For book cubs willing to go to dark places…

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

13-year-old Jojo is one of the three narrators in this richly evocative novel from National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward. This tender-hearted yet resilient teenager lives with his grandparents in rural Mississippi, where he’s become the primary carer for his toddler sister, Kayla. When their father is released from prison, Jojo’s mother packs the children into her car with a friend, and together they set off to collect him. Part road novel, part ghost story, Sing, Unburied, Sing examines the ugly truths at the heart of the American story.

For a sophisticated dinner party…

The Life to Come by Michelle De Kretser

Michelle De Kretser is a dazzling writer, and the recipient of numerous literary awards. Set over Sydney, Paris and Sri Lanka, her sprawling new novel is smart and politically engaged with a cutting sense of humour – and it’s ripe for discussion. In its pages we meet Pippa, a jealous and delusional writer who longs for success, along with a cast of other flawed, relatable characters. Doncaster bookseller Ellen Cregan calls this novel a ‘fantastic example of contemporary Australian literature’. You can read her full review here.

For a get-together with friends…

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk returns in another addictive crime thriller from bestselling author Jane Harper. Five women reluctantly head out on a hike together at a corporate retreat. Only four return. The disappearance is of particular importance to Falk. The missing bushwalker – Alice Russell – is the whistleblower in his latest case and she was full of secrets. As he attempts to unravel the mystery, he soon realises that the dangers ran far deeper than even he suspected.

For a late-night meeting at a bar…

Dancing Home by Paul Collis

Part road-movie, part ‘Koori-noir’, Dancing Home announces an original and darkly funny new voice. Fresh out of prison and driven by a hunger for drugs and revenge, as well as a longing to reconnect with his grandmother’s country, Blackie embarks on a road trip back to Wiradjuri country together with his former cellmate, Rips, and friend, Carlos. This is a high-stakes, fast-paced page-turner, that also deftly and powerfully explores the injustices faced by Indigenous Australians in contemporary life.

For a feminist book club …

Drawing Sybylla by Odette Kelada

In this original and ambitious debut, Odette Kelada looks at the challenges faced by women in pursuing the writing life. The novel opens with a woman named Sybil Jones on stage. She is talking about the significance of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. Behind her sits a panel of writers, one of which is drawing Sybil’s likeness in a daze. Without warning, the Sybil in the writer’s drawing starts to move, just like the women behind Gilman’s wallpaper. She takes the writer by the hand and leads her down into the paper and into the real and imagined lives of Australia’s women writers.

For a joyful and optimistic brunch…

Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist

From husband and wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist, Two Steps Forward is a smart, funny and romantic story that takes place on the Camino de Santiago. Zoe, a sometime artist from California, and Martin, an engineer from Yorkshire, have each decided to make a new start by setting out alone to walk the 2,000km from picturesque Cluny to Santiago – following the footsteps of pilgrims who have walked the Camino for centuries. As their paths cross and recross, these two very different people might just discover a kindred spirit in each other.

For a book club filled with writers…

First Person by Richard Flanagan

First Person is Richard Flanagan’s first novel since winning the Man Booker Prize in 2014, and our Managing Director Mark Rubbo calls it the author’s best work to date. Kif Kehlmann, a young penniless writer, is rung in the middle of the night by the notorious con man and corporate criminal, Siegfried Heidl. About to go to trial for defrauding the banks of $700 million, Heidl offers Kehlmann the job of ghostwriting his memoir. He has six weeks to write the book, for which he’ll be paid $10,000. But as the writing gets under way, Kehlmann begins to fear that he is being corrupted by Heidl…

For stepping back in time…

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Manhattan Beach is Jennifer Egan’s follow-up to her genre-defying and captivating Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. This is a remarkable work of historical fiction that comes with a glowing recommendation from our operations manager Robbie Egan, who writes: ‘A brilliant, visceral portrayal of the time, and a haunting portrayal of the fractured nature of human consciousness.’ Read his full review here.