Our latest blog posts
What we've learned from reading Roald Dahl's books
This year marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl – and today would’ve been the storyteller’s birthday. Here’s what we’ve learned from reading his books over the years.
A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.
Life gets pretty serious, so it’s important you make some space in your own for allowing yourself to be a little bit silly now and then. The wisest men all agree.
Find the quote: Charlie and the Chocolate…
Why you should read The High Places by Fiona McFarlane
We’re delighted that Fiona McFarlane’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. The High Places is a stunning work of literary fiction.
Fiona McFarlane is an exquisite writer – effortlessly readable with a richness that belies the simplicity of her prose. Our Prize Judges place her within the tradition of the the greats of the short form: think…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
Neighbourhood by Hetty McKinnon
Black Rock White City by A.S. Patrić
Enemy Within – American Politics in the Time of Trump (Quarterly Essay 63) by Don Watson
Comeback: The Fall and Rise of a Football Club by James Button
Doing it: Women Tell the Truth About Great Sex edited by Karen Pickering
Nutshell by Ian McEwan
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
The 78-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Do Not Open This Book by Andy Lee and Heath McKenzie
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín
Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma by Leigh Hobbs
Mega Weird (WeirDo Book 7) by Anh Do and Jules Faber
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass Book 5) by Sarah J. Maas
Dog Man (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 1) by Dav…
A spotlight on our Malvern bookshop
Our Malvern bookshop is known for its personal customer service and thoughtful selection of books, music and DVDs. Here are some recommendations from staff.
‘Emma Cline’s The Girls is my no-doubt-about-it recommendation at the moment. Loosely based on the Charles Manson murders, it follows 14-year-old Evie as she slowly extricates herself from the cloying 'smallness’ of her school friends, only to become involved in some seriously Big Badness with ‘the girls’ and the charismatic Russell. Unflinching in its portrayal of…
What we're reading: G. Willow Wilson, Hannah Kent and Abby Hanlon
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.
Lian Hingee is rereading Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Confession time: I have lots of new books sitting on my TBR pile at home, a stack of upcoming releases piled up on my desk at work, and as one of the judges for our newly announced Readings Young Adult Book Prize…
Awesomely gross and rude books that kids will love
Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates shares some of our best picks for the grossest, the rudest and the silliest children’s books.
Let’s admit it: kids are gross and they love gross books.
I’m talking bottoms, snail slime, dog breath, smelly socks, boogers, shark guts – that kind of thing. Of course, it’s very likely that you know children who’d turn up their nose at even the whiff of a fart joke, but I bet you also know a lot of…
Which recipe is the best from Hetty McKinnon's new cookbook?
Earlier this week we roadtested seven different recipes from Hetty McKinnon’s new cookbook, Neighbourhood and invited Hetty to come in and select the best one. Here are the results of the cook-off…
Jan Lockwood made ‘Israeli chopped salad with tomatoes, cucumber, radish and feta’ (pg. 123):
No cooking involved here, just chopping, chopping, chopping. You do need a great knife for chopping tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and radish. And another great knife for finely chopping fresh green chilli, Chinese shallots, and…
The bestselling books at Melbourne Writers Festival 2016
We were delighted to be the official booksellers at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival, which finished up last Sunday. Congratulations to the Melbourne Writers Festival team on another amazing year!
Readings Managing Director Mark Rubbo says: ‘It was a very enjoyable festival and everything went well – we enjoyed ourselves. The program was strong and focused; Maxine Beneba Clarke’s opening address was particularly powerful, as was Richard Flanagan’s address. We were especially excited that Readings staff member Alec Patrić won…
Books, music, film and TV from Indigenous Australians
In recognition of Indigenous Literacy Day, we’ve compiled some collections of our favourite books, music, film and TV from Indigenous Australians. Happy browsing!
Indigenous Australian picture books
Welcome to Country is one of our favourite Indigenous Australian picture book released this year; children’s specialist Angela Crocombe says it ‘belongs on every home bookshelf and in every library’. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy and Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy have crafted a spectacular celebration of Indigenous land and culture that takes…
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