Our latest blog posts

Best new cookbooks in October

by Chris Gordon

The Moroccan Soup Bar by Hana Assafiri (available 26 October)

Over the last 17 years the Moroccan Soup Bar has become a much-loved Melbourne institution. It’s a unique dining experience with Hana, head chef and owner, telling you what’s what on the menu. She says: ‘At the Moroccan Soup Bar we strive to rectify the imbalance where women in all societies and religions are among the most vulnerable and marginalised. Modern cooking is underpinned by the innovation and creativity of…

Read more ›

Marlon James wins the Man Booker Prize 2015

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James is the winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2015!

In A Brief History of Seven Killings, James combines brilliant storytelling with his unrivaled skills of characterization and meticulous eye for detail to forge an enthralling novel of dazzling ambition and scope. Set across three decades, the novel uses the true story of the attempt on the life of reggae star Marley to explore the turbulent world of Jamaican…

Read more ›

Best new crime in October

by Fiona Hardy

CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH:

The Dark Inside by Rod Reynolds

As someone who’s never been to America’s south, I only know what I read in books: lots of diners, folks who don’t like the look of you, and dirt tracks where any manner of thing can go wrong. And I love it, that southern tale: the heat, the secrets, something about the writing that is sweet and sour like ripe old candy. It surprised me to realise that Reynolds…

Read more ›

Five beautiful picture books (that are also for adults)

by Holly Harper

The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan is a firm favourite amongst booksellers and customers alike, and his star has only continued to rise after The Lost Thing was turned into an Oscar-winning short film in 2010. When a new one of his books graces our shelves, it’s usually the adults lining up at the counter, clutching a copy to their chests with an enthusiastic gleam in their eyes. The Singing Bones is no exception. This collection of Tan’s…

Read more ›

Winners of the Inky Awards 2015

The winners for this year’s Inky Awards have been announced by the Centre for Youth Literature!

The Inky Awards recognise high-quality young adult literature, with the shortlist selected by young adults, and the winners voted for online by teens. There are two awards: the Gold Inky Award for an Australian book, and the Silver Inky Award for an international book.

The winner of this year’s Gold Inky is The Intern by Gabrielle Tozer.

The winner of this year’s Silver Inky…

Read more ›

Samuel Johnson Prize Shortlist 2015

Congratulations to the authors shortlisted for this year’s Samuel Johnson Prize.

Anne Applebaum, chair of judges, said: “We didn’t quite come to blows, but the shortlist meeting was truly contentious; it’s hard to imagine how five people sitting in a room on a weekday morning could have disagreed more strongly. Nevertheless I am delighted to say that our list includes some exceptional books, which capture – among other things – the politics of troubled countries, the relationship of life to…

Read more ›

Our children's and YA top ten bestsellers of the week

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

The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan

Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams

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

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer (The Gods of Asgard Book 1) by Rick Riordan

The 65-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated edition) by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay

The Day the Crayons Came

Read more ›

Our top ten bestsellers of the week

M Train by Patti Smith

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

Kissed by A Deer by Margi Gibb

Island Home: A Landscape Memoir by Tim Winton

The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

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

Faction Man: Bill Shorten’s Path to Power (Quarterly Essay 59) by David Marr

ST Gill & His Audiences by Sasha Grishin

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz…

Read more ›

Highlights from our October event program

by Chris Gordon

Events Manager Chris Gordon shares her top five picks from our September event calendar.

Alex Miller on The Simplest Words

We are delighted to have award-winning author Alex Miller and his wife Stephanie joining us on the very day his latest work is released. The Simplest Words is a selection of short pieces – both fiction and non-fiction – from one of Australia’s greatest literary treasures. While you enjoy a two-course meal and matching wine, Miller will discuss his work…

Read more ›