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Best new crime in April
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH:
The Invisible Man from Salem by Christoffer Carlsson
Similar in tone to last year’s hit The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (both books were written by authors young enough to fill this reviewer with some jealousy), The Invisible Man from Salem has a skilled yet youthful feel to it that never detracts from an unnerving and deadly tale. Suspended police officer Leo Junker is spending his days feeling increasingly bitter and abusing a variety…
Top picks from the Emerging Writers' Festival 2015
The Emerging Writers’ Festival have launched their 2015 program! We’re delighted to be the official bookseller for the festival, and we’ve scoured the program to put together our list of must-see events.
Opening Night Extravaganza (Tuesday 26 May, 7pm – 8.45pm)
Definitely mark this one as ‘must-attend’. The 2015 winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript will be announced (past winners include Miles Allinson, Maxine Beneba Clarke and Graeme Simsion), as well as the winners…
Celebrate Record Store Day with us!
We’d love you to come help us celebrate Record Store Day this Saturday 18 April!
We’re offering 20% off all vinyl until the end of April. Please note, the offer only applies to vinyl currently in stock in our shops, and is not available online.
If you have young vinyl lovers in your family, our St Kilda shop is hosting a special music-themed story time this Saturday morning at 10.30am. Bring the kids (aged 2-7) along for a rollicking reading…
Our featured writer for April: Joel Meares
Every month, we do a spotlight feature on one Australian author on our blog. We’re thrilled to announce that Joel Meares is our chosen author for April.
In We’re All Going to Die (Especially Me), Meares reflects on the muddle of Gen Y existence with razor-sharp insight and riotous good humour. His personal essays are self-deprecating, confessional and rollicking good fun, and perfect for lovers of David Sedaris and Benjamin Law.
Read an extract from We’re All Going to Die (Especially Me)
by Joel MearesJoel Meares is the author of essay collection We’re All Going to Die (Especially Me). Here is a short extract from ‘I’m gay and have the scientific evidence to prove it (Or, the chapter Mum should not read)’.
I lost my virginity in my twenties, twice.
That’s not to say that I broke something ‘down there’ while riding a horse a few years before experiencing actual sex – as a proudly hymen-free male, that would be quite impossible. It’s…
Joel Meares shares the last five books he's read
by Joel MearesJoel Meares is the author of We’re All Going to Die (Especially Me). Here he tells us the last five books he’s read, and why.
Wild: From Lost To Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
I had a phone interview with Cheryl Strayed around the release of the Reese Witherspoon film and planned to just skim the book, journo-in-a-rush style, so I could work up some questions. But from page one, I was totally hooked, and…
Is it hard to be honest when telling embarrassing stories?
by Joel MearesJoel Meares is the author of We’re All Going to Die (Especially Me). We asked him whether he found it hard to be honest when telling embarrassing stories. Here’s his response.
One of the first people who read my book was Annabel Crabb, and her response scared the shit out of me.
I’d asked Annabel to take a look at the manuscript and, if she liked it, whether she’d be interested in providing an endorsement. She did, and she…
The CBCA Book of the Year Awards Shortlist 2015
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have announced their Book of the Year Awards shortlists for 2015! Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers.
Here are the shortlists for each category:
Older Readers
Nona & Me by Clare Atkins
Intruder by Christine Bongers
Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney
The Protected by Claire Zorn
The Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2015 shortlist
The shortlist for the 2015 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced!
Chair of judges, Shami Chakrabarti, says of the shortlist, ‘You’ve heard of fantasy football? Well, short-listing for the 2015 Baileys Prize was the fantasy book club of a lifetime. The novels we shared and the shortlist we ultimately honour form a body of great women’s writing to entertain and inspire for many years to come.’
The six shortlisted titles (whittled down from a twenty-strong longlist) are:
Chris Gordon interviews Rachel Khoo
Our resident foodie Chris Gordon chats with British chef, writer and broadcaster Rachel Khoo.
First, congratulations on your second cookbook! With your background in art, I imagine you have quite a lot to do with the layout of your books? What’s that process like?
I really enjoy that part of creating a book. It all starts on the photo shoots where I work with a really talented team: David Loftus (photographer), John Hamilton (art director), Frankie Unsworth (food stylist) and…