The shortlists for this year’s National Book Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all the finalists.

Fiction

The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Nonfiction

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram…

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Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.

Mike Shuttleworth is reading Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe

I recently went on holiday and took with me Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why I enjoyed the book so much, but what I do know is that it was an effortless, addictive pleasure.

Nina Stibbe…

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Spring is upon us – what better time to begin planning for your next travel adventure? Luckily, the Readings’ Lonely Planet sale is on once more, with 25% off all their titles throughout October, 2016.

Here, we’ve paired eight holiday reads with eight Lonely Planet travel guides to inspire and assist you in planning your trip.

IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO VISIT… JAPAN

Hiromi Kawakami is a Japanese author known for her charming, off-beat narratives and The Nakano Thrift Shop is…

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We chat with celebrated Melbourne artist Marc Martin about the story behind is mural inside our new dedicated children’s and YA shop. This stunning mural forms the centrepiece of the shop’s design and we absolutely love it.

Readings Kids is now open so come say hullo, and to see his work in person. And don’t forget that Martin himself is dropping by Readings Kids at 12pm on Saturday 8 October as part of our opening day celebrations. Find more details…

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October is a momentous month for us, because we are officially opening our new dedicated children’s and YA shop! Luckily there are oodles of wonderful new releases to fill the shelves, including stories of hat-coveting turtles, zombie kittens and magical battles in Victorian London.

(You can find this month’s YA news and books recommendations here.)

You are warmly invited to the opening weekend of our dedicated children’s and YA shop. Come down to Readings Kids this Saturday 8…

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This month we’re officially opening our new dedicated children’s and YA shop, where teens can browse without those pesky adults around. And October has some fine YA literary fare to get stuck into with a new Garth Nix, the second book in the popular Zeroes series, and the latest from A.S. King.

(You can find this month’s kids news and books recommendations here.)

We’re so exited to invite everyone along to the opening weekend of our dedicated children’s…

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Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford

Bookseller Kara Nicholson says: ‘Ford’s writing is explosive, hilarious and incredibly accessible without dumbing down the big theoretical issues too much. In many ways this book is perfect for teenagers (I was going to write teenage girls but it’s essential that boys read this kind of stuff too) and I certainly wish this book had been around when I was a teenager.’

Read Kara’s full review here.

The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley

…

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Australian Fish and Seafood Cookbook by John Susman

This enormous book is the definitive guide to cooking and buying great, sustainable fish. Written by the most respected authorities on seafood in the country, this remarkable tome contains all you need to know about selecting and preparing over 60 types of fish and seafood found here in Australia, including catching methods (if that’s your thing), notes on sustainability (so important), and recipes for everything from frying fish to the most scrumptious…

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We’re delighted that Julie Koh’s short story collection is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. Here’s why we think you should read this book.

1. Portable Curiosities is a bold, wildly imaginative story collection.

Koh is not afraid to experiment with style – the stories in the book combine elements of sci-fi and spec fic, as well as magical realism and mock journalism. Koh imagines worlds where skyscrapers never end, third…

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The Centre for Youth Literature has announced the winners of the 2016 Inky Awards!

The Inky Awards recognise high-quality young adult literature, with the shortlist selected by young adults, and the winners voted for online by teens. There are two awards: the Gold Inky Award for an Australian book, and the Silver Inky Award for an international book.

Gold Inky Award Winner

The Gold Inky Award winner is the groundbreaking sci-fi epic, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Allen…

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