Australian fiction
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…
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…
The Melbourne Prize for Literature 2024 Finalists
The 2024 finalists have been announced for the Melbourne Prize for Literature, one of Australia's most valuable and prestigious literary awards.
The Melbourne Prize for Literature 2024 will be awarded to a Victorian author whose body of published work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life. The prize is supported by major patron, The Vera Moore Foundation, and the winning author will receive $60,000.
2024 also marks the inaugural year of the Falls…
Your guide to the New Australian Fiction shortlist
The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize shortlist is the perfect reading list for the year's best new Australian books. But if you're not sure which of the six shortlisted titles to start with, here's a quick guide to help you find the right book for your current mood.
For an insightful and tense examination of police violence in Melbourne's West
Read No Church in the Wild by Murray Middleton
It's been five long years since violence erupted between young migrants…
Foreword, with Joe Rubbo
The start of a new month means that there's a new issue of Readings Monthly available online and in our shops. Below you can read the foreword from the latest issue – and keep an eye on the blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!
In case you missed it, we have just announced the 2024 shortlists for The Readings Prizes for Children’s, Young Adult and New Australian Fiction. It is always an exciting…
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…
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…
The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize 2024 shortlist
We are proud to announce the six shortlisted titles for The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize 2024! The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize is presented for the best new contribution to Australian fiction.
Our staff judges for the 2024 Prize are Melinda Houston (chair of judges, Readings Carlton), Yasmin Baker (Readings Doncaster), Aurelia Orr (Readings Kids) and Louise Ryan (Readings Carlton).
Thanks for Having Me by Emma Darragh
This novel, written in interlocking stories, follows Mary Anne, Vivien and Evie…
Most anticipated fiction books for the second half of the year
It's hard to believe we're already in August and publishers have finalised (mostly!) their lists for Summer 2024. It's difficult To eclipse what has already been a very strong year, but we think you'll agree from the preview below that there's much to look forward to in the coming months! Many of our favourite authors are releasing books and we hope to see you as they begin to grace our shelves and online collections.
📚 AUSTRALIAN FICTION
Juice by Tim…