Books
What we're reading: Norman, Au & Reilly
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on, or the music we’re loving.
Karl Sagrabb is reading Permafrost by SJ Norman
This debut collection of short stories is striking and incisive, exploring desire and loss, and playing with, subverting, and inverting classic traditions of literature like the Romantic and the Gothic.
I absolutely adore work that plays around with Gothic traditions and, having written my thesis…
The most anticipated books of 2022
Dare I say it: here we go again? With another Covid-dominated year on the horizon, it is easy to feel not a little despondent: I don’t mind admitting, dear reader, that I’m very, very tired, and after a particularly difficult but still pretty fun Christmas trading period following our 2021 lockdown (like retailers across the land, I could recount a gripping, personal account of the infamous supply chain issues, but I’ll save that for my memoir…), I am sure I’m…
Mark's Say: February, 2022
As I mentioned in one of my columns last year, the lockdowns had a terrible impact on the sale of books in bricks-and-mortar shops. For books that were first published during that period, they may never recover those lost sales. New South Wales and Victoria account for around 60% of all books sold nationally, so to lose a substantial amount of those sales is fairly significant. For most first-time authors, exposure in bookshops is very important in establishing a market…
Winners of the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2022
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards!
WINNER OF THE OVERALL VICTORIAN PRIZE FOR LITERATURE AND
WINNER OF INDIGENOUS WRITING
Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie
A proud Kurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie grew up dauntless, full of cheek and a fierce sense of justice.
After watching her friends and family suffer under a deeply compromised law-enforcement system, Gorrie signed up for training to become one of a rare few Aboriginal police officers in Australia. In…
On Events, with Chris Gordon
Over the summer, I reread Susan Cooper’s 1964 thriller Mandrake. Set in an Orwellian future, England is under the thumb of a power-hungry Prime Minister who engineers a society of isolation that forces people back to their places of origin. (Sound familiar?) Standing against him is Dr David Queston. In an early scene, Queston waits for a train on a quiet platform and sees a sign; it reads: ‘Is your journey necessary?’
I have been asking myself this very…
Books to read aloud to children
Reading aloud to kids increases their vocabulary, helps improve their attention span, and is a great way to spend time with them. But really, the best reason to read to children is how much fun it is for everyone!
Wednesday, February 2 is World Read Aloud Day, which is now enjoyed by millions of people in 170 countries. To celebrate this special day, I have rounded up some perennial favourites that are truly magical when read aloud to children…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing
The Brightest Night: The Graphic Novel by Tui Sutherland
Adam Spencer’s Maths 101 by Adam Spencer
First Scientists by Corey Tutt
Tomorrow is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell
Wandi by Favel Parrett
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
There’s a Zoo in my Poo by Felice Jacka
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beatty
In an Artist’s Garden by Claire Orrell
Adam Goodes continues to hold onto the…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Beautiful World, World Are You by Sally Rooney
The Promise by Damon Galgut
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
On Reckoning by Amy Remeikis
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Our best-seller for the third week running is Hanya Yanagihara’s much anticipated, To Paradise. This is Yanagihara’s first novel since the acclaimed…
What we're reading: Wright, Towles & Bruchmann
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on, or the music we’re loving.
Lian Hingee is reading She Kills Me by Jennifer Wright
Jennifer Wright’s collection of essays about terrible break-ups in history, It Ended Badly, remains one of the funniest and most entertaining non-fiction books I’ve ever read. Her second book, Get Well Soon, was an equally hilarious romp through history’s worst plagues…
SLV booksellers share their top reads this January
To celebrate the reopening of our State Library Victoria shop we asked our wonderful booksellers which book they were looking forward to recommending the most!
Claire Atherfold is recommending Medusa by Jessie Burton & illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill
Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is…
Debut fiction to read this month
January is a quiet time for local debuts, but fortunately we have a plethora of fresh fiction from overseas to tide us over! Discover some of the most exciting debut voices of 2022 so far below, and pencil in February and March for stacks of Australian releases that are to come!
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
Dr. Cliff Miyashiro arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue his recently deceased daughter’s research, only to discover a…
First Nations books to read with children
by Angela CrocombeStories are an accessible avenue for encouraging both curiosity and reflection. We recommend taking the time to read some of these wonderful picture books from Australian First Nations creators that focus on truth-telling and righting the wrongs of the past. These beautiful books allow us to have those important conversations with our children and move forward together.
Looking after Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen
A picture book that demonstrates respect for Indigenous knowledge, following the success of Victor Steffensen’s…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Dune by Frank Herbert
Beautiful World, World Are You by Sally Rooney
Devotion by Hannah Kent
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Our best-seller from the past week is To Paradise, the long awaited new novel from the acclaimed author of A Little…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing
Claris: Fashion Show Fiasco by Megan Hess
Tomorrow is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell
First Scientists by Corey Tutt
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beatty
Claris: Palace Party by Megan Hess
Wild Guide to Starting School by Laura and Philip Bunting
The 143-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
Cat Kid Comic Club 2 by Dav Pilkey
Picture books are…
Best-selling books celebrating 10 years
These best-selling books are currently celebrating 10 years since their local publication!
A decade on, it’s incredible to see how these works have endured and heartening to know how many of these authors have continued to produce fantastic literature. How many of the below blockbuster books have you read?
Blood by Tony Birch
Jesse has sworn to protect his sister, Rachel, no matter what. It’s a promise that cannot be broken. A promise made in blood. But, when it comes…
What we're reading: May, Billingsley & Steinkellner
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on, or the music we’re loving.
Lian Hingee is reading Wahala by Nikki May
I just started reading Wahala, a debut novel about three women whose close-knit friendship is blown apart with the arrival of a fourth woman. Boo, Simi, and Ronke are three anglo-Nigerian women who became friends while at university. Now in their thirties, each of…
The 100 bestselling books at Readings in 2021
We’ve run the reports and we’ve done the math. Here are our 100 bestselling books from the past year!
Our shops were closed for browsing for nearly a third of the 2021, making it difficult for our booksellers to do their to usual wonderful job of championing some of the diverse, emerging, and lesser-known books on our shelves.
We’ve noted a definite dip in the number of titles by First Nations authors this year, with just 6 books making the…
Activity bundle ideas for kids during COVID isolation
Our shops have been getting a lot of requests for activities for kids to do while their family needs to isolate. So, with this in mind, our Kids Shop manager, Dani Solomon, has put together some handy ideas for activity bundles to help occupy young minds and help out frazzled parents during this challenging time. These self-directed activity books and puzzles, as recommended by Dani, will keep kids busy for hours.
Below, you’ll find Dani’s suggestions for activity books to…
Our top picks of the month for book clubs
For book clubs interested in who writes history…
Learwife by J. R. Thorp
Word has come. Care-bent King Lear is dead, driven mad and betrayed. His three daughters too, broken in battle. But someone has survived: Lear’s queen. Exiled to a nunnery years ago, written out of history, her name forgotten. Now she can tell her story. A breathtaking novel of loss, renewal and how history bleeds into the present.
For book clubs who relish subversive stories of complex friendships…
…
Children's books to celebrate Lunar New Year
by Angela CrocombeLunar New Year is a wonderful celebration of family and good fortune in the coming year. This year, as we move from the Year of the Ox into the Year of Tiger, the festivities begin on February 1 and culminate in the Lantern Festival on February 15.
Here are some gorgeous books to introduce young people to the celebrations of Lunar New Year.
Maisy’s Chinese New Year by Lucy Cousins
Maisy’s friend Tiger is coming home especially for Chinese New…
25% off 25 personal development favourites
Right now we’re offering 25% off a select range of our personal development favourites! Simply apply the code PD25 at checkout to receive a 25% discount on all participating titles.
A new year is the perfect time to reflect on how we can ensure both our own wellbeing as well as how to live more consciously and empathetically towards others. With this in mind, our 25% off collection features both titles focused on personal development as well as additional…
Fight the doomscroll when you read these hopeful non-fiction picks
Right now it’s understandable to be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and fear. But in current times, when we’re feeling increasingly disillusioned and disenfranchised, books can be the path to reclaiming our empowerment. The following non-fiction books can help reinvigorate your resolve for enacting change while also reminding us there’s still hope yet.
Luminous Solution by Charlotte Wood
Writer Charlotte Wood shares the insights she has gained over a career paying close attention to her own mind, to the world…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Dune by Frank Herbert
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Devotion by Hannah Kent
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Our best-seller from the past week is To Paradise, the long awaited new novel from the acclaimed author of A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara. The novel is…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing
Your School is the Best! by Maggie Hutchings
Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Adam Spencer’s Maths 101 by Adam Spencer
The Bumper Treehouse Fun Book by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Cat Kid Comic Club 2 by Dav Pilkey
First Scientists by Corey Tutt
Tomorrow is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell & Alison Colpoys
The 143-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths &…
2021 literary prize winners for younger readers
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Young People
Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone…
Like this? Try this!
Two books, both alike in appeal, in fair bookshop, where we lay our scene. Today we’re recommending appealing alternatives to excellent books we’ve already read.
If you enjoyed Devotion by Hannah Kent
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Born from a long line of female warriors and crusaders, yet too coarse, too wild, too rough-hewn for 12th-century courtly life, Marie de France is cast from the royal court. To her dismay, she is sent to the muddy fields of Angleterre to take…
21 literary prize winners from 2021 to read over summer
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Winner of the 2021 Booker Prize for Fiction
A taut and menacing novel that charts the crash and burn of an Afrikaans family, the Swarts. Punctuated by funerals that bring the ever-diminishing family together, each of the four parts opens with a death and a new decade. The characterisations are razor sharp, the dialogue dramatic, the action gripping. As we traverse the decades, Damon interweaves the story of a disappointed nation from apartheid to Jacob…
Disappear into these other-worldly and immersive novels
Tired of feeling as though you’re in some kind of suburban purgatory? Take a one way ticket out of this timeline when you read one of the below novels; our chosen books are a mix of both fantasy, mythology & science fiction, and particularly immersive historical fiction.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially…
Back to School books
It’s that time of year when we inevitably start thinking about the start of the school year and easing the kids back into the school routine. For some children it can be a terrifying prospect, especially if they are starting prep, switching to a new school, or perhaps recommencing home schooling. Here are a few books we love that demystify the whole experience and comfort them with what to expect, often with a great deal of humour.
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
Cat Kid Comic Club 2 by Dav Pilkey
The 143-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Wolf Girl 6: Animal Train by Anh Do
Tomorrow is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell & Alison Colpoys
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing & David Hardy
Wandi by Favel Parrett
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again by David Walliams
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Dune by Frank Herbert
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Devotion by Hannah Kent
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Our best-seller from the past week is the sci-fi classic Dune, which although ever-popular is no doubt seeing an influx of new fans thanks to…
What we're reading over summer
As the days stretch longer and the air feels warmer, some of our staff are sharing what they’re planning to read this summer season.
Lucie Dess, marketing assistant
The Deep End by Jenna Guillaume
Social Queue by Kay Kerr
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
The Girl From the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young
Jess Strong, digital content coordinator
…
See you all in 2022
Over the last two years, many of us have begun to lead an almost asynchronous existence, but as it turns out, we’re about to put another year behind us – if you can believe it! So before we turn the page, we’re looking back – with rose-coloured glasses firmly in place for our own protection – on some of the small joys that 2021 brought us (amid all the chaos).
Firstly, a special congratulations to the winners of the three…
Our 2021 Christmas gift guide round-up
In the lead-up to Christmas 2021, we’ve been sharing a host of a range of carefully curated gift guides featuring hand-picked recommendations from our staff. Below, you’ll find our round-up of ideas for holiday reading and gifting this festive season.
Plus – make sure you check out the books featured in our annual Summer Reading Guide to find even more gift-buying (and your own holiday reading!) inspiration.
THE BEST BOOKS FOR THE YEAR (as nominated by our staff)
Best of the blog 2021
It’s been another dazzling year in books and we have loved nothing more than telling you all about them! Below, you’ll find a few of our favourite blogs that we published throughout the year. We recommend consulting them if you need inspiration for your personal summer reading or some last minute gift giving. Additionally, you can also view this year’s gift guide round-up here.
For general readers:
LGBTQIA+ fiction favourites for 2021
Challenge your thinking
It’s the time of year where we begin to think about how we want to make our lives and the lives of those around us better in the new year. Committing to the work of challenging and deconstructing the thoughts, preferences and values that derive from oppressive systems is a good place to start. Below are our recommendations for books published in 2021 that can help you along the way.
Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego
A ground-breaking…
The best of Art and Design 2021
Some beautiful art, design and architecture books were published in 2021. Below are 10 of our favourites and make sure you browse the collection for the full round-up of outstanding titles.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Wei Wei
In his widely anticipated memoir, Ai Weiwei - one of the world’s most famous artists and activists - tells a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own extraordinary life and the legacy of…
10 Favourite Middle Grade titles in 2021
Many amazing books have been published for young readers aged between nine and twelve in 2021. We’ve been privileged to read some brilliant stories, both local and international, funny and serious, thrilling real life adventures and those set in fantasy lands. Here are ten of Readings’ staff favourites:
The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg
This book is a classic whodunnit mystery set aboard a grand ocean liner in the 1920s.
With first-class glitz and glamour and a…
Best Junior Fiction in 2021
We’ve seen a number of wonderful stories for early readers this year. Below are ten of our favourites, which can be read by independent readers or enjoyed as a read-aloud by a parent or carer. So many delightful books for young people beginning their reading journey!
Mim and the Baffling Bully by Katrina Nannestad
Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to…
The Prime Minister's Literary Awards winners 2021
The winners for this year’s Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced! The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards celebrate outstanding literary talent in Australia and the valuable contribution Australian literature and history makes to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life.
Fiction winner:
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
Non-fiction winner:
The Stranger Artist by Quentin Sprague
Australian History winner:
People of the River by Grace Karskens
Poetry winner:
The Strangest Place by Stephen Edgar
Young Adult winner:
Metal Fish, Falling Snow by…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Devotion by Hannah Kent
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi & Noor Murad
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Dune by Frank Herbert
Seven and a Half by Christos Tsiolkas
Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Our best-seller for another week is Robyn Annear’s fabulous walking odyssey, Adrift in Melbourne. This is the perfect read for…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Nature’s Treasures by Ben Hoare
You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing & David Hardy
Tomorrow is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell & Alison Colpoys
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts
The 143-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Bluey: Christmas Swim by Bluey
Cat Kid Comic Club 2 by Dav Pilkey
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again by David Walliams
Bluey Sleepytime by Bluey
The beautiful…
Gift ideas for hard-to-buy-for teens
Teens are tricky at the best of times and getting them a gift at this time of year can sometimes be a real challenge. Never fear! We are here to help with some appropriate suggestions for those tricky teens in your life:
FOR THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR
Lead the Way by Jean Hinchliffe is an excellent introduction to teen activism by a leader of the School Strikes for Climate movement in Australia.
If Not Us by Mark Smith is a…
What we're reading: Cho, Down and Susskind
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on, or the music we’re loving.
Lian Hingee is reading Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
Yangsze Chu’s wonderful novel The Ghost Bride is one of my all-time favourite books, so when I heard about Black Water Sister by Zen Cho I snapped it up immediately. Like The Ghost Bride, this is a terrific story that combines a…
Fantastic #LoveOZYA titles of 2021
It’s been a great year for locally written young adult fiction, and we celebrate this with an all-Australian selection of stand-out titles that will be greatly enjoyed by the teen or young adult fiction lover in your life.
The Gaps by Leanne Hall
When sixteen-year-old Yin Mitchell is abducted, the news reverberates through the whole Year Ten class at Balmoral Ladies College. Police suspect the abduction is the work of a serial offender, with none in the community safe from…
10 Favourite First Nations books for kids in 2021
So many amazing stories were published this year by First Nations storytellers. These ten beautiful books include: an introduction to the lie of ‘Terra Nullius’ conveyed in a simple, rhythmic picture book; a story about the importance of sharing; a First Nations perspective on Invasion Day; a guide to native flora and fauna in Kakadu; and biographical stories of remarkable First Nations leaders, scientists and innovators.
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing and David Hardy
For thousands and thousands…
The best of non-fiction 2021
Every year our staff vote for their favourite books and music of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 Australian fiction books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.
Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota
Yumiko Kadota was a young, gifted medical student - the top of her class - on her way to becoming an outstanding plastic and reconstructive surgeon. For fourteen years she’d studied and worked hard. She put in…
Mark Rubbo's best of 2021
Below our managing director Mark Rubbo shares his favourite reads from 2021.
Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto
Will flees to the US to escape the misery of a breakup; a road trip across America will set him straight. Stuck in Littleproud, Ohio, he runs into an eccentric and charismatic private zoo owner and gets drawn into his bizarre world.
The Magician by Colm Toibin
This fictionalised account of the life of Nobel Prize-winning writer, Thomas Mann, is a fascinating and…
LGBTQIA+ fiction favourites for 2021
It’s been a sparkling year for LGBTQIA+ stories in fiction! Below, you’ll find some of our 2021 fiction favourites that centre and celebrate a multiplicity of LGBTQIA+ experiences within their pages.
Nothing But My Body by Tilly Lawless
Nothing But My Body is an eight-day journey through the mind of a young woman, a queer sex worker in Australia, as she navigates breakups and infatuation across just over a year. The unnamed narrator’s voice is both fierce and vulnerable, defiant…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Devotion by Hannah Kent
Welcome to Country 2nd edition by Marcia Langton
Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Quarterly Essay 84: The Reckoning by Jess Hill
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi & Noor Murad
Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Our best-seller from the past week is Robyn Annear’s, Adrift in Melbourne which contains a series…
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