have to drag my way through the pages. BUT I WAS WRONG. This book is utterly charming and heart-warming; it’s as comforting and English as a cup of tea on a wintery day. Nothing happens in the book, at all, and yet I was tearing through the pages as though it was a thriller. It made me laugh out loud, many times, and the final page caused me to let out a little squee of delight. If I wasn’t forced to read it, I might never have known the pleasure of this lovely book by a fellow Nina.
– Nina Kenwood, Digital Marketing Manager

And to close, here are two recommendations for you …

I highly recommend reading Lists of Note by Shaun Usher, the follow-up to his bestselling Letters of Note. Being a massive fan of writing lists myself, it’s heartening to see this visual anthology of lists made by some of the world’s geniuses. Inside you’ll find Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Darwin on the pros and cons of marriage, an inspirational list of new year’s resolutions from the 29-year-old Marilyn Monroe to notes to ‘rock chics’ from the lead singer of The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde.

I also highly recommend watching All this Mayhem – a fascinating local doco that unfortunately didn’t receive the attention it deserves. The film follows the highs and lows of an intense relationship between two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks who begin skating for something to do in their teens and make their way to top of the world championships in their 20s. It’s a fascinating insight to sibling rivalry and to the dark side of competitive sport.
– Emily Harms, Head of Marketing and Communications