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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Best new crime reads in May
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…
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…
Trace Balla visits Carlton Primary School
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…
Five reasons we love Run, Pip, Run by JC Jones
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…
Delicious new cookbooks in May
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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