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Nature’s Song (Robert Vescio, illus Nicky Johnston, New Frontier)
Released August 2023
In Nature’s Song, a girl hunts for the perfect treasure for her little brother, who is stuck at home with a broken leg. She sets out in her overalls, dog... Read more
Prehistoric Joy (Andrew Sneddon, UQP)
Released August 2023
In Prehistoric Joy, archaeologist Andrew Sneddon applies his knowledge of prehistorical cultures to his past, specifically the years when his mother was in a relationship with a violent conman. After... Read more
Love, Dad: Confessions of an anxious father (Laurie Steed, Fremantle)
Released August 2023
In Love, Dad, Laurie Steed reflects on family, mental health, the arts, careers, relationships and, most of all, being a father. It’s an honest and engaging book about being a... Read more
The Cop Who Fell to Earth (Craig Semple, Echo)
Released August 2023
The title of Craig Semple’s memoir, The Cop Who Fell to Earth, suggests flight and ambition, but it could also be reframed as an earthbound slog through a dark maze... Read more
Mole Creek (James Dunbar, Echo)
Released August 2023
Mole Creek is James Dunbar’s first foray into writing a serious crime and espionage novel. In it, he delivers intriguing dual storylines set 50 years apart. Pete McAuslan, a former... Read more
Letters for Lunch! (Maree Coote, Melbournestyle)
Released August 2023
File this one under ‘typography/lunchbox inspo/poetry/humour/veggies’—oh, sorry, you don’t have that section on your bookshelves? Well, make one, so you can put Maree Coote’s Letters for Lunch! there. This quirky,... Read more
Last-Place Lin (Wai Chim, illus Freda Chiu, A&U Children’s)
Released August 2023
Last-Place Lin is Wai Chim’s first picture book. Known for her young adult novels (The Surprising Power of a Good Dumping, Freedom Swimmer), Chim was inspired by her experience on... Read more
The Fortune Maker (Catherine Norton, HarperCollins)
Released August 2023
Catherine Norton’s first book, Crossing, was awarded the 2015 NSW Premier’s Literary Award for children’s literature and was a CBCA Notable book in the same year. The Fortune Maker is... Read more
Jawsome (R J Timmis, Albert St Books)
Released August 2023
The best graphic novels need to be action-packed with an engaging interplay of text and illustrations. Ideally, they should also be funny. Rebecca Timmis’s Jawsome ticks all these boxes and... Read more
God Forgets About the Poor (Peter Polites, Ultimo)
Released August 2023
God Forgets About the Poor is an endearing chronicle of a migrant mother’s life from 1945 to the present. Vivid descriptions bring the locations to life, from being born amid... Read more
The Caretaker (Gabriel Bergmoser, HarperCollins)
Released August 2023
Gabriel Bergmoser’s The Hunted and its series follow-up, The Inheritance, has earned the award-winning playwright and bestselling author a reputation for writing savage and compelling thrillers. His new stand-alone thriller... Read more
But the Girl (Jessica Zhan Mei Yu, Vintage)
Released August 2023
Set in the ‘undecided and hazy spring’ when MAS370 disappeared, Jessica Zhan Mei Yu’s debut novel But the Girl transports us to London, where an Australian narrator of Chinese Malaysian... Read more
Granbad (Penny Tangey, illus Peter Baldwin, UQP)
Released August 2023
Grandad is a rebel who breaks so many rules the family call him ‘Granbad’. He gives his grandchild lollies instead of healthy food, reads stories way past bedtime and flouts... Read more
Carnage (Mark Dapin, S&S)
Released August 2023
Having just completed a book on criminals, author Mark Dapin wasn’t looking to write another. When he received a phone call from Jack Karlson, a man he’d never heard of,... Read more
Follow the Rainbow (Juliet M Sampson, illus Anne Ryan, Ford St)
Released August 2023
Follow the Rainbow is Juliet M Sampson’s latest picture book, set against beautifully coloured illustrations by Anne Ryan. Ruby is daydreaming with her best friend and dog, Tavish, as she... Read more
Hello Twigs, How Are You Feeling? (Andrew McDonald, illus Ben Wood, HGCP)
Released August 2023
Author Andrew McDonald and illustrator Ben Wood, who together have earned fame with the Real Pigeons series, have branched out with a new early reader graphic novel series. In Hello... Read more
Nothing Alike (Zewlan Moor, illus Peter Cheong, Bright Light)
Released August 2023
Nothing Alike, a picture book by Zewlan Moor and illustrated by Peter Cheong, is impressive on many levels. The clean, playful and dynamic illustrations and design keenly reflect the substance... Read more
The Sitter (Angela O’Keeffe, UQP)
Released August 2023
There is a sentence halfway through Angela O’Keeffe’s second novel, The Sitter, that says: ‘A character, when they enter a story, must be willing to drop their preconceptions of what... Read more
The Shrinking Nation (Graeme Turner, UQP)
Released August 2023
Few would disagree that the Australian cultural and political landscape has undergone a seismic shift since the Howard era. In his new book, Graeme Turner argues that the result has... Read more
Twelve Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death (Sarah Smith, Ultimo)
Released August 2023
Few books are narrated by their murder victim, but Stacey, who has just died in a car crash in sunny Los Angeles, is determined to find out what really happened... Read more
