Our latest blog posts
Parenting for the digital age
The world has changed dramatically over the past decade or so, and raising resilient young people is increasingly challenging. Here are some recent releases that give insight into the world of today's kids, to help you guide the next generation into adulthood.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt makes a compelling argument that the loss of play-based childhood is the source of increased mental distress among teenagers. Delving into the latest…
Unsung women through history
History is often told as a series of battles and changing regimes, dissmissing the contributions of those that weren't generals or politicians. But behind this 'Great Man' theory of history, there's a wealth of largely untold stories about the people that not only lived through those times, but also helped shaped them. These six captivating histories are dedicated to unearthing women whose stories have been overlooked.
Normal Women By Philippa Gregory
Normal Women tells the stories of the women who…
Cookbooks that bring Melbourne's best food to your home
Melbourne is home to famous chefs and restaurants, with a passionate foodie culture for everything from fine dining to hole-in-the-wall sandwich shops. And now that more and more of Melbourne's culinary icons are releasing cookbooks, it's possible to get that gourmet experience from the comfort of your own kitchen!
Baker Bleu: Bake It Till You Make It
By Mike Russell
In 2016, Baker Bleu started as a small bakery in Elsternwick, creating sourdough using traditional techniques and sustainably farmed ingredients…
Books on reconciliation and colonialism in Australia
May 27th - June 3th marks National Reconciliation Week, a time to reflect on Australia's colonial history and to consider how we can contribute to ongoing reconciliation. The theme for 2024 is 'Now More Than Ever', so we've put together this collection of nonfiction by First Nations authors that reflects the need for continued action and empathy, in order to achieve meaningful reconciliation between all Australians.
Finding the Heart of the Nation by Thomas Mayo
In this updated edition of…
Australian fiction to pick up this month
Only the Astronauts by Ceridwen Dovey
Adrift in outer space, a motley crew of human-made objects tell their tales, making real history sweeter and stranger.
Starman, a lovelorn mannequin orbiting the Sun in his cherry-red car, pines for his creator. The first sculpture ever taken to the Moon is possessed by the spirit of Neil Armstrong. The International Space Station, awaiting deorbit and burial in a spacecraft cemetery beneath the ocean, farewells its last astronauts. A team of tamponauts sets…
What We're Reading: Wilkinson, Oliver & Shin
Each week our wonderful staff share the books and music that they've been enjoying.
Alicia Vu, a member of The Readings Teen Advisory Board, is reading Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson
This is a mysterious, fantastical and haunting tale! Lili Wilkinson weaves a page-turning novel that is a perfect mix of adventure, romance and fantasy.
The main protagonist, Merry, undergoes a bewitching journey to understand magic, witches, love, and the consequences of unchallenged power... Deep Is the…
Great new Australian middle fiction
There's lots of wonderful new middle fiction coming out, so we've put together a roundup of our latest favourites from Aussie authors. From fantasy adventures about strange conspiracies or wild chases, to realistic fiction about school projects and fresh starts, these titles will delight any young reader.
By Bren MacDibble
Bastienne Scull is a young orphan who lives with the local Witnesser of Miracles, Lodyma Darsey, who investigates 'miraculous events' and spins them into stories she tells…
Top picks for book clubs this month
Australian fiction | Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran
After arriving in Australia seeking asylum, Fina dedicates herself to aiding the refugees held in a detention centre at Port Camden, a remote island outpost. Appalled by the mistreatment of those in custody, Fina speaks out to the media about the poor conditions within the facility, as a result she is arrested, taken from her home in the small country town of Hastings and threatened with deportation.
When a security officer dies…
A spotlight on translated fiction this month
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Swedish, Japanese, Italian, Icelandic and French!
Antiquity by Hanna Johansson (translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson)
Antiquity follows its unnamed narrator, a lonely woman in her thirties who becomes enamoured of a chic older artist, Helena, after interviewing her for a magazine. Helena invites the narrator to join her in the Greek city of Ermoupoli where she summers with her teenage daughter Olga. At first an object of jealousy, Olga morphs into an…
Erpenbeck & Hofmann win the 2024 International Booker Prize
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from German by Michael Hofmann, was announced last night as the winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize. The joint win encompasses two significant firsts for the prize, with Jenny Erpenbeck becoming the first German writer and Michael Hofmann the first male translator to win the International Booker Prize.
Kairos is the intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic…
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