It has been a very exciting first half of the year in our industry and we have been privileged to read some amazing books. From unforgettable memoirs and insightful investigations to highly imaginative novels encompassing reinvention, history, crime, gastronomy, and more, we've highlighted a few of our favourites.

All Fours by Miranda July

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the…

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It’s been a long semester for all. Jam packed with school, exams and extracurricular activities, the school holidays couldn’t come any faster! With the June/July school holidays just around the corner, we finally have time to snuggle up with a good book and relax. Here’s the perfect guide of what to read during the holidays, no matter your genre of choice. Happy reading!

Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

“Hope called themselves the Renegades.”

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is one of…

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

Justin is reading Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

Headshot is a gripping, powerfully written account of eight young women fighting in the Daughters of America Cup, a fictional boxing tournament held over two days in a gym in Reno, Nevada. Each chapter takes us into successive bouts between two of the fighters. We go inside the ring with them (feeling every blow, every missed shot), but also into their…

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It feels like everyone is jetsetting at the moment, making fun holiday plans to escape the Melbourne winter. But if you can't afford international flights, don't despair! A) because you're not alone, I'm stuck here too, and B) because you can still get a taste of travel with the right books.

Like many people, I've been fixated on the idea of travelling to Japan recently, and fortunately there's a wealth of books available about and from that very place! From…

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If you’ve ever been scrolling through a list of book recommendations online, or even stumbled upon a romance reader’s Bookstagram account, it’s highly likely that you would have seen the name Emily Henry before.

Personally, I like to call her the Queen of Romance, though others prefer the term ‘New York Times Bestselling Author’. With a wide range of titles such as Beach Read, You and Me on Vacation, and much more, it’s guaranteed that you will have…

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Are you vegetarian or vegan? Or just want to cook some delicious plant-based dishes? Then this blog is for you! I've collated some new and exciting cookbooks to help you cook up a storm. From Turkish feasts to rustic country style recipes, there's something for everyone here. Be ready to add some exciting new meals to your weekly rotation!

For the fuss-free cook

So Vegan: EASY by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook

The brilliant creators of One Pot Vegan are…

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These are the crime books which have been read and reviewed by our excellent booksellers this month - all in one place!

Smoke by Michael Brissenden

Reviewed by Chris Gordon, events and programming manager for Readings

Journalist Michael Brissenden has covered the impact huge fires have on communities in his work for the ABC. This knowledge is apparent in his latest novel; an atmospheric dive into how a fire-ravaged town deals with the trauma of losing homes, lives, and…

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The first half of the year has seen many literary accolades, both local and international, awarded to outstanding authors. Here's a selection (there are too many to mention them all!) which includes a couple of prizes you might have missed, as well as the more celebrated. We think they all deserve another round of applause before we rush headlong into the second half of the year.

2024 Age Book of the Year for Fiction

🏆 Women & Children by Tony…

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If the current state of the world is filling you with anxiety, don't just bury your head in the sand. These books all grapple with the realities of climate change, while focusing on actionable solutions. They'll remind you that there is still hope, and we do have the ability to make change for the better.

Together We Can by Claire O'Rourke

Together We Can is an invitation to anyone worried about what climate change means for our future, and a…

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

Baz Ozturk is reading Verdigris by Michele Mari, translated by Brian Robert Moore

Michele Mari, recognised in Italy as one of the country’s great living writers, was translated into English for the first time in 2023 with his story collection You, Bleeding Childhood, which I really enjoyed. I was charmed by Mari’s warmth, cleverness and offbeat sensibility, so when his novel Verdigris came out recently, I pounced…

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