When Di Morrissey visited Booktopia, John and Andrew were all ears. You can learn a lot about the day to day of the writing life when you talk to a writer who has published one bestselling book a year for the last twenty odd years. Tips from someone so successful are gold to all aspiring writers. The Road Back by Di Morrissey Is it ever too late to change your life? From the mountains to the va... Read more

Their music has inspired millions, but what what do you really know about them? The sex and the drugs and the rock and the roll, it’s all here, laid bare. Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol In this original memoir following Billy Idol from his childhood in England to his fame at the height of the punk-pop revolution, the iconic superstar tells the real story behind the sex, drugs and rock ... Read more

When Caroline Overington heard about the plight of Louisa Collins she was desperate to discover whether a great injustice had been committed. Using all of her skills as an investigative journalist Caroline dug deep into the archives. What she discovered was far more complex and murky than she had imagined. She talks to John Purcell about her final verdict. Did Louisa murder her husband? Last Wo... Read more

This anticipated debut has already been sold into twenty one countries and seems destined to be one of this year’s big favourites. It’s a truly original and charming story originating in the author’s own tragic loss at the early death of her mother. She’s translated her own grief into a fantasy fable that asks big existential questions with a very light touch. When seven... Read more

It’s not every day you’re asked to interview a billionaire, especially one who has built a fortune from nothing, and who is feared and admired in equal measure. When Booktopia’s John Purcell sat across from Kerry Stokes and his biographer, Andrew Rule, there was a good chance John would faint. He was so nervous. But Kerry Stokes is not your typical billionaire. What happened n... Read more

When Don Watson visited Booktopia Caroline Baum sat him down and asked him a few pertinent questions. Don is so laid back he seems ready to drift off at any moment, but don’t be fooled. When he speaks he hits his mark. The bush, its changes and what is threatening it, is no small subject to Don. The Bush by Don Watson Don Watson, author of the acclaimed Recollections of a Bleeding Heart a... Read more

Some writers are happy to write the same book over and over. They find a successful formula and stick to it. Paddy O’Reilly is not one of those writers. This book could not be more different from The Fine Colour of Rust, her deliciously humorous rural anti-romance. Except for one thing: she does one-off, out-of-the-box, quirky characters to a T. The trio at the centre of The Wonders would, in t... Read more

#FLASHFORWARD #COAMMPlaylist ‘Angels Cry’ Mariah Carey feat. Ne-Yo Hugh Montgomery. Every time I thought about him, saw his name in the press, heard someone talking about him or caught a whiff of his brand of cologne on someone walking past, I felt myself aching to be near him. There had been so many times I’d tried to walk away, to forget him, move on and remind myself of the pain I would feel... Read more

When Adam Spencer said, do you mind if I ask you a few maths questions in the interview? John Purcell went white. What followed is nothing short of miraculous… Adam Spencer’s Big Book of Numbers An hilarious, enlightening romp through the world of numbers with one of Australia’s best-loved broadcasters. Why do people get freaked out by Friday the 13th? Where does a ‘dozen’ come from? Who ... Read more

Xanthé Mallett is a lecturer in Forensic Anthropology, specialising in human identification. She has also taken part in several interviews for BBC News using her forensic identification skills, and has appeared on breakfast shows in the UK. Mothers Who Murder by Xanthe Mallett Child murder: A social taboo and one of the most abhorrent acts most of us can imagine. Meet the women found guilty of ... Read more