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…

Read more ›

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

Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen

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

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

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

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Rockhopping by Trace Balla

The Bad Guys: Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah…

Read more ›

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…

Read more ›

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…

Read more ›

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…

Read more ›

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, 8 May. Here are some last minute gift ideas for last-minute shoppers! Come by one of our shops to pick up your gift, or to talk with our booksellers in person.

This Annoying Domestic Life by Oslo Davis

Designed for mums, dads, kids and old people on all levels of the angst spectrum, Oslo Davis’ new ‘mindless colouring book for the whole goddamn family’ is another hilarious take on the annoyances of modern life that’s…

Read more ›

From revenge-seeking guinea pigs to ancient Greek gods, here’s our roundup of the best kids’ books out in May.

Our Children’s Book of the Month

After his mother dies, Peter finds solace in the form of an orphaned fox cub, Pax. They grow up together, learning to love and trust each other until the day when Peter learns he’s being sent to stay with his grandfather… without Pax. Under direction from his stern father, Peter throws Pax’s favourite toy soldier…

Read more ›

From zombie movies to the Scottish Highlands, here are our picks for the best young adult new releases in May.

#LoveOZYA

The Lifespan of Starlight by Thalia Kalkipsakis was one of our favourite #LoveOZYA reads of 2015, so it’s incredibly exciting to see the sequel, Split Infinity, is out this month. After the events of the first book, Scout has become a talented time skipper on the run from a government intent on recapturing her. This is romantic sci-fi…

Read more ›

Samurai vs Ninja: The Battle for the Golden Egg is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize. Here are five reasons why we think it’s brilliant.

1. It’ll get the most reluctant readers reading.

Samurai? Check. Ninja? Check. An epic battle pitting one side against the other involving cunning, treachery and hilarity? Check, check, check. This is a funny, energetic read that will have even the most reluctant reader begging for the next chapter.

…

Read more ›

We won The Bookstore of the Year Award last month at London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards! We won it for our ‘community outreach, support of Australian authors and [our] help for non-profit organisations working on literacy initiatives’. It’s the first time the award has been presented, but there have been awards in other areas. In 2014, Australia’s Indigenous Literacy Foundation won the inaugural Education Initiatives Award. An email from a journalist friend with a curt note, ‘FYI’, alerted me…

Read more ›