Nonfiction
The best of non-fiction 2021
Every year our staff vote for their favourite books and music of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 Australian fiction books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.
Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota
Yumiko Kadota was a young, gifted medical student - the top of her class - on her way to becoming an outstanding plastic and reconstructive surgeon. For fourteen years she’d studied and worked hard. She put in…
10 women writing history in 2021
2021 was a terrific year for history books written by women.
Some of the many brilliant reads include an incisive look at the ongoing colonial violence experienced by First Nations people, a humorous look at advice to women over the ages, a history of the piano, an exploration of racism in the Jazz Age in Australia, and an in-depth exploration of the female body in art. Read on to discover some brilliant history titles of 2021…
The Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists 2021
The shortlists for this year’s Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced. These awards celebrate outstanding literary talent in Australia.
Fiction
A Treacherous Country by K M Kruimink
In the Time of Foxes by Jo Lennan
Lucky’s by Andrew Pippos
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
YA literature
Loner by Georgina Young
Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore
The End of the World is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell
The F Team by…
Celebrate 10 years of Stella
Dreams of the Stella Prize emerged in early 2011 out of a panel held at Readings on International Women’s Day. Now in its tenth year, the Stella Prize has become an indispensable part of Australia’s literary culture, driving book sales, sparking book clubs, and championing the careers of women and non-binary writers.
To celebrate, we’re offering 20% off each past winner of the Stella. We’re also hosting an event to discuss all things Stella on Thursday 7 October. Find out…
Extract from Questions Raised By Quolls
This is an edited extract from Questions Raised by Quolls by Harry Saddler, out now through Affirm Press. This compelling work of local non-fiction is an eloquent examination of extinction and conservation set against the backdrop of global climate change.
One night I was walking home from Merri Creek at the end of my street in the inner north of Melbourne just after dark when, a few doors from my house, I saw something I’d never seen before: a common…
The Wainwright Prize 2021
The winners of the much-loved Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing and for Global Conservation Writing have been announced!
Now in its eight year, The Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing is awarded annually to the book which most successfully inspires readers to explore the outdoors and to nurture a respect for the natural world. In 2020, the prize was extended to include a second category for books about global conservation and climate change.
2021 winner of the Wainwright Prize…
Books to quieten minds and help reshape thoughts
Many of us have never faced so much uncertainty or carried so much anxiety, as we are now; we’ve also never faced such unique barriers to meaningfully reaching out to family, friends, and finding clinical support. Below are some suggestions for books that may assist individuals who are seeking, in addition to current care plans, supplementary support and strategies on how to cope with the challenges we are experiencing.
Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer
We are living through one of…
Interview with Annie Smithers
Chris Gordon interviews Annie Smithers about her new book,
I’m always struck by how personal your writing is, how you take responsibility for each of your decisions. Where did you learn to keep everything so honest?
Failure. Failure has been the best teacher for me and keeps me honest. I muck things up all the time, but learning from those mistakes makes the experience richer. If I fail a recipe, I look carefully at what I have done and analyse…
Essay collections to read in May
What makes a body, a person, a life? Explore these questions, among others, through these newly released essay collections.
Black is the Body by Emily Bernard
In twelve intensely personal, interconnected essays, Emily Bernard sets out to tell stories from her life that enable her to talk about truth, race, family and relationships, and much more.
She observes the complexities and paradoxes, the haunting memories and ambushing realities of growing up black in the South with a family name inherited…
20% off cookbook favourites + win a cookbook library!
This month we have an exclusive offer on a select range of cookbook favourites both in store and online! From mastering decadent layer cakes to beginning your preserving or fermenting journey, there’s something for every level and taste in these collections of recipes.
For online customers, simply buy any title from our cookbook favourites collection, use the code 20COOKBOOKS at checkout and receive a 20% discount on participating titles.
For in store customers, simply head into one…
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