Mother's Day Reading Guide 2021 by Better Read Than Dead

MOTHER’S DAY READING GUIDE 2021

265 KING ST NEWTOWN NSW 2042 | 02 9557 8700 | BOOKS@BETTERREAD.COM.AU

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray | Anita Heiss | $32.99 | Simon and Schuster Anita Heiss is an incredibly masterful storyteller; weaving song, language and history into an epic tale of love, loss and belonging. Wagadhaany is a powerful character, torn between her new way of life under White Man’s law (having been forced off her land) and her Country, Gundagai, calling her back home. Her strength and tenacity resonate throughout, in tune with the strength found in the land and Murrumbidgee river. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is definitely my favourite of Heiss’ novels! - Steph

Spring Clean for the Peach Queen | Sasha Wasley | $29.99 | Bloomsbury Marrying small-town fiction and Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, this is a gentle exploration of what really matters. A heartgrabbing Australian story that doesn’t shy away from exploring complex family relationships, Spring Clean for the Peach Queen is a book to savour. - Jimmy

Gunk Baby | Jamie Marina Lau | $32.99 | Hachette Corporation vs small business, the cult-like appeal of online forums, and Eastern influence on the West tie into this story about Leen when she opens an ear cleaning business in a shopping centre and encounters new friends. A fresh, new writer who has dared to experiment - successfully. - Dean

The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison | Meredith Jaffe | $32.99 | Harper Collins When an incarcerated father learns his daughter, who he hasn’t spoken to in years, is soon to be married, he’s devastated that he can’t be there to support her. The only question is, how do you express your love for someone when you’re separated by bounds of space AND time? Inspiration strikes at his weekly prison sewing circle – he is going to make his daughter a wedding dress. Jaffe’s latest novel is equally humorous as it is moving; an ode to the restorative nature of creativity, community and love. - Carolina

The Little Boat on Trusting Lane | Mel Hall | $29.99 | Fremantle Press

Richard runs his alternative healing centre from an old houseboat in a scrapyard on Trusting Lane. An affectionate satire, a story of human connection and the potential of community and friendship to heal.

The Truth About Her | Jacqueline Maley | $32.99 | Harper Collins Suzy is journalist who gets blamed for the suicide of a young wellness blogger after exposing her as a fraud. This sets off a summer of unfortunate events for Suzy in many aspects of her life. Maley’s debut novel explores the idea of truth and the love between mothers and daughters. - Reem

Flock | Edited by Ellen van Neerven | $29.99 | UQP This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Flock features stories from leading Aboriginal writers, such as Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko and Tara June Winch, as well as some incisive and compelling new voices. - Maddy

Love Objects | Emily Maguire | $32.99 | Allen and Unwin Nic and her niece Lena meet for lunch every Sunday. When one day Nic doesn’t show up, Lena travels to her house only to discover a truth that leads them both down a path of no return. Love Objects looks unflinchingly at class, at family, and at the ways in which we love and fail, and forgive each other. - Tahlia

When Ruby discovers Alice’s body, an unbreakable bond is formed between them. Bublitz paints a moving portrait of their relationship. This is not your average whodunnit, it’s more a tender approach to murder mystery and explores toxic masculinity. - Stella

Unsheltered | Clare Moleta | $29.99 | Simon and Schuster

Smokehouse | Melissa Manning | $29.99 | UQP

Unsheltered is a thriller set against the backdrop of the Great Dividing Range. Society is breaking down, the climate is dying, and protagonist Li has been separated from her daughter: she will stop at nothing to find her. This is a gripping read that is also a commentary on the way we treat refugees. - Maddy

Set in southern Tasmania, the linked stories in Smokehouse bring into focus a small community and capture those moments when life turns, and one person becomes another. As we get to know these characters we learn how their lives intersect in various ways, across time and place.

Night Blue | Angie O’Keeffe | $27.99 | Transit Lounge

We Were Not Men | Campbell Mattinson | $32.99 | Harper Collins

An experimental debut exploring the cultural legacy of the Whitlam era, told largely through the perspective of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles. It is also told through the voice of Alyssa, a contemporary woman in dialogue with Blue Poles, raising questions about what art moves in us. Original and intriguing. - Tahlia

Twin brothers Jon and Eden are two halves of a whole. They compete at swimming but there are other things... a girl, and there is the fact that Jon saw more at the death of their parents. Deeply lyrical, gorgeous prose winds you under its spell. An emotional catapult for fans of Boy Swallows Universe. - Dean

Tussaud | Belinda Lyons-Lee | $32.99 | Transit Lounge Tussaud chronicles the life of the infamous Marie Tussaud prior to her artistic debut, breathing life into the woman behind the wax models we all know (and love). Part mystery, part historical fiction, part psychological thriller, set in a post-revolutionary France, this is a story brimming with secrets, twists and turns. - Carolina

The Beautiful Fall | Hugh Breakey | $32.99 | Text Publishing Every 179 days Robbie forgets everything. But unlike Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, he does not have a creepy Adam Sandler to remind him who he is. And then, with twelve days left before his next forgetting, Julie invades his life. Young, gorgeous - the only woman he can ever remember meeting. A love story with many twists. - Maddy

You Need To Know | Nicola Moriarty | $32.99 | Harper Collins Jill, her three sons, their wives and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something sinister is simmering behind their happy smiles. Then a terrifying car accident devastates them all. This is a dark domestic drama about family secrets and lies, fractured relationships, tragic mistakes and the ultimate betrayal.

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

Before You Knew My Name | Jacqueline Bublitz | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

Ariadne | Jennifer Saint | $32.99 | Hachette In a world where men rest at the mercy of the gods (and women at the mercy of them all), how far will a young women go to save the one she loves and, most importantly, herself. Written with conviction, power and grace, Saint’s debut novel gives voice to the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. - Carolina

Lean Fall Stand | Jon McGregor | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan Impeccably written, McGregor’s choice of words are startling, measured and truly breathtaking. An accident occurs on an Antarctic expedition, yet Doc Wright cannot communicate what has happened. Now back home, Doc’s wife Anna readjusts to their new life together in unexpected ways. - Dean

Whereabouts | Jhumpa Lahiri | $26.99 | Bloomsbury This newest offering from Pulitzer Prize-winning, Man Booker Prizeshortlisted author Jumpa Lahiri is a stunning artistic endeavour. A rare work of fiction from this writer, Whereabouts is a gorgeous and haunting portrait of a woman and her exuberance, dread, attachment and estrangement, as she questions her place in the world. Lahiri’s body of work, filled with a deep intelligence, rich physical and emotional landscapes, and a fluency in the poetics of dislocation, is well represented in this dynamic work. - Leona

Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd. | Jonas Jonasson | $24.99 | Harper Collins Fans of Jonasson’s previous work will feel at home in the wild and wacky world of his new book. A comedy of errors featuring a remarkably unlikeable main character, alongside a disparate cast of characters including his son, and exwife who are out for sweet, sweet revenge… Perfect literary escapism! - Tahlia

First Person Singular | Haruki Murakami | $39.99 | Penguin Murakami’s latest short story collection is a breath of fresh air. Philosophical and thoughtful, these stories are quintessential Murakami - which never gets tiring. After reading this collection I felt invigorated! For old fans or newcomers, this collection is exciting and won’t disappoint. - Dean

How Do You Live? | Genzaburo Yoshino | $29.99 | Penguin Discover Japan’s beloved coming of age classic How do You Live? Originally published in 1937, this novel is being translated for the very first time into English, in a shimmering story of spiritual growth poverty and the uniqueness of the human experience . A story not to be missed! - Katherine

My Brilliant Life | Ae-ran Kim | $27.99 | Pan Macmillan

This charming, debut novel from Korean author Ae-ran Kim is a story of family, narrated by sixteen year old Areum in a race against time. Areum has progeria, a rare syndrome which physically ages him around eight times faster than normal, and has set himself the project; a manuscript of his parents’ stories of their family and his childhood. His hope is to complete it as a final gift to his parents on his birthday, most likely his last. A beautifully crafted novel filled with humour and optimism. - James

Second Place | Rachel Cusk | $27.99 | Allen and Unwin Loosely based on Lorenzo in Taos, Mabel Dodge Luhan’s 1932 memoir of the time D.H.Lawrence came to stay with her in New Mexico. Intelligent and beautiful writing that touches on something deep and profound. It is easy to see why Cusk’s fan base has grown significantly since the Outline trilogy! Her latest book, Second Hand is an introspective literary masterpiece which at times feels intrusive to read. M’s reflection on aging is as relatable as it is insightful. - Dean

The Most Precious of Cargoes | Jean-Claude Grumberg | $29.99 | Pan Macmillan

Mbue’s latest work imagines a disturbing future coloured by the devastating effects of climate change and corporate greed in Africa. Set in a fictional village, this is a story of staunch community resistance in a world turned dystopian. - Stella

Set against the horrors of the Holocaust and told with a fairytale-like lyricism, The Most Precious of Cargoes is a fable about family and redemption, which reminds us that humanity can be found in the most inhumane of places.

Hot Stew | Fiona Mozley | $32.99 | Hachette Hot Stew takes London’s Soho as its central character and is a sprawling Dickensian novel that delights in whipping out vibrant character portraits with the verve of an energetic char woman airing sheets from an upstairs window. This is a novel about solidarity among the dispossessed; and about holding on to what is good about the old when the new threatens to paint over everything with its matte, rich gloss. - Maddy The composition of characters from across a range of classes form a sense of London, which is deep, complex, rounded and constructed to perfection. From an understanding of Agatha, the property developer’s fragilities, to the intelligent fight of Precious a sex worker, Mozley has layered her characters stylishly and with an expert hand. - Dean

Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead | $32.99 | Penguin A breath-takingly powerful epic that weaves together the astonishing lives of a 1950s vanished female aviator and the rebel-hearted Hollywood millennial who plays her on screen. A stand-out American literary work.

Male Tears | Benjamin Myers | $29.99 | Bloomsbury In this collection of stories, Myers brings together over a decade of work, laying bare the male psyche in all its complexity, failure and forbidden tenderness. Stories from farmers, boxers, gamekeepers, and ex-cons populate this wild and wistful meditation on modern masculinity. - Leona

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

How Beautiful We Were | Imbolo Mbue | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin

How to Kidnap the Rich | Rahul Raina | $32.99 | Hachette A wildly humorous and off-beat read set in Dehli. When Ramesh a professional exam-taker gets top of the All India, Rudi (the kid he took the exam for) becomes an overnight celebrity and an elaborate scheme to kidnap him goes horrible wrong. - Dean

Lonely Castle in the Mirror | Mizuki Tsujimura | $32.99 | Penguin Tsujimara’s novel centres on Kokoro, one of seven teenagers in her Tokyo neighbourhood who is pulled through a mirror into a surreal castle. Inside, they find clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. The catch is, if they don’t leave by 5 o’clock, they die... - James

Dial A for Aunties | Jesse Sutanto | $19.99 | Allen and Unwin When Meddy accidentally kills her blind date, it falls on her and her riotous aunties to hide the body while also organising a billionaire’s wedding. The self-aware embrace of soap opera tropes and dramatic escalation imbues this novel with a humour that will have you smiling ear to ear. - Darcy

INTERNATIONAL FICTION / NOOK BOOKS

Cunning Women | Elizabeth Lee | $32.99 | Penguin Pick up your broomsticks it’s about to get witchy! This thrilling debut novel depicts a tale of forbidden love and a meditation on the figure of the “wild woman”. Travel back to 1620s Lancashire and witness one woman grapple with her wildness amid one of the most brutal witch trials in European history. - Katherine

NEW IN THE NOOK Sorry and Beyond | Brian Butler and John Bond | $39.95 | Aboriginal Studies Press Sorry and Beyond delves into the growth of the grassroots movement that exposed the truth about Australia’s deplorable removal policies. As countless families are coping with the trauma of child removal and the dreadful effects it continues to have on these families, this book pays homage to the movement and the history it’s made.

The Hill We Climb | Amanda Gorman | $19.99 | Penguin Yes - this is Amanda Gorman, the young poet who stole the show at the US Inauguration. After witnessing the siege of Capitol Hill, Gorman wrote the poem aged twentytwo to pave way for the powerful message of courage, consolation and the inspiration to make change. It exhibits how words are able to travel far beyond themselves to promote change on a powerful scale.

Common Ground | Naomi Ishiguro | $32.99 | Hachette A character driven novel in three parts, centred on Stan and Charlie, two young boys who impact upon each other deeply. Despite their numerous differences, family, values and social positions, they find common ground and form a deep and long lasting friendship. An incredibly impressive debut here! - Stella

- Ariel

Homecoming | Elfie Shiosaki | $24.99 | Magabala Books A stunning work of poetry and prose, amplifying the voices we most need to hear. This work paints a vivid image of our country’s fractured, silenced and brutal past since invasion. In tracing the stories of 4 generations of Noongar women, Shiosaki explores the importance of family, and the eternal strength of love in holding families together. Devastating and hopeful. - Steph

- Ariel

The Force of Nonviolence | Judith Butler | $22.99 | Bloomsbury Butler’s latest work dispels the myth that non-violence is a passive, individualist, and weak form of political action. Drawing on a strong philosophical tradition from Hobbes to Freud, Butler’s analysis is as dense as it is evocative. Ultimately, there is a struggle in how non-violence must be applied in the political arena and where to draw the line between aggression and pacifism. - Luca

Esther’s Notebooks | Riad Sattouf | $27.99 | Murdoch Books From renowned cartoonist and filmmaker Riad Sattouf comes a moving graphic novel that was born out of Sattouf’s conversations with his daughter’s friend Esther. Enter the mind of a child growing up in a world which is moving at a rapid pace around her. A tender story boasting charm, wit and stellar illustrations. - Katherine

Thirsty Mermaids | Kat Leyh | $49.99 | Simon and Schuster A raucous, wholesome tale about three tipsy Mermaids who venture onto land and get stuck with human bodies, lost without the magic that allows them to change forms. Leyh transforms an old fairy tale into a fresh and fun story that’s queer, diverse and isn’t afraid to show the hard parts of being a mermaid (and a regular person too). - Stella

Watch Her Fall | Erin Kelly | $32.99 | Hachette

In 1998, three girls head for a night out in the coastal town of Blairgowrie. But only two return. A chilling police thriller set on the Mornington Peninsula, where the discovery of human bones on an isolated beach has reawakened a cold case.

A page-turning, twist-riddled mystery, set against a backdrop of a production of Swan Lake. Told from a variety of perspectives, each twisting the plot and jarring your expectations until you find yourself tearing through to the end. - Sanjo

The Khan | Saima Mir | $29.99 | Bloomsbury

Greenwich Park | Katherine Faulkner | $29.99 | Bloomsbury

A lawyer who fled her crimesyndicate family is drawn back into that violent world by the murder of her father. Flush with compelling characters and a complex plot with enough twists and fragile allegiances to draw you through. - Sanjo

When Helen attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving husband to arrive. What she is not expecting is Rachel, who just wants to be Helen’s friend. A compulsive debut thriller, about motherhood, friendships and the secrets we keep.

The Last House on Needless Street | Catriona Ward | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin A family trip to the lake ends in a tragic disappearance. Now 11 years on, the town witnesses a resurgence of the pain and fear that this abduction first inspired Hailed as the must-read gothic thriller of 2021. - Anabelle

CRIME FICTION/ SCI-FI / FANTASY

The Girl Remains | Katherine Firkin | $32.99 | Penguin

The Rose Daughter | Maria Lewis | $32.99 | Hachette A fresh and gripping female-led fantasy following Dreckly Jones, the daughter of a forbidden union between an earth elemental and a selkie, who’s rare powers have meant she has always had something sinister following her. - Ariel

Body of Stars | Laura Maylene Walter | $32.99 | Hachette A bold and ambitious allegory in the same vein as The Handmaid’s Tale and The Water Cure. Body of Stars paints a dystopian world where girls’ lives are literally written on their bodies. It’s an intriguing premise with timely social-commentary and strong world-building that really lets you feel the pain and plight of the characters. It will yank you off your feet and sweep you up to the end. - Sanjo

Hummingbird Salamander | Jeff Vandermeer | $29.99 | Harper Collins Vandermeer is back with another eco-thriller; taking broader real-world ecological and climate issues and presenting them as a complex and thoughtful sci-fi mystery. The story is skillfully written and while it sprinkles enough hints and red-herrings to make your mind race, it keeps you in the dark for as long as possible. - Sanjo

Remote Control | Nnedi Okorafor | $39.99 | Macmillan Part folk tale, part fantasy, part afrofuturist narrative, Remote Control takes you from shea tree farms to corporate technoenclaves in a near future Ghana, detailing the wandering and musings of Death’s adopted daughter Sankofa. - Darcy

Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | $32.99 | Penguin Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, lastchance mission, and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Can he save us from disaster? An incredible new science-based thriller from the author of The Martian.

BIOGRAPHY House of Kwa | Mimi Kwa | $34.99 | Harper Collins Riveting, colourful and darkly humorous, this is an epic family drama spanning four generations, and focusing on one woman finding her courage. Wild Swans meets Educated.

The Shape of Sound | Fiona Murphy | $34.99 | Text Publishing A personal history and profound set of reflections on our social world. Murphy’s ability to blend everyday observation with critical theory and research on disability is a feat. - Jimmy

The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen | Krissy Kneen | $34.99 | Text Publishing An intergenerational study of family, and a journey into memory, trauma and the lifelong secrets of a towering matriarch; Krissy’s domineering and fiercely loving grandmother Lotty.

As Beautiful As Any Other | Kaya Wilson | $34.99 | Pan Macmillan When Kaya came out as transgender, he was met with a startling family history of queerness and shame. A multifaceted, powerful piece of personal history. - Emma

Stranger Care | Sarah Sentilles | $34.99 | Text Publishing

Cleopatra | Alberto Angela | $34.99 | Harper Collins

In this beautiful and profound book, Sentilles shares her story of becoming a foster mother to a newborn. Navigating an overwhelmed foster care system, Sentilles describes the complex space where love, family and bureaucracy meet. - Bron

Queen of Egypt. Diplomat. Feminist. The story of a modern woman born well before her time. Angela transports us back to the year 44 BCE when she was reigning sovereign. Cleopatra’s is a story that exemplifies the great power of women. - Anabelle

A History of My Brief Body | Billy-Ray Belcourt | $24.99 | UQP A brilliant collection of personal essays from acclaimed First Nations Canadian writer Belcourt, who excavates his own personal history to reconcile the world he was born into with the world that could be. This is a brave, raw, and fiercely intelligent collection on grief, joy, love, sex, and the intersection of indigeneity and queerness. Perfect for readers of Ocean Vuong and Maggie Nelson. - Leona

Turns Out, I’m Fine | Judith Lucy | $32.99 | Simon and Schuster In her most candid and insightful book yet, Judith figures out what went wrong and then turns her attention to finding out what her life might look like if it went right. Thanks to a series of revelations and a slight drowning experience, Judith slowly starts to realise that her life is still full of possibilities and despite death, heartache and a dry vagina, it turns out … she’s fine. Full of laughs and life lessons. - Jimmy

Fury | Kathryn Heyman | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin Following a traumatic sexual assault trial, we follow a twentyyear-old Heyman as she takes to the high seas as a deckhand on a shipping trawler. A personal and literary triumph made especially poignant in this Australian moment. - Tahlia

Real Estate | Deborah Levy | $24.99 | Penguin Real Estate is the final volume of Deborah Levy’s ‘Living Autobiography’ series, after The Cost of Living and Things I Don’t Want To Know. It’s an original, gorgeous meditation on womanhood, ownership and home. - Emma

How to Fake Being Tidy | Fenella Souta | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin In the style of Nora Ephron, this is a collection of short witty stories about everyday life and domestic chaos. Souta is a Sydney-based writer you might know from The Saturday Paper and The Monthly. - Emma

Sex, Lies and Question Time | Kate Ellis | $32.99 | Hardie Grant Released in the middle of a fullblown crisis for the government over its misogynistic culture, this book is a must-read. Alongside her own experiences from fifteen years in parliament, Ellis reveals a frank and fascinating picture of women across Australian politics, and explores issues like sexism, motherhood, appearances, social media, and, of course, sex.

Second City | Sydney Review of Books | $26.95 | Giramondo Western Sydney is simply brimming with talent and the Australian literary sphere cannot be represented by a single form, voice or opinion. Second City is no exception. A thematically exploration of identity politics, education and ethical boundaries, class, culture, family and immigration, I cannot wait to read this collection.

- Jimmy

The Mirror and the Palette | Jennifer Higgie | $39.99 | Hachette Higgie’s book traverses art and history in a series of accounts of female artists who challenged the status quo. From Frida Kahlo to Amrita Sher-Gil, uncover some of the most remarkable artists of the last 500 years. - Katherine

The Winter Road | Kate Holden | $32.99 | Black Inc. On a country road in Croppa Creek, farmer Ian Turnbull faced environmental officer Glen Turner. What happened next shocked Australia. An epic true story of greed, power and a desire for legacy from an acclaimed Australian storyteller.

Gender Politics | Edited by Zareh Ghazarian and Katrina Lee-Koo | $39.99 | NewSouth From the debates on gender quotas to the ‘bonk ban’, this book explores the subtle and overt operation of gender politics and lack of diversity in our government. A provocative and urgent collection.

AUSTRALIAN NON-FICTION

Old Seems to be Other People | Lily Brett | $24.99 | Penguin Most of us would like to live to an old age, but few of us actually want to be old. In this disarming, intimate and self-deprecating collection of vignettes about aging, Lily Brett gives us snapshots of her life in New York.

- Katherine

The Kindness Revolution | Hugh Mackay | $32.99 | Allen and Unwin Absorbing, wise and inspiring, The Kindness Revolution is a distillation of Mackay’s life’s work. Written for our times, this truly remarkable book shows how crises and catastrophes often turn out to be the making of us.

Reading Like an Australian Writer | Belinda Castles | $34.99 | NewSouth Books Musings from your favourite writers, about writing. This collection introduces us to some of our favourite Australian writers, as readers. A wonderful read for lovers of Australian literature. - Tahlia

Bad People and How to be Rid of Them | Geoffrey Robertson | $32.99 | Penguin At a time when international criminal law is faltering, the global justice movement must look to local Magnitsky laws as a means of dealing with human rights violators. A powerful work on human rights abuses and corruption.

INTERNATIONAL NON-FICTION

Imperial Mud | James Boyce | $22.99 | Allen and Unwin The scars of English colonisation can be seen repeated all throughout the world. But where and how did it begin? Boyce returns to the swamp covered fens of eastern England where a vicious struggle against the centralised state was waged. - Luca

Unbound | Kasia Urbaniak | $35.00 | Penguin Unbound offers precise, practical instruction in how to stand in your power, find your voice, and use it well. Part manual, part manifesto, it will help you cut through layers of selfcensoring and self-doubt to go after what you truly want, and live your best life.

The Hard Crowd | Rachel Kushner | $32.99 | Penguin From the author of The Mars Room, a career-spanning collection of spectacular essays about politics and culture. The sheer range of subjects in this collection is startling, from classic cars, to the realities of life in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem, or the history of music venues in San Francisco. These pieces are electric, phosphorescently vivid, and wry.

The Barbizon | Paulina Bren | $32.99 | Hachette

- Jimmy

Built in 1927, New York’s Barbizon Hotel was first intended as a home for the ‘Modern Woman’ seeking a career in the arts. A glamorous social history of the womenonly New York hotel that changed the world.

Remember | Lisa Genova | $32.99 | Simon and Schuster Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. Reading this book will help you understand the language of memory and how it functions, its incredible strengths and maddening weaknesses. - Bron

The Golden Rhinoceros | Francois-Xavier Fauvelle | $32.99 | NewSouth Books

Places I’ve Taken My Body | Molly McCully Brown | $29.99 | Murdoch Books This metaphysical, intimate and visceral essay collection is stunning in its insight and suffused with optimism - Molly McCully Brown is the Rebecca Solnit of the body.

This collection of historical vignettes paints a fascinating picture of medieval Africa, examining international trade networks and highly developed societies centred on the continent. - Darcy

Books Do Furnish a Life | Richard Dawkins | $35.00 | Penguin An anthology of Dawkins’ writing on some of the most significant science literature of modern times. Also included are conversations with thinkers such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Steven Pinker and Matt Ridley, which sparkle with insight... - James

The Light of Days | Judy Batalion | $32.99 | Hachette The previously untold story of the resistance fighters who used their charms to lure Nazis to their deaths, who bombed Nazi train lines and cut off a whole town’s water supply in the name of freedom. - Anabelle

Letters to Camondo | Edmund de Waal | $32.99 | Penguin The life of Count Camondo captured through a series of imagined letters. What results is not just an inventory of the priceless treasures he collected, but a commemoration of a generation of Jews struggling to maintain their dignity, class and a sense of security in a world with anti-Semitism on the rise. - Anabelle

COMING SOON

COOKING Australia: The Cookbook | Ross Dobson | $65.00 | Phaidon Here’s something to sink one’s teeth into. This fabulous new collection explores Australian food in all its wondrous, varied glory. Influenced by everything from Indigenous culture to the cuisine of migrants from all over the world, our food heritage is a complex cornucopia of deliciousness. - Sylvia World Travel | Anthony Bourdain | $29.99 | Bloomsbury There’s no doubt about it, Bourdain was a whirlwind of a personality, a poet of food literature and a fearless taster and traveller. World Travel brings his writing together in a parttravel guide, part-food guide and 100%-Bourdain-chuzpah collection. Also included here are essays from friends, family and colleagues about their experiences with this sorely missed, frank and adventurous man.

The Slow Cook | Justine Schofield | $39.99 | Pan Macmillan Schofield delves into the flavourful and satisfying world of slow-cooked meals with 80 delicious recipes perfect for the coming cooler months. Think light, fluffy vegetarian ricotta and fennel polpette, a zesty and souffle-like lemon delicious pudding (yummo) and more! - Sylvia

- Sylvia

My Darling Lemon Thyme | Emma Galloway | $49.99 | Harper Collins Kiwi chef and blogger Emma writes about nutritious vegetarian and glutenfree food in her gorgeous new book that focuses on tasty recipes and tips to save you time (and waste) in the kitchen. With fresh and easy dishes, Emma’s book is perfect for anyone who cares about what they eat. Yum! - Sylvia

The Pasta Man | Mateo Zielonka | $29.99 | Hardie Grant Pasta is serious business. Families hold on to traditions and recipes for generations and it’s not every day that a modern twist is accepted by pasta lovers. So it’s quite an achievement that Instagram chef Mateo Zielonka has garnered a following of thousands with his innovative and bold new recipes. Finally, these recipes have been shared with the world in his debut cookbook.

- Luca

Artichokes and Village Greens | Fofi Gourlas | $35.00 | Simon and Schuster

Food x Fire | Derek Wolf | $39.99 | Hardie Grant

Vietnamese | Uyen Luu | $45.00 | Hardie Grant

This lovely book on vegetarian Greek food by local author Fofi Gourlas is a delight! In this very personal work, Fofi shares recipes passed down to her by her mother, grandmother and family. With a focus on tradition, community and the joy of sharing good food, this would make a beautiful gift. - Sylvia

Wolf fell in love with cooking over fire, then made a career out of that love. Here, you can find everything that the mighty flame can offer you, including methods used all around the world for smokey, charred and caramelised goodness! Derek also includes a few veg recipes and sauces. - Sylvia

Luu demonstrates that Vietnamese food is just as easy to whip up as a bowl of pasta – all you need is a good bottle of fish sauce and a little enthusiasm! She shares 80 of her tastiest recipes – some traditional, some with a modern twist – using ingredients that are available at your local supermarket.

Living in Nature | $59.95 | Phaidon Are you tired of city streets? Is the closest you get to nature an ibis sitting on a bin? Perhaps you need this book? Living in Nature features homes from around the globe where contemporary domestic design fosters a connection with the elements of nature. - Bron

Utsuwa | Kylie and Tiffany Johnson | $59.99 | Thames and Hudson A rich exploration into the work of Japanese artisans, focusing on the humble but extremely skilled labour involved in making household goods; ‘Utsuwa’ itself translates as ‘for everyday use’. This is a grounded journey through the lives of artists proudly displaying lifetimes of knowledge. An inspiring read for hobbyists and admirers alike. - Luca

Nature’s Palette | Patrick Baty | $70.00 | Thames and Hudson The first-ever visual expansion of Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, featuring over 800 illustration references from the natural world. Still a much-loved reference among artists, naturalists and everyone fascinated by colour today, this is a beautiful and comprehensive colour reference system.

Hello, Mum | Polly Dunbar | $24.99 | Allen and Unwin Hello, Mum is Dunbar’s visual diary of the magical highs and absurd lows that many parents will recognise, from the shock and awe of the baby days to the mayhem of sibling rivalry. Dunbar’s fantastically funny, wise and enchanting drawings capture this precious and fleeting time with heart-touching perfection.

My Inner Sky | Mari Andrew | $29.99 | Allen and Unwin A collection of essays and illustrations, divided into phases of the sky-twilight, golden hour, night and dawn, that serves as a loyal companion for life’s curveballs. My Inner Sky empowers us to transform everything that’s happened to us into something meaningful - reassurance that even in our darkest times, there’s light and beauty to be found.

LIFESTYLE

Know Thyself | Stephen M. Fleming | $34.99 | Hachette Fleming explains both the vast potential of metacognition and why it is that we still so often get it wrong. Full of cutting-edge research from computer science, psychology and evolutionary biology, Dr Fleming shows how developing metacognition can help us become smarter, and lead more effectively.

Still Life | Amber Creswell Bell | $59.99 | Thames and Hudson Still Life explores the diverse practices of contemporary Australian artists and documents a repertoire of styles, subjects, visions and philosophies. Alongside flowers and food, the works within these pages also incorporate objects such as books and beer cans, birds and balloons, adding energy and intrigue to the composition.

Book Nerd | Holly Maguire | $19.99 | Hardie Grant With over 7 million Instagram posts tagged #booknerd, and millions more tagged with the likes of #bookworm and #bibliophile, it’s clear: book nerds rule! And what better gift than this joyous celebration of their singular passion.

BETTER READ KIDS W is for Wombat | Bronwyn Bancroft | $12.99 | Hardie Grant This colourful board book by Aboriginal artist Bancroft features words and images selected from her picture book Possum and Wattle. Perfect for little hands, this is a delightful way to build your little one’s vocabulary and celebrate the uniqueness of Australia. 1+ - Reem

You Are My Happiness | Patricia Hegarty and Thomas Elliott | $14.99 | Hardie Grant There is so much to explore in this world! This heart-warming board book takes us on Baba and Mama’s journey, with peek-through pages and gentle rhyming text, feeling the happiness on each page. 1+. - Reem

The March of the Ants | Ursula Dubosarsky & Tohby Riddle | $24.99 | Peribo This book is a treasure trove of the different objects needed for a great quest. The leader of the ants is suprised that the littlest ant is determined to take along a book. However, one night, as the littlest ant starts reading aloud, the colony is enchanted by the power of storytelling and find a renewed sense of bravery and strength. 3+ - Anabelle

Bear and Rat | Christopher Cheng and Stephen Michael King | $24.99 | Penguin

The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water | Steve Small | $19.99 | Simon and Schuster

The Rock from the Sky | Jon Klassen | $27.99 | Walker Books

Bear and Rat share a beautiful friendship. Rat wonders if it will always be so. Will Bear always hold her hand no matter what happens, no matter where their journey takes them? This gentle, beautifully illustrated tale radiates love and care, creating a touching reflection on the preciousness of life. 4+. - Mandy

Right from the beginning they were an unlikely pair. Duck hated water, Frog loved it. A pair such as this could only meet by chance! A charming tale of friendship in a universe where ducks live in houses, beavers fix holes in ceilings and frogs make the unlikeliest of best friends. 3+. - Anabelle

Turtle, Armadillo and Snake’s brush with fate is masterfully captured through Klassen’s characteristic style and exchange of dry, witty dialogue that will make you laugh out loud. A tale of friendship and shared futuristic visions! 5+ - Anabelle

Eliza Vanda’s Button Box | Emily Rodda | $22.99 | Harper Collins When Eliza Vanda (Travelling Dressmaker) mysteriously appears, Milly’s life takes an exciting turn. Drawn into the magical world of EV’s button box, she finds herself time-travelling with Victor, a talking mouse – not at all how she expected to spend her school holidays! 9+ - Mandy

Elsewhere Girls | Emily Gale and Nova Weetman | $16.99 | Text Publishing This is a tale of two swimmers. Cat and Fan both live in the same suburb and train at Wylie’s Baths in Coogee more than a hundred years apart. One day, in the pool, time slips and they swap places! Narrated in alternating chapters, this is a lovely exploration of the challenges facing young women in the past and present. 10+. - Mandy

The Ones We’re Meant to Find | Joan He | $19.99 | Text Publishing Cee woke up on the shores of an abandoned island three years ago with no idea how she got there. Now eighteen, she lives in a shack with an ageing android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and she has to escape to find her. A clever, inspirational thriller that was difficult to put down! 14+ - Sanjo

Nano | Dr Jess Wade | $27.99 | Walker Books Physicist Dr Jess Wade takes us on a fascinating and easy-to-follow expedition into the atomic world, teaching us what the world around is made up of and how nanotechnology can be used to improve it. Castrillón perfects this picture book with her exquisite illustrations. 8+ - Darcy

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne | Jonathan Stroud | $18.99 | Walker Fearless and foul-mouthed bank-robber/ gunslinger Scarlett McCain is on the run from the law when she meets the hapless yet mysterious Albert Browne. Together they undertake a treacherous journey across post-post-apocalyptic England. Filled with intense action, dry humour, gorgeous world-building, and intriguing mystery! 14+ - Darcy

Pawcasso | Remy Lai | $16.99 | Allen and Unwin The author of the wonderful Pie in the Sky, has made the leap to graphic novels with another heart-warming tale. Jo is lonely until she meets Pawcasso the shopping dog and is mistaken for his owner. She’s thrilled to be making new friends, but things get complicated when Pawcasso gets his own internet fan club! 9+. – Mandy

Lightfall #1: The Girl and the Galdurian | Tim Probert | $19.99 | Harper Collins The beloved Pig Wizard has mysteriously disappeared and unlikely friends Bea and Cad journey across the planet Irpa in search of him, swept up in a dangerous quest to save their world from eternal darkness. This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is perfect for those who love sweeping worlds like Star Wars and for fans of the Amulet series. 9+ - Reem

Ancient World Magnified | David Long | $27.99 | Murdoch Books Watch Greek Gods quarrel and Carthaginians scatter in this fantastically chaotic exploration of the Ancient World. This search-and-find adventure is jam packed with historical facts and over 200 things to spot, making for an endlessly enjoyable and informative read. 7+ - Darcy

Escape | Ming and Wah Chen | $24.99 | MMS Publishing A wonderful collection of real stories about ordinary people from all over the world who were pushed into extraordinary situations, forced to flee famine, dictatorships, war, and climate change in search of a better life. Beautifully dynamic and evocative illustrations bring to life these incredible journeys. 8+ - Darcy

BETTER READ KIDS

You’ve Let Them In | Lois Murphy | $16.99 | Transit Lounge Relocating to the outskirts of town with family, Scott is shocked at the run-down state of their new home, and creeped-out by the ancient gnome which seems to guard the garden. Strange, scary things start happening. Is Scott losing his mind? A spooky read with lashings of humour! 11+ - Reem

Online and Over-the-Phone Delivery Services FREE SHIPPING To support social distancing and limiting the numbers in our store, we are offering FREE shipping on all web and phone orders. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS If you’d like a personalised recommendations, send through your query via email books@betterread.com.au and one of our booksellers will respond to you with their top picks. SPECIAL ORDERS Want to order a book we don’t have on the shelf? Give us a call on 02 9557 8700 or send us an email and we will check both local and international availability. ONLINE SHOPPING Our dedicated online store can be found at www.betterread.com.au You can also view our staff picks, new releases and more on our Instagram page @betterreadbookshop For more recommendations subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. Gift vouchers can be purchased in-store and online.

Head to www.betterread.com.au or call us on 02 9557 8700

NEW EPISODES

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Coming soon...

in store and online.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Better Read Than Dead 265 King Street Newtown NSW 2042

Monday 3 May

Gretel Killeen - My Daughter’s Wedding

Monday 3 May

The 2021 Vogel Literary Award Winner

Tuesday 4 May

E books@betterread.com.au P (+61 2) 9557 8700 W www.betterread.com.au @betterreadbookshop @betterreadthandead

Thursday 6 May Sunday 30 May

Judith Lucy - Turns Out, I’m Fine Sarah Sentilles - Stranger Care

Jenny Valentish - Everything Harder Than Everyone Else

Head to www.betterreadevents.com for more information, to see what else is coming up and to book.

The books featured in the Better Read Than Dead Summer Reading Guide have all been hand-selected and many have been reviewed by our Better Read Than Dead and Better Read Kids booksellers. Prices, publication information, event dates and event details are correct at time of publication.

Cover illustration by Maggie Stein

@stein_press

Lino Printing with Maggie