Recently divorced phys-ed teacher Makayla is about to turn thirty and is determined to make up for lost time by having as many of the quintessential experiences that she missed out on in her twenties as possible. She makes a list. It includes such things as: go skinny-dipping, get a tattoo, and, the first cab…
Luke ‘Macca’ McCulloch spent eight years on the WA Police diving team, working on well-known cases like the light plane crash in 2017 which killed two people on Australia Day, and a prominent 2018 murder. Two years ago he left his role, and he has recently independently published an account of a particularly arduous ten-day…
Gareth and Louise Ward’s first co-authored novel, Dead Girl Gone, launched The Bookshop Detectives into a burgeoning cosy crime genre which has remained dominated by Richard Osman‘s Thursday Murder Club books since 2020. Loosely based on themselves, the Wards have created another gang of loveable amateur crime-solvers in Garth and Eloise Sherlock, two former police…
There’s a monster living in Cadenze. Confined to a pit deep inside the mountain, it’s been waiting – hungering – for its next meal. And Angelina Sicco, with her wonderfully full life, tops the menu. Attaching itself to her, the monster lurks somewhere in Angelina’s mind, waiting for the perfect moment to feast. But both…
Anna Maynard‘s debut novel, Dancing with Bees, might just be the perfect read to get you through the colder months of the year. Promising to delight fans of Emily Henry and Marian Keyes, this brightly coloured novel is more than a rom com – it’s a delight. Sunny Moritz is thirty-three and a little bit aimless….
For Sala and Kib, hiding beneath the lake in the safety of Kib’s ship, life has become fairly comfortable. Kib is researching the planet, using his technology to learn as much as he can about Palude. And Sala is waiting on the keei eggs laid on the wings of the ship to mature enough to…
West Australian writer and AU review contributor Emily Paull saw the release of her debut novel The Distance Between Dreams, a stunning historical fiction of hope, dreams, and love, earlier this year. Paull is a librarian, author, book reviewer, former bookseller, avid reader, huge supporter of the West Australia writing community, and a regular fixture…
Assassins, gorgons, greyhounds and calico cats all feature in this quarter’s most anticipated list, with characters across the board witnessing their own personal versions of hell (and the very literal hell in one case). But amongst these monsters and trials and conflicts are also moments of peace, moments of solidarity, and moments of personal growth….
“The queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi” Barbara Truelove’s rip-roaring sci-fi adventure of AI and monsters is full of human heart. Of Monsters and Mainframes may feature a cast of sentient AI and monsters of the night, with humans operating largely as minor characters, but underneath all those fangs and fur and…
Acclaimed biographer Jacqueline Kent explores the left wing movement through the lens of women writers in her latest biography Inconvenient Women: Australian Radical Writers 1900 – 1970, tracking the lives and works of prominent authors and poets such as Mary Gilmore, Katherine Susannah Prichard, Kath Walker and Dorothy Hewitt among many others. In her introduction…
Atmospheric in a strange, almost empty way, The Sun Was Electric Light is the debut novel from Australian author Rachel Morton. As the winner of the 2024 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, it may come as no surprise to hear that this one is something truly special, meditative and evocative – or that this uniqueness comes at…
Tara Calaby’s second novel The Spirit Circle came out in January of this year and has followed hot on the heels of her debut, The House of Longing, which came out in 2023 – an impressive turnaround for historical fiction, which often requires extensive research. The result is an assured and atmospheric read featuring headstrong heroines, forbidden…
Headstrong women and vibrant imagery take centre stage in Nadia Mahjouri’s debut novel, Half Truth, in which themes of belonging and identity meld with those of motherhood and family to create a rich and powerful story of a grandmother and granddaughter united in their uncertainty by the absence of one man. In 1999, Zahra begins…
If you’re a fan of sci fi/fantasy novels that are more on the cosy end of the scale, you’ve probably heard of TJ Klune – or at least heard of his novel The House in the Cerulean Sea and its highly anticipated sequel. But you probably haven’t heard of The Bones Beneath My Skin, which…
Bianca Breen is a well-known name in the West Australian YA scene, being the powerhouse behind the YA for WA Community which regularly runs book clubs devoted to talking about young adult fiction. This year, her debut novel, Made of Steam and Stardust has been published by Stag Beetle Books. The story is about sixteen-year-old…
Lord Alaric Valerian has spent centuries isolated in his crumbling castle, busying himself with his artistic endeavours, and making a fine mess while doing it. But, even vampires suffer from overbearing parents and his mother has decided that Black Crag Castle is the perfect place for a ball – a ball where they will announce…
1863 Melbourne comes to life in Madeleine Cleary‘s much buzzed about debut novel, The Butterfly Women, released earlier in the month through Affirm Press. A publishing imprint making a name for itself in historical fiction, Cleary joins renowned historical fiction writer Pip Williams (The Dictionary of Lost Words), as well as a growing list including the…
Agathion College isn’t the kind of school to offer scholarships. Isolated on a remote Scottish moor it houses the problem children of the rich, powerful, and famous, teaching them philosophy, and the value of the mind over the body. And yet, Page Whittaker is here. Invited by the Archon to join Agathion, all she wants…
American rom-com writer, Emily Henry, although having already published several novels for young adults, really made a name for herself with her first novel for adults, Beach Read in 2020. Since then, the publication of a new Emily Henry novel has become a major bookish event, with the release of her latest book, Great Big…
Like the protagonist of her second novel, Jessica Stanley is an Australian writer living in London. They share other similarities too, such as favourite authors, and perhaps the moments that Stanley has drawn from her own experience in order to shape Coralie’s are what makes her story feel so real. Set against the backdrop of…
“…our idea of nature is cultural… the idea of nature doesn’t much serve the needs of the creatures we share the planet with or even the needs of most humans, but has been largely constructed to serve a powerful few.” Jane Rawson’s thorough exploration of scientific history and the cultural relationship with the concept of…
It’s 2018, and zombies are taking over Australia. Sunny, Toby, and baby Veronica are on the run, trying desperately to survive. Or, at least, that’s the case for Toby and Veronica. Sunny’s already dead, but, somehow, she’s still clinging on. Nearly two decades later, Vee lives and works in an underground facility, wiping out the…
Bold, brilliant, and a little bizarre, Mother Tongue is a story about motherhood, womanhood, and the desire to be true to yourself – no matter who that ‘self’ is. Mother Tongue is the second novel from producer and writer Naima Brown, and it’s one that cements her status as a writer of incredible and profoundly…
As we barrell on into yet another quickly-moving year, the books team at AU Review have pulled together a hotly anticipated list of dramas, mysteries, romances and fresh horrors to keep you riveted to your reading seat. Between the grissly mysteries and untimely deaths are touching stories of friendship, love and recognising our own strength…
Blueprint Comics‘ Meet Me in the Pit anthology recently released its fifth issue, inviting artists to share a few short panels inspired by music and their relationship with it. Boasting cover art from the incredible Phoebe Paradise, this collection spans a huge variety of interpretations on the theme – from music as an escape to…
We’ve been covering Aussie author Helen Scheuerer here for a hot minute, all the way back to debut series The Oremere Chronicles – and yes, I remain a devoted Swinton girlie. So we were naturally very excited when Scheuerer announced Iron & Embers, the first in The Ashes of Thezmarr series, and her first novel with…
The world is fascinated with missing girls. They are the subjects of true crime podcasts and countless movies and tv shows, and of course, novels. But, in Down the Rabbit Hole, debut author Shaeden Berry offers readers something a little deeper than the usual small-town thriller featuring a missing persons case. Down the Rabbit Hole…
The knives (and forks) are out in Victoria Brownlee’s new novel Eat Your Heart Out, which blends romance, comedy, and a hearty splash of mystery to create one delicious dish. Drawing from her own career as an international food writer and critic, she’s cooked up some fascinating characters, gorgeous environments and an engaging tale. Though…
Readers who loved The Other Bridget, last year’s rom-com from heavy hitter Rachael Johns featuring a gnome-loving librarian, will be delighted to learn that our beloved Bee makes more than a few cameo’s in 2025’s follow up, The Bad Bridesmaid. Whilst it’s not a sequel, the events of Bridget’s story are referred to throughout, so…
Now in it’s thirteenth year, The Stella Prize has announced its 2025 longlist. Founded in 2012, the prize’s mission is to empower women and non-binary authors and to recognise and showcase their accomplishments in a world of gender inequality. With this year’s longlist featuring works ranging from poetry collections to archival history and LGBT+ romance,…
