A Short History of Longans (Mirandi Riwoe, UQP)
Fiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Chloe Cooper.
Mirandi Riwoe’s A Short History of Longans follows 4 members of the same family across 2 centuries, moving backwards through...
The Rebound (Fiona Harris, A&U Children’s)
Younger readers
Released July 2026, reviewed by Kirsten Barich.
The Rebound, by award-winning author Fiona Harris (The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks), is a topical, reflective middle-grade novel about...
The End of Romance (Maria Takolander, Text)
Fiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Nadia Heisler.
In her debut novel, The End of Romance, Maria Takolander presents a dystopian world in which all boys are conscripted...
Don’t Forget to Smile (Ariane Beeston, Black Inc.)
Young adult
Released July 2026, reviewed by Angela Crocombe.
Don’t Forget to Smile by Ariane Beeston is a rare Australian young adult novel set in the world of dance,...
Neighbourhood Watch (Lauren Williams, Affirm)
Fiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Kate Frawley.
Lauren Williams’s debut novel, Neighbourhood Watch, is a compulsive crime thriller that opens with a bang and delivers a series...
Being: Why It’s Harder to Be Human Than a Hamster or a Herring (Rachel E Menzies & Ross G Menzies, A&U)
Nonfiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Ellie Pope.
In Being: Why It’s Harder to Be Human Than a Hamster or a Herring, daughter–father writing team Rachel E Menzies...
The Frumpling (Jo van der Borgh, illus Jo Beasley, Walker)
Children’s picture book
Released July 2026, reviewed by Karys McEwen.
The Frumpling by Jo van der Borgh, illustrated by Jo Beasley, is a playful rhyming picture book about a lonely...
Good Intentions (Jessy Wu, Macmillan)
Fiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Alida Galati.
Personal and professional integrity face off in Jessy Wu’s highly engaging debut, Good Intentions – a fast-paced millennial romance set...
One Word (Melissa-Jane Fogarty, Lothian)
Children’s picture book
Released July 2026, reviewed by Merril Darling.
Melissa-Jane Fogarty’s One Word is a gentle yet powerful First Nations story about a young girl, Myra, who loves to...
Without a Trace (Susannah Glenn, Pantera)
Fiction
Released June 2026, reviewed by Bohdi Byles.
Susannah Glenn’s second novel, Without a Trace, follows Charlotte Clarke, a once confident pilot and the daughter of a scenic...
Worlds Within a World (ed Casey Mulder, Fremantle)
Nonfiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg.
In Worlds Within a World, Carol Foley, Deborah Green, Barb Hostalek, Lois May and Valerie Swift – 5 First Nations...
Worry Doll (Laura McPhee-Browne, Scribe)
Fiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Danielle Bagnato.
Worry Doll is the immersive and introspective third novel by Laura McPhee-Browne (Cherry Beach, Little Plum). It follows two women:...
Goose on the Loose (Catherine Meatheringham, illus Annabelle Hale, Affirm Kids)
Children’s picture book
Released July 2026, reviewed by Karys McEwen.
Goose on the Loose by Catherine Meatheringham, illustrated by Annabelle Hale, is a lively picture book that follows one determined...
Seen Again: Light on Matrescence (Benita Bensch, The Kind Press)
Nonfiction
Released July 2026, reviewed by Megan Cheong.
Following her 2019 infertility memoir, The Art of Trying, clarity coach Benita Bensch’s second book, Seen Again: Light on Matrescence,...
LIT (Anna Woods, Echo)
Fiction
Released June 2026, reviewed by Sonia Nair.
Auckland-based writer Anna Woods’ debut novel, LIT, is a psychological thriller set in the same city, centring on 3 emotionally...
Later, Only Love Remains (Leah Swann, HarperCollins)
Fiction
Released June 2026, reviewed by Rhea Candy.
In Later, Only Love Remains, Leah Swann (Sheerwater) returns with another literary thriller, following Jack Wolfe in the aftermath of...
The Secret Garden Club (Wendy Lynn Newton, Macmillan)
Fiction
Released June 2026, reviewed by Michelle Atkins.
Whimsical, witty and genuinely heartwarming, Wendy Lynn Newton’s The Secret Garden Club is a striking debut. When 52-year-old lapsed artist...
I’m Not Afraid of Spiders (Caitlin Henderson, illus Annie Henderson, CSIRO Publishing)
Children’s picture book
Released June 2026, reviewed by Emma Nield.
For many children, fear of spiders can get in the way of appreciating just how fascinating they really are. In...
Smoke, Rice, Water: Recipes and Stories from a Bengali Home (Kishwar Chowdhury, Hardie Grant)
Nonfiction
Released June 2026, reviewed by Jess Lomas.
Kishwar Chowdhury first captured national attention on MasterChef with her ambition to bring Bengali cuisine into the spotlight; Smoke, Rice,...
Josie Mack and the MEGA Division (Bethany Loveridge, illus Jade Goodwin, Wombat Books)
Younger readers
Released June 2026, reviewed by Abbey Taylor.
Josie Mack and the MEGA Division by Bethany Loveridge (Renegade Timeline Officer) is a fun, adventurous tale that shows how...
