Review search
Web of Spies (S.I.G.M.A. #1) (Tim Ayliffe, Affirm Kids)
Released September 2026
Bestselling crime author Tim Ayliffe’s children’s debut, Web of Spies (S.I.G.M.A. #1), is a fast-paced and gripping middle-grade mystery that captivates readers from the very first chapter. Ollie Speed is... Read more
God AI: Boom or Doom? What to Expect When Machines Outsmart Us (Toby Walsh, La Trobe University Press)
Released September 2026
As AI spreads throughout society, its uses and implications are increasingly hard to ignore. For those looking to cut through the hype and grasp the true state of things, Toby... Read more
Sick Note (Olivia De Zilva, Pink Shorts Press)
Released September 2026
Sick Note is Olivia De Zilva’s (Plastic Budgie, Eggshell) debut poetry collection, exploring capitalism, work, chronic illness, un/underemployment and identity politics. The collection is almost irrefutably “zillennial”, occupying the peculiar... Read more
the long cloud (Hector MacKenzie, Scribe)
Released September 2026
Written entirely in lowercase and with minimal punctuation, Hector MacKenzie’s debut novel, the long cloud, follows narrator Xander Alexander as he returns to Hawkes Bay for the first time in... Read more
In Plain Sight (Robyn Dennison, Text Publishing)
Released September 2026
In Plain Sight by Robyn Dennison (Blind Spot) is a compelling literary crime novel filled with complex relationships and strong-willed characters. Identical twins Lucy and Violet Sanasoray are hiding a... Read more
I Call the Ocean Wardan (Ebony Froome, illustrated by Dellas Bennell & Korrine Bennell-Yarran, Fremantle Press)
Released September 2026
Wardandi Noongar author Ebony Froome (Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons) has created another exquisite dual-language picture book, I Call the Ocean Wardan. Noongar is widely spoken by First Nations peoples across... Read more
Five Voices (Tamara Moss, Allen & Unwin Children)
Released September 2026
Tamara Moss’s Five Voices is an addictive, high-stakes YA murder mystery that will hook readers from its opening pages. When William Drax-Du Pont dies after a heated podcast recording session,... Read more
Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky (Will Kostakis, Allen & Unwin Children’s)
Released September 2026
Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky, the debut middle-grade novel from award-winning YA author Will Kostakis (We Could Be Something), is a fast-moving comic fantasy with subtle themes... Read more
The Wreck (Riley James, Allen & Unwin)
Released September 2026
The Wreck by Riley James is a tense, atmospheric and altogether chilling survival thriller. Its cleverly plotted narrative centres on the mysterious 1977 disappearance of pilot Donovan “Van” Spector over... Read more
The Good Decision (Jo Dabrowski, illus Cate James, Affirm Kids)
Released September 2026
Jo Dabrowski and Cate James’s The Good Decision reminds readers that good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes. This adorably funny picture book follows Albert, a young boy who... Read more
Scion (Book One) (James Islington, Text Publishing)
Released September 2026
Best known for his epic fantasy novels, James Islington ventures into thrilling science fiction with Scion, the first in a new series. Readers are drawn in from the opening scene,... Read more
The Boy Who Loved Dolls (John A Scott, Puncher & Wattmann)
Released September 2026
Set in 1987 in Victoria, The Boy Who Loved Dolls by John A Scott (N, What I Have Written) initially follows the conversations between two protagonists: Jean-Jacques Baille, a lauded, retired... Read more
What the Flora?: Incredible Stories from the Brilliant and Bizarre World of Plants (Vanessa Fuchs, Pantera Press)
Released September 2026
In What the Flora?: Incredible Stories from the Brilliant and Bizarre World of Plants, science communicator Vanessa Fuchs, who works at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, takes readers on an exploration... Read more
Eat to Heal (Lee Holmes, Rockpool Publishing)
Released August 2026
In Eat to Heal, clinical nutritionist and wholefoods chef Lee Holmes (Heal Your Gut) turns her attention to inflammation, exploring both its role in maintaining health and the consequences of... Read more
Old Bertie (Vincenzo Perrella & Dan Osborn, Fremantle Press)
Released August 2026
Old Bertie is Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn’s debut fiction collaboration, the pair having previously worked together on film, TV and live performance projects. On The Island, 15-year-old George is... Read more
Bad Neighbours (Joanna Jenkins, Allen & Unwin)
Released August 2026
Joanna Jenkins (How to Kill a Client, The Bluff) examines the Australian property market through a feminist lens in her latest domestic thriller, Bad Neighbours. Ruth, a successful lawyer, has... Read more
I Love the Whole World! (Victoria Hannan, Penguin)
Released August 2026
In her third novel, I Love the Whole World!, Victoria Hannan (Kokomo, Marshmallow) takes a more playful, straightforward and fun tone than readers may expect, though familiar themes of mothers... Read more
The Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds (Anna Battese, illus Erin Reeves, Simon & Schuster Australia)
Released August 2026
Anna Battese’s debut middle-grade novel, The Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds, illustrated by Erin Reeves, is the first in a planned trilogy. The book perfectly fills a gap... Read more
There’s a Chicken in the House (Sonya Hartnett, illus Lucia Masciullo, Puffin)
Released August 2026
There’s a Chicken in the House by Sonya Hartnett (Blue Flower) and illustrator Lucia Masciullo (The Flower Garden) is a whimsical picture book about a young child whose day is... Read more
And in the Morning (Lenny Robinson, University of Queensland Press)
Released August 2026
Lenny Robinson’s historical fiction debut, And in the Morning, quietly observes the grief of 3 Australian women grappling with their personal experiences of major international conflicts. Moving between distinct character... Read more
