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The Farm (Jessica Mansour-Nahra, Hachette)
Released September 2025
Atmospheric and quietly unnerving, The Farm is a haunting debut by Jessica Mansour-Nahra. The psychologically taut novel steadily draws the reader into its isolated setting and the protagonist’s unravelling reality.... Read more
Fierceland (Omar Musa, Penguin)
Released September 2025
Fierceland is a spellbinding novel by multi-hyphenate artist Omar Musa (Killernova), following his widely acclaimed and Miles Franklin–longlisted debut, Here Come the Dogs. In this self-proclaimed ghost story set across... Read more
Tenderfoot (Toni Jordan, Hachette)
Released September 2025
In Tenderfoot, Toni Jordan returns to the literary style of her earlier novels, Addition and The Fragments, shifting away from the light tones and commercial narratives found within more recent... Read more
The Style Secrets of Gareth McGreen (Kelly Brodie-Brown, illus Natasha Carty, Scholastic)
Released August 2025
The Style Secrets of Gareth McGreen by Kelly Brodie-Brown, illustrated by Natasha Carty (Time to Rest, The Two-nicorn), is a vibrant debut picture book for readers aged 3+ who enjoy... Read more
News Cowboys (Mike Amor, Echo)
Released August 2025
In News Cowboys, veteran Australian foreign correspondent Mike Amor shares stories from a decades-long career covering some of the biggest news events of the 21st century. From the 9/11 terrorist... Read more
Playing Nice Was Getting Me Nowhere (Alex Cothren, Pink Shorts Press)
Released August 2025
Playing Nice Was Getting Me Nowhere is a collection of satirical stories by award-winning short fiction writer Alex Cothren and is one of the first releases from new independent publisher Pink... Read more
Hailstones Fell without Rain (Natalia Figueroa Barroso, UQP)
Released August 2025
Hailstones Fell without Rain is a rich, multi-generational debut that spans two continents and three generations, exploring memory, identity and the quiet revolutions of everyday women. In this semi-autobiographical familial story... Read more
The Set-Up Girl (Sasha Vey, A&U Children’s)
Released August 2025
The Set-Up Girl is a rollercoaster of awkward crushes and friendships set against the warmth and chaos of a tight-knit family and the bittersweet final year of high school. Amalia... Read more
The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes (Amy Rose Bennett, Atria)
Released August 2025
Amy Rose Bennett's The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes is a charming historical romance that defies expectations and blends genres with flair. The novel combines a Victorian-era... Read more
This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds (Astred Hicks & Holly Parsons, CSIRO Publishing)
Released August 2025
Created by author and illustrator Astred Hicks in collaboration with ecologist Holly Parsons, This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds is a vibrant celebration of Australian birdlife, designed to inspire wonder... Read more
Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things (Jessica Seaborn, PRH)
Released August 2025
Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things by Jessica Seaborn has a lengthy title that might be tricky to remember, but its characters are anything but forgettable. Seaborn... Read more
Until the Red Leaves Fall (Alli Parker, HarperCollins)
Released August 2025
Until the Red Leaves Fall is the second novel by Japanese-Australian author and screenwriter Alli Parker (At the Foot of the Cherry Tree). Set primarily in 1950s Melbourne, Emmy Darling... Read more
The Locked Room (Adam Cece, PRH)
Released August 2025
Adam Cece’s The Locked Room is built on an excellent premise: four teenagers trapped in an escape room must solve a series of puzzles – each on a one-hour countdown... Read more
The Eagle and the Crow (JM Field, UQP)
Released August 2025
The Eagle and the Crow is a work of many layers – lyrical, intellectual and political – all grounded in Gamilaraay knowledge and resistance. JM Field (Etta and the Shadow... Read more
Starry Eyed (Katharine Pollock, Wakefield Press)
Released August 2025
Katharine Pollock’s Starry Eyed is delightfully hard to categorise, combining romantic comedy and science fiction elements and loosely held together by a fan fiction narrative. Fundamentally, it’s a touching story... Read more
The Wicked Ship (Oceanforged #1) (Amelia Mellor, Affirm)
Released August 2025
Amelia Mellor follows The Grandest Bookshop series, her bestselling, award-winning historical fantasy trilogy, with the new swashbuckling Oceanforged series for readers aged 8–10. The Wicked Ship is the first of... Read more
What Would Adam Smith Make of Modern Australia? (Joseph Healy, Major Street)
Released August 2025
Adam Smith, the 18th-century moral philosopher, is best known for coining the phrase ‘invisible hand’ to describe how the economic self-interest of an individual can lead to fair and efficient... Read more
Our History: A House Divided (Clare Hallifax, Walker Books)
Released August 2025
In Our History: A House Divided, Clare Hallifax places the political turmoil of the 1975 Dismissal of the Whitlam government within the everyday rhythms of family life in Canberra. The... Read more
Stillwater (Tanya Scott, A&U)
Released August 2025
Tanya Scott’s debut, Stillwater, masterfully weaves together the past and present in a suspenseful, emotionally charged crime thriller. Luke Harris returns to his hometown of Melbourne seeking a 'normal life'... Read more
In Spite of You (Patrick Lenton, Pantera)
Released August 2025
Genuinely funny and smartly observed, In Spite of You channels the charm of classic rom-coms – idealistic and entertaining – but adds a fresh twist with a plot driven by... Read more
