International 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…
Audiobook Recommendations for Father's Day
Father's Day is just around the corner, but fortunately in the digital age there are plenty of great gifts that can be snapped up at the last minute, from the comfort of your couch.
A Readings gift card is one example of a fuss-free gift that's sure to delight, but if your dad is a fan of audiobooks, Libro.fm is a great gift option too! We have a Libro store, meaning you can buy audiobooks from Readings, see our curated…
A beginner's guide to Elizabeth Strout
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…
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…
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…
A beginner's guide to Dark Academia
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…
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Japanese, French & Italian!
Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa (translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder)
After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent to live for a year with her uncle in a coastal town. It is a year that will change her life. The 1970s are bringing changes to Japan and her uncle's colonial mansion opens up a new and unfamiliar world for Tomoko. Her growing friendship with her cousin…
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…
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
Woo Woo by Ella Baxter
Sabine is having a moment. Her new exhibition, Fuck You, Help Me, is opening soon and, as her gallerist says, 'Hell is an artist three days before their exhibition opens.' But it's not only this coming milestone that…
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