Grab a copy of Every Parent’s Nightmare here The story of Jock Palfreeman has captivated Australia. Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach took a look at award-winning journalist Belinda Hawkins’ account of the harrowing story of a young Australian jailed for murder. Wrong place, wrong time. Some phrases are uttered so often in our daily lives that they lose their punch, struggling to convey the re... Read more

Not since the 60s folk scene have the lines been so brilliantly blurred between music, art and literature. From the extraordinary lyricism of Australian indie rock gods The Drones to the extravagant avant-garde persona of Kanye West, to be a musician is to be a songwriter is to be an artist once again. And the upside of this? Not only do we get to listen to great music, but also read books from... Read more

Grab a copy of Tony Greig : Love, War and Cricket here Tony Greig: Love, War and Cricket by Mark Greig and Joyce Greig Tony Greig was a fearless cricketer, a born entertainer, a stalwart friend and a loving son and father. His death in December 2012 was met with an outpouring of grief from friends, family, fans and colleagues alike. Summer in Australia will never be the same. This enthralling m... Read more

It’s strange to meet a man who is a God to some, an unknown mortal to others. News that I was meeting George R.R. Martin was met by friends and family with two reactions. One was ‘wow, you’re so lucky’, the other was ‘who is George R.R. Martin?’. And that is the world of genre fiction. Authors are deified by some, unknown to others. If you’re a fan, you... Read more

A fact that may baffle statisticians for years to come is that Ricky Ponting didn’t play his final test in Perth. He actually played his final game of Test Match Cricket in the Booktopia offices, just a few weeks ago, and we have the video to prove it! Ricky came in to sign 1000 copies of his memoir Ponting: At The Close of Play and sat down to have a chat with Booktopia’s resident ... Read more

Every month Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach reviews a cookbook. He is an incompetent cook. He is The Incompetent Cook. Eat In by Anna Gare The meals: Tomato and Pesto Soup Chermoula Chicken with Harissa & Minted Yoghurt Lemon and Lime Pudding Read more

Every couple of weeks Booktopia’s Andrew Cattanach reviews a cookbook. He is an Incompetent cook. He is The Incompetent Cook. Bill’s Italian Food by Bill Granger The meals: Mozzarella, Roasted Capsicum and Caper Pizza Artichoke and Ham Lasagne Pistachio and Orange Loaf Cake Read more

Hindsight is a wonderful thing when reviewing books. But access to the author’s thoughts, well that’s pure gold. A few days ago we asked Fiona McFarlane, author of The Night Guest, what she hoped people take away with them after reading her work. I hope people are haunted by the story they’ve just read; that they’re left thinking about trust, dependence, aging, and the ways the past... Read more

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