Nonfiction
Five books to help you better understand modern-day capitalism at work
It’s OK to be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders
It's OK to be angry about capitalism. It's OK to want something better. Bernie Sanders takes on the 1% and speaks blunt truths about a system that is fuelled by uncontrolled greed, and rigged against ordinary people. Where a handful of oligarchs have never had it so good, with more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes, and the vast majority struggle to survive. Where a decent standard…
The 100 bestselling books of 2022
We’ve run the reports and done the math. Here are our 100 bestselling books from the past year.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (trans.)
Bulldozed by Niki Savva
Exiles by Jane Harper
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down
Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Old Vintage Melbourne, 1960-1990 by Chris Macheras
Around the Table by Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Love & Virtue by…
Five Books if you want to learn to sew your own clothes
Growing up in the 80s and 90s I never properly appreciated the home-sewn clothes my mother and grandmother used to make for me. As far as teenage me was concerned, it wasn't 'fashion' unless it came in a bag with a recognisable logo.
As I've grown older my love for fashion hasn't diminished, but I've become much more conscious about the conditions endured by workers, and I'm far more aware of how damaging fast fashion is for the environment. Combined…
Great music books from 2022
Year to year, categories wax and wane in their popularity with readers as well as the number of titles published; 2022 was a fantastic year for essay and memoir on music. Below you'll find a selection of our favourites.
This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music edited by Sinéad Gleeson & Kim Gordon
Published to challenge the historic narrative of music and music writing being written by men, for men, This Woman’s Work seeks to confront the male dominance and sexism…
Book recommendations from Barry Jones
by Barry Jones, with an introduction from Mark RubboEach year Barry Jones, certainly one of Australia’s great thinkers, sends his friends a list of the books that have inspired him during the year. We thought it such a fabulous list that we asked Barry if we could share this with you and he kindly said yes. One of the books he omitted from the list is a new, much expanded, and completely revised edition of The Penalty is Death (Scribe) edited by Barry himself and published to mark…
Best nonfiction of 2022
Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past 12 months. Here are the nonfiction books of the year, as voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in alphabetical order by author.
Reasons Not to Worry by Brigid Delaney
This is Brigid Delaney’s fascinating, hilarious and highly practical guide to using the philosophy of Stoicism to help you deal with the vicissitudes of everyday life. From dealing with the fear of missing out, to being aware that…
Our Teen Advisory Board interview Humanity's Moment author Joëlle Gergis
The Readings Teen Advisory Board was thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with Humanity’s Moment author Dr Joëlle gergis. Gergis is an award-winning climate scientist and was recently the United Nations IPCC Sixth Assessment Report lead author. Many of the teens spoke about how deeply her book resonated with them. Below are our their questions and Gergis' fascinating and generous responses.
Emma: While reading, I could definitely feel the passion you had for the topic of climate change. What…
Katherine Rundell wins the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
Katherine Rundell has won this year's Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction for her recent work, Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne. Rundell's winning work explores the many unknown aspects of the life of poet John Donne. The Baillie Gifford Prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for nonfiction writing and as the winner Rundell will receive £50,000 along with the £1,000 given to each of the shortlisted authors.
Caroline Sanderson, chair of judges, says: ‘Super-Infinite, Katherine Rundell’s glorious celebration…
The James Cropper Wainwright Prize winners 2022
The James Cropper Wainwright Prizes for UK Nature Writing are awarded annually to books that successfully inspire readers to explore the outdoors, celebrate nature, and to nurture and respect the natural world. In 2022 there are three prize categories: nature writing, conservation writing, and children’s writing.
2022 winner of the prize for Nature Writing
Goshawk Summer: The Diary of an Extraordinary Season in the Forest by James Aldred
In early 2020, wildlife film-maker James Aldred was commissioned to make a…
The 2022 Age Book of the Year winners
The 2022 Age Book of the Year winners have been announced! This year the award once again encompassed a prize for nonfiction as well as for fiction.
Miles Allinson has won the Fiction prize for his sophomore novel, In Moonland, while Bernadette Brennan has won the Non-fiction prize for her work of biography, Leaping Into Waterfalls: The Enigmatic Gillian Mears. Each winner receives $10,000 thanks to the Copyright Agency. The winners were announced during last night’s Melbourne Writers…
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