Mother's Day Reading Guide 2020

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

Gulliver’s Wife | Lauren Chater | $32.99 | Simon and Schuster Mary Burton Gulliver, is widowed, working as a midwife, and struggling to make ends meet while providing for her two children in London in 1702. And then her husband, Lemuel Gulliver (from Gulliver’s Tales), suddenly comes home with crazy stories which threaten to topple the life that Mary built for herself in his absence. 18th Century England was a challenging place for women, and Chater’s exploration of women’s agency in a time of oppression is gripping. Chater’s prose is beautiful. Her characters are rich and her world immersive. - Michaela J. While Gulliver’s Wife is a contemplative reimagining of Gulliver’s Travels, Chater smoothly shifts the focus to the women Lemuel leaves behind. Mary’s role as a midwife allows Chater to explore contemporary issues of bodily autonomy through a historical lens, meditating on women’s necessary battles with institutions throughout time.

Through shifting perspectives between Mary and her daughter Bess, Chater creates both a moving coming-ofage novel and an empathetic reflection of motherhood and strength.

- Sam K.

The Octopus and I | Erin Hortle | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin One night Lucy, recovering from breast cancer and struggling to accept the attention her body receives, encounters a female octopus.

The experience, which also involves a moving car, changes Lucy’s life completely. This lyrical novel, set in the natural beauty of Tasmania’s Eaglehawk Neck, cleverly interweaves touching stories told from the perspective of animals in the local environment with Lucy’s own powerful awakening as she travels the road to selfacceptance.

- Sylvia

In the Time of Foxes | Jo Lennan | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster Foxes are thought to be cunning; tricksters and shapeshifters. An entertaining collection of short stories with foxes making a startling appearance in each story. Whether this is an actual fox, the trouble the fox causes or the qualities of a fox, each short story carefully weaves this fox motif to offer insight into the times we live in right now. A terrific Australian debut of contemporary shorts.

- Dean

The Loudness of Unsaid Things | Hilde Hinton | $29.99 | Hachette This shy novel blew me away. Familiarly Australian in the eighties setting, Suzie however is a unique protagonist full of originality and spunk. Suzie’s mother spends a lot of time in the ‘mind hospital’ influencing her child in her formative years. Suzie grows up on the fringes of society with an independence that holds this story of loneliness in mesmerising stead. I couldn’t stop reading. The Loudness of Unsaid Things is original and dazzling, I adored this!

- Dean

The Dickens Boy | Tom Keneally | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Master storyteller Keneally’s latest effort is full of his love of history and humour.

Edward ‘Plorn’ Dickens, the great author’s youngest son, is sent to Australia by the guvnor. He is determined to ‘apply’ himself and overcome the unexpected adulation he receives due to his heritage. Delightful language combined with understanding and empathy for the true impact of colonisation, this fine novel sees a young man come into his own.

- Sylvia

Sweatshop Women: Volume Two | ed. Winnie Dunn | $19.95 | Sweatshop The first volume of Sweatshop Women was a dazzling collection of prose and poetry written by women from Indigenous, migrant and refugee backgrounds living in Western Sydney. In this second volume, these powerful, urgent new voices in Australian literature return to reclaim their stories of culture, sovereignty and diaspora. A stunning, razor-sharp, potent addition to the Sweatshop archive.

- Emma Co. Featuring: Christine Afoa, Sydnye Allen, Maryam Azam, Ferdous Bahar, Flordeliz Bonifacio, Shankari Chandran, Janette Chen, Cindy El Sayed, Phoebe Grainer, Aseel Harb, Amani Haydar, Sheree Joseph, Meyrnah Khodr, Shirley Le, Abeny Mayol, Jessicca Wendy Mensah, Gayatri Nair, Lieu-Chi Nguyen, Sara Saleh, Christine Shamista, Mary Anne Taouk, Divya Venkataraman and Diane Wanasawek. Foreword by Ruby Hamad.

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The Dictionary of Lost Words | Pip Williams | $32.99 | Affirm Williams is creating a bit of a sensation with her wildly original debut – and no wonder. Let’s face it: words are important. Yet some words have been considered to be more important than others. In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. Esme is the girl who stole – or perhaps rescued – it. She sees a whole world hidden between the lines of a history written by men, and begins to collect words for her own dictionary. Lyrical and stimulating, this is a book replete with the very best words. - John

Ghost Species | James Bradley | $29.99 | Penguin Random House Ghost Species is narrated less by a singular voice, than a chorus. Bold, complex and deeply evocative, the novel explores the possibility and responsibility of humans to each other, other species and our earth.

Oblique references to race, the other & the deeply manipulative forces surrounding our ability to make choices underline the novel’s trajectory. Intimate & loving as a Patricia Piccinini artwork, Bradley regards the intersection of technology, power & ethics with questions from the heart.

- Virginia

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

The Animals in That Country | Laura Jean McKay | $29.99 | Scribe I’m echoing the statements of many people in saying it’s difficult to read anything right now – everything is either too real or too irrelevant; but this book was unexpectedly perfect. In The Animals in That Country, a bizarre flu is sweeping Australia and the main symptom of infection is the ability to understand the language of animals. With exquisite prose and an unforgettable cast of characters, this book moved me, disturbed me and thoroughly entertained me. - Emma Co.

NEW IN THE NOOK Fire Front | ed. Alison Whittaker | $24.99 | University of QLD Press An innovative, muscular anthology of First Nations poetry. It’s divided into five thematic sections, with each one introduced by an essay from a leading First Nations thinker – Bruce Pascoe, Ali CobbyEckermann,ChelseaBond,Evelyn Araluen and Steven Oliver. Featuring poems by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Ellen van Neerven, Tony Birch, Claire G. Coleman, Jack Davis, Sam Wagan Watson, Archie Roach, Briggs, Mojo JuJu, Kevin Gilbert, Lionel Fogarty and Alexis Wright, this is one monumental collection. I can’t recommend Fire Front enough!

- Emma Co.

Throat | Ellen Van Neerven | $24.99 | University of QLD Press Mununjali Yugambeh writer Ellen van Neerven is an inimitable voice in Australian literature and Throat is testament to their role at the centre of a renaissance of First Nations poetry. I loved this book – even more than their brilliant and award-wining previous works Heat and Light and Comfort Food. A witty, soulful, dazzling collection by one of the fiercest intellects and brightest poets in this country. I read Throat cover to cover and will do this again and again. Perfect.

- Emma Co.

Tales from the Loop | Simon Stalenhag | $49.99 | Simon and Schuster Following the release of his 2018 graphic novel Electric State, Stalenhag’s latest work Tales from the Loop has once again proved his importance and power as a writer. Tales from the Loop is a visceral reading experience. In a world where children and robots are friends and dinosaurs roam freely, Stalenhag pairs his beautiful illustrations with cautionary tales. As Stalenhag showcases a possible and fearful future, Tales from the Loop is a haunting read that breaks all graphic novel conventions to become something that is more. Defying genre and reinventing storytelling, Stalenhag’s books are works of art to be treasured and read over and over again.

- Lucy

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INTERNATIONAL FICTION

The Glass Hotel | Emily St. John Mandel | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan Spectacular! Emily St. John Mandel’s previous book Station Eleven is many reader’s favourite book! St. John Mandel is an exquisite author and has written another powerful novel with a slightly surreal touch.

I’m in awe of her finely crafted language and superior story telling skills and her new novel displays this talent brilliantly. The lives of the characters are woven through the financial crash, Ponzi schemes and over a twenty-year span, which is achieved with an imaginative finesse, making this an absorbing, big wow of a book and a must must-read.

- Dean The isolated yet stunning landscape of Vancouver Island really augments the divides within the family at the centre of the novel. Jumping between Y2K and 2005 with the Global Financial Crisis beginning to appear on the horizon, ‘The Glass Hotel’ has selected an intriguing window of time; one of excess and hope, but also risk and anxiety.

- Emma Cr.

What’s Left of Me is Yours | Stephanie Scott | $32.99 | Hachette This novel reminds me of a pond moments before a rock is thrown across the surface; crisp, calm with an apprehensive coolness.

Wakaresaseya is a person hired to seduce another to gain advantage in divorce proceeding. Based on a true-to-life case. Kaitaru, a Wakaresasaeya agent, falls in love with Rita, his case’s target. Sumiko, the child left behind, researches the case to find out what really happened to her murdered mother.

- Dean

Conjure Women | Afia Atakora | $29.99 | Harper Collins Beautifully written with poetic language and imagery that conjures up the emotion and passion of a bygone era. The story is narrated through a series of flashbacks between the pre and post Civil War periods in Southern USA, capturing the essence of life under the harshness of slavery and prejudice. It is the story of a young slave girl Rue who grows up and lives in the shadow of her mother May Belle, the local Conjure Woman. I found it hard to put down as I am sure you will too.

- Stella B.

The Weight of Love | Hilary Fannin | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Set in London 1995 and Dublin 2018, a delicate love triangle that folds and turns and blooms over the course of time. Robin loves Ruth yet watches her leave with his best friend Joe, the exciting untouchable artist.

In Dublin, Robin and Ruth are married with fraying corners. A detailed look at relationships, friendship, love, secrets and how the world’s illusions change as you age. Cleverly put together, Fannin has a skill of what is left unsaid speaking volumes.

- Dean

Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | $32.99 | Hachette Sally Rooney fans are set to be excited by this scorching read. Told through a cynical lens, Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong where she holds a relationship with both Julian and Edith. Ava seems to stand apart from everything.

Looking down from her apartment tower, standing adrift from her partners, she is an odd, slightly unlikable character but interesting all the same. Her examination of language, with comparisons between places, marks this spicy romcom with extra layers and a literary edge. A funny yet sly read.

- Dean Exciting indeed, welcome to the Oxbridge part of Hong Kong. This is a taut first novel that considers class complexity, race, territory and power, especially around white bankers, those who are not, and the sounds of the English language in the mouths that make them. Told through the lens of a young woman from Dublin teaching English to rich Asian kids, pseudo depressive protagonist Ava seeks agency through the people around her. Concerned with awareness and deception, concealment and disclosure in our times of pretence via social media, this is a beguiling tale.

- Virginia

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The Book of Longings | Sue Monk Kidd | $32.99 | Hachette You probably know how this ends, but that will not diminish the power of this moving historical novel. Monk Kidd imagines the life of the person who was the wife of Jesus, Ana, worshipper of alchemical Sophias. Vivid, lavish and thrilling, Monk Kidd deftly illuminates this turbulent period of history in Egypt and Israel, while honouring the lives usually left out or narrated by men, the stories of the women. Reading like an epic thriller, Monk Kidd brings contemporary relevance to the period in Ana’s struggle.

- Virginia

Spark | Naoki Matayoshi | $27.99 | Allen and Unwin Hilarious, strange and moving in equal measure - a Japanese multi-million-copy smash hit about the struggles of a pair of young manzai stand-up comedians. Spark is a story about art and friendship, about countless bizarre drunken conversations and how far it’s acceptable to go for a laugh.

A novel about comedy that’s as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, it’s already been a sensation in Japan.

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

Breasts and Eggs | Mieko Kawakami | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan With Haruki Murakami and Yoko Ogawa endorsing this bold Japanese debut, you know you can’t go wrong.

Titled Chichi to Ran in Japanese, I braved the strange English title and couldn’t have be happier to do so. This is amazing! A fresh look at three working women in Japan told with a bold, direct, no fuss voice. Unforgettable and sure to make a big splash upon its arrival.

- Dean

Redhead by the Side of the Road | Anne Tyler | $29.99 | Penguin Random House Anne Tyler is such a comfort. There are few writers working today with more empathy, with a better grasp of how unpretentious domesticities can be used to stand for something greater. In this, her twenty-third novel, Micah Mortimer aka the ‘Tech Hermit’ is as unsophisticated as they come, with very particular ways of navigating life and relationships in order to maintain a comfortable equilibrium. All this is upended when he fails a challenge of the heart, and faces a boy who turns up unannounced and declares himself to be Micah’s son. A quietly steely and profound love story whose heart pumps with the blood of human connection. Reading Tyler makes you want to do good in the world. Is there a greater gift from a book than that?

- John

Latitudes of Longing | Shubhangi Swarup | $32.99 | Hachette In a time when we’re little able to cross the thresholds of our own doorways, what better read than one that crosses borders and spiritual dimensions? Shubhangi Swarup’s ‘Latitudes of Longing’ is a story about familial ties and the eternal journey they set us on. Centred around several characters, each plot line is engrossing. But most interesting of all is the portrait Swarup paints of the tangible and the spiritual worlds; every being is interwoven through their desire for the same things: love and answers to their hurt. It is the imagery of this book that makes it so arresting. Flora and fauna are not just a pretty backdrop for the story but at the very essence of it. Each being connected to the next; each story connected to the next. It is a true biodiversity of story-telling, and Swarup’s effortless turn of phrase makes ‘Latitudes of Longing’ a totally transporting read.

- Beth R.

Hamnet | Maggie O’Farrell | $32.99 | Hachette Shakespeare and his wife Agnes have a son Hamnet, who dies of the plague in 1596, aged eleven. This is the story behind the life of Shakespeare, including the writing of his famous play ‘Hamlet’ in the 4 years after his son’s death.

I found it to be a haunting story of family and loss, and it brought to life the superstitions and beliefs of the time, the hardships of existence and of course the grief.

- Kay

The Things She Owned | Katherine Tamiko Arguile | $29.99 | Affirm Years after the death of her cruel and complicated mother, Erika is still surrounded by the things she left behind. When a cousin announces that she will be visiting from Japan, Erika’s resolve to ignore her grief begins to crack. Beautiful and mysterious, The Things She Owned explores the complexity of lives lived between cultures, the weight of crossgenerational trauma, and a mother and daughter on a tortuous path to forgiveness.

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CRIME FICTION

The Gilded Cage | Camilla Lackberg | $29.99 | Harper Collins Faye is the perfect woman: the kind that takes a year off work to support her husband, who researches his porn to know how to please him, who is gracious and supportive and, no matter what, quiet. But, when the life she has builtwiththemanshelovescomes crumbling down, and Faye’s truth and lies begin unravelling. The story Lackberg weaves of our antiheroine is gripping, tender, yet unflinchingly brutal.

- Ayesha

Torched | Kimberley Starr | $29.99 | Pantera Press A thrilling domestic noir set on the beautiful and unforgiving backdrop of the Australian bush.

When her son is accused of arson that has resulted in the death of 12 people, Phoebe must face the turmoil that comes with the choice between justice and family.

A heart-wrenching story that eloquently paints a portrait of a town in the aftermath of tragedy and the consequences that come with family ties. A totally gripping read.

- Lucy

Seven Years of Darkness | YouJeong Jeong | $32.99 | Hachette

Hitler’s Peace | Philip Kerr | $32.99 | Hachette

A disturbing cat-and-mouse game with unexpected twists and turns. I am a huge fan of Jeong’s previous thriller The Good Son. She is touted as the queen of psychological thrillers with comparisons to Stephen King and Raymond Chandler.

Perhaps Jeong’s training as a nurse formulates the psychological complexity of her work that makes her a stand out thriller author. Revenge, plotted over seven-years, this thriller delves down deep under the covers of suspense to leave your ruffled yet glued to the page.

- Dean

Kerr is best known for his epic Bernie Gunther series, through which he has proven a deep knowledge of Nazi Germany and mastery of thrillers set in this fraught period in history. There’s no Bernie in Hitler’s Peace, a standalone alternate history originally published in 2005 that reimagines the end of WWII, but there’s plenty to enjoy in this intricately plotted page-turner with many surprises and twists along the way. Think Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Over the top in parts but expertly put together.

- John

We Begin at the End | Chris Whitaker | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin A triumph. Destined to be one of the thrillers of the year. The award-winning Whittaker produces a masterclass in this gripping crime novel that delights from the first to final page. Perfectly captures the feel of a small town in America whose best days are behind it. At times poetic, and times hard-edged, Whittaker seems to be able to strike the perfect note for each scene and creates characters you care about.

Chief among these is thirteen-year old Duchess Radley, part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother Robin – and to Star, her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.

If you loved Jane Harper’s The Dry, look no further. Seriously, searingly good.

- John

Rules for Perfect Murders | Peter Swanson | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin Rules for Perfect Murders follows the story of a book seller and classic novel lover, Malcolm, as he helps investigate a string of murders based on many of his favourite books.

What justifies a murder? When do you become responsible for the actions of someone else?

This book will make you question your own limits and morals. Swanson’s novel is a brilliantly written psychological thriller that could make almost any book lover develop a taste for the genre. Throughout the book he hints at what’s about to happen without a hint of subtlety and then somehow still leaves you surprised. If you’re looking for a guide on how to conduct the perfect murder, this isn’t that, but it’s a good starting point. This is a must-read for lovers of murder mysteries. Beware, you may never trust a narrator again.

- Maya M.

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Monstrous Heart | Claire McKenna | $29.99 | Harper Collins Arden arrives in the salt-swept port of Vigil, tasked with using the magic in her blood to keep the lighthouse burning. Amidst all her determination and homesickness, Arden cannot get the thought of her shadowy stranger of a neighbour, accused of murdering his wife, out of her head. A sensational debut novel perfect for fans of Outlander. This is gothic, epic, romantic fantasy at its very best; a tale of magic, intrigue and love .

The City We Became | N. K. Jemisin | $32.99 | Hachette The first book in a trilogy, this is a slick urban fantasy that proves Jemisin’s status as the best sci-fi fantasy author is for real. Okay, the multiple Hugo Awards already told us this – but this book really is amazing and will grab both sci-fi fantasy fans and general readers. Based on her short story “The City Born Great”, The City We Became sees the five boroughs of New York City personified, super-hero-ed up and united, taking on the big bad (the women in white) who is slipping through portals from her own world to take over the newly-born city of New York. Cool and controlled writing, the idea may sound simple but it’s executed to perfection, making this the great read I’ve been searching for in a sea of good books.

- Dean

The Book of Koli | M. R. Carey | $22.99 | Hachette Koli lives in the small, isolated village of Mythen Rood, which runs and survives off of relics of our technology today. The climate apocalypse has happened. This, along with a disastrous genetic experiment that has turned nature carnivorous, means that most of the human population is gone. The past is shrouded in mystery, and the future even more so, as the townspeople struggle to survive amidst a landscape where every living thing wants them dead. As always, Carey’s world-building is phenomenal, and the character of Koli is an authentic voice that I look forward to reading further - this is the first in a trilogy!

- Angelita

Chosen Ones | Veronica Roth | $29.99 | Hachette 10 years ago, 5 ‘Chosen Ones’ were named in a prophecy to defeat the greatest enemy the world has ever seen - The Dark One. A decade down the track the champions are trying to move on with their lives, all except Sloan. An action-packed rollercoaster stuffed with enough moral dilemmas to make you scratch your head, and enough otherworldly elements and intertwined timelines for you to always feel like you’re discovering something new.

- Olivia

SCIENCE-FICTION / FANTASY / DYSTOPIAN FICTION

Tender is the Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica | $27.99 | Allen & Unwin This is not an easy read by any measure. Deeply disturbing, it holds a mirror up to our normalisation of meat consumption and animal abuse through its dystopian premise. Tender is the Flesh follows Marcos who harvests human ‘heads’ for consumption. Tender is the Flesh takes hold of you and refusestoletgoasBazterricarefuses to veer away from the grotesque in her powerful and succinct prose, forcing the reader to address their own morals.

- Lucy

Devolution | Max Brooks | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Told mostly through journal entries, Devolutionconcernstheeco-village of Greenloop where an eruption has just taken place. Unbeknownst to the outside world, the town and its people were decimated by an ancient evil as the ash settled around them. With a signature wit and survival instruction that even the US military is taking note of (true story!) Max Brooks has penned a horror story that reconstructs the myth of ‘Bigfoot’ and the idea of human evolution.

- Angelita

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BETTER READ TOURS

VIETNAM

COTSWOLDS

“I couldn’t recommend this writers retreat more. It really did feel bespoke - we got to see things that would not be on the itinerary of any other tour. The spiritual aspects of this tour were not what drew me to book, but I found learning about Buddhist principles and meditative techniques were absolutely invaluable to my writing practice.”

- Gisele Hosteau

“I have been to many writing workshops over the past few years, but Kate's workshops surpassed any I have previously attended. I learnt so much from Kate and that knowledge has given me a new impetus to finish the novel I started some years ago. I would highly recommend this retreat to any aspiring writer. The Shakespeare Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon was the perfect setting and the afternoon tours were first class.”

- Barbara Hunt

26 March - 4 April 2021

25 April - May 3 2021

Stretch your creative boundaries and energise your writing practise on this 10-day writers retreat through the lush tropical heart of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Your mentor, Walter Mason, world-renowned travel writer and life-long student of Buddhism, will share his local and cultural knowledge, and will guide you in writing workshops that combine meditative principles with writing techniques.

Most writing workshops can teach you the basics of plotting and form, but how many help you to rediscover your creativity and joy in writing? Join internationally bestselling author Kate Forsyth for a week in Stratford-upon-Avon, where you’ll receive expert advice on creative writing and research, all while immersed in the historical setting of The Cotswolds.

PARIS

RUSSIA

“The time I spent writing in Paris has truly changed my life. My goal to become a published author is no longer a pipe dream. Having the space to live and breathe writing all day, everyday allowed my creativity to flow and my writing to reach levels that I didn’t even think was possible.

My confidence grew under the guidance of Patti Miller and alongside a trusted group of like-minded individuals that I know will be lifelong friends. Wandering the streets of Paris and exploring its rich literacy history gave me answers to questions that I couldn’t have found anywhere else.”

- Reece Georgas

10 June - 24 June 2021 Develop your writing technique, forge new friendships and renew your creativity in this intensive memoir writing retreat in Paris led by one of Australia’s most successful and experienced memoirists, Patti Miller. With an individual constulation and daily writing workshops consultations you can devote time and attention to your writing project, while immersed in one of the most creatively inspiring cities in the world.

www.betterreadtours.com

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"The Better Read Tour was an amazing, insightful excursion into Russian culture and history, experienced through the lens of Russian literature.

Having a small group allowed for a smooth, bespoke experience that really catered to our individual interests and questions. From the Kremlin to Gorky Park, the Hermitage Museum to Dostoyeksky's apartment - it was amazing to read great Russian writers while exploring their locales in real life. Rosamund Bartlett was exceptional. Her knowledge of Russian language and literature and her reputation within Russia for her work on Chekhov and Tolstoy on several occasions opened doors that would otherwise likely have been inaccessible. I've come back with a new found appreciation for Russian writing, and am presently engrossed in Nabakov's rich, elegant autobiography - Speak, Memory."

- Arul Baskaran

We are now taking registrations of interest for 2021 contact us today!

tours@betterread.com.au

@betterreadtours

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How Much of These Hills is Gold | C Pam Zhang | $32.99 | Hachette There have been some brilliant westerns in recent years. Think: West by Carys Davies, In the Distance by Hernan Diaz, and Inland by Téa Obreht. These books have realigned an archetypal form and made of it something new, something novel. To this list you can add Zhang’s extraordinary debut, How Much of These Hills is Gold. Myth and harsh reality collide as two newly orphaned and yearning immigrant children in Gold Rush America set out on an odyssey to find a home in the rough and tumble of the American West. ​Beautiful, poignant, constantly surprising. An early contender for Book of the Year! - John

Good Question | Sue Whiting and Annie White (illus.) | $24.99 | Walker Books This funny, clever tale opens with a fox hiding high up in the branches of a tree. What’s he doing up there you ask? Good question! And so begins his entertaining explanation; with a mashup of nursery rhyme and fairytale characters our hungry narrator is whisked off into all the wrong stories in search of a tasty meal to fill his hollow belly. The illustrations are lavish and dynamic, and adults will also love the cheeky humour. Ages 4+ - Mandy

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour: Unlock the Secrets Book 1 | Ally Carter | $14.99 | Hachette Eleven year old April is a girl with a key in search of a lock. Instead, what she finds is friendship with the four other orphans ensconced at Winterborne House, and Gabriel, the missing-presumed-dead heir to the Winterborne fortune who has been living in a secret lair beneath the mansion for the last 10 years. Oh, and then there’s Gabriel’s evil Uncle Evert who will do anything to get that key! Which turns out to not even fit a lock, but that’s another story... An exciting start to this mystery series perfect for readers 11+.

- Mandy

OUR BOOKS OF THE MONTH

Weather | Jenny Offill | $27.99 | Allen and Unwin The title of this novel immediately brought to mind the childhood poem ‘whether the weather is fine’ and the play on the homonym of weather, the meaning of whether, and from here more questions about choice, meaning and alternatives. Like ‘Dept of Speculation’, ‘Weather’ is written in fragments seemingly just patched together in a way that feels both too close and too distant for comfort. The style reflects the present disparities of our experience of the virtual world and its physical experience. An arc that is more like a cardiogram than a parabola, the novels shifts horizontally offering prepper tips, witty reflections on parenting, ironic observation of political conditions, mortality and late stage capitalism. Sharp & stunning.

- Virginia

How to Grow a Family Tree | Eliza Henry Jones | $22.99 | Harper Collins Stella has just been landed with an emotional triple whammy. Her father’s gambling addiction has them living in a caravan park. Which is hard enough, without dealing with the fact that her birth mother has sent her a letter. As if the chaos of one family wasn’t enough, now she must also confront the secrets of another. I loved the engaging characters, the Australian setting and Stella’s realisation that maybe not everything needs fixing. A great read for ages 14+.

- Sylvia

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AUSTRALIAN NON-FICTION

Life in a Box | Sarah Jane Adams | $39.99 | Murdoch Books The wonderfully compelling and unorthodox memoir of 63-year old international model and iconoclast, @mywrinklesaremystripes’ Sarah Jane Adams. Auction catalogues can reveal a lot about a person: their life, their loves and their style. Antique jewellery dealer Sarah Jane Adams became an international model and overnight Instagram sensation in her sixties. She tells her story through a lifetime’s collection of rare pieces and worthless objects, as well as personal photographs and effects from her ‘estate’. Told with wit, pathos and charm. Life In A Box illustrates the deeply personal connection that we have with our belongings: they are laden with rich meaning and adventure and, above all, redolent of our stories.

Phosphorescence | Julia Baird | $32.99 | Harper Collins Absorbing, considerate and immediately on-point, I can’t think of a timelier book to have come out right now. Phosphorescence is an investigation on awe, wonder and the things that sustain us when the world goes dark. Drawing on personal experiences, Baird creates relatable and philosophic musings on her own quest.

Be curious, even if this doesn’t sound like the type of book, you’d normally go for I’m sure you will be amazed by Baird’s extremely well written investigation and her luminous insight. For readers of Leigh Sales- Any Ordinary Day, this is an invigorating read and the book for right now.

- Dean

Stranger Than Kindness | Nick Cave | $59.99 | Murdoch Books Stranger Than Kindness is a journey in images and words into the creative world of musician, storyteller and cultural icon Nick Cave. Nick Cave has been performing music for more than thirty years and is best known as the songwriter and lead singer of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, whose latest album Ghosteen was widely received as their best work ever.

This highly collectible book contains images selected by Cave from ‘Stranger Than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition’, presented by the Royal Danish Library in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne. Featuring full-colour reproductions of original artwork, handwritten lyrics, photographs and collected personal artefacts, it presents Cave’s life, work and inspiration and explores his many real and imagined universes. Images are paired with commentary and meditations from Cave and celebrated writer Darcey Steinke on themes that are central to Cave’s work. Stranger Than Kindness asks what shapes our lives and makes us who we are, and celebrates the curiosity and power of the creative spirit.

Fourteen | Shannon Molloy | $29.99 | Simon and Schuster This coming-of-age memoir is important and all too familiar. It details a month by month account ofagaykidagedfourteen,struggling with his sexuality when surrounded by a small-town mindset that constantly tells him, you are wrong, each and every step of the way. Set in Yeppoon through the nineties, Shannon Molloy is endlessly bullied but tries to stay afloat, searching for glimpses of what life could be like beyond the constant taunts and beatings. With dashes of humour to balance the heart-wrenching pain, this is a memorable tale of courage andsurvival.

-Dean

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Come | Rita Therese | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin This is a sit-down-to-read-and whoops-my-coffee-went-coldand-whoops-the-sun-is-comingup-and-whoops-I-forgot-togo-to-bed kind of memoir. It is frank and honest and extremely funny, aside from the moments of heartbreak. Therese tells of her life as a sex worker in Melbourne with a graphic candour. The timeline cleverly drifts depicting the blur between Therese’s working persona of Gia and her real self who is trapped in traumatic cycles between sex and work. Deeply personal, Therese has created an intoxicating memoir.

- Dean

The Lost Boy | Ayik Chut Deng | $34.99 | Penguin Random House After life as a boy soldier in South Sudan, fighting battles in Ethiopia and Sudan, Ayik Chut found himself a refugee in Toowoomba, Queensland.

He was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder that was misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, leading to years of erratic behaviour on the wrong medication.

Overcoming a childhood filled with torture and war was a process of lifelong learning, choices and challenges.

Friends and Rivals | Brenda Niall | $34.99 | Text Publishing Four Australian women writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries - a time when stories of bush heroism and mateship abounded, a time when a writing career might be an elusive thing for a woman.

This is a vivid account of the entwined lives of Ethel Turner, Barbara Baynton, Nettie Palmer, and Henry Handel Richardson. Niall illuminates a fascinating time in Australia’s literary history.

My Lucky Stroke | Sarah Brooker | $29.99 | Affirm Brooker was an ambitious young woman studying to be a neuroscientist. In 2002, an unbelievable series of events occurred: a brain aneurysm, a car accident, a body broken and a mind shattered. When doctors came to visit her in hospital, Sarah assumed they wereconsultingherasthebrain expert, not attending to her as a patient. An extraordinary memoir, full of life and insight, humour and drama, a story about rebuilding a life from square one that you won’t easily forget.

AUSTRALIAN NON-FICTION

Grandmothers | ed. Helen Elliott | $34.99 | text Publishing An anthology of essays by twenty-four Australian women, edited by Helen Elliott, about the many aspects of being a grandmother in the 21st century. It seems so different from the experience we had of our grandmothers. Although perhaps the human essential, love, hasn’t shifted much? In thoughtful, provoking, uncompromising writing, a broad range of women reflect on vastly diverse experiences. This period of a woman’s life, a continuation and culmination, is as defining as any other and the words ‘grand’ and ‘mother’ rearrange and realign themselves into bright focus.

The contributors: Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer, Judith Brett, Jane Caro, Elizabeth Chong, Cresside Collette, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Helen Garner, Anastasia Gonis, Glenda Guest, Katherine Hattam, Celestine Hitiura Vaite, Yvette Holt, Cheryl Kernot, Ramona Koval, Alison Lester, Joan London, Jenny Macklin, Auntie Daphne Milward, Mona Mobarek, Carol Raye and Gillian Triggs.

Under Fire | Nick Brodie | $29.99 | Hardie Grant Under the COVID-19 lockdown in the USA you can still go out for your essential items… groceries, drugs, and, sadly, guns. In Under Fire, Brodie writes the history of Australia as seen through the lens of guns. In the hands of Bushrangers, soldiers, farmers and recreational shooters, the firearm is an undeniable part of our history, our characters, our shared tragedies. Brodie charts it all, illuminating us (and the world) on how we removed ourselves from the firing line.

- John

Top End Girl | Miranda Tapsell | $32.99 | Hachette By the age of 31, Miranda Tapsell is an award winning actress who has starred in many well-loved Australian movies and TV shows. Growing up in Arnhem Land she dreamed of becoming an actor - winning the Bell Shakespeare Company regional performance scholarship at 16. From Redfern Now to Play School, performing in The Sapphires to writing and starring in her own film Top End Wedding, Tapsell is a well-rounded and wellgrounded entertainer. In this engaging memoir she tells the story of the making of Top End Wedding, but also a larger story of pushing for positive Indigenous representation in the media. Miranda explores the power of storytelling as a means for social and political change, with the goal of uniting us all.

- Angelita

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INTERNATIONAL NON-FICTION

Pedantic | Ross & Kathryn Petras | $19.99 | Allen & Unwin From the authors of That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means and You’re Saying It Wrong comes this handbook you wish you’d had during your phase of throwing around expressions you sort-of understood to make people believe you were smart. When having a sticky beak at this book I flipped to the list of phrases to-be-defined and found I had been tricked into believing wrong definitions of a myriad of words. Formatted almost dictionary-style for your on the go use of these intelligent words, Pedantic is rich with classification, etymology and a fair amount of sass. This book is perfect gift for that logophile friend we all seem to have.

- Ayesha This highly amusing collection from the Petras wordsmiths offers a collection of terms you have heard of but, ahem, might not know the meaning of, or indeed, how to use them. Having trouble telling your doppelgänger from your bête noir? Can’t tell your wabi sabi from your wasabi? Still not sure what Bond was going on about with Quantum of Solace? The Petras’ leave all the sturm und drang aside, and instead present a bespoke cacophony of terms for your perusal that will have you speaking in tongues in no time.

- Sylvia

Sex and Lies | Leila Slimani | $27.99 | Allen and Unwin From the prize-winning author of Lullaby and Adele, this collection of essays is a compelling, fascinating, honest and sometimes harrowing exploration of the sexual lives of Moroccan women and the lies and secrets they keep to survive.

Leila Slimani, a Moroccan woman living in France, speaks with women grappling with a conservative Arab culture: a culture which simultaneously condemns and commodifies sex; where homosexuality, sex outside marriage, abortion and sex work are punishable by death; where women can be one of two sexual identities, a virgin or a wife. Slimani makes an impassioned and well-researched case for sexual revolution in Morocco.

- Emma Co.

More | Philip Coggan | $34.99 | Allen and Unwin With the seismic changes occurringinthelabourmarketright now, it’s more important than ever for the few who understand the workings of the world economy to become the many. More is an accessible and panoramic history of trade, industry and economic thought. Coggan’s thesis is that it was connections between people that created the conditions of prosperity. It’s time to extend our knowledge; and we need to do so with a renewed compassion so that prosperity also transfers from the few to the many.

- John

The Ratline | Philippe Sands | $34.99 | Hachette Phillipe Sands wears many hats: international barrister, human rights advocate, historical memoir writer. Sands returns to form in The Ratline: an unbelievable true story of a Nazi fugitive turned Cold War Spy. The Ratline asks, are we more capable of juggling multiple identities as opposed to one whole? Jumping from the ruins of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Iron Curtain, The Ratline explores lives constantly touched by instability and genuine brutality.

This is sure to be one of 2020’s best non-fiction releases. - Emma Cr.

Jacinda Ardern: A New Kind of Leader | Madeleine Chapman | $34.99 | Black Inc. In 2017, Jacinda Ardern’s meteoric rise to the position of New Zealand Prime Minister was nothing short of captivating. It’s this rapid ascent to the top that Journalist Madeleine Chapman dives into in her illuminating biography, ‘Jacinda Ardern - A New Kind of Leader’. Chapman explores how Ardern’s platform of compassionate politics and progressive policy has acted as an antidote to the exclusionary politics on the rise globally, leading to international acclaim and a sweeping sense of ‘Jacindamania’.

‘A New Kind of Leader’ explores a modern approach to leadership, where adversity is met with compassion and empathy. An approach all global leaders would benefit from in our contemporary Covid-19 affected world.

- Lara H.

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Amos’s back catalogue of work broaches the notion that personal is political and in her dynamic memoir she takes this philosophy one step further. By weaving personal antidotes, politics and artistic inspiration, Amos offers up a call to action. Each chapter is related to one of her songs making a superb play list to read by. Anyone who turns to music as solace during difficult times will feel comforted by Amos inspiring memoir calling artists to use their platform to speak out.

- Dean

I Want You To Know We’re Still Here | Esther Safran Foer | $32.99 | Harper Collins Safran Foer’s grandmother grew up in the shadow of a past all too horrific to speak of. Her parents were survivors of the Holocaust and her childhood was veiled in silence. When she discovers her father had another family who were killed in the Holocaust, she travels to the Ukraine to search for answers that reshape her present identity. A powerful and personal Holocaust memoir that flows and feels like you are chatting with the memoirist.

- Dean

Recollections of My Nonexistence | Rebecca Solnit | $34.99 | Allen and Unwin Rebecca Solnit writes with extraordinary clarity of her experiences from late youth & adulthood honouring not only her own histories, but also the histories of those around her. First set exploring San Francisco on foot, then expanding from there as her writing and awareness expanded. It is a memoir of her movements and observations in the world and how that experiential learning informed her craft and life. Embedded in Solnit’s memoir is a poetic gratitude for possibility and the importance of our struggle to change as she asks vital questions around power: “who decided, who interpreted, what was visible and audible, whose voice and vision mattered.” Inspiring.

- Virginia

INTERNATIONAL NON-FICTION

Resistance | Tori Amos | $35.00 | Hachette

Wow, No Thank You | Samantha Irby | $22.99 | Allen and Unwin One of the most laugh-out-loud-funny books I think I’ve ever read. Wow, No Thank You is the follow up to We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Meaty – books I can’t wait to read now that I’ve found the missing piece to my self-isolation life: Samantha Irby.

Wow, No Thank You chronicles Irby’s life as the writer of “bitches gotta eat” blog, the unlikely wife and step-mother of two children in white, small-town America, and a woman living, aging, and cat-owning in these truly absurd times. Like David Sedaris, if you know Samantha Irby’s voice – her deadpan, curmudgeonly tone – this will only add to your enjoyment of the book. Side-splittingly funny, unabashedly disgusting and seriously therapeutic.

- Emma Co. Inferno | Catherine Cho | $29.99 | Bloomsbury I struggled to find the appropriate words to honour the tender beauty in this memoir. Lyric and epic as the poem from which its takes its name, the memoir traces her family, Korean cultural tradition andstories,motherhoodandtheweighty burden of expectation. Her experience of the post natal stress that accelerates within days to fully blown psychosis at her in-laws house is a hell recalled with raw intensity. The accompanying delusions, hallucination and mania are vivid and recalled unsparingly as her time in the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital. A beautifully told memoir told with restraint and care.

- Virginia

The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren | Paul Gorman | $36.99 | Hachette The fascinating and definitive life of the controversial cultural iconoclast and visionary who overturned the worlds of art, design, fashion, film, media, music, politics and television in his ceaseless search for expression as a visual artist. Gorman draws on a vast array of first-hand sources from within his inner circle, including family, friends and those who knew him best, providing first-hand testimony about this complex personality.

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LIFESTYLE

Joy at Work | Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein | $34.99 | Pan Macmillan If you haven’t heard of Kondo, I might have to ask what rock you’ve been living under. And whether it’s rather messy. Similarly, Sonenshein is an organisational psychologist with his name to a multitudeofarticlesinpublications.

Kondo and Sonenshein take you step-by-step through your office environment to help you remodel how you work. From advice on the clutter on your desk to how to organise digitally. I can’t wait to get my hands on this gem of knowledge.

- Ayesha

Wild Interiors | Hilton Carter | $42.99 | Hardie Grant Wow, what a glorious homage to plants in the home! Carter takes a look at how plants can make our homes not only beautiful, but also welcoming and peaceful places to house both us and our green friends.

Plants give such a great dimension to the home and Hilton, using shape, colour, structueandplacement,shows you how including them in your space can increase its beauty and comfort, and improve wellbeing too. After all, plants are wonderful company.

- Sylvia

Glide: Taking the Panic Out of Modern Living | Lisa Forrest | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin An ode to the powers and potential of compassion and mindfulness in our fast-paced modern world. A thought-provoking, insightful and honest read. As someone who isn’t typically drawn to the self-development genre, this book was a real standout for me. Lisa combines the latest in neuroscience, the works and wisdom of other mindfulness practitioners, high-performance coaches and like-minded thinkers with her own experiences to create an engaging and comforting literary balance. More specifically, I found this engagement and comfort in the common human experiences it detailed both biologically, philosophically and personally. This book is a must-read for the mindfulness sceptic (as Lisa herself once was), a great starting place for those interested in the mindfulness practice, or for anyone who could do with a little more self-compassion.

- Carolina

Still: The Slow Home | Natalie Walton | $60.00 | Hardie Grant Still focuses on how we can apply the concepts of the global SLOW movement to creating our home spaces. Walton looks at sustainable resources, choosing what we need rather than want, and basically how to take things down a notch so that your home interior becomes a haven of calm and simplicity. Aside from her own experience, she looks at twenty people from around the world who have applied this philosophy to create beautiful, warm and welcoming spaces too. Perfect for our times.

- Sylvia

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The Flower Expert | Fleur McHarg | $34.99 | Thames and Hudson Whatplaceisthere,youmayask,forflowers during these difficult times? Well this is, I believe, precisely the time to consider the beauty of all life, to enjoy and learn about the artful and considered arrangement of colour and joy, to celebrate the ephemeral so that it may transcend the moment and become part of us, a little permanent amulet we may wear around our hearts.

My amulet is a vase of flowers. And Fleur McHarg is the perfect guide. I mean, you have to be a flower guru if your name is Fleur, right? A beautiful book.

- John

Craftland Japan | Kengo Kuma | $49.99 | Thames and Hudson If you love art, design, craft and the creative intersection of all three into one beautiful and inspiring whole, if you love Japan and its culture, then this is the book for you. It’s a stunning visual representation of the very best of Japanese artisan culture. The authors, having travelled throughout Japan, feature 25 master craftspeople and their stunning work. With gorgeous photographs and a profile on each artist, this book is sure to inspire.

- Sylvia

COOKING

The Vegetarian Silver Spoon | $65.00 | Phaidon Well, the Italian classic Silver Spoon, a kitchen must-have, just keeps on giving. This wonderful plant-based collection features 200 delicious recipes, from starters to mains, salads to sides, pasta, and, of course, desserts. With a focus on modern ingredients, the recipes included are not just traditional Italian classics (so good, of course) but contemporary creations too – Zucchini and Pine Nut Tart, anyone? Perhaps Baked Crepes with Tomato and Eggplant? Yes please!!!

- Sylvia

Vegan Cakes | Sarah Hardy | $35.00 | Hardie Grant With chapter titles including ‘Dreamy Cakes’, ‘Fancy Bakes’, ‘Decadent Desserts’ and ‘Tempting Treats’, Sarah Hardy is talking my language. And happily this scrumptious dialect is also vegan! Sarah has created a gorgeous book full of mouth-watering morsels, from traditional bakes to contemporary takes, which will inspire vegan and nonvegan bakers alike. Pink Vanilla Dream Cake? Rose and Ginger Cheesecake? Sherry Berry Trifle? An emphatic ‘yes please’ I say.

- Sylvia

Chinese Food Made Easy | Ross Dobson | $39.99 | Murdoch Books Ok, I love dumplings, noodles, hotpot … you name it, Chinese food has everything! Dobson shows you just how easy it is to achieve delicious Chinese dishes in your home kitchen with a minimum of fuss and with just a few store-cupboard essentials on hand. Ooh, I think the fried tofu with spiced salt is beckoning … or maybe the spring onion pancakes …

- Sylvia

Japanese Food Made Easy | Aya Nishimura | $39.99 | Murdoch Books Love Japanese food but always thought it was a little tricky to take on? Nishimura offers stepby-step instructions and easy versions of some of Japan’s most iconic dishes. Think gyoza (yum), ramen (double yum), and hand-rolled Temaki Sushi (triple yum). Japanese Food Made Easy will have you heading into the kitchen and yelling ‘Irasshaimase’ to your guests in a flash.

- Sylvia

Eating for Pleasure, People and Planet | Tom Hunt | $45.00 | Hachette This thoughtful, informative and inspiring book from ‘eco’ chef Tom Hunt is a must-have for anyone who loves food. Tom, a supporter of no-waste cooking and food sustainability, focuses on three core principles: eating for pleasure; eating whole foods and eating the best food we can. Here he shows us how, through a little consideration, we can not only enjoy delicious, healthy food but help reduce food waste, help the planet and help the people around us too.

- Sylvia

Falastin | Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley | $49.99 | Penguin Random House Palestinian chef and Ottolenghi collaborator, Sami Tamimi, follows up the award winning success of Jerusalem, with Falastin (pronounced “fa-la-steen”) - a celebration of the flavours and traditions of his heritage.

In Falastin, Tamimi (and co-author Tara Wrigley) share “a love letter to a place and a people” - complete with lush photographs of sunlit markets piled high with fresh produce, stories from chefs, farmers, yoghurt makers and activists, and 120 delicious, colourful recipes.

While the food of Falastin feels distinctly Palestinian - heavy on allspice, cumin, olive oil, dill, grains, zaatar and lemon - the emphasis is on recipes that are doable and useful for the busy home cook. The perfect cookbook to escape into while social distancing this winter!

- Lucy F.

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BETTER READ KIDS

There’s a Lion in the Library | Dave Skinner and Aurelie Guillerey | $24.99 | Hachette | Ages 4+ This lively, colourful retro-styled picture book is a re-imagining of the fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. People tend to believe little Lucy Lupin, with her darling dimples, charming freckles and adorable button nose, but she is such a big liar! No matter how hard they searched, the police officers, firemen and vets with nets could not find that lion and Lucy Lupin laughed all the way home. But when a REAL lion shows up and no-one believes her… well, as we all know, this story does not end well for the less than truthful!

- Kay and Mandy

Monty’s Island Book 1 | Emily Rodda | $14.99 | Allen and Unwin | Ages 7+ Anewseriesforyoungreaders from one of Australia’s best known children’s authors.

Monty and his friends live on a perfect green and gold dot of an island in a sea that ripples with magic, but chaos erupts when they hear Scary Mary is on the way with her terrible pirate crew. Bunchy comes up with a brilliant idea to make the island invisible, but her new magic wand has a mind of its own with startling consequences! Black and white illustrations throughout make this a fun adventure.

- Kay and Mandy

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The Strangeworlds Travel Agency | L. D. Lapinski | $16.99 | Hachette | Ages 10+ An exciting and fast-paced fantasy adventure that races towards its conclusion – don’t worry,it’sthefirstinanewseries sothere’splentymoretocome!

Flick discovers a fantastic secret – she can visit other worlds in the multiverse by jumping into a suitcase at the Strangeworlds Travel Agency. So begins her adventures through weird and wonderful worlds. The believable characters and underlying message about the exploitation of resources add depth to this page turner which is sure to be a hit.

- Kay and Mandy

Burn | Patrick Ness | $24.99 | Hachette | Ages 14+ Ness has won so many awards and is a favourite of so many teen readers. Set in the late 1950s in an alternate America during the Cold War, this is a world where dragons and humans co-exist uneasily,andamongstasmall cult of dragon-worshippers called the Believers there is a prophecy about a coming war between the species.

Brilliant storytelling, a plot that twists and turns, the threat of nuclear war, the Russians, the Space Race, the FBI....... this is not your usual dragon fantasy!

- Kay and Mandy

Every Second | Bruno Gibert | $27.99 | Walker Books | Ages 5+ You’ll be amazed to learn the remarkable number of things that happen every second around the world! 200,000 text messages and 3 million emails are sent, 20,000 plastic bottles are produced but only 1,600 are recycled, 100 lightning bolts strike the earth and 4 babies are born. Topics range from the environment to population, manufacturing and the natural world, in this clear, informative book full of thought-provoking facts accompanied by dramatic graphic-style illustrations.

- Kay and Mandy

Contributions from; Lily Buckton, Ruby Buckton, Alyssa Chen, Elizabeth Christoforidis, Sophie Cooper, Ava Corey, Jaimzie Emberley, Leo Ford, Max Harris, Joseph HathawayWilson, Casper Humphry, Elissa Kim, Andrew Koit, Edie Krone, Kristen Servos, Adem Silindir, Hannah Smedley and Gisele Weishan.

Dear readers, This April we ran our inaugural Better Read Kids Cover Design competition, and asked kids aged between 4-14 to imagine and create the cover of this Mother’s Day reading guide!

We were absolutely overwhelmed with the response; receiving eighty colourful, creative and utterly unique entries. Each artist put their painting, sketching, drawing and digital design skills, cleverly incorporating the

BETTER READ KIDS COMPETITION CATEGORY

Twist of Fate | Better Read Kids | ed. Ayesha Salier | $20.00 | Better Read Publications Our long awaited and first-of-its-kind Better Read Teen Writing Anthology! When we got all the entries to this competition I was blown away by the ingenuity of the stories.

No two were alike, all taking a seperate and equally facinating approach to our theme “Twist of Fate”. Our Better Read Teens and in-store team alike have put such hard work into this anthology and I’m so excited we get to share it with you!

- Ayesha

elements of books, mothers, children, flowers, animals and nature.

It was an almost impossible task to select our finalists and winner, as the passion and talent of each artist shone through in their entries and each design had an individual concept. Instead, we chose one winner and five runners up, then combined their art to create our gorgeous reading guide cover!

Congratulations to Charley Gibson for his winning entry (pictured left), and to our runners up Katherine Lam, Zahra Walker, Wyla Deane, Freya Fermor and Cecilia Hart (pictured below). We love the colour, originality and bookishness of each of these designs, and are astounded by the talent of each young artist!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who took part! We have decided to send a voucher to each and every entrant and hope you’ll all consider entering our Windows Writing Competition too.

Mandy, Kay, Steph and the team at Better Read Kids x Charley Gibson (12)

Cecilia Hart (10)

Zahra Walker (11)

Freya Fermor (13)

Katherine Lam (12)

Wyla Deane (10)

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COVER DESIGN COMPETITION

Elkie Black (8)

Micah Pozniak (7)

Anushree Patni (12)

Sarah Waller (8)

Holly Lyu (10)

Addison Evans (12) Katie Unwin (11)

Violet Schenoni (9)

Olivia Chen (11)

Arielle Bor (10)

Eloise Hoarau (10)

Viana Ghiasi (9)

Tess Phillips-Williams (11)

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Daisy Mountney (9) Clara O’Dell (5)

Annabelle Brown (6)

Esther Walliker (7)

Miles Iveson (10)

COVER DESIGN COMPETITION CATEGORY

Lucy Stockdale (11)

Abigail Neylan (9)

Amelia Tran (9)

Chloe Crowther (11)

Josiah Walliker (9)

Nina Iveson (7) Ria Rane (7)

Kiki Loreaux (7)

Carol Shih (7)

Elena Casanova (7)

Lucy Prichard-Mandl (11)

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COVER DESIGN COMPETITION

Ella Rogers (11)

Yiren Liu (12)

Amy Johnston (12)

Katie Chen (7)

Acacia Deane (5)

Ivy Forsyth (9) Storme Edwards (9) Aryan Patni (7)

Ava Callaghan (5)

Lucy Jehne (10)

Tori Vernon (7)

Ameesha Sethi (12)

Vaishnavi Xiao (10)

James Richardson (10)

Isabella Ma (11)

Melody Shih (9)

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Samara Squire (12)

Lydia O’Dell (8)

Makayla Murphy (7)

Sepia McGovern (10)

Michael Holmes (10)

COVER DESIGN COMPETITION CATEGORY

Mira Hunt (8)

Samantha Lee (8) Sofia Sprange (12)

Lorenzo Fontana Piccio (11)

Maya Holloway (5)

Sophia McPherson (9)

Adam Barnard (12)

Charlotte Avramis (9)

Elizabeth Justelius-Wright (9)

Sophie Jackson (10)

Xavian Turner (7)

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COVER DESIGN COMPETITION

Maddison Manolini (12)

Maddie Sellick (7)

Ava Sellick (9)

Sophie Prochnow (10)

Ellie Rutledge (8)

Ruby Sellick (5)

Isabeau Turner (9)

Frankie Iveson (12)

Pia Hardy (5)

Lydia Fysh (10) Emelia Lam (7) Lewis Jones (7)

Carla Royston (10) Isaac Eslick (10)

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KIDS WRITING COMPETITION CATEGORY

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Online Shopping and Delivery Options FREE SHIPPING To support everyone isolating and practicing social distancing, we are offering FREE shipping on all web and phone orders until the end of May. We’ll hand deliver your books to you by GoGet or our now famous bike delivery service.

Our local delivery area covers: Newtown, Erskineville, Camperdown, Enmore, Stanmore, Petersham, Darlington, Marrickville, and St Peters. ​ If we can’t hand deliver, we’ll pop it in the post for you for free!

ONLINE SHOPPING Our dedicated online store can be found at; www.betterread.com.au.

You can also view our staff picks, #brtdsalestacks, new releases and more on our shop Instagram page @betterreadbookshop.

For more recommendations, subscribe to our weekly eNews here.

Gift vouchers can be purchased on our online store.

To shop online, head to www.betterread.com.au Season Two of our Talking Words podcast is out now, featuring Leah Purcell, Matt Okine, Dan Box, Kate Forsyth, Vivian Pham, Stephanie Wood, J. P. Pomare and Helena Fox.

FREE GIFT WRAPPING always available in store and online.

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts from!

Better Read Than Dead 265 King Street Newtown NSW 2042 E books@betterread.com.au P (+61 2) 9557 8700 W www.betterread.com.au

Better Read Cooks is a venture that explores the delicious and indulgent, practical and purposeful, world of cookbooks. We host monthly high teas, test recipes and launch new cookbooks into the world!

Subscribe to the monthly eNews or follow us on Instagram betterreadcooks

@betterreadbookshop @betterreadthandead The books featured in the Better Read Than Dead Mother’s Day Reading Guide have all been hand-selected and reviewed by our Better Read Than Dead and Better Read Kids booksellers. Prices, publication information, event dates and event details are correct at time of publication.

Cover illustration by Charley Gibson, Katherine Lam, Zahra Walker, Wyla Deane, Freya Fermor and Cecilia Hart.