Our latest blog posts
Marija Peričić wins the 2017 Vogel's Literary Award
Marija Peričić has been named the winner of this year’s Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award for her novel, The Lost Pages, an intriguing exploration of Czech writer Franz Kafka.
It is 1908, and Max Brod is the rising star of Prague’s literary world. Everything he desires – fame, respect, love – is finally within his reach. But when a rival appears on the scene, Max discovers how quickly he can lose everything he has worked so hard to attain. He…
30 reasons to read the 2017 Readings Children's Book Prize shortlist
This year’s shortlist for the Readings Children’s Book Prize features some amazing children’s fiction. Here are 30 reasons why we love these books.
We’re pleased to offer the entire shortlist in a specially priced bundle for $79.95 ().
And don’t forget – the 2017 winner of the Readings Children’s Book Prize will be announced next week, on Tuesday 2 May.
Escape to Moon Islands by Mardi McConnochie
1. This novel has the feel of a classic adventure tale.
2. The…
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
The Bad Guys Episode 5: Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey
Night Swimming by Steph Bowe
The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
The Treehouse Fun Book 2 by Andy Griffiths, Jill Griffiths and Terry Denton
The Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman
Escape to the Moon Islands (Quest of the Sunfish Book 1) by Mardi McConnochie
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
M Train by Patti Smith
Just Kids by Patti Smith
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
The Thirst by Jo Nesbo (translated by Don Bartlett and Neil Smith)
Being 14 by Madonna King
Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman
The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
Earthly Remains by Donna Leon
The White Queen – One Nation and the Politics of Race (Quarterly Essay 65) by David Marr
A Writing Life by Bernadette Brennan
The ever-wonderful Patti Smith…
Rebel stories for teen activists
Adolescence is traditionally a time of rebellion, and rightly so. Here are some of our best recommendations for teen books that push back against the policies and ideas being promoted by governments around the world – including our own.
Books that rebel against the patriarchy
Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar and Anita Roy
The Disreputable History Of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.L. Lockhart
What we're reading: Tom McCarthy, Jennifer Wright and Michelle Forbes
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.
Chris Somerville is reading Remainder by Tom McCarthy
It took me a few tries to get into Remainder. There was something about the unnamed narrator’s voice that wasn’t off-putting exactly, but it wasn’t entirely agreeable either. It’s both precise and vague.
What won me over though was its premise. At the beginning of the…
The Man Booker International Prize shortlist 2017
Congratulations to the authors, translators and publishers shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker International Prize.
Nick Barley, chair of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize judging panel, says: ‘Our shortlist spans the epic and the everyday. From fevered dreams to sleepless nights, from remote islands to overwhelming cities, these wonderful novels shine a light on compelling individuals struggling to make sense of their place in a complex world.’
Here is the shortlist in full:
Compass by Mathias Énard (France), translated…
10 books for Mother's Day (that aren't pink)
Mother’s Day is the time of year when everything suddenly turns very PINK. Pink flowers, pink cards, pink wrapping, pink slippers, pink books… We ourselves love the colour pink, but we know its not for everyone. And so, in celebration of all things blue, and black, and red, and white – here are 10 Mother’s Day gift ideas that aren’t pink.
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo
The result of the 2016 presidential election was widely thought to…
Five reasons we love Escape to the Moon Islands by Mardi McConnochie
Escape to the Moon Islands by Mardi McConnochie is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize. Here are five reasons why we think it’s brilliant.
1. The story touches on some big issues, but it’s still a real page-turner.
Like the best of dystopian fiction, this book’s world draws comparisons with the prevalent issues of today, such as climate change and over-zealous government control. Mardi McConnochie has imaginatively crafted a world transformed by a…
Heather Rose wins the 2017 Stella Prize
The winner of this year’s Stella Prize is The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose.
The Museum of Modern Love is a dazzlingly original novel about the nature of art, life and love. Arky Levin is a film composer in New York separated from his wife, who has asked him to keep one devastating promise. One day he finds his way to The Atrium at MOMA and sees Marina Abramović in ‘The Artist is Present’. The performance continues for…
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