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Must-read international debut fiction from 2023

It's been a gargantuan year for debuts, both local and international. Below is a list of some of our favourite international debut fiction, published during 2023, to read this summer. You can explore must-read local debuts here.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars – the highly popular, highly controversial profit-raising program inside America's private prison system. Harkening back to the time of gladiators, but watched by millions of live-stream subscribers, prisoners compete for the ultimate…

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Vegan festive feasting

by Lucie Dess

Are you vegan and dreading another Christmas of a few wilted lettuce leaves and some turkey-tainted roast veg on your plate? Or perhaps you're not vegan, but you need to cater for some this festive season and aren't sure where to begin! Well, feast your eyes on this line-up of vegan cookbooks that will have vegan and non-vegan tastebuds singing this Christmas!

For those who like a traditional Christmas...

A Very Vegan Christmas by Sam Dixon

Do you miss iconic…

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Every day is teacher day in my book

by Rosalind McClintock

Teachers, what would we do without them? They are nothing short of amazing. Anyone who can not only corral a room of 20+ excitable children, but also teach them day in, day out, deserves something a little thoughtful. The following are some suggestions for all budgets that would be lovely teamed with a handmade card and a few lines on how they have helped you/your child this year.

For the teacher who loves to cook.

Low cost: We stopped for…

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Must-read Australian debut fiction from 2023

2023 was a wonderful year for Australian fiction. If you’re looking for a new writer to fall in love with, excellent local fiction to gift, or just want to catch up on some of the most talked-about new Australian fiction of the year, here are just a few highlights. And don’t forget to stay tuned for part two of our debut spotlight, where we focus on international fiction. 

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

Hera Stephen is clawing through her mid-twenties…

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What we're reading: Flanagan & Rundell

Each week our amazing staff bring you a sample of the books or music they're immersed in.

Chris Gordon is reading Question 7 by Richard Flanagan

I'm at that time of the year when I reflect on the year that has been. I'm looking at all the pathways I could have, should have, would have taken if I had stopped to take some time to think a little longer.

Reading Richard Flanagan's Question 7 can be blamed for this newly…

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Best junior and middle grade books of 2023

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past 12 months. Here are the best junior and middle grade books of the year, as voted by Readings' staff, and displayed in alphabetical order by author.

Leaf-light by Trace Balla

Have you ever had a special place that was just yours? 12-year-old Miri has one, it's high up among the dappled leaf light. When she's on the ground though, she spends time with her neighbour Wingo, two joeys…

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Best nonfiction of 2023

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past 12 months. Here are the nonfiction books of the year, as voted by Readings' staff, and displayed in alphabetical order by author.

Art Monsters by Lauren Elkin

Who are Art Monsters? Lauren Elkin characterises them as women who break the social norms of behaviour and appearance. They are women who redefine the truth of their own bodies, not by how they are perceived through the traditional male lens.

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Best international fiction of 2023

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past 12 months. Here are the best international fiction books of the year, as voted by Readings' staff, and displayed in alphabetical order by author.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Imagine a Squid Game-style gladiator program that combines elements of the ‘reality’ TV show and the ancient ‘sport’, but is run as a fight-to-the-death competition for freedom in the, near future, US prison system – and is…

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Best young adult books of 2023

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past 12 months. Here are the best young adult books of the year, as voted by Readings' staff, and displayed in alphabetical order by author.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

Jump back into the world of Elfhame in The Stolen Heir. It’s been eight years since the Battle of the Serpent and we are now following Jude’s brother Oak and the changeling queen, Suren. The two were…

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