From a recent Reese Witherspoon book club pick to a new money guide for savvy savers, here are the best books we read in June 2021!
Mark Harding – Brand & Content Manager
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
Why I loved it: This incredible book about two young men who fall in love in 1980s Poland left me absolutely floored. A beautiful portrait of love and longing, it also vividly paints a picture of life under an oppressive regime, and the deals we make with ourselves to survive. One of the few books I’ve read that has moved me to tears, it is a gorgeously written, poignant and timely story.
Buy it here
Olivia Fricot – Senior Content Producer
Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again: Women and Desire in the Age of Consent by Katherine Angel
Why I loved it: With the introduction of affirmative consent laws in NSW and the ongoing story of sexual assault in Parliament House, it seems that consent has suddenly become the hot topic of the day. Katherine Angel’s Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again is an excellent book that explores many of the issues that currently have been whirling around my brain. What does meaningful consent actually look like? What are its limitations? How has culture shaped the narrative that exists around sex, desire and arousal? And just how has that narrative punished women throughout history? Angel is a fantastic writer with a concise and elegant style, and in this short book she deftly explores each of these questions (and poses a few of her own in turn). This book does what every good book should: expand and disrupt your thinking.
Buy it here
Nick Wasiliev – Senior Content Producer
Below Deck by Sophie Hardcastle
Why I loved it: A book that I’ve been itching to get round to for the last year, this effort from Sophie Hardcastle is a quiet, but powerful battle cry of a novel about mental illness, consent, and the haunting power of memories. It follows a young graduate named Oli who meets two strangers and travels to the Coral Sea, which begins a long journey that brings out the best and worst of humanity. This book is a confronting read at times, displaying its message with quiet rage. However, it is a book that rewards you the more you dive deeper into, and is highly recommended.
Buy it here
Shanulisa Prasad – Lifestyle Category Manager
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Why I loved it: I was a huge fan of The Last Migration (or Migrations, as it has been rebranded thanks to its US release), and in Once There Were Wolves Charlotte once again does a superb job of weaving together a redemption tale for the main character with the greater ecological struggle that our world is facing – this time through the idea of re-wilding wolves in Scotland. In this book, there are no easy answers, or outs, but it’s also not heavy handed, and leaves you with a feeling of hope for a better future.
Buy it here
Renae Adolfson – Trade Product Coordinator
She’s On the Money by Victoria Devine
Why I loved it: As a pretty savvy saver, with one eye on what once seemed like an impossible dream of owning a home in Sydney, I am a keen follower of Victoria Devine and her podcast. So of course I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of her book, which without a doubt is a staple financial guide for anyone – whether you’re just starting your budgeting journey or like me have been working towards a goal for many years. Victoria’s advice is not only helpful, her scenarios are definitely relatable. This book breaks down financial jargon and different investment methods to show you how achievable it is to reach your financial goals, and the best pathways once you’re there, without denying yourself the little pleasures along the way.
Buy it here
Cassandra Sharpe – Assistant Category Manager for Non-Fiction
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Why I loved it: It’s not every day that you start a review saying you had to put the book down, but Nedra Glover Tawwab (aka @nedratawwab on Instagram) managed to spotlight something I struggle with everyday in the first few pages. Setting boundaries is hard – especially if you don’t know how. Tawwab uses her years of experience as a relationship therapist to teach readers how to work out their limits, clearly state a boundary, find action steps and consequences to navigate violations. Is it scary and guilt-inducing? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely. The exercises provided at the end of each chapter are bite sized and manageable, while examples from clients or her own life are easy to relate to. This is an essential read for anyone who wants to have healthy and supportive relationships, and become more assertive.
Buy it here
Amy Evans – Assistant Category Manager for Lifestyle
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Why I loved it: The Comfort Book is a collection of stories and thoughts around finding comfort in the face of anxiety – from big philosophical ideas to everyday comforts like playlists, book recommendations, and a killer peanut butter toast recipe. It is such a beautiful companion to his other non-fiction reads Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet. While he always addresses heavy topics, I’m never left with a feeling of sadness or hopelessness after reading a Matt Haig book. In The Comfort Book, he manages to make the reader think, laugh, cry and feel recognised in their feelings.
Buy it here
Hannah Armstrong – Assistant Category Manager for Fiction
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Why I loved it: Seven Days in June was the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick for, fittingly, June, and it is everything I wanted it to be and more! This book is smart, sexy, laugh-out-loud hilarious, beautifully written with snappy dialogue and electric characters that jump off the page. After falling in love for one passionate week when they were teenagers, Eva Mercy and Shane Hall have both grown up to be big hitters in the literary world, and have spent the past 15 years writing to each other in their books – swoon! That said, this is not a typical romcom by any means, and also touches on race, chronic illness, alcohol addiction, self-harm and generational trauma, balancing this heaviness with levity and profound joy. This book is glorious, hilarious, gut-wrenching and life-affirming. Read it read it read it!
Buy it here
Robert O’Hearn – Academic & Professional Category Manager
The Practice of Not Thinking: A Guide to Mindful Living by Ryunosuke Koike
Why I loved it: A former Zen Buddhist monk is probably just the right person to point out to you the most obvious and useful truth you could hear right now. That is, your mind creates negative thoughts that get between you and the life you’d rather lead. And you can do something about it – right now. The trick it seems is not to try to defeat, or even avoid, these thoughts but see them as the wisps they are. The author’s pragmatic strategies and on-point insights make this short volume a life-changing delight as he details ways to control and calm ourselves through present attention. A truly helpful marvel of a book.
Buy it here
Ashleigh Berry – B2C Campaign Planner
The Last Guests by J.P. Pomare
Why I loved it: The Last Guests has completely satisfied my recent craving for a fast-paced and absorbing crime read. J.P. Pomare has created a smartly woven story that explores the dangerous potential of modern technology alongside the intricacies of relationships. This is one of those ‘it could so easily happen to me’ thrillers whose believability is so utterly distressing that I cannot stop thinking about it. If psychological thrillers are your style you can’t go past this.
Buy it here
Isabella Noyes – CRM Assistant
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Why I loved it: I took a leap of faith in Sarah J. Maas and bought the entire Throne of Glass boxed set. Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in her beloved fantasy series where we follow royal assassin Celaena Sardothien on her quest for vengeance in Rifthold. As a reader, you expect to know the inner workings of every protagonist’s mind but Maas’ heroine is always ten steps ahead. I loved this book because it finally ups the ante of how clever and ruthless Celaena can be. There are many twists and turns, cunning assassins, dreamy princes and mysterious fae … I don’t know what else you could ask for in a fantasy novel! I’m a little obsessed.
Buy it here
What’s the best book you read in June 2021?
June 2021 June 2021 June 2021 June 2021
10 exciting Australian novels coming soon! 
5 new books loved by our fiction expert!
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