Political Amnesia: How We Forgot How To Govern (Quarterly Essay 60) by Laura Tingle

This Annoying Life: A Mindless Colouring Book for the Highly Stressed by Oslo Davis

The Moroccan Soup Bar: Recipes of a Spoken Menu and a Little Bit of Spice by Hana Assafiri

The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop

Keating by Kerry O'Brien

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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The Readings Foundation has announced $93,000 worth of grants to support a range of projects and organisations within Victoria in 2016.

The Readings Foundation grant funding in 2016 will focus strongly on organisations that provide targeted grassroots assistance with literacy and education to the most disadvantaged Victorian communities. The Foundation will also support two projects working with Indigenous communities in Victoria.

The Readings Foundation received 63 applications this year, and is proud to award grants to the following seven organisations:

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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 Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by Stan Lee, Peter David and Colleen Doran

I’m a huge fan of graphic novels and superhero movies, but not such a fan of superhero comics - though of course I totally adore Stan Lee, one of the forefathers of Marvel and the…

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Every November the word-buffs at Oxford Dictionaries choose one word from their lexicon that has risen in prominence and now best exemplifies the year that has passed.

2013 (selfie) saw the rise and rise of Instagram queen Kim Kardashian and in 2014 (vape) e-cigarettes became mainstream as cities around the world clamped down on smoking in public. This year – to raised eyebrows and scandalised op-ed pieces – Oxford Dictionaries announced that their word of the year was… an emoji…

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For delicious nuggets of storytelling: Story Club

I’m super jealous of all the cool stuff that goes on at Sydney’s Giant Dwarf Theatre – luckily, podcasts like Story Club help to ease the pain. Hosts Zoë Norton Lodge (author of Almost Sincerely) and Ben Jenkins present a selection of short, snappy stories recorded at their monthly storytelling nights, featuring emerging writers and comedians alongside names like David Marr and Masha Gessen. At around 15 minutes each, the episodes are…

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If your teen is looking for some reading material for the summer holidays, here’s a guide to some of the best YA fiction written by Australian authors this past year.

Sci-fi and fantasy

Illuminae: The Illuminae Files_01, from talented Melbourne duo Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is the YA book that everyone is talking about right now. Set in the distant future (and space), the story is very cleverly told through a series of documents as opposed to a…

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Christmas is right around the corner, so we’ve selected our favourite books for kids of all ages to get you in the festive mood!

What Do You Wish For? by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker

What’s your Christmas wish? All of the kids in Ruby’s neighbourhood have something different to wish for – things like puppies and camping trips and new toys. But Ruby’s Christmas wish is something different, and she really hopes it comes true. This is a warm…

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Yes, it’s Christmas time again so to help make your shopping easier we’ve put together a list of guides to help you find the perfect gift for your friends, families, and even your obligations.

GIFT GUIDES FOR YOUR FAMILY

Gift ideas for your parents

Gift ideas for your children

Gift ideas for your siblings

Gift ideas for your significant other

GIFT GUIDES FOR THE HARD-TO-BUY-FOR

Hard-to-buy-for children

Hard-to-buy-for adults

Books for people who don’t read

Our favourite Christmas books for…

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The countdown to Christmas is on, and the team at Readings is here to help you get your gift-buying done with as little bloodshed as possible.

The Readings website allows you to search for books, CDs and DVDs online, and to check stock availability at any of our five shops.

Our knowledgeable staff are on hand to help you choose the perfect gift, and if you can’t make it into a shop simply send us an email at [email protected]…

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Our staff share some of their favourite comics and graphic novels from the past year.

Angela Crocombe, Children’s Book Buyer

One of my favourite graphic novels this year was Kidglovz. This spellbinding graphic novel is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It is the story of a musical child prodigy exploited by his mentor who discovers freedom when he meets petty thief, Shoestring. Kid’s epic hero’s journey from naivety to knowledge of his past, appreciation of his talent and ultimately, awareness…

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