Australian fiction titles to pick up this month
Seeing Other People by Diana Reid
After two years of lockdowns, there’s change in the air. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend, Charlie’s career as an actress is starting up again. They’re finally ready to pursue their dreams-relationships, career, family-if only they can work out what it is they really want.
When principles and desires clash, Eleanor and Charlie are forced to ask: where is the line between self-love and selfishness?
'Seeing Other People explores the value of work and pay in arts industries versus the value and stability of ‘conventional’ employment ... The novel’s title not only refers to the characters’ romantic and sexual relationships, but almost, more deeply, to how they grow to see themselves and others in new and enlightening ways.' – Annie Condon, Readings Hawthorn
Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor
Who is Iris Webber? A thief, a fighter, a wife, a lover. A scammer, a schemer, a friend. A musician, a worker, a big-hearted fool. A woman who has prevailed against the toughest gangsters of the day, defying police time and again, yet is now trapped in a prison cell. Guilty or innocent?
'Iris is as much a character study as it is a perfectly rendered re-creation of a time and place. The author’s exhaustive research brings the suburbs of Sydney, its people and language to the page with such care and affection. The voices sounded so very clear to me as I read: many vernacular turns of phrase that some readers might remember from their grandparents’ generation are brought back to life here. At the same time, McGregor does not shy away from the violence of some of that same language, and I recommend reading the author’s note to add context. This book had me in its clutches for an unusually long time.' – Alison Huber, head book buyer
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
In the heat of a long summer Ned hunts rabbits in a river valley, hoping the pelts will earn him enough money to buy a small boat. His two brothers are away at war, their whereabouts unknown. His father and older sister struggle to hold things together on the family orchard, Limberlost.
As his story unfolds over the following decades, we see how Ned’s choices that summer come to shape the course of his life, the fate of his family and the future of the valley, with its seasons of death and rebirth.
'Robbie Arnott is a tremendously talented and unique voice in Australian literature, and his third novel, Limberlost, exceeded all my expectations. It is a gorgeously written coming- of-age novel, set in a Tasmanian river valley.' – Celeste Deliyiannis, Readings Emporium
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
‘Just let him go.’ Those are words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation. That night in 1996, Denny – optimistic, guileless, brilliant Denny – is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in Cabramatta, a Sydney suburb facing violent crime, an indifferent police force, and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history.
Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by her brother’s case: several people were at Lucky 8 restaurant when Denny died, but each of the bystanders claim to have seen nothing. As an antidote to grief and guilt, Ky is determined to track down the witnesses herself.
'A bold, new Australian voice that’s much-needed today.' – Aurelia Orr, Readings Emporium
Moon Sugar by Angela Meyer
Mila can’t shake her grief for the life she thought she’d have. She’s broke, childless, and single. But her developing relationship with Josh, a ‘sugar baby’, opens her eyes to new possibilities. Then Josh goes missing on a trip to Europe – a presumed suicide. Mila, and Josh’s best friend Kyle, are devastated, yet they suspect something is amiss. Together, they feel compelled to trace Josh’s steps across Budapest, Prague and Berlin, seeking clues in his last posts online.
Yet is there one mysterious factor Mila hasn’t considered?
'Moon Sugar is uncompromised storytelling that challenges and entertains, and a welcome addition to my reading list this year.' – Amanda Rayner, Readings Carlton
