Book Recommendations Archives

Alissa Nutting’s Tampa has been one of the most controversial books of 2013. An erotic tale of a hebephilic, sociopathic sexual predator isn’t for everyone. Some Booktopia Blog regulars take a look and share their thoughts. Haylee Nash “Tampa is an enjoyable story when read as just that – a story. Celeste is a character that, despite her obvious moral turpitude, the reader bar... Read more

Welcome to The Incompetent Cook, a cooking blog with a difference. Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach will road test a new cookbook each week, picking a starter, a main, and a dessert to cook. He’ll report back on how the dishes fared in his cripplingly unskilled hands. This week’s challenge for The Incompetent Cook…. What’s For Dinner by Curtis Stone The meals: Asian Be... Read more

Donal Ryan, author of new novel The Spinning Heart, has been longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize. A wonderful, career defining achievement. But what is the story behind his nomination? Ryan was born in a village in North Tipperary and works for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Limerick. In his 20s, he wrote in short bursts but having children gave him the motivation he ... Read more

Last night England retained the Ashes because it rained. Yes that’s a little strange, in the ultra-professional world of international sport. But cricket is a little strange. You never know what to expect. It’s not all rain delays, dyed hair-tips and white pants in cricket. Sometimes, shock horror, they even read! Here are some of world cricket’s finest players talking about t... Read more

The incredible story of Dick Johnson – the Aussie battler who became an all-time V8 great. Ford legend Johnson did not get his break in motorsport until he was famously smashed out by a rock in the 1980 Bathurst 1000. But true to his never-say-die attitude, he went on to establish one of Australia’s most successful V8 Supercar teams, amidst a dramatic career that, on many occasions, almos... Read more

Today marks 50 years since the assassination of JFK. Remarkably, we find ourselves no closer to piecing the puzzle together than we did on that day fifty years year, when Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested 90 minutes after the shooting and declared himself a patsy to millions of television viewers. No closer, that is, until now. In Colin McLaren’s The Smoking Gun, we discover one of the most ... Read more

Scottish actor Peter Capaldi has just been announced as the new Doctor Who, leaving most of the world outside Britain saying…. …who is Peter Capaldi? While a late blooming star in his native Britain, Capaldi has rarely ventured into film and is a relative unknown everywhere else in the world. To help with the transition, we’ve put together a fact file on Doctor Who version 12.0. Read more

There’s nothing tame about this bunch. This month is all about extremes. Extremes of desire, of  behaviour, of crisis situations, of people tested to the limits of desire, survival, transgression and boundaries crossed. Find out how far you’d be prepared to go. Live dangerously. Pick up a book. N.B. Caroline Baum and former Buzz editor, Toni Whitmont, will be chairing sessions at a ... Read more

As we say goodbye to July, award-winning novelist Kate Forsyth gives her verdict on the books she read for the month. Thanks to a lot of time spent in planes and airports, and a weekend sick in bed, I read 14 books this month, with an eclectic mix of fiction, non-fiction, children’s and adults, historical and contemporary. Stay: The Last Dog in Antarctica by Jesse Blackadder This is Jesse Black... Read more

Aaron Patrick, author of the brilliant book Downfall: How the Labor Party Ripped Itself Apart is not only an bestselling writer on politics, but also an avid reader. He was kind enough to share his five must read titles for those with a keen interest in the world of politics. Enjoy! Read more