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Our books of the month, September 2023

Explore our books of the month for September; 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

Ordinary Gods and Monsters by Chris Womersley

Reviewed by Pierre Sutcliffe, Readings St Kilda

'...an outstanding tale of the terrors of facing adulthood in the days when adolescence had a definite finish date.'

Chris Womersley is one of the most interesting…

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What we're reading: Aoyama, Nolan & McKinty

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

Megan Wood is reading What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

This delightful book features five people who are feeling stuck and questioning their place in the world. Each finds themselves at the local library, getting recommendations (and a bonus gift) from the mysterious librarian who has a particular talent for knowing what people need to read to…

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Melissa Keil meets The Readings Teen Advisory Board

Melissa Keil is one of the most talented romantic comedy writers for young adults today. We are delighted that her three stunning YA novels have been re-released with gorgeous new covers for a new generation of readers to discover. She recently visited our Teen Advisory Board and below is what they had to say.

'Her books read like a love letter to Melbourne, and you will find yourself falling in love with both the story and the city!’ — Aalia…

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Winners of the 2023 Davitt Awards

Sisters in Crime Australia has announced the winners of the 2023 Davitt Awards for best crime books by Australian women.

The winning titles in each category are:

Best Adult Novel: All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

‘Just let him go.’ Those are words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation. That night in 1996, Denny is…

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The 2023 Ned Kelly Award Winners

The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has announced the winners of the 2023 Ned Kelly Awards.

Here are the recipients for each category:

Best Crime Fiction: Exiles by Jane Harper

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother having vanished into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie's absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country…

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Debut fiction to read this month

Before we dive headfirst into September new releases, we're taking the time to spotlight some of the wonderful August debut novels that you may have missed!

Firelight: Stories by John Morrissey

An imprisoned man with strange visions writes letters to his sister. A controversial business tycoon leaves his daughter a mysterious inheritance. A child is haunted by a green man with a message about the origins of their planet.

In this striking collection of stories, the award-winning John Morrissey investigates…

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What we're reading: Cohen, Batrouney & Yu

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

Lian Hingee is reading Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen

Having read Aurelia's rave review in our most recent Readings Monthly, Julie Mae Cohen's crime novel Bad Men rocketed to the top of my TBR list. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is a former supermodel, a socialite on the board of several charities (including one for donkeys that she doesn't want to talk about), a devoted…

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The Readings Prize 2023 shortlists

by Angela Crocombe

The Readings Prize, now in its 10th year, has been an important barometer of up-and-coming literary talent since 2014. We began with The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize and shortly thereafter extended it to include children’s fiction for ages 5–12 years and then young adult fiction for ages 12 and up. It’s a prize for debut and second novels, and it really does put writers on the map, giving them a much-needed boost (and financial support) for their career. Writers…

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