International fiction
Jillian by Halle Butler
Halle Butler’s Jillian is a whole-body cringe, can’t-look-away experience of vicarious mortification. The second novel by Butler to be published in Australia, following The New Me which delighted Readings’ staff last year, it is in fact her debut – though…
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Kevin Kwan has done it again. Told with his signature wit and flair, his latest romantic comedy of manners pays homage to A Room with a View, Pride and Prejudice, and, strangely enough, Crazy Rich Asians.
Once…
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
Already garnering the kind of praise from high-profile authors and international reviewers that a debut author might only dare dream of, A Burning has the feel of one of the ‘must read’ titles of 2020. Written by an author born…
The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun
Many forms of travel and tourism are currently off the agenda, so it’s an interesting time to contemplate the needs that are not being sated due to these pandemic-imposed restrictions. What precisely is it about being elsewhere that we crave…
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
There have been many novels recently showcasing the histories, rivalries, and loyalties of adult siblings. These includes titles such as The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward, The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, and Your House Will Pay…
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
Several friends have remarked ‘But that sounds like an episode of Black Mirror!’ when I have explained the premise of this book, which is: people around the world are buying kentukis, the latest techno-craze. A kentuki is a cute plush…
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
The Vignes twins are like two halves of a whole: impulsive, smart-mouthed Desiree is a neat contrast to careful, practical Stella. Born in Mallard – a unique black community in Louisiana, set apart by the light skin of its inhabitants…
Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight
The person who believes in you is the most dangerous person you know. The person who believes in you can unbuild you in an instant.
Nell Barber is not having a good year. She’s broken up with her boyfriend, Tom…
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
Micah Mortimer ‘… lives alone; he keeps to himself; his routine is etched in stone.’ Micah’s an ordinary man. He dropped out of college to found a start-up with a friend; that failed and since then he’s kept himself going…
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
The idea that places or cities might have their own unique personalities or ‘souls’ is a theme with a long history, stretching as far back as the Ancient Roman notion of ‘genius loci’. Many urban fantasy writers have created marvellous…
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