SPRING READING GUIDE 2019 Featuring...
and many, many more! BETTER READ THAN DEAD | 265 KING ST NEWTOWN NSW 2042
BOOKS OF THE MONTH
JULY BOOK OF THE MONTH The Yield | Tara June Winch | $32.99 | Penguin Random House So, so beautiful – and like nothing I’ve ever read. There are passages of sublime prose; sentences that shook me and took me new places; and parts that made me bawl for everything that’s been and being lost, stolen and damaged for First Nations people in Australia. The Yield follows the story of August who, after spending years overseas, returns to find her ancestors’ land – her family’s home – being repossessed by a mining company. The words of her grandfather, Albert Gondiwindi, weave through August’s story. Albert’s dictionary is a masterpiece and some of the most moving prose I’ve read. The Yield is my favourite Australian book this year – and it might be yours, too! — Emma Co.
AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH The Pillars | Peter Polites | $32.99 | Hachette The Pillars is Polites in cracking form. Familiar themes from his debut novel, Down The Hume – the perspective of a young, gay man of Greek descent in Western Sydney — have been given a broader canvas and mixed with the hotly topical issue of fast-buck, shoddy building standards and their possible disastrous consequences… Family dynamics, cultural perceptions, prejudices and moral relativism colour the story, as does Polites’ personal strain of dark humour. But, what gives this great new Australian novel its greatest life force is its author’s intimate knowledge of Western Sydney and its inhabitants and the artfulness with which he chisels them into the page… — James
SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH Sand Talk | Tyson Yunkaporta | $32.99 | Text Publishing Sand Talk is exciting and bursting with ideas; it is an invitation to listen and understand, as well as an offering of hope for future sustainability systems. Yunkaporta is writing about indigenous culture’s sustainability and turns this practice and thinking onto contemporary society to offer solutions for today, turning the current mode of Western thinking up-side down. Through yarning with a range of custodians of the land, Yunkaporta has brought oral history alive through the written text. It has created a fire in my belly. Fans of Dark Emu have their next read right here. — Dean
NEW IN THE NOOK Only as the Day is Long | Dorianne Laux | $41.95 | John Wiley A collection from a true master of the form. Precise, heartfelt, and often overwhelmingly beautiful, Laux’s earthy and lyrical paeans to survival, healing, and celebration are a real source of solace in our trying times. For fans of Ada Limón, Mary Oliver, and Joy Harjo. — Zak
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Halal if you Hear Me: The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 3 | Ed. Fatima Asghar & Safia Elhillo | $35.99 | Haymarket Books
Making Kin Not Population: Reconceiving Generations | Ed. Donna Haraway & Adele Clarke | $23.99 | Prickly Paradigm Press
Two formidable talents in contemporary poetry edit this groundbreaking, mind-altering anthology. The collection sheds light on the diverse ways people celebrate, and lay claims to, a Muslim identity, highlighting the identity’s intersections and nuances. Essential reading. — Zak
Conversations about population growth and sustainability have long been morally and politically fraught, entangled as they are in histories of transnational inequality, colonialism, and eugenics. Drawing together essays by leading antiracist, ecologically-concerned, feminist scholars, Haraway and Clarke reframe the conversation in productive and thrilling ways. — Zak
AUSTRALIAN FICTION
The Old Lie | Claire G. Coleman | $32.99 | Hachette Electrifying, original and fearless, The Old Lie by Claire G. Coleman is an unforgettable novel with an enormous scope. It’s an anti-colonial, feminist work of science fiction, which addresses the act and ethics of war, immigration and the refugee experience, racism and genocide, nuclear warfare, gender and sexuality, and Indigenous Australian connections to Country. Coleman, author of Terra Nullius, is one of the most exciting and dynamic writers in Australian literature right now. I can’t recommend her and The Old Lie more highly! — Emma Co.
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
From Here On, Monsters | Elizabeth Bryer | $29.99 | Picador
The Rich Man’s House | Andrew McGahan | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin
Here Until August | Josephine Rowe | $29.99 | Black Inc.
As we follow the bibliophile narrator Cameron into an investigation of a mysterious codex, and of the very fabric of reality itself, we are asked to investigate our own reading of this novel. In the tradition of Borges, this story explores the experience of reading and writing, but it is not too meta to have a heart; a compassion for the Other beats through every one of its pages. Simply incredible. Once I had finished I wanted to pick it up and read it again.
Death permeates throughout The Rich Man’s House and McGahan handles it expertly from an uncanny perspective. It’s written cleanly and thoughtfully and you’ll be wanting answers before the end of the first page. The questions pile up quickly, keeping you roped in until the very end. An essential pick for readers of contemporary fiction looking for a new thriller and a great entry point for those curious about this veteran Australian author.
Dropping the reader into each story with such effortless ease, Rowe takes us on several intimate journeys through the lives of her characters. What she shares with us is haunting, and marked by absence — inviting us to read between the lines and to explore what is not said, just as much as what is. Some stories are subtle, others are explicit, but all of them deal with the vulnerable emotional worlds of her characters, and they will stay with you long after you read them.
Treloar’s evocative debut Salt Creek was deservedly shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. Wolfe Island, both timely and timeless, cements her reputation. The world is teetering, and the desperation of the mainland has come to the front door of Kitty Hawke, the last person living on a remote and sinking island in Chesapeake Bay. The landscape is rendered superbly, as is the solace and terror of this troubled borderland, where people are pushed to do the unthinkable.
— Lucy H.
— John
— Lucy H.
— Sanjo
Wolfe Island | Lucy Treloar | $29.99 | Picador
Taking Tom Murray Home | Tim Slee | $32.99 | HarperCollins Winner of the 2018 Banjo Prize, Taking Tom Murray Home is an offbeat charmer. Full of Aussie quirk in the vein of The Rosie Project or Boy Swallows Universe, this is a clever story with twists in the road and sparking with childlike curiosity from the thirteen-year-old narrator. A funeral procession led by horse and cart turns into a protest supporting dairy farmers, as Jack’s family take his father’s coffin from rural Australia along the roads leading to Melbourne. With dashes of humour to mask the undercurrent of grief and desperation, there is more than meets the eye here. This is a clever up-lit tale and one you can fall in love with. — Dean
TRENT DALTON AND GRAEME SIMSION FANS, MEET YOUR NEXT GREAT READ
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INTERNATIONAL FICTION
Doxology | Nell Zink | $29.99 | HarperCollins Zink is one of the most unique and exciting voices in contemporary fiction. She has a style that is distinctly sly, sardonic and as sharp as a papercut. In Doxology we are propelled through thirty years of the protagonist’s lives, from the gritty punk underculture of 1990s New York, through the shattering events of September 11, and along the campaign trail of the 2016 US election. Yet Zink’s true power as a writer is her characterisations of people and their motivations, however flawed. Despite their idiosyncrasies these characters are utterly believable – in particular the childlike and all-too-trusting Joe. Zink revels in words and ideas, crafting cleverly constructed sentences that take several read-throughs to properly appreciate. Doxology is canny, perceptive and propulsively readable. — Sarah
“SHARP AS A PAPERCUT.”
Patsy | Nicole DennisBenn | $29.99 | Bloomsbury
Quichotte | Salman Rushdie | $32.99 | Penguin Random House
I loved Dennis-Benn’s debut Here Comes The Sun — an incredible novel interrogating homophobia, racial and class prejudice, and the impact of tourism trade in Jamaica. Her second novel Patsy is one I’ve been waiting for all year. It’s about a queer Jamaican woman who receives an American visa and leaves her young daughter behind, in the care of her aging mother, only to discover that America is not the land of opportunity for everyone.
Rushdie takes inspiration from Cervantes’ Don Quixote to create a complex, rich and decidedly epic commentary on contemporary American society and the role popular culture, especially social media, is playing in it. What he began with the gloriously sharp The Golden House, he extrapolates and explodes here into a glowing firework of a novel that, while deliciously satirical, looks deeply into love, the life we live today, and perhaps even the universe.
— Emma Co.
— Sylvia
The Man Who Saw Everything | Deborah Levy | $32.99 | Penguin Random House
The Dutch House | Ann Patchett | $29.99 | Bloomsbury
Levy is the brilliant novelist behind Swimming Home and Hot Milk. A lot of us at Better Read cannot wait to get our hands on her upcoming book, The Man Who Saw Everything. Anybody who has read her recent memoirs knows Levy is only getting better and better, so my expectations for this book are enormous! You can bet it will be beautifully crafted, luminous in its language, and tell a story that’s strange and unforgettable. — Emma Co.
Supper Club | Lara Williams | $29.99 | Penguin Random House This British debut has been recommended for fans of Sally Rooney (we are now legion) and I can see why – like Rooney, Williams successfully explores intense connections and equally intense disconnection in young adulthood. Our narrator Roberta is passive, isolated and apologetic. Her primary comfort is cooking, and eating. Men treat her poorly, to say the least. She finds her first significant female friendship with Stevie and together they start the Supper Club. These nights are devoted to a bacchanalian feast. The women eat and drink until bursting, they bloat and make a mess. They take up space and they do not apologise. For a brief time, they are free from expectations and free from fear. But when Roberta falls in love and starts settling down, her friendship with Stevie and their vision for Supper Club falters. Sometimes this novel feels too real, and there is some discomfort in that, but it is a terrific read – particularly in conjunction with Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women. — Kate
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Reminiscent of some of my alltime favourite books, Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and Siri Hustvedt’s What I Loved, The Dutch House examines fractured family dynamics with the central motif being a painting. It has been some time since I have read one of these great beauties, an epic read where you can be engrossed in a detailed, perfect description of another family’s imperfect life. I recommend giving yourself over to read for pleasure. I assure you of a most wonderful time. — Dean
The Memory Police | Yoko Ogawa | $32.99 | Penguin Random House
I cannot wait to revisit the bone-chilling world of Gilead. Atwood’s realistic portrayal of a dystopian world where women are persecuted for their mere existence hits too close to home, if you ask me. The Testaments continues 15 years on from when The Handmaid’s Tale ended, with three new perspectives to tell the tale. This is definitely my most anticipated book of 2019.
Ogawa is one of my favourite authors. The savage darkness of Ogawa’s writing is elegantly balanced with a gentile meditative approach. Ogawa is clever with how she can hypnotise and calm you then throw you over the edge, as her story creeps around a dark corner and falls down deep into a dark, dark place. Where this story turns will shock but it is fabulously dark and tremendously twisted.
— Angelita
— Dean
The Need | Helen Phillips | $29.99 | Penguin Random House An extraordinary read from an incredibly exciting writer, The Need sinks into the churning mix of love and grief that accompanies motherhood. Phillips grapples with existential questions in a way that I – a reader who is typically averse to philosophical literature – find fascinating and digestible. We meet our protagonist Molly at the start of a week of juggling solo parenting with work, as she huddles in a dark corner of her bedroom, clutches her children to her chest and listens for the intruder she believes is in their lounge room. From the very beginning of the novel, her path inextricably twines with that of the intruder, as her family life collides with her professional life. Phillips employs elements of the thriller, speculative and literary fiction genres to construct a novel which uniquely and surreally explores the complexities of motherhood.
INTERNATIONAL FICTION
The Testaments | Margaret Atwood | $42.99 | Penguin Random House
— Kate
The Nickel Boys | Colson Whitehead | $32.99 | Hachette The Nickel Boys is a historical masterpiece and Colson Whitehead is a writer you must read and keep reading. His work is urgent, important, powerful and all those adjectives you associate with books like this one. Books that you must read even though they tear holes in your universe. Even though they hurt, shock, horrify and demand action. The Nickel Academy is based on a sadistic and brutal “reform school” in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years. A place that operated until 2011. In a world that is so often racist and rotten, you need to read this, understand it and think deeply about it. — Emma Co. Devastating and brilliant! This book destroyed me. Whitehead pulls no punches when looking at American history. This book certainly makes you feel; shame, horror, grief and empathy. Based on The Dozier School for Boys in Florida, The Nickel Boys follows two friends Elwood and Turner who grow up under the extreme violence served to the youth attending The Nickel Academy. This is an important book for our times and a history we should never forget. A must-read! — Dean
Inland | Téa Obreht | $32.99 | Hachette
Devotion | Madeline Stevens | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin
With her second novel, Obreht brings us a reimagined vision of the Western. This is a story that is as much about the land as it is about the people. Obreht writes with a subtle measure of magical realism so deftly handled it makes the ordinary wondrous and the extraordinary entirely credible. Paced with careful deliberation and a steady build-up of suspense and foreboding, this is a novel to be savoured, and those final pages will truly leave you breathless.
A thrilling debut that’s as juicy as the summer peach on the cover and reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s tangled webs of deceit and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Ella, desperately poor, lies her way into becoming the nanny to Lonnie’s young son. Both women are aged 26. From day one their relationship is not that of employee/ employer. Boundaries blur, secrets are gathered, intimacy deepens, obsession is stoked. An utterly captivating read. — Kate
— Sarah
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CRIME FICTION
The Godmother | Hannelore Cayre | $27.99 | Black Inc.
The Swallows | Lisa Lutz | $18.99 | NewSouth Books
Socially engaged, original, incisive and packed with humour. Patience is a 53-year-old widow and a poorly paid legal translator, translating phone surveillance on drug deals from Arabic to French. Then Patience reaches breaking point. She knows everything about drug trafficking, the pricing and the networks; the Godmother has a plan… No wonder this novel won best crime novel in France when it was first published in 2017. Just translated into English, read it before the movie is out!
Lutz is one of my favourite thriller writers for her brassy female protagonists, exhilarating sense of humour and twisty plots. Her new novel sounds like a treat I’m going to gobble up in one sitting. When a new teacher at an elite school inspires the female students to question the school’s patriarchal attitude of “boys will be boys,” secrets are spilled and tensions rise. Polite silence turns to a deafening roar. And when justice fails, revenge is sought. I’m so keen.
— Fabienne
— Kate
Good Girl, Bad Girl | Michael Robotham | $32.99 | Hachette Another corker by a master of the thriller-crime crossover. Set in England, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven assists detectives investigating the murder of Jodie, a teenage ice-skating prodigy whose life harbours many secrets. He is also called to rehabilitate Evie, ward of the state with a disturbing past, who can detect when someone is lying. The broken Evie is one of the most memorable characters I’ve read in ages. This grips you from the off, and has a great twist, the two strands coming together in an explosive conclusion. Who is the good girl and who is the bad? Gold standard from Robotham. — John
THE FIRST IN A NEW SERIES, PERFECT FOR AVID CRIME FICTION READERS
SCI-FI/FANTASY
Wanderers | Chuck Wendig | $29.99 | Penguin Random House
A Little Hatred | Joe Abercrombie | $32.99 | Hachette
Epic and completely enthralling, Wanderers is a magnum opus of sorts, spanning over many lives and intertwining tales of the end of the world. Wendig has transformed traditional notions of apocalyptic fiction. He has created a story that is great not only in its length but also depth, through its riveting characters including a rock star, a radio host, and a disgraced scientist among many others.
A Little Hatred is Abercrombie’s latest addition to his richly-imagined fantasy universe. He takes the familiar fantasy settings we love and drags them through the mud. It’s grim and violent and darkly comedic with characters that are bent, bruised and broken. Suffer alongside them as they weather the consequences of their decisions, and the guiding hand of fate. Vividly imagined battles and political intrigue will keep you guessing who’s going to make it out alive. — Sanjo
— Lucy V.
The Institute | Stephen King | $32.99 | Hachette Stephen King is back with a fresh new take on the mutant genre. The Institute follows the story of six children with superhuman abilities; however this is no Hogwarts scenario. The Institute is in place to test and extract the force of their powers. But those who have ‘graduated’ are never seen again. Under the watchful eye of the director, Mrs. Sigsby, the children are meagrely rewarded for good behaviour and punished to the extreme for bad. As they become suspicious to the fates of their graduated peers, they hatch a plan to escape. This is bound to be a horrifying tale of good vs. evil by the master of suspense himself. — Angelita
A FRESH NEW READ FROM THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE
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Tiny houses are so big right now! Everyone is getting in on the small act: the budgetconscious; downsizers; sustainability advocates; architects such as Takeshi Hosaka – whose remarkable 18m² home ‘Love 2 House’ exemplifies what’s possible in small spaces; and even IKEA. Tiny House encapsulates this housing revolution perfectly. Featuring 250 colour photographs, interviews, tips, and features of the best small houses, this beautifully produced book provides all the inspiration you need. Forget those hideous McMansions blighting the ‘burbs; think small acts of kindness. — John
Before Time Began | $75 | Peribo This stunning collection of Australian Aboriginal art is being released to complement the first large-scale Indigenous exhibition of this sort in Switzerland, organised by the Fondation Opale. The book and the exhibition both expound the increasing fusion between contemporary art and traditional customs, as ancestral knowledge and techniques become inevitably influenced by more modern approaches. The works represent our connection to (and destruction of) the land, and are evocative of the ongoing temporal fluidity of the Dreaming, as reflected in the book’s oneiric title. — Lillian
The Light Fades But the Gods Remain | Bill Henson | $100 | Thames & Hudson
Bill Cunningham’s On the Street | Bill Cunningham | $99.99 | Penguin Random House
The Light Fades But the Gods Remain is a follow up to Henson’s original ‘suburban series’ Untitled 198586. It is a resplendent work, eerily portraying images that revisit his childhood suburb in a way that will be familiar to anyone who grew up in suburbia. Touching and thoughtprovoking, and a fitting sequel to his original works. A beautiful collection.
My eyes filled with tears of delight when I saw this book. Cunningham is the grandad of street fashion photography and the masterful placement of his photographs, the curatorial eye used to balance his compositions, is a work of art in itself. Housing a 50-year collection of this exciting photographer’s most beloved works, together with commentary written by most of his muses makes this a must-have collectable. — Dean
— Lucy V.
ART & DESIGN
Tiny House | Brent Heavener | $34.99 | Penguin Random House
BETTER READ COOKS The Shared Table | Clare Scrine | $39.99 | Smith Street There’s nothing like cooking and sharing delicious food. Although Clare’s work is in politics, she’s also been cooking for herself and others for over ten years. Her beautifully presented book puts a spotlight on eight banquet-style vegetarian and vegan feasts that are easy to make and perfect for long leisurely meals with friends or family. Recipes include Loaded Baked Brie, Empanadas with BBQ Shredded Jackfruit, and Stacked Passionfruit and Lemon Pavlova Cake. This book will have you writing a guest list before you know it! — Sylvia
The Whole Fish Cookbook | Josh Niland | $55 | Hardie Grant
Marriage of Flavours | Scott Pickett | $39.99 | Lantern
Josh Niland, chef and owner of the much-acclaimed Saint Peter, has truly revolutionised the way we perceive fish cookery. He favours the nose-to-tail approach, as well as dry-aging and curing methods usually associated with meat butchery. Recipes include Fish Cassoulet (with fish bacon and sausages), Swordfish Saltimbocca, BBQ Mahi Mahi Rack and probably the best Fish & Chips you’ll ever eat. Anyone who follows Niland will be thrilled to find this ground-breaking book in their fish-loving hands! — Sylvia
Your fancy plating may look fabulous but flavour is key and Pickett is an expert in it. Here he focuses on eight flavour profiles — sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy, umami, temperature, texture — and I find it hard to read that list without my imagination running wild and my mouth watering. He also prioritises Australian produce and working with the seasons, which we can and should all get behind. A local and significantly more approachable Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. — Kate
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AUSTRALIAN NON-FICTION
Salt | Bruce Pascoe | $34.99 | Black Inc.
Growing Up Queer in Australia | Ed. Benjamin Law | $29.99 | Black Inc.
I am so looking forward to this! After reading Dark Emu, I have been keen to explore the genius of Bruce Pascoe in more depth, and this volume distils a lifetime of creative and academic work into an accessible and enlightening anthology. Not only does it feature Pascoe’s most celebrated writing to date, but it also includes previously unpublished fiction. As always with Pascoe, this is a highly thought-provoking compilation that provides us with a chance to re-assess our understanding of and relationship to our long and complex Indigenous history. — Lillian
Scientists, please direct your energies towards building a time machine: what I would have given to have had this book as a young’un! The inimitable Law flexes his curatorial muscles and delivers an evocative collection of stories from across the spectrum of queer identities. From David Marr’s hard-hitting exploration of faith, shame, and sexuality to Fiona Wright’s nuanced account of queerness and the fickleness of desire, the book overflows with tales of love, loss, community, and belonging that demand to be heard by audiences far and wide. Chicken soup for the queer soul. — Zak
The Gap | Benjamin Gilmour | $34.99 | Penguin Random House
The Art of Growing Up | John Marsden | $34.99 | Pan Macmillan
Fixed It | Jane Gilmore | $34.99 | Penguin Random House
Songspirals | Gay’wu Group of Women | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin
After twenty years as a paramedic, Gilmour reflects on one particularly hot summer on the job. The lead up to Christmas is a fiery time of year and in 2008 the Gap was burning! This is a vivid portrait of the Gap as its residents explode in all kinds of hotsummer-day emergencies. Dramatics are faced with wry humour as Gilmour explores the lengths paramedics will go to save lives. Humour meets danger in a very real way! — Dean
If there’s anyone qualified to write about education and youth, it’s John Marsden. After thirty years of experience with children, he pulls together all he’s learnt about the changing importance of education, the role of parents, and what it means to grow up and be happy. A book written about educating kids by someone who has taught, raised, and inspired so many across the world is one that is worth reading. — Ayesha
Gilmore kicked off the “fixed it” movement online when she became so enraged by a news headline about a sex worker who was murdered in her home (framed as a prostitute found dead) that she took a screenshot of it, edited it, and uploaded it to Twitter. It went viral. Now she is a passionate advocate for holding the media accountable for dangerous passive reporting about violence against women. I cannot wait to stoke my feminist rage with this vital work. — Kate
Songspirals, the product of a decade-long collaboration between five Yolngu women and three non-Aboriginal women, is an intimate, eyeopening, and deeply moving account of women’s songlines in North East Arnhem Land. Generations upon generations of wisdom are stored within these pages, and it is an absolute privilege to read, to learn from, and to share such wisdom in our uncertain times. A journey every reader should take in 2019. — Zak
The Prettiest Horse in the Glue Factory | Corey White | $32.99 | Penguin Random House It feels a bit odd to describe such a heartbreaking memoir as unrelentingly captivating, but this book was - I picked it up and didn’t put it down until I was done. White tells the tragic story of his childhood in and out of foster homes and subsequent drug addiction, and while it feels like that might make for one depressing read, it really isn’t. Corey tells his story with honesty and clarity and, more importantly, with compassion. That’s where the hope lies in this book, what makes it uplifting. You’ll be a better person for reading it. — Lucy H. At a reading a few months ago I was captivated by the story White shared of a foiled suicide attempt. It was grim and brimming with black humour, and his memoir is as painful, gorgeous and soulful as this reading led me to believe. It is a compelling read for fans of Rosie Waterland’s memoirs and a unique companion to Clementine Ford’s Boys Will Be Boys, as White offers startling insight into toxic masculinity. — Kate
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INTERNATIONAL NON-FICTION
Three Women | Lisa Taddeo | $32.99 | Bloomsbury I didn’t realise how urgent and necessary Taddeo’s work is until I was a couple of chapters in. These women’s stories are raw, they are bleak, they are intense. They are liberating. They are sexy. If you, like me, have been rejoicing in the increased publication of women writing honestly about womanhood and all the amazing, awful shit that comes with it, this needs to be on your radar. — Kate Like one intimate therapy session, Taddeo brings us right into the lives of three women, and unashamedly bares all – exposing their fears, their desires, their shame – and it feels so transgressive, so brave, and so unlike any other book about women I’ve ever read because it hit so close to home. — Lucy H. I found this book confronting, but it opened some much-needed conversations with myself and with other women — I couldn’t help but bring my questions and anger to a dinner party after reading a new chapter… This book is an essential read for those who refuse the female status quo. — Fabienne
Feminism: A Graphic Guide | Cathia Jenainati | $24.99 | Allen & Unwin From the publisher of the critically acclaimed Queer: A Graphic History comes an accessible, insightful exploration of feminism. What does it mean to be a feminist in the age of #MeToo? More broadly, how has the term emerged out of diverse social, historical, and cultural contexts, and how is it being used today; in Australia, in the Middle East, in Europe, in Japan? Tracing feminism’s entangled genealogies and intersections from the 16th century through to the present, this is a fascinating, nuanced, and gripping guidebook that equips readers with the knowledge necessary to engage in some of the most urgent debates of our times. — Zak
Mr Know-It-All | John Waters | $45 | Hachette John Waters is the People’s Pervert. As director of cult classics and smashfailures, Waters has recently come to a shocking realisation and something of an existential crisis – as a creative person, he has been accepted. By plumbing the depths of human bad taste and depravity Waters seeks not to alienate or exploit, but to promote a kind of acceptance so allencompassing that few escape its filthy embrace. John Waters is trash, which is to say he’s treasure. — Sarah
Garments Against Women | Anne Boyer | $22.99 | Penguin Random House
We Need New Stories | Nesrine Malik | $32.99 | Hachette
Splendidly negative, ardent and political, Boyer’s book happily denies genre and definition. Emerging from single parenting and poverty, the book investigates power systems around the realities of exploitation, and also the literature that services existing power systems seen with all of their brutality intact. This is about ‘survival living’, asking the meaning of her life as labour hired for ten dollars an hour. — Virginia
The exchange of myths and stories are a key point of difference between humans and animals. We are living in a time where the once-steadfast stories of the ‘centre’ are eroded and replaced by those at the fringe. Malkik pulls the rug out from under the reader; this is a destabilising, challenging and invigorating read, which asks you to question what you know and more importantly, how you know it. — Emma Cr.
We Are The Weather | Jonathan Safran Foer | $35 | Penguin Random House
Year of the Monkey | Patti Smith | $29.99 | Bloomsbury
If you have ever felt removed from the climate change conversation or thought the topic was too inaccessible then this is the book for you! Outlining the impact of climate change and the repercussions of our actions in simple terms, and proposing easy solutions that even the individual can practice, We Are the Weather brings the climate change debate to life. — Lucy V.
Patti Smith is a hero and icon to many. Her writing lights a fire in your soul. Just Kids is my all-time favourite read. M Train is equally spectacular. Now Smith’s third memoir is coming, continuing on with her poetic mastery and I just can’t wait. This covers one transformative year where Smith wanders alone, weaving through her own dreamscape. Her elegant writing shares the brilliant wit and wisdom of a shamanic mind, thinking and dreaming and looking towards building hope for the future. — Dean
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BETTER READ KIDS
JULY BOOKS OF THE MONTH Fashionista | Maxine Beneba Clarke | $19.99 | Hachette | Ages 4+ A cheerfully illustrated picture book on the joys and the woes of fashion that will bring a smile to your face. So often clothing can be trivialised or scoffed at, but Clarke celebrates the individuality and personality that clothing offers. — Olivia Detention | Tristan Bancks | $16.99 | Penguin Random House | Ages 10+ Detention is a stunning book that explores what friendship, family and safety means during times of stress and displacement. This gripping novel will have you questioning what you would do if you were in a similar situation... — Olivia
AUGUST BOOKS OF THE MONTH The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! | Mo Willems | $16.99 | Walker Books | Ages 3+ Pigeon is back! It’s been FIVE years since we last saw Pigeon and now it’s time for him to go to school. Pigeon is NOT keen. It’s up to us to convince him to go. Mo Willems is one of a kind and this is another riotously hilarious story starring our favourite angry bird. — Kate It Sounded Better In My Head | Nina Kenwood| $19.99 | Text | Ages 14+ Kenwood’s debut novel is a knock-out. Breathtakingly honest, funny and relatable, she has masterfully written a coming-of-age tale about a girl (who is actually almost a woman) who is desperate to grow up, but is just a little bit scared to take the first step. — Olivia This book is a gorgeous, messy and very real depiction of what life verging on adulthood actually is like. Filled with moments of happiness, tears, love, and friendship, this is one of those reads you won’t forget. — Ayesha
SEPTEMBER BOOKS OF THE MONTH Don’t Worry, Little Crab | Chris Haughton | $24.99 | Walker Books | Ages 3+ Chris Haughton is one of those rare creators who gets it right every time and Don’t Worry Little Crab is Haughton at his best. My son loves all of his books. When he was two he enjoyed the saturated and contrasting colours and now at four he enjoys reading the subtle, clever rhymes. The story sends a joyful message as crab encourages little crab to be brave. — Dean Welcome to Country | Marcia Langton | $29.99 | Hardie Grant | Ages 11+ A fascinating insight into Indigenous languages, customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, cultural awareness and the future and rightful place in the nation of Indigenous Australians. Written by highly respected Indigenous Elder Marcia Langton, this new youth edition of the bestselling and award-winning Welcome to Country is essential reading for every young Australian. — Kay
Mythologica | Steve Kershaw & Victoria Topping | $35 | Allen & Unwin | Ages 11+ For a spell in my childhood I was obsessed with Greek mythology and, if this had been published 20 years ago, I would have pored over this book for hours on end (actually, I still might). An encyclopedic record of 50 gods and goddesses, monsters and mortals, it is bursting with fascinating insights from Classics expert Kershaw and paired with eye-popping illustrations by artist Topping that make this large-format volume entirely enrapturing. — Kate Absolutely stunning, Mythologica brings to life a vivid reimagining of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. These illustrations, alongside the stories they are based on make Mythologica a compendium that is a must-have for any fan of mythology, young or old. — Lucy V. A GORGEOUS GIFT FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART
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A delightful and energetic depiction of the life cycle of a butterfly, from cocoon to rolypoly caterpillar to sprouting wings and flying. Our caterpillar is helped along its way by a kookaburra, and young readers are also introduced to the story of how the kookaburra may have gotten his distinctive laugh. A joyful, brightly illustrated book that will enchant young readers. — Lucy V.
Liarbird | Laura & Philip Bunting | $17.99 | Scholastic | Ages 3+ I have been a huge fan of Queensland illustrator Philip Bunting’s work since his debut picture book, Mopoke. He has since collaborated with his wife Laura Bunting. Both are very talented with wordplay, and the pairing of her hilarious stories with his artwork is oh so perfect. In their new book, the Australian lyrebird is in fact a liarbird. They are born to lie, and they are the masters of creating fake news. But then one lyrebird decides it’s time to go straight. A fun and fabulous read which helps families explore the tricky concept of fibbing with kids aged 3+. — Kate
BETTER READ KIDS
The Butterfly Garden | Michael Torres & Fern Martins | $12.99 | Magabala Books | Ages 0+
Hotel Flamingo and Hotel Flamingo: Holiday Heatwave | Alex Milway | $12.99 ea | Allen & Unwin | Ages 7+ When Anna arrives at the Hotel Flamingo, bequeathed to her by great-aunt Mathilde, she is crestfallen. Unlike the photo in her hand, ‘the sunniest hotel in town’ is dilapidated and empty, with a large old bear and a listless lemur the only remaining staff. Anna’s enthusiasm is catching, and with the help of T Bear, Lemmy, and an unusual array of new employees, the hotel is once again open for business, relaunched with a gala performance by Ms Fragranti and her troupe of flamingos. Illustrated throughout, this book oozes charm and I love the messages of kindness, equality and acceptance - everyone is welcome and catered for, even Mr Roachford’s party of cockroaches! I’m looking forward to book two, wherein penguin royalty arrive in the midst of a heatwave and an ice shortage... — Mandy
Atticus Van Tasticus | Andrew Daddo & Stephen Michael King | $14.99 | Penguin Random House | Ages 7+ It’s 1750 and Atticus Van Tasticus is turning 10. As part of an ancient family tradition, he gets to choose anything he fancies from his rich Grandnan’s treasures. He chooses a pirate ship, but making it seaworthy is a challenge, as is assembling his rag-tag crew! King’s playful drawings are the perfect accompaniment to this whacky new series. Let the piratin’ life begin! Aaaaarrrrr! — Mandy
Scary Stories for Young Foxes | Christian McKay Heidicker | $26.99 | Henry Holt | Ages 10+
The Good Thieves | Katherine Rundell | $14.99 | Bloomsbury | Ages 10+
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling | Wai Chim | $19.99 | Allen & Unwin | Ages 14+
You know a book will be deliciously scary when it takes inspiration from Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Bram Stoker. Eight interconnected stories see Mia and Uly, two young foxes separated from their litter, trying to navigate Antler Wood as they encounter witches, zombies and ghosts. Dark, fantastical and incredibly original, this will delight readers 9+ who love thrilling tales of adventure and friendship. — Sylvia
Rundell’s work is often about young people coming to an understanding of an imperfect world, a place where there’s good and bad, but where joy and rollicking adventures can still be found. Here Vita, affected by polio as a child but strong as steel, bands together with two circus kids and a thief yearning for change. Together they attempt to vanquish a devious mobster who’s swindled Vita’s grandfather. — Sylvia
Chim explores mental illness and the effects it has on family, the pressure that comes with being a first generation Chinese Australian, and the stress of trying to be a good student, a good sister and a good daughter. And woven into all of this is a tender love story. Jampacked with heart and humour, it packs an emotional punch that leaves you a little breathless, while simultaneously making you really, really hungry. — Olivia
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EVENTS find more events at www.betterreadevents.com Thursday Aug. 22 Saturday Aug. 24 Saturday Aug. 24 Monday Aug. 26 Tuesday Aug. 27 Wednesday Aug. 28 Wednesday Aug. 28 Tuesday Sept. 3 Wednesday Sept. 4 Thursday Sept. 5 Thursday Sept. 5
Randa Abdel-Fattah, Sara Saleh, Paula Abood, Rooan Al Kalmashi & Amani Haydar | Arab, Australian, Other High Tea with Joy Rhoades | The Burnt Country Ben Folds with Simon Marnie | A Dream About Lightning Bugs Adam Rozenbachs with Sophie Braham | Paris and Other Disappointments David Crowe with Jacqueline Maley | Venom Jane Sullivan with Melanie Kembrey | Storytime Sally Rugg | How Powerful We Are Jack Charles | Born Again Blackfella Chloe Higgins with Fiona Wright | The Girls Rebekah Robertson with Liz Duck-Chong | About a Girl Lucy Treloar with Melanie Kembrey | Wolfe Island
Monday Sept. 9 Saturday Sept. 14 Monday Sept. 16 Tuesday Sept. 17
Ruby Hamad with Antoinette Lattouff, Yumi Stynes & Amal Awad | White Tears/Brown Scars High Tea with Sophie Green | The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Club Tyson Yunkaporta | Sand Talk Jane Gilmore with Wendy Harmer | Fixed It
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The books featured in the Better Read Than Dead Spring Reading Guide have all been hand-selected and 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 print. Cover image © Kateryna - stock.adobe.com. Designed by Kate Adams. Printed by Trojan Print.
