Alison Huber
Alison Huber is the head book buyer for Readings. She has been selling books in Melbourne for twenty years. She is also a recovering academic.
Review — 31 Jul 2023
The Sitter by Angela O’Keeffe
In The Sitter, the spirit of Hortense Cézanne – wife of the more famous Paul – is reanimated by the interest of her biographer and coexists in a hotel…
Blog post — 10 Jul 2023
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
We have just returned from the annual gathering of Australia’s bookselling association (formerly known as the ABA, recently renamed BookPeople). It was a terrific event, and we heard some fantastic…
Blog post — 8 Jun 2023
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
Every now and again, we booksellers are invited to spend an evening with a publisher and their authors. You may have romantic visions of what this involves – a little…
Review — 30 May 2023
Where I Slept by Libby Angel
Described as a work of autofiction, Where I Slept is firmly set in 1990s Melbourne and its streets, share houses, op-shops, squats, pubs, clubs, and cafes. Its narrator is found…
Review — 24 May 2023
The Boss of Everyone! by Danny Wallace
As I understand it, one of the most frustrating things about being a kid is that everyone tells you what to do all the time. Adults are always spoiling the…
Blog post — 4 Apr 2023
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
I was struck by how fantastic this month’s Readings Monthly is. It is brimming with thoughtful reviews from our talented staff. Every time our dear editor sends me the reviews…
Review — 27 Mar 2023
What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma (trans. Sarah Timmer Harvey)
Jente Posthuma is a Dutch writer whose work has been widely acclaimed in the Netherlands, and has been listed for a number of prestigious awards. What I’d Rather Not Think…
Review — 27 Mar 2023
The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop
One of the most wonderful and satisfying things about being a reader is following the careers of writers whose work you have found and loved, waiting expectantly for their next…
Blog post — 9 Mar 2023
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
Engaging in extensive discussions about the weather and changing seasons is part of being a Melbournian, so I am not at all self-conscious to raise this sometimes-prosaic topic, and mention…
Blog post — 7 Feb 2023
Dear Reader, with Alison Huber
There’s nothing quite like a controversial blockbusting release – complete with a publisher’s embargo – hitting the shelves in the usually quiet new-release month of January to get a year…