Culture
Books
Ten great books to cosy up with this winter
The seasonal scene won’t be complete without a good read to warm the soul.
- by Melanie Kembrey
Latest
The Taylor Swift of his day: Harry Houdini’s Melbourne tour
Alan Attwood’s novel is a fictional account of escapologist Harry Houdini’s time in Melbourne in 1910.
- by Simon Caterson
Did Miranda July just write ‘the first great perimenopause novel’?
The writer, director and actor has achieved the impossible and made middle age sexy.
- by Melanie Kembrey
Bogie and Bacall: Hollywood’s greatest love affair or PR fairytale?
In William J Mann’s solidly researched new book, he described previous books about the famous Hollywood couples as “more about omission than invention”.
- by Tom Ryan
Opinion
WordPlay
Why the Streisand effect could be morphing into the Gina effect
The moment you tell us to look away, we can’t stop gawking, as Gina Rinehart recently found out to her detriment.
- by David Astle
This coming-of-age novel features strikingly precise characterisation
Our reviewers cast their eyes over new fiction and non-fiction releases including a swashbuckling tale of a woman pirate and a deep dive into the symphony beneath the waves.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp
Bob Dylan, Socrates and a speaking sky: this thrilling book has it all
Poet Anne Carson pairs words and drawings in a celebration of beauty and absurdity.
- by Philippa Hawker
Like Jane Austen with Asian people: Kevin Kwan’s new novel
The author of Crazy Rich Asians returns with another outrageous comedy of manners, family and money. So much money.
- by Jessie Tu
‘Misogynistic massacre’: Sydney Writers’ Festival closing address dedicated to Bondi Junction victims
A feminist author used her closing address to call out “himpathy”, where men who commit violence receive “disproportionate and undue sympathy”.
- by Helen Pitt
This clever novel brings cosy crime to Australia
The regional town of Welcome would seem an unlikely location for a murder. Aoife Clifford’s new book is a nicely judged crime caper.
- by Sue Turnbull
Opinion
Racism
I’m not cancelling my favourite books, despite my dark skin troubling their authors
I can’t cancel the stories of my childhood. Great stories can survive the sins of their writers.
- by Satara Uthayakumaran