For book clubs who want to lean into our current situation… The End of October by Lawrence Wright

At an internment camp in Indonesia, 47 people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. Henry Parsons – microbiologist, epidemiologist – travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, and what he finds will have repercussions across the globe: an infected man is…

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In this final instalment of Chris Gordon’s self-isolation cooking diary, she looks to planning a future feast in gratitude of others.

Likely, you are reading this column because you are part of the Readings family. You believe that independent bookshops make a difference to our community, that they are worthy of support. And as restrictions around Covid-19 begin to relax and our social paramet…

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Due to the relaxing of some COVID-19 restrictions, we’re delighted to announce that our shops are open to the public again.

We are so excited to be open for business again, but we are also focused on creating a safe environment for our staff and customers.

We are requiring customers to use the available hand sanitiser upon entry, practice social distancing of 1.5m, and keep their visit to withi…

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The winners of the annual Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) were announced last night and Readings is honoured to have won this year’s Book Retailer of the Year award!

Managing Director Mark Rubbo says: “I am honoured to receive this recognition, especially in such a turbulent time. It is an award for the whole company and an acknowledgement of the hard work of all my colleagues.”

Below i…

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He Started It by Samantha Downing

To say a book has a twist is sometimes a spoiler: you’ll find yourself living in a constant state of suspense, waiting for when it’ll happen. I don’t think saying that He Started It has twists is any kind of spoiler, because, dear reader, this book is absolutely packed with them. Every chapter ends with a new shock. Surprises come out of every corner. And I lo…

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If you’re looking to read more works in translation this year, we’ve compiled a list of nine new works of fiction that bring you voices from around the world. I’m Staying Here by Marco Balzano (translated by Jill Foulston)

Curon, 1920. In a small village in South Tyrol, Trina longs for a different life. She dedicates herself to becoming a teacher, but the year that she qualifies Mussolini’s…

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If you’re in need a bookish pick-me-up, we’ve put together some of some recent reads that have lifted our spirits and made us feel a little more hopeful. Our suggested boosters include the very best of art and culture, public policy, activism, Indigenous poetry, self-reflection, philosophy and radical visions for the future – in short, every kind of inspiration we can find! Phosphorescence …

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The 2020 longlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced.

Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian of the State Library of NSW and head of the Award judging panel, says: “This year’s Miles Franklin longlist is a mix of established and newer Australian authors. Their novels give voice to a diversity of Australian characters whose common feature is their location on the margins, wheth…

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Phosphorescence by Julia Baird A Bigger Picture by Malcolm Turnbull Preserving the Italian Way by Pietro Demaio The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams Normal People by Sally Rooney The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Friends and Rivals by Brenda Niall

Our top…

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Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas (available 1 June) Landing with Wings by Trace Balla The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Real Pigeons Peck Punches (Real Pigeons, Book 5) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Woo…

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