Friday newsletter | Books+Publishing

Books in the media this weekend, 16–17 December

Friday, 15 December 2023
A round-up of the books being reviewed and mentioned in key media this coming weekend. This week's round-up will be updated as information becomes available. National The Saturday Paper Bright...

What They Told Me (Hayley Lawrence, Scholastic)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Fifteen-year-old Elliott Gillespie has always believed she and her family are the lucky ones. Their home by Crooked River has been in the Gillespie family for generations. Her best friend,...

Sloths Love Parties (Rory H Mather, illus Binny Talib, Affirm)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Have you ever wondered why sloths are so slow and sleepy? In Rory H Mather’s Sloths Love Parties, it’s not because of their low-energy diet but due to their high-energy...

The Concierge (Abby Corson, Ultimo)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Abby Corson’s debut crime thriller, The Concierge, offers readers a locked-room murder mystery in a lavish English country hotel, where the guests are pointing fingers, and the person who knows...

Beyond Booze (Sarah Rusbatch, Murdoch)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
The term ‘sober curiosity’ has been around for a few years now, but Beyond Booze: How to create a life you love, alcohol-free offers something a bit more. Author Sarah...

Greater City Shadows (Laurie Steed, UWAP)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Laurie Steed’s third book and debut short story collection, Greater City Shadows, collates tales of grief, loss, loneliness, unrequited love, fractured relationships and—ultimately—hope. Suburban Perth is the setting for many an...

The Daredevil Princess and the Golden Unicorn (Belinda Murrell, illus Rebecca Crane, Puffin)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
The Daredevil Princess and the Golden Unicorn is the first in kid-lit superstar Belinda Murrell’s latest series, with a second book (The Daredevil Princess and the Goblin King) to be...

Go Lightly (Brydie Lee-Kennedy, Bloomsbury)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Brydie Lee-Kennedy’s debut, Go Lightly, is an honest, hilarious and often painful exploration of taking risks in life and love. Full of wry humour, it dives into the complexities of...

Little Horses (Deborah Kelly, illus Jenni Goodman, Wombat Books)

Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Deborah Kelly’s Little Horses opens with a beautiful, graceful scene of seahorses living in harmony with other marine life in their ocean habitat. The jewel-coloured seahorses live a peaceful life...

Newest Wolf Girl debuts in top 10

Friday, 8 December 2023
Top 10 bestsellers The Secret (Lee & Andrew Child, Bantam) RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan) Lola in the Mirror (Trent Dalton, HarperCollins) Guinness World Records 2024 (Guinness World Records) Iron Flame (Rebecca Yarros,...

Books in the media this weekend, 9–10 December

Friday, 8 December 2023
A round-up of the books being reviewed and mentioned in key media this coming weekend. National The Saturday Paper The Conversion (Amanda Lohrey, Text) Courting: An intimate history of love...

My Brilliant Sister (Amy Brown, Scribner)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
My Brilliant Sister is a layered and involving story about womanhood, motherhood and art. It follows three very different women who all want to create art and are at a...

The Beacon (P A Thomas, Echo)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Living in the Byron region, doctor-turned-author P A Thomas is well placed to helm this debut crime novel featuring colourful characters and rollicking action set in this lively location. Jack...

The Intuition Toolkit (Joel Pearson, S&S)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Forget the idea of intuition as a sixth sense or any of the other mysterious connotations that many gurus and self-help books have been portraying for decades. Instead, in The...

Countdown to Yesterday (Shirley Marr, Puffin)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Shirley Marr’s latest novel, Countdown to Yesterday, takes young readers on a heartwarming journey through time, memories, and the complexities of family and friendship. This enchanting tale is a delightful...

How to Avoid Being Eaten By Sharks… and other advice (John Larkin, illus Chrissie Krebs, Walker)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
How do you avoid being eaten by sharks? Is the Earth flat or round? How do you translate parent-speak, pass a creative writing test, and elude alien abduction? Tongue-in-cheek, chapter-length...

Ho Jiak: A Taste of Malaysia (Junda Khoo, Hardie Grant)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Ho Jiak: A taste of Malaysia by chef Junda Khoo with Nick Jordan is an exciting culinary exploration of Malaysian cuisine. The title, meaning ‘delicious’ in Hokkien—also the name of...

Smoke & Mirrors (Barry Jonsberg, A&U Children’s)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
High-school student Grace is a whiz at magic—or she tries to be. Since learning an array of magic tricks and pranks from her no-good Uncle Mike as a little girl,...

Everything Is Perfect (Maxine Fawcett, Michael Joseph)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
The protagonists of what was once deemed ‘chick lit’ have grown older and now face the trials of middle age. In Maxine Fawcett’s debut novel, Everything Is Perfect, Cassandra is no...

Time to Rest (Jack Carty, illus Natasha Carty, Scholastic)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Husband and wife team Jack and Natasha Carty have collaborated on a new children’s book for the first time. Time to Rest is written as a lullaby, with songwriter and poet...

Guinness World Records hits number one

Friday, 1 December 2023
Top 10 bestsellers Guinness World Records 2024 (Guinness World Records) Iron Flame (Rebecca Yarros, Hachette) The Secret (Lee & Andrew Child, Bantam) Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros, Piatkus) Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible...