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Seven graphic novels that would make great screen adaptions
The television adaptation of the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman hit Netflix and I have already binged the entire season! Here are seven graphic novels I think would make great screen adaptions:
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
Move over Sabrina, there’s a new witch in town. This adorable graphic novel would make an even more adorable television series. Not only is it lots of fun, it also explores serious issues such as bullying, racism and sexism. And there’s a…
Our books of the month, May 2022
OUR FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH
Sunbathing by Isobel Beech
Reviewed by
Sunbathing is the stunning debut novel from Melbourne writer Isobel Beech. It follows the story of a young woman who is invited to stay with her friends Giulia and Fab at Fab’s family home in Abruzzo, in the month prior to their wedding. The village is an oasis, untouched by tourism. The narrator spends lazy days with Giulia and Fab, cooking, gardening, and caring for a stray cat…
The best food & gardening books in May
The Nutmeg Trail: A Culinary Journey along the Ancient Spice Routes by Eleanor Ford
The one and only Yotam Ottolenghi said publicly that Eleanor Ford is a gastronomic archaeologist and I realised with one quick shiver of delight that surely that is the job ofgreat dreams. Ford’s latest book, The Nutmeg Trail: A Culinary Journey along the Ancient Spice Routes is filled with recipes and stories that explore how centuries of spice trading and cultural diffusion changed the world’s cuisine.
…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Bedtime Story by Chloe Hooper
Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen
Yiayia Next Door by Daniel Mancuso and Luke Mancuso
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan
Sunbathing by Isobel Beech
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Wake by Shelley Burr
Then There Was Her by Sophie Cachia
The Palace Papers by Tina Brown
Abomination by Ashley Goldberg.
Our best-seller from the past week is part memoir, part manual from the ever-remarkable Chloe Hooper (The Tall Man, The Arsonist). In Bedtime…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
All the Little Tricky Things by Karys McEwen
How to Tackle Your Dreams by Fiona Hardy
Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
World’s Worst Pets by David Walliams
Bad Guys 15: Open Up and Say Arrrgh! by Aaron Blabey
Real Pigeons Duck Trouble by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon
Heartstopper 1: Netflix Tie-in edition by Alice Oseman
Cat Kid Comic Club 3: On Purpose by Dav Pilkey
Heartstopper: Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
…
The best new crime reads in May
Our crime specialist shares 11 great crime reads to look out for this month.
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH
Wake by Shelley Burr
It has been nearly 20 years since Evelyn McCreery went missing. She went to sleep one night, in the bed next to her twin sister Mina’s; the next morning she was gone, her bed neatly made, no fingerprints on the windowsill, the only tyre tracks around their desolate farm property belonging to the farm cars. All these…
What we're reading: Ali, O’Farrell & Jordan
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.
Chris Gordon is reading Love Marriage by Monica Ali
I’m reading the excellent Love Marriage by bestselling and all-round literary rock star Monica Ali. (I fell in love with her work with one of her first novels, Brick Lane.)
If the book was a dancefloor it would be that part right before…
Unknown: A Refugee’s Story
Akuch Kuol Anyieth’s Unknown is a remarkable memoir. It’s a homage to the strength of her mother in protecting her family against all the odds, a story of sadness, anger, humour, determination, survival and love.
In January 2006, Mathew and Mama took Gai and me to enrol at Western English Language School on South Road in Braybrook.
When we arrived, we waited in front of a little glass booth while Mathew told the woman sitting inside that we had an…
Dear Reader, May 2022
I found tears sliding down my face on the tram earlier this year while reading Chloe Hooper’s Bedtime Story, our wonderful Nonfiction Book of the Month. This exceptional memoir is about illness and mortality, and is an intimate glimpse into the experience of a person and her family whose world is defined in a particular way, for a time, by both those things, when her partner is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. At the heart of the…
On Events, with Chris Gordon
At least we will know. By the end of the month of May, the federal election will have rolled by, and we will know if we live in a political bubble. The month will bring more to us though than just (endless) political discussion. At least we will know that whatever happens in our political arenas, May will bring us valuable – and sorely needed – reflective time. (Oh please, can we just have a little quiet time now?)
To…
Bestselling books from Clunes Booktown
After predictions of dire storms and a torrential downpour on the Friday night, we weren’t sure what to expect for our first post-Covid Booktown. But the sun shone brightly all weekend as thousands of book lovers descended upon the picturesque town of Clunes to hear authors speak and fossick through the many pop-up bookshops and local stores. Visiting authors came to the Readings marquee to sign their books after their talks, with the following books becoming our top sellers:
Mark's Say: May, 2022
In 2001, to mark International Women’s Day, our events manager Chris Gordon organised a panel at Readings Carlton to discuss why women writers were largely overlooked when the major literary prizes were awarded. ‘We were pissed off,’ Chris says. From that night, the Stella Prize was born, and this year marks the awarding of the 10th Stella Prize. Stella drives significant cultural change by elevating the work ofAustralian women and non-binary writers, and although the prize is the most well-known…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper: Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper: Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
Bad Guys 15: Open Up and Say Arrrgh! by Aaron Blabey
My People: Eddies Lil’ Homies by Eddie Betts
Cat Kid Comic Club 3: On Purpose by Dav Pilkey
How to Tackle Your Dreams by Fiona Hardy
Treehouse Tales by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire 15 by Tui Sutherland
The…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen
Yiayia Next Door by Daniel Mancuso and Luke Mancuso
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders Read the Stars by Duane Hamacher
Freezing Order by Bill Browder
Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari
French Braid by Anne Tyler
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
Our best-seller from the past week is the winner of…
Support challenged and banned books for young people
The recent controversy in the United States around year eight students reading Maus caused such a flurry of interest publishers ran out of stock for several months (it’s finally back in stock now).
It has gotten us thinking about other titles that have been challenged for one reason or another. Here we present a collection of some of our children’s and young adult favourites that have a history of being challenged or banned in school libraries across America.
Drama by…
We test out recipes from Yiayia Next Door
Recently we tested out a selection of recipes from Yiayia Next Door, the cookbook put together by brothers Luke and Daniel Mancuso, their favourite Yiayia next door, and other yiayias from around Australia. This cookbook is about the powerful connections we forge when we share a meal with someone across the table - or even over the fence.
Lucky for us, Luke and Daniel Manusco stopped by to select the best re-creation of a recipe from their book. Below…
What we're reading: Dick, Krakauer & Leigh
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.
Joanna Di Mattia is reading They by Kay Dick
It really, truly is the case that the less you know about Kay Dick’s tense, haunting, perfectly controlled novella before you start to read it, the better. So I’ll say little more than that and that it’s one of the best books I’ve read…
Evelyn Araluen wins the 2022 Stella Prize
Evelyn Araluen has been named the winner of the 2022 Stella Prize for her debut collection of poetry, Dropbear.
Dropbear interrogates the complexities of colonial and personal history with an alternately playful, tender and mournful intertextual voice, deftly navigating the responsibilities that gather from sovereign country, the spectres of memory and the debris of settler-coloniality.
Chair of the judging panel, Melissa Lucashenko, said of the collection: ‘When you read Evelyn Araluen’s Dropbear, you’ll be taken on a wild…
The Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist 2022
The shortlist for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced!
The Women’s Prize for Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze figurine known as a ‘Bessie’, created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed.
Below are the six shortlisted books for the 2022 prize.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
The life of Marian Graves has always…
Contemporary YA based on classic novels
There are some classic stories that we can never forget reading when we were young. Authors too become inspired (or even obsessed!) by their favourite books, to the extent that they sometimes write homages to them, which may have some elements of the classic but have also been radically re-imagined. Here are some of our favourite contemporary YA stories and the classic teen novels that inspired them:
If you loved The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, then you will…
Q&A with Daniel and Luke Mancuso (Yiayia Next Door)
We chat with the two brothers who, with the help of their community and a very special yiayia, are responsible for compiling the collection of recipes, Yiayia Next Door.
Your beautiful heartfelt cookbook is only part of the story, but let’s concentrate on that now. This a book that celebrates neighbours and community and being the best you can be. Can you tell me the first meal Yiayia cooked you both and why it has remained a favourite?
It…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Favourite first lines in literature
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…
What we're reading: Mellors, Davis & Allinson
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…
A spotlight on translated fiction this month
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Debut fiction to read this month
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 ……
Recommended children's books and news for April
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…
Recommended YA books and news for April
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…
Our books of the month, April 2022
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…
Clunes Booktown Festival is back!
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…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
The best new crime reads in April
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…
What we're reading: McGuire, Miller & Li
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…
The 2022 International Booker Prize shortlist
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…
Record Store Day 2022
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Record Store Day, we are offering 15% off vinyl* for the month of April at Readings Carlton, Hawthorn and St Kilda!
★ Shopping in-store? Get 15% off all full-priced, in-stock vinyl during the month of April.
*This offer is not valid on special orders, items on hold or Record Store Day exclusives.
★ Shopping online? To ensure our online customers don’t miss out on the fun, we’re offering 15% off 15 of our best…
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
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…
The best food & gardening books of the month
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.
…
On events, with Chris Gordon
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…
Mark's Say: April, 2022
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…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
What we're reading: Tabucchi, Ratajkowski & Lo
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…
20% off art & design favourites + your chance to win!
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…
The Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist 2022
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…
The Stella Prize Shortlist 2022
Congratulations to the six authors shortlisted for this year’s Stella Prize. This $50,000 prize is awarded for the best work of literature, fiction or non-fiction, published in 2021 by an Australian woman or non-binary person.
Chair of the 2022 Stella Prize judging panel, Melissa Lucashenko, says: ‘The 2022 Stella Prize shortlist is big on emerging voices writing in unconventional ways – from regions, positions, and literary forms that transcend the mainstream. These authors are writing back, insisting that ‘other’ lives…
CBCA Book of the Year Awards Shortlists 2022
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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