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Our books of the month, November 2023

Explore our books of the month for November; each of the below titles has been read and recommended by our booksellers before being selected as our book of the month for its category.

FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

Women & Children by Tony Birch

Reviewed by Ruby Grinter, Readings Carlton

'Tony Birch crafts a story that perfectly encapsulates the innocence of childhood, and the creeping recognition of how the world ignores the voices of women and girls.'

Lovely, mischievous…

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Thoughtful picture books for tough days

These recently published picture books are just the thing for when days don't go to plan.

Woo Hoo! You’re Doing Great! by Sandra Boynton

Whether you are learning to skate, baking a cake, or even making a mistake, this hilarious and heartfelt rhyming book reminds us that trying our best is reason to celebrate. From children trying to master new skills to adults who had a hard week at work, we all get overwhelmed sometimes and need reassurance. And who…

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A spotlight on translated fiction this month

This month we're reading fiction translated from Korean, French, German, Portuguese & Albanian.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (translated from Korean by Shanna Tan)

Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.

In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and…

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News from the Readings x Ubud Writers and Readers Festival trip

by Chris Gordon

Recently our own Mark Rubbo and Chris Gordon accompanied a group of Melbourne readers to the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

First, and most importantly Mark Rubbo and I were delighted to welcome new friends to the tour. What a joy to meet in a tropical (read: very hot) environment with people that love to talk, share, drink (gin and tonics being firm favourite bevvy of choice) and read! Our type of people.

On the first night of the tour…

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A recipe from Rumi by Joseph Abboud

Rumi is a wonderful collection of over 60 recipes from chef and restaurant owner Joseph Abboud. Below, we're pleased to share a recipe from this heartfelt – and delicous – collection of recipes.

Freekeh, feta and pomegranate salad

Freekeh is wheat, picked green (young) and then toasted or smoked. It comes from the Arabic word farik, which refers to the rubbing of the grains to remove their husks. It’s highly nutritious and it seems the more you eat, the better

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The Gab Williams Prize inaugural winner

The Gab Williams Prize seeks to acknowledge the contribution of young adult author and immediate past manager of The Readings Prize, Gabrielle Williams, who passed away early in 2023.

Unlike the other prize winners, which are chosen by panels of Readings booksellers this prize has been chosen by teens themselves, all aged between 14 to 18, and all participants in The Readings Teen Advisory Board. The board read the shortlist for The Readings Young Adult Prize and came together to…

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Decent people, a leering myna, and an unexpected inheritance

by Robyn Annear

To celebrate the release of her new book, Corners of Melbourne, award-winning author Robyn Annear very kindly investigated the history of a street corner well known to Readings Carlton and Kids customers – Carlton’s Tyne Street. Here, Annear takes us back in time and along Tyne Street, revealing a healthy locale with a surprisingly colourful history.

If we’re talking street corners, Readings Carlton is ideally positioned. The two Lygon Street shops occupy facing corners of the west-running Tyne Street…

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Debut fiction to read this month

Before we race headlong into November new releases and the end of the year, we're taking the time to spotlight some of the wonderful debut novels that you may have missed over the past couple of months.

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

Hera Stephen is clawing through her mid-twenties, working as an underpaid comment moderator in an overly air-conditioned newsroom by day and kicking around Sydney with her two best friends by night. Instead of money or stability, she has…

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What we're reading and listening to: Mitski, Hobbs & McBride

Each week our amazing staff bring you a sample of the books or music they're immersed in.

Emma Davison is listening to The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

I have been a bit slow on the reading front this week but on a musical note, I have been loving Mitski’s album The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We which came out just last month, a great album for all the sad girls out there, and…

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