Summer Reading Guide 2022

SUMMER READING GUIDE 2022 - 2023

265 KING ST NEWTOWN NSW 2042 | 02 9557 8700 | BOOKS@BETTERREAD.COM.AU

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

Song of the Sun God | Shankari Chandran | $34.99 | Ultimo Press This book was once described to me as Pachinko-esque, and now that I’ve seen it, I can’t unsee it. Spanning three generations across the Tamil civil war, Chandran does that thing she does best where she gathers all of your emotions, wrenches them out of you, and then turns them into hope and comfort. Expertly touching on the complexities of relationships between siblings, and the knowledge that all mothers are the same (no matter where you come from), Song of the Sun God had me both manically googling real events and giggling at the antics of Nala, Rajan, and their family.

- Lexie

Willowman | Inga Simpson | $32.99 | Hachette When Todd Harrow, a gifted young batter, catches Allan’s eye, Allan decides to make a bat for him, selecting the best piece of willow to do so. But what will happen after Harrow is cursed by injury and personal upheaval?

Willowman is a love letter to the art and beauty of cricket and a meditation on our national sport.

Seeing Other People | Diana Reid | $32.99 | Ultimo Press After lockdown, there’s change in the air. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend; Charlie’s career as an actress is starting up again.

They’re finally ready to pursue their dreams!

A darkly funny story of two very different sisters, and the summer that stretches their relationship almost to breaking point.

Tiny Uncertain Miracles | Michelle Johnson | $32.99 | Harper Collins Awkward, hapless Marick is still struggling with the loss of his wife, his child and his faith when he is reluctantly thrust into the position of chaplain at a large public hospital. There he meets Hugo, a hospital scientist who is convinced that the bacteria he uses for protein production have - unbelievably - begun to produce gold. A tender, uplifting story of hope!

Gemini Falls | Sean Wilson | $32.99 | Affirm Press Melbourne, 1930, the Great Depression: a young woman is murdered in Gemini and the town detective is assigned the case.

Yet thirteen-year-old Morris suspects there’s more to solving the crime. A compelling historical thriller.

The Sun Walks Down | Fiona McFarlane | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin In September 1883, the South Australian town of Fairly huddles under strange, vivid sunsets. Six-year-old Denny Wallace has gone missing during a dust storm, and the whole town is intent on finding him. As they search the desert and mountains for the lost child, the residents of Fairly explore their own relationships with the complex landscape unsettling history of the Flinders Ranges.

Salonika Burning | Gail Jones | $34.99 | Text Publishing

2

Clarke | Holly Throsbie | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Clarke is a story of family and violence, of unlikely connections and the comedy of life. At its centre stands Leonie, a travel agent who hasn’t travelled, who must steer a child who isn’t her own through a very strange time in their town.

This is a story of a city on fire, of the chaos of war, and most of all of the compassion and humanity that crisis provokes.

Inspired by the experiences of Miles Franklin, Olive King, Grace Pailthorpe and Stanley Spenser in Greece during the First World War, Gail Jones has delivered a darkly beautiful story of social upheaval, suffering and human resilience.

- Darcy

Exiles | Jane Harper | $32.99 | Macmillan Exiles is imbued with Harper’s signature voice, transporting us back into her unique world of tense, tight-knit communities and stagnating secrets. Plus, we see the return of stoic but loveable Aaron Falk, Australia’s favourite reluctant detective. An electrifying thriller!

- Karren

The Hemsworth Effect | James Weir | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster Aimee gets tangled in a web of influencers as she tries to get her own life back on track.

Cashed-up celebs, desperate wannabes, cranky Karens and cringe-worthy hashtags – it’s all here in this hilarious novel about the celebrification of Byron Bay.

A Brief Affair | Alex Miller | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Dr Frances Egan seems to have it all - a loving family and a fine career, until a brief, perfect affair gives her the courage and the inspiration to risk everything and change her life at the age of forty-two. This exquisitely compassionate novel explores the interior life and the navigation of love in all its forms.

Wildflowers | Peggy Frew | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Meg and Nina have been outshone by their younger sister Amber since childhood. But Amber’s life has not gone the way they thought it would as she battles addiction. These sisters will test the limits of love and the line between care and control, in this compelling novel!

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

Iris | Fiona Kelly McGregor | $34.99 | Macmillan Iris is a woman who has prevailed against the toughest gangsters of the day! Rollicking through the underbelly of 1930s Sydney, Iris is a dazzling literary achievement based on actual events and set in an era of cataclysmic change.

Here is a fierce, fascinating tale of a woman who couldn’t be held back.

Moon Sugar | Angela Meyer | $29.99 | Transit Lounge Bereft and overcome with existential grief, Mila begins to see new possibilities for herself through her budding relationship with Josh.

When Josh goes missing during a trip to Europe, Mila she’s determined to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. Genre-defying, raw and poignant.

- Carolina

This Devastating Fever | Sophie Cunningham | $32.99 | Ultimo Press Alice had not expected to be writing about Leonard Woolf, and yet her novel about Virginia Woolf’s husband becomes something else entirely. A dazzling novel about what it’s like to live through a time that feels like the end of days, and how we can find comfort and answers in the past.

The Tilt | Chris Hammer | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Newly-minted homicide detective Nell Buchanan returns to her home town, annoyed at being assigned a decades-old murder. But this is no ordinary cold case, as the discovery of more bodies triggers a chain of escalating events in the present day. A stunning thriller!

3

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

The Marriage Portrait | Maggie O’Farrell | $32.99 | Hachette It’s possible that O’Farrell has written the perfect book. Set in 16th century Italy, Lucrezia is married at 14 to the man who was engaged to her dead sister. A year into her marriage, she’s convinced he’s trying to kill her. This story will worm its way into your brain and is even better than Hamnet!

- Lexie

The Unfolding | A. M. Holmes | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin The Big Guy loves his family, money and democracy.

Undone by the results of the 2008 Presidential election, he taps a group of like-minded men to reclaim their version of America. But The Big Guy also faces turbulence within his family: his wife Charlotte has entered rehab, and his daughter Megan, who has voted for the first time, explores a political future that deviates from her father’s ideology.

Dark, funny and prescient, The Unfolding explores the implosion of the dream and today’s divided world.

My Soul Twin | Nino Haratischvili | $32.99 | Scribe Stella and Ivo set out on an odyssey to uncover the truth about the past. A multigenerational epic about two families, which offers a critique of Soviet and Russian imperial ambitions in Georgia and a reappraisal of Georgian history.

4

Best of Friends | Kamila Shamsie | $29.99 | Bloomsbury A novel about friendship across decades from the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Best of Friends is, at its core, a character study of two strong women, best friends since childhood.

Thought-provoking and evocative.

The scenes in Karachi, Pakistan particularly sing.

- Tahlia

Less is Lost | Andrew Sean Greer | $29.99 | Hachette For Arthur Less, life is going surprisingly well: he is an accomplished novelist in a steady relationship. But nothing lasts: the death of an old lover and a sudden financial crisis has Less running away from his problems yet again. A profound and joyous novel.

Nights of Plague | Orhan Pamuk | $32.99 | Penguin 1901. Night draws in. With the stealth of a spy vessel, the royal ship Azizye approaches the island of Mingheria. Part detective story, part historical epic – a bold novel that imagines a plague taking over a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire.

Lessons | Ian McEwan | $32.99 | Penguin Lessons sublimely fuses fictional biography with a walk through the major historical upheavals through the mid-20th Century and into the new millennium. World War 1, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall on the Berlin Wall all either directly, or indirectly influence life choices and imposed circumstances which have a profound and permanent effects upon the life of Roland Baines, a man of many potentials which struggle to realize themselves. McEwan, as he so often has, makes his mastery of the written artform look effortless.

- James

Liberation Day | George Saunders | $29.99 | Bloomsbury Saunders is back with a masterful collection of short stories that explore ideas of power, ethics, and justice, and cuts to the very heart of what it means to live in community with our fellow humans.

Together, these nine subversive, profound, and essential stories coalesce into a case for viewing the world with the same generosity and cleareyed attention as Saunders does, even in the most absurd of circumstances.

Cat Lady | Dawn O’Porter | $32.99 | Harper Collins Mia is attached to her cat, even attending a support group for people whose pets have died because she just cannot bear the thought of his demise. Her life is in a downward spiral and she is stereotyped for her eccentricity.

I dig preferring the company of animals over people.

- James

Our Missing Hearts | Celeste Ng | $32.99 | Hachette Ng has evoked a dystopian world not too far removed from our reality, where racism prevails and the preservation of “American values” is paramount. Amongst it all, Bird embarks on a quest to find his mother; a revolutionary in hiding. This novel is heartbreaking AND heartwarming!

- Steph

Illuminations | Alan Moore | $32.99 | Bloomsbury A momentous, wildly original collection of short stories, each featuring some kind of illumination or realisation. Moore’s beguiling and exquisitely crafted tales reveal the full power of imagination and magic.

The Passenger and Stella Maris | Cormac McCarthy | $45.00 / $34.99 | Macmillan The Passenger and Stella Maris together relate the thrilling story of a brother and sister in the American South, haunted by loss, pursued by conspiracy, and longing for a death they cannot reconcile with God.

The Last Chairlift | John Irving | $49.99 | Simon & Schuster In the Hotel Jerome in Apsen, Colorado, where he was conceived, Adam will meet some ghosts; and trace the story of his mother, a slalom skier turned ski instructor. A ghost story, a love story, and a lifetime of sexual politics.

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

Now is Not the Time to Panic | Kevin Wilson | $32.99 | Text Publishing A bold coming-of-age story covering the years in which teens and talent artists Frankie and Zeke meet, and their lives twenty years later, and a nuanced exploration of young love, identity and the power of art.

Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black | Cookie Mueller | $22.99 | Allen & Unwin The first collected edition of legendary underground writer, actress, and adventurer Cookie Mueller’s stories. Her stories are fiercely entertaining and reliably honest.

Her Death Was Also Water | Allen C .Jones | $29.99 | NewSouth Books A mixture of high-seas adventure and otherworldliness, Her Death Was Also Water tells the story of seven people trying to survive on a small boat in a world transformed by an apocalyptic flood. Each must face their past and try to survive!

Our Share of Night | Mariana Enriquez | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Gaspar is in danger. He and his father Juan - a powerful medium are hunted by the Order. Spanning the brutal years of Argentina’s military dictatorship and its turbulent aftermath, this is a haunting novel of broken families, cursed land, inheritance, power, and sacrifice.

5

EAST ASIAN FICTION

Dead End Memories | Banana Yoshimoto | $34.99 | Random House The betrayal of a fiance, encounters with ghosts, living about a bar, the recovery from sexual assault...Japan’s master storyteller spins five stories of women on their way to healing, that vividly portray the blissful moments and everyday sorrows of life.

Ghost Music | An Yu | $32.99 | Random House When Song Yan’s mother-in-law moves in with her and her new husband, their carefully calibrated life is overturned. Then mysterious parcels of mushrooms begin to arrive on their doorstep. So begins a surreal, soul-searching journey into music, pain and truth, set in a wintery Beijing of frozen parks and sudden fires.

Saha | Cho Nam-Joo | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster A haunting account of a housing complex in the shadows of Town – a former fishing village bought out by a massive conglomerate.

Nam-Joo has constructed a powerful Orwellian parable that braids together themes of repression, capitalism, power of knowledge.

- Lucy Gods of Want | K-Ming Chang | $29.99 | Random House This is a fierce and feminist collection of short stories With each tale, Chang gives us her own take on a surrealism that mixes myth and migration, corporeality and ghostliness, queerness and the quotidian.

6

She and Her Cat | Makoto Shinkai & Naruki Nagakawa | $32.99 | Random House On the outskirts of Tokyo, local cats weave their way through the lives and homes of their owners as they navigate difficult times. A tale of community and connection.

The Picture Bride | Lee Geum-yi | $32.99 | Scribe Three Korean women in 1910 make a life-changing journey to Hawaii where they will marry on the basis of a photograph. Real life doesn’t always resemble a picture, but these women find something that makes their journey worthwhile each other, as they carve a new life in Hawaii. Perfect for fans of The Island of Sea Women.

Idol | Rin Usami | $27.99 | A&U Delving into oshi culture in Japan, we follow Akari, who has a job purely so she can support and follow her musical idol. Her grades at school are falling, and her family is falling apart. Focusing on stan-culture, parasocial relationships and obsession with celebrities, this is sure to be the book of the moment.

- Lexie

The Boy and the Dog | Seishu Hase | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster After the tragedy of natural disaster, one dog changes the life of everyone who takes him in on his journey to reunite with his first owner in this tribute to the bond between humans and dogs.

Ghost Town | Kevin Chen | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin The only son in a Taiwanese family runs away from his village to Berlin in the hope of finding acceptance as a young gay man. Chen weaves a web of family secrets and superstitions in the search for identity.

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum | Rebecca Ollerton | $35.99 | Hardie Grant A vibrant, colourful and eclectic comics anthology exploring a wide range of autistic lived experiences – from diagnosis journeys to finding community – from contributors with autism.

Alison | Lizzy Stewart | $39.99 | Allen & Unwin Have you ever wanted to read Sally Rooney in graphic novel form? Alison is a tale as old as time - young woman falls for a boring older man. Leaving her husband to follow him to London, we follow Alison in her quest to become an artist, between pages of text and black and white illustrations that are so gentle they make your heart hurt. Read it, cry, and immediately buy it for your bestie.

- Lexie

Safar | Sarah Malik | $32.99 | Hardie Grant Malik has brought together a collection of stories with Muslim women. Safar is the Urdu and Arabic word for ‘journey’, tying in these stories that explore personal growth and self-knowledge in the context of travel. With beautiful illustrations by the talented Amani Haydar, this book shares the experiences and perspectives of Muslim women from diverse backgrounds.

Men I Trust | Tommi Parrish | $39.99 | Scribe Eliza is a struggling single mother and poet. Sasha is yearning for direction in life, just moved back in with her parents and dabbles as a sex worker. The two strike up an unlikely friendship in this deeply resonant exploration of how far people go to find intimacy.

Rooster Fighter Vol 1 | Shu Sakuratani | $18.99 | Simon & Schuster Giant demonic monsters wreak havoc and level Japanese cities!

While the citizens flee in terror, it’s up to one brave rooster to stand his ground! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart.

NOOK BOOKS / GRAPHIC NOVELS

Monster Field | Lucy Dougan | $25.00 | Giramondo Lucy Dougan’s poetry collection draws on and is alive to the mysterious zone that Surrealist artist Paul Nash called the ‘Monster Field’: the place glimpsed from a car at speed which cannot be found again.

- Reem

Alchemy | Kate Forsyth | $49.99 | Black Inc Two brilliant artists get together and plan a dramatic book in words and images about the twistn. From birth onwards, no topic is offlimits. The drama that Kate and Wendy create on the pages of this lush book-in a collage style-will speak particularly to women with an intimacy that carries poignant and loving memories and knowledge, too, of the best things in life.

Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger Vol 1 | Emboss | $24.99 | Random House Meet your new favourite food critics: a chubby wolf named Mita Jirou and a ripped tiger named Yanagi Kagetora. There’s nothing better than a hot meal to bring two guys together in this deliciously illustrated story of food, fur, and friendship.

Acting Class | Nick Drnaso | $39.99 | Allen & Unwin Ten strangers are brought together under the tutelage of John Smith, a mysterious and morally questionable leader. The group of social misfits and restless searchers have one thing in common: they are out of step with their surroundings and desperate for change.

7

OUR BOOKS OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY BOOK OF THE MONTH Love Marriage | Monica Ali | $32.99 | Hachette | Lexie’s Review

Love Marriage is the kind of book that you fall into, and without even realising it you’re 100 pages in. When there are so many amazing experimental books coming out at the moment, it was really refreshing to read and get lost in a classic British novel with really rich language and family dynamics. Yasmin and Joe are both doctors and engaged (the dream couple!), but when their parents get involved in the wedding planning, obviously shenanigans ensue. Touching on themes of arranged marriages versus radical feminists who have been photographed spread legged in their own memoirs, the stigmas of men going to therapy, the boundaries between parents and children, and how to cope with growing up on the cusp between two cultures, no matter your background- this book has something for everyone.

MARCH BOOK OF THE MONTH Son of Sin | Omar Sakr | $29.99 | Affirm Press | Tahlia and Jimmy’s Reviews I love novels written by poets. It’s my favourite niche genre. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this debut novel by Omar Sakr. We follow the protagonist, Jamal, over a number of years as he navigates what it is to grow up Muslim and queer in contemporary Australia. Exquisite, heartbreaking and urgent, it’s not an easy book, but it is extraordinary.

Absolutely captivating.

I’ve been waiting for this to be released for years. Every time Sakr releases a piece of writing I snap it up. Full of heart, precision, and power, Sakr’s writing is amongst the best in Australia’s canon. Enjoy this tender and moving debut novel!

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH The Candy House | Jennifer Egan | $32.99 | Hachette | Lexie’s Review Jennifer Egan is a writer who has somehow managed to deliver again. Designed as a companion book to A Visit from the Goon Squad, we follow previous minor characters and their intersecting lives as they navigate a changing world where memories can be stored externally, you can buy access to others thoughts, and screaming in the super market is a cry for authenticity and rebellion against twitter. It’s not a dystopian book, but instead manages to blend genres, formats, and winds up somewhere between a novel and series of short stories. Darting between characters and tenses, this is the kind of book that makes you purposefully slow down your reading so that you can savour it.

I have been waiting for this book with baited breath, and I am so glad that it delivered.

MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH Time is a Mother | Ocean Vuong | $29.99 | Random House | Leona’s Review Ocean Vuong returns with another ripper of a poetry collection. Characteristically brilliant, luminous and lyrical, Vuong is grappling with the aftershocks of his mother’s death. Time Is A Mother is a powerful follow up to Vuong’s first poetry collection and his fiction title, showing immense poetic growth. Conversing with grief & loss, Vuong interrogates the wish to conserve memory and the necessity to move forward, having to relearn how to write in the wake of tragedy. If Ocean Vuong wrote it, I will read it, no questions asked – and that faith is more than rewarded in this incredible book.

JUNE BOOK OF THE MONTH The Stardust Thief | Chelsea Abdullah | $32.99 | Hachette | Reem’s Review

8

Having grown up with the tales from One Thousand and One Nights myself, I felt instantly connected to this book. In Chelsea Abdullah’s reader note at the beginning she mentions how she wants to pay homage to the stories she grew up with and the Arab culture that she wasn’t able to access in much of the fancy books available, I believe she’s done a brilliant job at that. A new world that’s completely enchanted me, I can’t wait to see where The Sandsea Trilogy will take me.

`

Watersong | Clarissa Goenawan | $29.99 | Scribe | Carolina’s Review Goenawan’s balance of mystery and creative discretion with poignant and timely disclosures in her latest novel, Watersong, left me aching to know more. Shouji, our protagonist, begins work at a mysterious company that offers ‘listening’ services to its prestigious clients. Haunted by dreams of drowning and the words of a fortune-teller who warned him of three women with water in their names, Shouji travels to Tokyo to track his ever-elusive girlfriend, Youko, down. The narrative that follows is equal parts mystical, mesmerising, and mysterious whilst also offering poignant insights into the intersection between one’s past and future, love lost and love found, and the broader human condition.

AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH The Whitewash | Siang Lu | $32.99 | UQP | Steph’s Review Should you read this book? Nah, yeah.1 It’s witty, satirical and engaging, and raises critical points on the whitewashing of the film industry - plus it’s full of footnotes, written as an oral history and reminded me at times of Crazy Rich Asians. The story is told by a vast array of “cast members” working in the film and media industries, and tells the story of an ill-fated blockbuster movie; a movie which was meant to be the first American spy thriller with an Asian male lead. But of course, everything falls apart, with Siang Lu centring the film’s collapse as a means to unpack Hollywood’s bamboo ceiling. A laugh-out-loud commentary and an utterly unique read.

OUR BOOKS OF THE MONTH

JULY BOOK OF THE MONTH

1 [Translated from the Australian]: Yes

SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH Acts of Service | Lillian Fishman | $27.99 | Europa Editions | Leona’s Review Fishman has made a hugely evocative fiction debut. Acts of Service follows queer, twentysomething Eve of Brooklyn through her explorations of desire in different forms.

We meet Eve as she’s feeling impulsive, posting nude photos of herself online. This is how she meets Olivia and Nathan, a puzzling but charismatic couple with whom she begins to have an affair. The book foregrounds questions about sexuality and power, touching on their contradictions. Highly introspective, Fishman leans into the restless, the uneasy, and the uncomfortable. To what extent do our desires determine who we are? To which ideas and which people are we responsible? A piece of provocation indeed.

OCTOBER BOOK OF THE MONTH The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding | Holly Ringland | $32.99 | Harper Collins | Lexie’s Review Esther Wilding has lost her sister. Aura walked into the sea, and never came out again. After Esther is lured back home after her year of grieving, she is sent on a mission of sorts to find out what happened to Aura in Denmark. Retracing her sister’s steps all over the world, you can’t help but grieve for a character we never knew, and I had to stop reading multiple times to prevent myself from crying. Don’t let the promise of sadness stop you from reading this bookHolly Ringland writes nature in the most astounding way I’ve ever seen, and I found myself researching the mythology and Aura’s seven skins along with Esther. This is a book so complex I have no idea how to describe it except for utterly incredible.

NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH They’re Going to Love You | Meg Howrey | $29.99 | Bloomsbury | Steph’s Review And you’re going to love this novel... Set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis as it impacts New York, Carlisle strives to become a professional ballet dancer - with both of her parents heavily involved in the art and in communities ravished by the crisis. Then story transports us forward in time, to when she is a woman, grappling with the past.Howrey herself was a professional dancer, and she drew me into a world I had no idea I was interested in. Not only did I become heavily invested in ballet, but I was constantly moved by the choreography of the timelines, family relationships and art featured in all its forms.

9

CRIME FICTION

In Her Blood | Nikki Crutchley | $32.99 | Harper Collins Two missing girls, two decades apart. Only one person knows the truth... Jac Morgan returns to her town when her sister disappears in this compulsively dark thriller.

Death on Gokumon Island | Seishj Yokomizo | $19.99 | Allen & Unwin As Detective Kindaichi attempts to unravel the secrets of Gokumon Island, a series of gruesome murders begins in this fiendish, classic locked room murder mystery.

A Japanese crime classic!

The Cloisters | Katy Hays | $32.99 | Random House A young art historian is working in the gothic surroundings of New York’s Cloisters Museum - an idyll that’s shattered by a mysterious death and the discovery of an ancient set of tarot cards.

10

Double Lives | Kate McCaffrey | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Amy hosts a crime podcast and seeks to solve a cold case. Threaded through the main narrative, the podcast transcripts represent a story-within-a-story about a cult and a historic murder.

The Resemblance | Lauren Nossett | $34.99 | Macmillan A college fraternity brother is hit by an oncoming car, only the drive looks exactly like him... In the course of investigating this hit-andrun, detective Kaplan will uncover chilling secrets among the university’s elite.

After You Were Gone | Vikki Wakefield | $32.99 | Text Publishing In a busy street, Abbie lets go of Sarah’s hand. When she turns around, her daughter is gone. Six years later, there is still no trace of Sarah, yet one day Abbie is given a chance to know the truth.

The Bullet That Missed | Richard Osman | $32.99 | Penguin

An Afterlife for Rosemary Lamb | Louise Wolhuter | $34.99 | Ultimo Press

Afternoon TV’s smart man is back with his third in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Bullet That Missed, and it’s just as cosy and clever as the other two.

This time, the retirement village detectives look into the death of a reporter, whose car drives off a cliff in the middle of a big investigation into VAT fraud (how very British). - Matilda

I was hooked on this book from the first few pages. Gripping and full of twists and turns, this incredible debut explores the nuances of small-town living after the seemingly coincidental arrival of a new family at the quiet, coastal Magpie Beach town alongside the disappearance of nine-year-old Jessie.

- Daisy

Happy New Year | Malin Stehn | $32.99 | Penguin As old friends toast the New Year, their teenage children host their own party across town. Yet 17-year-old Jennifer never returns home, and it seems these families have a lot to hide.

Suburban Noir | Peter Doyle | $34.99 | NewSouth Books Suburban Noir explores the everyday true crime and catastrophe that went on in the fibro and brick veneers, the backyards, bedrooms, vacant lots and pokie palaces of 1950s and 1960s Aussie suburbia.

The Book Eaters | Sunyi Dean | $32.99 | Harper Collins Would it be too on the nose to say I devoured this book? On the outskirts of Britain live the Book Eaters, an aristocratic society who consume books, absorbing all the information contained within.

A wonderful gothic horror that deftly examines motherhood and patriarchy.

-Darcy

The Art of Prophecy | Wesley Chu | $32.99 | Random House An epic fantasy ode to martial arts and magic - the story of a spoiled hero, an exacting grandmaster, and an immortal god-king. The story begins with a prophecy: a chosen one destined to to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfil a grand destiny. But, the prophecy is wrong. What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, with many unexpected heroes.

Motherthing | Ainslie Hogarth | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.

All it requires is a little ingenuity...

The World We Make | NK Jemisin | $32.99 | Hachette Every great city has a soul. New York?

She’s got six - avatars, that is. But all is not well in the city that never sleeps. In order to defeat the city’s enemies, both human and supernatural, the avatars will have to join up with the other city avatars of the world.

Poster Girl | Veronica Roth | $32.99 | Hachette Sonya, a former poster girl for the oppressive ‘Delegation’ regime, has been imprisoned for ten years when an old enemy presents her with a deal: find a missing girl who was stolen from her parents by the old regime, and she will earn her freedom.

SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY

The Mountain in the Sea | Ray Nayler | $32.99 | Hachette A pioneering marine biologist accepts an opportunity to travel to a remote archipelago to investigate an intelligent and dangerous octopus species.

With eerie and evocative literary atmospheres, this book is a breathlessly entertaining literary thriller.

- Lucy

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida | Shehan Karunatilaka | 32.99 | Allen & Unwin Colombo, 1990.

Maali Almeida, war photographer, gambler and closet queen, has woken up dead His dismembered body is sinking in the Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. Winner of the Booker Prize 2022, Shehan Karunatilaka’s rip-roaring epic is a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war.

A Restless Truth | Freya Marske | $34.99 | Macmillan Set in an alternative Edwardian England where magic is prevalent, but social order is still of utmost importance, this is the followup to A Marvellous Light. This time the focus is on Robin’s sister, a shipboard murder mystery and a delightful lesbian romance. Maud was already a loveable character, but you are sure to become her fan in this book! Her and Violet’s courtship subverts expectations of what it means to be a ‘good woman’! Marske has delivered another clever, sexy and utterly enchanting magical romance (with some raunchy and satisfying sex scenes!) - Mischa

11

AUSTRALIAN BIOGRAPHY

A Year with Wendy Whitely | Ashleigh Wilson | $45.00 | Text Thia glorious book reveals Wendy as she really is—an artist in her own right, a unique personality. This is the unforgettable story of her life.

Banjo Paterson | Alastair Campell | $49.99 | Macmillan Notebooks, illustrations, letters and transcripts, alongside an intimate commentary from his great-grandson, provide a compelling portrait of Paterson.

The Passion of Private White | Don Watson | $45.00 | Simon & Schuster The story of a fifty-year relationship between a Vietnam veteran and an isolated clan in north-east Arnhem Land – a unique window into our deep past and precarious present.

A Kind of Magic | Anna Spargo-Ryan | $36.99 | Ultimo Press Spargo-Ryan writes with tenderness, wit and dexterity about her individual experiences with mental illness and weaves in narrative about the broader Australian experience with mental healthcare. An important document that memorialises a time in our community’s life cycle when, hey, we’re not all OK, and we need some help.

- Matilda

12

Time of My Life | Myf Warhurst | $34.99 | Hachette Myf shares her stories about growing up in a small country town with an unhealthy obsession with Countdown, and her experiences working in Australian radio and tv.

Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner | Grace Tame | $49.99 | Macmillan In 2021 Grace stepped into the public eye as Australian of the Year and as a catalyst for change. This is Grace’s story, in Grace’s words, on Grace’s terms.

Bohemian Negligence | Bertie Blackman | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin An evocative and intimate memoir of the magic and vulnerability of a bohemian childhood growing up as the daughter of iconic artist Charles Blackman.

Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here | Heather Rose | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin After a shocking family tragedy transforms her childhood, Heather becomes ‘a seeker of life and all its mysteries’, capturing here a lifetime of testing boundaries and exploring connections.

My Dream Time | Ash Barty | $49.99 | Harper Collins Following the surprise retirement of Australian tennis great Ash Barty, My Dream Time chronicles her journey to sporting greatness and reflects upon the professional and personal learning that facilitated her growth both on and off the court. An intimate exploration of the joy that can be found when doing what you love and the importance of purpose and perspective.

- Carolina

Those Dashing McDonagh Sisters | Mandy Sayer | $39.99 | NewSouth Books The trailblazing McDonagh sisters were the first women in Australia to form their own film production company. Mandy Sayer reveals the sisters’ remarkable public and private lives!

Letters of Shirley Jackson | Laurence Jackson Hyman | $34.99 | Penguin Written over the course of nearly three decades, from Jackson’s college years to six days before her early death at forty-eight, these letters become the autobiography she never wrote.

None of the Above | Travis Alabanza | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin A beautiful and complex memoir from Alabanza that muses artfully on gender and what it means to be gender non-conforming in the world. This is not a book that seeks to explain a trans experience to a cis audience. None of the Above embraces nuance and resists certainty, and Alabanza so articulately crystallises ideas that I’m sure many will relate to. What a gift.

All Down Darkness Wide | Sean Hewitt | $32.99 | Random House All Down Darkness Wide is an unflinching meditation on the burden of living in a world that too often sets happiness and queer life at odds, and a tender portrayal of being caught in the undertow of a loved one’s suffering. By turns devastating and soaring, it is a mesmerising story of heartache and renewal. A very beautiful, very intelligent book.

- Tahlia

Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes | Rob Wilkins | $35.00 | Penguin At the time of his death, Pratchett was working on his finest story yet - his own.

His friend Wilkins tells the full story of an extraordinary life, completing the tale he originally set out to share.

Verse, Chorus, Monster! | Graham Coxon | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin Blur co-founder Coxon was one of the most respected guitarists of his generation - but it wasn’t always easy.

An intimate and honest reflection on music, fame, addiction and art.

Surrender | Bono | $49.99 | Random House In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, to U2’s unlikely story of success, to his 20+ years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty.

BIOGRAPHY

Cinema Speculation | Quentin Tarantino | $34.99 | Hachette Organized around key American films from the 1970s which Tarantino saw as a young moviegoer, this book is film criticism, theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history.

- Jimmy

README.txt | Chelsea Manning | $35.00 | Random House Manning, a US intelligence analyst, recounts how her pleas for institutional transparency and political accountability took place alongside a fight to defend her rights as a trans woman.

The Light We Carry | Michelle Obama | $55.00 | Penguin Obama opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the everyday questions many of us wrestle with. She offers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power.

Sultan | Wasim Akram | $45.00 | Hardie Grant The story of cricket’s greatest left-arm bowler, and one of its greatest survivors, who was chosen from the streets of Lahore and mentored

by Imran Khan to become champion of the cricket world.

13

AUSTRALIAN STUDIES

Bold Types | Patricia Clarke | $34.99 | NewSouth Books Clarke recounts the chequered journey of women journalists in the fight for gender equality from 1860 to the end of WWII. In each successive story, the tenacious determination of these women stands clear against the background of the prevailing patriarchy.

- Jimmy

Sydney | Louis Nowra | $34.99 | NewSouth Books Nowra explores the energy, beauty, vulgarity, dynamism and pulsating sense of self-importance of his adopted city. This big, bustling portrait is told through profiles of people, high and low, criminals and premiers, ordinary folk, entertainers, artists, thieves and visionaries.

Hanging Ned Kelley | Michael Adams | $35.00 | Affirm Press Hangman Elijah Upjohn was allowed to run amok, because he’d do the dirty work that let officials keep their hands clean. This is an odyssey into the infernal underworld of colonial Victoria; with serial killers, clueless cops, larrikin vigilantes, and renegade reporter.

The Careless State | Mark Considine | $34.99 | MUP A searing evaluation of how our social services are failing the people who need them most. This investigation explores the ways in which our service systems leave the lives of all Australians at profound risk, and suggest alternative ways to configure reforms. A great read for the policy-minded!

- Leona

Mark Beretta’s Greatest Moments in Australian Sport | Mark Beretta | $39.99 | Affirm Press Mark counts down the greatest moments in our sporting history; those events which got his heart racing, hairs tingling and tears flowing!

Dreamers and Schemers | Frank Bongiorno | $39.99 | Black Inc From local pubs and halls to parliament and cabinet, from political insiders to those on the margins, Bongiorno presents our social and cultural history.

Sons of War | Paul Byrnes | $45.00 | Affirm Press In WWII, thousands of Australian boys lied about their age and volunteered. Like their fathers in the Great War, they went with eyes wide shut: under-trained, under-equipped and under-age. Many did not grow old; others came back broken. A handful are still alive to tell their tales.

Not Now, Not Ever | Julia Gillard | $35.00 | Random House

14

Ten years on from her misogny speech; the speech that has been turned into everything from a pair of combat boots to a dubstep song, Gillard herself dissects what misogyny is and how it has affected our society. With fascinating contributions from Jess Hill, Mary Beard and Katharine Murphy, as well as recollections about the speech’s impact on Australian society from influential voices like Cate Blanchett and Brittany Higgins, this is a barnburning piece of Australian feminist history in the making.

- Matilda

Remote as Ever | David Scrimgeour | $39.99 | MUP Scrimgeour was a doctor in the Western Desert in the late 1970s. He writes of the strength of the Aboriginal struggle for autonomy and explores the future of these isolated communities which remain in the balance.

HISTORY

Papyrus | Irene Vallejo | $34.99 | Hachette Long before books were mass produced, those made of reeds from along the Nile were worth fighting for. In this sweeping history of books, the wonder of the ancient world comes alive and we discover the singular power of the written word.

The World | Simon Sebag Montefiore | $69.99 | Hachette Montefiore steers us through an interconnected world linking grand themes of war, migration, plague, religion, medicine and technology in this fresh history of humanity.

Femina | Janina Ramirez | $35.00 | Random House There is something so perfect about a history book that blends ‘rigorous academic study’ with what feels like ‘story time’. Ramirez uses archeological sources to to discuss wider society, and focuses on burial grounds and jewellery making techniques. I can honestly say I’ve never cared more about coins in my life. This book is accessible and interesting to everyone. It really is the perfect mix.

- Lexie

Tutankhamun | Joyce Tydesley | $34.99 | Hachette 100 years after the discovery of Tutankhamum’s tomb, Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley unpicks the misunderstandings around the boy king’s life, death and legacy.

The Mongol Storm | Nicholas Morton | $34.99 | Hachette The Mongols have long been viewed as violent barbarians. But their empire was highly sophisticated, bringing Europe and Asia together through trade, completely reshaping global geopolitics.

In Search of Perfumes | Dominique Roques | $39.99 | Welbeck A fragrant journey across the world, revealing the beauty and mysteries of the perfume trade, from Andalusia to Somaliland by way of Bulgaria, Laos, El Salvador, Indonesia and Egypt.

Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries | Kate Mosse | $34.99 | Macmillan An alternative feminist history of the world and a deeply personal memoir; Mosse tells the stories of female inventors and scientists, philanthropists and conservationists, authors and campaigners.

Colditz | Ben Macintyre | $35.00 | Penguin A tale of the indomitable human spirit, but also one of class conflict, sexuality, espionage, insanity and farce, in the most infamous Nazi prison. Deeply researched and full of incredible human stories.

The Book of Roads and Kingdoms | Richard Fidler | $39.99 | Harper Collins The story of medieval wanderers who travelled to the edges of the known world during Islam’s fabled Golden Age, based on the life of Ibn Fadlan.

China After Mao | Frank Dikotter | $34.99 | Bloomsbury Dikotter turns his lens on China’s rise from the catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution to its presence as a superpower. Via access to documents from the CCP archives, Dikotter examines the inner workings and internal intrigues of the party and its mega ambitions in the spheres of power and influence.

- James

15

INDIGENOUS OUR BOOKS OF THELITERACY MONTH FOUNDATION BOOKS OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY BOOK OF THE MONTH The Dreaming Path | Paul Callaghan with Uncle Paul Gordon | $32.99 | Bloomsbury | Dean’s Review Thisis an insightful look into living a contented life guided by indigenous thinking and an understanding of “the old ways”. Callaghan reveals the power of Aboriginal spirituality to reconnect and live a good story. Each chapter opens with a Dreaming story then shares Callaghan’s perspective and Elder Uncle Gordons knowledge on topics from love, truth to leadership. The Dreaming Path shares the importance of the connection to Place with simple exercises that guide the reader to better connect with what is important in their own story. A magnificent book for all of the family to consider and absorb as they travel along their Dreaming Path.

MARCH BOOK OF THE MONTH The First Astronomers | Duane Hamacher | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin | Steph’s Review Uncle Ghillar Michael Anderson, John Barsa, David Bosun, Father Ron Day, Segar Passi and Alo Tapim - these are the six First Nations elders who, together with author Duane Hamacher, contributed their knowledge to this ground-breaking work. When we talk about Country, we often picture the land and waterways. What The First Astronomers does is remind us of the vital role the stars, sky, seasons and weather play in First Nations epistemology, ontology and methodology (ways of knowing, being and doing). Not only is this book informative and captivating, it also provides significant guidance on solving contemporary issues by “looking to the heavens”.

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH Am I Black Enough for You? 10 Years On | Anita Heiss | $34.99 | Random House | Steph’s Review Wiradyuri woman Anita Heiss is one of my all-time favourite authors (and people to follow on Instagram)! Am I Black Enough For You? was originally released in 2012, which was incidentally my first year working at Better Read AND it was one of the first books I purchased with my staff discount. I am so thrilled to see it being reprinted, on its ten year anniversary! Heiss’ memoir is insightful, candid and funny, being both a personal narrative of growing up in Sydney and also a broader exploration of Aboriginal identity in contemporary Australia. Her activist mentality is evident, as she works to address stereotypes prevalent in our society and suggests a reconciled way forward.

MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth | Melissa Greenwood | $24.99 | Harper Collins | Steph’s Review Gumbaynggirr custodian and artist Greenwood is one of my favourite creators, and her brand new picture book for young readers is just stunning! Warm pinks, oranges, yellows and blues combine to create landscapes which perfectly capture Mother Earth. This is a story of humanity, animals, plants, mountains (juluum), rivers (bindarray) and the seas (gaagal), told for a young audience. It reads as a letter from mother to child, and makes clear our place in Country.

JUNE BOOK OF THE MONTH

16

Wylah | Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard | $15.99 | Allen & Unwin | Lexie’s Review Wylah is part of a loving tribe with her grandmother, parents, and a menagerie of pet koalas, possum, and a variety of megafauna. She teaches the youngest tribe members art, and how to mix ochre, while attempting to rescue them from falling down caves and throwing paint on each other. But things escalate when a dragon army come and steal her tribe away, and Wylah is one of the only ones left. It falls to her to step up once again into her grandmothers’ shoes and become a warrior, setting off onto a journey to unite other tribes and try and rescue her family.

`

Sixty-Seven Days | Yvonne Weldon | $32.99 | Penguin | Stella’s Review Set in Redfern, the novel charts the budding romance between Evie, a young Wiradjuri woman attending university, and James, who fall in love over the span of, you guessed it, 67 days. While this is a largely light and love filled story, there are undercurrents of misogynistic violence and darkness from Evie’s past that threaten to unmoor her newfound love. At its core, Sixty-Seven Days is about the enduring and liberating nature of love, in both the romantic and familial sense. The love from her large Wiradjuri family and their connection and commitment to each other, the community and their Country emanates throughout this novel. A formidable debut from Yvonne Weldon!

AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH Mulganai | Emma Hollingsworth | $24.99 | Thames & Hudson | Issy’s Review This colouring book is the perfect way to relax and unwind, filled with pages of gorgeous artwork to colour in. Each page reflects Hollingsworth’s (Mulganai) heritage and experience as a First Nations woman, both in the art and the text. The artwork to be coloured in uses the symbols that are important to Hollingsworth - both traditional and contemporary as well as personally and culturally. Each colouring page, or set of pages, comes with an insightful explanation of what is being depicted and its significance. This book is not just for colouring in, but also for exploring the stories and imagery central to Hollingsworth and her community.

SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH The Wonder of Little Things | Vince Copley | $34.99 | Harper Collins | Steph’s Review Vince and his friend Lea sat down over many cups of tea to bring us the story of his life; from childhood on a mission and in a boy’s home, to befriending Charles Perkins and fighting for First Nations people, and playing elite football and cricket. Through all of the darkness and lightness of life, Vince’s determination, leadership, courage and humour shine through. A truly extraordinary testament to the life of this esteemed Ngadjuri Elder and activist and a reminder that an ordinary person doing “wonderful little things” can bring about great change!

OCTOBER BOOK OF THE MONTH First Nations Food Companion | Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan | $49.99 | Murdoch Books | Steph’s Review I have never more eagerly awaited the release of a cookbook, and this one is absolutely perfect! First Nations Food Companion is beautifully designed, features stunning photography of food, ingredients, people and places, and is the sort of cookbook you can sit down and read from cover to cover. As a totally novice cook, I found the recipes easyto-follow and was very grateful for the helpful ingredient substitutions list. Whether you’re whipping up a casual meal, are fully committed to sourcing local, Indigenous Australian ingredients, or are interested in growing your own, this thematic cookbook (with sections entitled ‘Spice’, ‘Herbal’, ‘Nutty’, ‘Fruity’ etc.) should be in every Aussie kitchen.

OUR INDIGENOUS LITERACY FOUNDATION BOOKS OF THE MONTH

JULY BOOK OF THE MONTH

NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH Tell Me Again | Amy Thunig | $32.99 | UQP | Reem’s Review UQP’s latest and greatest is a beautiful memoir about growing up with parents who struggle with addiction and incarceration. In Tell Me Again, Amy Thunig narrates her journey through childhood and adolescence, focusing in particular on the murky story surrounding the day she was born and how this created a ripple effect of repercussions that significantly impacted Thunig’s early life and upbringing.

Told with empathy, emotion, and heart, Thunig delivers an unforgettable sermon on the importance of family, love, and community.

17

ESSAY

Making a Scene | Constance Wu | $35.00 | Simon & Schuster Fiery and honest, Wu’s memoirin-essays provides an intriguing insight into the real-world roles she’s played throughout her life.

A tantalisingly authentic and raw account of the way family, race, fame, love, sex, mistakes, emotion and obligation have shaped her lived experience.

- Daisy

Freedom, Only Freedom | Behrouz Boochani | $32.99 | Bloomsbury A moving firsthand account of our offshore detention centre. This is a collection of the articles, essays and poems Boochani wrote while imprisoned, providing a harrowing picture of the political structures that degrade detained migrants around the world.

- Darcy

Minds Went Walking | Jock Serong & Others | $32.99 | Fremantle Press For many of us, lyrics from Paul Kelly help tell the stories of our lives. From Jock Serong on the fastest Ford in Western Australia, to Lorin Clarke on the death of her revered dadcomedian John Clarke, and from Gina Williams on the ‘special treatment’ of the Noongar people, twenty-one writers enter the Paul Kelly songbook and let their minds go walking.

A Guest at the Feast | Colm Tóibín | $34.99 | Macmillan

Everyone’s Invited | Sara Soma | $35.00 | Simon & Schuster We are all a part of a culture that is broken – and nobody benefits from it. Through subjects from porn to the patriarchy, Soma argues that we can flip the script and start solving the problem – and create a better society for everyone.

18

Dickens and Prince | Nick Hornby | $24.99 | Fremantle Press Charles Dickens and Prince. Two wildly different artists who set the world on fire in ways no others could. Where did their magic come from?

How did they use it, and did it kill them?

With wit, curiosity and deep admiration Nick Hornby traces their extraordinary lives.

Be Not Afraid of Love | Mimi Zhu | $27.99 | Hardie Grant Queer ChineseAustralian writer and artist Mimi Zhu was a survivor of intimatepartner abuse. This left them broken, in search of ways to heal and find love again. Mimi’s words are a testament to human strength and adaptability, and a tribute to love in all its forms.

Wandering With Intent | Kim Mahood | $35.00 | Scribe This is a beautiful book of essays. Kim Mahood is a complex writer who has the rare talent of articulating tensions that arise in spaces between First Nations and settler Australia, even as she lives within them. Mahood is passionate as she takes us through compelling landscapes – from the Tanami Desert to the East Kimberley; from mapping to storytelling. A gripping argument for Indigenous self-determination and an ode to personal freedom. A precious read indeed.

- Leona

The imprint of the written word on the private self, as Toibin himself remarks, is extraordinarily powerful. From the melancholy and amusement within the work of the writer John McGahern to an extraordinary essay on his own cancer diagnosis, Toibin uncovers the places where politics and poetics meet, where life and fiction overlap, where one can be inside writing and also outside of it.

All Made Up | Rae Nudson | $29.99 | Random House Through the stories of famous women like Cleopatra, Madam C. J. Walker and Elizabeth Taylor, Nudson unpacks makeup’s cultural impact-including how it can be used to shape a personal or cultural narrative and how often beauty standards align with whiteness, to name a few examples.

- Jimmy

Eliot’s Book of Bookish Lists | Henry Eliot | $29.99 | Penguin This gem made me nostalgic for childhood days spent pouring over trivia and joke books, feeling like a genius for knowing so much.

Eliot has compiled the ultimate literary recommendations and trivia book. You’ll appreciate literary history, characters, titles, etymology and so much more.

And the cover is cute!

- Daisy

Life Fantastic | Noa Menhaim | $32.99 | Penguin These mind-blowing essays dig down into the roots of our stories and myths, travelling from art to politics to history to folklore, and from high to popular culture and back again. Western culture as you’ve never seen it before!

This is What it Sounds Like | Susan Rodgers | $35.00 | Random House Each person has a unique identity as a listener, Rodgers explains, determined by seven dimensions of musical listening.

A legendary record-producerturned-neuroscientist explains why you fall in love with music.

Faster Than a Cannonball | Dylan Jones | $34.99 | Hachette The 90s was a period of cultural upheaval in art, literature, publishing and drugs. Jones takes aim at the decade through loungecore to the rise of New Labour, interviewing all the major protagonists.

CULTURAL STUDIES

Disconnect | Jordan Guiao | $29.99 | Monash Many of us know an antivaxxer, a selfie-narcissist, or a child glued to a screen. In this compelling account, Guiao reveals what happens when we fall down the rabbit hole of online addiction and radicalisation.

Polysecure | Jessica Fern | $32.99 | Scribe Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, Fern has written a trailblazing theoretical treatise and a practical guide, providing a new set of tools to navigate the complexities of multiple loving relationships.

I, Millennial | Tom Ballard | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster Boomers got free education, jobs for life and a credit-fed retirement; Millennials have been handed a housing crisis, a cooked planet, and a global pandemic. Through the power of jokes, history, interviews and sass, Ballard tells us why the need for a change is no joke.

Black Hollywood | Carell Augustus | $59.99 | NewSouth Books Photographer Carell Augustus recreates iconic scenes from classic Hollywood movies, television, and other media using Black celebrities. An inspirational artistic homage to our greatest blockbuster movies and the actors who brought them to life.

19

NON-FICTION Novelist as a Vocation | Haruki Murakami | $35.00 | Random House The famously reclusive writer Murakami shares what he thinks about being a novelist, the novel in our society and the sparks of creativity that inspired him.

The Song of the Cell | Siddhartha Mukherjee | $35.00 | Random House This book is the story of the cell - past, present and future, told through the thrilling experiences of scientists, doctors, and the patients.

How to Rule Your Own Country | Harry Hobbs & George Williams | $34.99 | NewSouth Books Hobbs and Williams take us into some of the most prominent and fascinating micronations around the world, including the Principality of Hutt River in Australia.

Hysterical | Pragya Agarwal | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin In what ways does gender affect our experience of emotions? How does it affect how we interpret emotion in others? What might a future of ungendered emotions look like? A visionary and powerful read, Pragya Agarwal takes us through the history, science and politics of emotion, pulling apart the biases that unjustly impact us all.

- Tahlia

20

The Trials of Life | David Attenbourough | $34.99 | Harper Collins The final edition of David Attenborough’s classic Life trilogy. In Trials of Life, he completes his story of life on Earth by revealing how animals behave – and why.

Mystery | Johah Lehrer | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster Lehrer interviews individuals in unusual fields who use mystery to challenge themselves and motivate others to reach new heights.

Bad Data | Georgina Sturge | $32.99 | Hachette Statistician Georgina Sturge shows how governments are led astray by bad data, why it is so hard to count and measure things, and how we could better handle the big issues.

How Many More Women | Jennifer Robinson | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin In this powerful and accessible exploration of our legal systems, two human rights lawyers explore the changes needed to ensure that women’s freedom is no longer threatened by the laws meant to protect them.

The Climate Book | Greta Thunberg | $55.00 | Penguin A staunch activist for climate action, Thunberg’s latest work, in collaboration with over one hundred climate experts (geophysicists, oceanographers, meteorologists, engineers, economists, philosophers), is an essential call to action for all of us.

Full of hope for a better world and brighter future, The Climate Book shows us that together, we can usher in the change we wish to see. - Carolina

Rewilding the Sea | Charles Clover | $35.00 | Random House What happens when we step aside and let nature repair itself? A leading figure in marine conservation propels us to rethink our relationship with nature and reveals that saving our oceans is easier than we think.

All the Lovers in the Night | Mieko Kawakami | $32.99 | Macmillan I have no idea how to describe this book- it seems to be about everything and nothing all at once. Fuyuko is passive and reserved, working as a proof reader. She only has one friend; a colleague. While it seems to be all encompassing and vagueloneliness, love, friendship etc, this book is so utterly poetic and completely perfect I could read Kawakami’s descriptions of soil soup all day. While I’ve always enjoyed her work, this book is on another level entirely and entire paragraphs are burned into my brain. It is searing and touching, and made me cry on the first page. It’s everything you could ever want in a book.

LUCY’S PICK Babel | R. F. Kuang | $32.99 | Harper Collins This book offers a brilliant take on the ‘dark academia’ trend that is sweeping through the ranks of contemporary fiction. R. F. Kuang critiques academic privilege, class, and colonialism against the epic backdrop of Oxford University. In particular, she examines student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the way in which translation can be used as a tool for empire. In Babel, Kuang steps up the sophistication of her ideas and the mastery of her prose, proving that she has only grown better and more brilliant since her imitable debut Poppy War trilogy. Babel, or The Necessity of Violence is ideal for fans of The Secret History, If We Were Villains, and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

OUR FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2022

LEXIE’S PICK

This All Come Back Now | Edited by Mykaela Saunders | $32.99 | UQP Saunders has curated an absolute stunner of a book; it’s everything you’d hope for from the first-ever anthology of speculative fiction by First Nations authors: lyrical, articulate, transformative, and deeply creative. Saunders describes the creation of this book as analogous to curating a mixtape; the piecing together of different songs to create an experience entirely unique and moving, ultimately creating something that changes the way you think and feel. This love letter to memory and futurethinking is a dazzling contribution. Truly a short story collection unlike any other!

LEONA’S PICK I’m Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy | $39.99 | Simon & Schuster If the title of this book makes you do a double take, just wait until you’ve actually read it. Whether you grew up watching Jennette as Sam on Nickelodeon, watched the recent iCarly reboot and wondered where she was, or have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, you should read this book. With unflinching honesty, deeply dark humour, and a whole lot of heart, McCurdy has given us a true gift in sharing her story, on her terms. A fair warning - McCurdy doesn’t hold back and tackles some potentially triggering topics and themes with grit and grace. I love this book and everything it represents. You’ll feel sad, shocked, seen and set free. Therein lies the power of unapologetically reclaiming your voice, agency, self and life. I had no hesitations in choosing this as my book of the year, and will be emulating the vibes of the cover photo whenever asked for recommendations for the foreseeable future.

DAISY’S PICK The Leviathan | Rosie Andrews | $29.99 | Bloomsbury This book had me entangled within its serpentine spell from the moment I started reading! Rosie Andrews weaves a beguiling piece of historical fiction; a gothic mystery that verges on horror in the vein of The Essex Serpent. Set in 17th century Norfolk, The Leviathan spans civil war, witch trials and mythology. This is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel of ideas, with prose that evokes the culture of the time with ease, including a convincing characterisation of John Milton. The Leviathan is a tightly woven, atmospherically dark and gripping debut. To say more would be to give away the story’s unexpected twists - just read it!

MISCHA’S PICK

21

OUR FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2022

MATILDA’S PICK big beautiful female theory | Eloise Grills | $35.00 | Affirm Press What a unique and utterly special object this book is. It’s truly something valuable and important to own and cherish, full of wisdom, thoughtfulness, fury and a lot of wry humour. I have long been a fan of Grills’ art (I have many of her pieces hanging on my wall at home), but I feel it works best in the context of her funny, fierce writing about feminism, the body and the state of the world. There’s just nothing like this in the world, I reckon, and it’s truly worth owning a copy of this one – a one-of-a-kind reading experience and my favourite one of this year.

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang | Marcel Theroux | $32.99 | Hachette In 1990’s Pyongyang, 10 year old Cho Jun-su comes into possession of a copy of the Dungeon Masters Guide for the role playing game “Dungeons & Dragons”; left behind by a foreign guest at the hotel where his father worked. Cho painstakingly translates the mysterious book into Korean, its magical world a distraction from the totalitarian society which orders every aspect of his life. Secret connections made through the book lead him both to the deprivations of a North Korean prison, and a chance patronage by a figure near the top of the North Korean elite. A marvellous testimony of an individual’s resilience within an absurdly abominable system.

JAMES’ PICK TAHLIA’S PICK The Swimmers | Julie Otsuka | $29.99 | Penguin A funny and deeply moving exploration of memory, loss, and the routines we rely on to make sense of an overwhelming world. The beginning of The Swimmers reads like a lyrical, absurdist ode to the swimming pool. As a swimmer myself, it was hilariously spot on. The particular pool of Otsuka’s novel is subterranean, a thriving microcosm away from the ‘aboveground’ world, home to a group devoted swimmers. Without warning, a crack appears in their orderly lives, and they must come to terms with an uncertain future as their beloved pool faces closure. The novel shifts its gaze to focus on one swimmer in particular, Alice, a Japanese-American woman in the early stages of dementia. As the novel pivots, Otsuka’s writing is in turns poetic, satirical, and heartbreakingly sincere.

REEM’S PICK Another Australia | Edited by Winnie Dunn | $29.99 | Affirm Press One of the first books I bought when working at Better Read was After Australia, so when I saw the follow up, Another Australia was coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Edited by the talented General Manager of Sweatshop, Winnie Dunn, who has curated a collection of stories from some of Australia’s incredible voices.

From Nardi Simspon, a Yuwaalaraay woman, to a diverse range of writers such as Sara Saleh, Shirley Le, Omar Musa, Shankari Chandram, Amani Haydar and more, all sharing their own version of Australia, this collection will have something for everyone.

Astronomy | Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli | $24.99 | Thames & Hudson Necessary and enlightening, the First Knowledges series provides an introduction to Indigenous knowledge and its application in historic and contemporary contexts. Astronomy: Sky Country delves into Indigenous perceptions on the interconnectedness between the sky and the land, and between environmental and cultural practices and the movement of the stars. Crucially, it also explores what must be done to preserve the knowledge that can be found in our skies for generations to come. Also out this summer is Plants: Past, Present and Future by Zena Cumpston, Michael-Shawn Fletcher & Lesley Head, which explores the reciprocal relationship of First Nations peoples with plants and Indigenous ecological expertise.

22

CAROLINA’S PICK

`

Limberlost | Robbie Arnott | $32.99 | Text Publishing I love everything Arnott puts out, he writes about grief, kindness and the natural world with unparalleled care and skill, and this book is no exception. Limberlost is grounded more in the ‘real world’ than his previous novels, charting the comingof-age of a boy in mid-20th century Tasmania. Ned lives on a farm in a river valley with his sister and reserved father, spending his days hunting for rabbits, fishing with friends, and tending to the family apple orchard while he waits for his brothers to return home from the war. We follow Ned from his youth to his old age, through his love and his grief, learning about the people, animals, and plants that make up his life. This is spacious, raw, quiet, and gorgeously written.

JIMMY’S PICK Hovering | Rhett Davis | $32.99 | Hachette This novel had a magnetic pull whenever I walked past it on the shelf. I would sneak reading sessions during my lunch break until I finally gave in and bought it.

This is an experimental debut novel and it blew me away. Set in a speculative nearfuture Geelong, the material world has lost its bearings and our cast of characters have to find their way through the escalating chaos. Meanwhile, an art activist is on the run from the international police and reaches out to her estranged sister. This is a beautiful, tender, mind-bending story.

OUR FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2022

DARCY’S PICK

Elektra | Jennifer Saint | $32.99 | Hachette Choosing my book of the year was a tricky task this time around - I’ve read so many great books but went with Elektra for two main reasons. It was an utterly compelling story, detailing the lives of three women from Greek mythology; Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra, and their time during the Trojan War (and yes, the fake horse thing happened and it was very exciting - I don’t think this counts as a spoiler as this story is thousands of years old?). But ultimately, I chose this book because it absolutely sparked my love of Greek mythological feminist retellings! Any book that can compel me to spend hours Googling history, mythology and new books to add to my reading list is a winner - and I really loved Elektra for all that it taught me and inspired in me!

STEPH’S PICK Girls Can Kiss Now | Jill Gutowitz | $24.99 | Simon & Schuster Girls Can Kiss Now is funny, it’s heartfelt, and it’s mostly just a really good time. Jill Gutowitz, the self described ‘Lesbian Twitter overlord’ takes you on a romp through the best moments in lesbian history from the 2000s onwards. She explores what it is to be a lesbian, what it’s like to figure out your identity, and what its like to grow up with the internet. This is delightful and joyous and very needed.

ISSY’S PICK Nistisima | Georgina Hayden | $52.99 | Bloomsbury When asked about my favourite cookbook of 2022, I immediately thought of Nistisima by Georgina Hayden. Not only does this lovely book include fascinating reading about cultural notions of veganism in the Mediterranean, but every recipe I have tried has been a mouth-watering success. Consider the Mushroom and caramelised onion pilaf (divine), Maghmour (eggplant and chickpea stew – scrumptious), Tahinobiskoto (tahini almond cookies – hello!) and the extremely more-ish Spiced snacking nuts and seeds (don’t mind if I do). This has everything I love in a cookbook: wonderful stories, delicious recipes and a warmth that glows through every page. Thanks Georgina!

SYLVIA’S PICK

23

COOKING Moro Easy | Sam & Sam Clark | $55.00 | Random House Moro is the highly acclaimed home of bold, flavour-centred Moorish cooking using few ingredients, perfectly combined.

Trailblazing chefs Sam and Sam Clark bring the evocative flavours of Southern Spain and North Africa to everyday cooking.

Tenderheart | Hetty Lui McKinnon | $59.99 | Macmillan There is not a Hetty Lui McKinnon book I have not loved. She knows how to cook vegetables like it’s nobody’s business. I find her recipes to be accessible, exciting, and most importantly, delicious.

Come for the vegetables, stay for the heart.

- Tahlia

24

Noma 2.0: Vegetable, Forest, Ocean | Rene Redzepi | $130.00 | Hardie Grant Noma 2.0 is about true seasonality.

It is about using only local ingredients, to build a cuisine profoundly situated in its place and culture. A cookbook for foodies, for chefs, for artists and art lovers, for thought-leaders and makers.

Salamati | Hameh Allayhari | $45.00 | Murdoch Books Cook for that joyful moment when you can say salamati (Persian for ‘health’ and ‘cheers’)! With every swipe of warm pita through herbed dadami dip and every sip of sour cherry tea, Hamed shines a light on his past in Tehran and builds an optimistic Australian future.

The Food Savers A-Z | Alex ElliotHowery & Jaimee Edwards | $49.99 | Murdoch Books What have you got that needs using up? This timeless resource from Cornersmith is packed with ideas and advice for reducing food waste and making great meals with what you already haveorganised by ingredient!

Is This a Cookbook? | Heston Blumenthal | $49.99 | Bloomsbury This book feels a bit like looking inside Blumenthal’s brain! It’s filled with exciting recipes, helpful tips and hacks, and wild stories. The recipes in this book range from the everyday, approachable to the out-there and adventurous with the tomato and coffee muffins and the cricket ketchup.

- Issy

RecipeTin Eats: Dinner | Nagi Maehashi | $44.99 | Macmillan Nagi brings us the ultimate curation of RecipeTin Eats recipes from her popular online food site.

Featuring her famously helpful notes and QR code content, this is a kitchen-shelf must have for the novice cook, the expert, and everyone in between.

Korean Cuisine | Luna Kyung | $24.95 | Peribo What is the “five colour philosophy” of Korean cooking?

How do you make Bibimbap? Are there North Korean specialties?

Do Koreans traditionally eat dessert? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this charmingly illustrated book.

Milk, Spice and Curry Leaves | Ruwanmali SamarakoonAmunugama | $39.99 | Black Inc. With lush food photography and styling, hand-drawn illustrations, heirloom photos and ephemera, Milk, Spice and Curry Leaves is an invitation to a way of cooking and a family of traditions from Ruwanmali’s Sri Lanka.

Small Fires | Rebecca May Johnson | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin In this electrifying, innovative memoir, Johnson rewrites the kitchen as a vital source of knowledge and revelation. She explores the radical openness of the recipe text, the liberating constraint of apron strings and the transformative intimacies of shared meals.

- Reem

The Joy of Better Cooking | Alice Zaslavsky | $49.99 | Murdoch Books This book is an absolute game changer. With vegetarian substitutions for nearly every meal, bright colours and fun little focus sections on specific ingredients, this is the only cookbook that has ever made me look forward to making dinner. I’m obsessed. - Lexie

Lune | Kate Reid | $55.00 | Hardie Grant Lune has been touted as making ‘the best croissant in the world’!

With step-by-step techniques for rolling croissants, and recipes for every hour of the day, plus what to do with leftovers, this is the ultimate guide to baking the world’s best-loved pastry.

What’s for Dessert | Claire Saffitz | $55.00 | Murdoch Books What’s for Dessert includes lots of make-ahead, no bake, and simple stove top desserts, while still combining Claire’s trademark of dependable recipes, with wow-factor ingredient combinations to create showstopping and viral-worthy recipes.

Ultimate Food & Drink: Australia | Ben Groundwater | $45.00 | Hardie Grant Travel writer Ben Groundwater offers up a ‘perfect’ day itinerary for 30 gourmet food regions giving you the best “taste” of each location! Keep this guide in your glovebox next time you visit a food and wine region.

Cocktail Edit | Alice Lascelles | $32.99 | Hardie Grant Lascelles builds a ‘capsule collection’ of 12 classic cocktails, with twists, tips and inspiration for creating more. An ultimate guide brimming with trade secrets on everything from choosing the best-value spirits to making cocktails for a party!

COOKING

First, Cream the Butter and Sugar | Emelia Jackson | $59.99 | Murdoch Books Who better to learn how to bake from than the chouxqueen herself. Master Chef 2020 winner Emelia Jackson’s Essential Baking Companion is the best way to get into the festive season. You don’t have to be a specialist baker to know how to use this book.

SELF DEVELOPMENT

The Book of Phobias and Manias | Kate Summerscale | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin A kooky compendium of 99 obsessions, from the rare to the familiar. These fascinating human desires and aversions range from ablutophobia (a horror of washing) to syllogomania (hoarding), and are explained through an empathetic and well-researched lens. - Carolina

Alderton has given the most soothing, non-judgmental, and practical advice you could possibly need. From friend breakups to actual breakups, this is the obvious evolution from Everything I Know About Love.

Best consumed with wine and tim tams.

- Lexie

Find Your Purpose | Jess Sanders | $29.99 | Smith Street Books A deck of affirmation cards with questions to guide readers along their path and prompt them to find what and who inspires them, whether that’s at work or home.

Choose Compassion | James Kirby | $32.99 | UQP Drawing on his years of experience as a clinical psychologist and researcher, Dr Kirby brings together science and real-life examples in this guide to a more compassionate life and society- however you define compassion itself.

26

Dear Dolly | Dolly Alderton | $35.00 | Penguin

Fifteen Seconds of Brave | Melissa Doyle | $34.99 | Penguin When the world stopped turning in 2020, Doyle found herself revisiting the stories of the extraordinary people she met and was struck once more by their hard-won wisdom and their to find meaning in their experiences.

Everyday Plant Magic | Rachael Cohen | $24.99 | Hardie Grant A beautiful and engaging primer on connecting to the healing powers of plants, Cohen’s passion for nature and life is contagious. This practical guide will equip you with inspiration to harness the transformative power of your plants. Rachael is a true expert; an environmental educator, energy worker and the creator and owner of Infinite Succulent.

- Jimmy

Putting on a Show | Rob Mills | $32.99 | Affirm Press Following the untimely deaths of two friends, Mills began questioning himself and the idea of the “Aussie bloke”. This book is a fascinating, chatty, insightful and often hilarious deep dive into both Mills’ own life, and that of the man on the street.

Healing Through Words | Rupi Kaur | $39.99 | Simon & Schuster A carefully curated collection of exercises asks only that you be vulnerable and honest, both with yourself and the page. You don’t need to be a writer to take this walk; you just need to write – that’s all.

No F**ks Given | Sarah Knight | $29.99 | Hachette A down-to-earth, irreverent, and no-holds-barred guide to letting go of the weight of others’ expectations and doubling down on your dreams to find real, lasting happiness. ‘Anti-guru’ Sarah Knight helps you let go of family, social, and existential pressures to be happy with yourself and the life you really want.

Travels | Broadsheet Media | $54.99 | Macmillan There’s nowhere quite like Australia.

Travels celebrates all that makes the country special, from its natural beauty and ancient culture to its creative cities. Discover remote thermal springs, luxe tropical islands, scenic day hikes, deserted beaches, regional art galleries, the best restaurants and more.

Futureproof Your Garden | Angus Stewart and Emma Stewart | $45.00 | Murdoch Books A practical guide to creating and maintaining a water-efficient garden, including a comprehensive plant directory and insights into sustainable design, in big and small spaces, including step-by-step garden DIYs.

LIFESTYLE

The Atlas of Abandoned Places | Oliver Smith | $45.00 | Hachette The globe is littered with forgotten monuments.

A glorious palace lies abandoned by a fallen dictator. Two never-launched space shuttles slowly rot in the middle of the desert.

With remarkable stories, bespoke maps and stunning photography of fifty forsaken sites, travel writer Oliver Smith is your guide to the sites with stories to tell.

Ocean Pools | Chris Chen | $59.99 | Thames & Hudson I’ve long been fascinated by the pool as a public space, none more than the ocean pools that dot the NSW coastline, providing safe access for sea bathing as well as sites for community connection. Pick up this gorgeous book for a guide to ocean pools around Australia, and dive into some saltwater swimming this summer!

- Tahlia

Bloom | Lauren Camilleri | $55.00 | Smith Street Booksf You don’t need a sprawling garden to brighten your life with flowers. Bloom will show you how any space, no matter how small, can be transformed into a colourful oasis with flowering houseplants, and includes a seasonal guide too.

Dog Trip Sydney | Evi O and Andrew Grune | $34.99 | Thames & Hudson Escape the urban chaos with Dog Trip Sydney, which offers 52 dogfriendly getaways, all within a 120 km radius of Sydney’s CBD. This gets a massive paw of approval.

Dream Gardens | Michael McCoy | $70.00 | Hardie Grant Showcasing the central ideas to garden design and featuring a wide variety of challenging spaces, from tiny plots to expansive acreages, McCoy proves that great design can always find a perfect solution to suit an owner’s needs.

Why Do Birds Do That? | Dr Grainne Cleary | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin This is a super interesting and comprehensive exploration of the weird and wonderful world of birds, explaining everything from birdsong to murmurations to why they attack their own reflections. The perfect guide to the avian world.

- Darcy

27

GIFT

The Little Book of Mushrooms | Felicity Hart | $17.99 | Hachette Who would have thought that such small and innocuous things as mushrooms would be causing such an international literary rage! This wonderful pocketbook reveals the fascinating world of nature’s most extraordinary organisms.

- Lucy

Self Care in Underwear | Ton Mak | $34.99 | Hardie Grant A cheerful collection of 50 easy self-care practices via cute, dipin dip-out vignettes.

Each is demonstrated by one of Mak’s most popular Flabjack characters, No-Pants Pansy.

The Quicks | Robert Drane | $34.99 | Simon & Schuster Intimidation.

Cunning. Distain.

The Quicks profiles the most successful, frighteningly-fast and charismatic Australian bowlers to ever terrorize the Poms… and every other cricketing nation.

Coffee Drinks | Merlin Jobst | $24.99 | Hardie Grant A simple infographic guide that clearly explains the main composition of all the main types of coffee drinks available, including the difference between a flat white and a latte.

You’ll know exactly what you’re ordering and drinking next time you’re at a cafe.

- Reem

The Immortals of Australian Soccer | Lucas Radbourne | $39.99 | Simon & Schuster Radbourne selects his team of 11 soccer Immortals and tells the remarkable stories behind their rise, from the pioneers to modern-day mainstream heroes.

Gentleman’s Guide to Beard and Moustache Management | Chris Martin | $22.99 | Peribo Alongside tips for how to trim, wax, polish and maintain your facial hair is a complete hirsute history to peruse and inspire you!

28

I’m So Happy You’re Here | Liz Climo | $24.99 | Harper Collins Climo’s cartoons and comics are just so heartwarming and delightful! Collected here are a series of her works, focusing on lifting you up, getting back up and keeping you company - it’s a cute little pep talk in a book (from a cast of recognisable animals).

- Steph

Matchmaking: The Jane Austen Memory Game | John Mullan | $35.00 | Hachette Match up Austen’s iconic characters with their romantic partners in this charming memory game, and learn more about the characters in the accompanying booklet.

Wombat Wisdom | $24.99 | Harper Collins It’s no surprise that the collective noun for wombats is ‘a wisdom of wombats’. This little book is for anyone seeking direction in life from super cute marsupials.

Wise Words from Change Makers | $16.99 | Harper Collins For those looking for advice from the best and brightest, there’s no better place to look than this cute and creative collection of missives from some of the most important (and coolest!) people to have ever lived.

- Matilda

Cressida Campbell | $89.99 | Australian National Gallery A celebration of an exceptional Australian colourist! Combining keen observation with formal design, Campbell uses an innovative technique to create woodblock paintings and unique woodcut prints that take inspiration from the humble beauty of everyday life.

Artists at Home | Karina Pires Hana | $59.99 | Thames & Hudson This richly layered compilation invites the reader into the creative spaces of 32 female artists, such as Yvette Coppersmith, Rhoda Tjitayi, Lindy Lee and Patricia Piccinini, offering an intimate look behind the scenes and the chance to meet each on home ground.

Art is Life | Jerry Saltz | $55.00 | Hachette Saltz draws on decades of work to offer a survey of contemporary art as a barometer of our times.

From the cultural reset of 9/11 to the rolling crises of today, Saltz traces how visionary artists have both documented and challenged culture.

Creature | Shaun Tan | $64.95 | NewSouth Books A collection of Tan’s work from the past 25 years, from picture books to films and graphic novels - including previously unpublished works. m The collection and accompanying essays by Shaun explore his use of non-human creatures as a motif throughout his artwork.

Living in the Forest | Phaidon | $69.95 | Phaidon A spectacular collection of 50 magnificent contemporary houses across the globe, each built to exist harmoniously amid the trees. This book explores the different facets of woodland living across a range of countries worldwide.

ART & DESIGN

A Book of Days | Patti Smith | $39.99 | Bloomsbury 365 days, 365 photos, posts, and missives inspired by Smith’s beloved Instagram account including portraits of her kids, her boots, her favourite authors and favourite quotes, her daily coffees, and Cairo the cat. A beautiful archive of this expansive mind.

- Leona

Houses That Can Save the World | Courtenay Smith & Sean Topham | $49.99 | Thames & Hudson Part handbook, part manifesto, this is a sourcebook of innovative and unexpected green design solutions for homes that address the environmental and social issues facing our world today.

Sally Gabori | $100.00 | Thames & Hudson I first came across senior Kaiadilit woman Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori’s art at the MCA and was immediately drawn to her unique, remarkable use of block colour and shape to evoke vivid landscapes.

Collected here are the works of her French exhibition, alongside other paintings and written pieces on her work.

- Steph

29