Our latest blog posts

Dear Reader with Alison Huber

by Alison Huber

The start of a new month means that there's a new issue of Readings Monthly available online and in our shops. Below you can read Alison Huber's column from the latest issue – and keep an eye on the blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!

I’ve just landed at home following the annual BookPeople Conference (the Australian booksellers’ trade association gathering), though I didn’t have to travel all that far because it was held in…

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Our books of the month, July 2024

Explore our books of the month for July; each of the below titles has been read and recommended by our booksellers before being selected as our book of the month for its category.

FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

Big Time by Jordan Prosser

Reviewed by Teddy Peak from Readings Carlton

'Interweaving the themes of music, anti-fascism, addiction and time, this book left me absolutely reeling, and absolutely enamoured.'

In the dystopian, autocratic country of East Australia, the government controls all…

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Foreword with Joe Rubbo

by Joe Rubbo

The start of a new month means that there's a new issue of Readings Monthly available online and in our shops. Below you can read the foreword from the latest issue – and keep an eye on the blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!

This past weekend, 12 fellow booksellers from Readings and I attended the annual BookPeople conference. Previously known as the Australian Booksellers Association, BookPeople is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. Over the years…

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Miles Franklin Literary Award 2024 Shortlist

The 2024 shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced! The Miles Franklin Literary Award shines a light on some of Australia's most talented writers, by celebrating novels of the highest literary merit, that tell stories about Australian life.

The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established in the name of pioneering Australian writer Miles Franklin, best known for her novel My Brilliant Career. The award is given annually, with a prize of $60,000.

The 2024 winner of…

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Winners of the 2024 Hope Prize announced

The 2024 winners of The Hope Prize have been announced! Readings is proud to be involved in the selection of the prize winners, and supporting these great works of short form writing.

The Hope Prize is a literary award for short pieces of fiction and nonfiction, that speak to the themes of hope, courage and resilience. The prize focuses on creative, brave and compelling writing from around the world, that celebrates the human spirit. Simon & Schuster Australia will publish…

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The Teen Advisory Board interviews Ambelin Kwaymullina

The Readings Teen Advisory Board was fortunate enough to receive copies of Ambelin Kwaymullina's latest novel and our June YA Book of the Month, Liar's Test. They were invited to interview the author about her book and her writing process, which provided some fascinating insights. Here is their interview:

From Alicia

What motivates or inspires you to write and be an author?  

To be an Aboriginal person is to be surrounded by stories – of our Ancestors, our Countries…

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Our wrap of some of the titles we've loved so far this year

It has been a very exciting first half of the year in our industry and we have been privileged to read some amazing books. From unforgettable memoirs and insightful investigations to highly imaginative novels encompassing reinvention, history, crime, gastronomy, and more, we've highlighted a few of our favourites.

All Fours by Miranda July

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the…

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What to read over the school holidays

by Alicia Vu

It’s been a long semester for all. Jam packed with school, exams and extracurricular activities, the school holidays couldn’t come any faster! With the June/July school holidays just around the corner, we finally have time to snuggle up with a good book and relax. Here’s the perfect guide of what to read during the holidays, no matter your genre of choice. Happy reading!

Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

“Hope called themselves the Renegades.”

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is one of…

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What we're reading: Bullwinkel, Garden, Enriquez

Each week our wonderful staff share the books that they've been enjoying.

Justin is reading Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

Headshot is a gripping, powerfully written account of eight young women fighting in the Daughters of America Cup, a fictional boxing tournament held over two days in a gym in Reno, Nevada. Each chapter takes us into successive bouts between two of the fighters. We go inside the ring with them (feeling every blow, every missed shot), but also into their…

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Books to read if you can't afford to travel to Japan

by Bella Mackey

It feels like everyone is jetsetting at the moment, making fun holiday plans to escape the Melbourne winter. But if you can't afford international flights, don't despair! A) because you're not alone, I'm stuck here too, and B) because you can still get a taste of travel with the right books.

Like many people, I've been fixated on the idea of travelling to Japan recently, and fortunately there's a wealth of books available about and from that very place! From…

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