Our latest blog posts
Books v. Cigarettes in 2014
Chris Gordon reflects on George Orwell’s memorable essay from the ‘40s, Books v. Cigarettes, in relation to our lives today.
I recently read a wonderful essay by the great man himself, George Orwell, where he disputes with great aplomb the idea that books, and book buying, are a luxury. Granted, he wrote this essay in the early 1940s and he used himself as an example. He looks loosely at his own book purchases over the preceding 15 years and…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi
We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
The Bush: Travels in the Heart of Australia by Don Watson
Amnesia by Peter Carey
The Book of Paul: The Wit and Wisdom of Paul Keating by Russell Marks
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s ‘Learned’ by Lena Dunham
Nora Webster by Colm…
What we're reading: Richard Yates, Helen Macdonald, Philip Larkin & Nick Drake
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 The Easter Parade by Richard Yates
After reading this terrific blog post by my colleague Jason, I decided I had to read a Richard Yates novel immediately. I’d read and enjoyed Revolutionary Road several years ago but that was as far as my Yates knowledge went. I chose The…
The books our kids loved in 2014
With booksellers for parents, our kids have an endless supply of reading material and are always willing to roadtest for us. Ranging from age 5 to age 16, they told us the books they discovered in 2014 that hooked them the most, including several new releases and some old favourites.
Teens
Charlie, age 16, loved:
The Rookie Yearbooks edited by Tavi Gevinson (Books 1-3). Perfect for fans of fashion, humour and in-depth personal essays by teenagers and celebrities, presented in…
Our favourite book covers of 2014
Elke Power and Bronte Coates share some of their favourite book covers of 2014
The Best 100 Poems of Gwen Harwood by Gwen Harwood
The elements of this cover are perfectly judged by designer Peter Long. At first glance, the exquisite image and simple text are evocative and inviting, and this impression only deepens with every admiring look. The cover is a fantastic match for the poetry within.
Elke
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Described as ‘the story of…
The books by women we read in 2014
The campaign #readwomen2014 was launched this year, designed to encourage more people to read, review and discuss books written by women. Here, our staff share some of the books by women they read in 2014.
Nina Kenwood, Digital Marketing Manager:
Many of the most notable books by women I read this year were debuts. I highly recommend The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P, Friendship, The Girls From Corona Del Mar, Life Drawing, The Last Days…
Our 2014 Christmas Gift Guides
The gift-giving season has well and truly arrived and if you’re stressing over what to buy for Charlie, Mabel, Bertie, Gertie and more, then, stress no more.
We’ve put together a list of handy guides to help you find the right gift for your friends, families and work colleagues this Christmas.
Are you wondering…
What to buy for your significant other?
What to buy for hard-to-buy-for people?
The most memorable foodie trends of 2014
Our resident foodie shares four books that epitomise popular food trends of the past twelve months.
I Quit Sugar for Life: 148 Recipes + Meal Plans for Families and Solos by Sarah Wilson
It now seems that there are many people who want to be free of pesky sugar for the rest of their lives. In I Quit Sugar for Life, Sarah Wilson has designed a program complete with 148 sugar-free recipes, to show families and individuals how to…
Five young adult books that I couldn't put down this year
Children’s book specialist Emily Gale selects the young adult books that she read in one sitting this year.
The Boy’s Own Manual To Being A Proper Jew by Eli Glasman
With remarkable wit and warmth, Eli Glasman invites his readers into the Orthodox Jewish community that provides the setting for his debut novel. Once I was in, I stayed put. It’s a slim, punchy story, no words wasted, which I found refreshing. I just hope it doesn’t get lost among…
Which literary prize winner should I read over summer?
Looking for something to read? We match your literary inclinations with a prize winner of 2014.
Want to read contemporary American fiction about the Iraq war that doesn’t put a heroic spin on the realities of warfare?
Try Redeployment by Phil Klay
With a hard-eyed realism and stunning emotional depth, former marine captain and Iraq veteran Phil Klay depicts the the human cost of war. Redeployment is a deserving winner for the National Book Award for Fiction. (Find the full…
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