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Books+Publishing Friday

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6 June 2025

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Introducing Junior Book Club – A bunch of this month's brilliant books

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Four titles debut in top 10; Stella winner gets a boost

Books in the media

The Drop Off by David Stavanger cover.

Books in the media this weekend, 7–8 June

Unlocked reviews: New-release fiction

An Academic Affair
Jodi McAlister, S&S, June 2025, reviewed by Megan Koch

Jodi McAlister, who has previously written for young adults, made her adult rom-com debut with the Marry Me, Juliet trilogy. Continuing in this genre, An Academic Affair introduces us to... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

A Beautiful Family
Jennifer Trevelyan, A&U, June 2025, reviewed by Katy Briggs

The narrator of Jennifer Trevelyan’s debut, A Beautiful Family, is 10-year-old Alix, a likeable and perceptive child. When her family arrive at their summer holiday house, she and her new friend Kahu... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Ever Blessed
Olivia O'Flynn, HarperCollins, June 2025, reviewed by Kate Cuthbert

Ever Blessed by Olivia O’Flynn is a confident debut in the romantasy genre, featuring a recalcitrant heroine, a taciturn hero, and potentially world-ending stakes. Captain Elva, a warrior princess of... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Foreign Country
Marija Peričić, Ultimo, June 2025, reviewed by Sonia Nair

In Marija Peričić’s lyrical and haunting third novel, the foreign country is the site of dislocation and alienation wrought by migration, grief and trauma. Croatian-Australian nurse Eva, who resides in... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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King of Dirt
Holden Sheppard, Pantera, June 2025, reviewed by Abe Theobald

Holden Sheppard hits again with the blunt edge of Australian queerness in his latest novel, King of Dirt. Continuing his work in the gay coming-of-age genre (Sheppard’s 2019 debut Invisible... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

The Name of the Sister
Gail Jones, Text, June 2025, reviewed by Danielle Bagnato

The latest novel from award-winning author Gail Jones, The Name of the Sister, is a literary whodunnit set in a small mining town. The book begins with a woman stumbling onto... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Our New Gods
Thomas Vowles, UQP, June 2025, reviewed by Michelle Atkins

Twisty and menacing, the new psychological literary thriller Our New Gods – set in Melbourne’s queer scene – is unsettling and memorable. Debut author Thomas Vowles hooks the reader early,... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Salvage
Jennifer Mills, Picador, June 2025, reviewed by Jess Lomas

In Salvage, Jennifer Mills (The Airways, Dyschronia) weaves a haunting, speculative tale of two sisters navigating the fallout of a fractured world. Jude, rootless and always on the move, once... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

The Secret Year of Zara Holt
Kimberley Freeman, Hachette, June 2025, reviewed by Lisa Schuurman

The Secret Year of Zara Holt is a compelling novel inspired by the real-life story of Dame Zara Bate, wife of former Australian prime minister Harold Holt. While many know... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Stinkbug
Sinéad Stubbins, Affirm, June 2025, reviewed by Kate Dunphy

Sinéad Stubbins’ debut fiction novel, Stinkbug, is a sharp, darkly funny reflection on the corporate ‘normal’ and the compromises we make to survive in a hostile environment. It meditates on... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Wait Here
Lucy Nelson, S&S, June 2025, reviewed by Hannah Cartmel

Lucy Nelson’s debut short story collection, Wait Here, is a striking reflection on women’s lives in all their beautiful complexity. Through narratives of varying lengths, Nelson deftly incorporates many perspectives... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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