Our editors have compiled a list of must-read books for you to enjoy this summer. A range of titles have been selected from fiction to nonfiction, from romance to crime. There is something for every reader on this list.
Australia According To Hoges
by Paul Hogan
As Hoges says, ‘We’re not perfect, but we’re working on it’.
Paul Hogan’s ancestors were a couple of Irish blow-ins who arrived in the colony of New South Wales by boat, with a little assistance from the judges of the Old Bailey. Blow-ins from everywhere have been coming ever since, and while it hasn’t always been a walk in the park, Hoges reckons this mixed-up mob of old and new inhabitants works most of the time. In fact, according to Hoges, Australia may well be the best country on earth.
$34.99 RRP, HarperCollins
Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin’s War Against Ukraine
by Owen Matthews
An astonishing deep dive into the war in Ukraine – from the corridors of the Kremlin to the trenches of Mariupol.
The Russo-Ukrainian War is the most serious geopolitical crisis since the Second World War – and yet at the heart of the conflict is a mystery. Vladimir Putin lurched from a calculating, subtle master of opportunity to a reckless gambler, putting his regime – and Russia itself – at risk of destruction. Why?
$34.99 RRP, HarperCollins
East of Alice
by Annie Seaton
A gem-fossicking discovery echoes through time and leads to a dangerous journey through the red dust outback. A gripping mystery from Australian author Annie Seaton
Gemma Hayden has returned to her hometown of Alice Springs for a new job as a primary school teacher. It’s been six years since her family broke apart following the disappearance of her twin brother. And the scars still run deep.
$29.99 RRP, HarperCollins
We All Want Impossible Things
by Catherine Newman
‘Devastatingly humorous and humorously devastating…an unbelievably brilliant and funny book about friendship, family, food, sex, and death. Catherine Newman serves up a masterclass in narrative – you’ll stay up late devouring every word.’ KATHERINE HEINY, author of Early Morning Riser and Standard Deviation.
$32.99 RRP, Penguin
She and her Cat
by Makoto Shinkai
Heart-stopping, tender Japanese fiction bestseller about four women and their cats, as they navigate difficult times in suburban Tokyo, by a hugely acclaimed Japanese manga artist and anime film director.
For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, translator of CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN, a tender and mesmerizing story about kindness, community and the wonder of life.
$32.99 RRP, Penguin
Into Iraq
by Michael Palin
A fascinating and rare insight into the history and culture of Iraq, by Britain’s best-loved travel writer.
In March 2022, former Monty Python stalwart and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin journeyed along the River Tigris and into Iraq to gain a glimpse of life in an area of the world that can claim to be the cradle of civilisation, that has seen the rise and fall of extraordinary and rich cultures, but that over the past two decades has witnessed turmoil and appalling bloodshed.
$35.00 RRP, Penguin
Headland
by John Byrnes
A coastal town is evacuated after record floods. Three young police officers are left behind. With a killer.
The small beachside town of Gloster is on the edge of disaster. After constant rain, floodwaters are rising fast. Detective Constable Craig Watson, exiled to Gloster from Sydney, is a young man with a damaged past and an uncertain future.
Constables Ellie Cameron and Larissa Brookes are young women struggling to show their worth as police officers under a misogynistic sergeant.
$32.99 RRP, Allen & Unwin
