Suggested Readings 2021
Here's our recommended reading lists
Text Publishing
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The team at Text Publishing has long believed that Australia punches above its weight when it comes to crime fiction, and here's the list to prove it! From rural thrillers to slow-burn suspense, there’s something for everyone—even if you don’t fancy yourself much of a crime buff.
THE NIGHT WHISTLER by Greg Woodland
Nostalgic yet clear-eyed, simmering with small-town menace, Sydney author Greg Woodland’s wildly impressive debut populates the rural Australia of the 1960s with memorable characters and almost unbearable tension.
WHITE THROAT by Sarah Thornton
Sarah Thornton’s second novel featuring the feisty-yet-flawed Clementine Jones, White Throat is a nail-biting thriller set in an idyllic coastal town, where the leader of an environmental group has been found dead in suspicious circumstances.
THE SECOND SON by Loraine Peck
The Second Son is a brilliant action-packed crime debut that creates a world where honour is everything, violence is its own language, and love means breaking all the rules. Set in Western Sydney, this is an unforgettable novel of loyalty and sacrifice.
THE GAPS by Leanne Hall
This YA novel is less about a crime and more about those who are left spinning in the wake of a high school student’s abduction. A tribute to friendship in all its guises, The Gaps is a moving examination of vulnerability and strength, safety and danger, and the particular uncertainties young women face in the world.
GIRL, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
In this thrilling debut for fans of Karin Slaughter and Riley Sager, a social worker turned true-crime podcaster investigates a decades-old serial killer cold case—only to unwittingly create new victims. Highly recommended for any true crime podcast fans!
THE LONG GAME by Simon Rowell
Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer is scarcely back from extended leave, and still wrestling with her demons, when she is assigned a grisly murder case—alongside her new service dog, Harry, whose instincts help her in unexpected ways. Superbly plotted, and vividly set in the beachside suburbs and hilly retreats around Melbourne, The Long Game is a mystery about a tough and clever investigator who won’t give up.
THE ATTACK by Catherine Jinks (September)
Prolific NSW author Catherine Jinks is back with a new novel, hot on the heels of 2021’s Shelter. Bruising classroom dynamics, manipulative parents and carers and horrendous small-town politics form the backdrop to this nail-biting thriller in which the tensions of ten years ago start to play themselves out, building to a violent climax in the present day.
THE WAY IT IS NOW by Garry Disher (November)
Coming in November, The Way It Is Now is the enthralling new standalone novel by Garry Disher, one of Australia’s most loved and celebrated crime writers. Don’t miss it.
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Newsouth Publishing
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Insightful non-fiction.
These insightful non-fiction books from experts in their field will intrigue, delight, and ignite discussion.
Australia & the Pacific: A history by Ian Hoskins
‘A fascinating history that shows how Australia’s relationships with the Pacific have shaped and informed each of our worlds.’ – Iain McCalman
The Best Australian Science Writing 2021 edited by Dyani Lewis, foreword by Cathy Foley
This much-loved anthology showcases the nation’s best science writing. New voices join prominent science writers and journalists, taking us to the depths of the ocean, the fuels of the future, and to the Ryugu asteroid and back.
Coming of Age in the War on Terror by Randa Abdel-Fattah
‘Randa Abdel-Fattah has produced an urgent...
Fremantle Press
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Own voice poetry.
Poetry is a wonderful way to create intercultural and personal understanding and to explore issues of belonging and identity. This list includes diverse own voice writers representing First Nations, refugee, immigrant and queer communities.
‘Every poem here is like a little grenade, sometimes filled with sizzling rage, sometimes wry humour, but always with expansive wit and erudition. Vociferate is polemical, personal and political. Be prepared to be blown away!’ Alice Pung
Poems that do not sleep by Hassan Al Nawwab
Hassan Al Nawwab is a former Iraqi soldier who came to Australia after the war with his family 20 years ago. With devastating simplicity, these imagistic poems speak of war and...
Robert Watkins – Ultimo Press
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Australian writers who are doing things a little differently.
I’ve worked in Australian books and publishing for over 20 years, and I still get excited when I discover or read Australian authors who are writing provocative, thoughtful works. Some of my favourite books of the last ten years can be found in the list below:
Foreign Soil – Maxine Beneba Clarke.
An Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent, Clarke is an extraordinary wordsmith. I think these short stories are evocative, insightful and simply masterful.
This debut novel is so timely and clever – the way Reid tackles big issues like consent, class and power is deeply thoughtful without ever being preachy. Incredible!