I want to write a bit about my friend and colleague Andrew Cattanach. Read more

Andrew Cattanach finds plenty beneath the surface of local author Claire Varley’s debut The Bit in Between In The Bit in Between, Claire Varley explores the trials and tribulations of the talented and tortured young writer Oliver, as his ambitious prospective writing retreat is turned upside down by the enigmatic Alison, who enters his world in the most spectacular, stomach churning of wa... Read more

This is Ronson at his finest. Funny, intriguing and, in some places, downright shocking. Read more

I owe books much more than they owe me. I spend every day trying to repay that debt. Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach was recently named a finalist for the ABA Penguin Random House Australia Young Bookseller of the Year Award. The award recognises and rewards the excellence of a bookseller 35 or under, and promotes bookselling as a career choice for young people. We chatted to him about his l... Read more

Some interviews are easier than others. While one could be like two old friends reuniting and having a chat over a beer. Another could be like stepping into a lion’s den. Taming the enthusiastic and exuberant red banner wearing Peter Fitzsimons was always going to be a challenge. He’s so passionate about his subject. So we sent in our most genial of interviewers, Mr Andrew Cattanach... Read more

And as the boys crowd at the door catching their breath in amazement, Colt sees it all, suddenly, for what it is. His father spends money not merely on making his sons envied, but on making them – and the word seems to tip the floor – enticing. With Golden Boys, Sonya Hartnett has surely established herself as one of the finest Australian novelists of her generation, nearly twenty y... Read more

Haruki Murakami’s quest to honour his literary hero Franz Kafka has resulted in Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, one of his most moving and accessible novels in years. While Franz Kafka remains best known for his genre-bending novella The Metamorphosis, most will point to his 1925 novel The Trial as his opus, a deeply personal meditation on sex, society and isolation.... Read more

The irony of Dave Eggers’ somewhat pretentiously named new novel Your Fathers, Where are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? is that it is a decidedly unpretentious work. But Dave Eggers knows that. He has more fun with his titles than most, from his breakout memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius to his 2004 novel The Unforbidden is Compulsory; or, Optimism. Your Fath... Read more

There seems to be two types of people in this world. Those who love Michael Robotham, and those who haven’t heard of him yet. Life or Death is for the crime fan who likes a story, not just an account. Brilliantly written, intelligent, funny, sad and meticulously mapped out, it’s easy to understand why there has already been so much interest in a big screen adaptation of the novel. There is noth... Read more

How strange it is to know a voice so well, yet know nothing about the person behind it. Ray Warren has been purring like a wolverine in my living room for most of my life. On the rare occasions we were allowed to watch TV during dinner, it was usually Ray’s voice emanating from that part of the room, a big game that even mum’s lamb roast couldn’t compete with. They are the str... Read more