Our latest blog posts
Which book from the Young Adult Prize shortlist is right for you?
Not sure where to start with the shortlist for the Readings Young Adult prize? Our Kids bookseller and one of this year's judges, Alicia, has great suggestions to help you find the perfect book for your next read.
Please note, this blog post discusses books that deal with racism, homophobia and sexual assault.
While the plots of these two books might be different, they share many similarities both in worldbuilding and themes. Spider and her Demons follows Zhi, a normal…
National Book Awards Longlist - Part I
The first longlists for the 2024 National Book Awards have been announced! Discover the longlists for Translated Literature and Young People's Literature below.
Established in 1950, the National Book Awards is an American literary prize, administered by the National Book Foundation. Previous winners include American literary icons such as William Faulkner, Philip Roth, John Updike, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Translated Literature Longlist
Woodworm by Layla Martínez, translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and…
The Teen Advisory Board on why you need to read Immortal Dark
The Readings Teen Advisory Board were lucky enough to receive early copies of Immortal Dark, the first book in Tigest Girma's new young adult fantasy trilogy, and they have amazing things to say about it!
Immortal Dark is officially launching today, so read the reviews below and grab your copy now.
'Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is a new and highly-anticipated YA dark academia fantasy novel. The main protagonist, Kidan Adane, grew up far from the arcane society…
Game changing activists
From environmental activism, to defending the LGBTQIA+ community, to advocacting for First Nations Australians, the incredible work of these activists has helped drive progress in Australia and around the world. Now you can learn the stories behind them and their groundbreaking work with these insightful biographies and memoirs.
We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo & Mitch Anderson
Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, Nemonte Nenquimo was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism…
Top picks for book clubs this month
Looking for something juicy to discuss in your book club? Try one of these new releases, chosen by our booksellers to appeal to a wide range of readers and provide plenty to talk about.
Australian fiction
The Temperature by Katerina Gibson
What brings six very different people together? Fiona is a millennial media writer; Sidney a failed poet; Tomas a thirty-something factory worker and father; Lexi a fading activist icon; Govita a non-binary visual artist; Henry a Vietnam veteran ageing…
Our August 2024 bestsellers
Catapulting straight to the top of our bestsellers this month, replacing the ever-popular All Fours, is a title our reviewer says is 'one of the most important books published here in many years' – The Men Who Killed the News by Australian journalist Eric Beecher.
Other first-timers to the list were some outstanding fiction and crime fiction including: Woo Woo by Ella Baxter, a darkly funny, pyrotechnic and deeply unsettling novel; the chilling new mystery from Margaret Hickey, The…
Our August 2024 children's and young adult bestsellers
It should be no surprise that the brand new book from Andy Griffiths has topped the charts for August!
Other titles making the list are the first book in a fantastic new graphic-fiction series for junior readers, the latest from the queen of YA mystery, Karen M. McManus and the perfect gift for the new baby in your life. And lastly, the winner's of the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers and for Early Childhood.
The…
What we're reading: Stoneman, Hermes Gower, Burr
Each week our wonderful staff share the books that they've been enjoying.
Aurelia is reading Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend by Richard Stoneman
The only thing second to the amazing feats accomplished by and longlasting influence of Alexander the Great are the fantastical legends that emerged after his death. Richard Stoneman has written an entertaining, eye-opening novel about how different cultures throughout Europe and Asia have adopted Alexander the Great into their own mythology and religion, painting him…
Debut fiction to read this month
Proving just how strong the Australian literary scene is at the moment, we have a wonderful selection of ten debut fiction and crime fiction books this month to add to your 'to be read' pile. There are also a couple of excellent international fiction titles to throw into the mix!
🦘 Australian fiction
Translations by Jumaana Abdu
Amid a series of personal disasters, Aliyah and her daughter, Sakina, retreat to rural New South Wales to make a new life. Aliyah…
Australian fiction to pick up this month
The Temperature by Katerina Gibson
What brings six very different people together? Fiona is a millennial media writer; Sidney a failed poet; Tomas a thirty-something factory worker and father; Lexi a fading activist icon; Govita a non-binary visual artist; Henry a Vietnam veteran ageing out in rural isolation. On the face of it, they have nothing in common – but when a tweet goes viral, it sends their lives ricocheting off each other and upending their assumptions about each other…
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