We’re loving the gorgeous new cookbook, Margaret and Me, in which Kate Gibbs explores how her grandmother Margaret Fulton has influenced Kate’s own passion for food.

Inspired by Margaret and Me, we recently tried our hand at making some of our favourite family recipes and sharing them over lunch. Here’s our staff on their own culinary influences…

Jan Lockwood:

I’ve decided to make my mum’s cottage pie, mainly because I loved it, and also because I haven’t eaten…

Read more ›

As I compose this sentence, election fever is about to come to the boil in my home country and so, in the spirit of democracy, I asked my colleagues to help me compile this blog post by each voting for their favourite new release.

PICTURE BOOKS

Kathy’s pick: Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich by Lorraine Francis and Pieter Gaudesaboos

Kathy loves this stylish, over-sized board book about a boy who is building the tallest sandwich the world has ever…

Read more ›

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.

Nina Kenwood is reading Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny

Get ready, because I’m about to rave about this book.

I first heard about Single, Carefree, Mellow from a colleague who called it ‘the best book I read this year’. Then another colleague, Stella, wrote about it in last week’s What We’re Reading…

Read more ›

This month, we’re offering 25% of all Lonely Planet titles in all of our shops and online. If you’re looking for inspiration on where to travel next, our staff share their dream destinations – and why.

Nina Kenwood hasn’t seen enough of New Zealand yet

There are so many places I’d like to visit this year. My best friend currently lives in Berlin and I’d love to visit her – both to see her and also to experience Germany, a…

Read more ›

We had a wonderful time at the Clunes Booktown Festival last weekend (Mark even took some time out to plant some trees). Our top five selling books of the festival were:

In the Company of Cowards: Bush, Howard and Injustice at Guantanamo by Michael Mori

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang

Hello, Beautiful!: Scenes from a Life by Hannie Rayson

The Strays by Emily Bitto

Here Come the Dogs by Omar Musa

Below are some snapshots…

Read more ›

Every month, we do a spotlight feature on one Australian author on our blog and Krissy Kneen is our chosen author for May. Her new novel, The Adventures of Holly White and the Incredible Sex Machine, is a literary sci-fi superhero sex romp.

What’s the book about?

Holly wears a ring that says True Love Waits and worries because her boyfriend isn’t trying to persuade her otherwise. Then a boy in her English tute invites her to join his…

Read more ›

Krissy Kneen is the author of The Adventures of Holly White and the Incredible Sex Machine. Here she tells us the last five books she’s read, and why.

Aquarium by David Vann

I am a massive fan of the Vann. Since I discovered his wonderful dark, precise prose in his novella Legend of a Suicide (arguably his best piece of writing), I have been avidly consuming his work as soon as it hits the shelves. Aquarium is perhaps the…

Read more ›

Krissy Kneen is the author of The Adventures of Holly White and the Incredible Sex Machine. Here she tells us about writing a novel that references a lot of other books.

Originally my publisher pitched the idea to me. He thought I should write an erotic fiction book referencing the classic erotic texts. The idea excited me as soon as I heard it. I had been dabbling reading the classics of erotica but this gave me an excuse to…

Read more ›

Look everyone, I totally get the allure of a bookshelf that looks like it’s come straight out of a film set – probably the kind of film that stars a wealthy, attractive architect in New York. I too long for the day I have one of those bookshelves that fill an entire wall, complete with a wooden ladder to slide along the railings on. But… sadly, today is not that day.

So, in the interim, here are my three tips…

Read more ›

We have a very special event planned for this month. On Monday 11 May we’re delighted to have Readings’ managing director Mark Rubbo in conversation with author Helen Garner at the Church of all Nations. These two people have changed the way Australians appreciate writers and writing, and it’s sure to be a fascinating conversation. Plus, all proceeds from this event will be donated to the Readings Foundation.

Kids will be keen to join beloved children’s author Sally Rippin…

Read more ›