Our latest blog posts
The best birthdays in children's books
It’s Readings’ 47th birthday on Saturday 5 March, and to celebrate we’re offering our customers the chance to win a $500 Readings gift voucher! And if you’re looking for birthday inspiration, here are some of our favourite birthdays in picture books.
A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton
Bear does not like birthdays. He doesn’t like parties or balloons, cards or candles. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do with birthdays at all…
Staff recommend 8 new Australian novels
A loving, faithful animal by Josephine Rowe
Readings Monthly Editorial assistant Alan Vaarwerk says: “There’s a hint of the Australian Gothic in the book’s portrayal of small town despair, and Rowe’s portrayal of her characters is tender but uncompromising – each is deeply flawed but heart-rendingly sympathetic. A loving, faithful animal is quietly, catastrophically beautiful, a powerful new work by one of Australia’s most gifted writers.”
Wildlight by Robyn Mundy
Bookseller Suzanne Steinbruckner says “Mundy’s…
Elke Power interviews Jennifer Down
Readings Monthly editor Elke Power talks with Jennifer Down about her debut novel, Our Magic Hour.
Those of us at Readings who have been fortunate enough to read Jennifer Down’s debut novel, Our Magic Hour, have struggled with fears that anything we say or write about this outstanding book will be dismissed as hyperbole. Admittedly, we are not the first to recognise Down’s talent. Down won the 2013 Overland Short Story Award in 2013, and is now a…
Special offer for Readings' 47th birthday
It’s Readings’ 47th birthday on Saturday 5 March!
To celebrate, we’re offering our customers the chance to win a $500 Readings gift voucher. Simply spend $47 or more in one transaction anytime on Friday 4 March, Saturday 5 March or Sunday 6 March, and you’ll go in the draw to win.
In-store customers will need to fill out an entry form at the counter of any of our five shops at the time of purchase, and attach their receipt. Online…
Readings to open two new shops in 2016
We are delighted to announce that we will be opening two new Melbourne bookshops in 2016.
The first new shop will be opening on Lygon St, right beside our existing flagship Carlton shop, in the space currently occupied by an Esprit clothing store. This new shop will be a dedicated children’s bookshop, exclusively selling books, music and films for kids and teenagers. Children’s publishing is booming, and the children’s and YA section in the existing Carlton shop needs room…
Dear Reader, March 2016
Dear Reader,
As the February Readings Monthly went to print, I was en route to Denver, Colorado, USA, the beautiful mile-high city that played host to this year’s American Booksellers Association Winter Institute. The WI is an annual gathering of independent booksellers from around the US, and each year it welcomes a number of international guests into the fold. It was a packed schedule over four days, including a bus tour to book stores in the greater Denver area, breakfast…
February in review
The big literary news of February was the announcement that an eighth Harry Potter story would be published on 31 July!
Fans farewelled Harry Potter as he waved goodbye to his son on Platform 9 ¾, nineteen years after the battle of Hogwarts, but his story didn’t end there. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the official rehearsal script for the West End stage play and will continue on where the novels finished. Staff made some (frankly, rather depressing)…
Our kids and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
Pig The Winner by Aaron Blabey
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Iris and the Tiger by Leanne Hall
Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Ana Albero
Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
Big Nate Blasts Off by Lincoln Peirce
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Stolen Girl by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald
…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Light on the Water by Olga Lorenzo
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore
The Midnight Watch by David Dyer
Talking to My Country by Stan Grant
A Murder Without Motive: the Killing of Rebecca Ryle by Martin McKenzie-Murray
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Road Series by Hugo Race
The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante…
What we're reading: Gabriel Packard, Sally Andrew and Annabel Crabb
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.
Stella Charls is heading to Adelaide Writer’s Week
I’ve never been to Adelaide during peak festival season, a sad fact that I’m planning to rectify this weekend.
When Adelaide Writer’s Week was announced, I spent several weeks wondering if I should commit to going (like I do every year) until the spectacular program…
Browse our blog by category
