Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

French Braid by Anne Tyler

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak

Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

Our best-seller from the past week is Young Mungo, the new novel from Booker prize-winning author…

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Ceremony: Welcome to our Country by Adam Goodies, Ellie Laing & David Hardy

Treehouse Tales by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Bad Guys 15: Open Up and Say Arrrgh! by Aaron Blabey

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Bluey: Baby Race by Bluey

Maku by Meyne Wyatt

Milo Finds $105 (Bored 1) by Matt Stanton

Possum Magic by Mem Fox

It’s delightful to see the beautiful…

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There’s something intangible yet immutable about a great opening line. Below are some of our favourite opening lines from contemporary novels, though – of course – a few classics have snuck in too.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

‘The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.’

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an…

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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.

Aurelia Orr is reading Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Reading Cleopatra and Frankenstein was like falling in love for the first time: you’re so blinded by the glamour and rose-coloured view of the world before you, you never expect the heartbreak to follow. Like Cleo and Frank, who fall so hard for…

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This month we’re reading novels translated from Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Danish. The works themselves are diverse in content – from thrilling crime, to science fiction, to historical epic, and some incisive social commentary to boot!

Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada (translated from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani)

Welcome to the not-too-distant future: Japan, having vanished from the face of the earth, is now remembered as the land of sushi. Hiruko, its former citizen and a climate refugee…

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Treehouse Tales by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Ceremony: Welcome to our Country by Adam Goodies, Ellie Laing & David Hardy

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

How to be a Real Ballerina by Davina Bell & Jenny Lovlie

Wolfred by Nick Bland

Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire 15 by Tui T. Sutherland

Cat Kid Comic Club 3: On Purpose by Dav Pilkey

Sugar by Carly Nugent

Bluey: More Easter Fun by Bluey

The Bad Guys Episode 1: colour…

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Young Mungo by Douglas Stewart

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

French Braid by Anne Tyler

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Sea of Tranquility Emily St. John Mandel

Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes

A Solitary Walk on the Moon by Hilde Hinton

Our chart topping book this week is the second novel from Booker-prize winning author…

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These outstanding debuts are written by some of the most exciting emerging voices in fiction. Explore a selection of April highlights below or browse our ongoing collection for debut fiction in 2022 here.

No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak

Penny can’t help but compare herself to her friends. Annie is about to be a senior associate at her law firm, Bec has just got engaged, Leo is dating everyone this side of the Yarra, and Penny is just ……

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We are excited about a new series of chapter books for early readers that celebrate diverse Australian voices. We’re so excited about it, in fact, we made the debut title, Maku, our Book of the Month. It’s a wonderful, heartwarming story that we highly recommend.

We’re also showcasing some beautiful picture books, a new book by funny guy, Matt Stanton, a historical fiction title about women footy players by Felica Arena, and a new fantasy story that will be…

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The new releases are coming thick and fast this month, just in time for the school holidays! Our book of the month is the debut young adult novel by a past winner of our Readings Prize for Kids, Carly Nugent. She has written a powerful contemporary novel about a young woman living with diabetes who is grieving for her father and trying to uncover a local mystery.

We also have an incredible collection of speculative fiction from First Nations and…

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OUR FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

Reviewed by

Egan proved with Goon Squad that she was at the vanguard of the future of fiction. The Candy House shows she isn’t ready to give up that position any time soon.

The Candy House opens in New York City with Bix Bouton, a character we only glimpsed briefly in Goon Squad. Inspired by a professor at Columbia University who is toying with the concept of…

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We are excited to be returning to Clunes this year for the Booktown Festival on the weekend of 30 April – 1 May.

The festival celebrates books and authors, taking over the historic buildings and wide streets of this tiny town in the Goldfields, just under two hours from Melbourne.

We’ll be on hand with a large marquee featuring books from the authors appearing at the festival and hosting author signings, also selling bargain books and the latest releases, alongside…

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The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

Apollo and Thelma: A True Tall Tale by Jon Faine

Other Houses by Paddy O'Reilly

Keeping Them Honest by Stephen Charles & Catherine Williams

French Braid by Anne Tyler

Quarterly Essay 85: Not Waving, Drowning by Sarah Krasnostein

Dinner with the Schnabels by Toni Jordan

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

Brunswick Street Blues by Sally Bothroyd

Our best-seller from the past week is futuristic novel The Candy…

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Treehouse Tales by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat by Monica McInerney

Dear Greta by Yvette Poshoglian

Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup: Book 1 by Andy Sagar

Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire 15 by Tui T. Sutherland

The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan by Felice Arena

Sugar by Carly Nugent

When You’re Older by Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Judy Watson

The Tale of Peter Rabbit Picture Book by Beatrix Potter

Every Heart…

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Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell

In Sydney one bright clear day, a high-profile barrister is publicly gunned down on the courthouse steps. Not long after, another bloke in Melbourne suffers the same fate, and then another in Sydney. Before long, the violence escalates across Australia and more blokes are dead. Yeah, that’s right, the victims are all men. Empathetic yet steely detective Emilia Hart, a seasoned investigator of family and gendered violence, witnesses the first death, and is…

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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.

Tracy Hwang is reading Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

I was lucky enough to have been given an early copy of Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (publishing next week on 12 April), and upon finishing it I felt so grateful to have been able to read it—not…

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The shortlist for this year’s International Booker Prize has been announced!

The International Booker Prize celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world. The prize is awarded every year for a single book that is translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. It aims to encourage more publishing and reading of quality works of imagination from all over the world, and to give greater recognition to the role of translators.The contribution of both author…

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Jennifer Egan won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (among other awards) for her superb 2010 novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. It was a runaway staff favourite at Readings that year too, and remains one of our backlist stalwarts. It’s such a good book! So it’s with considerable anticipation that we look forward to having The Candy House in store, our Book of the Month for April. Described in some places as a ‘sibling’ novel to Goon Squad…

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Cinnamon and Salt by Emiko Davies

I fell hard for Emiko Davies’ recipes when she released Tortellini at Midnight. The title of the book inspired me, but the recipes were what kept her book in constant rotation at my place, partly because they’re easy and partly because they’re equipped to cope with a busy lifestyle and hordes of hungry family members. Davies is an Australia-born author based in Florence (I know!) known for her focus on regional Italian food.

…

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To escape doom scrolling, national disasters and news of the pending election, I’m treating this month like it’s 2019. And to be perfectly frank, this month of wonderful events makes my quest very easy. We burst into March with the pure elation of being able to hold live events again, and long may it continue. If that was you on the MPavilion lawn listening to hip-hop, or you squeezed into a corner listening to poetry at the Carlton or St…

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Pre-Covid, publishers would occasionally take booksellers out for drinks or dinner with one of their authors. Several years ago, Text Publishing had a function for Helen Garner. Sean O’Beirne, who also works as a bookseller, attended and was placed next to Helen. The two hit it off ; Sean, Helen and another writer began to meet regularly to talk about all sorts of things. Helen would read Sean’s work, really read it, and when Sean’s first collection of short fiction…

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Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

True North by Catherine Deveny

Dinner With the Schnabels by Toni Jordan

Childless by Sian Prior

Quarterly Essay 85: Not Waving, Drowning by Sarah Krasnostein

Uncaged Sky by Kylie Moore-Gilbert

French Braid by Anne Tyler

Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

Mother by Jane Caro

Our best-seller from the past week is much anticipated Ten Steps to Nanette, which follows comedian Hannah Gadsby’s journey from…

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Treehouse Tales by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire 15 by Tui T. Sutherland

Weirdo 18: Weird History by Anh Do

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Milo Finds $105 by Matt Stanton

Bluey: Baby Race by Bluey

Skydragon 4: Brave the Storm by Anh Do

Sugar by Carly Nugent

Babysitters Club Graphic Novel 11: Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye by Ann M. Martin & Gabriela Epstein

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Rocketing to…

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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.

Baz Ozturk is reading Little Misunderstandings of No Importance by Antonio Tabucchi

I just finished the short story collection Little Misunderstandings of No Importance by Antonio Tabucchi. It was recently published, along with the novels Pereira Maintains and Requiem, by Penguin in their Modern Classics series. Discovering Tabucchi was one of the highlights…

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This month we’re offering 20% off a select range of beautiful art & design books both in-store and online!

For online customers, simply buy any title from our beautiful art & design books collection, use the code 20ARTDESIGN at checkout and receive a 20% discount on participating titles.

For in store customers, simply head into one of our stores to browse the collection and on top of 20% off, your purchase will place you in the running…

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The shortlist for this year’s Dylan Thomas Prize has been announced.

The Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize is awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under. The Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama.

Namita Gokhale, Chair of Judges, said of the shortlist: ‘The longlist for the 2022 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize was one of the strongest…

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The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Book of the Year Awards shortlists for 2021. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, editors and publishers!

Here are the shortlists for each category:

Older Readers (for ages 13-18 years)

The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough

Girls in Boys’ Cars by Felicity Castagna

How to Repaint a Life by Steven Herrick

Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix

Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim

Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn

…

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The weather is getting cooler and it’s time for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. What better occasion to encourage kids to get in the kitchen and do some cooking? The rewards are bountiful (never mind the mess!).

Here are some delightful stories that include recipes, as well as cookbooks that will inspire even the youngest budding chefs to get into the kitchen, have delicious, edible fun, and learn new skills!

A Sprinkle of Sadie by Lana Spasevski

Say hello…

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My Accidental Career by Brenda Niall

Quarterly Essay 85: Not Waving, Drowning by Sarah Krasnostein

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

One Hundred Days by Alice Pung

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

The Shortest History of the Soviet Union by Sheila Fitzpatrick

First Astronomers by Duane Hamacher

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford

Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl

Bob Hawke by Troy Bramston

Our best-seller from the past week is the biography of one of Australia’s most renowned biographers…

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Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire 15 by Tui T. Sutherland

Pierre the Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky by Hiro Kamigaki

When You’re Older by Sofie Laguna & Judy Watson

Bluey: Baby Race by Bluey

The Chameleon Thief by Mat Larkin

Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing & David Hardy

The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Possum Magic by Mem Fox & Julie Vivas

Claris: Fashion Show Fiasco by…

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For book clubs drawn to queer retellings…

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry…

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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.

Mike Shuttleworth is reading Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs

A recent episode of the Backlisted Podcast prompted me to dig into the shelves for a copy of Fungus the Bogeyman, the Raymond Briggs graphic novel of 1977. Briggs, a graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art, takes the reader on…

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March has delivered plenty of engaging new releases that would be excellent reads to provoke discussion among young people in book clubs!

Below are our top picks for book clubs this month.

For readers aged 5-9

What Snail Knows by Kathryn Apel

Lucy and Dad move a lot, so it’s hard to make friends. Luckily she has Snail to keep her company. But when she finds somewhere she wants to stay, can she convince her dad?

Themes include:

loneliness

belonging

…

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OUR FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

Hovering by Rhett Davis

Reviewed by

Alice has landed back on home turf, and she’s certain the taxi from the airport is going in the wrong direction to get her into Fraser, the fictional Australian city that she’s returning to after 16 years of life lived overseas. She’s vaguely heard that things – buildings mainly – are literally moving around in the city, so does that explain the change in the road’s coordinates? She…

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Australiana by Yumna Kassab

This is Yumna Kassab’s second novel and, as the name suggests, it is a collection of stories and ideas from an assembly of characters that together represent a narrative of rural Australia. Like a kaleidoscope scanning the drought-stricken landscape of a small town, the stories come in interconnected fragments. Kassab uses both prose and poetry and often gives the reader different reflections on the same scene.

Read Kara Nicholson’s full review

Loveland by Robert Lukins

Loveland…

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The longlists for the 2022 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced! The ABIAs celebrate the best books of the year, as judged by Australian book industry members.

Below are the longlisted titles from across the 12 ABIA categories.

Biography Book of the Year

Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota

The Mother Wound by Amani Haydar

Daring to Fly by Lisa Millar

Turns Out, I’m Fine by Judith Lucy

Power Play by Julia Banks

How We Love by Clementine Ford

…

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In Melbourne, it’s time for the annual Comedy Festival. We all need a laugh more than ever, and who doesn’t love to hear the sound of kids laughing? Our Aussie comedians are a prolific bunch, so it’s time to celebrate books written by Australian comedians…

Rockstar Detectives by Adam Hills

When a priceless painting goes missing, Charley - a 12-year-old viral singing sensation - and her best friend George - camera whizz and budding comedian - are shocked to discover…

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We’re pleased to be offering an additional 40% off many of our already reduced bargain books!

Simply use the code SUPERBARGAIN to receive an additional 40% off some a select range of best selling books. You can find our full collection of eligible Super Bargain books here. This offer is online only, on select in-stock items, while stocks last. This offer is not available in shops.

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The Competition by Katherine Collette

The Shortest History of the Soviet Union by Sheila Fitzpatrick

Give Unto Others by Donna Leon

First Astronomers by Duane Hamacher

Love Stories by Trent Dalton

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

Bob Hawke by Troy Bramston

Son of Sin by Omar Sakr

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly

Our best-seller from the past week is Katherine Collette’s novel, The Competition. The story follows Frances who is drawn…

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Pierre the Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky by Hiro Kamigaki

Little Matilda by Caz Goodwin

When You’re Older by Sofie Laguna & Judy Watson

League of Liars by Astrid Scholte

Families by Jane Godwin & Yael Frankel

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Dare to be Different by Ben Brooks

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Every Heart Sings by Patricia Piccinini

Abigail Fig: Secret Agent Pig by Megan Hess

Our…

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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.

Mark Rubbo is reading The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn

I picked up a copy of a book we have on the bargain table called The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn.

Raynor’s husband, Moth, has a brain disease that can’t be cured. Raynor has a strong connection to nature and finds power and…

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These sparkling debuts are written by some of the most exciting emerging voices in fiction. Browse some of our March highlights below or browse our ongoing collection for debut fiction in 2022 here.

Hovering by Rhett Davis

Alice stands outside her family’s 1950s red brick veneer, unsure if she should approach. It has been sixteen years, but it’s clear she is out of options. Lydia opens the door to a familiar stranger - thirty-nine, tall, bony, pale. She knows…

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It was with great sadness that we learned beloved English children’s author and illustrator, Shirley Hughes, died recently at the age of 94. Her contribution to the world of children’s literature cannot be underestimated and her chaotic, realistic scenes of everyday family life were enjoyed by generations. She began her career as an artist and illustrator but went on to create some of the most famous character’s in children’s picture books, including Dogger, Alfie, and Lucy and Tom…

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The shortlists for the 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.

The shortlisted books for the 2022 Carnegie Medal:

October, October by Katya Balen, illustrated by Angela Harding

Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin

When the Sky…

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This month’s translated works include a debut fiction collection from an Indonesian poet, an award-winning classic of Japanese crime fiction, and the latest work from the secret Italian superstar, Elena Ferrante.

Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu (tranlated from Indonesian by Tiffany Tsao)

A playful, charged and tender collection of twelve stories – a blend of speculative fiction and dark absurdism, often drawing on Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s Batak and Christian cultures. Pasaribu’s stories ask what it means to be…

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We have some beautiful new kids books to enjoy this month, including a debut picture book by Miles Franklin winning author, Sofie Laguna, as well as a new book by the author of the beloved The Orchard Underground, a junior fiction story featuring the art of street artist, David Booth, and a historical fiction title set in the aftermath of WWI.

You can find our round-up of this month’s recommended YA titles here.

KID’S BOOK OF THE MONTH

…

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This month we have three new fantasy novels to immerse yourself in, including the new book from the author of Four Dead Queens, Astrid Scholte; a story set in a world of ancient magic; and a spooky thriller focused on a notorious party and its aftermath.

For contemporary fiction lovers there are two powerful new Australian novels, one set during an epic road trip and one focusing on a small town and the aftermath of fire. We also have…

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Blak & Bright Festival commences this week and it’s not too late to snap up a ticket to something in this year’s stellar programme.

Blak & Bright is a First Nations Literary Festival based in Naarm (Melbourne). The four day showcase celebrates the diverse expressions of First Nations writers and covers all genres from oral stories to epic novels and plays to poetry. The 2022 Blak & Bright Festival is taking place from 17 – 20 March.

Browse the full…

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Pierre the Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky by Hiro Kamigaki

Looking after Country with Fire by Victor & Sandra Steffensen

League of Liars by Astrid Scholte

When You’re Older by Sofie Laguna & Judy Watson

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Mim and the Woeful Wedding by Katrina Nannestad & Cheryl Orsini

Wandi by Favel Parrett

Welcome to your Boobs by Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes

Families by Jane Godwin & Yael Frankel

Only…

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Loveland by Robert Lukins

The Shortest History of the Soviet Union by Sheila Fitzpatrick

When We’re Not Afraid by Leonie Katekar

Spies & Sparrows by Phillip Deery

Give Unto Others by Donna Leon

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Bob Hawke by Troy Bramston

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

Devotion by Hannah Kent

Still Life by Sarah Winman

Our best-seller from the past week is the local title Loveland, a compassionate and moving novel…

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