Our latest blog posts
What we're reading: Ariel Levy, M.R. Carey & Patrick Modiano
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films and TV shows we’re watching, and the music we’re listening to.
Mike Shuttleworth is reading The Black Notebook by Patrick Modiano (translated by Mark Polizzotti)
Paris is a place that many of us think about – and some of us think about it a lot. But nobody thinks about Paris with the total obsession of Patrick Modiano, the 2014 Nobel Prize winner for Literature.
I’ve just…
The best new crime reads of the month
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Cleaner by Elisabeth Herrmann
Espionage novels are like a long swim in stormy weather – by turns comforting, slightly terrifying, and a thorough workout. It is, of course, absolute heaven to sit there on your couch with a glass of pinot gris and read about agents double-crossing each other and people getting shot all over the place, while wondering if you can trust a single person who turns up – which is how everyone…
Our top picks of the month for book clubs
For a book club filled with thespians…
House of Names by Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín has thrillingly reimagined Aeschylus’s Oresteia linked trilogy of Greek tragedies for a new audience. Spectacularly audacious, violent, vengeful, lustful, and instantly compelling, House of Names tells the story of murderess Clytemnestra – and her children. Our reviewer writes that this novel, ‘reads like a thriller: driven by female rage, inherited violence, and toxic politics’. Read the full review here.
For a passionate, feminist meeting…
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The Readings Foundation visits River Nile Learning Centre
The Readings Foundation assists Victorian organisations that support the development of literacy, community integration and the arts. Grants Officer Leanne Hall and Digital Marketing Manager Lian Hingee visited River Nile Learning Centre recently – one of the 11 projects being supported by the Foundation in 2017.
River Nile Learning Centre is a warm, cheerful and welcoming organisation in North Melbourne that has the distinction of being the only place in Melbourne where refugee and asylum seeker women can learn English…
Six delicious new cookbooks
Brae by Dan Hunter
Wonder man Dan Hunter is the award-winning pioneer of modern Australian cuisine. His restaurant Brae is listed in the top 100 restaurants in the world. This book shows you why. Essentially, this beautiful book is a collection of recipes using locally grown cuisine that will take you on a journey of great imagination, with wonderful flourishes. This book is perfect for those who have been to the restaurant, want to go to the restaurant or have…
Picture books about first experiences
The world is full of firsts when you’re a kid. Some of them are exciting, some of them are worrying, and some are downright terrifying.
But even mundane daily activities can require a little encouragement before a habit is formed. A good story, a relatable character and a bit of information about the experience can help turn firsts into fun. Here are some of our most entertaining books about those tricky first experiences.
EATING
Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb – A…
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin
The Bad Guys Episode 5: Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey
A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thrones and Roses Book 3) by Sarah J. Maas
Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy
The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo Book 2) by Rick Riordan
13 Reasons Why (film tie-in edition) by Jay Asher
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Depends What You Mean by Extremist by John Safran
The Australian Bird Guide by various
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
The Pleasures of Leisure by Robert Dessaix
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
Cruden Farm: Garden Diaries by Michael Morrison and Lisa Clausen
Our bestseller of the week is Elizabeth Strout’s novel, Anything is…
Lessons learned from fictional mothers
This Mother’s Day, our staff reflect on some of the most important lessons they’ve learned from fictional mothers – in books, TV, films, and more.
‘In the world of fictional mothers, Lorelei Gilmore has taught me to embrace pop culture at every opportunity, Emily Gilmore showed me to take no shit from anyone, Tami Taylor demonstrated how to have a successful marriage (nine parts love and kindness, one part great hair), Ellen Ripley was the ultimate maternal badass, Molly Weasley…
What we're reading: Alice Munro, Bill Hayes & Sophie Hénaff
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films and TV shows we’re watching, and the music we’re listening to.
Bronte Coates is reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
After deciding to read something ‘topical’ for our next meeting, my book club picked The Handmaid’s Tale. With a buzzing new series currently streaming, and seemingly endless think pieces on this book’s relevance to today’s politics, it seemed am obvious choice. I fell in…
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