Our Recommended Reading
Crime and Cozy Crime reading list
Love a good mystery? Our Crime and Cosy Crime Recommendations feature everything from gripping thrillers and clever detective stories to charming whodunnits that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Whether you enjoy fast-paced crime fiction or cosy mysteries filled with quirky characters and amateur sleuths, there's something for every mystery lover. Browse the list and discover your next great read.
Booker Prize longlist announced
The Booker Prize 2026 longlist features 13 novels spanning genres including literary fiction, satire, dystopian sci-fi, historical fiction and surrealism, with stories set across the globe.
Authors represent seven countries and include former winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart, alongside three debut novelists.
Themes range from memory, grief and identity to power, violence and social change. The Booker Prize judges praised the longlist’s diversity, originality and emotional impact, describing it as a collection that challenges, surprises and transports readers.
Women In Translation Month
Every perspective matters, and every story deserves the chance to be heard.
This August, Women In Translation Month celebrates women writers from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Women In Translation Month seeks to rectify the imbalance in world literature, promoting women writers from all walks of life, all languages, and all experiences.
From award-winning authors to emerging voices, these books offer insights into lives, cultures and experiences beyond our own.
Whether translated into English, translated between different non-English languages, or still untranslated: women from all over the world deserve to have equal opportunities when it comes to literary recognition.
Epic reads with The Odyssey
More than 2,000 years after it was written, The Odyssey still speaks to us because it explores timeless experiences. At its heart Odysseus' journey is a story about resilience, identity and the challenges that shape us along the way.
Our Odyssey-inspired reading list brings together Homer’s original epic, modern retellings and novels influenced by its themes.
From fresh perspectives in The Penelopiad, Circe, A Thousand Ships and Lavinia to enduring classics such as The Iliad and Ulysses, these books show why this ancient tale continues to inspire readers and writers today.
NAIDOC Week
Recommended Reading
While you're visiting, be sure to explore our NAIDOC Week displays at library branches across the region. Discover books, resources and recommendations that celebrate First Nations voices, stories and culture. Visit your local branch to browse the displays and borrow something new.
To help young readers learn, discover and be inspired, explore our specially curated NAIDOC Week reading list featuring stories by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. From picture books to young adult fiction, there's something for every age to enjoy.
Miles Franklin Literary Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist for 2026 has been announced, featuring ten novels that reflect the diversity and depth of Australian life. The selected books highlight a wide range of voices, cultural perspectives and lived experiences, demonstrating the strength of contemporary Australian storytelling. Among the authors are previously recognised writers, adding further prestige to an already strong field.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is one of Australia’s most significant literary prizes. It recognises novels of the highest literary merit that present Australian life in meaningful and engaging ways. The winner receives $60,000, making it both a prestigious and highly anticipated award in the literary calendar.
Learn more about Reconciliation Week
This Reconciliation Week’s theme is “All In” encouraging all Australians to learn about our shared histories and commit to reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights every day.
For a great place to start we recommend these books by First Nations authors.
Melbourne Writers Festival
Celebrate IDAHOBIT with incredible authors
IDAHOBIT (the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia) falls on Sunday 17 May so what better time to pick up an author from our list highlighting some of the Trans and Non-Binary authors in our collection?
There’s plenty of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror in the list above but if you read them exclusively you’ll already know that the Locus and Hugo Award Finalists have been announced!
Pick up a longlisted title before they make their way onto our bedside stacks, we might not give them back for a while.
Explore IDAHOBT lists today
What now?
Bereft that the Bridgerton season is behind us once more?
Fall in love with our dedicated post-Bridgerton reading list for all the yearning, empire waistlines, outrageous coincidences and historically-incorrect banter your heart desires.
On it you’ll find a captivating selection of non-fiction, historical fiction and historical romance of every variety.
Reservations? Well – we hope so – you’ll find all your holds at the front of the library.
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2026 shortlists have now been released, with the winners set to be announced on Wednesday 25 February. Established in 1985, these awards celebrate excellence across Australian writing and are administered by the Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Victorian Government. The program recognises exceptional work across Fiction, Non Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Indigenous Writing, Children’s Literature and Writing for Young Adults, along with a prize for an Unpublished Manuscript.
2026 Stella Prize Longlist
The 2026 Stella Prize Longlist features twelve outstanding books by Australian women and non-binary writers. Spanning poetry, memoir, fiction, non-fiction and graphic works, the list explores powerful themes of memory, truth and creativity.
Chosen from more than 200 entries, these titles will be narrowed to a shortlist of six in April, before the winner of the $60,000 Stella Prize is announced in May. We have compiled a list of all the longlisted titles available in our collection for you to reserve and enjoy.
Visit the Stella Prize website for more information.
