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A Small Collection of Happinesses (Zana Fraillon, illus Stephen Michael King, Lothian)
Released May 2024
In the first pages of acclaimed author Zana Fraillon’s A Small Collection of Happinesses, Ada is ‘blown in…and dumped… right at the front gates of number 9 Hawkhurst Lane’. I... Read more
Book of Hours (Clare McFadden, Walker)
Released May 2024
Book of Hours, written and illustrated by Clare McFadden (The Flying Orchestra), tells a life story in a series of dreamy vignettes. These postcard moments capture memories by the sea—of... Read more
Bright Objects (Ruby Todd, A&U)
Released May 2024
Sylvia Knight works at a funeral home—the same one that buried her husband after an unsolved hit-and-run. Two years on, she has given herself ‘permission to finally leave this planet’... Read more
Suddenly Single at Sixty (Jo Peck, Text)
Released May 2024
Not long after Jo Peck’s 60th birthday, her husband drops a bombshell—he’s leaving her for a (much) younger woman. She is shocked and heartbroken that the life she’d worked towards—full... Read more
The Lost Letters of Rose Carey (Julie Bennett, S&S)
Released May 2024
Inspired by the life of the Australian swimmer and film icon Annette Kellerman, The Lost Letters of Rose Carey follows two heroines: Emma Quinn, in the present time, and Rose Carey, in... Read more
Love & Rome (Jenna Lo Bianco, Macmillan)
Released June 2024
Stella Chiaro is an Australian-Italian artist trying to find her place in the eternal city. With a one-way ticket back to Australia and dwindling funds, Stella has six months left... Read more
Boots (Elizabeth Pulsford, illus Krista Brennan, Wombat Books)
Released May 2024
The idea of walking in someone else’s shoes to evoke understanding and empathy is not a new concept, but Elizabeth Pulsford takes it further in her debut picture book, Boots,... Read more
Psykhe (Kate Forsyth, Vintage)
Released May 2024
Kate Forsyth’s latest historical fiction, Psykhe, adds to her substantial body of work (The Crimson Thread, Bitter Greens) as it reimagines the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche. In the novel, Psykhe’s act... Read more
Cheer Up, Blobfish! (Julie Murphy, illus Rachel Tribout, Affirm)
Released May 2024
It’s time for The Festival of the Fish and everyone is excited, but the blobfish looks sad, and none of the sea creatures can cheer him up. This fun, rhyming... Read more
Love Across Class (Rose Butler & Eve Vincent, MUP)
Released May 2024
In Love Across Class, researchers Rose Butler and Eve Vincent seek to demystify the complex—and often obscured—role class can play in shaping romantic relationships. As class is often overlooked in social and political conversations (unlike... Read more
Ghost Cities (Siang Lu, UQP)
Released May 2024
Recently fired from his translating job at the Chinese Consulate in Sydney for lying about his translation skills and using Google Translate to do his job, Xiang Lu is a... Read more
All the Beautiful Things You Love (Jonathan Seidler, Macmillan)
Released May 2024
A romantic comedy told in reverse, All the Beautiful Things You Love charts Elly and Enzo's relationship over 10 years, leading up to their divorce. But what happens to their... Read more
Ultra Violet: Down to Business (Cristy Burne, illus Rebel Challenger, Larrikin House)
Released May 2024
Ultra Violet: Down to Business is the first in a new junior graphic novel series with a hilarious—but very scientific—premise. Violet (a science genius who wears a lab coat) and... Read more
The Kindness Project (Deborah Abela, Puffin)
Released May 2024
Nicolette is unconfident and shy and feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. However, she loves spending time with her nanna and takes comfort in her visits to her nursing... Read more
Because I’m Not Myself, You See (Ariane Beeston, Black Inc.)
Released May 2024
Ariane Beeston’s debut, Because I’m Not Myself, You See, chronicles her postpartum psychosis, as a mother and clinical psychologist. The memoir weaves personal experiences with scientific evidence, and makes recommendations... Read more
How to Avoid a Happy Life (Julia Lawrinson, Fremantle)
Released May 2024
How to Avoid a Happy Life is a lively memoir by Julia Lawrinson (Losing It), the author of over 15 books for young people. This memoir takes readers through a lifetime of sad and... Read more
Peripathetic: Notes on (un)belonging (Cher Tan, NewSouth)
Released May 2024
The nine essays in this collection, Peripathetic by Melbourne-based Cher Tan, use the form’s digressive capacity well. In elastic prose informed by wide reading, Tan heads down wordy, winding rabbit... Read more
Safe Haven (Shankari Chandran, Ultimo)
Released May 2024
Miles Franklin–winning author Shankari Chandran turns her focus to Australia’s inhumane practice of mandatory detention in her fourth novel, Safe Haven. As in Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, a focal... Read more
The Unexpected Mess of It All (Gabrielle Tozer, HarperCollins)
Released May 2024
Gold Inky award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer’s fifth YA novel, The Unexpected Mess of it All, displays her trademark empathy, humour and cheekiness. Jamila’s life is an unexpected mess. Since their... Read more
Cora Seen and Heard (Zanni Louise, Walker)
Released May 2024
When Cora’s family moves to Tasmania to renovate a decrepit theatre, Cora, 12, is thrilled at the opportunity to reinvent herself as Cora 2.0: more confident, admired, and interesting. But... Read more
