CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS The In-Between. Reviewed by Jessica Stewart
The new novel from the award-winning author of The Slap and Damascus is a story of starting over. The In-Between is a story of two men, older and scarred by life, who know that they still have much to offer. They are looking to share the second half of their lives...
JESSICA ZHAN MEI YU But The Girl. Reviewed by Ann Skea
The protagonist of Jessica Zhan Mei Yu’s debut novel is meant to be writing about Sylvia Plath and race, but finds herself in Scotland with writer’s block. I was meant to be writing a postcolonial novel. It had been an immigrant novel first but I learned the word...
TRENT DALTON Lola in the Mirror. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Homelessness, a mother and daughter on the lam – Trent Dalton’s third novel sprinkles magic dust on Brisbane’s grim underbelly. I was bothered by Lola in the Mirror. I enjoyed Trent Dalton’s earlier novels Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, and Lola...
LAVIE TIDHAR Adama. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Lavie Tidhar’s new novel spans generations and embodies the ideals, contradictions and brutality within the establishment of the State of Israel. Lavie Tidhar is both incredibly prolific and remarkably eclectic. In the last couple of years alone he has released a...
NRB readers’ favourite reviews of 2023
Which of our reviews did you enjoy the most in 2023? We’ve checked the stats and the results are in: here are our top 10 reviews of the year. Is your favourite among them? Or one of your favourite books? Or just a few things you’d like to add to your TBR...
ADRIAN HYLAND The Wiregrass. Reviewed by Karen Chisholm
In Adrian Hyland’s latest crime novel, Jesse Redpath is back, stationed in a new town during a time of stormy weather. The much anticipated follow-up to Canticle Creek, The Wiregrass is set in the temperate rainforest area of Victoria in the fictional town of...
SIMON BUTT Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Simon Butt reveals how and why corruption remains a problem at the highest levels of the Indonesian legal system. Simon Butt is a Sydney University law academic who has devoted much of his career to researching and writing on the operation of the Indonesian legal...
Christmas 2023 Giveaway #3
Win books by Chris Hammer, Lucy Mushita, David Cohen and Elise Esther Hearst in our final Christmas giveaway for 2023. Be quick! It’s your last chance to win in this series of Christmas giveaways. To go in the draw to win all four of the titles below, simply...
MICHAEL SEXTON Stories for Harry & Ray. Reviewed by Bernard Whimpress
In Stories for Harry & Ray, Michael Sexton brings together 43 of his essays on sport. The result is a small gem. Fellow Adelaide sportswriter Michael Sexton has a number of impressive books to his name – 1964: A Season, A Game, A State; Chappell’s Last Stand;...
Christmas 2023 Giveaway #2
Yes! More great books to win in the second of our Christmas giveaways for 2023. Don’t you deserve a little extra treat this Christmas to celebrate getting to the end of the year? To go in the draw to win all four of the titles below, simply email...
SAMANTHA HARVEY Orbital. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
It may be set on the International Space Station, but Samantha Harvey’s fifth novel is grounded in the beauty and fragility of Earth. Samantha Harvey’s new novel Orbital is an extended love letter to the Earth. It charts the 16 orbits made by the International Space...
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