International fiction
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from Japanese, Korean, German, Chinese and Spanish.
The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel)
A novel about the porous boundary between the real and shadow worlds.
After losing his beloved as a teenager, the narrator finds his way to the Town, a mysterious place where he finds work as a Dream Reader in the library. Back in the real world as an adult he tries to…
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
This Kingdom of Dust by David Dyer
The whole world has just watched Neil and Buzz walk on the Moon. Now they are struck by terror: the lunar module's engine has failed. There is no back-up, no other way off the surface. If the…
Samantha Harvey wins the 2024 Booker Prize
Congratulations to Samantha Harvey who has been named the winner of this year's Booker Prize for Orbital. The Booker Prize is a £50,000 literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK.
Orbital takes place over a single day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. Compact yet beautifully expansive, Orbital invites us to observe Earth’s splendour, whilst reflecting on the individual…
Bog-man summer: books to read while Hozier's touring Australia
If Hozier's touchdown on Australian soil has left you not just listening to Unreal Unearth on repeat, but wanting to make forests, whisky and pining your whole personality, then this is the reading list for you. Whether you're just looking for vibes, or you want to dive a bit deeper into the themes and influences behind his music, this list will have something for you to pick up and get lost in – until concert time roles around.
For those…
Our October 2024 bestsellers
True to form, Sally Rooney's Intermezzo has maintained its number one status this month, correctly proving the book is worth all the hype!
Two great Australian crime authors have released books this month: Christian White's The Ledge, a mind-bending novel where past and present run breathlessly, tensely parallel, leading to a cliff-hanger nobody will see coming; and Chris Hammer's The Valley, which sees the return of Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic in a page-turning plot with an evocative…
Rachel Cusk wins the Goldsmiths Prize 2024
The Goldsmiths prize has announced Rachel Cusk as the 2024 winner for her novel Parade. The prize was created by Goldsmiths College at the University of London 12 years ago, to celebrate creative daring and novels that are experimental and innovative in form and themes. It is awarded annually, with a prize of £10,000 for the winner.
🏆 Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize 2024
Parade by Rachel Cusk
A path-breaking novel of art, womanhood and violence, from the author…
Fiction inspired by real women's lives
One way of acknowledging women whose lives have had little or no recognition in the history books is to write about them in a fictional setting – imagining, and in some cases, reimagining, what their lives might have been like. We've chosen some wonderful books inspired by the lives of a few famous, and many less so, female figures.
✒️ Studious women
Rapture by Emily Maguire
The motherless child of an English priest living in ninth-century Mainz, Agnes is a…
Short scares: more recommended horror reads for Halloween
During the month of October our Readings bookseller and resident horror aficionado, Joe Murray, is sharing his picks for the very best horror short fiction to get you in the mood for Halloween. You might have seen his recommendations on our socials during the month, but here's part two of his in-depth round up of why you need to read these masterful works of horror.
Read part one here!
Horror has always been a genre of experimentation and marginality. Consigned…
What's your blood type? Vampire reads to suit every taste
After a bit of post-Twilight cultural fatigue, it's safe to say that vampires are now back with a vengance. In movies, TV and books, the number of vampires have been steadily growing; but if you're not sure where to start, or need help separating the romantic from the gory, I am here to help! Whether you prefer your vampires to be murderous, plotting for power, or secretly kind of sweet, I've got a book recommendation that will hit the…
Short scares: recommended reads to get you in the mood for Halloween
During the month of October our Readings bookseller and resident horror fiction aficionado, Joe Murray, is sharing his picks for the very best horror short fiction to get you in the mood for Halloween. You might have seen his recommendations on our socials during the month, but here's part one of his in-depth round up of why you need to read these masterful works of horror.
In these tales, horror comes from the strange, frayed edges of the normal world…
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