Book Recommendations Archives

Dr Xanthe Mallett is like Bones, except real and far more interesting. She sat down with John Purcell to talk about her new book Mothers Who Murder. Grab a copy of Mothers Who Murder here Mothers Who Murder by Xanthe Mallett For a limited time get a signed copy! Child murder: A social taboo and one of the most abhorrent acts most of us can imagine. Meet the women found guilty of murdering their... Read more

We knew Big Little Lies was going to be big, but we didn’t know how big. But now that Hollywood has stepped in, oh boy. Liane Moriarty has today confirmed that Kidman’s production company Blossom Films and Witherspoon’s Pacific Standard production company have joined forces to option the screen rights, and it looks like the two stars will be in front of the camera as well as behind. So... Read more

Buzz around the world is reaching fever pitch ahead of the release of three-time Miles Franklin winner and two-time Man Booker Prize winner Peter Carey’s new book Amnesia. And now we have a cover… So what do you think? Some people currently writing this blog have been lucky enough to get a early look at Amnesia, and it’s Carey at his cheekiest and his angriest. One senses this... Read more

Alison Alexander has won the 2014 National Biography Award for The Ambitions of Jane Franklin. Alexander beat out some stiff competition in the form Gideon Haigh’s On Warne, Sheila Fitzpatrick’s A Spy in the Archives, Exit Wounds: One Australian’s War on Terror by John Cantwell & Greg Bearup, Kitty’s War by Janet Butler and Steve Bisley’s Stillways. The Award was est... Read more

If you thought Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl was a hit, it’s only going to get bigger as the hype grows for the October 2 release of the film adaptation, directed by David Fincher and starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. And with every film adaptation inevitably comes a film tie-in edition. Fans around the world hold their breath hoping the new cover will do their beloved novel justi... Read more

Way back in 1987, while flicking through New Scientist, an article on birds caught my eye. It was about research that indicated the ancestors of Lyrebirds were among the world’s earliest songbirds. Back then, Australia was thought to be a refuge for species left over after it spit from the supercontinent, Gondwana. Songbirds were generally associated with Europe. The idea they had first evolved... 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

After the runaway success of The Marmalade Files, it was inevitable that Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann would be returning for another healthy dose of political intrigue. They chat to John Purcell about their latest book The Mandarin Code, the difficulties of co-writing, and how life in Canberra can often be stranger than fiction. Grab a copy of The Mandarin Code here Grab a copy of The Mandarin... Read more

Popular Australian novelist Cathryn Hein, author of Rocking Horse Hill, Heartland and more gives her verdict on the books she’s been reading. Regency-set intrigue and determined rakes, a classic adventure, some sexy magic and mystery, wallbanging and a hot Scot in a kilt. My July reads were as romantic as they come. Son of the Morning by Linda Howard When Australian historical romance aut... Read more

Liane Moriarty’s 2010 novel What Alice Forgot is set to be adapted into a film helmed by David Frankel, director of The Devil Wears Prada. Shauna Cross, who wrote Whip It and the upcoming film adaptation of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay, is attached to pen the project. The news comes a day after the release of Moriarty’s new novel Big Little Lies, which has already attracted signif... Read more