Our latest blog posts

Trace Balla visits Carlton Primary School

by Angela Crocombe

Last year Readings was the lucky recipient of a James Patterson Bookseller Grant to further children’s literacy. We thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce the students of Carlton Primary School to author and artist Trace Balla.

Our children’s buyer Angela Crocombe helped organise the visit – here are her thoughts on the day.

On Tuesday, I took Trace Balla, last year’s winner of our Readings Children’s Prize, to visit the children at our local school Carlton Primary…

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Five reasons we love Run, Pip, Run by JC Jones

by Holly Harper

Run, Pip, Run is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize (update: it’s now the WINNER of the Readings Children’s Book Prize!). Here are five reasons why we think it’s brilliant.

1. You will adore Pip.

She’s plucky, she’s smart and she has such a good heart. Pip is on the run after her guardian Sully has a stroke, and she’s determined not to let the cops catch up with her or they’ll send…

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Delicious new cookbooks in May

by Chris Gordon

Seasons to Share by Jacqueline Alwill

Not everyone is embracing the term ‘wholefood’. If you fall into that category and are tired of having quinoa and kale pushed onto you then step away now, my friends, step away. But do so and risk missing out on some pretty tasty treats that could actually become staples in your family. Nutritionist Jacqueline Alwill has a talent for creating food that brings friends and family together over wonderful meals. Her cauliflower rice and…

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Novels to get stuck into now The Good Wife has ended

If – like many of our staff – you’re feeling bereft to see The Good Wife come to an end, here are six recommendations for novels to help fill the void…

For an all-too-brief romantic affair…

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

If thinking of Will and Alicia still makes you sad, you’re not alone – it still makes us sad too. (We’re sure there’s a German word for it.) In Graham Greene’s classic novel, a flourishing love…

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11 guests to see at the Melbourne Jewish Writers Festival

The Melbourne Jewish Writers Festival celebrates books and writing by and about Jewish people from Saturday 21 May to Monday 23 May. Here are 11 festival guests to check out from the program. (You can browse the full program here.)

Nir Baram

Nir Baram, born in Jerusalem to an Israeli political (Labor) family, has worked as a journalist, editor, and advocate for equal rights for Palestinians. He is the author of five widely translated novels. Journey Along the Green

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Our top picks of the month for book clubs

For a stylish, sophisticated afternoon tea…

The Course of Love by Alain de Botton

The Course of Love is the long-awaited return to the novel form by philosopher Alain de Botton. In its pages, De Botton traces the story of a marriage – from the first thrill of lust, to the joys and fears of real commitment, to the deep problems that surface slowly over two shared lifetimes – and touches on many interesting questions along the way. Plus, this…

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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 Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan

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

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

The Fighter by Arnold Zable

Talking to My Country by Stan Grant

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Last week’s bestselling books includes three wonderful novels…

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What we're reading: Cassandra Clare, Yangsze Choo and Jean-François Vernay

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 A Brief Take on the Australian Novel by Jean-François Vernay

The French writer and academic Jean-François Vernay has done a tremendous service to Australian readers and writers.

A Brief Take on the Australian Novel gives us a brisk 200 year tour of the preoccupations and patterns of Australian writing…

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Inside a teen reader's head

by James Rex

We grill our work experience student James Rex on his reading habits, and his love for Lord of the Rings.

If you could be transported into the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which story would you want to be part of, and why? Would you try alter the plot in any way, or would you try let it unfold naturally?

I’d probably be a hobbit, staying far away from all the trouble and enjoying my comfy hole while I…

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