Book Reviews
Bear by Julia Phillips
In this fable-like novel, two sisters struggle to break free of their circumstances – but it doesn't quite deliver on its promising premise.
Appreciation by Liam Pieper
This witty novel exposes the underbelly of the art world and a complex portrait of queer identity.
The Scope of Permissibility by Zeynab Gamieldien
A coming-of-age story that traverses faith, desire and double standards through the perspectives of three Australian Muslim university students.
The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall
The third novel from Aussie literary fave Kate Mildenhall takes us on an epic journey across time through the lives of four different women.
I Am Homeless If This is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore
Lorrie Moore’s fourth novel is an ornate, interwoven meditation on mortality, where death is “kind of a spectrum.”
Greek Lessons by Han Kang
The masterful Han Kang continues to captivate readers with her profound exploration of language, connection and loss.
Bad Art Mother by Edwina Preston
Good mothers are selfless. Artists are selfish. So what does this mean for a mother with artistic ambitions?
I Fear My Pain Interests You by Stephanie LaCava
A ‘chic sad girl’ novel that dives into female suffering and objectification, with a protagonist who cannot feel pain.
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
Belcourt’s latest work explores the boundaries of his Cree identity from a community perspective.
Bolla by Pajtim Statovci
Statovci explores the wars within and without in this dark, haunting novel of an illicit love affair.
Hydra by Adriane Howell
A wickedly original debut about a woman on the edge: mysterious, compelling and with lashings of dark humour.
This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham
A struggling author is haunted by Leonard and Virginia Woolf as the 20th and 21st centuries collide.
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
Arnott’s third novel delves into the small but honest ways in which we fall captive to nature, love and responsibility.
Happy Halloween: 8 Books That Will Haunt You Long After Reading
Stay haunted with these top spooky reads for Halloween.
Wildflowers by Peggy Frew
In this affecting and beautifully written novel, three sisters struggle to carve space for themselves in the world.
Marshmallow by Victoria Hannan
Hannan’s second novel is a tender ode to the ways in which we deal with grief, heartbreak, loss and love.
Girls They Write Songs About by Carlene Bauer
This witty, smart and thrumming novel explores the hunger and heartache of female friendship over two decades.
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
In the desperate, violent Glasgow of the Thatcher era, Young Mungo tells a story of love and casualties.
The Colony by Audrey Magee
The trouble with Irish: a brilliant and haunting novel from a great new talent tackles art, love and colonialism.
Son of Sin by Omar Sakr
Spanning Australia, Turkey, and Lebanon, this novel charts one man’s reckoning with identity, family and religion.