Book Recommendations Archives

Finally, the true identity of the author behind the bestselling Secret Lives of Emma series has been revealed, and if you’re a regular visitor to The Booktopia Blog, chances are you’ve read her work already. Or rather, his work… Since the release of the first book in 2012, The Secret Lives of Emma series has been met with contention.  In a genre dominated by tales of submissiv... Read more

Bestselling author Rebecca James has bared her soul in this exquisite and brutally honest piece about the battle of the writer against the blank page. Sweet Damage is my second book and second books are so notoriously difficult to write that this very difficulty has a condition named after it: Second Book Syndrome. I initially started another second book. It was called Cooper Bartholomew is Dea... Read more

To say that I’m excited by the emergence of New Adult as a genre is a gross understatement. I’m ecstatic. And I’m not picky about the kind of New Adult, either. Because New Adult comes in many forms  – from erotic romance featuring late teens/early twenty-somethings, to angsty, edgy love stories to heartbreaking coming of age novels. For those of you who aren’t ent... Read more

This selection comes amidst the usual caveats about exclusion and reductiveness: what I’ve included are books that crossed my path at the particular instant I needed them, or was open to them, and as such made a significant impact. This is not a list of ‘best writers/books’, or even a list of ‘favourites’. It’s overly weighted towards the US, and there’s a sorry lack of Australians; but it’s a ... Read more

Last week Booktopia was lucky enough to have Nikki Gemmell in to chat about her latest novel I Take You and sign some copies for lucky customers. I Take You completes the trilogy of books that began with the worldwide bestseller The Bride Stripped Bare. We also filmed a short video with Nikki, with our own John Purcell trying to think of an idea for the video and Nikki…..well…..you&... Read more

Booktopia was the proud major sponsor of the 2013 Australian Book Industry Awards in Sydney on Friday night, celebrating the best in Australian Books. M.L Stedman continued her award-winning run by running into some award wins, including the big prize of the night, The Booktopia Book of the Year Award. Check out all the winners below, along with links to all the books shortlisted on our site. E... Read more

10 tasty reasons to browse the romance section Following my successful, and contentious, blog post on the 10 hottest men in romance novels, I thought it only fair to share the 10 hottest men on romance covers. I know it’s Friday and you have tasks to complete before the weekend begins: perhaps you’re trying desperately to remain focused at work, putting the final touches on a presen... Read more

Such sad news to hear Hazel Hawke, one of the most energetic advocates for women’s rights and education has passed away aged 83. She was much more than the ex-wife of the former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Mrs Hawke was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2001. She announced it publicly on the ABC series Australian Story in 2003 and gradually withdrew from public life. Her daughter, Sue P... Read more

Booktopia’s John Purcell recently took some time out to sit down with mega-bestselling author Hugh Howey. Before he wrote Wool and its prequel Shift, Hugh worked in the book industry, so his views are from a unique perspective, once a bookseller looking out and now an author looking in. Read more

Romance Specialist Haylee Nash shares 10 ways to heat up a cold winter’s night… I’m not sure about you, but there’s something about the promise of winter’s onslaught that makes me think longingly of red wine, long hot baths with a good book and cuddling up with a hot man. I mean this both literally and figuratively – men, at least in my experience, radiate heat, so there’s a practic... Read more