News
Cooking with kids
by Angela CrocombeThe 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…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Our top picks of the month for book clubs
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…
What we're reading: Briggs, Caro & Clarke
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…
Top picks of the month for Kids and YA book clubs
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
…
Our books of the month, March 2022
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…
Eight Australian fiction titles to pick up this month
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…
The 2022 ABIA longlists
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
…
Books by comedians for kids
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…
Super Bargains
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.
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
What we're reading: Winn, Reid & Scholte
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…
Debut fiction to read this month
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…
Vale Shirley Hughes
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…
The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals shortlists 2022
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
A spotlight on works in translation
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…
Recommended children's books and news for March
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
…
Recommended YA books and news for March
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…
Blak & Bright Festival is taking place this week
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…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
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…
What we're reading: Hinton & Gardner
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.
Tye Cattanach is reading The Loudness of Unsaid Thing by Hilde Hinton
I meant to read The Loudness of Unsaid Things at the same time everyone else was reading it, but somehow, it just never happened that way. Then, I was asked to read and review Hinton’s forthcoming novel - A Solitary Walk…
An extract from The Future Is Fungi
The Future Is Fungi explores the mighty mycelial reach of fungi across four key areas: food, medicine, psychedelics and the environment. With mushroom profiles, informative texts on foraging and glorious 3D art, it’s a fascinating introduction to this hidden kingdom.
Nothing alive exists in isolation. To be alive means to be part of an intricate, sprawling web of cause and effect. Our lives are interwoven with that of plants, animals, bacteria and fungi, forming the beating heart of the planet…
I'm with the band – music themed YA
Who doesn’t love a juicy story with behind the scenes gossip about the music world, filled with tempestuous singers, badly behaved drummers, stifled songwriters and giggling fans? Well, it turns out that young adult fiction is filled with these stories and they truly are a lot of fun. Here’s a few of our favourite musician and music themed YA stories.
Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young
Back in San Francisco, Alice took regular singing lessons. But since their diplomat mom…
The Women's Prize for Fiction longlist 2022
The longlist 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 sixteen longlisted books for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith
…
Small press & self-published highlights
At Readings, we consider supporting small publishers and self-published authors to be an important responsibility, and we offer the opportunity for titles to be left on a consignment basis at our shops. Below are a number of titles that are currently available both in-store and online.
Love, Lee Street by Carlton North Primary School
Featuring over 130 recipes from local families as well as local community restaurants, bars and cafes, including Gerald’s Bar, Florian, Babajan, The Brandon, Clay Organics and…
Prose by your favourite poets
These poetic novels and works of non-fiction and memoir are from some of our most beloved and revered poets!
Son of Sin by Omar Sakr
An estranged father. An abused and abusive mother. An army of relatives. A tapestry of violence, woven across generations and geographies, from Turkey to Lebanon to Western Sydney. This is the legacy left to Jamal Smith, a young queer Muslim trying to escape a past in which memory and rumour trace ugly shapes in the…
The best new crime reads in March
Our crime specialist shares 10 great crime reads to look out for this month.
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH
When We Fall by Aoife Clifford
As she walks along the beach with her mother, discouraged barrister Alex Tillerson wishes she wasn’t back in her childhood town of Merritt. Alex is going through a painful divorce, her mother’s health is deteriorating due to younger onset dementia, and Merritt holds no good memories. She wants to leave, but there’s nobody to go…
On events, with Chris Gordon
Anyone who has watched me on Zoom over the last two years will know that I often ask you to imagine the perfect literary event. It goes like this: first, your outing to a Readings shop is easy; the tram is on time, or you find a carpark within striking distance of our shop. From there you saunter to a nearby café where you meet with friends and enjoy a refreshing beverage, before walking through the glass doors into Readings…
International Women's Day books for kids and teens
by Angela CrocombeHappy International Women’s Day! It’s a day to celebrate women and their achievements - past, present and future - and we are blessed with many great books that articulate the lives of remarkable women. Here are a few recent titles about amazing women to both educate and inspire young people.
Courageous Queens by Angela Buckingham
A story collection about women with power and how they used it.
These queen stories are not fairytales for small children. They are true tales…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Sadvertising by Ennis Cehic
Hovering by Rhett Davis
Give Unto Others by Donna Leon
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
The Shortest History of the Soviet Union by Sheila Fitzpatrick
When We Fall by Aoife Clifford
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
The Idea of Australia by Julianne Schultz
Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood
Goodnight, Vivienne, Goodnight by Steven Carroll
Our best-seller from the past week is Sadvertising, a fantastic collection of short stories from an emerging writer…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Pierre the Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky by Hiro Kamigaki
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
When You’re Older by Sofie Laguna & Judy Watson
Arabella’s Adventure Alphabet by Suzy Zail
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Our Planet: The One Place we all call Home by Matt Whyman & Richard Jones
Abigail Fig: Secret Agent Pig by Megan Hess
You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
Rockstar Detectives by Adam…
What we're reading: Hartnett, Miller & Scholte
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.
Tye Cattanach is reading Go Home, Cat! by Sonya Hartnett, illustrated by Lucia Masciullo
Isn’t liquorice a delicious word? If you didn’t think so before, you certainly will once you have revelled in the magical new picture book from the uber talented Sonya Hartnett. A gorgeous (and long awaited) sequel to Come Down,…
An extract from the new anthology, We've Got This
More than 15 per cent of Australian households have a parent with a disability. This month, a new anthology, We’ve Got This: Stories by Disabled Parents, shines a spotlight on those stories that are rarely shared in parenting literature. In this edited extract, contributor Jax Jacki Brown writes about their experience.
‘Do you want to have kids some day?’ I asked her on a cold winter’s night, while we waited for a cab in Fitzroy.
Before meeting Anne, I’d…
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
As I write, it does feel like things are, ever-so-slowly, coming back to life in Melbourne. More people are out and about, dinners are being had, and there’s something approaching a renewed confidence in this (possibly temporary?) status quo. As far as books go, though, it’s all systems go, and March is full of big ones. Margaret Atwood, as our reviewer points out, needs no introduction, so her essay collection, Burning Questions was always going to be our Nonfiction Book…
25% off 25 fiction favourites
Right now we have an exclusive online offer on a select range of popular fiction titles! Buy any title from our fiction favourites collection, use the code 25OFF at checkout and receive a 25% discount on the eligible titles. This offer runs online only until 31 March, on select in-stock items only, while stocks last. This offer is not available in shops.
Find some of our staff’s recommendations below or discover the full selection here.
Mark's Say: Readings Foundation
Around 2008, when it became apparent that thanks to the community’s support, Readings would survive the onslaught of Borders, we decided we needed to acknowledge that support and the efforts of our staff in a tangible and ongoing way. We resolved to give a total of 20% of our profits to the community and staff each year. A year later in 2009, we established the Readings Foundation to support literacy and the arts in the Victorian community.
Since that time…
The Stella Prize longlist 2022
The longlist for this year’s Stella Prize has been announced! The Stella Prize seeks to elevate the work of Australian women writers – cis, trans, and non-binary inclusive. The $50,000 prize is awarded annually to one outstanding book deemed to be original, excellent, and engaging.
Below are the 12 longlisted books for the 2022 Stella Prize.
Coming of Age in the War on Terror by Randa Abdel-Fattah
We now have a generation - Muslim and non-Muslim - who have grown…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Our Planet: The One Place we all call Home by Matt Whyman & Richard Jones
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Only A Monster by Vanessa Len
Welcome to your Boobs by Yumi Stynes & Melissa Kang
Ninja Kid 9: Ninja Fish by Anh Do
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beatty & David Roberts
The First Scientists by Corey Tutt
Friday Barnes 10: Undercover by R.A. Spratt
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again by David Walliams
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
The Future Is Fungi by Michael Lim & Yun Shu
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
Still Life by Sarah Winman
On Reckoning by Amy Remeikis
The Big Switch by Saul Griffith
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Making Australian History by Anna Clark
Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie
Maid by Nita Prose
Our best-seller from the past week is the wonderful The Future Is Fungi, an informative and richly illustrated guide to…
Recommended reading: short story collections
We love short stories and their unique ability to distill so much insight and entertainment with artful brevity and fervour. This month we’re highlighting six collections that have recently hit our shelves.
Send Nudes by Saba Sams
A motherless teenage girl, daughter of the town butcher, falls into a relationship with a much older boy, but realises she’d rather have the love of his dog. A directionless university student is taken up by beautiful, chaotic party girl Lara, who moves…
What we're reading: Keyes, Smith & Dahl
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.
Julia Jackson is reading Cooper Not Out by Justin Smith
I’ve read many a cricket book in my lifetime, from the Iceman’s Captain’s Diaries right through to Duncan Hamilton’s erudite biography of cricket laureate Neville Cardus, but I haven’t read a cricket book as downright fun as Cooper Not Out.
Here, Justin…
Six Australian fiction titles to pick up this month
It’s been a slow beginning for locally published works this year but we’re so excited to finally see a flurry of new local releases hitting our shelves. Below are six excellent titles that landed this February.
28 Questions by Indyana Schneider
When first-year music student Amalia stumbles into her Oxford college bar, she has no idea that everything is about to change. Seated across from her is Alex, a velvety-voiced fellow Australian with eyes the colour of her native sky…
Spotlight on recent translated books for children and young adults
In recent months there have been a number of uniquely beautiful books in translation for children and young adults. From a picture book by one of Sweden’s most beloved authors, a hilarious book about a dad trying to keep their child busy during lockdown, to a story set in Nazi Germany and more. Read on to discover these unique perspectives.
The Tale of the Tiny Man by Barbro Lindgren & Eva Nilsson (translated from the Swedish language by Julia Marshall)
…
CBCA Notable Books of 2022
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Notable Books for 2022. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers!
The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature. The CBCA Awards were first presented in 1946 and are the longest-running book awards in Australia.
Here are the notable books for each category:
Older Readers
Books in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and are appropriate in style…
Five books to help curb your consumption
Too many things in your cart or on your wish-list? These books can help you think more critically about what you’re buying, where you’re buying it from, and why we – as a society – feel so compelled to consume in the first place.
Consumed by Aja Barber
In the ‘learning’ first half of the book, Barber will expose you to the endemic injustices in our consumer industries and the uncomfortable history of the textile industry; one which brokered slavery…
Our children's and YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing
Only A Monster by Vanessa Len
The First Scientists by Corey Tutt
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Your School is the Best by Maggie Hutchings
The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre by Clare Povey
Rockstar Detectives by Adam Hills
Nature’s Treasures by Ben Hoare
Our Planet: The One Place we all call Home by Matt Whyman & Richard Jones
Adam Goodes again takes out the…
Our top 10 bestsellers of the week
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Violeta Isabel Allende
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Love Marriage by Monica Ali
On Reckoning by Amy Remeikis
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
All About Love by Bell Hooks
Our best-seller from the past week is Jessica Au’s, Cold Enough for Snow. Our reviewer and Readings Monthly editor Jackie Tang says of…
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