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The Glow (Sofie Laguna, illus by Marc McBride, A&U Children’s)

Released March 2023

The Song of Lewis Carmichael brought us the excellent pairing of author Sofie Laguna and illustrator Marc McBride. The Glow is their latest collaboration, a thrilling sci-fi adventure with a... Read more

Children of Tomorrow (J R Burgmann, Upswell)

Released March 2023

J R Burgmann’s debut novel is an intergenerational story that foresees a century of environmental devastation. We begin in the present day, when one of our protagonists, Arne, bears witness... Read more

The Wakes (Dianne Yarwood, Hachette)

Released March 2023

When Clare’s husband tells her one night that he’s unhappy, she’s not sure what to do—but helping her new friend Louisa start a funeral catering business is the last thing... Read more

One Illumined Thread (Sally Colin-James, Fourth Estate)

Released March 2023

Fans of Sarah Winman and Pip Williams will love Sally Colin-James’s debut novel One Illumined Thread, an intriguing story of three women separated by centuries yet inextricably connected by their... Read more

Judgement Day (Mali Waugh, Macmillan)

Released March 2023

Mali Waugh’s debut novel opens with an omniscient narrator observing that there were no signs or omens that family court judge Kaye Bailey was to be murdered that day. Due... Read more

Dark Mode (Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Ultimo)

Released March 2023

Dark Mode opens with the graphic discovery of a woman disturbingly murdered in the same way as the infamous, unsolved case of the Black Dahlia. Also disturbing for Reagan Carsen,... Read more

Once a Stranger (Zoya Patel, Hachette)

Released March 2023

Following on from her debut memoir No Country Woman, Zoya Patel’s novel Once a Stranger tackles the same themes of cultural bereavement, being caught between two different worlds and the... Read more

Matt Formston: Surfing in the Dark (John Dickson, illus by Philip Bunting, Berbay)

Released March 2023

People who are blind, who achieve incredible feats, are the linchpin of ‘Big Visions’, an exciting new nonfiction picture book series from Berbay Books and Vision Australia, aimed at 7–12-year-olds... Read more

Temperance (Carol Lefevre, Wakefield)

Released March 2023

Award-winning author Carol Lefevre’s latest novel, Temperance, is the touching story of a woman attempting to make sense of a childhood memory. The book begins in 1963 in South Australia,... Read more

Downtown Sewertown (Tull Suwannakit, Ford St)

Released March 2023

CBCA notable author-illustrator Tull Suwannakit has crafted his picture book Downtown Sewertown to depict a refugee experience. It is also a cautionary tale about the environment. A mouse, fox, rabbit... Read more

The Wish Sisters #1: The Party Wish (Allison Rushby, illus by Karen Blair, UQP)

Released March 2023

The Party Wish is the first book in the middle-grade series The Wish Sisters by Allison Rushby. At just under 100 pages it follows Flick and baby Birdie, who discover... Read more

Sea Glass (Rebecca Fraser, Wombat Books)

Released March 2023

Rebecca Fraser is a vibrant voice in Australian junior fiction. Her novel Sea Glass is the beautifully executed story of 11-year-old Cailin, a pre-teen who is stuck with her mother... Read more

Tiny Tradies (Tami Sussman, illus by Tom Jellett, Affirm Press)

Released March 2023

Tami Sussman and evergreen illustrator Tom Jellett perfectly execute their ingenious idea of comparing toddlers and tradespeople in Tiny Tradies. The picture book begins at home before a big day... Read more

Shirley (Ronnie Scott, Hamish Hamilton)

Released February 2023

Ronnie Scott’s second novel marks the beginning of a great remembering—in which artists reflect on the summer of 2019-20, a summer that we previously thought was going to be marked... Read more

The Hotel Witch (Jessica Miller, Text)

Released March 2023

With a cast of larger-than-life characters that almost pop off the page, The Hotel Witch is the wonderfully imaginative new adventure from Jessica Miller, who previously brought us The Republic... Read more

A Routine Infidelity (Elizabeth Coleman, Pantera)

Released February 2023

Small-time private investigator Edwina ‘Ted’ Bristol spends her days serving court documents and exposing cheating spouses, but she longs for the dangerous and exciting kind of high-profile crime case that... Read more

Tanya Plibersek: On her own terms (Margaret Simons, Black Inc.)

Released March 2023

Swept unexpectedly at only 28 into the safe seat of Sydney, Tanya Plibersek was the golden girl at the heart of Labor politics when the party was looking to increase... Read more

Viking Women (Lisa Hannett, Thames & Hudson)

Released February 2023

Literature academic and speculative fiction author Lisa Hannett has written an evocative account of the varied lives of women during the Viking era. Hannett uses her vast knowledge of Vikings... Read more

Resistance (Jacinta Halloran, Text)

Released March 2023

Resistance is the fourth novel by the award-winning author of Dissection and Pilgrimage, Jacinta Halloran. Narrated by family therapist Nina, it follows the Agostino family, mandated to see Nina after... Read more

Higher Education (Kira McPherson, Ultimo)

Released February 2023

Kira McPherson’s debut novel Higher Education portrays the turbulence of early adult life. Twenty-year-old student Sam is juggling a lacklustre university degree and family tensions. Troubled by her family’s alcohol-fuelled... Read more