Father's Day Reading Guide 2017

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Spring New Releases Terra Nulius | Claire G Coleman | $29.99 | Hachette A daring debut novel from the winner of the 2016 black&write! fellowship. Set in the near future, Australia is about to experience colonisation once more. Through this futuristic lens, Coleman reveals truths about the state of our current nation with striking clarity, leading us to question ‘have we learned from our past?’

Common People | Tony Birch | $29.95 | Penguin Tony Birch’s new collection of short stories reinforces his story-telling mastery! Creating a diverse cast of ‘common people,’ these remarkable and surprising stories capture the brillance and struggles that can be found in the everyday business of living with Birch’s prose of beauty and sincerity.

On the Java Ridge | Jock Serong | $29.99 | Text Publishing Dean says; Dynamic, expertly written and vast in scope. A compelling literary political thriller and a must read commentary on the Australian political environment and its treatment of refugees. It also delivers a striking commentary on how technology is weakening community, and on the range of reactions humans feel when in a crisis. Australian fiction at its best!

The Choke | Sofie Laguna | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Laguna’s latest novel is a haunting tale about a child navigating a dark and uncaring world of power and violence. Abandoned by her parents, Justine is raised by her pop, who is tormented by visions of the Burma Railway. The comfort of nature is Justine’s only solace and it’s brought to brillant life through Laguna’s achingly raw prose.

Whipbird l Robert Drewe | $32.99 | Penguin Robert Drewe’s exhilarating new novel tells a classic Australian family saga as it has never been told before! A weekend in November, 2014, six generations of the Cleary family come together at their new vineyard, Whipbird in Victoria. The result is a comic, topical, honest, sharply intelligent, and sympathetic look at the complexities of family ties.

AUSTRALIAN FICTION / FICTION

Father’s Day Reading Guide

Taboo | Kim Scott | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan The ‘taboo’ of Scott’s latest masterpiece refers to an ominous location: the site of a massacre. Stunning poetry, descriptions unlike any other, Taboo is a breathtaking Aboriginal novel that everyone must read. The characters - free from judgment, the gentle description of land, the humour of community - Kim Scott is a masterful writer with perfect balance.

City of Crows | Chris Womersley | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan 1673. Desperate to save herself and her only surviving child Nicolas from an outbreak of plague, Charlotte Picot flees her tiny village in the French countryside. But when Nicolas is abducted by a troop of slavers, Charlotte resorts to witchcraft and summons assistance in the shape of a malevolent man. She and her companion travel to Paris where they become further entwined in the underground of sorcerers and poisoners - and where each is forced to reassess their ideas of good and evil. Before Charlotte is finished she will wander hell’s halls, trade with a witch and accept a demon’s fealty. Meanwhile, a notorious criminal is unexpectedly released from the prison galleys where he has served a brutal sentence for sacrilege.

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FICTION

Don’t Cry | Mary Gaitskill | $19.99 | Allen & Unwin Unfolding against the backdrop of America over the last thirty years, this collection of stories explores the tension of how our social conscience has evolved alongside unchanging basic human truths in a way that only Gaitskill’s luminous and allusory writing can accomplish.

Forest Dark | Nicole Krauss | $24.99 | Bloomsbury Following the separate but parallel lives of a retiree named Jules Epstein and a character who bears the name and some resemblance to Krauss herself, Forest Dark is a vibrant tale of transformation. The non-linear form of the novel will find its way under your skin as if it is a living, aching being itself.

The Red-Haired Woman | Orhan Pamuk | $32.99 | Penguin Steph says: Pamuk’s most accessible work to date, The Red-Haired Woman reads like a fable of fathers and sons. The lives of a middle-aged well digger, his middle class apprentice and a red haired enchantress from a travelling theatre company collide on the outskirts of Turkey, leading to tragedy. A novel of the desire and guilt that can compromise a filial bond.

Tin Man | Sarah Winman | $29.99 | Hachette Following the success of When God Was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvellous Ways, Sarah Winman’s exquisite new novel is like reading a love letter, one that harks to human kindness, and friendship, loss and living. It tells the unforgettable and achingly tender story of the friendship between two boys - Ellis and Michael - who become men. When Annie walks into their lives, it changes nothing and everything. A beautifully crafted novel with a unique perspective on the beauty of boyhood and masculinity.

He | John Connolly | $29.99 | Hachette This is a fictional biography of Stan Laurel. Although a hefty book, it contains fairly short chapters – perfect if you like to dip in and out of a story! This unusual novel is about the plight of the artist, the pull between commercial demands and artistic integrity, human frailty, the insecurity of the creative person and an intense partnership/relationship between two artists. The Susan Effect | Peter Hoeg | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Susan is an expert in finding out secrets. People just feel compelled to confide in her and unwittingly confess their innermost thoughts. Her whole life, she has exploited this talent, but now her family is in danger. To get her life back in order, she must take on a task from a former government offical. A thrilling read!

Madness is Better Than Defeat | Ned Beauman | $32.99 | Hachette In 1938, two rival expeditions set off for a lost Mayan temple; one group to film a comedy on location, the other to disassemble the temple and ship it back to New York. A seemingly endless stalemate ensues. Full of humour and imagination with marvelous prose.

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How to Stop Time | Matt Haig | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin If you saw Tom Hazard, you would assume he was 40. You would be wrong. He is actually 408. He teaches at a high school, pretending that he hasn’t witnessed the events he describes to his students. He’s fairly happy, as long as he doesn’t fall in love...


Crossing the Lines | Sulari Gentill | $29.99 | Pantera Press When Madeleine conjures Ned as the hero in her latest crime novel, she makes him a serious writer simply because the irony of a protagonist who’d never lower himself to read the story in which he stars, amuses her. When Ned creates Madeleine, she is his literary device, a writer of detective fiction who is herself a mystery. As they play out their own lives while writing the other’s story, they find themselves crossing the lines that divide them.

Girl In Snow | Danya Kukafka | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan Lucinda Hayes, a beloved high schooler, is found dead. Murder. Her death touches everyone. But this book is also a study of three individuals – a young man who stalked Lucinda, a girl who hated her, and a policeman. With beautiful turns of phrase, the book slowly unravels the stories of these three people and their motivations in solving her murder.

CRIME FICTION / FANTASY

Colombiano l Rusty Young | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Marching Powder was incredible, and now Rusty Young is back with Colombiano. Having lived and worked in Colombia, he was shocked and touched by the stories of child soldiers he encountered and vowed to one day turn their tales into a book. A fictional account of the lives of child soldiers, covering jungle drug labs, cocaine supermarkets and buried millions, it is a remarkable and electrifying novel.

Codename Villanelle | Luke Jennings | $29.99 | Hachette She is the perfect assassin. A Russian orphan, saved from the death penalty for the brutal revenge she took on her gangster father’s killers. A thrilling collection of novellas combined into one book which will leave you wanting more.

The Truants | Lee Markham | $22.99 | Bloomsbury An innovative twist on the traditional vampire narrative. In this startling, noirish tale of immortality, bloodlust and rage that contaminates London’s youth like a virus, Lee Markham interweaves the unconventional with the haunting folklore of the underworld to create a slayer of a novel!

Blackwing | Ed McDonald | $29.99 | Hachette The beginning of a gritty epic fantasy series, Blackwing is set in Misery, a postapocalyptic wasteland under a broken and bruise-coloured sky. When a raven tattoo rips itself from his arm to deliver a desperate message, Galharrow must investigate a long dead sorcerer’s legacy.

Man of Shadows | Jeff Noon | $19.99 | Simon & Schuster Below the neon skies of Dayzone, where night has been banished, lowly private eye Nyquist takes on a teenage runaway case. Quicksilver, a serial killer, haunts the streets and Nyquist starts to suspect that the runaway girl holds the key to the city’s fate. Science fiction and detective noir collide!

Darien: Empire of Salt | C F Iggulden | $29.99 | Penguin From acclaimed novelist Iggulden comes an epic fantasy series. The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king.

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BIOGRAPHY / MUSIC BIOGRAPHY

The Museum of Words | Georgia Blain | $29.99 | Scribe Language and communication is endlessly fascinating. Georgia Blain was diagnosed with a tumour sitting right in the language centre of her brain. This idiosyncratic and deeply personal memoir is a writer’s take on how language shapes us, and how often we take it for granted.

Nick Cave : Mercy on Me l Reinhard Kleist | $27.99 | Thames & Hudson Is there anything Nick Cave cannot do? Musician, novelist, poet, actor: he is a Renaissance man of sorts. Capturing everything from Cave’s frenzied performances in Berlin to the tender moments he spent with Anita Lane, Kleist’s graphic biography, is by turns electrifying, sentimental, morbid, and comic. Using characters drawn from Cave’s own work, Kleist tells an intriguing story of the formidable artist. The Enigmatic Mr Deakin | Judith Brett | $49.99 | Text Publishing An insightful and accessible biography of one of Australia’s early prime ministers, Alfred Deakin. It is fascinating that Deakin’s private papers reveal a solitary, religious character who found much of politics distasteful, and yet still he chose to do his life’s work in the field. His contributions continue to shape Australian politics today. A masterful portrait of one of the men instrumental in creating modern Australia.

I Am, I Am, I Am | Maggie O’Farrell | $29.99 | Hachette A memoir told in seventeen encounters. Can you really know a life from such a small snippet? Indeed you can. The tense, visceral snapshots of the author’s brushes with death highlight the vulnerability we experience as human beings. Incredible and gripping. Last King of the Cross | John Ibrahim | $34.99 | Macmillan John Ibrahim is probably Australia’s most notorious underworld figure. Here, he writes of fleeing war-torn Tripoli with his family and growing up in Sydney’s west - before establishing himself as a tough guy and teen delinquent, then a bouncer, enforcer and nightclub king on the Golden Mile. A crime saga like no other, letting us sink into Australia’s underworld for a glimpse of the lives they lead.

Tex | Tex Perkins | $34.99 | Pan Macmillan Gigs. Albums. Tours. Fights. Feuds. Arrests. Drugs. High times. Low roads. This is a wild ride of a life written loudly, proudly and full of punk energy. Raised by a bible-thumping Catholic, Gregory Perkins fled to Sydney where he mutated into Tex, the enigmatic king of the Australian music underground.

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The Man Who Climbs Trees | James Aldred | $29.99 | Penguin Random House The story of a professional British tree climber, cameraman and adventurer. Blending personal narrative, a love of nature and his fascination with the majesty of trees, this is an engrossing memoir about the power of nature against the backdrop of incredible trees.

High Voltage | Jeff Apter | $34.99 | Black Inc. Angus Young, the co-founder of AC/DC, has for than 40 years been the face, sound and sometimes the exposed backside of the band. High Voltage is the first biography to focus exclusively on Angus. It tells of his remarkable rise from working-class Glasgow to the biggest stages in the world and loss of bandmates.


A Universe of One’s Own | Antonia Hayes | $9.99 | Penguin Having turned to Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own for guidance and consolation throughout her life, Antonia Hayes has embraced Woolf’s spirit in three powerful essays. Hayes traces a life in language, and takes Woolf’s call for equality into today and beyond. A digestible format for heavy topics, this little book packs a big punch.

Total Propaganda | Helen Razer | $27.99 | Allen & Unwin The must-read for millennials (and anyone else) sick of economists blaming everything on avocados. Razer offers an introduction to the thought of Marx for Millennials – while he may not have had much to say about brunch in the 21st century, he sure had powerful thoughts about where capitalism would land us! A funny look at what is becoming of us all.

Dragon & Kangaroo | Robert Macklin | $32.99 | Hachette Dragon & Kangaroo is a highly absorbing account of an underestimated part of Australia’s history – that of the Chinese presence in Australia. It extends from well before the time of Captain Cook, right through to the present day, discussing trade relations between the two countries and most intriguingly, China’s extensive intelligence operations in Australia.

NON-FICTION

Please Explain | Anna Broinowski | $34.99 | Penguin Random House In 1996, Pauline Hanson gave a speech that changed Australia. Attacking Asian and Indigenous people and foreign aid, Hanson unleashed a Pandora’s box of violence and division. After eighteen years in the political wilderness, Pauline Hanson is back and more powerful than ever. Please Explain is a compelling, intimate look at how an Ipswich fish and chip shop lady has changed our nation and national identity. The Prince and the Assassin | Steve Harris | $32.95 | Dennis Jones Truth can definitely be weirder than fiction! When Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s favourite son, came to Australia on the most ambitious Royal tour until that point, his decadent behaviour shocked and jolted the Australian people. And then there was an attempt on his life, by a man trained as a priest. An utterly compelling tale of a royal in Australia, set against a pivotal moment in Australian history.

Sunlight and Seaweed | Tim Flannery | $19.99 | Text Publishing Emily says: Tim Flannery is a genius. Every word he writes motivates me to change the world. With accessible and engaging explanations of the science behind technologies we could use to solve huge challenges to our world, such as climate change, food production and toxic pollution, Tim Flannery offers an enlightening and uplifting view of the future – something we don’t much of at the moment.

Inglorious Empire | Shashi Tharoor | $32.99 | Scribe In the 18th century, India’s share of the world economy was as large as Europe’s. By 1947 it had decreased six-fold. In this bold reassessment of colonialism, Tharoor exposes the inglorious reality of Britain’s stained Indian legacy and the damage it caused.

Taming Toxic People | David Gillespie | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan Gillespie is the master of health, having taught us about the dangers of sugar and preservatives. Now he turns his attention to the psychopath in your life. This is a practical guide to the difficult people you have to deal with daily.

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COOKING

This is Not a Wine Guide l Chris Morrison | $39.99 | Murdoch Books Are you confused about wine? This book is the perfect antidote. This Is Not A Wine Guide helps readers develop the confidence to choose, purchase, serve, share and collect wine without feeling the need to rely jargon and reviews. It’s packed with information and advice to help you get the most out of any wine experience, whether cracking a bottle at a barbeque, navigating a wine list or what to do when the cork crumbles.

5 Ingredients | Jamie Oliver | $49.99 | Penguin After long days at work, it’s all too tempting to have ready-made meals or call in for takeaway. But Jamie is here to rescue you! He has created over 130 recipes, each of which only uses five key ingredients, ensuring you can get a plate of food together fast. Jamie Oliver is helping everyone to enjoy good food, simply, quickly and easily. Massive flavour for only a little effort.

Hardcore Carnivore | Jess Pryles | $39.99 | Murdoch Books You won’t know what’s hit you after discovering this collection of mouth-watering meat-based recipes. Whether you prefer the kitchen or the barbeque, or if you get confused by different cuts of meat, Jess Pryles will talk you through every detail. Her incredible meat-knowledge will inspire you to create incredible meals. And who doesn’t love amazing food photography?

Cook Thai | Sebby Holmes | $39.99 | Harper Collins Do you treat Thai food as a special occasion cuisine? No longer do you have to wait for a celebration! Holmes teaches you how to create Thai food for every day, using ingredients that can be found easily in supermarkets. Create small bites, stir fries and impressive sharing dishes. Learn which pastes, dips and pickles should be your starting point. And wow everyone with your Coconut Chilli Jam creation. YUM!

The Aussie BBQ Bible | Oscar Smith | $29.99 | Harper Collins If your idea of barbequing is throwing a few snags on the barbie and turning them once or twice, you have a lot to learn! Whatever kind of barbeque you have, this book teaches you how to use it to your advantage when entertaining. Not only are there chapters on chicken, beef, lamb and seafood, but you also can discover great veggie options for the barbeque as well as a selection of desserts. There’s no need to use the kitchen ever again! Perfect inspiration for the barbeque-fan in your life.

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The Blue Ducks in the Country | Darren Robertson & Mark Labrody | $39.99 | Pan Macmillan Mark and Darren have the most amazing adventures at their farm and café in Byron Bay. There is a focus on whole grains, free-range meat, sustainable seafood, fresh vegetables and fruit, and nuts and seeds. Not only is it a wonderful cookbook, you’ll want to keep it as a coffee table book too!


Neon Pilgrim | Lisa Dempster | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster In the beautiful mountainous terrain of Japan, in the sweltering summer heat, Lisa Dempster walks the 1200km Buddhist pilgrimage henro michi to fight her depression and weight gain. In bringing herself back to health, she has much to confront.

Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore l Terry Newman | $52.99 | Harper Collins Whether it’s Zadie Smith’s exotic turban, James Joyce’s wire-framed glasses, or Samuel Beckett’s Wallabees, a writer’s attire often reflects the creative and spiritual essence of his or her work. The lives of famous authors are endlessly fascinating and this book brings you into the signature sartorial and literary style of fifty brilliant authors, men and women alike. Packed with eighty black-and-white photographs, excerpts, quotes, and fast facts, this book illuminates their impact on modern fashion. Endlessly fascinating for the lover of all things literary.

Plant Style | Jacqui Vidal & Alana Langan | $34.99 | Thames & Hudson Plants are back in a big way. Ferns are in the bathroom, and you don’t have to look far to see a devil’s ivy hanging from a ceiling. Indoor plants are the ultimate indoor accessory. From the most-followed plant Instagram in Australia, Ivy Muse, this guide shows you how to turn your home into a jungle-like oasis retreat, with their impeccable styling tips.

LIFESTYLE / GIFT / ART

Blind Spot | Teju Cole | $39.99 | Allen & Unwin Teju Cole is multi-talented – he’s a novelist, and essayist and a photographer. In Blind Spot, reader’s follow his incredible artistic vision into the visual realm. The combination of photographs and texts take you on a strange but beautiful creative journey, filled with Cole’s intellectual obsessions.

Slow | Brooke McAlary | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin Have you ever lamented the fast pace of your life? Do you want to slow down? Part memoir, part practical companion, Slow provides a fascinating insight into the benefits of taking it slow. Brooke gently encourages you to find pleasure and value in a simpler life, sharing the practical tips and rituals that have helped her on her own journey. Most importantly among them: create a life filled with what matters to you! Amazing Dads | Bridget Hamilton | $17.99 | Random House Page after page of stunning animal photographs and heartwarming stories of fatherhood in the animal kingdom showcases the bond between dads and their loved ones. It’s the best way to share words of gratitude and affection with your dad, grandpa or uncle know – who doesn’t love cute animals?

How to DAD Volume 2 | Jordan Watson | $19.99 | Allen & Unwin More hilarious stuff from international internet sensation How to DAD. In here, you’ll find some sort-of helpful tips, some pictures, some words and a few crack-up dad tales. “I might not be a fancy parenting person, but I am a black belt in Dadding. Yes, that’s a thing. It’s totally a thing. I’m still making silly parenting videos, I’m still non-PC and I’m still a DAD. This is How to DAD: Volume 2”

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CHILDREN’S FICTION

In My Room | Jo Witek | $21.99 | Hardie Grant This is like A Room of One’s Own for kids! In her room, one little girl can be anything she wants to be and go anywhere she wishes to go, all with the power of her imagination (and paper, markers, and crayons, of course!). A celebration of imagination as a means to try on different identities and work through difficult issues.

Swimming on the Lawn | Yasmin Hamid | $16.99 | Fremantle Press Mischa says: A beautifully rich story about a young girl growing up in 1960s Sudan. Through Farida’s daily childhood adventures, Sudanese culture is brought to colourful and sensory life. This book is a celebration of the importance of family and culture told with an atmospheric prose that transported me into the mind of Farida and into the world of another culture with beautifully tender authenticity.

Feathers | Phil Cummings & Phil Lesnie | $24.99 | Scholastic Follow the feathers as they fall along this exquisite journey of heartache, hope and home, tracing the path of fleeing families, craggy mountains, flooded lands and finally, a calm, quiet home. Coupled with breathtaking water-colour illustrations that will pull at your heart strings, this is a timeless picture book filled with hope.

The Goldfish Boy | Lisa Thompson | $15.99 | Scholastic Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour’s toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing. Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of Teddy’s disappearance. Page-turning, heartbreaking, but ultimately lifeaffirming, this story is perfect for fans of Wonder.

Take Three Girls | Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood & Simmone Howell | $18.99 | Pan Macmillan Three of the most talented Australian Young Adult authors have teamed up to create the unique voices of three adolescent girls. Kate, Clem, Ady, are thrust into an unlikely friendship after being targeted by a slanderous gossiping site. With its Melbournian vibe, raw authenticity, and delicately handled characterisation, Take Three Girls is a thought-provoking, emotionally tumultuous, and unforgettable read.

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The Traitor and the Thief | Gareth Ward | $17.99 | Walker Books Discovered picking pockets at, 14 year old Sin is hunted across the city. Caught by the enigmatic Eldritch Moons, Sin is offered a way out of his life of crime: train to become Befriended by eccentric Zonda Chubb, together they endeavour to unmask a traitor causing havoc within the palace. Secrets, spies and steampunk gadgets abound in this fantastic adventure story!

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