Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Reviews >

The cover of "Bring Back Yesterday" by Bob Carr.

Bring Back Yesterday (Bob Carr, A&U) 

Nonfiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Jess Lomas.

In Bring Back Yesterday, journalist and former politician Bob Carr reflects on the sudden death of his wife, Helena, and...

The Ascension of Souls (Broken Cycle Book 1) (Bronte-Marie Wesson, Penguin) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Kathryn Wheaton Grierson.

A recurring prophecy falters as the fate of two countries hangs in the balance in Bronte-Marie Wesson’s fantasy epic, The...

She Who Tastes, Knows: A memoir of food, exile and awakening (Durkhanai Ayubi, Murdoch) 

Nonfiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Joanne Shiells.

Just pages into She Who Tastes, Knows: A memoir of food, exile and awakening, my taste buds were tingling at...

Finding the Bones (Natalie Conyer, Echo) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Kate Frawley.

Finding the Bones by Ned Kelly Award-winning author Natalie Conyer is a gritty, slow-burn Australian crime thriller that exposes the...

The Last Poem (Courtney Peppernell, Atria) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Andrea Kress.

Courtney Peppernell’s The Last Poem is a tender, modern work of fiction infused with poetic sensibility, echoing the emotional gentleness...

The Feathers of Farwood and the Gripps Curse (Jayne McIntyre, Riveted Press) 

Younger readers

Released March 2026, reviewed by Tony Doyle.

Jayne McIntyre’s debut novel, The Feathers of Farwood and the Gripps Curse, is the first in a new trilogy. Set...

Haze (Sam Elliott, Macmillan) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Ilona Urquhart.

Samuel Elliott’s debut novel, Haze, introduces constable Dahlia Turner, newly returned to her coastal hometown of Broughlet – a place...

Nature Knows (Yvette Farmer, illus Chloe Jasmine Harris, T&H) 

Children’s picture book

Released March 2026, reviewed by Karys McEwen.

Nature Knows is a gentle picture book that steps quietly into the growing conversation around children’s wellbeing and the restorative...

Ruby’s Web (Ellen van Neerven, Magabala) 

Younger readers

Released March 2026, reviewed by Nadia Heisler.

In Ruby’s Web, Ellen van Neerven (Heat and Light, Comfort Food) situates a coming-of-age story against the backdrop of the...

The cover of "The Belfast Express" by Brigid Carrick.

The Belfast Express (Brigid Carrick, Ventura) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Tara Lee.

In The Belfast Express, Brigid Carrick centres on an aspiring nurse in 1970s Ireland to examine the influence of the...

The Boy and the Dog Tree

The Boy and the Dog Tree (Fiona Wood, UQP) 

Younger readers

Released March 2026, reviewed by Annie Waters.

Fiona Wood (How to Spell Catastrophe), a 3-time CBCA winner, returns to middle-grade fiction with a heartfelt tale of the...

Vow of Eternal Night (Lily Crozier, Penguin) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Jasmin McGaughey.

Lily Crozier’s debut, Vow of Eternal Night, reads as if it were written with a deep love for the romantasy genre...

Poster Boys (Scott Woodard, Lothian) 

Young adult

Released March 2026, reviewed by Bohdi Byles.

Poster Boys follows Edward, a “try-hard” who navigates school life alongside space cadet Nolan and popular jock "Crombie" when their...

The cover of "On Not Climbing Mountains" by Claire Thomas.

On Not Climbing Mountains (Claire Thomas, Hachette) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Ellie Fisher.

Claire Thomas’s On Not Climbing Mountains is a slyly restless work. It treats travel less as a physical movement and more...

How to Die in the 21st Century: A whole new way to talk about death (Hannah Gould, T&H) 

Nonfiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Anthony Morris.

For something that will affect all of us, death is a topic that’s difficult to bring up. Enter Hannah Gould,...

The House of Blue Grass (Alan Atkinson, NewSouth) 

Nonfiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Fay Helfenbaum.

Alan Atkinson’s The House of Blue Glass is ostensibly a biography about Penelope Lucas, “the first well-educated woman to travel...

The cover of "A Far Flung Life" by ML Stedman.

A Far-flung Life (ML Stedman, Penguin) 

Fiction

Released March 2026, reviewed by Shannon Grey.

From the acclaimed author of The Light Between Oceans comes A Far-flung Life, ML Stedman’s much-anticipated second novel. Set in...

Oh Brother (Georgina Chadderton, Penguin) 

Graphic novel

Released February 2026, reviewed by Jess Lomas.

Oh Brother by Georgina Chadderton is a warm, perceptive middle-grade graphic memoir about growing up alongside a sibling with high...

The cover of "Bird Diety" by John Morrissey.

Bird Deity (John Morrissey, Text) 

Fiction

Released February 2026, reviewed by Stefen Brazulaitis.

Shorter novels have made a strong resurgence in recent years – particularly in science fiction – and John Morrissey’s (Firelight)...

Side Character Energy (Olivia Tolich, Text) 

Fiction

Released February 2026, reviewed by Jess Lomas.

Olivia Tolich’s Side Character Energy is a lively debut romantic comedy with a strong focus on self-discovery. When Bee starts...