We’ve got a veritable Easter basketload of brand-new books to enjoy. West Side Honey is a sharp, sexy and feel-good rom-com about friendship, dating and female empowerment. Booker-nominated author Percival Everett delights readers with the wildly mischievous Dr. No. Loraine Peck returns with The Double Bind, an action-packed crime thriller about family secrets and misplaced loyalties. This Is Not Miami is a masterly collection of stories drawn from shocking headlines.
Our non-fiction titles this month include The Last Daughter, an unmissable First Nations memoir that tells of the shattering experience of being stolen, and Family, a collection of essays about connection and belonging from some of the country’s finest writers. For younger readers, we have Allayne L. Webster’s take on teenagehood and social media, Selfie.
And as if that wasn’t enough, a new, smaller edition of the Miles Franklin-winning The Labyrinth also arrives this month. Read on for more, including details of how you could win a copy of each.
West Side Honey
by Claire Christian
A feel-good, sexy and empowering romantic comedy that celebrates friendship and love. Cleo Novak – single mother of two adorable kids – decides to reclaim control of her life and try a bit of everything.
‘This warm, poignant novel is a love letter to what can happen when we take agency of our lives, and to the freedom and joy that waits for us on the other side of fear. If books could talk, Cleo and her charming cohort in West Side Honey would say to readers, you can sit with us, you’re welcome here. I laughed and cried and loved being in their beautiful company.’ Holly Ringland
Celebrated Australian author Allayne L. Webster explores the complexities of teen friendships and the difficulties of navigating social media in this captivating novel for readers twelve years and up.
‘Social media, teenage fame, and a girl trying to work out where she fits. Loved it.’ Nova Weetman
The Last Daughter
by Brenda Matthews
An unmissable First Nations memoir about Brenda Matthews’ journey to discover the truth about her past. The Last Daughter is a story of heartbreak and healing that offers a path forward for all Australians.
‘Powerful and inspirational – a must-read.’ Taryn Brumfitt, Australian of the Year
The Double Bind
by Loraine Peck
This action-packed follow-up to the Ned Kelly Award-winning The Second Son reunites readers with Amy and Johnny Novak as the couple tries to lead a normal life – but will their past decisions come back to haunt them?
‘An urban-noir masterpiece. Streetwise, with crackling prose, this is a deep, rich mystery with family at its centre. It keeps all the promises of the best crime fiction on offer.’ Candice Fox
Family: Stories of Belonging
Edited by Alaina Gougoulis & Ian See
An uplifting collection of personal essays celebrating the many and various forms of family, featuring contributions from some of Australia’s most exciting writers and thinkers.
Featuring essays from Alice Pung, J. P. Pomare, Rachael Treasure, Jackie French and Elaine Harris, Ellen van Neerven, Ruby Hamad, Jaclyn Crupi, Daniel Browning, Amy Remeikis, Leah Jing McIntosh, Antoinette Lattouf, Cath Moore, Oliver Reeson, Fiona Murphy, Shannon Burns, Andy Jackson, Daniel James and Oliver Twist.
A sly, madcap novel about supervillains and nothing, really, from the acclaimed author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted The Trees.
‘Everett is a true American genius, a master artist…As off-kilter as ever, Dr. No is Percival Everett at his most artfully absurd and ironic, and it might be just the thing to finally propel this star into the literary ether.’ Oprah Daily
This Is Not Miami
by Fernanda Melchor
Translated by Sophie Hughes
Fernanda Melchor blends reportage with her distinctive narrative style in this collection set in and around the city of Veracruz in Mexico. These cronicás – a genre unique to Latin American writing, blending reportage and fiction – deliver twelve devastating stories that spiral from real events.
‘Melchor evokes the stories of Flannery O’Connor, or Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings. Impressive.’ New York Times
The Labyrinth: Winner of the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award
by Amanda Lohrey
NEW FORMAT
Amanda Lohrey’s multi-award-winning novel of grief and solace in a coastal community is now available in a smaller, more affordable format.
‘My novel of the year, full stop…A story told without a syllable of excess sentiment or false feeling, yet which sails full square into the mystic.’ Geordie Williamson, Australian
For your chance to win one of our April new releases, visit our Facebook page and tell us which one you would like and why.
The competition is open to AU/NZ residents only. Entries close 23:59 AEST, Friday 7 April. Winners will be notified via Facebook (one book only per person).
