Our latest blog posts

Inside a teen reader's head

by James Waters

This week, we were lucky to have work experience student James Waters helping us out. We asked him a few questions about books, authors and writing.

Describe your taste in books. For example, do you have an ideal book in mind when you’re looking for what to read next? Or, do you get a lot of recommendations? Or, are you drawn to great-looking covers?

My taste in books is fairly broad, I think. There’s no one genre I gravitate towards…

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Wardrobe Crisis: ethics, sustainability & the fashion revolution

by Lian Hingee

Our digital marketing manager (and fashion enthusiast) Lian Hingee recommends Wardrobe Crisis, in which Clare Press explores the history and ethics behind what we wear.

In 2013 the world was rocked by the powerful images coming out of Bangladesh in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed over 1,100 people. The tragedy sparked a world-wide conversation about corporate social responsibility, and the true cost of ‘fast fashion’. Three years later, and the issue of sweatshops is…

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Read along with the 2016 Sydney Writers' Festival

The Sydney Writer’s Festival kicked off last night and once again, the program features an amazing list of artists. To celebrate their international line-up, here’s a list of ten books to read to help you get into the festival spirit.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Set across three decades, A Brief History of Seven Killings explores the turbulent world of Jamaican gangs and politics. James combines brilliant storytelling with his unrivaled skills of characterization and…

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Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian Novelists 2016

Congratulations to Abigail Ulman and Murray Middleton, who have each been named this year’s Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists for their debut short-story collections. Here’s a snapshot of both the winning books.

When There’s Nowhere Else to Run by Murray Middleton

The characters in these stories are all seeking refuge, from the wheat belt of Western Australia to the limestone desert of South Australia. But they all discover that, no matter how many thousands of kilometres they put…

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Our top ten bestsellers of the week

Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner

The Course of Love by Alain de Botton

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

The Killing Season Uncut by Sarah Ferguson with Patricia Drum

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

This week’s list…

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

My Dog Dash by Nicki Greenberg

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

Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen

The Bad Guys: Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey

The Treehouse Fun Book by Andy Griffiths, Jill Griffiths and Terry Denton

The Hidden Oracle: The Trials of Apollo Book 1 by Rick Riordan

The Bad Guys Episode 3: The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey

Crazy Weird: WeirDo Book 6 by Anh Do and Jules…

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Lessons learned from rereading childhood classics

Our staff revisit some of their favourite books as children, and reflect on how their opinions have shifted.

Isobel Moore has a new (and wiser) appreciation for Winnie-the-Pooh’s MO

When I read A. A. Milne’s stories as a child (or more accurately, had them read to me) I just thought of Pooh as a funny, silly bear who had pleasant adventures as he romped around the Hundred Acre Wood. But then I read these stories again as an adult, and…

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What we're reading: Rainbow Rowell, Stephen Marche and Luke Williams

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.

Chris Gordon is reading The Ice Age by Luke Williams

I picked up Luke Williams’ memoir about his addiction to crystal meth for a couple of reasons. First, I heard Luke speaking on the radio and was impressed by his candour. Second, I have two wonderful teenage kids and I want them to…

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Best new crime reads in May

by Fiona Hardy

CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan

Inspector Ashwin Chopra (retired) has a perplexing task in front of him indeed after taking his wife to Mumbai’s Prince of Wales Museum to see England’s crown jewels, only to have them stolen just as he and his wife have their turn with the famed gems. After they regain consciousness and composure, it’s not long before Chopra returns to the case after an…

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What we're planning to see at this year's Emerging Writers' Festival

This year’s program for the Emerging Writers’ Festival has been announced! Here, our staff share their top picks.

Alan Vaarwerk recommends…

Venturing out on a wet and chilly night to the back gallery at 1000 £ Bend for Kill Your Darlings’ Nerds Gone Wild event was honestly my highlight of last year’s EWF. Since then I’ve become part of the KYD team, so our Midwinter Nocturne in collaboration with Chart Collective and Voiceworks promises to be three times the fun…

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