by NRB | 14 Dec 2023 | Crime Scene, Fiction |
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...
by NRB | 28 Nov 2023 | Non-fiction |
Robyn Davidson’s memoir delves into her family relationships and provides a window onto the ongoing trauma of sibling abuse. Robyn Davidson is best known for her international bestseller Tracks, about her trek across 2700 kilometres of Australian desert in 1977. Her...
by NRB | 31 Oct 2023 | Fiction, SFF |
Shelley Parker-Chan’s award-winning tale of an alternate ancient China continues in He Who Drowned the World. ‘… the most dangerous person in a game is the one nobody knows is playing.’ Dive back into the fascinatingly complex alternate ancient China of Shelley...
by NRB | 26 Oct 2023 | Fiction |
Winner of the 2022 Dorothy Hewett Award, Brendan Ritchie’s third novel is set in a dystopian Western Australia, the landscape pummelled by meteor showers. Elora closed her eyes and waited for the flashes of light to dissolve. It took longer these days. Hours...
by NRB | 23 Mar 2023 | Crime Scene, Fiction |
SD Hinton’s debut novel uses the structure of a thriller to explore myriad responses to trauma. Jake Harlow is a decorated Special Forces veteran, returned from a tour in Afghanistan that went horribly wrong for him. Captured by the Taliban, he was mentally and...
by NRB | 21 Mar 2023 | Fiction |
The new novel from the author of The Electric Hotel uncovers wartime secrets in an Italian village. Hugh Fraser is an American academic whose Italian mother, Hazel, used to take him to her home village in Italy for their summer holidays. He has fond memories of...
by NRB | 1 Dec 2022 | Non-fiction |
Myf Warhurst’s memoir of life, music, and the media is like reminiscing with an old friend. Many of us can recall a song we heard in childhood that blew open our world the first time we came across it. For a young Myf Warhurst, that song was ‘Howzat’ by 1970s...
by NRB | 2 Aug 2022 | Fiction |
Holden Sheppard’s second novel is more Lord of the Flies than teen exploitation story. Holden Sheppard’s Invisible Boys (2019) was a stunning debut that got a lot of attention when it was released. It’s a raw and real read – an honest novel about being young and...
by NRB | 9 Jun 2022 | Non-fiction |
Robert Dessaix reveals his love of language and literature in these occasional pieces. Abracadabra – an ancient Aramaic spell avra kadavra (‘it will be created in words’). In his preface to these collected writings, Dessaix describes them as ‘talks of mine from gala...
by NRB | 31 May 2022 | Fiction |
Scott Pearce’s dreamlike second novel explores life on the edge of society. From the opening moments of The Rider on the Bridge it is clear that we are dealing with a protagonist whose path through life has been somewhat unusual. Kitten, as he later comes to be...
by NRB | 5 May 2022 | Fiction |
Nigel Featherstone’s second novel is a story of masculinity and modern Australia. Throwing a teacup at your mother in frustration may seem a minor act of violence, but in Nigel Featherstone’s latest novel, it is a realisation and a release. Conscious that if his...
by NRB | 1 Apr 2021 | Non-fiction |
These six essays provide insights into the world of surfing both as individual passion and national symbol. In his introduction to this collection of Australian surf writing, Jock Serong asks whether surfing is a sport or a culture. It is estimated there are between...
CHER The Memoir Part 1. Reviewed by Naomi Manuell16 January 2025Cher is a genuine superstar who has had an extraordinary career across music, [ … ]
PETER GODWIN Exit Wounds. Reviewed by Ann Skea15 January 2025Peter Godwin’s memoir charts a life of exile, ranging from the horror of civil [ … ]
MARK SMITH Three Boys Gone. Reviewed by Michael Jongen14 January 2025Mark Smith’s first novel for adults is both a psychological thriller and an [ … ]
NRB readers’ favourite reviews of 202419 December 2024Welcome to our most popular reviews of the year. Is your favourite among them? [ … ]