Our latest blog posts
Why I'm excited about Blak & Bright
Bookseller Neika Lehman tells us why she’s so excited for the Blak & Bright festival (18 – 21 February), and shares some reading recommendations.
As a Australian bookseller who happens to be Indigenous, and who also happens to have a major crush on fresh new writing borne of this continent – especially those which resist the easy definitions of what Australian Literature is – I couldn’t be more enthused by this new Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival
The voices of Indigenous…
Ann Le Lievre shares what's in her 'To Be Read' pile
Our schools and libraries liaison Ann Le Lievre shares what’s in her ‘To Be Read’ pile for the start of 2016.
Last year I kept a list of all the books I read, and it came in handy as the months progressed. These books could easily have tumbled into the back of my memory, however the list meant I could reconnect with them at a moment’s notice. This year I’m going to go one step further: I’m going to make…
Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (including the film tie-in edition)
Alice-Miranda to the Rescue by Jacqueline Harvey
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey
Starting School by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The 65-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
January in review
We kicked off 2016 by sharing our 100 bestselling books of last year (as well as our 25 bestselling DVDs and 25 bestselling albums). Click here for a category breakdown of those bestselling books, and the number one seller for each category.
You can also find our top ten bestselling books of the month here.
It was a big month for literary awards with the Indie Book Awards shortlist, the Finalists for National Book Critics Circle Awards…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Reckoning by Magda Szubanski
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Moroccan Soup Bar by Hana Assafiri
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
The most anticipated books of 2016
Dear Reader,
I am troubled. It seems like only moments ago that we were looking back at the year that was 2015, checking our reading diaries, assembling our list of the books that were the best of the year, and comparing our assessment of writing achievements to that of others. And now I find myself needing to forget all about last year, turn my attention in the opposite direction, and produce instead a new list: this time a register of…
A calendar of Australian books to look out for in 2016: Part 1
Here is a calendar of adult books by Australian authors due for release in the first half of 2016. There’s new fiction from Fiona McFarlane, Josephine Rowe, and Patrick Holland; new non-fiction form Helen Garner, Stan Grant and Annabel Crabb; and, new poetry from Aden Rolfe and Ellen van Neerven – phew!
We’ve tried to include as many titles as we can, and will be updating the list throughout the year.
FEBRUARY
Comfort Zone by Lindsay Tanner
What we're reading: Kelly Link, Nick Hornby and Fiona McFarlane
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.
Lian Hingee is reading Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
I got Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters from a mystery staff member as my Secret Santa gift last Christmas. This author is described as ‘a flat out genius’ by Holly Black and ‘almost certainly not human’ by Neil Gaiman. With such breathless endorsements from two…
Winners of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2016
The winners of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced.
The winner of the fiction prize is The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau.
The winner of the non-fiction prize is Something for the Pain by Gerald Murnane.
The winner of the young adult fiction prize is Welcome to Orphancorp by Marlee Jane Ward.
The winner of the poetry prize is Crankhandle by Alan Loney.
The winner of the drama prize is Broken by Mary Anne Butler.
The winner…
Our top ten bestsellers of January
We’ve tallied up the numbers to give you our top 10 bestselling books for the month of January. All four of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels are on the list, alongside visiting chef Nigella Lawson’s new book Simply Nigella, and the hilarious Australian memoir The Family Law.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food by Nigella Lawson
The Story of a New Name by Elena…