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A Forbidden Alchemy (Stacey McEwan, S&S)
Released July 2025
A Forbidden Alchemy is an enthralling romantasy that blends magic, politics and passion in a world on the brink of revolution. It follows a talented dreamer, a quick-witted loyalist, and... Read more
The Pearl of Tagai Town (Lenora Thaker, Text)
Released July 2025
Lenora Thaker’s debut novel, The Pearl of Tagai Town, is a fast-paced story that follows Pearl, a young Torres Strait Islander descendant, growing up in a northeastern Australian shantytown in the... Read more
The Revisionists (Michelle Johnston, Fourth Estate)
Released July 2025
Michelle Johnston’s third novel, The Revisionist, is a beautifully crafted story that follows the journey of Christine Campbell, a young woman with strong beliefs and misguided ambitions. Christine goes to great lengths... Read more
Moonlight and Dust (Jasmin McGaughey, A&U Children’s)
Released July 2025
Jasmin McGaughey’s debut YA fantasy Moonlight and Dust is set in Cairns and follows 16-year-old Zillah, a responsible Torres Strait Islander who always thinks before she acts – unlike her... Read more
The Big Fix (Albert Palazzo, Melbourne University Publishing)
Released July 2025
In a hostile world, does Australia’s only path to national security require it to remain subservient to a global power? Generations of political leaders have said yes. Albert Palazzo puts... Read more
Your Friend and Mine (Jessica Dettmann, Atlantic)
Released July 2025
Margot is a middle-aged, married mother of one who runs a busy restaurant in Balmain with her husband. Life is full, but not necessarily fulfilling – she’s growing weary of... Read more
Danger Road (A L Tait, Scholastic)
Released July 2025
In Danger Road, seasoned middle-grade author A L Tait has created a compelling standalone mystery about a cold case, small-town secrets, and the difficulties surrounding sibling dynamics. Set in a quiet... Read more
George Goes to the Farm (Sinead Saint, Wild Dog)
Released July 2025
Playful and charming, George Goes to the Farm marks the debut of writer-illustrator Sinead Saint. Based on Saint’s own 11-year-old Groodle, the story follows George, a city dog who spends... Read more
The Occupation (Chloe Adams, Penguin)
Released July 2025
Chloe Adams’ debut, The Occupation, brings to life the constraints placed on Australian women in the aftermath of the Second World War. The story follows Mary as she travels to... Read more
The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson (Belinda Lyons-Lee, Transit Lounge)
Released July 2025
Ghosts from the past awaken strange obsessions in Belinda Lyons-Lee’s second novel, The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson, a gothic retelling of the stranger-than-fiction history of Robert Louis Stevenson's... Read more
Cloudmaker (Helen Milroy, Magabala)
Released July 2025
Acclaimed author-illustrator Helen Milroy, a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, returns with a creation story in her distinctive style, as seen in Sunny... Read more
Salvage (Jennifer Mills, Picador)
Released June 2025
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
Fault Lines: Australia’s Unequal Past (ed by Seumas Spark & Christina Twomey, Monash University Publishing)
Released July 2025
Fault Lines: Australia’s Unequal Past is a powerful essay collection that invites readers to engage with past and ongoing injustices embedded in Australia’s national story. Edited by Seumas Spark and... Read more
A Lemon for Safiya (Jemima Shafei-Ongu, illus Nisaluk Chantanakom, Lothian)
Released June 2025
A Lemon for Safiya is a gentle and respectful story about a family’s compassionate response to a disoriented older woman whose ‘eyes held a sadness as deep as the ocean’.... Read more
Lady’s Knight (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, A&U Children’s)
Released June 2025
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s latest novel, Lady’s Knight, is a tantalising forbidden love story for the ages. Gwen has spent years manning the village blacksmith under the guise of... Read more
Wait Here (Lucy Nelson, S&S)
Released June 2025
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
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane (Mike Lucas, illus Sofya Karmazina, Little Hare)
Released June 2025
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas (What We All Saw, Let’s Build a Backyard) is a charming story about the comfort of familiar places and the emotions... Read more
An Academic Affair (Jodi McAlister, S&S)
Released June 2025
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
A Beautiful Family (Jennifer Trevelyan, A&U)
Released June 2025
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
The Secret Year of Zara Holt (Kimberley Freeman, Hachette)
Released June 2025
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
