MOTHER’S DAY READING GUIDE 2019 BETTER READ THAN DEAD | 265 KING ST NEWTOWN NSW 2042
CELEBRATING WOMEN
Dear readers, This Mother’s Day at Better Read Than Dead we are taking the opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives who have nurtured, inspired, and empowered us. This might be a mother, or it might be an aunt, sister or grandmother. It could be a friend, a colleague or mentor. We invite you to take this day to acknowledge and appreciate the impact these incredible women have made. Let them know how they have enriched your life — tell them, hold them, show them. Share a meal, a film, a book with them. Nourish them in return. Joyfully yours, The Better Read team
Win an original artwork! We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with the talented local artist Sally Ann Conwell to offer our readers the chance to win the gorgeous original watercolour artwork featured here on the Better Read Than Dead Mother’s Day Reading Guide front cover. We believe this artwork will be a wonderful way to say “thank you for being you” to the #1 woman in your life. To be in the running: 1.
Follow @betterreadbookshop and @sallyannconwell on Instagram
2.
Post a photo and a description of the woman you want to celebrate and
nominate to win this original artwork 3.
Use the hashtag #betterreadwomen
4.
Tag @betterreadbookshop and @sallyannconwell
Not on Instagram? No problem — email us your entry and you’ll still be in the running!
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AUSTRALIAN FICTION
Fled | Meg Keneally | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin | Sylvia’s Pick Based on a true story, this absorbing tale of a tough, intelligent and determined convict woman is told with direct grace and understated power. Jenny Trelawney, sentenced to seven years in Australia for highway robbery, does everything she can to better her life and that of her children, but the harsh reality of a colony struggling to survive pushes her to plan a daring sea-bound escape. This novel kept me completely transfixed from beginning to end – the historical detail, the language and the strength of the central character are all utterly compelling. Wonderful.
The Place on Dalhousie | Melina Marchetta | $32.99 | Penguin | Lucy H’s Pick
Daughter of Bad Times | Rohan Wilson | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin | John’s Pick
Room for a Stranger | Melanie Cheng | $29.99 | Random House | Alisha’s Pick
Master of My Fate | Sienna Brown | $32.99 | Random House | Sylvia’s Pick
Marchetta is masterful. In The Place on Dalhousie we are once again reunited with the friendship group first introduced in Saving Francesca, and honestly, being enveloped by these characters again feels like catching up with a dear friend. With a tender balance between the emotionally raw and the humorous, Marchetta explores the destructive forces that enter our lives, and navigates the idea that although life’s floods may tear us apart, it is never too late to come back together again.
Rohan Wilson’s haunting and award-winning fiction has delved into Tasmania’s dark past. Here he projects into the distant future in a suspenseful and terrifying vision of a world where profit before people is the norm, where inhumanity is rife. Environmental refugees flood Australia and are housed in detention camps that are factories focussed on exploiting them as slave labour. Makes you think about where we’re headed… and where we already are.
The highly anticipated second novel by Chinese-Australian author Melanie Cheng provides a moving account of an unlikely inter-generational friendship. When elderly Meg applies to a house-sharing program after a break-in, seeking someone for both security and comfort, she doesn’t expect to find a friend and confidante in Andy, a troubled international student from Hong Kong. This follow-up work is as powerful, thoughtful, gentle, and wise as her first, Australia Day.
Based on a true story and written by Brown with compassion and creativity, this tale of William Buchanon’s life from slavery to freedom is at once heartbreaking and inspiring. His dawning understanding of being a “chattel” to another man — without any reason except chance — and his rise against this leads him to face his demons and find a hard-won freedom. A powerful and affecting read.
Life Before | Carmel Reilly | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin | John’s Pick There’s so much strength in Aussie thrillers at the moment and Carmel Reilly’s compelling debut thriller, with its traumatic family secrets and estranged siblings, is like a literary fusion of Jane Harper and Lianne Moriarty. This is one of those books you read and ask yourself, what would I do? The narrative really steps up a notch towards the end, with twists and turns galore. If you are looking for a page-turner this long weekend, look no further than Life Before.
A Lovely and Terrible Thing | Chris Womersley | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan | Lucy’s Pick Tantalisingly weaving the mundane and the epic, Womersley creates a swirling and watery world surrounding the shipwreck of the H.M.S. Elizabeth. A culmination of 20 aqueous stories that are both poetic and compelling, with the remains of mice or possums that have tumbled in and the oil that slicks the canals of the capital floating throughout the pages. A completely unsettling read but in the absolute best possible way!
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FICTION 4
Memories of the Future | Siri Hustvedt | $32.99 | Hachette | Dean’s Pick Impressive, beautifully written, philosophical musings on memory. This semiautobiographical meta narrative is remarkable with four separate elements enmeshed. Novelist Siri Hustvedt remembers one year in her life when she first arrived in New York. Minnesota, as she was known back then, journals the strange and entertaining monologue rants of her neighbour Lucy Brite as she eavesdrops on her using a stethoscope to the wall. There is also Minnesota’s detective story, which she came to New York to write, centring on Ian and Isadora, a Sherlock and Watson if you like, which she is failing to write by adding unusual diversions based on her own experiences. Finally, Hustvedt’s personal illustrations are scattered throughout creating a clever and daring mash-up from the fierce mind of one of the greatest writers of our day.
Labels and Other Stories | Louis De Bernieres | $35 | Random House | Lucy’s Pick
The Island of Sea Women | Lisa See | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster | John’s Pick
Meet a man who collects luxury cat food labels and another posting fish to the president. Louis de Bernières’ heroes are as unlikely as they are endearing. While the traditional hero’s journey is disbanded, in its place comes a witty and delightful collection of short stories championing the unintentional paladin. A fantastic read for lovers of the slightly atypical story (or stories in this case!)
An exotic and sweeping coming-ofage story that plunges you into the tangled friendship of two girls from very different backgrounds. The girls grow up as Haenyeo (women divers) on Jeju, a small Korean Island, where Haenyeo are the breadwinners and men look after the children. The beautifully crafted underwater scenes are a particular highlight, as is the way See tests the strong bond of friendship to breaking point. Daring, insightful and beautifully written.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo | Christy Lefteri | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin | Olivia’s Pick
The Doll Factory | Elizabeth MacNeal | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan | Emma C’s Pick
When Nuri and Afra’s lives are thrown into chaos with the catastrophic outbreak of the Syrian war, they must flee in order to survive. Told with brevity and an honesty that will take your breath away, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is an ode to the human spirit and the power of hope. A stunning, much needed book that humanises events that can often feel far away.
MacNeal’s debut is a remarkable work of gothic historical fiction, set in the Victorian era. It is the story of a dollmaker’s apprentice, who dreams to be an artist, but is stalked by a foul and deranged ‘collector of curiosities’. The Doll Factory is atmospheric, detailed, grotesque and compelling.
Cape May | Chip Cheek | $32.99 | Hachette | Virginia’s Pick It is 1957. Effie and Henry, sheltered newlyweds from Georgia, are honeymooning at a New Jersey beach in the off season. They plan to cut their time there short, experiencing marital disappointment and disillusionment, when a chance encounter changes their journey completely. They meet Clara, a socialite who likes to party, and her lover Max and halfsister Alma. They are introduced to unimagined decadence and sensual pleasures. The newlyweds journey from wholesome to glorious sickliness is told with gusto. Heavy on the gin and low on the tonic, enjoy.
Picture this: you’re offered a place to live in the gorgeous Hudson valley, where you will be provided with every amenity from organic meals to daily massages. In fact, you will get paid to live this life of luxury, and paid generously. The catch? For nine months, you belong to The Farm, where your entire existence is dedicated to producing the perfect baby for The Farm’s rich clients. Provocative and reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, this is a debut novel to sink your teeth into.
FICTION
The Farm | Joanne Ramos | $29.99 | Bloomsbury | Alisha’s Pick
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna | Juliet Grames | $32.99 | Hachette | Dean’s Pick A knock-out debut. Grames is dedicated to perfecting the story of her Grandmother and you can see the love, the warmth and the truth in her words as she builds on the psychology of this strong and misunderstood woman. Stella Fortuna’s motivations are often at odds with her actions — stuck between two cultures, religious demands, and the patriarchy, a place where women hold secrets too close to their chest, it is here that Stella’s complex struggles are on full display and rooted to the mystery of her unspoken dispute with her loving sister. The “lucky star” Stella has seven to eight brushes with death creating a wonderful narrative set-up for an epic migrant tale that spans over one hundred years. This is one of those compelling novels that makes you want to dive down under a blanket and just keep reading all weekend
The Flatshare | Beth O’Leary | $32.99 | Hachette | Lucy H’s Pick If you love rom-coms this quirky debut novel is for you. At first the premise of two flatmates sharing an apartment (and a bed!) without ever having met may seem outlandish, until you remember how expensive smashed avocados are. We follow the blossoming of Tiffy and Leon’s relationship, conducted primarily through Post-It notes left around their apartment, and are taken on a journey that artfully explores troubling issues with a tender levity. O’Leary’s vibrant writing style and eccentric humour, as well as her utterly authentic and relatable characters, make The Flatshare a real page-turner.
Identity Crisis | Ben Elton | $32.99 | Random House | Dean’s Pick With his humour and wit on fire, the great satirist turns his focus on the angry culture of social media. The murder of several unrelated marginalised Londoners is being investigated by Scotland yard and the old school detectives are having a hard time reconfiguring in the new age of PC police work. When a marketing company is hired to market England Out in the upcoming election, the algorithms of social media come fiercely into play. Clever, funny, and easy to read, this is Elton doing what he does best — poking fun at contemporary culture. Signed copies available! While stocks last.
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CRIME FICTION
Stone Mothers | Erin Kelly | $29.99 | Hachette | Zak’s Pick
The Better Sister | Alafair Burke | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin | Sylvia’s Pick
Exquisitely creepy, exquisitely wrought. The incomparable Erin Kelly has returned with a novel that is sure to give you goosebumps, and yet there is tenderness at the heart of it that will keep you pondering its weighty themes of vulnerability and motherhood for weeks to come. By turns terrifying and moving, Kelly has crafted a captivating literary crime novel that feels thrillingly contemporary. Highly recommended.
Chloe Taylor, highly acclaimed journalist at the helm of feminist magazine Eve, seemingly has everything: a successful career; a loving husband; and a stepson she adores. However, her husband’s first wife is her wayward sister Nicky and when her husband is found murdered, the past returns to haunt her. This clever contemporary crime thriller with strong female characters and a few twists thrown in will keep you guessing until the end.
55 | James Delargy | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster | Lillian’s Pick Gabriel walks into a police station in rural WA, but this is not the start of a joke. He is bloodied and bruised, and explains that he was kidnapped by a man named Heath who said Gabriel would be his 55th victim. As detectives begin to investigate, Heath walks into the same station. He informs police that he was taken by a man named Gabriel… Thus ensues a gripping hunt for truth. If you enjoyed The Dry, you will adore 55. It is intense, suspenseful, and thrilling.
Blood River | Tony Cavanaugh | $32.99 | Hachette | John’s Pick Aussie crime fiction is more than having a moment and the atmospheric Blood River cements Cavanaugh as one of our finest crime authors. His characters stay with you; Lara Ocean is a fabulous creation, worthy of the best literary fiction. If you loved the feel of Scrublands by Chris Hammer and the storytelling mastery of The Broken Shore by Peter Temple, you’ll love Blood River, which grips you from the off and has a sting in the tail you won’t see coming! Tony Cavanaugh in conversation May 15
SCI-FI/FANTASY
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World | C.A. Fletcher | $29.99 | Hachette | Dean’s Pick
Emily Eternal | M.G. Wheaton | $32.99 | Hachette | Olivia’s Pick
This title is also the synopsis of this wonderful speculative fiction but I can’t say much more without spoiling things. Imprisoned, Griz writes a diary account of his life where humans are in small numbers and a stranger who is welcomed by Griz’s family ends up stealing their dog. With courage and fierce determination Griz sets off after the thief to retrieve their beloved friend. The writing is composed; exciting action-adventure is balanced by quiet and sparse courage in the face of survival.
Emily is an artificially conscious robot specifically designed to help humans process trauma. With the death of the sun drawing near, Emily and two human friends must race against time to save the world. At its heart, Emily Eternal is an utterly excellent book about what it means to be human: the good, the bad, and all the messy bits in between. An unputdownable debut perfect for fans of Becky Chambers.
The Homecoming | Andrew Pyper | $19.99 | Simon & Schuster | Dean’s Pick The terms of the Quinlans father’s will: in order to claim their inheritance they must remain at the estate for thirty days without any contact with the outside world. The Quinlans soon come to learn their family has more secrets than they ever imagined. A psychological thriller which is very different — creepy, dark, and twisted — this is one that breaks the mould!
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One Word Kill | Mark Lawerence | $22.99 | NewSouth Books | Zak’s Pick Fans of Stranger Things, look no further. It’s 1986, and Nick is playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends, daydreaming about the explosive possibilities of the age. Sound familiar? It is indeed, and yet there is a remarkable freshness, disarming charm, and spine-tingling sense of menace (especially with the arrival of an indefinable, malevolent force) that will pull you through this captivating piece of urban fantasy. Parts of it took me back to the heady days of reading Artemis Fowl as a kid. Enjoy the ride.
Fire Islands | Eleanor Ford | $49.99 | Murdoch | Emma C’s Pick
A vibrant, easy to navigate vegetarian cookbook on the delicacies of the Middle East. As somebody who gets overwhelmed very quickly by an abundance of spices in an ingredients list, Ghayour manages to navigate the complexities of flavour for scared cooks with expertise. My favourite recipes include potato, ricotta and herb dumplings with walnuts and chilli butter feta, and roast vegetable bastille. Yum-o!
Eleanor Ford’s collection of vibrant, exotic, colourful dishes will have you believing you’ve travelled to the finest restaurants in Indonesia with its stunning photography! Seriously though, everything looks delicious — and the recipes are surprisingly achievable. There’s a genuine spiritandintimacytoFord’swritingaboutthe archipelago. Her descriptions and recipes allow you to re-create the magic that is Indonesian cuisine. Perfect for fans of books such as Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem, or Sabrina Ghayour’s Sirocco.
Greenfeast: Spring, Summer | Nigel Slater | $45 | HarperCollins | Sylvia’s Pick Slater, known for his columns in UK’s The Guardian as well as from his books and TV programs, delivers another beautiful, warmly written offering to his many readers and fans. This cloth-bound beauty focuses on delicious, fresh and fast vegetablebased recipes, and is the first of a duo of books to do so – the other will be Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter and will be released later in the year. I can’t wait!
COOKING
Bazaar | Sabrina Ghayour | $39.99 | Hachette | Olivia’s Pick
The Recipe | Josh Emett | $39.99 | Hardie Grant | Sylvia’s Pick This new collection of classic recipes from NZ chef and Masterchef star Josh Emmett is likely to become a true household bible. With over 300 recipes from some of the best chefs around the world, all trialled and tested by Emmett with the home cook in mind, and with stunning photographs, this volume will delight and inspire all who love food and cooking. Wonderful!
— RELEASE DELAYED UNTIL JUNE 3
Super Roots | Tanita de Ruijt | $24.99 | Hardie Grant | Lucy H’s Pick Inspired by de Ruijt’s travel through South East Asia, Super Roots focuses on the therapeutic and functional aspects of food inspired by Asian traditions. Using everyday ingredients and a range of herbs, spices and roots, de Ruijt shows you how to create food that really nourishes, as well as delivers on bold and exciting flavours. Essential reading for cooks interested in refreshing their palette.
Breakfast | Emily Elyse Miller | $65 | Phaidon | Lucy’s Pick As the most important meal of the day you would expect breakfast to get a lot more credit. After all, breakfast foods are some of the best meals out there (seriously, you can’t beat a good bacon and eggs combo), but brekkie fanatics need worry no more with this incredible cookbook. Featuring breakfasts from all over the world, Miller has compiled a fantastic and diverse cookbook for anyone looking to spice up the most important meal of the day.
Warndu Mai | Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan | $45 | Hachette | Lillian’s Pick
Good Food Favourite Recipes | Edited by Ardyn Bernoth | $39.99 | Simon & Schuster | Sylvia’s Pick
This gorgeous Indigenous cookbook contains over 80 illustrated recipes showcasing Australian native foods with useful information about local seasonal availability and sustainable cooking practices. Celebrate the infinite diversity of our oftenoverlooked native cuisine from wattleseed brownies, emu egg sponge cake, and bunya nut pesto to native berry, strawberry gum pavlova, and kangaroo carpaccio.
Good Food, The Sydney Morning Herald’s much-loved food column, has featured many exciting chefs over the years, and continues to do so every week. Here editor Bernoth brings together the best of the best: tasty recipes from the likes of Jill Dupleix, Kylie Kwong and Neil Perry (and many more). Mouth-watering photography accompanies every morsel, making this the ideal book for all who love cooking at home. Delicious!
Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan author talk May 8
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BIOGRAPHY Unconditional Love | Jocelyn Moorhouse | $32.99 | Text Publishing | Dean’s Pick Being a mother in these modern times means being strong, multitasking and sacrificing in your unconditional love. How do you parent while making exceptional films, where do you find the balance? Moorhouse, one of Australia’s most significant filmmakers, tells us how. While providing insight into her creative process and the Australian film industry, it is her story of parenthood that is most exciting, heart-felt and inspirational.
The Full Catastrophe | Rebecca Huntley and Sarah Macdonald | $32.99 | Hardie Grant | Zak’s Pick
Things Nobody Knows But Me | Amra Pajalic | $29.99 | NewSouth Books | Emma C’s Pick
There is a strange, indefinable tipping point in mundane personal crises, one where frustration gives way to an exquisite existential lightness. Think about it: have you ever had a day so bad you cried with laughter? This hilarious, and soothing, collection is the perfect compendium of such moments, and the ultimate #bookbalm. Share widely!
This is the kind of book that’s hard-to-put-down, despite being heartrending and sometimes quite devastating. Amra Pajalić knows there’s something wrong with her mother: voices tell her to do strange things; she’s in and out of psychiatric hospitals; Amra and her brother are passed between relatives, foster care and abusive partners. It is a gorgeous, honest and haunting memoir, with funny and warm moments of relief.
The Moment of Lift | Melinda Gates | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan | Alisha’s Pick This is the kind of book I love to get behind. MelindaGates,BillGates’betterhalf,isahighly successful philanthropist, businesswoman, and international advocate for women and girls. The Moment of Lift is a compelling argument for the importance of raising strong, educated women in a successful community. Filled with anecdotes and startling statistics, this book is at once a wake-up call and a total inspiration.
I Miss You When I Blink | Mary Laura Philpott | $27.99 | Murdoch | Kate’s Pick A memoir-in-essays that is guaranteed to reverberate with anyone who has ever found themselves thinking, “What the f**k am I doing with my life?!”. After attaining all the societal markers of success — job, marriage, house, children — Philpott found herself feeling anxious and contemplating how it would feel to burn her life down to the ground, à la Cheryl Strayed. Instead she learned the art of recurring self re-invention, and here she shares her observations and experiences with infectious humour and warmth.
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Alpha Girls | Julian Guthrie | $32.99 | Hachette | Zak’s Pick Women in the tech industry are criminally marginalised and under-represented, with Silicon Valley being only the most notorious offender. This inspiring book, documenting the rise of four ingenious and tenacious women within the field provides a thrilling corrective to male-dominated discourses in the industry. Alpha Girls is a testament to the unsung successes and invaluable contributions of women globally.
Furious Hours | Casey Cep | $ 32.99 | Random House | Dean’s Pick Following To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee obsessively researched a true crime case of a Southern serial killer. She attended the trial of preacher Willie Maxwell, accused of murdering five family members for insurance money. In the light of the deep South’s racial politics, Cep gracefully details the story of these murders, and the courtroom drama, and paints a portrait of one of the most beloved writers struggles with creativity in trying to produce the gothic thriller she envisioned. Furious Hours achieves this with a fascinating precision to the truth.
Good Talk | Mira Jacob | $37.99 | Bloomsbury | Dean’s Pick A graphic memoir delivered through conversations. A mother answers her six-year-old son’s questions as best as she can. “Are white people afraid of brown people?” He wants answers to some confronting questions as he tries to understand the America that he lives in as a bi-racial boy. Jacob collages front-on black and white graphics that look directly at the reader, with photo images of America. The technique is as striking and fierce as this memoir. Strong, important, and questioning straight-up the tough questions that need an answer.
There are so many different kinds of mother-child relationships out there. Fifteen authors (including our favourites Alexander Chee, Leslie Jamison, Melissa Febos, Andre Aciman, Carmen Maria Machado) explore their relationships here. Each essay is unique, from an intense and emotional outpouring to humorous antidotes. They are all moving, beautifully written, and a joy to read.
Upheaval | Jared Diamond | $35 | Hachette | Lillian’s Pick Upheaval is a colossal work detailing how successful nations recover from crisis. Through in-depth analysis of how seven different countries have survived significant upheaval, Diamond teaches us how both nations and individuals can become more resilient. His astute grasp of a variety of disciplines is breathtaking, and presented in a cogent and accessible manner. Despite its epic scope — spanning history, geography, economics, and anthropology — this book has also been hailed as Diamond’s most personal yet. Prepare to be up-heaved!
Hazelwood | Tom Doig | $34.99 | Penguin | Kate’s Pick Doig gives a powerful voice to the locals who suffered through one of the nation’s worst environmental and public health disasters and documents the history of terrible decisions that led to this mess, as well as the community’s gripping political fight against the mining corporation and the Australian government. NO LONGER AVAILABLE — RECALLED BY PUBLISHER FOR LEGAL REASONS
Queens of the Kingdom | Nicola Sutcliff | $32.99 | Simon & Schuster | Emma C’s Pick Revelatory and essential reading! Queens of the Kingdom offers unprecedented insight into the lives of women in Saudi Arabia. Sutcliff spent four years living and working in the Kingdom, interviewing women of all ages and circumstances, to bring their eye-opening, compelling narratives beyond the country’s borders. These women talk frankly and intimately about their lives, opinions and hopes.
The Suicide Bride | Tanya Bretherton | $32.99 | Hachette | Alisha’s Pick Those who were enthralled by The Suitcase Baby will be thrilled by Bretherton’s latest page-turner. This gruesome true crime tale takes place is our very own Newtown circa 1904, when Alicks Sly brutally murdered his wifebeforekillinghimselfwitharazorblade. Sly left behind a confusing and mysterious legacy that may never be fully understood. Bretherton provides us with another wellresearched and captivating spine-tingler that is bound to pique everyone’s curiosity.
NON-FICTION
What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About | Edited by Michele Filgate | $35 | Simon & Schuster | Dean’s Pick
Tanya Bretherton author talk May 23
Freedom | James Walvin | $32.99 | Hachette | Emma C’s Pick Walvin’s works are both at the forefront of historical research and surprisingly accessible. Freedom is not a gruelling read – it’s insightful, and complex, exploring the collapse of slavery and the contribution that resistance, defiance, sabotage and large scale uprisings of enslaved people made to incite such an enormous historical upheaval. An engaging, positive and dynamic history book.
Australia’s First Naturalists | Penny Olson & Lynette Russell | $44.99 | NewSouth Books | Olivia’s Pick A phenomenal book that finally recognises the invaluable input of Aboriginal Australians and their knowledge that has informed our (European) history of fauna, flora and exploration in Australia. Olsen and Russell dive into the world of Australia’s most exotic animals; the platypus, lyrebird, koala and echidna to name a few. A fascinating, excellent book.
Mama’s Last Hug | Frans de Waal | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin | Lillian’s Pick This is one of the most enlightening books I’ve read in a while! De Waal, an Emory University primatologist, expertly challenges the notion of human exceptionalism in this illuminating — and remarkably moving – treatise on animal empathy and sentience. A groundbreaking yet accessible book that forces us to reevaluate the universality of emotion.
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LIFESTYLE
The Florilegium | Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney | $49 | Woodslane | John’s Pick The sort of book that would make Joseph Banks proud! Celebrating 200 years of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, this beautifully presented compendium is a must for any green thumb. Modern renderings by a wide array of artists cover the history of the RBGS’s plant collection, including indigenous and exotic species. Each artwork is accompanied by a fascinating description of the plant’s historical importance. The perfect gift.
Stop Being Reasonable | Eleanor Gordon-Smith | $27.99 | NewSouth Books | Lillian’s Pick This is one of the most practical philosophy books I’ve read in a while. Through a series of fascinating true stories, Gordon-Smith demonstrates the limits of human reason, explaining why and how we can be duped into cults, or refuse to acknowledge the deception of a partner despite overwhelming logical evidence contradicting our beliefs. A highly interesting and informative exploration of the intersection between philosophy and real life.
Couchsurfing in Russia | Stephan Orth | $29.99 | Black Inc | Fabienne’s Pick The latest travelogue of German tourist/award-winning travel writer Stephan Orth is entertaining and insightful. Politics and propaganda are part of this fascinating book, but I felt that the author is at his best when he shines a light on Russia via the ordinary people he met along the way. Orth’s effusive sense of humour makes for a light and informative introduction to Russian culture and its people.
Italy | Gray Malin | $60 | Thames & Hudson | Lucy’s Pick Malin takes you on an awe-inspiring journey that will leave you reeling from the complete sensory indulgence of the Italian landscape. No other photography book I have ever encountered has so perfectly captured the essence of the Italian beach culture. Malin’s photography takes influence from — and perfectly captures — the retro-contemporary fusion of the vast and diverse Italian landscape, leaving any reader struck with the immensity of Italy’s culture and beauty.
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Del Kathryn Barton | Del Kathryn Barton | $29.99 | Thames & Hudson | Lucy’s Pick Del Kathryn Barton is truly a force to be reckoned with, as anyone with the size and scope of her body of work should be. A stunning accumulation of her most striking works put together by Barton herself is something of a magnum opus of her extensive body of work as it allows the audience to appreciate the evolution of her art and signature style.
2040 | Damon Gameau | $34.99 | Pan Macmillan | Alisha’s Pick Damon Gameau is an actor-turned-filmmaker whose documentaries have been widely acclaimed; his short film, Animal Beatbox, received the prestigious and highly coveted Tropfest award in 2011. His latest masterpiece, 2040, is a meticulously researched documentary that envisions what the world could look like in twenty years’ time. It approaches climate change as a practical problem that can be tackled through regeneration, community-building, replenishing forests, and switching to renewable and clean energy. This book is the paper form of the film — a positive and hopeful sci-fi that, thankfully, doesn’t need to be fiction.
Create Calm | Kate James | $29.99 | Affirm Press | Lucy H’s Pick Spend your commute thinking about the pressing demands at work and home alike, and you understand why books like these are so important. If you are keen to bring calm, composure and mindfulness to your life, you are definitely in safe hands with Kate James — the bestselling lifestyle author and meditation coach does calm for a living. In this book she provides the antidote to the intense pressures of modern daily life with helpful and accessible advice.
Sydney Art Deco | Peter Sheridan | $99 | NewSouth Books | Alisha’s Pick This book is the perfect gift for anyone who admires the unusual pastiche of geometry and exoticism that defines this post-war aesthetic movement. In Sydney Art Deco, Peter Sheridan has created a shrine to our city’s residential and commercial Art Deco heritage, cataloguing all of the pubs, incinerators, furniture, and archival photographs that pay testament to this defining era in Australian architecture. A perfect coffee table book!
This stunning picture book is a celebration of the beauty of pregnancy, an ode to motherhood. The elegant poem is accompanied by gorgeous watercolour illustrations following the changing shape of a mother throughout her pregnancy, reflected in scenes from nature: the arc of a whale’s tail, swimming with her young ones; the curved wing of a bird in flight. The final image of the mother holding her baby is peaceful and full of love, the end of one amazing journey and the beginning of another.
This warm and whimsical book is a perfect gift for mums and mums-to-be. Crescendo is a poem addressed to an unborn baby which follows their development in-utero, combining facts with imaginative detail. “You are as big as a sesame seed / Your heart already trots.” The poem is perfectly complemented by ethereal and breath-taking illustrations in which a mother’s expanding belly merges with the natural world. Crescendo is as much a visual and poetic celebration of the transition to motherhood, as it is a children’s picture book. Heart-warming and joyful!
— Mandy
— Emma C
BOOT: Small Robot, Big Adventure | Shane Hegarty | $14.99 | Hachette | Olivia’s Pick
BETTER READ KIDS
Crescendo | Paola Quintavalle & Alessandro Sanna | $29.99 | NewSouth Books | Mandy’s and Emma C’s Pick
Hotel Flamingo | Alex Milway | $12.99 | Allen & Unwin | Kate’s Pick
A funny, heart-warming tale about a robot called Boot, who wakes up in a junkyard one day without his owner, Beth. Surrounded by other robots whose mechanics don’t quite work, Boot embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to try and reunite with his beloved Beth. A lively combination of Wall-E and Toy Story, Boot is a cracker of a novel and the first in a new series. Ages 7+
Anna is the new owner of the decrepit Hotel Flamingo and, as she says on the second page, “Things are going to change around here.” Anna’s dream is to restore this hotel to its former glory and make every guest’s stay a time to treasure. What follows is a positively delightful tale of friends pulling together against the odds to make Anna’s dream come true. The world of the hotel is evocatively rendered and dynamically illustrated on each page. A total pleasure to read! Ages 6+
Swimming Against the Storm | Jess Butterworth | $15.99 | Hachette | Olivia’s Pick
We Are Blood and Thunder | Kesia Lupo | $16.99 | Allen & Unwin | Sylvia’s Pick
Swimming Against the Storm is stunning, eerie and utterly compelling. Eliza and her sister Avery embark on a mission to stop the water rising in their small fishing community on the Bayou in Louisiana. A tale of family, growing up, and climate change, Butterworth has masterfully crafted a novel where I could feel the heat and smell the swamp through the pages. Fans of Katherine Rundell’s Explorer will love this book! Ages 9+
I LOVED this book! It carried me away into an incredibly fresh, original, compelling world of magical storms and kingdoms from the very first page. Lena, ‘marked’ from birth, grows up tending to the dead in the underground crypts of the Duke’s Forest. When her magic begins to show itself, she is sentenced to death. Miraculously she escapes, but not before encountering a powerful mage... and that’s all just in the first few chapters! Ages 14/15+
Life: The First Four Billion Years | Martin Jenkins & Grahame Baker-Smith | $29.99 | Walker Books | Kate’s Pick We have been so lucky to be treated to a plethora of gorgeously illustrated, incredibly educational children’s non-fiction lately — plenty of which us grown-ups covet as much as (or even more than) the kids! The latest from award-winning duo Martin Jenkins and Grahame Baker-Smith is a whopper, casually covering four billion years of history. We begin with the formation of the universe and explore primeval seas, ice ages, the time of the dinosaurs, fossils, and finally the rise of the mammals... millions, nay, billions of years of mind-boggling evolution, astonishingly laid out for us to marvel at and mull over. This is the kind of book you will never stop reading. It’s a treat for the whole family, but it’s particularly perfect for curious minds aged 11+.
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EVENTS
www.betterreadevents.com
Treat the lovely woman in your life to something different this Mother’s Day by gifting her a ticket to one of our incredible upcoming events. We host a variety of events, from book launches and panel discussions to high teas and crafternoons, meaning there’s something to appeal to every kind of literary interest.
Saturday May 4 Wednesday May 8 Thursday May 9 Wednesday May 15 Thursday May 16 Saturday May 18 Thursday May 23 Sunday May 26 Saturday June 1
SOLD OUT: High Tea with Natasha Lester | The French Photographer Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan | Warndu Mai Helena Fox | How It Feels to Float Tony Cavanaugh with Catherine du Peloux Menagé | Blood River Justine Schofield | The Weeknight Cookbook Kerri Sackville, Kaya Wilson, Jenna Guillaume and Natasha Rai | #MeToo Tanya Bretherton | The Suicide Bride Celebration of Robert Harris | The Gang of One: Selected Poems High Tea with Amanda Hampson | Sixty Summers
Free gift-wrapping in store! We are pleased to offer our gift-wrapping service every day for any item purchased from Better Read Than Dead.
Better Read Than Dead 265 King Street Newtown NSW 2042 E books@betterread.com.au P (+61 2) 9557 8700 W www.betterread.com.au @betterreadbookshop @betterreadthandead
FOR You
Mother’s Day Sunday May 12
9:30am-9:00pm
Autumn/Winter Trading Hours Monday - Sunday
9:30am-9:00pm
The books featured in the Better Read Than Dead Mother’s Day Reading Guide have all been hand-selected and reviewed by our Better Read Than Dead and Better Read Kids booksellers. Prices, information, and event dates are correct at time of print. The front cover illustration has been created by Sally Ann Conwell. It is reproduced here with her permission.
