Book Recommendations Archives

The longlist for the 2013 Stella Prize has just been announced, containing a great mix of exciting new talents and familiar faces. Named after one of Australia’s most important female authors, Stella Maria Miles Franklin, the Stella Prize is worth $50,000, and both fiction and non-fiction books are eligible. The 2013 Stella Prize shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 20 March. The inaugural ... Read more

UPDATE: Now that the book is out, read our review here. Exciting news for Dan Brown fans today as the cover for his early anticipation new novel Inferno was unveiled today. Collectors of his previous bestsellers The Lost Symbol, Angels & Demons and the record-breaking The Da Vinci Code won’t be left disappointed, with Inferno carrying much the same design as the rest of his catalogue.... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Boyd Anderson author of Amber Road, Errol, Fidel and The Cuban Rebel Girls and more… Ten Terrifying Questions ————————— 1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? In true medieval tradition, I was born and raised in the same suburb in which I ... Read more

Rarely does a blurb prepare you so perfectly for what you are about to read. The Childhood of Jesus is not like any other novel you have read. And it is with the same forthright vagueness, if there is such a thing, that J.M. Coetzee tells a beautiful tale of love, loss, and everything in-between. Let’s address the elephant in the room. J.M. Coetzee was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize for Lit... Read more

February is the month of love at Booktopia, and to celebrate we’re counting down the 50 Greatest Love Stories Ever Told, as voted by you. After thousands of votes, the poll closed on Sunday and we’ll be counting down the top 50, with the top 10 being announced at midday tomorrow, Valentine’s Day. So sit back and enjoy the great works that made it to 20-11 in your voting. And don’t forget to scr... Read more

Religion for Atheists: A non-believer’s guide to the uses of religion by Alain De Botton A non-believer’s guide to the uses of religion All of us, whether religious, agnostic or atheist, are searching for meaning. And in this wise and life-affirming book, non-believer Alain de Botton both rejects the supernatural claims of religion and points out just how many good ideas they someti... Read more

What is The Greatest Love Story Ever Told? That’s what we’re asking this month at Booktopia. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we’ve declared February our month of love, with huge discounts on some of the greatest titles ever written. This week we need your help to decide which love story is top of the tree. All this week we’ll have the poll up, closing it at ... Read more

HEAVY HITTER OF 2012 BRING UP THE BODIES  by Hilary Mantel What is there left to say? I just wanted to join the chorus of universal admiration for the second volume of Mantel’s remarkable feat of embodying Henry Vlll’s chief strategist, Thomas Cromwell. Like many, I found it easier to read than Wolf Hall, because the narrative treads more familiar ground (the waning of Anne Boleyn’s power and H... Read more

February is a huge month for all Booktopians, here’s a few hints of what it’s about…. Aristotle described it as “composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”. Plato said when touched by it “everyone becomes a poet”. Charles Dickens described it as “the truest wisdom”. Yes, you guessed it – February at Booktopia is the month of LOVE... Read more

So the moment you’ve all been waiting for. To ring in the Australia Day Long Weekend, we have a very special surprise waiting for you at the bottom of the page. Make sure you don’t miss it. Booktopia is proud to announce that Australia’s Favourite Novelist as voted by you is… 1. Kate Morton A huge congratulations to Kate Morton on being voted Australia’s Favourite ... Read more