Headstrong women and vibrant imagery take centre stage in Nadia Mahjouri’s debut novel, Half Truth, in which themes of belonging and identity meld with those of motherhood and family to create a rich and powerful story of a grandmother and granddaughter united in their uncertainty by the absence of one man. In 1999, Zahra begins…
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If you’re a fan of sci fi/fantasy novels that are more on the cosy end of the scale, you’ve probably heard of TJ Klune – or at least heard of his novel The House in the Cerulean Sea and its highly anticipated sequel. But you probably haven’t heard of The Bones Beneath My Skin, which…
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Lord Alaric Valerian has spent centuries isolated in his crumbling castle, busying himself with his artistic endeavours, and making a fine mess while doing it. But, even vampires suffer from overbearing parents and his mother has decided that Black Crag Castle is the perfect place for a ball – a ball where they will announce…
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1863 Melbourne comes to life in Madeleine Cleary‘s much buzzed about debut novel, The Butterfly Women, released earlier in the month through Affirm Press. A publishing imprint making a name for itself in historical fiction, Cleary joins renowned historical fiction writer Pip Williams (The Dictionary of Lost Words), as well as a growing list including the…
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Agathion College isn’t the kind of school to offer scholarships. Isolated on a remote Scottish moor it houses the problem children of the rich, powerful, and famous, teaching them philosophy, and the value of the mind over the body. And yet, Page Whittaker is here. Invited by the Archon to join Agathion, all she wants…
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American rom-com writer, Emily Henry, although having already published several novels for young adults, really made a name for herself with her first novel for adults, Beach Read in 2020. Since then, the publication of a new Emily Henry novel has become a major bookish event, with the release of her latest book, Great Big…
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Like the protagonist of her second novel, Jessica Stanley is an Australian writer living in London. They share other similarities too, such as favourite authors, and perhaps the moments that Stanley has drawn from her own experience in order to shape Coralie’s are what makes her story feel so real. Set against the backdrop of…
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“…our idea of nature is cultural… the idea of nature doesn’t much serve the needs of the creatures we share the planet with or even the needs of most humans, but has been largely constructed to serve a powerful few.” Jane Rawson’s thorough exploration of scientific history and the cultural relationship with the concept of…
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It’s 2018, and zombies are taking over Australia. Sunny, Toby, and baby Veronica are on the run, trying desperately to survive. Or, at least, that’s the case for Toby and Veronica. Sunny’s already dead, but, somehow, she’s still clinging on. Nearly two decades later, Vee lives and works in an underground facility, wiping out the…
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Bold, brilliant, and a little bizarre, Mother Tongue is a story about motherhood, womanhood, and the desire to be true to yourself – no matter who that ‘self’ is. Mother Tongue is the second novel from producer and writer Naima Brown, and it’s one that cements her status as a writer of incredible and profoundly…
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Blueprint Comics‘ Meet Me in the Pit anthology recently released its fifth issue, inviting artists to share a few short panels inspired by music and their relationship with it. Boasting cover art from the incredible Phoebe Paradise, this collection spans a huge variety of interpretations on the theme – from music as an escape to…
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We’ve been covering Aussie author Helen Scheuerer here for a hot minute, all the way back to debut series The Oremere Chronicles – and yes, I remain a devoted Swinton girlie. So we were naturally very excited when Scheuerer announced Iron & Embers, the first in The Ashes of Thezmarr series, and her first novel with…
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The world is fascinated with missing girls. They are the subjects of true crime podcasts and countless movies and tv shows, and of course, novels. But, in Down the Rabbit Hole, debut author Shaeden Berry offers readers something a little deeper than the usual small-town thriller featuring a missing persons case. Down the Rabbit Hole…
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The knives (and forks) are out in Victoria Brownlee’s new novel Eat Your Heart Out, which blends romance, comedy, and a hearty splash of mystery to create one delicious dish. Drawing from her own career as an international food writer and critic, she’s cooked up some fascinating characters, gorgeous environments and an engaging tale. Though…
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Readers who loved The Other Bridget, last year’s rom-com from heavy hitter Rachael Johns featuring a gnome-loving librarian, will be delighted to learn that our beloved Bee makes more than a few cameo’s in 2025’s follow up, The Bad Bridesmaid. Whilst it’s not a sequel, the events of Bridget’s story are referred to throughout, so…
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War has broken out across the universe, and in the strategic stronghold of Upentia, tensions are rising between the human soldiers and the indigenous Atolans, forced to seek their protetction from the attacking Eritraxians. In the midst of it all, a young soldier named Caladin meets M’Kali, a local. Brought together by the devastation of war…
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Before she became (and while she was becoming) known for The Scholomance trilogy and the Temeraire series, Naomi Novik wrote an impressive number of short stories published across anthologies and magazines – and now, readers can enjoy these stories anew or for the first time. Spanning some familiar worlds and other completely new ones, Buried…
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Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin is a darkly atmospheric, surreal historical fantasy with themes of colonisation, class, feminine power and sisterhood. Set among the streets and cabaret clubs of 1930’s Shanghai, Lin has created a city that feels like a mix of steam and cyber punk with its neon lights and mechanical wonders…
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Monte Punshon lived in a man’s world. She also lived a fierce life where she refused to be pigeon-holed. Ethel May ‘Monte’ Punshon is the colourful subject of A Secretive Century, a new biography from award-winning author Tessa Morris-Suzuki. Morris-Suzuki is a history professor who has written over 25 books. A scholar specialising in Asian…
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Readers who are familiar with Karina May’s work will be unsurprised to learn that her latest fictional offering, That Island Feeling, is a smorgasbord of nostalgic film references. From the classic Goldie Hawn flick Overboard to Dirty Dancing to (one of my personal favourites) Coyote Ugly, May draws on her cinephile side (being one half of…
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Matthew Hooper’s heart-wrenching debut A Cold Season doesn’t shy away from the realities of rural life in a bitter post-WW1 winter. Narrated by 14-year-old Beth, the book is set in the foothills of Mount Kosciusko. Isolated and vulnerable, the story opens as a harsh winter is rolling in, bringing with it flash storms and heavy…
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Every Australian knows something of the colonisation of Australia; of the ships that were sent and the convicts that arrived. But, there are some parts that are left out of the wider narrative, unnoticed or undiscussed in conversations about Australia’s history. It’s one such element that Santilla Chingaipe delves into in her latest book Black…
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Invasion is imminent! Hostile forces have overtaken a remote moon and are in the midst of uncovering a secret base that holds the key to a delicate intergalactic alliance. It is up to superhero Anvil Liza to thwart the enemy’s plans and in the process maintain balance in the universe. Launched via Kickstarter, Stellarlands is…
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Fans of history, maritime archaeology, or simply anyone fascinated by the unknowns of the sea will enjoy Mensun Bound and Mark Frary’s deep dive (sorry!) of artefacts, wreckages and other mysteries recovered from the ocean floor. Wonders In The Deep sees Mensun Bound, a renowned maritime archaeologist who served as the Director of Exploration for…
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Nina Kenwood, best known for her YA novels and former winner of the Text Prize, released her first novel for the adult market this September. While it’s decidedly less spicy than some other books in the genre I could mention, the book is definitely not meant for teenage readers. The Wedding Forecast follows Anna, a marketing…
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In the interests of full transparency before diving into this review, I must admit: I’m a massive fan of Savage Garden. The band’s two monumental albums were often blared from the tape player of my parent’s VN Vacationer Commodore, embedding themselves into the soundtrack of my childhood and bookmarking every road trip in the early…
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Heartbreakingly sad, beautifully written and filled with edge-of-your-seat tension, A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a stunning exploration of war, feminine power, and the ability to endure. Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, the story opens with Xishi washing silk in a river on…
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Emily Tsokos Purtill‘s debut novel took her ten years to write. Ten years in which she was also building a promising legal career and a family. It’s no surprise then, that family is at the heart of Matia – the story of four generations of women from a Greek Australian family. The matia of the title…
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Prolific Australian author, Anita Heiss, published her ninth novel in August, following the success of her 2021 historical fiction book, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams). Her latest book, Dirrayawadha (Rise Up) once again looks at Australian history from the perspective of First Nations characters, this time examining the Frontier Wars in Bathurst of the 1820s…
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It’s hard to summarise Western Australian author John Kinsella’s latest book – Beam of Light: Stories, save for describing the way it feels: a little uncanny, a little haunting. An anthology of short stories – most of which are extremely short, even for the genre – its atmosphere and thoughtfulness makes for a fascinating read,…
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