The weather is turning, and so are the pages of good books everywhere! You can almost hear them flutter in the breeze as our dedicated team of book reviewers read some of the best and most interesting novels, short stories and non-fiction titles to have come our way recently.
We asked our team of book worms to catalogue some of their top recommendations for you and tell us why they liked it so much. Whether you’re after a relaxing escape for a lazy day, an edge of your seat thriller, or a good audiobook, here’s their cream of the crop:
The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware
If summer is for getting out on the water, then Michelle’s recommendation may not be such a great idea! She says “this is a great mystery which is really hard to put down (or turn off if you are listening to the audiobook) plus I can’t go cruising with friends this summer so thought this would inspire them.” Rod Lewis reviewed the audiobook of this mystery-thriller and agrees with her recommendation!
Read our review | Michelle’s other reviews
Nothing Short of Dying and A Promise to Kill, by Erik Storey
Leanne Caune couldn’t give us just one recommendation, nor could she decide between Erik Storey’s two thrillers. She tells us that both “are easily read and page turners that have the reader unable to put the books down. If you want to visit gritty yet sensitive story lines with a mix of character angst and developing friendships, these are a great holiday read.”
Read our reviews: Nothing Short of Dying | A Promise to Kill
The French Perfumer, by Amanda Hampson
Leanne has very eclectic tastes (lucky for us!) and she also recommends this romantic mystery which “is a book that is complete with intrigue, romance, deception and mystery. A page turner that explores the deception amongst corporate, family business and also has the feeling of a historical romance. It’s an easy-to-read afternoon mystery.”
Read our review | Leanne’s other reviews
Rowland Sinclair Mystery Series, by Sulari Gentill
Jan Kershaw and Rod Lewis both recommend this award winning Australian series which is ideal for fans of Agatha Christie, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and The Doctor Blake Mysteries. Jan says, “Set in 1930s Australia and abroad, the books skilfully blend historical fact and light-hearted fiction in the exploits of Rowland Sinclair, artist and black sheep of his wealthy family, and his bohemian friends. Murder, communists, fascists and spies seem to pop out of the woodwork to confound the quartet of amateur detectives as the war cloud darkens over Europe.”
Read our reviews | Jan’s other reviews
Working Class Boy, by Jimmy Barnes
Get your spring rockin’! Glen Christie and Rod Lewis have both reviewed this autobiography of Jimmy Barnes’ early life. Glen read the book and Rod heard the audiobook. Both came away impressed, with Glen advising that, “with the impending release of his second volume, Working Class Man, now is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with the boy who became that man. This is a hard truth, honesty-filled tale, which will take your breath away. It’s an SA-story, with home grown scenes, lyrical and rockin’ – just like Barnsey!”
Read our reviews | Glen’s other reviews
The Widow, by Fiona Barton
Our Books and Literature Editor, Rod Lewis, still considers this one of his favourite stories since he reviewed the audiobook last year. While he was blown away with Clare Corbett’s performance of the novel, he also says, “this heartbreaking yet gripping thriller tells a familiar story from the other side. When a man is accused of a horrific crime, what happens to his wife – the woman who clutches his arm at the courthouse and supports him through the nightmare. What’s her story? Barton’s novel is fresh, full of twists and unmissable, and the audiobook is even more breathtaking!”
Read our review
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
Lovers of 80s nostalgia and sci-fi adventures can rejoice with this fun, action-packed adventure that’s about to be released as a major new film by Stephen Spielberg. Rod Lewis says, “the audiobook is brilliantly narrated by 80’s child star Wil Wheaton, which adds to the humour of this futuristic story that has a retro twist. When the inventor of a popular virtual world dies, he leaves behind a series of 80s-inspired puzzles. The first person to solve them all will inherit his fortune. This story is fast-paced, dramatic, incredibly imaginative, and full of heart. It’s not what I expected at all.”
Read our review | Rod’s other reviews
Need more recommendations? Check out all of our Book Reviews, found under the Entertainment menu.