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. Chris Gordon is reading The Safe Place by Anna Downes

Do you need a novel to take you away from your couch and isolation? Perhaps a book that transports you somewhere warm, lush, tranquil even, while also introducing you to characters that ar…

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YA author Poppy Nwosu reflects on the enigma that is Mr Darcy, and the challenges of writing realistic, swoon-worthy romantic heroes for teen readers.

Love stories have existed for thousands of years, yet the culture surrounding romance has changed hugely in that time.

Recently, a work colleague told me her young niece had watched an adaption of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and expresse…

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We would argue that all picture books are ripe for interaction, but some encourage more reader participation than others. Here are some of our favourite books that prompt us to press, lift, tie, pat and build. Play with Your Plate! by Judith Rossell

Mix and match to your heart’s content with this innovative board book that encourages youngsters to play with their food. Four separate board b…

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It’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June) - a time for all Australians to learn about First Nations people’s histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme this year is a very apt ‘In This Together.’ Here are some recommended books to honour the voices, histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torr…

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The curse of the second book, or the sophomore slump, is often talked about by writers and readers. Here, we’ve collected together 10 sophomore outings from authors that will impress – and maybe even inspire some first-time authors to persevere. Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan

Conspiracies, memes, and therapies of various efficacy underpin this beguiling short-story collectio…

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Phosphorescence by Julia Baird Normal People by Sally Rooney Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Falastin by Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley A Bigger Picture by Malcolm Turnbull See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill

Julia Baird once a…

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra Bluey: The Creek Bluey: The Beach Bluey: Big Backyard Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler Bluey: Fruit Bat Greta Thunberg (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Anke Weckmann Burn by Patrick Ness

It’s no su…

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We always love discovering new and exciting voices in books. Here are six recent works of debut fiction from writers around the world – from India, Denmark, South Korea, the US, Ireland and Ukraine. If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

If I Had Your Face plunges us into the mesmerising world of contemporary Seoul – a place where extreme plastic surgery is as routine as getting a haircut, where…

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The longlists for the Australian Booksellers Association’s (ABA) Booksellers’ Choice Book of the Year Awards have been announced. These awards recognise the titles that booksellers most enjoyed reading and hand-selling during 2019.

This year, for the first time, the awards will be presented in three categories: adult fiction, nonfiction and children’s. Below are this year’s longlisted titles for…

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Our shops have reopened (with safety measures in place) and we’re pleased to be able to once again resume our regular what we’re reading column. 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. Mark Rubbo is reading Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

Rutger Bregman’s Utopia for…

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