Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.

Bronte Coates is reading Nicola Yoon and C. Robert Cargill

I’ve just finished reading two great books, and both were thanks to other people’s recommendations. A colleague put me onto Nicola Yoon’s new YA novel which is romantic, heartwrenching and packed with all kinds of big questions and complications. In short, The Sun…

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Earlier this week we attended the Centre for Youth Literature’s YA Showcase for 2017. At this fantastic annual event, a host of different publishers share the most exciting new releases for teen readers coming out next year.

Here’s a round-up of some of the biggest, buzziest books from the night…

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth – The first book of a brand-new sci-fi and fantasy series from the bestselling author of Divergent.

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan…

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We invited our staff to test out recipes from our top 10 cookbooks of the year for an office Christmas lunch. Here’s what ended up on the menu…

The Zen Kitchen by Adam Liaw

We made…

An adaption of ‘Chilled Tofu with Tomato and Ponzu’ (pg. 198)
‘“Spring Rain” Noodle Salad with Spinach and Shiitake’ (pg. 116)
‘Fruit Jellies’ (pg. 211)

Here’s our review…

The tofu was perfectly flavoured and its soft, silken texture made it easy and enjoyable to…

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I adored the Anne of Green Gables series as a 10-year-old and it pleases me no end that these books are still popular with our young customers. When it comes to your own favourite classic children’s books, you might want to gift the original to the youngsters in your life, or you might want to find a contemporary book that delivers the same spirit and joy. Or, dare we say, you might even want to give them both.

If you…

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Over the next few weeks, we’ve been compiling a host of gift guides to help you with your Christmas shopping.

Christmas is indeed a gift-giving season, but this doesn’t mean you necessarily LIKE everyone you’re buying presents for. If you’re feeling annoyed about particular names on your shopping list, then this passive aggressive gift guide is for you…

For the sibling you suspect is a psychopath…

Try… My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

Because… Here’s an OzYA thriller from the…

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When the world feels like a dark and uncertain place, some readers like to seek out books that have a little bit of magic around the edges. Here are some of our recent favourites.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

If you enjoy a combination of historical fiction and fantasy, you may like to pick up Ami McKay’s impeccably researched novel The Witches of New York. Set in the late nineteenth-century, this story is a bit like…

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Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates recommends five of her favourite classic picture books for Christmas.

You can find more Christmas-themed picture books in the full collection here. We’ve also put together a collection of heart-warming or family-focussed picture books that make ideal reading for the holiday season, but without mentioning Christmas at all.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

First published in 1978, Raymond Briggs’s classic wordless tale perfectly captures the fleeting magic of Christmas time for children: a boy’s…

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Being the events manager of Readings is one of the most fortunate of roles in our little old Melbourne town. One of the greatest treats of my role – apart from meeting all the wonderful authors and readers – is reading books that I might not normally pick up. This activity can lead to surprising delights.

Here is a sample of my surprise reads that turned into treats this year, thanks to our event program.

Advanced Style: Older and Wiser…

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Here is the best American literature I read this year, in order, with picks one and two pretty much tied as my equal favourites.

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is one of the best American writers working today, and My Name is Lucy Barton is Strout at the height of her powers. This novel is a masterpiece – short, sharp, thoughtful, simmering with emotion underneath the surface. It delves into trauma, memory, forgiveness and the…

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The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist for 2017 has just been announced.

The winners of the five award categories – fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry and writing for young adults – each receive a prize of $25,000, and go on to contest the Victorian Prize for Literature.

PRIZE FOR FICTION

Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain

The Healing Party by Micheline Lee

Wood Green by Sean Rabin

Waiting by Philip Salom

The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock…

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