Our latest blog posts
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton
Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford
The Good People by Hannah Kent
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (including the film tie-in edition)
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Neighbourhood by Hetty McKinnon
Black Rock White City by A.S. Patrić
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack…
National Book Awards shortlists 2016
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…
What we're reading: Nina Stibbe, Emma Donoghue and Christopher Brickell
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…
8 travel destinations matched with holiday reads
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…
Q&A with illustrator Marc Martin
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…
Best new kid's books in October
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…
Best new teen books in October
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…
We recommend 9 books to read in October
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.’
The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley
…
Delicious new cookbooks in October
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…
Why you should read Portable Curiosities by Julie Koh
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…