1. On the Sunday, She Created God by Gerii Pleitez
In the words of the writer herself – decolonise your bookshelf! This debut novella from Australian/Latinx author Gerii Pleitez, released through upstart indie publishing house Kara Sevda Press, is a riotous, righteous, and fiercely feminist little book. Perfect for kicking off the reading season, once On the Sunday, She Created God gets its hooks in you (and it will), you’ll tear through it in an afternoon. Don’t blame us if you want to start a riot afterwards, though.
2. The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle by Sophie Green
A perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover. While it may look and sound (more than) a little like the sort of thing your gran would read before bed, The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle is a deceptively clever and gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club. The four women at the centre of this story are incredibly rich characters, and the messy and intimate portrait of friendship that’s painted in its pages will move you to tears more than a few times. Bring tissues.
3. A Trillion Tiny Awakenings by Candy Royalle
While in some circles, and in some places, you’ll hear that poetry is dead – Australia’s spoken word and wider poetry scene has been seeing a resurgence over the past few years. This artist was part of the vanguard. If you’re looking for a book that will challenge you, that will confront you, and will stimulate more than a few fierce debates and passionate conversations, A Trillion Tiny Awakenings is politics, passion, and a voice to power – all at once. Candy Royalle’s live performances were a thing of legend. If you’re unconvinced that this is your sort of thing, look up a YouTube clip and you’ll be an immediate convert.
4. Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls
Remember your first love. Sweet Sorrow will transport you right back there, to that time where the air itself seemed filled with electricity and purpose. Deeply tragic and uproariously funny, this book is a nostalgic and emotional look at that beautiful and challenging period of adolescence when love first rears its head as we’re dragged headlong into adulthood. You’re going to weep. You’re going to cackle with laughter. You’re going to gush about it to everyone you know.