Our latest blog posts
Children's classics paired with their modern counterparts
I adored the Anne of Green Gables series as a 10-year-old and it pleases me no end that these books are still popular with our young customers. When it comes to your own favourite classic children’s books, you might want to gift the original to the youngsters in your life, or you might want to find a contemporary book that delivers the same spirit and joy. Or, dare we say, you might even want to give them both.
If you…
A passive aggressive gift guide
Over the next few weeks, we’ve been compiling a host of gift guides to help you with your Christmas shopping.
Christmas is indeed a gift-giving season, but this doesn’t mean you necessarily LIKE everyone you’re buying presents for. If you’re feeling annoyed about particular names on your shopping list, then this passive aggressive gift guide is for you…
For the sibling you suspect is a psychopath…
Try… My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
Because… Here’s an OzYA thriller from the…
Fiction with a dash of magic
When the world feels like a dark and uncertain place, some readers like to seek out books that have a little bit of magic around the edges. Here are some of our recent favourites.
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
If you enjoy a combination of historical fiction and fantasy, you may like to pick up Ami McKay’s impeccably researched novel The Witches of New York. Set in the late nineteenth-century, this story is a bit like…
Recommended classic picture books for Christmas
Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates recommends five of her favourite classic picture books for Christmas.
You can find more Christmas-themed picture books in the full collection here. We’ve also put together a collection of heart-warming or family-focussed picture books that make ideal reading for the holiday season, but without mentioning Christmas at all.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
First published in 1978, Raymond Briggs’s classic wordless tale perfectly captures the fleeting magic of Christmas time for children: a boy’s…
Books I was inspired to read by attending Readings events
Being the events manager of Readings is one of the most fortunate of roles in our little old Melbourne town. One of the greatest treats of my role – apart from meeting all the wonderful authors and readers – is reading books that I might not normally pick up. This activity can lead to surprising delights.
Here is a sample of my surprise reads that turned into treats this year, thanks to our event program.
My top five American novels of the year
Here is the best American literature I read this year, in order, with picks one and two pretty much tied as my equal favourites.
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout is one of the best American writers working today, and My Name is Lucy Barton is Strout at the height of her powers. This novel is a masterpiece – short, sharp, thoughtful, simmering with emotion underneath the surface. It delves into trauma, memory, forgiveness and the…
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Shortlist 2017
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist for 2017 has just been announced.
The winners of the five award categories – fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry and writing for young adults – each receive a prize of $25,000, and go on to contest the Victorian Prize for Literature.
PRIZE FOR FICTION
Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain
The Healing Party by Micheline Lee
Wood Green by Sean Rabin
Waiting by Philip Salom
The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock…
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
The Midnight Gang by David Walliams and Tony Ross
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the original screenplay) by J.K. Rowling
Girl Stuff for Girls Aged 8-12: Your Real Guide to the Pre-Teen Years by Kaz Cooke
Ruby Red Shoes Goes to London by Kate Knapp
Wormwood Mire (A Stella Montgomery Intrigue) by Judith Rossell
Lots by Marc Martin
The Song from Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold
Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh
We…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
Paul Keating: The big-picture leader by Troy Bramston
The Good People by Hannah Kent
Wedding Bush Road by David Francis
Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a spy’s son by Mark Colvin
The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
The Australian Dream: Blood, History and Becoming (Quarterly Essay 64) by Stan Grant
Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (That Happens to be Vegan) by Shannon…
The best crossover YA reads of 2016
Whether you’re an adult-aged reader who loves YA, or a teen-aged reader ready to tackle stories pitched for adults. Here are some of our favourite ‘crossover’ releases from the last year.
Recommended YA books for discerning adults
These reads – romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, high school politics, real world politics, and more – hooked us from page one. Read them to get swept up in the story, and maybe also read them to remember what it felt like to be…