1. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
2. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
3. The White Girl by Tony Birch
4. Normal People by Sally Rooney
5. Crossings by Alex Landragin
6. The Autumn Murders by Robert Gott
7. Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson
8. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
9. No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
10. The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie

It is wonderful to see readers connect with Tony Birch’s new novel The White Girl, currently sitting high in last week’s bestsellers list. Birch, a Miles Franklin-shortlisted author, has written a moving, stirring story of family and sacrifice. When Odette Brown’s fair-skinned granddaughter Sissy is in danger of being taken away, she will stop at nothing to protect her family.

For readers looking for a fresh, invigorating take on historical fiction, look no further than Alex Landragin’s Crossings. From the opening pages, the reader is aware this is no ordinary tale: ‘I didn’t write this book. I stole it.’ Elizabeth Gilbert’s new novel, City of Girls, is another dynamic approach to historical fiction: Gilbert has written a boozy, sparkling account of life in the 1940s New York theatre district and readers everywhere have already fallen in love.

And finally, for those of us who like to settle in with excellent crime fiction on these wintery nights, Robert Gott’s new novel The Autumn Murders is a stylish, historical whodunit, written with wit and insight and set in the darkest corners of Melbourne.