Book Club – this month’s reads
Friday, 14 August 2026 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
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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Blue Giant Jordan Prosser University of Queensland Press ISBN: 9780702269240 RRP: $34.99 Book club notes |
| Why book clubs will love it: “I cannot wait for book clubs to get their hands on Jordan Prosser’s latest work, an absurdist, darkly funny satire. For fans of Ottessa Moshfegh and Olivia Laing, Blue Giant follows perennial antihero Abby Horne, who, after a drunken bender, rises with a new, all-consuming purpose in life: to be the first person on Mars. Inspired by a defunct 2010s mission to Mars, Blue Giant’s MarsOne promises a one-stop mission to colonise the red planet. The novel will have readers hooting with laughter and feeling very ‘seen’ in Prosser’s sharply written satire and simultaneously reflecting on big topics around capitalism and the tech industry, toxic friendships, the crushing disappointments of adulthood and when, if ever, is the right time to give up on a dream, a friendship, or even the planet.” – Sarah Valle, senior publicist, University of Queensland Press | |
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Living with Freddie Anna Heyward Hachette Australia ISBN: 9780733654800 RRP: $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “An extraordinary and heartwarming memoir by animal behavioural scientist and New Yorker writer Anna Heyward about learning to see the world through a dog’s eyes. It delves into Anna’s close relationship with her Italian greyhound, Freddie, her beloved rescue with severe separation anxiety. This is a meditation on what it means to be bad or good, on how much we can – or should – try to alter another being’s behaviour, and on what is possible to know about another mind. Book clubs will love this beautiful, heart-wrenching portrait of the relationship between a human and a dog, which will propel discussions about their own relationships with their pets. At the end of Freddie’s story, you, too, may find yourself changed.” – Vanessa Radnidge, head of non-fiction and literary, Hachette Australia | |
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Lying Is My Love Language Olivia Simons Penguin Random House Australia ISBN: 9781761359002 RRP $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Olivia Simons’s debut rom-com, Lying Is My Love Language, was inspired by the cult classics she grew up on – fun, messy stories like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and 10 Things I Hate About You – paired with the kind of rich, complicated female friendships that defined Sex and the City. Set against the sweeping, sunburnt expanse of the Australian outback, it delivers everything book clubs crave in a modern romance – enemies-to-lovers tension, opposites-attract chemistry and banter that cuts through on every page. But it also digs deeper, inviting readers to debate the messy, complicated reality of letting yourself be known and the risk of choosing honesty and vulnerability over self-protection.” – Anna Tidswell, senior publicist, Penguin Random House Australia | |
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The Memory Tapes: Voices from the Oral History Collection at the National Library of Australia Edited by Shirleene Robinson NLA Publishing ISBN: 9781922507969 RRP: $29.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “The Memory Tapes is a unique history book that unlocks Australia’s living history through powerful voices from the National Library’s vast oral history collection, revealing intimate memories, extraordinary lives and defining moments that shaped the nation. Book clubs will be able to explore and discuss remarkable stories of resilience, innovation, creativity, migration, politics, social change and everyday life in all their complexities, emotion and contradictions. Readers will get a sense of the textures of memory – tone, hesitation, reflection – and learn about the past from the people who lived it.” – Lauren Smith, publisher, NLA Publishing | |
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Once Upon a Breakfast Show Stephanie MacFie Text Publishing ISBN: 9781923058972 RRP: $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Breakfast radio star Emily Blake finds her love life and professional persona colliding when an on-air stunt spirals from her hands, landing her personal life in the middle of a media-ratings frenzy. Author Stephanie MacFie has spent 15 years working in the Australian media, including managing some of the country’s largest breakfast radio shows and podcasts, and it shows in her writing. Book clubs will love how well this book nails the pressure, the drama and the atmosphere of Australian breakfast radio.” – Aideen Gallagher, publicist, Text Publishing | |
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The Rayburn Affair Laurie Petrou Echo Publishing ISBN: 9781786588449 RRP: $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “When an ambitious young lecturer becomes entangled with her literary idol and her husband, admiration quickly curdles into obsession, manipulation and betrayal. Set against the backdrop of academia and the publishing world, The Rayburn Affair explores timely and thought-provoking questions around power, authorship, desire and the ethics of creative ownership. Rich with moral ambiguity and complex relationships, this dark, psychologically charged novel is guaranteed to spark passionate book club conversations about how far we are willing to go for recognition, love and success.” – Maeve Carragher, marketing coordinator, Echo Publishing | |
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The Rising Whitney Fitzsimmons Ventura Press ISBN: 9781764392525 RRP: $32.99 Book club notes |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Atmospheric and gripping, The Rising focuses on a small rural town struggling to overcome the devastating effects of historic flooding due to climate change and failed government support to rebuild. Compounding the disaster is the revelation of an unsettling cold case and the violent disappearance of a much-loved town local.
“Full of past secrets colliding with the current pressures of daily life, The Rising is full of interesting characters doing unexpected and very bad things but for good reasons. It forces readers to look at their own moral compasses and asks them what they would do if faced with the same morally grey dilemma.” – Nicole Webb, publicist, Ventura Press |
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The Shadows That Listen Louisa Carmody Hachette Australia ISBN: 9780733654510 RRP: $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “An unputdownable dystopian romantasy from debut author Louisa Carmody, The Shadows That Listen asks the question: what if humanity has been beset by demons, but the angels aren’t on our side? Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency, who spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means cooperating with Nathaniel, an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity. Book club readers will love the delicious slow-burn romance and dystopian setting in this fast-paced read about the lengths we’re willing to go to for the ones we love most.” – Rebecca Saunders, head of fiction, Hachette Australia | |
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Teeth Kicker Glenn Orgias HarperCollins ISBN: 9781460769133 RRP: $34.99 |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Teeth Kicker is the perfect book club read because it’s packed full of big meaty themes like redemption, addiction, family loyalty, moral compromise and how far someone will go to protect the person they love most. While it speaks to the brutality of the streets, it’s also a deeply emotional story about guilt and brotherhood and sacrifice – so it’s a thriller that’s full of big heart as well as grit. Vincent Silk, the protagonist, is also a really great character who I think book club readers will love to discuss because he’s so messy and human – he’s a lover, not a fighter, but he’s forced to be the guy he doesn’t want to be. And it’s just such an utterly compelling and propulsive read, not to mention very moving – it’s a page-turner with substance which asks questions about love and loyalty and what we might owe our families.” – Roberta Ivers, publisher, HarperCollins | |
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Time Travel for Beginners Jaclyn Moriarty Ultimo Press ISBN: 9781761153723 RRP: $34.99 Book club notes |
| Why book clubs will love it: “Time Travel for Beginners is the kind of book that we all need right now. A little bit of escapism, a little bit of magic and a whole lot of hope. Jaclyn Moriarty’s brilliance is evident in everything that she writes, and Time Travel for Beginners is no exception. Book clubs will find so much to sink their teeth into – from the rules that govern time travel, to regret and a whole host of characters to love. This is going to be the book that everyone is talking about!” – Zoë Victoria, publicist, Ultimo Press | |
Category: Book Club
