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Great new Australian middle fiction
There's lots of wonderful new middle fiction coming out, so we've put together a roundup of our latest favourites from Aussie authors. From fantasy adventures about strange conspiracies or wild chases, to realistic fiction about school projects and fresh starts, these titles will delight any young reader.
By Bren MacDibble
Bastienne Scull is a young orphan who lives with the local Witnesser of Miracles, Lodyma Darsey, who investigates 'miraculous events' and spins them into stories she tells…
Top picks for book clubs this month
Australian fiction | Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran
After arriving in Australia seeking asylum, Fina dedicates herself to aiding the refugees held in a detention centre at Port Camden, a remote island outpost. Appalled by the mistreatment of those in custody, Fina speaks out to the media about the poor conditions within the facility, as a result she is arrested, taken from her home in the small country town of Hastings and threatened with deportation.
When a security officer dies…
A spotlight on translated fiction this month
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Swedish, Japanese, Italian, Icelandic and French!
Antiquity by Hanna Johansson (translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson)
Antiquity follows its unnamed narrator, a lonely woman in her thirties who becomes enamoured of a chic older artist, Helena, after interviewing her for a magazine. Helena invites the narrator to join her in the Greek city of Ermoupoli where she summers with her teenage daughter Olga. At first an object of jealousy, Olga morphs into an…
Erpenbeck & Hofmann win the 2024 International Booker Prize
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from German by Michael Hofmann, was announced last night as the winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize. The joint win encompasses two significant firsts for the prize, with Jenny Erpenbeck becoming the first German writer and Michael Hofmann the first male translator to win the International Booker Prize.
Kairos is the intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic…
Why you need to read All Fours by Miranda July
Miranda July's second novel All Fours is now available, and our booksellers are desperate to share their excitement for this new title! Following a 45-year-old woman's unexpected journey of reinvention, All Fours has been described by the publisher as 'new and thrillingly, profoundly alive'.
Somehow not convinced? Read our staff thoughts below to see why you need to pick it up ASAP.
All Fours is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It is…
Romance heroes more swoonworthy than Colin Bridgerton
New episodes of the Bridgerton Netflix series are finally here, but if you're finding Penelope's new look to be the highlight and Colin to be mostly forgettable, try one of these books! The romantic leads will be living in your head rent-free.
For more regency vibes
Reputation by Lex Croucher
Reputation by Lex Croucher is as much about friendship as it a romance, but it has the diversity (and wilder side) of the Bridgerton show, with even more wit and…
At Home with Chris Gordon, the best lifestyle books of the month
Ela! Ela!: To Turkey and Greece, a Journey Home Through Food by Ella Mittas
Are you wistfully dreaming of travelling through Turkey and the Greek islands, but all you can afford is a souvlaki on Sydney Road? Ella Mittas, who was taught to cook by chefs including Annie Smithers, has you covered in her first collection of recipes, essays and memories. From her home in Melbourne she bounces off to the most stunning places, using each chapter to highlight the…
What We're Reading: Sahota, Lu & Tóibín
Each week our wonderful staff share the books and music that they've been enjoying.
Mark Rubbo is reading The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota
I've been reading the The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota. It's a political novel about race, class and identity but its also a novel about trauma and denial. Set in contemporary England, I found it absolutely riveting.
Nayan has risen through union ranks and with his emphasis on better conditions for the members he's immensely popular…
The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2024 longlist
The 2024 longlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced! The Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates novels of the highest literary merit that tell stories about Australian life, shining a light on some of the country’s most talented writers. The winner receives $60,000.
Below are the ten longlisted titles:
Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari
Wall by Jen Craig
Strangers at the Port by Lauren Aimee Curtis
Anam by André Dao
The Bell of the World by Gregory…
Foreword with Joe Rubbo
In this month’s issue of the Readings Monthly I was lucky enough to interview Colm Tóibín about his latest novel, Long Island. Colm Tóibín is a novelist I admire for his clear, beautiful style and the way he is able to make you so invested in the lives of his characters. I love all his novels based in County Wexford, The Heather Blazing being my favourite, but also his big fictional biographies like the very recent The Magician…
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