Our latest blog posts
Join us for our inaugural teachers’ night
We’re inviting Melbourne teachers to join us for a special information night on Tuesday 24 March at our Hawthorn shop, where you can enjoy a drink, chat with Readings staff members and meet some of our favourite authors: Andrew McDonald, Chris Miles, Gabrielle Williams and Fiona Wood! (Plus, you’ll receive a 20% discount off any books you purchase on the night!)
The evening will be split into two main presentations, and guests are welcome to stay for both.
The Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2015 longlist
The longlist for the 2015 Baileys women’s prize for fiction has been announced!
The chair of judges Shami Chakrabarti says: ‘The Prize’s 20th year is a particularly strong one for women’s fiction. All judges fought hard for their favourites and the result is a 2015 list of 20 to be proud of – with its mix of genres and styles, first-timers and well-known names from around the world.’
Here are the 20 longlisted titles:
Outline by Rachel Cusk
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
That Sugar Book by Damon Gameau
Bad Behaviour: A Memoir of Bullying and Boarding School by Rebecca Starford
City Limits: Why Australia’s cities are broken and how we can fix them by Jane-Frances Kelly and Paul Donegan
The Happy Cookbook by Lola Berry
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Hello, Beautiful!: Scenes from a Life by Hannie Rayson
We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Last chance to sign up to our in-store book clubs
Hawthorn Book Club:
Our Hawthorn Book Clubs meet in the Hawthorn shop, 701 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn on the third Thursday of every month, starting Thursday 19 March. Sessions begin at 6.30pm and last one hour. Our Hawthorn Book Clubs are distinctive because they are primarily about talking about books and only secondarily a social event.
The cost of the book club is $275.00 per member per term. This includes five facilitated one hour discussion sessions, with wine and snacks. You…
Which is the best recipe from Mr. Wilkinson’s Simply Dressed Salads?
We put Matt Wilkinson’s salads to the test this week with six of our staff making recipes from Mr. Wilkinson’s Simply Dressed Salads for a blind-tasting.
These same staff were absolutely delighted (read: horrified) to learn that Matt himself would be acting in the capacity of guest judge, along with three other staff members.
Here are the results.
Stella Charls made Noodles with broad beans, peas & spicy lemon dressing (pg 69.):
I am not a confident cook, and was…
What we're reading: Katharine Norbury, Hannie Rayson and Barbara Trapido
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 The Fish Ladder: A Journey Upstream by Katharine Norbury
Last year it was Tasmania. I soaked up the writing of Bob Brown, Maggie MacKellar and Favel Parrett. This year I think it will be Wales.
I am loving Katharine Norbury’s The Fish Ladder. The author…
A conversation about Roxane Gay
Last night, several of our staff members attended a sold-out Wheeler Centre event with author Roxane Gay. They discuss the event, the author and her work below.
Nina: So I’m a big fan of Roxane – I’ve read Bad Feminist, I read her blog and follow her on Twitter, and I own her novel An Untamed State (but I haven’t read it yet). I love her voice, and I wanted to hear it in person. That’s why I…
Our 46th birthday sale!
It’s our 46th birthday! We’re taking 10% off to celebrate
We’re offering 10% off all books today, online and in our five shops. (Don’t forget, we offer free shipping on all online orders over $19.95 too!) The offer is valid from 9am - midnight, this Thursday 5 March. It only applies to books we currently have in-stock (you can check a book’s stock status on our website), and excludes CDs, DVDs, gift items and stationery, and is not valid with…
Stories from Sacred Heart Mission's op shops
by Bronte CoatesSacred Heart Mission has a longstanding partnership with The Readings Foundation.
Last week Bronte Coates visited the Mission in St Kilda and learned about the importance of book donations to their work.
Sacred Heart Mission assists people who are homeless or living in poverty to find shelter, food, care and support. They run a dining hall, a health clinic and a women’s centre, as well as other amazing projects and programs.
Along with fundraisers (including their upcoming annual Light…
Introducing our event program for March
Kick off your month with a bit of political controversy. Mark Latham will be at our Hawthorn shop on Thursday 12 March to talk about his new collection of essays, Latham at Large. He’s a man who’s never lost for words, so it’s sure to be an entertaining night.
If politics isn’t your thing, there are three book launches to choose from on that same evening: Ilka Tampke will launch her debut historical fiction, Skin, at our Carlton…