Book Club – this month’s reads
Friday, 8 August 2025 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
Looking for your next great group read? Our monthly Book Club rounds up new release titles that are 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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Daughters of Batavia Stefanie Koens HarperCollins ISBN 9781460717639 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘Banjo Prize-winner Daughters of Batavia is a perfect book club book – it’s a story to discuss immediately with a friend. There’s so much to unpack, from complicated family relationships and the ripples of secrets which echo down generations, to the shocking events of the Batavia shipwreck and its aftermath; from the challenge of a woman trying to choose her own fate to the sweet potential of new love. The best historical fiction always asks us questions about our past and our present and Daughters of Batavia does that brilliantly while also being a captivating, uplifting read.’ – Anna Valdinger, publisher, HarperCollins | |
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The Ghost Walk Karen Herbert Fremantle Press ISBN 9781760993214 RRP $34.99 Book club notes |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘In The Ghost Walk, Ruby Rose Gillespie’s secret lover, transplant surgeon Gabriel Beaufort, is found dead in a swamp on the day she’s admitted to hospital with a fever. Friends since high school, she’s in debt to the man who gave her new lungs, but every discovery about her lover’s last movements leads her further away from the man she thought she knew. Book clubs will love the plot twists and the richly observed characters. And it is sure to generate lots of discussion about how we interact with people who live with chronic illness.’ – Claire Miller, head of sales and marketing, Fremantle Press | |
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The Golden Sister Suzanne Do Macmillan ISBN 9781761566783 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘One dead sister, one missing boy, and a coastal town that’s as claustrophobic as it is charming. The Golden Sister dives deep into the messy terrain of grief, love, and the complicated ways we save, or fail, one another. With a plot that begs to be dissected and characters that linger, book clubs will love unpicking its secrets, debating its messy relationships, and asking, “What would I have done?”’ – Harriet Blundell, administration coordinator, Pan Macmillan | |
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My Father Bryce Adam Courtenay Hachette ISBN 9780733652127 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘Book clubs will love this moving and enthralling memoir in part because it’s about Bryce Courtenay, and no doubt many book club members will have been Bryce readers at least once. There’s also much to discuss about the way Adam Courtenay has depicted Bryce and their relationship. It will no doubt prompt discussion of family dynamics, the nature of fame and also some reminiscences about Australia in the middle of the twentieth century.’ – Sophie Hamley, nonfiction and fiction publisher, Hachette Australia | |
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Plain Life: On thinking, feeling and deciding Antonia Pont NewSouth ISBN 9781761170164 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘Part literary nonfiction, part philosophical provocation, Plain Life considers what becomes possible when we loosen our grip on expectation, particularly those shaped by neoliberalism’s churn of hustle, performance and atomised desire. Pont asks: What if the “plain life” is not diminished, but the one in which we might finally listen, pay attention, and become less reactive? What if it allows us to become recognisable to ourselves again? Drawing on philosophy, poetry, cultural criticism and personal anecdote, Plain Life is a lucid, funny and politically alive reckoning with modern life, and a reminder that a different way of being is already possible – hidden in plain sight. It’s perfect for book clubs who enjoy Jenny Odell, Maggie Nelson or Anne Boyer.’ – Katherine Rajwar, senior publicist, NewSouth | |
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Playing Nice Was Getting Me Nowhere Alex Cothren Pink Shorts Press ISBN 9781763554177 RRP $32.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘This collection of dystopian satires will give book clubs A LOT to discuss about the state of the world today and where it could lead tomorrow. Alex Cothren is a master of the short form, and his stories make you see the world differently (there’s a reason he’s won so many awards). His pieces aren’t without hope, though – there’s tenderness here, and love, and the possibility we might save ourselves yet.’ – Margot Lloyd, co-director, Pink Shorts Press | |
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A Savage Turn Luke Patterson Magabala ISBN 9781922777928 RRP $27.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘The perfect book club poetry title doesn’t exis–. Wrong. This August we’re releasing a deadly First Nations debut poetry book that’s witty, thought provoking and even a little bit smutty. A book that the author explains as “poetic technology” to “crack open old meanings and beliefs”. I have great respect for First Nations poetry, but Luke’s poem “A Great Australian Adjective” opened previously dormant synapses. It is an honour to witness a First Nations writer like Luke exploring and experimenting with language on the page.’ – Skye Cusack, marketing coordinator, Magabala | |
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The Sea in the Metro Jayne Tuttle Hardie Grant ISBN 9781743797860 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘Jayne and husband M are raising their daughter in Paris. While Jayne soon fins success as a copywriter, M struggles to find work as a musician. As time passes and things stubbornly refuse to get easier, the pressure on Jayne builds: she worries she is a bad mother, bad wife, bad friend, bad writer. Paris demands ever-greater sacrifices from her, and Jayne finds herself grappling with the realisation she might have to leave the city she has loved for so long. In this compellingly honest memoir, Jayne bursts the illusion of perfection and gives book clubs the permission they need to take a breath and embrace the mess of life.’ – Zoë Victoria, publicist, Ultimo | |
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The Turing Protocol Nick Croydon Affirm ISBN 9781923293991 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘Combining meticulous historical research with a ripping plot, The Turing Protocol will provoke many meaty book club conversations. You’ll be debating long into the night the moral dilemma at the heart of this thriller: if you had the power to change history, would you dare?’ – Cate Blake, publishing director, Affirm Press | |
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A Woman’s Voice Alli Sinclair Penguin ISBN 9781761344947 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: ‘A Woman’s Voice is a treasure trove for readers who love stories rich with historical detail. This sweeping dual-timeline novel follows violinist Laura Hartley as she flees the concert halls of Europe for outback Australia and uncovers a hidden symphony linked to the suffragette movement and the Titanic. It’s a powerful story of legacy, rebellion and the fierce bonds between women across time. With unforgettable characters, vivid glimpses back in time (particularly ’60s Australia!), and a message about finding your voice and the courage to use it, this is a perfect pick for sparking lively book club conversations. Fans of The Dictionary of Lost Words will adore it.’ – Georgia Boonen, publicist, Penguin Random House Australia | |
Category: Book Club
