Reviews
Adult fiction
Bugger (Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Hachette)
Released February 2026
Bugger by Michael Mohammed Ahmad (The Lebs, The Tribe) is a heart-wrenching investigation into child sex abuse. Its protagonist, Hamoodi, is an isolated 10-year-old who adores Power Rangers and lives with his mother. Bullied at school and suffering deeply from the absence of his father, Hamoodi often retreats into imaginative worlds of fantasy to escape… Read more
The Sisterhood Rules (Kathy Lette, Aria)
Released February 2026
Bawdy, cheeky and resoundingly “punny”, Kathy Lette’s latest romp, The Sisterhood Rules, is 100% on brand. Twin sisters Isabel and Verity have been estranged for five years, ever since Verity became involved with Isabel’s husband. But when their 69-year-old mother, Nicole, a famous conductor, goes missing, they are forced to work together to save her,… Read more
Adult nonfiction
Meltdown (Lauren Novak, HarperCollins)
Released February 2026
Meltdown is a heavily researched yet highly accessible examination of “mum rage”, the gendered term the book uses to describe anger experienced in motherhood, exploring why it happens and how parents can understand and manage it. Drawing on her own experiences, Lauren Novak presents a compassionate guide to understanding and working through a topic “no… Read more
A Time of Living Graciously: Reflections on Growing Older (Brigid Lowry, Fremantle)
Released February 2026
In a culture obsessed with youth and productivity, it’s easy to forget that rest is not laziness, aging is not failure and our worth is not measured by output. Brigid Lowry’s latest collection of short essays, A Time of Living Graciously, offers a refreshing antidote to this obsession. It confronts the realities of aging while… Read more
Children's picture books
The World from Here (Cassy Polimeni, illus Mel Armstrong, CSIRO Publishing)
Released February 2026
Cassy Polimeni, whose junior fiction novel Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra won the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award, brings her gift for accessible science to The World from Here. In this charming picture book, Polimeni combines engaging storytelling with scientific principles to explore the natural world. Milo lies on the grass, gazing up at the… Read more
Saving Shark Pup: The Incredible True Story (Sharon Dalgleish, illus Amandine Thomas, A&U Children’s)
Released February 2026
Saving Shark Pup: The Incredible True Story is an intriguing and emotive retelling of a great white shark pup’s dramatic rescue from Manly Beach, sure to captivate readers aged 4 to 8 and shark lovers alike. Sharon Dalgleish recounts this real-life 2017 rescue with energetic, expressive language that blends factual detail with poetic rhythm, bringing… Read more
Younger readers
My Brother Otto (Ingrid Laguna, Text)
Released February 2026
In My Brother Otto, Ingrid Laguna (Edie Tells a Lie) explores the emotional upheaval of welcoming and losing a new sibling. Quinn is 11 years old and happy being an only child. Since her mother's pregnancy began, Quinn feels her mum no longer has time for her, and her stepfather, Alex, seems constantly preoccupied. Everything… Read more
How to Make Friends and Go Viral by Accident (YK Willemse, Rhiza Edge)
Released February 2026
The novella How to Make Friends and Go Viral by Accident by YK Willemse (Jerry’s Window) follows 13-year-old Hayden Connor as he struggles with a speech impediment and the anxiety it causes him. When his parents enrol him in singing lessons to help build his confidence, he’s surprised to discover a natural talent. Hayden’s newfound… Read more
Young adult
Red Star Rebels (Amie Kaufman, A&U Children’s)
Released February 2026
Amie Kaufman is a well-known name in young adult speculative fiction, particularly for the bestselling Starbound and Illuminae Files series (co-authored with Megan Spooner and Jay Kristoff respectively). Red Star Rebels is a futuristic, action-packed adventure with the romance and sass that Kaufman fans know and love. Set on Mars in 2067, the novel alternates… Read more
Romeo v Juliet (RA Spratt, Penguin)
Released February 2026
Bestselling author RA Spratt’s Romeo v Juliet is a light-hearted time-travelling comedy that will appeal to older middle-grade and younger YA audiences aged 12 and up. When 16-year-old Selby, a reluctant reader recently diagnosed with dyslexia, has to step in as understudy for the role of Juliet in her class production, she calls on her… Read more
Recently released titles
Otto’s Ink-Redible First Day of School (Rory H Mather, illus by Rebel Challenger, Larrikin)
Released December 2025
Otto’s Ink-Redible First Day of School is a playful and reassuring picture book about a shy octopus learning to find his place. Rory H Mather’s rhyming text bounces along with warmth and humour, capturing the familiar nerves of a first day at school with an underwater twist. Otto’s tendency to release ink whenever he feels… Read more
Power Moves (Leesa Ronald, A&U)
Released December 2025
In Power Moves, Leesa Ronald delivers a sharp and witty follow-up to her much-loved debut, Special Delivery. The novel follows Camilla “Millsy” Hatton, media director for the NSW Minister for Education. For Millsy, work is life, and she will do anything to ensure her boss is re-elected in the upcoming election – even if that means… Read more
