Book Reviews
rock flight by Hasib Hourani
An epic meditation on mourning, loss and dispossession by a Lebanese-Palestinian poet.
Potty Mouth, Potty Mouth by Alex Creece
Screaming, crying, throwing up: this debut poetry is a hilarious and visceral exploration of selfhood, queerness and neurodivergence.
Diving, Falling by Kylie Mirmohamadi
A refreshing and engaging story of a woman rediscovering herself after the death of her domineering husband.
Big Time by Jordan Prosser
Cinematic in scope, boldly imaginative in delivery, and worryingly close to the bone in its ‘speculative’ aspects, we couldn’t put this one down.
Hearts & Bones: Love Songs for Late Youth by Niamh Mulvey
In this debut collection, Mulvey explores the fraught relationships, loves and milestones that define a life.
Ordinary Human Love by Melissa Goode
Ordinary Human Love is a book for those who love quiet novels, with a suble interrogation of grief, regret and finding purpose.
Go Lightly by Brydie Lee-Kennedy
A charming debut that captures the messiness of being in your twenties, and the importance of familial and platonic love.
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
An effervescent debut about queer love, being seen and how we see others.
The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp
In this speculative fiction debut, truth, lies and history collide.
Supper Club by Lara Williams
A novel of appetites, where a ravenous club of women come together to indulge their hunger, satisfy their desires and take up space.
Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey
Described as a “love story to the queer self”, Dress Rehearsals is a refreshingly confessional, enlightening and bold collection.
Breath by Carly-Jay Metcalfe
In this powerful and humorous debut memoir, Metcalfe shares her story of CF and advocates for more honest conversations about death and dying.
Piglet by Lottie Hazell
A scintillating debut novel about one woman’s obsession with appearances – and what happens when it all comes crashing down.
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
Inspired by the author’s family history, this historical novel transports us to Malaya during World War II, where ordinary lives are swept up in espionage, betrayal and the quest for survival.
My Brilliant Sister by Amy Brown
Through the story of Linda, Stella Miles Franklin’s forgotten sister, Brown explores the choices women face when they decide whether to pursue careers, passions and motherhood.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
This debut offers a fresh, insightful and subtly humorous perspective on identity, grief and transformation in rural China.
The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire Van Ryn
This debut novel from awarded writer Claire Van Ryn follows the story of two women whose lives become intertwined in ways neither could have imagined.
The Modern by Anna Kate Blair
Scrutinising sexuality, marriage and relationships, Anna Kate Blair’s debut novel is the very portrait of our disenchanted, modern world.
The Days Toppled Over by Vidya Madabushi
Vidya Madabushi’s incredible debut grapples with familial separation, mental health, and navigating the unknown. It gives a voice to the experiences of international students, not shying away from exposing the hardships and challenges they face daily.
But the Girl by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu
Jessica Zhan Mei Yu’s debut novel explores belonging in a new, enthralling world and delves deeply into the complexities of girlhood.