Book Recommendations Archives

A new Cathy Kelly novel isn’t far away, with It Started with Paris sure to be another bestseller, a beautiful tale about love, friendship and facing your demons. It Started with Paris by Cathy Kelly It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend, cheered on by delighted tourists. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy ... Read more

It’s not just the fact that this novel is set at my university in the north of England that makes me love it. It’s Grant’s superb ability to capture the feeling of the times in this terrifically authentic story about student life, especially the first awkward foray into relationships, friendships, infatuations and other uneasy human manoeuvrings on the road to self-awareness. ... Read more

I’ve been a fan of Moran’s ever since I read her hilarious story in the British press about trying to learn Beyonce’s All the Single Ladies dance routine. She is a one-of-a-kind talent, untamed by success, outspoken, mouthy, with a wild and brilliant voice on just about everything. And now she’s tackled fiction. Despite an author’s note at the front of the book it ... Read more

You don’t have to be a twitcher to enjoy this book which opens with a fascinating theory: Australian birds sound different because of what they eat! Apparently they are on a sugar high, because there is more nectar available to them from native flora than to other birds elsewhere. While our marsupials continue to capture the world’s attention (Prince George and the Bilby, Gary Shtey... Read more

Gone Girl, one of the biggest books for years, is coming to the big screen. To celebrate we’re giving you the chance to win a copy signed by the author Gillian Flynn! All you have to do to enter is buy the film tie-in edition before September 30 and you could walk away with an exclusive signed copy! Whether you’re one of millions of fans, or only hearing about Gone Girl for the firs... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Alissa Callen author of Beneath Outback Skies Nine Naughty Questions ———————————- 1. I wonder, is a romance writer born or made? Please tell us a little about your life before publication. A lifetime ago I was a counselor and saw firsthand life doesn’t always deliver a happy ending. So I was drawn to ... Read more

Samuel Johnson, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the English language, was born on this day in 1709. We’ve put together a few facts about the man described as “arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history.” – Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755, and remains arguably the most influential wo... Read more

At the recent Australian Book Expo, we set up a camera and asked Booktopians to review their favourite book. The response was amazing, with so many wonderful book lovers keen to chat about their favourite reads. Here are some of the best. Enjoy! Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson Click here for more details Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth Click here for more details Colorless Ts... Read more

We love giving away stuff at Booktopia, and with a little help from our friends we’ve always got some exciting comps and promos happening. During August we gave you the chance to win 1 of 3 Divergent DVD Packs and a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker valued at $699!!! A Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Thanks to our friends at HarperCollins Australia, all you had to do to enter the draw to win a We... Read more

The cultural cringe will be closely examined on the ABC tonight in Brilliant Creatures, a documentary on Australia’s propensity to send its intellectuals packing. Hosted and largely conceived by British novelist Howard Jacobson, Brilliant Creatures is a two-part look at the endowments to and departures from Australia by four of its very best minds: Germaine Greer, Robert Hughes, Barry Humphries... Read more