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12 novels set during key historical events
The Roving Party by Rohan Wilson
Set during the 1830 Black Line of Tasmania
The Black War saw the indigenous population of Tasmania hunted, and killed by British Colonialists. Rohan Wilson has drawn inspiration from the real life figure of John Batman – a grazier who rose to prominence as a government-authorised bounty hunter – and imagined the ‘roving party’ that set out under his direction. The Black Line is a dark period in Australia’s history that should never be…
Indie Book Awards shortlist 2016
The shortlist for the Indie Book Awards 2016 has been announced.
Each year, independent booksellers from around the nation get together and vote for their favourite titles in four different categories. Here are the shortlisted books in each category.
Fiction
A Guide to Berlin by Gail Jones (Read our review)
The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (Read our review)
The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop (Read our review)
The…
Finalists for National Book Critics Circle Awards 2015
The finalists for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) awards have been announced. The NBCC honours outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature.
Fiction
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli
The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Non-fiction
SPQR: A History of Rome by Mary Beard
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Family Law by Benjamin Law
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
Reckoning by Magda Szubanski
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Carol by Patricia Highsmith
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey
Friday Barnes Book 4: No Rules by R.A. Spratt
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 10: Old School by Jeff Kinney
The 65-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Starting School by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker
Greetings from Australia by the Jacky Winter Group
The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears and Dinalie Dabarera
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and…
Our top picks from Blak & Bright
Staff share what they’re planning to see at this year’s Blak & Bright festival, the first ever Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival. (You can find the full program here).
Leanne Hall is excited for the opening address
I can’t wait to see Anita Heiss deliver the opening address on 20 Reasons Why You Should Read Blak. I’ve just finished hoovering up her latest novel, Tiddas, over the summer break. This novel is the perfect blend of drama, romance…
2016 Oscar nominations in books
2016 is a particularly literary year for the Academy Awards with no fewer than five of the eight films nominated for Best Picture being inspired by books. Here are 11 books that have inspired films in this year’s list of Oscar nominees.
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
In 1952, Eilis Lacey leaves Ireland to immigrate to Brooklyn, where she has a better chance of finding work…
Our most anticipated YA books of 2016
In December the State Library of Victoria (in collaboration with Australian publishers) put on a showcase of young adult books we can expect to see in 2016. Our booksellers share the titles they’re most looking forward to.
Angela Crocombe is keen to read Megan Jacobson’s debut Yellow
There are so many YA books to get excited about, and that’s only looking at the next few months. We’re starting off the year with a double whammy book launch at the Carlton…
What we're reading: Justine Larbalestier, Susana Moreira Marques and Kate Di Goldi
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.
Fiona Hardy is reading The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
When my partner is on school holidays (he’s a teacher), I spend a few days during the week taking myself off to the library in order to write the Great Australian Novel while he wrestles with our kid on his…
Vale David Bowie
This week, many of our staff were devastated to learn of David Bowie’s passing. Some of them reflect on how his work impacted on their lives.
When I was 13 I was involved in a punch up defending Bowie’s claim to the title of ‘greatest pop icon of our time’. My opponent had declared that said title belonged to Prince. I won the argument but lost the fight.
A master of reinvention and polymath of popular culture, Bowie also recognised…
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