Our latest blog posts

A beginner's guide to Elizabeth Strout

by Chris Gordon

On Elizabeth Strout’s website is this quote:

"We want to know, I think, what it is like to be another person, because somehow this helps us position our own self in the world. What are we without this curiosity?"

Elizabeth Strout’s many novels are filled with this curiosity, this empathetic approach to humanity that is both refreshing and comforting to me. She has created a village made up with people that I could be friends with, and those that I…

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Sink your teeth into a gripping book series

Are you sick of trying to decide what book to pick up next? Do you get paralysed by indecision looking at your TBR? We have the antidote: read a series!

A long series, or even a nice hefty trilogy, will take away the need to decide as you're pulled from one gripping instalment to the next. Here are some top picks for great series to pick up, no matter your genre of preference.

Fantasy

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang…

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Suggestions for the vinyl fanatic fathers

This Father's Day why not gift your dad something from our incredible range of vinyl. Covering styles from hip-hop and soul to singer-songwriters and rock there's sure to be an album to suit. To get you started we've listed a few options below but you can find more in our Father's Day vinyl collection here.

Etazhi (Silver Vinyl) by Molchat Doma

This album has been flying off our racks at the Carlton shop!! The second LP by Belarussian trio…

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Debut authors to check out at the 2024 Emerging Writers’ Festival

2024 has shaped up to be an incredible year for debut authors! And what better way to check out some of the most exciting debut releases of 2024 than by seeing them live at Australia’s premiere online and in-person festival of new literature – the Emerging Writers’ Festival.

Running 5-15 September, this year’s Emerging Writers’ Festival has something for everyone – from avid booklovers to budding wordsmiths – no matter where you are. EWF24 is bringing you over sixty…

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Q&A with the authors of the Readings Children's Prize shortlist

To help you work out where to start with the Children's Prize shortlist, and figure out which book is the right fit for the young reader in your life, we asked the shortlisted authors:

Who is the ideal reader for your book and/or what do you hope readers take away from it?

Anton Clifford-Motopi, author of To and Fro, says:

'I think To and Fro is ideal for independent readers aged 10 years and over who enjoy reading realistic…

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What to gift for Father's Day (when you've exhausted all other options)

You've already bought them the socks, the barbeque tools, the steak knives, the homebrews and football scarves. If you've utterly run out of ideas for Father's Day gifts this year, maybe have a browse of our recommendations below for gifts that might be just a little bit left-of-centre from their niche interests. It might even open up a whole new avenue for the future.

For the homebrewer, get them Not Just Jam by Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans is a chef…

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What we're reading: Newman, de Kerangal & Street

Each week our wonderful staff share the books that they've been enjoying.

Chris is reading Sandwich by Catherine Newman

I have been seen.  

Reading about a 54 year old woman dealing with parents, adult children, her partner and menopause while on an annual holiday was utterly, wonderfully cathartic. I laughed out loud. I cried. Sandwich needs to be read by everyone. It explains the physical and emotional turmoil of getting older; it shows the inner dialogue of resentment and love…

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A beginner's guide to Dark Academia

by Bella Mackey

If you've encountered the term 'dark academia' online or in bookshops and wondered what on earth it means, wonder no more! This guide is hear to give you a crash course on the increasingly popular subgenre and help you find the right book to get you started.

Dark academia, like 'cottage core' is often used to describe a particular aesthetic – picture sweater vests, classical statues and handwritten notes stained with black coffee – but it's also a term for…

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An edited extract by Tony Birch from Fitzroy 1974

by Tony Birch

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this blog contains the names and images of deceased people. Readings apologises for any distress this may cause.

Into the Hollow Mountains was originally published in 1974 and featured a collection of Robert Ashton’s photographs, accompanied by writing from various local creatives, including Helen Garner.

Fitzroy 1974 is a new edition of this iconic work with additional written contributions, edited by Gregory Day, which celebrate Ashton’s rare observational talents and reflect…

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Books to teach you all about trees!

by Bella Mackey

With Spring in the air and blossoms starting to emerge across Melbourne's streets, I've developed a new hyperfixation: trees! From their towering beauty to the diverse foliage, flowers and fruits they grow, to how pivotal trees and wood have been to Western civilisation, once you take a moment to think about the trees you're walking past every day, you're bound to have the same realisation I have – that they're incredibly interesting, beautiful, and politically charged.

If any of this…

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