A warming winter’s reading list
Baby it’s cold outside, so dive into your next great read.
Winter has descended upon the southern hemisphere. So. It’s time to rug up and get reading. It’s the best form of escapism, after all.
As with last year, this year I’m sharing an extensive winter reading list. These are books I’ve read over the last twelve months, which I believe are best suited for the cooler months.
Most of these books are written by Australian authors, as we have a fantastic and diverse literary scene that should be celebrated.
Some have only been recently published. Others are a little older. Copies should be available at your local library.
Everyone has different reading preferences, so I’ve broken these book recommendations down into separate sections. There should be something here, for every reader.
Here are a few tips on how to read more, every single day.
General fiction
Let’s start with a few fun fictions that aren’t too heavy, but aren’t exactly light either. They’re just right.
Evenings & Weekends by Oisín McKenna focuses in on four characters – Maggie, who is 30, pregnant and broke, her anxiety-ridden boyfriend Ed, her best friend and office drone Phil, who is in love with his flatmate Keith, and Phil’s mother Rosaleen, who has cancer and is trying to track him down to tell him for herself, before someone else shares the news. Phil, Keith and their other housemates are evicted from their house on the eve of throwing a gigantic party, it’s as hot as Hades in London, oh and there’s a whale stuck in the Thames. Let the chaos ensue.
Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins marries two of my favourite literary sub-genres – toxic workplace culture with wellness retreats. Edith fits the mould at work, and is struggling, professionally and personally. Layoffs are on the horizon and she’s just managed to get her ex-boyfriend and colleague fired. Worse still, she’s off on a work retreat at an isolated converted convent. Cut off from the outside world, forced to participate in ‘trust building exercises’, the story that unfolds is truly unhinged.
Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth follows ‘the last of the party girls’ 41 year old Sarah, as she roves around Scotland in a campervan with her sister Juliette, the person who knows her best. Interspersed is the first-person perspective from teenage Sarah, fifteen, wild and in love with her teacher. It’s funny, humbling and heartbreaking, all at once.
What the heart desires
Winter is still a time for romance, especially when it’s just too darn cold to get out of bed.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid flows through the late seventies to the mid-eighties, following Joan – one of the first few female astronomers to be accepted into NASA’s space shuttle program. She’s shooting for the stars, but it’s here she finds a love that feels as though it were written in the stars, as she slowly begins to fall for one of her fellow astronauts. Perfect for romantics and space nerds, alike.
Just as emotionally charged is The Favourites by Layne Fargo. Katarina is obsessed with three things. Figure skating, winning and her partner on the ice and off, Heath. Coming from the wrong side of the tracks, pursuing a sport that requires heavy spending to succeed, they manage to work their way to the top, until everything crumbles at the Olympic Games, of all places. Ten years on, having faded into obscurity, can they make a surprise comeback and go for the gold they feel they’ve always deserved?
And I now look forward to what seems to be the annual offering from British author Beth O’Leary. Her latest book is nautically-themed; Swept Away. After a ‘no-strings attached’ night of fun, Lexi finds herself stranded with her temporary lover, in the middle of the ocean, on a houseboat of all things. Lost at sea without proper provisions, their focus sweeps from survival to each other.
Literary fic at its best
Dive into these literary lovelies, written by awarded and in some cases, divisive authors.
Stella Prize winner Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser is a small book that packs a punch. It’s the late 1980s and our protagonist is in Melbourne, writing a thesis about the works of Virginia Woolf (aka her literary "Woolfmother”). She’s fascinated by feminism and wrapped up in literary theories – but can’t quite place them into ‘practice’, falling for a man already entangled in another relationship, the kind of mess you’d hope to only find yourself in when you’re young. This, among examining the destructive force of colonialism (and Woolf’s own troubling views about race) and a fractured relationship with the narrator’s own mother. There’s a lot going on within the 200 pages of this slender novella.
I Want Everything by Dominic Amerena is a hard one to put down. We follow a nameless narrator, on a quest to write the next Great Australian Novel. On a visit to a notable swimming pool in Melbourne’s west, he spots sensational author Brenda Shales, known as much for her disappearance into obscurity, as for her two famous books. What follows is a relentless pursual of the truth and what’s sure to be a cracking story, by any means necessary.
I’ve loved Laura Elvery’s short stories and was very excited to read her novel. Nightingale is loosely based on the life of Florence Nightingale, landing us in Mayfair in 1910, when she is 90 years old. Reduced to a body in a bed, her story intersects with that of Silas, a ghost from the Crimean War and Jean, who worked as a nurse under Nightingale. And while this doesn’t dwell solely on Nightingale herself, it’s still an interesting mediation of the role of women in and outside of war and the fundamentally critical work they engage in.
A good, old fashioned, murderous romp
Thrilling books, best read in your cosiest armchair, paired with a steaming cup of tea or a glass of red wine.
In The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins, lawyer Ruth Dawson moves to the small town of Myddle, taking up the position of local lawyer for an old friend. A teenager disappears. A well-liked local man is murdered and his wife is MIA. And the local constable is hopeless. Layered and twisty, it’s not only a cracking mystery, but an excellent study of small town Australia personalities.
Lyrebird by Jane Caro has a chilling premise. Lyrebirds are known for their mimicry – what if one manages to capture a murder? Young ornithologist Jessica Watson hears screams in the bush, that of woman, perfectly copied by a superb lyrebird. And lyrebirds can only make a call if they’ve heard it, for real. Having captured the chilling call on tape, she goes to the police, only to be dismissed by everyone but detective Megan Blaxland. Then, twenty years later, in that exact spot, a body is unearthed. Has the case run too cold to solve?
This story is also mostly set in the Barrington Tops, a truly excellent part of the world that is perfect for a bushwalk or perhaps a solo camp.
It’s one of the older books on this list, but The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry is a terrific thriller. It tells the story of a foster-to-adoption gone wrong, through a slow but ultimately chilling unfolding.
In memoir we trust
Escape the cold by diving into the lives and stories of acclaimed authors.
Geraldine Brooks’ husband Tony passed away in 2019, on USA holiday Memorial Day. Memorial Days is about her coming to terms with his death, reminiscing on their life together. Western culture does not give people the time, nor space, nor permission really, to grieve the people they love. So, this is what Brooks grants herself – flying to Flinders Island off the coast of Tasmania, to properly mourn and rebuild her life around the gaping hole left by Tony’s death.
Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine is one of the best books I’ve read in the last twelve months. Blaine was the only biological child in a family of six children, with three of his siblings the offspring of the Shelleys, removed from them as infants. He traces the history and entanglement of these two families – his own working class parents and the evangelical Shelleys, who will make it their life’s mission to get their children back.
Author Jane Rawson moved from inner-west Melbourne to the Huon Valley of Tasmania in 2019, in an attempt to connect with nature – and this as a person who very much feels at home in the city. Human/Nature contains her musings on humanity’s increasingly fractured relationship with nature, and the consequent effect on both the planet, the creatures we share space with, and our own psyches.
To get the brain ticking
A few books that you may well end up mulling over, long after you’ve turned over the final page. Thinking keeps us warm, right?
Is your soul tired? Wrung out from the efforts of surviving modern life? Is there a hole that perhaps religion once may have filled, that seeks some sort of spiritual answer in its place? In Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Elizabeth Oldfield uses the seven deadly sins as a framework for building up resilience in these troubling times. While she herself is Christian, she’s not here to preach – more so to discover ways to reach deep and find strength, something to lean on, when things feel like they’re falling apart.
What is Wintering? As Katherine May explains it, it’s a period of rebuilding, when life causes you to crumble. Dealing with issues in her family and her own failing health, May takes a period of extended rest, seeking restoration while the weather is cold, the days are shorter and life seems quieter. There is power in embracing winter, and similarly, rest.
Fathoms: The World in Whale by Rebecca Giggs covers the history of human associations with whales and what we can learn from them. Whales have a fundamental role in our history, and we haven’t always been kind to them. It’s a somewhat harrowing book, as any book about the natural world in a time of environmental crisis is apt to be, but fascinating, nonetheless.
Decolonise your bookshelf
Keen to read widely and wildly? Check out these books by First Nations, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors.
Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin wins the award for best title out of this collection of books. It follows Elkin as they transition, while working as a lawyer for Victoria’s LGBTQIA+ legal service. Watching his body transform while tackling sticky legal issues, this memoir is insightful, interesting but also, crucially, funny.
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters is bizarre. A novella wrapped within three short stories, these stories are simultaneously messed up and entertaining, each very different but ultimately speaking to the trans experience. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Torrey read excerpts from this book at an author talk in May, alternating between her ‘bro’ voice and her ‘lumberjack’ voice.
And ending with a book that is such a joy to read. Words to Sing the World Alive by Jamine McGaughey is a collection of essays and musings from First Nations authors. Each has gifted a word that has a great importance in their language, their culture, to them, wrapped up in meaning and delivered to the reader, to unfold with great care and reverence. Words are powerful and if wielded correctly, can certainly be used to sing the world alive. Good luck getting through this book without shedding a tear.
Any other books you’re looking forward to snuggling up with this winter?
Catch ya next week. ‘Til then, stay well, well-fed and especially well-read.
-Celine
Thanks for reading! If you think this newsletter is quite okay, it can help quite a lot if you hit 💚 or even leave a comment – or forward it on to a like-minded friend.
After more bookish posts? Check out the following:
Most links in this missive will take you to YourBookstore.io. This very handy website allows you to shop and support independent Australian bookstores. Give your local some love, or request a copy from your nearest library.
Such a huge and enticing selection! I love how much you feature Australian authors, it's right up my alley!
I love when you do a big ol' list of book recs! My 'want to read' list on goodreads has just grown by about a thousand per cent, and I'm so excited to dive into these - the thrillers in particular, which I just looove at this time of year.