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Best new crime in August
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH:
Kingdom of the Strong by Tony Cavanaugh
Darian Richards is a lost man. A man he has hunted for years has vanished again, presumably overseas. His lover is gone. The Noosa River, the one bank of water that affords him peace, is not doing its job. Early retirement is looking like it is not for him. But then: a visitor to the cabin he has retreated to. Victorian Police Commissioner Copeland Walsh – nicknamed Copland…
On maps in children's books (and how much we love them)
What it is about maps in children’s books that we love so much?
For me it’s the very immediate suggestion that this author has created an entire, detailed world for the reader. They’ve thought of everything, from the twists and turns of a river, to the shape of mountains. How far we are from seas or rival lands, how we might get to Rabbit’s house, or the way to walk from the nice white cottage with the thatched roof to…
Sasha Grishin on the works of ST Gill
by Sasha GrishinST Gill & His Audiences is the first major comprehensive book to be devoted to this major Australian artist. Author Sasha Grishin tells us of his own experiences with Gill’s works and life, and why he was inspired to write this book.
The book is published to coincide with an exhibition currently on at State Library Victoria: Australian sketchbook: Colonial life and the art of ST Gill. Once Australia’s most popular artist and now a forgotten name, this first-ever…
Celebrating the arrival of a new Dr Seuss book
A new Dr Seuss, did I hear you say?
Oh me, oh my, what a fabulous day!
Apologies for the poor rhyming verse, but its not every day you get a newly-published Dr Seuss book into the bookshop. In fact, since he died in 1991, it hasn’t happened for a very long time. Even The Bippolo Seed and Other Stories, released a few years back, was a compilation of stories previously published in magazines. So when a manuscript was…
Which recipe is the best from Vegetables, Grains & Other Good Stuff?
On Monday we roadtested some recipes from Simon Bryant’s new cookbook, Vegetables, Grains & Other Good Stuff, in a bid to find the best one. Five of our staff selected recipes and Simon himself came in to taste their dishes.
Here are the results.
Stella Charls made Pumpkin, Chickpea and Tahini Soup (pg. 224):
We’ve just come through the middle weekend of MIFF (I’m a bit of an addict), so I’m finding my free time fairly limited and I…
Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist 2015
The shortlist for the Ned Kelly Awards 2015 was announced last Saturday at the Byron Bay Writers Festival, by bestselling Australian author Michael Robotham. It’s the 20th anniversary of the prestigious award, with the winners being announced at the Bella Union on Saturday August 22, as part of Melbourne Writers Festival.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, listed here in full.
Best Crime
Sweet One by Peter Docker
Eden by Candice Fox
A Murder Unmentioned by Sulari Gentill
Gun…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People by Emma Farrarons
A Guide to Berlin by Gail Jones
Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
James Halliday Wine Companion 2016 by James Halliday
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
The Girl With the Dogs by Anna Funder
Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Millie Marotta’s Tropical Wonderland: A Colouring Book Adventure by Millie Marotta
Fictional bookshops in children's books that we'd love to visit in real life
To celebrate National Bookshop Day on Saturday 8 August, here are some fictional bookshops for children to visit in their imagination.
Flourish and Blott’s in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
They bought Harry’s school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and…
What we're reading: Eliza Henry-Jones, Eka Kurniawan and Sally Morgan
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.
Ann Le Lievre is reading In the Quiet by Eliza Henry-Jones
In the Quiet by Eliza Henry-Jones is a radiant Australian debut – full to the brim of beautifully-drawn characters, against the backdrop of a semi-rural Aussie landscape. The plot centres around a family of three teenagers, their father and their close friends…
A collection of some of our favourite Readings moments
Here are just a few of our favourite memories from over the years at Readings.
The time when Mark Rubbo was just starting out.
new
(current) shop in Carlton.
The time when everyone wanted a copy of the new Harry Potter.
The time our staff dressed up as Where’s Wally.
And the time they all wore their most striking jumper.
And… the time they all wore stripes.
That time we hosted a movie night in a laneway (featuring Graphic Novels!…
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