Book Club – this month’s reads
Looking for your next great group read? Our monthly Book Club rounds up new-release titles perfect for sparking conversation and perhaps even some debate. From compelling fiction to thought-provoking nonfiction, these are some of the books releasing this month that are worth stocking and recommending to readers.
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Buried: Archaeology, Frontier Conflict and the Queensland Native Mounted Police Heather Burke, Lynley A Wallis & Bryce Barker Sydney University Press ISBN: 9781761540523 RRP: $60.00 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Buried is a groundbreaking book that weaves together archaeological artefacts, historical records and oral testimonies to shed light on a largely hidden chapter in Australia’s brutal colonial past. It will evoke conversations about truth-telling, justice and the way that history is remembered and retold. Meticulously researched, yet highly engaging and moving, Buried provides a rich text for robust book club discussion.” – Rebecca Hamilton, commissioning editor, Sydney University Press | |
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Common Places Gillian Hagenus University of Queensland Press ISBN: 9780702271267 RRP: $34.99 Short stories |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Gillian Hagenus’s Common Places is a collection of 14 deliciously unsettling Australian gothic stories. This debut collection reveals the strange and sometimes sinister undercurrents lurking beneath familiar streets, homes and relationships, transforming the ordinary into the uncanny.
“Book clubs will find plenty to discuss, from the collection’s sharp observations of suburban life to its exploration of secrecy, isolation and hidden desire. Book clubs will love mulling over the subversive details of recognisable domestic settings, and it will no doubt lead to a deeper exploration of the hidden underbelly in our own backyards. This is a definite full-body-chills reading experience – you may never be able to look at your neighbourhood in the same way again!” – Jacqueline Blanchard, managing editor, University of Queensland Press |
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Cul-de-Sac Eleanor Limprecht Ultimo Press ISBN: 9781761154447 RRP $34.99 Fiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Cul-de-Sac is a great novel for book clubs, and readers of complex family dramas. Readers of Debra Oswald, Geraldine Brooks and Gail Jones will be fascinated by the question of what happens when inter-country couples break up. Exploring themes of control and coercion, motherhood and protection, readers will be deeply moved by this beautifully executed and incredibly gripping narrative.” – Zoë Victoria, publicist, Ultimo Press | |
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The Doubles Jacob K Gallagher Hachette Australia ISBN: 9780733653568 RRP: $34.99 Fiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “This exhilarating, captivating and visionary work of First Nations speculative fiction is a must-pick for book clubs looking for their next genre-bending read. Kring, an Envoy for the High Powers, is tasked with banishing Trespassers from our world. When children start disappearing from their beds near the town of Werris Creek in rural New South Wales, Kring will find herself taking on a mission that will push her magical capabilities to the limit and bring back memories of a past she’d rather leave forgotten.
“Encounter monsters, angels, magical law enforcement and a demonic force that won’t stop killing in this fast-paced debut from the winner of the 2023 black&write! Fellowship.” – Vanessa Radnidge, head of nonfiction and literary, Hachette Australia |
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The Featherwood Beekeeper Fiona McArthur Penguin Random House ISBN: 9781761350153 RRP: $34.99 Book club notes Fiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “The Featherwood Beekeeper explores what makes a family, where we truly belong, and how much of ourselves can flourish when we’re free to choose our own path. Through women at very different stages of life, the novel considers chosen and biological family, independence, trust, community and connection. Its thoughtful use of bees and the natural world brings questions of care and resilience into focus, while inviting book clubs to think about and discuss their own relationship with the environment.” – Laura Nimmo, senior publicist, Penguin Random House | |
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Middle Rage Myf Warhurst Hachette Australia ISBN: 9780733654435 RRP: $34.99 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “What happened when Myf Warhurst turned 50 and realised everything she thought she knew about life was a lie? ‘Middle rage’ set in, and it wasn’t pretty. In this deeply personal, unflinchingly honest memoir, Myf shines a light on some of the glaring injustices, absurdities, cruelties and ridiculous gender expectations in our modern world. She calls out those in charge – and those who think they are – who uphold the archaic structures holding women back. Relatable, powerful and absolutely hilarious, Middle Rage is the perfect book club read for any woman shaking their fist at the constraints of age, womanhood, relationships and expectations.” – Vanessa Radnidge, head of nonfiction and literary, Hachette Australia | |
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Remembering Elysha Paul Folino Gallo Big Sky Publishing ISBN: 9781923514881 RRP: $36.99 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Remembering Elysha is a deeply honest and tender memoir about love, loss and learning to parent through unimaginable grief. After the sudden death of his wife during a family holiday in New York, Paul Folino Gallo is left to raise their young sons, Giorgio and Valentino, in a world permanently altered by her absence. As he navigates school lunches, soccer games, family traditions and the questions children should never have to ask, Paul discovers that the sons he is guiding are quietly guiding him in return.
“Offering a rare perspective on grief from a young widowed father, Remembering Elysha explores masculinity, parenthood and the emotional patterns passed down through generations. Paul does not offer false comfort or easy answers; instead, he writes truthfully about longing, dark humour, ordinary moments and the gradual discovery that joy and sorrow can exist side by side. Warm, vulnerable and filled with unexpected grace, this memoir offers book clubs meaningful discussions about family, resilience, inherited grief and how we continue living while carrying the people we love with us.” – Mika Gonzales, social media & marketing assistant, Big Sky Publishing |
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Sick Note Olivia De Zilva Pink Shorts Press ISBN: 9781763847576 RRP: $32.99 Poetry |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Poetry might feel like a divisive choice for a book club, but it’s really an excellent fit – poetry books are usually quick to read and have plenty to discuss. And as the Books+Publishing review noted, Olivia De Zilva’s first poetry collection is really accessible, especially for always-online readers. For a younger (or curious) book club looking to discuss capitalism and chronic illness, and have a few laughs along the way, this is a perfect pick” – Emily Hart, publisher, Pink Shorts Press | |
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A Suitable Man Jock Serong HarperCollins ISBN: 9781460767177 RRP: $36.99 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “We all know the daggy dad slacks, but not many of us know about the man behind the famous Australian clothing company Fletcher Jones. But Fletcher Jones was an eccentric, an entrepreneur, a visionary – also, ‘slightly bonkers, but incredible and much-loved’. From the early 1900s, when Fletcher Jones was an impoverished son of a smithy, to his death in 1977, the biography tracks his life through Australia’s twentieth-century progress across changing world views, manufacturing, the city and country divide, the rise and fall of wool – all of which makes this book both a compelling social and cultural history of our country, as well as a biography of a thoroughly fascinating Australian. But even better, it is beautifully written and just a delight to read: elegant, thoughtful, often dryly funny and jauntily playful.
“This is one for book groups who like a bit of meat on their bone, who want to consider how we got to be the country we are; this is the perfect, wide-ranging, intelligent, genuinely enjoyable and accessible starting point.” – Catherine Milne, publisher, HarperCollins |
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Sweet Heart Natalie Paull Murdoch Books ISBN: 9781761500602 RRP: $49.99 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “‘What do you feel like eating right now?’ That’s the deceptively simple question at the heart of Sweet Heart, Natalie Paull’s (@beatrixbakes) simplest baking book yet. Organised around cravings rather than recipe types, it encourages readers to embrace pleasure, intuition and creativity in the kitchen, while gently challenging our tendency to strive for perfection.
“Alongside the mouth-watering cakes, biscuits and desserts are stories about memory, comfort, community and the simple joy of feeding people. Book clubs will find plenty to discuss, from the powerful link between food and identity to the ways nostalgia shapes our tastes and traditions. Warm, wise and endlessly engaging, Sweet Heart is the kind of book that inspires conversation long after the last crumb has disappeared.” – Jane Morrow, publishing director, Murdoch Books |
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Trip Reports: Stories from an Australian psychedelic renaissance Rich Haridy NewSouth Publishing ISBN: 9781761170454 RRP: $34.99 Nonfiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Trip Reports is an accessible and thought-provoking exploration of psychedelic medicine. Cutting through the hype, Rich Haridy combines surprising Australian history, cutting-edge science and sharp reporting on the latest treatments to illuminate one of the most fascinating and debated frontiers in mental health today. Topical, accessible and sure to spark debate, it offers book clubs plenty to discuss.” – Sophia Van Rooyen, publicity and marketing assistant, NewSouth Publishing | |
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The World Beneath Her Feet Holly Ringland 4th Estate ISBN: 9781460759394 RRP: $34.99 Fiction |
| Why book clubs will love it: “The World Beneath Her Feet combines a compelling emotional mystery with big discussion themes: first love, family secrets, trauma, friendship, memory and the way the past keeps shaping the present. The dual timeline and richly drawn 90s setting give readers plenty to talk about, while Maggie’s choices, relationships and buried history invite strong personal reactions and debate.” – Nicola Woods, head of marketing & communications, HarperCollins | |
Category: Book Club
