You won’t believe this novel is a debut! Diana Reid is one of the most exciting new voices to emerge this year - from Australia or anywhere - so you really shouldn’t miss this fiercly intelligent, beautifully written and affecting campus novel. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
Kate, Dymocks Category Manage
Apples Never Fall is vintage Liane Moriarty. Family secrets, engaging characters, clever humour, and a gripping mystery with lots of surprises have made this one of my favourite books in an already impressive list by this author.
Lynne, Dymocks Rouse Hill
This book is yet another example of Joanna Nell’s ability to convey the human condition with warmth, compassion and tons of humour. Her observations of life are so beautifully portrayed through these characters, their struggles and their friendship. Chloe, Joy, Hilary and Sam will stay with me forever.
Moira, Dymocks Nowra
The Other Side of Beautiful is the story of Mercy Blain and her ‘break through’ from a nervous breakdown. Although Kim Lock leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind as to how difficult it is to cope in such a situation, she also demonstrates the joy in being able to re-engage in life. Whilst the reader is taken on a journey from Adelaide to Darwin with Mercy and her sausage dog, Wasabi, the author also cleverly takes the reader on the journey from Mercy’s ‘break down’ to her ‘break through’.
Heather, Dymocks Albury
Lizzie March is looking for Mr Right. When she meets Jake Wheeler, her supervisor at work, she convinces herself he is "The One", and after one romantic evening together Lizzie thinks they're in a permanent relationship. When Lizzie finds out she is unexpectedly pregnant, she must convince bad boy Jake that she is "The One" for him. A funny rom-com that I couldn't put down, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Loving Lizzie March!
Clare, Dymocks Ellenbrook
This debut novel is an absolute knockout. There are plenty of books that revolve around fractured families, and the flawed people that populate them, but Quade's exploration of the formidable weight of familial love and how it can be tested is just sublime. Vivid, tender, funny, frustrating, heartbreaking - I haven't fallen so hard for a cast of characters in a while. Once I finished the book, I missed their company. A firm new favourite!
Emma, Dymocks Karrinyup
Full of elegant prose and hidden wisdoms, The Shut Ins is an intriguing story of duty and tradition as each character feels trapped by their expected societal moulds, desiring a way of escape. The novel is slithered with the author’s anecdotes on her exploration and understanding of hikikomori and achiragawa - a skilful inclusion that compliments the narrative.
Jess, Dymocks Joondalup
It's hard to believe She Is Haunted is Paige Clark's debut novel. The first 20 pages will have you thinking she is a veteran in the literary world, and that's what makes this book so special. Each story flows with ease and is masterfully interwoven to create an intriguing reading experience, that takes you on a journey through real world scenarios which the characters face. There's never been a better time to read Australian!
Mathew, Dymocks Waurn Ponds
After the intoxicating 1970s wild ride that was Daisy Jones & the Six, we’ll read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Now she takes us to 1983 and the annual party of famous siblings in Malibu. Need I say more? You’ll love this!
Kate, Dymocks Category Manager
The Road Trip is my second read by Beth O'Leary and boy did I enjoy it. There would be nothing worse than being stuck in a car with your ex for a long period of time, however from the beginning you could tell that there was unfinished business between Addie and Dylan. There are flashbacks throughout the book that show the start of their relationship all the way to the end. Now throw in a protective big sister, a random guy they meet on Facebook, and Dylan's best friend that did everything in his power to break Addie and Dylan up! This was such a fun read, and I would highly recommend it to everyone.
Jess, Dymocks Rouse Hill
A beautifully written novel which follows recently divorced taxidermist Felicity Bell, a character from Johns' previous novel The Art of Keeping Secrets. An insightful mother-daughter story of self-discovery and finding love and friendship in the most unlikely of places, this book is the full package!
Rachel Cusk is an author after my own heart - entirely unique and quietly affecting. She has a way of making you feel seen. I just really don't know how she does it! There's a reason she's admired by so many writers. Second Place is the kind of book you can't stop underlining.
Set on the luxury train, The Ghan, this is an armchair traveller’s delight, weaving from Darwin, through Alice Springs, and on to Adelaide. On the trip are four generations of Hermann women – all with secrets, all hoping to reconcile past differences. The scene is set for an enthralling tale that includes complex female relationships and a good dose of romance. Perfect escapism.
Heather, Dymocks Waurn Ponds
This is both a witty and wise novel which follows Suzy Hamilton, journalist and single mother, navigating through the pitfalls of marriage, affairs and parenthood, and a novel about telling stories - our own and others. This book deals with themes of identity, guilt and morality.
It is hard to believe, but this book which follows two patients bound for death, is a light-hearted, funny and brilliantly written debut about their love for life. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot has a quirky, heartfelt spark to it that made me chuckle, cry and appreciate the little things in life, as I watched their friendship grow into something that demands to be remembered by all who read this gem of a novel.
Sara, Dymocks Penrith
A school sexting scandal sparks questions on equality for the parents. It follows two mothers and a father trying to discern their own values and educate their children. This is a story of advocating for feminism in a modern world laced with inequality.
Susan Johnson has evoked a kaleidoscope of memory through the shifting tense of the overshared and the unsaid. This book is a warm and heartbreaking story of friendship, family turmoil, motherhood, and the moments that shape who we are. It left me clinging on to the final pages.
Another wonderful Ishiguro novel with so much to unpack. Klara and the Sun is smart, insightful, relevant. I absolutely loved it and like all Ishiguro novels I’ll be thinking about this book for days.
Jon, Dymocks Sydney
This book needs to come with a warning label - it may make you sleepy for work! Words cannot describe how quickly I tore through the pages and I struggled to put it down each night. Fiona Lowe has created a real community here. They need to grow and come together in order to protect their town. The bulk of the story is set around a community garden and questions what it means to be a community when the town is 'invaded' by homeless people and immigrants fleeing to make a new home for their children. When tempers flare and crime rates rise, who are the culprits? Is it who you expect them to be? This is a brilliant book about barriers being broken and people who would never normally meet learning to lean on one another when things get tough. It asks you to question your own motives and beliefs about situations. How would you react?
Julie, Dymocks Waurn Ponds
Oh what a rollicking trip this is - I loved it! We have all the passion and excitement of the New York rock band scene that Rick is immersed in as well as a glimpse into his journalist life. Then you're taken on the journey of discovery that unfolds as he is commissioned to write a book about his long lost brother. Driving Stevie Fracasso is a trip down memory lane of the glory days of records on vinyl that is well worth your time.
Ted, Dymocks Nowra
Exotic Morocco: enticing, sensual and alluring. Historic Morocco: steeped in tradition and honour. Deborah Rodriguez vividly brings to life the landscape, the people, and the customs of this ancient North African country, all the while weaving a story of secrets and deceit involving four very different women. Definitely for those of us with wanderlust!
Beth, Dymocks Busselton
Erma Bridges returns urgently home to Brisbane from a holiday in Spain, under investigation at work. Jenny, Erma's research assistant, breaks into her apartment and shoots her twice, before taking her own life. Erma tries to make sense of what has happened, while everything is changing and spiralling out of control. The Spiral is a great thriller and mystery which keeps you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed it.
This is one of those books that has popped up on the must-read lists well before publication, and for good reason. A Crooked Tree looks at the unintended consequences of a questionable parental act, but it is also about the push and pull of siblings over a summer. I was fully immersed in this story and loved the pine-clad mountainous setting as well!
Recently appointed as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, Outlawed is a fun feminist western that is very deserving of all the praise its receiving. I had a wild time reading this - it had terrific pacing, a strong and feisty main character, and a wonderful sense of adventure.
Tanaya, Dymocks Marketing Coordinator
A bittersweet story about a woman who deals with a mysterious and devastating loss in her younger years by isolating herself in her house, surrounded by "treasures" from her past. When a new family moves in next door her carefully controlled life begins to unravel, motivating her to find out what really happened all those years ago. A beautiful story about love, loss and new beginnings, all with a dash of mystery thrown in.
Trent Dalton has done it again - All Our Shimmering Skies is an absolutely magical read! The endearing protagonist, epic quest and poetic language pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go until well after I’d finished reading. The story is completely different to Boy Swallows Universe but shares the beautiful language that Dalton wields so well, cementing his place as one of Australia’s most gifted storytellers.
Jessica, Dymocks Booklover
Life growing up in Scotland in the 80s was never going to be easy. Add to that poverty, an alcoholic mother, a philandering father, and confusion about his identity, and Shuggie faces enormous challenges. This book is as much about the relationship between a son and his mother as anything else. Whilst this year’s Booker Prize winner is heartbreaking, it’s also beautifully written and evocative.
I ripped through this smart and disarming novel and I’ve been thinking about it ever since! Amanda and her family escape from New York to a beautiful holiday home, only to be surprised by a knock at the door; a couple in their sixties who say they own this house, and they need sanctuary from a disaster unfolding across the country, and perhaps the world. Soon to be made into a show starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, you’ll want to read this engrossing novel first.
Funny, endearing and extremely relatable, This Has Been Absolutely Lovely is a cracker of a read. Jessica Dettmann has done an incredible job of bringing to life on the page a slice of Australian family life that’s both honest and engaging, with characters that will capture your heart. Exploring themes of love, loss, growing up, and second chances, this book will well and truly have you in tears by the end of it, both happy and sad. An absolutely lovely read!
Craig Silvey has written another Australian classic. Honeybee is everything Jasper Jones was but on a whole new level; A novel of identity told with tenderness and warmth, and one of those rare books that makes the hairs on your neck stick up as you read it. It’s exhilarating and profound, and a book that is going to be devoured and adored for decades to come, reaffirming the immense talent that is Craig Silvey.
In The Lying Life of Adults, writing phenomenon Elena Ferrante puts the reader vividly into a divided Naples seen through the unsteady and shifting gaze of teenager Giovanna. You really feel for her as she is on the brink of adulthood, surrounded by questionable role models. Once you start reading you can’t look away - an immersive ride that will stay with you long after the last page.
Eviscerating, darkly hilarious and disarmingly tender is the story of Martha in Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss. Martha is a woman who, from a very young age, recognises that something is dreadfully wrong with her but, despite her efforts and the prodigious love of her sister, father and husband, she cannot “fix it”. The thoughts, sensations and emotions shared by the author felt excruciatingly personal – the unspeakable truths somehow laid out on each page for all to pick at - sometimes I felt mortified reading it. Simply outstanding.
Edyta, Dymocks Project Manager
Mim’s life is thrown into disarray when her husband disappears at work, and with an obvious cover up being engineered by his corporate employer, she is compelled to search for him amid an escalating threatening surveillance. This book is a gripping thriller, a cautionary tale about corporate and government control, and a testament to a woman’s love for her family.
Caitlin was a normal twenty- something with a promising career and a plan to go travelling with her best friend, but then a car accident leaves her with an unshakable understanding that she’s only alive by mistake. Caitlin’s journey to recovery has left me in awe, her strength and courage is inspiring. I felt her pain, her panic and her joy. Every aspect of this book has been so well presented. If you liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine then you are absolutely going to love The Morbids!
Gina, Dymocks Neutral Bay
A charming, funny and dramatic depiction of a modern Australian marriage that, after 14 years, isn’t looking as perfect as it may seem. I loved how easy it was to get lost in this story; the writing was incredibly engaging and I liked how it spliced both the past and present of this couple’s lives. Whilst neither Lou nor Josh were innocent in this marriage, I enjoyed how skilfully Wainwright managed to constantly shift my perception of them both, and it was this element of the story that made this an uputdownable read for me.
There is nothing quite like picking up the new novel by one of your favourite writers and getting lost in it straight away. This new novel is perfect for old fans and new fans alike nestling snuggly into the rich and layered David Mitchell universe, but at the same time being truly self-contained and just a superb, immersive read. A wonderful novel by an utterly brilliant author, I dare another book to be as good this year.
Normally, I’m not a fan of romances, but for Kevin Kwan I will happily make an exception, and his latest offering does not disappoint. Sex and Vanity is another dazzling journey through the lives of the 1%, this time through the eyes of Chinese-American Lucie Churchill. A beautiful retelling for those already familiar with A Room with a View, and another fabulously over-the-top story for anyone coming from Crazy Rich Asians, Kwan’s new book will have you glued to your seat while enjoying the whirlwind that is the life of Lucie Churchill.
Zoe, Dymocks Melbourne
A fearless, stunning and unapologetic debut novel. A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing tells the story of Jena Lin, once a child prodigy, and now a twenty-two year old “has-been”. Struggling to navigate through her professional and personal lives, Jena reflects on the void left by her past success and failure and her dysfunctional relationship with her family, in order to find her truth and become the person she wants to be. Perfect for fans of Normal People and Daisy Jones & The Six, A Lonely Girl is an exploration of female desire and the undeniable pain of being human.
Georgia, Dymocks Wollongong
As a fan of Anne Tyler, I was excited to read her latest offering. I was not disappointed! Micah Mortimer lives a simple life of routing and balance. He is content with his job as a tech hermit and his relationship with his 'woman' friend Cassia is also easy. So, when a teenager arrives at Micah's apartment one afternoon, claiming to be his son, Micah finds his contented life is shifted slightly askew. In true Anne Tyler style, it is the intricacies of relationships and everyday life that bring her stories to life. Redhead by the Side of the Road is the perfect autumn afternoon read.
Sharyn, Dymocks Merchandise Manager
"We choose to breathe, don't we?" The heartbreaking heroine of Below Deck tries to choose her destiny, to rewrite the narrative, but the truth refuses to remain untold. It's only when synaesthetic Oli faces her past that she begins to heal. Achingly haunting, this book and its characters stay with you, long after the dark pink sea.
Kiah, Dymocks Subiaco
A deeply philosophical, affecting book. A car accident on a remote road in the Blue Ridge Mountains kills the parents of a young boy; the boy’s uncle assumes he will take on the responsibility for the child, however the boy’s grandmother does too. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Mountain Road, Late at Night explores the responses of each character over several fraught days, the reader the observer of their "overthought everything" lives.
Meredith, Dymocks Canberra
Adults is a bitingly funny and timely satire of our obsession with social media and the desire/pressure to portray ourselves online as living an envy-inducing, picture-perfect life. To the online world Jenny appears to have accomplished such a life but, not at all unsurprisingly, the unfiltered reality is far, far different. This is such a terrific novel: clever, fearless, engaging, heartbreaking and absolutely hilarious!
Nicola, Dymocks Category Manager
A sharply observed, urgent and wise coming-of-age novel. You will feel as though you are there with Sonny and Vince, feeling every joy, ache and desire as their friendship moves from hesitation, to moments of tenderness and finally on to a subtle, heart-warming romance. This is a book about love, memory, community and two teenagers finding their place in their world, whilst fighting against the chains of intergenerational trauma.
Emily, Dymocks Marketing Coordinator
You'll fall in love with 79-year-old Missy - prickly, stubborn, guilt-ridden and oh-so-lonely - as she claws her way back to happiness and self-forgiveness with the help of some delightful characters who enter her life after a chance encounter, and determinedly set about 'saving' her. Saving Missy is a wonderfully uplifting read that will make you laugh, cry, cringe and cheer, and stay with you long after you've closed the book!
I’m pretty sure Kiley Reid is the next big thing – she should be if Such A Fun Age is anything to go by. This gem of a novel is witty and fun to read, while simultaneously saying a whole lot about white privilege and the power dynamics of a parent/nanny relationship. It’s also been optioned for a TV project, so make sure you read it first!
Kate, Dymocks National Category Manager
Light-hearted, funny and full of charm, Maggie’s Going Nowhere is an engaging and delightful summer read. Rose Hartley has created a main character who is often unlikable but hard not to love as she traverses the many challenges life has thrown her way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so that I devoured it in one sitting. I would highly recommend!
Congratulations to Where the Crawdads Sing for being voted by our booksellers as our 2019 Book of the Year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I slowed down the reading of it in order to savour it, but also because I didn’t want it to end! Now I wish I could erase my memory so I can read it for the first time again. An absolute gem!
A compelling story of loyalty, ageing and grief told with warmth and good humour. This is an aboslutely brilliant read with an immensely satisfying ending.
Sue, Dymocks Public Relations Manager
We return to Gilead fifteen years on from The Handmaid's Tale, and see a country that is familiar to us but still shocking in its design. I found this to be a terrifically engaging story that is beautifully written, and honours both the readers of The Handmaid's Tale and the viewers of the TV series.
This book is a cracker! Full of intrigue, international politics and great suspense. Bruny will make you want to board the ferry to visit this little haven island off the coast of Tasmania. A captivating story!!
Danny Conroy and his beloved sister Maeve grow up in the Dutch House, a lavish folly owned by his property developer father. Their comfortable lives are forever changed by the arrival of Andrea, whose influence over their father results in their banishment and the loss of everything they hold dear. Cementing her status as a masterful storyteller, Patchett's coming of age story is as heartbreaking as it is heart-warming. A masterpiece of family, love loss and betrayal, The Dutch House
This dark, twisty novel with comic undertones is so cleverly plotted I am in awe of Atkinson's writing skill. Fans of the Jackson Brodie series will love this, as will those yet to discover the greatness of Kate Atkinson.
The Farm is an excellent look at the difference between rich and poor and the lengths that people will go to for family. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it very hard to put down. The story was well executed and I became invested in the characters and seeing their stories through to the end. A perfect read for fans of The Handmaid's Tale.
A hidden gem of a book (my favourite kind). We see, hear and feel things from the voices and hearts of Ellie and Dan - two strangers who are deeply altered by their chance encounter. The soulful and descriptive writing had me reluctant to put this story down. Set in the countryside of the English moors, Hazel Prior's striking debut novel will appeal to those who enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Gina, Dymocks Sydney