Thank you for shopping local in 2024!

Our hardworking team behind the Readings blog are taking a short break, but if you're on the hunt for something on which to spend your gift voucher, or just need a great book to keep you (or the kids) entertained, check out some of our blog highlights below. You can browse a comprehensive round-up of the best books of the year here, and of course our Summer Reading Guide has something for…

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In 2024, we were doing it for the plot! So here is a collection of books released this year that have incredible plot lines – from dark humour to cosy reads, you're sure to find something to devour over your holidays as you get ready for 2025!

For the anti-facist, pop music fans ...

Big Time by Jordan Prosser

Big Time is set in a not-too-distant future Australia, where the eastern states have become the world's newest autocracy – a…

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Our lovely bookseller Elke has shared some great nonfiction recommendations that provide incredible insight into big news issues. But if you're looking for a different kind of read (that will make you a bit less furious about the state of the world) try one of these fascinating books that cover topics across science, history, economics and philosophy.

2024 isn't over just yet, so it's not too late to change the way you look at the world and into the new…

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Still looking for the right book for the young reader in your life? Here are some of our favourite junior and middle grade books from 2024!

Adventures you don't want to miss

Batthew Aromascent and the Missing Corpse Flower by Ella Mulvey and John Roebuck

The first dazzling book in an exciting new adventure mystery series about the rich world of fragrance, starring a young Nose named Batthew Aromascent, whose parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances ...

When the world’s largest…

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If you have a relative or friend who is thrilled (or thrilled to be appalled) by a political controversy, frequently regales you with analysis of the hot current affairs topics of the day, is a Quarterly Essay subscriber, is at a loss since the US election finished, or just wants to make the world a better place, these books will give them plenty to sink their teeth into and are so readable the recipient may disappear between turkey/nut roast and…

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If you want to journey to far off lands through your summer reading, or want to bring some extra magic to the holidays, try one of these great sci-fi and fantasy reads!

2024 brought long-awaited sequels to beloved series by TJ Klune, Jeff VanderMeer and Karl Ove Knausgaard, as well as exciting new releases from authors including Keanu Reeves, Alan Moore and Leigh Bardugo. So explore the list below to find our highlights of the year and make sure you…

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2024 was a wonderful year for young adult fiction! Here are just some of our favourites ...

Contemporaries to fall in love with ...

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden

Marco should be at university, studying biomedicine. Instead, he’s been sent to live on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean with his estranged uncle, all because of a ‘blip’ everyone else is convinced was a panic attack. (Which it most definitely was not.)

And even though Marco’s trip is supposed…

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I don't know about you, but I am counting down the days until I have a lovely two weeks off! And one thing I'm most excited for is getting some reading done. If you're a one book kinda person but still want to get a lot of reading done, or if you've been waiting to dive into something thick until you had the holidays in front of you, then these chunky books are the way to go!

If that's not…

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There are some amazing art and design books to highlight this year. From Australian art history, portraiture, still-life and First Nations art, to the most influential Australian photographer of the 20th century and Melbourne's midcentury modernists, there is a wealth of choice for the creative in your life. Below are a few books we've selected to get you started!

65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art by Marcia Langton & Judith Ryan

Long before Britain’s invasion of Australia in…

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It's nearing the end of 2024, so we asked the Readings Teen Advisory Board to share their favourite reads of the year!

Ellie Fisher loved:

I’m Not Really Here by Gary Lonesborough

I'm Not Really Here is an excellent book that follows the journey of Jonah, a young queer Aboriginal boy, as he moves to a country town. Harvey is a young rugby player who befriends Jonah at school and convinces him to play Rugby for the local team. Perfect…

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