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The Wellcome book prize longlist 2017

The longlist for this year’s Wellcome book prize has been announced.

This prize is awarded annually to the best new work of fiction or non-fiction that ‘celebrates the topics of health and medicine in literature’. This year’s list includes seven non-fiction and five fiction titles, and we’re especially delighted to see Australian author Joan London’s remarkable 2014 novel included.

Here is the full longlist:

How to Survive a Plague by David France

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

When Breath

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Psychological thrillers for intellectuals

Looking for a novel that will quicken your heartbeat and jump-start your brain in equal measures? One of these eight novels may just fit the bill. They’re all smart, thought-provoking reads – with a thrilling hook.

All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

Jake Whyte is the sole resident of an old farmhouse on an unnamed island, a place of ceaseless rains and battering winds. It’s just her, her untamed companion, Dog, and a flock of sheep. But then something…

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Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week

Lion by Saroo Brierley (Young Readers’ Edition)

Unleashed (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 2) by Dav Pilkey

Girl Stuff for Girls Aged 8-12 by Kaz Cooke

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey

The Bad Guys: Episode 1 (Book 1) by Aaron Blabey

Danger Ahead (Friday Barnes Book 6) by R.A. Spratt

Hotdog (Book 1) by Anh Do and Dan McGuiness

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

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Our top ten bestsellers of the week

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

Lion by Saroo Brierley

Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

The Sellout by Paul Beatty

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

The Good People by Hannah Kent

The Dry by Jane Harper

Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferriss

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

Scott Pape tops our bestsellers list for the fourth week in a row – The Barefoot Investor is the only money guide you’ll…

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Australian books to get excited about in the first half of 2017

Here’s a preview of some of the most exciting local releases for the first half of 2017!

FICTION

An Uncertain Grace by Krissy Kneen (March) – A thought-provoking erotic sci-fi told in five parts.

From the Wreck by Jane Rawson (March) – Inspired by the life of George Hills, who survived the sinking of the steamship Admella off the South Australian coast in 1859.

Do You Love Me or What? by Sue Woolfe (March) – A collection of eight sparkling…

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What we're reading: Neil Gaiman, Claire-Louise Bennett and Jacinta Halloran

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.

Lian Hingee is reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

I’m a bit of a Neil Gaiman fangirl, so I was beyond delighted to get my hands on an advanced copy of Norse Mythology. Perhaps sick of being badgered by fans, Gaiman’s started going the Netflix route – announcing new titles scant months before they’re…

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Winners of the Caldecott, Newbery and Printz awards

The American Library Association (ALA) have announced their top books for children and young adults, including the influential Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards.

The winners include…

John Newbery Medal winner:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Randolph Caldecott Medal:
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award:
March by Andrew Aydin and John Lewis (illustrated by Nate Powell)

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

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20 compelling Australian stories

Here is a list of 20 true stories from Australian voices. (And you can find even more recommendations in the collection below.)

My Place by Sally Morgan

First published in 1987, My Place is a milestone in Aboriginal literature. Sally Morgan relates her experiences growing up in suburban Perth in the fifties and sixties. Through the memories of her childhood and adolescence, vague hints and echoes begin to emerge and a previously hidden story unfolds – a mystery of…

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Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week

Girl Stuff for Girls Aged 8-12 by Kaz Cooke

Unleashed (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 2) by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 1) by Dav Pilkey

Australian Animals by Alphaprints

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen

Lion by Saroo Brierley (Young Readers’ Edition)

Salty Dog by Gloria Rand and Ted Rand

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

The War

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Our top ten bestsellers of the week

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

Lion: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley

Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford

The Dry by Jane Harper

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

The Good People by Hannah Kent

The Sellout by Paul Beatty

Black Rock White City by AS Patrić

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

Fucking Apostrophes by Simon Griffin

Our bestselling books of last week include three wonderful Australian novels (The Dry, The Good People

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