Book Reviews
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
In the desperate, violent Glasgow of the Thatcher era, Young Mungo tells a story of love and casualties.
Her Fidelity by Katharine Pollock
Dive into this witty coming-of-age story infused with music, culture and feminism.
Holy Woman by Louise Omer
In this profound memoir, Omer recounts her journey to and from organised religion, and her quest to find a ‘divine feminine.’
Specimen: Personal Essays by Madison Hamill
Odd, incisive and skillfully written, this essay collection marks an engaging new voice in the Aotearoa literary landscape.
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Yanagihara’s third novel serves up a rich course of colonialism, disease, Otherness and heartbreak.
I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee
A vulnerable and painstakingly honest collection of dialogues and essays that explore the author’s lifelong journey with mental illness.
The Colony by Audrey Magee
The trouble with Irish: a brilliant and haunting novel from a great new talent tackles art, love and colonialism.
My Tidda, My Sister by Marlee Silva
A compilation of heartfelt stories of resilience and strength from Australia’s First Nations women.
Sadvertising: Stories From the Margins of Creativity by Ennis Ćehić
This debut short story collection is a weird, surreal and utterly inventive metaverse of the advertising world.
Ghost Lover by Lisa Taddeo
In this collection of raw and real short stories, Taddeo brings us another ferocious does of female desire and competition.
Homesickness by Janine Mikosza
This raw, honest memoir explores memory, truth and trauma - and how to write about them.
Animal Behaviour by Amanda McLeod
A compelling debut collection that deftly explores the uncanny way humans can (and often do) behave like animals.
Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au
A mother-daughter relationship takes centre stage in this quiet and unassuming novella about the unreliability of memory.
Losing Face by George Haddad
Losing Face is a powerful, gripping tale that explores the Lebanese-Australian immigrant experience, masculinity and intergenerational trauma.
Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu
This debut short story collection from a queer Indonesian writer explores longing, loss and missed chances.
Permafrost by SJ Norman
A brilliant and haunting collection of short fiction that exposes the darker, mythical underbelly of reality.
Clean by Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Scott-Patrick Mitchell’s debut full-length poetry collection explores the experience of addiction through to healing.
Son of Sin by Omar Sakr
Spanning Australia, Turkey, and Lebanon, this novel charts one man’s reckoning with identity, family and religion.
Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser
A profoundly smart, satiric and thrilling novel from two-time Miles Franklin Award winner.
Tiny Moons: A Year of Eating in Shanghai by Nina Mingya Powles
This food memoir is a beautiful ode to culture, exploration, growth and personal acceptance.