Book Club – holiday reads
Friday, 12 December 2025 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
After fresh reads for Christmas or long summer days by the beach? Our bumper holiday Book Club brings together standout new releases and great titles from throughout the year that make fantastic group reads, sure to spark conversation and keep readers turning the pages.
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The Body Next Door Zane Lovitt Text ISBN 9781923058293 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Claire Corral disappears from Carnation Way, and neighbour Jamie barely notices – until the police start asking questions. Is her case tied to the body found next door 13 years ago? Does Jamie’s father, slipping into dementia, know more than he can say? And what’s the story with Tess, the intriguing newcomer at number 35? A perfect mix of family dynamics, psychosocial suspense and wit, this heart-of-gold mystery that will have readers and book clubs hooked the entire way.” – Emily Booth, strategic director, Text | |
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Christmas Joy Mary-Anne O’Connor Penguin ISBN 9781761347979 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Christmas Joy transports readers to a grand Victorian manor in late 19th-century England where the kind-hearted Joy Parker becomes entangled in aristocratic politics, scandalous secrets and a tender, forbidden love affair. With her trademark warmth and vivid storytelling, Mary-Anne O’Connor delivers an extremely charming historical romance, rich in period detail and Christmas magic. The novel’s blend of Victorian social hierarchy, moral dilemmas and complicated relationships offers book clubs several discussion points from power dynamics to personal agency, making it a standout choice for the festive season.” – Anna Tidswell, senior publicist, PRH | |
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Discipline Randa Abdel-Fattah UQP ISBN 9780702271014 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “This is the conversation-starting novel that we all need to read right now: it asks what happens when people in powerful roles choose to remain silent. Set in Sydney in May 2021, when Israel is bombing Gaza, two Arab Australians – one an academic and one a journalist – wrestle with how to negotiate their personal and professional obligations. Set in two of the most contested occupations today – academia and the media – this page-turning novel forces us to consider the question: what would you do?” – Aviva Tuffield, publisher, UQP | |
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Else Rose Michael Spineless Wonders ISBN 9780987535535 RRP $29.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Else is the perfect summer book club read. Set on an unnamed Australian peninsula in the not-too-distant future, it is swimming in poetic language and awash with evocative descriptions of distinct flora and fauna. Rose Michael’s 3rd work of speculative fiction doesn’t depict a dark, depressing dystopia but a wet, warming world where wildlife on the verge of extinction is making a comeback. Readers will love to discuss the mother and daughter relationship – described by one reviewer as entirely different to the usual cliché-ridden versions of that in contemporary fiction – and debate themes of neurodiversity and our haunted history.” – Bronwyn Mehan, publisher, Spineless Wonders | |
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Love: Stories, Poems and Essays ed Shirley Le Sweatshop ISBN 9780645717945 RRP $24.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Love is a collection of stories, poems and essays by First Nations and culturally diverse writers from across Australia, all exploring what love means in family, friendship, community and care. Its short, compelling pieces make it an ideal holiday read because book clubs can dip in and out during a busy season while still having thoughtful conversations. The collection also carries a warm, hopeful spirit that fits perfectly with a true ‘summer of love’ theme, inviting readers to reflect on connection, rest and the relationships that sustain them. Love gathers powerful voices to explore love in all its messy, joyful and complicated forms.” – Winnie Dunn, general manager, Sweatshop Literacy Movement | |
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Might Cry Later Kay Kerr Macmillan ISBN 9781761568053 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Nora Byrne’s processing of her adult autism diagnosis is deeply compelling and richly portrayed by autistic author Kay Kerr, ripe for book club discussion about neurodivergence, community, family, acceptance and grappling with change. At its heart, it’s also a love story that will have book club readers gripped by how Nora navigates the will-they-won’t-they across past and present storytelling. A week before Christmas, Nora returns to the family home. The book captures the highs and lows of family holiday time in engaging, entertaining and surprisingly relatable ways.” – Alex Lloyd, publisher, Macmillan | |
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Minoan Footsteps: A Novel Coleen Clare Spinifex ISBN 9781922964229 RRP $32.95 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Minoan Footsteps starts like a holiday novel and turns into a thriller, following a group of women whose trip through Crete takes an unexpected and dangerous shift. It’s a feminist, women-centred story that gives summer book clubs plenty to talk about.” – Rachael McDiarmid, publicist, RM Marketing Services | |
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Pain Bleeds Crime Pamela Nathan Big Sky ISBN 9781923300385 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Book clubs are drawn to stories that combine gripping narrative with psychological insight. Pain Bleeds Crime isn’t just a true crime collection – it’s a deep dive into the minds of violent offenders, revealing the hidden trauma, pain and silence that often lie behind shocking crimes. Pamela Nathan, a clinical and forensic psychologist, takes readers inside prisons, courts and forensic hospitals to explore what drives people to commit acts that terrify society. This book will spark conversation about justice, rehabilitation and the human capacity for both harm and understanding.” – Sharon Evans, marketing director and owner, Big Sky Publishing | |
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The Palazzo Kayte Nunn HarperCollins ISBN 9781460767047 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “The Palazzo is the perfect escapist holiday read – curl up by the pool or on the beach and be transported to a glamorous palazzo in Italy where the guests are gorgeous, rich and all hiding secrets. Deliciously twisty, this will keep you pinned to your sun lounger right up until the final thrilling page, just in time for a great book club chat over cocktails.” – Anna Valdinger, publisher, HarperCollins | |
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The Redline Adrian Hyland Ultimo ISBN 9781761153556 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Adrian Hyland really is a master of rural crime, writing atmospheric thrillers that are perfect for readers of Jane Harper, Christian White or Chris Hammer. The Redline is set during the festive season, which makes it perfect for reading at this time of the year.” – Zoë Victoria, publicist, Ultimo | |
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Rise and Shine Kimberley Allsopp HarperCollins ISBN 9781460761199 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Rise and Shine by Kimberley Allsopp is the perfect stocking stuffer/summer read – an utter delight, a rom com for grownups about the complicated kind of love story that happens 10 years into a marriage, when somebody wants out. Set in the heat of the Brisbane sun, it’s a story about hope, baking, lemon trees, divorce, dogs and the families we create for ourselves. It’s exactly the refreshing, astringent, hopeful and uplifting shot of lemony sunshine that we all need as we hurtle into Christmas and the New Year.” – Catherine Milne, publisher, HarperCollins | |
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Sisters of Scandal Ainslie Harvey Affirm ISBN 9781923293731 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “In Sisters of Scandal: Mind-blowing tales of history’s boldest and baddest women, Ainslie Harvey provides enough material to spark multiple conversations. These are outrageous true stories about women who refused to play by the rules – from throwing $6 million balls to challenging men in the street to duels, every chapter offers fresh perspectives on familiar figures and introduces rebellious heroines most people will never have heard of but will be talking about for weeks. Whether your group loves history, feminism, or simply to be told a rollickingly good story, Sisters of Scandal delivers all three with great wit and style.” – Kelly Doust, publisher, Affirm | |
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Swallow Alexandria Burnham WestWords ISBN 9781923044524 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “If this was just one of those ‘important Australia stories’ about our convict past, or just a rollicking adventure on the scale of Patrick O’Brien, Bernard Cornwell and CS Forester, it wouldn’t have been a WestWords book. But it is also a novel about the nature of love itself, who you can and can’t love, and how to break not only society’s shackles but also the prisons we make for ourselves. I couldn’t put it down. I don’t think readers will either. This is the perfect holiday read for Australians looking for a deep dive into the fascinating true story of William Swallow. This swash-buckling adventure is perfect for those enjoying an Australian Christmas by the beach or the pool.” – Michael Campbell, publisher, WestWords | |
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Tenderfoot Toni Jordan Hachette ISBN 9780733651823 RRP $32.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Evoking the quintessential Aussie summers of the 1970s, Tenderfoot is Toni Jordan’s best work yet – a semi-autobiographical, achingly vulnerable novel about coming of age in suburban Brisbane. With luminous, captivating prose, this heartwarming novel is the perfect holiday read during a time we often reflect on family, forgiveness and where we came from.” – Rebecca Saunders, head of fiction, Hachette | |
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Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy Penguin ISBN 9781761620003 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Book clubs will love Wild Dark Shore for its gripping storytelling, rich emotional depth and the big, discussable themes Charlotte McConaghy is known for. Wild Dark Shore is the second Australian author ever selected for a Reese’s Book Club pick and the newly crowned Dymocks Book of the Year. McConaghy has created a novel that’s captivating readers globally. ” – Jess Malpass, head of launch, and Ari Khalidi, campaign executive, PRH | |
Category: Book Club
