"layered, effortlessly erudite and deeply complex. McEwan considers how our world might look from the future, but in doing so reveals how he sees it now." Robert Goodman reviews Ian McEwan's latest novel What We Can Know: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/ian-mcewan-w... #Fiction #BookSky 💙 📚

"a fitting love letter to Irish folklore – Linde takes a little bit of that magic and very much makes it her own." Amelia Dudley reviews The Robin on the Oak Throne, Book 2 of KA Linde's new fantasy series: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/ka-linde-the... @torbooksuk.bsky.social #SFF #BookSky 💙 📚

ICYMI this week's reviews: Robert Goodman on RF Kuang's new novel Katabasis Braham Dabscheck on Tracey Lee Holmes' memoir The Eye of the Dragonfly newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

"a no-holds-barred account not only of major sporting events of recent decades but also a glimpse behind the scenes of what is involved in reporting these events." Braham Dabscheck reviews Tracey Lee Holmes' The Eye of the Dragonfly newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/tracey-lee-h... #Memoir #BookSky 💙 📚

"Kuang returns to dark academic fantasy, but is still very much in the satirical mode of Yellowface ... and delivers something fresh, fun and thought-provoking." Robert Goodman reviews RF Kuang's new novel Katabasis: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/rf-kuang-kat... #RFKuang #DarkAcademia #BookSky 💙 📚

The Australian Political Book of the Year Award Shortlist for 2025: • "Naku Dharuk: The Bark Petitions" by Clare Wright • "The Chairman's Lounge" by Joe Aston • "Nuked" by Andrew Fowler • "Mean Streak" by Rick Morton #IndigenousHistory #Qantas #AUKUS #Robodebt #auspol #BookSky

"Of course the hare wins her heart, and she writes beautifully about it, so the reader, too, is enchanted by it." Ann Skea reviews Chloe Dalton's memoir Raising Hare: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/chloe-dalton... #hares #BookSky 💙 📚

"Scalmer demonstrates how changes in hours occur in a piecemeal manner, involving long and arduous struggles mounted on different fronts." Braham Dabscheck reviews Sean Scalmer's A Fair Day's Work newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/sean-scalmer... #IndustrialRelations #BookSky 💙 📚 @mupublishing.bsky.social

ICYMI this week's reviews: Ann Skea on Laura Elvery's debut novel Nightingale Tom Kelly on Michael Adams' biography of Kevin John Simmonds, They'll Never Hold Me newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #AustralianAuthors #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

This is why it doesn't make sense to make decisions about culture on "purely financial grounds" (quote from a university administrator). Meanjin is a critical part of Australian literary culture, an outrage it is being shuttered so unceremoniously.

"This book is more than just a well-written true crime thriller.. [it] details one of the most disgracefully sordid episodes in government-sanctioned criminality in this nation’s history" Tom Kelly reviews Michael Adams' They'll Never Hold Me newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/michael-adam... #BookSky 💙 📚

"a remarkable novel. Laura Elvery’s deep feeling for her characters.. the way she reclaims the history they live through.. make this a compelling and intriguing story." Ann Skea reviews Laura Elvery's novel Nightingale: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/laura-elvery... #AustralianWrites #BookSky 💙 📚

Two new reviews today Highway 13, Fiona McFarlane: tinyl.co/3eKE Very clever connected short stories. The Hollow Girl, Lyn Yeowart tinyl.co/3eKG Gives a voice to young woman in a devastating scenario Both exploring consequences of criminal behaviour. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime

Wonderful night at Sean and Dolly's last night for the launch of Mandy Sayer's new book No Dancing in the Lift - a gripping story of a writer and a moving continuation of the story begun in Dreamtime Alice. Love, death, the whole damn thing. #memoir #AustralianWriters #BookSky 💙 📚

ICYMI this week's reviews: Bernard Whimpress on Tim Wigmore's Test Cricket: A history Robert Goodman on Rhett Davis's new novel Arborescence newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #TimWigmore #TestCricket #RhettDavis #Arborescence #BookSky 💙 📚

"another triumph of Australian speculative fiction ... Davis builds out his weird premises slowly, bringing the reader along into a shocking but somehow believable alternate future." Robert Goodman reviews Rhett Davis's novel Arborescence: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/rhett-davis-... #BookSky 💙 📚

"Test Cricket: A history distils the essence of the highest form of the game played by 12 countries across 2598 matches over 148 years.. marvellously comprehensive" Bernard Whimpress reviews Tim Wigmore's Test Cricket: A history: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/tim-wigmore-... #TestCricket #BookSky 💙 📚

ICYMI this week's reviews: Ann Skea on Jennifer Trevelyan's debut novel A Beautiful Family Braham Dabscheck on Peter Greste's The Correspondent Find them at newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

"[its] significant contribution is its account of the eroding of our freedoms and the role the press has played, and needs to continue to play, in helping us to maintain our freedom." Braham Dabscheck reviews Peter Greste's The Correspondent newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/peter-greste... #BookSky 💙 📚

"There are surprises, half-expected revelations, more mysteries, family upsets and unresolved puzzles, but this isn’t the end of the story .. satisfying and unexpected." Ann Skea reviews Jennifer Trevelyan's debut novel A Beautiful Family: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/jennifer-tre... #BookSky 💙 📚

My #review of the latest by prolific, and always clever / fun author @sularigentill.bsky.social Five Found Dead: www.austcrimefiction.org/review/five-... ... hugely entertaining novel, fascinatingly clever ... #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime

I have many questions Why did Bendigo Writers Festival feel the need to introduce a "Code of Conduct" this year of all years? If it's not in relation to Israel's assault on Gaza, then what else has happened recently that suddenly prompted them to do this? 🤔 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

ICYMI this week's reviews: Catherine Pardey on Tan Twan Eng's Booker-longlisted The House of Doors Sally Nimon on Jessica Dettmann's new novel Your Friend and Mine. Find them both at newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

"The typical mid-life narrative dictates that the bored wife or husband will travel unexpectedly overseas and abandon their safe life for one of adventure .. But that is not what Dettmann does here." Sally Nimon reviews Your Friend and Mine newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/jessica-dett... #BookSky 💙 📚

Calling all First Nations Australian authors! I'm taking pitches for Bundyi Publishing, either in person in Hobart, 22 and 23 August, or online. I'd love to hear from those writing romance but happy to hear any commerical fiction ideas & non-fiction. willorganise.eventsair.com/2025-romance...

"a novel replete with history, romance, wonderful descriptions of Penang and not one good narrative but two..." Catherine Pardey reviews Tan Twan Eng's Booker-longlisted novel The House of Doors: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/tan-twan-eng... #TanTwanEng #SomersetMaugham @canongate.co.uk #BookSky 💙 📚

Nice review of The Red Labyrinth came out yesterday. If you haven’t gotten yourself a copy, do yourself a favour.

ICYMI this week's reviews: Linda Godfrey on Suzanne Do's debut novel The Golden Sister Braham Dabscheck on sociologist Simon James Copland's The Male Complaint Lucy Sussex on Ben Peek's novella The Red Labyrinth newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #AustralianWriters #BookReviews #BookSky 💙📚

"a dark mirror of our current dystopic times, rich, strange, and a harbinger of hope." Lucy Sussex reviews Ben Peek's novella The Red Labyrinth: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/ben-peek-the... @nosubstance.bsky.social @lucysussex.bsky.social @snugglybooks.bsky.social #BookSky 💙 📚

Congrats to Shaeden Berry, Mitch Jennings, Riley James, Lisa Kenway, Martine Kropkowski, Jacquie Pham - shortlisted for Best Debut Crime Fiction in the Ned Kelly Awards. Winner to be announced next month. www.austcrimewriters.com/news/2024/7/... #NedKellyAwards #AustralianCrimeWriters #BookSky 💙📚

"should be celebrated for the importance of the issues it examines and the clarity of its exposition." Braham Dabscheck reviews Simon James Copland's The Male Complaint: The manosphere and misogyny online: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/simon-james-... @politybooks.bsky.social #BookSky 💙 📚

Need a little push to polish the first draft of your novel? I've put together a handbook with questions and exercises to get you thinking about ways to improve your manuscript. Check it out here:

"... explores themes of family, grief, loss and second chances with such depth, humour and empathy that it’s impossible not to be moved." Linda Godfrey reviews Suzanne Do's debut novel The Golden Sister: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/suzanne-do-t... #MurderMystery #AustralianWriters #BookSky 💙 📚

This is a LOVELY review, thank you so much @michaeljongen.bsky.social!

ICYMI this week's reviews: Robert Goodman on Silvia Moreno-Garcia's witchy new novel The Bewitching Michael Jongen on Patrick Lenton's debut romcom In Spite of You newtownreviewofbooks.com.au @silviamg.bsky.social @patricklenton.bsky.social #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

"the novel is delightfully comic, light as a feather, and dripping with great one-liners." Michael Jongen reviews Patrick Lenton's gay romcom In Spite of You: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/patrick-lent... @patricklenton.bsky.social @michaeljongen.bsky.social #BookSky 💙 📚

"Moreno-Garcia... demonstrates her claim to be considered one of the best and most interesting present-day writers of the supernatural." Robert Goodman reviews Silvia Moreno-Garcia's new novel The Bewitching: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/silvia-moren... @silviamg.bsky.social #witches #BookSky 💙 📚

Margaret Preston, Mosman Bridge, 1927 Hans coloured woodblock print Austrailan printmaker #ReframingWomenPrintmakers

Calling all First Nations Australian authors (or emerging authors)! I'm taking pitches for Bundyi Publishing at the Romance Writers of Australia conference, in Hobart, Aug 22/23. I'm looking commercial women's fiction. For info & to book a spot, pls click willorganise.eventsair.com/2025-romance...

ICYMI this week's reviews: Ann Skea on AC Grayling's Discriminations: Making peace in the culture wars Braham Dabscheck on Hugh White's Quarterly Essay Hard New World: Our post-American future newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #philosophy #politics #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

Can Australia pursue a defence strategy independent of the United States? Braham Dabscheck reviews Hugh White's Quarterly Essay Hard New World: Our post-American future: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/hugh-white-h... #AUKUS #InternationalRelations #BookSky 💙 📚

Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Fund $10,000 grant for career development, open to Australian First Nations writers, poets, editors, illustrators, journalists, arts workers, and groups in the literature sector. creative.gov.au/investments-...

"... impressive and thought-provoking ... Grayling’s arguments for understanding, empathy, truth and justice are strongly presented and supported." Ann Skea reviews AC Grayling's Discriminations: Making peace in the culture wars newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/ac-grayling-... #philosophy #BookSky 💙 📚

ICYMI this week's reviews: Naomi Manuell on media mogul Barry Diller's memoir Who Knew Amelia Dudley on Hilde Hinton's new novel The Opposite of Lonely newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #BookReviews #BookSky 💙 📚

"shows what it could be like to tread that fine line between being tolerant of someone’s little ways and ignoring red flags .. It’s done so well, it’s chilling" Amelia Dudley reviews Hilde Hinton's new novel The Opposite of Lonely: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/hilde-hinton... #BookSky 💙 📚

"Who Knew .. can be read as a showbiz memoir, but also a business management book, with its pithy insights and insider accounts of bruising boardroom battles." Naomi Manuell reviews media mogul Barry Diller's memoir Who Knew: newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/barry-diller... #BookSky 💙 📚

ICYMI this week's reviews: two books dealing with very different communities of women: Suzanne Marks on Sarah Gilbert's Unconventional Women: The story of the last Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Australia Ann Skea on Lynne Olson's The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck newtownreviewofbooks.com.au #BookSky 💙 📚

"The strength of the bonds.between these four women is an inspiring demonstration of the power of sisterhood, even in the face of the most terrible oppression." Ann Skea reviews Lynne Olson's The Sisterhood of Ravensbrūck newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/lynne-olson-... #FrenchResistance #BookSky 💙 📚

"The personal accounts of the nuns and ex-nuns are unusually candid, giving a rare insight into the world of the convent" Suzanne Marks reviews Sarah Gilbert's Unconventional Women:The story of the last Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Australia newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/sarah-gilber... #BookSky 💙 📚

Look out for this one... #LivingInTheAnthropocene