The September edition of Readings Monthly is available online and in our shops, but if you haven't picked up a copy yet, below you can read Chris Gordon's column from the latest issue. And check the blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!

The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding & Matilda Brown

Break it down. Make a list. Check the time. Family feeding is difficult for many of us and this cheery, wholesome cookbook does…

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The winners of the 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards have been announced! The Prime Minister's Literary Awards celebrate outstanding literary talent in Australia and the valuable contribution Australian literature and history makes to the nation's cultural and intellectual life.

🏆 FICTION WINNER

Anam by André Dao

A grandson tries to learn the family story. But what kind of story is it?

Moving from 1930s Hanoi through a series of never-ending wars and displacements to Saigon, Paris, Melbourne and Cambridge, Anam…

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Rick Riordan is the mastermind behind Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, which in the twenty years since it was first published has been joined by over twenty books set in the same universe. The Riordanverse now contains multiple series, following the adventures of Percy Jackson, the Heroes of Olympus, the Kane siblings, Magnus Chase, Ana Dakkar and Apollo (aka Lester Papadopolous). Riordan intertwines complex characters, captivating plots and Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse mythologies to create worlds I…

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This month we're reading fiction translated from: Japanese, Spanish, French, Korean, Taiwanese, Danish and Russian!

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida (translated from Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda)

A cat a day keeps the doctor away . . .

On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few – those who feel genuine emotional pain – can find it…

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Not sure where to start with the shortlist for the Readings Young Adult prize? Our Kids bookseller and one of this year's judges, Alicia, has great suggestions to help you find the perfect book for your next read.

Please note, this blog post discusses books that deal with racism, homophobia and sexual assault.

While the plots of these two books might be different, they share many similarities both in worldbuilding and themes. Spider and her Demons follows Zhi, a normal…

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The first longlists for the 2024 National Book Awards have been announced! Discover the longlists for Translated Literature and Young People's Literature below.

Established in 1950, the National Book Awards is an American literary prize, administered by the National Book Foundation. Previous winners include American literary icons such as William Faulkner, Philip Roth, John Updike, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Translated Literature Longlist

Woodworm by Layla Martínez, translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and…

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The Readings Teen Advisory Board were lucky enough to receive early copies of Immortal Dark, the first book in Tigest Girma's new young adult fantasy trilogy, and they have amazing things to say about it!

Immortal Dark is officially launching today, so read the reviews below and grab your copy now.

'Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is a new and highly-anticipated YA dark academia fantasy novel. The main protagonist, Kidan Adane, grew up far from the arcane society…

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From environmental activism, to defending the LGBTQIA+ community, to advocacting for First Nations Australians, the incredible work of these activists has helped drive progress in Australia and around the world. Now you can learn the stories behind them and their groundbreaking work with these insightful biographies and memoirs.

We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo & Mitch Anderson

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, Nemonte Nenquimo was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism…

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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

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…

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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…

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