Our latest blog posts

We test out hot cross bun recipes

With Easter around the corner, three of our staff have tried their hand at making their own hot cross buns.

To inspire our competitors, we were happy to offer an advance copy of Liz Harfull’s beautiful cookbook, Tried, Tested and True, to whoever made the very best buns. This cookbook is due to arrive in-store in April, and is one of the most anticipated for the year.

Ellen Cregan made vegan buns

Hot cross buns are one of…

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Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week

Obsidio (The Illuminae Files Book 3) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Terry’s Dumb Dot Story (A Treehouse Tale) by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

Ninja Kid (Ninja Kid Book 1) by Anh Do & Jeremy Ley

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Silver Sea by children at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne with Alison Lester & Jane Godwin

Good Night Stories For

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Our top 10 bestsellers of the week

The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton

12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

The Footy Lady by Stephanie Asher

Rather His Own Man by Geoffrey Robertson

Silent Invasion by Clive Hamilton

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The Rúin by Dervla McTiernan

Really Cross Stitch by Rayna Fahey

Our bestselling books of last week include a powerful new novel…

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Winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards 2017

The winners of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) awards have been announced. The NBCC honours outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature.

Here is the complete list of NBCC Award winners for the publishing year 2017.

Fiction

Joan Silber for Improvement

Non-fiction

Frances FitzGerald for The Evangelicals

Autobiography

Xiaolu Guo for Nine Continents (published as Once Upon A Time in the East in Australia)

Biography

Caroline Fraser for Prairie Fires

Criticism

Carina Chocano for…

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What we're reading: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Camilla Läckberg & Katherine Kovacic

Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films and TV shows we’re watching, and the music we’re listening to.

Bronte Coates is reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s beloved 2013 novel is one of those books that people recommend to me all the time, but that I never seem to get around to reading – until now!

Americanah is ostensibly a love story: two childhood sweethearts in Nigeria are compelled to…

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Treasuries & anthologies for bedtime stories

In recognition of World Sleep Day, we’ve compiled the following list of bedtime treasuries and anthologies for hopeful parents everywhere.

Good Night Sleep Tight by Kristina Andres

Fox and Rabbit live quite far away, in a bright little house beyond the mole hills, and when they wish each other a good night, the rustling pear tree, the raspberries and the stars join in. Each of these ‘eleven-and-a-half’ stories lovingly follow the shenanigans of the two furry friends, whether they’re sleeping…

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Our top picks of the month for book clubs

For digging into the mess of families…

Educated by Tara Westover

Tara Westover grew up preparing for the End of Days. She spent her summers bottling peaches and her winters rotating emergency supplies. She was never registered for a birth certificate and had no school or medical records. As she grew into her teen years – and her father became more radical, her brother more violent – she decided to educate herself. Her search for knowledge took her far from…

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The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals shortlists 2018

The shortlists for the 2018 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

Here are the shortlisted books for the 2018 Carnegie Medal:

Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans

After the Fire by Will Hill

Where the World

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Booksellers share their favourite Irish authors

Saint Patrick’s Day is this coming Saturday (17 March) and if you’re a book lover, what better way to celebrate than to read a brilliant story from an Irish author? Our booksellers share some of their best recommendations below.

‘My favourite Irish author would have to be Tana French, whose smart, and compelling Dublin Murder Squad series are some of the best books in the crime genre. French’s focus on character and motivation over splashy crimes and graphic violence is…

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A spotlight on Home Time

Home Time is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize. Here’s everything you need to know about this absorbing and adventurous visual treat.

‘Six friends and a dog fall into a river and find themselves marooned in the land of the peaches – odd little creatures who believe the kids are spirits sent to defend their home. As the story switches to focus on each kid, Campbell Whyte’s artwork shifts to reflect their…

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