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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…