Plan your reading in advance with our guide to new books published in October 2025. Have we missed some best books? Publishers, please send your advance book lists, in any genre, to our editor inbox and we’ll include you next time!
Best new books: quick links
Fiction: new books
Seed, Bri Lee – 30 September
Biologist Mitchell is committed to the environment and the growing global antinatalist movement. For one month each year he lives with his colleague Frances in a utopia of radical equality and scientific dedication in Antarctica.
They are concluding the Anarctos Project: a seed vault in an isolated, secret location. It is a biodiversity insurance policy against humanity’s devastating effects on the rapidly warming planet.
A Great Act of Love, Heather Rose – 30 September
Van Diemen’s Land, 1839. A young woman of means arrives in Hobart, with a young boy in her care. Leasing an old cottage next to an abandoned vineyard, Caroline Douglas must navigate an insular colony of exiles and opportunists to create a new life on this island of extreme seasons and wild beauty.
The Road Trip, Tricia Stringer – 30 September
Two caravans, four adults and a journey through Australia’s heart – the trip of a lifetime, right? Wrong. A wise take on the joys of travel with those you might dislike the most but love the best.
Twisted River, James Dunbar – 30 September
When charity worker Cate and website designer Rory return from their European holiday, they make a nightmare discovery. Their credit cards have been cancelled, their bank account has been emptied, and their phones and internet have been cut off.
Their home in the New South Wales coastal town of Kiama has been rented out as a holiday let, and their dog and pet-sitter have disappeared.
The Worse Thing I’ve ever done, Clare Stephens – 30 September
It’s an ordinary Tuesday morning when Ruby Williams’ name starts trending online. She’s uploaded an interview that has outraged journalist Felicity Cartwright, a social media personality who has built her profile by policing exactly what women are allowed to say and how they’re allowed to say it.
Ruby is at the centre of a brutal public shaming, watching on in horror as her reputation is torn apart.
The Soldier’s Daughter, Fiona McIntosh – 30 September
Violet Nash has grown up in the shadows of her father Charlie’s shattered dreams. It’s been years since he walked away from the battlefields of France, a WWI hero but his heart in tatters, only to see it broken all over again in the worst way possible. In search of a new beginning, they set sail for Tasmania, Australia to fulfill his dream of setting up a whisky distillery.
One story, Pip Finkemeyer – 30 September
In the chaos of 2010s Silicon Valley, a tech company’s meteoric rise culminates in a devastating fall. Dot Van Jensen, the trailblazing CEO-turned-fugitive, narrates her story from a hidden corner of Indonesia.
A scandal has painted her as the villain who fractured democracy and paved the way for a darker future. But is the truth as cut and dry as the headlines seem to imply?
Best Australian Ghost Stories, Graham Seal – 30 September
Have you ever seen, heard or felt something that cannot be rationally explained? Australia is troubled by the departed spirits of convicts, bushrangers, drovers, nurses and miners. People have seen spectres in pubs, theatres, lighthouses, asylums, and by lonely waterholes.
Everyone in this bank is a thief, Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September
What if an Agatha Christie style murder mystery happened inside Ocean’s Eleven? …Ten suspects. Ten heists. A puzzle only Ernest Cunningham can solve.
Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth – 30 September
In 1959, at just 15 years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder. In 2025, on a quiet Melbourne lane, an elderly man is found dead by his neighbour, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. No one suspects any foul play. Until they discover Elsie’s past. In the 1950s, her name was not Elsie. It was Mabel.
Legacy, Chris Hammer – 30 September
Martin Scarsden flees an assassination attempt but lands in even more trouble with a deadly family feud leaving him at death’s door in Chris Hammer’s next crime novel. Fleeing for his life, he learns that nowhere is safe, not even the outback. The killers are closing in, and it’s all he can do to survive.
In the Name of the Trees, Merlinda Bobis – 1 October
In a Philippine ritual of retrieval, Lola Narra tries to heal her granddaughter Dao who was paralysed in an accident that killed her father. They live in Canberra, far from the healing trees of their first home in the village of Iláwod where the story began. But between the Philippines and Australia, the land knows, the trees know: wound on wound on wound
Left Behind, Martine Kropkowski – 1 October
Two couples – Annabelle and Luke, Des and Julianni – embark on a camping trip to K’gari, a picturesque island off Queensland’s coast. Things have been tough lately, but this holiday is just what they need – white sands, clear waters, a chance to decompress and reconnect. But there is an unnerving electricity in the air and Annabelle starts noticing strange occurrences.
The One Remaining, Paula McLean – 1 October
Hilary Mason is 13 when her sister Elaine disappears. She fears someone close to the family is involved but represses her suspicions. As an adult, Hilary becomes a successful novelist. In her 50s, she comes upon a stack of her old diaries, which document the trauma she’s endured. She decides she is ready to face the hidden backstory of her life.
The Maskeys, Stuart Everly Wilson – 1 October
Locals see George Maskey as a hollow braggard who is at least partly responsible for the crime and drug related death Naples has seen over the years. His wife blames him for the death of their teenage twins. His gay stepson regards him as a racist homophobe. And Serenade Theadora – the town’s famed mystic – sees him in equal parts as good and bad. But George, the family patriarch, is not the star of this story.
The Warrumbar, William J Byrne – 6 October
On the day man first walks on the moon13-year-old Robbie Brennan meets Moses, an old man camped by the side of the road. Over the following months, Robbie is drawn to Moses’ stories – tales of hardship, war, and redemption – unearthing a past entwined with his own.
Do we deserve this? Eleanor Elliott Thomas – 14 October
Bean Halloway, lone nobody in a family of ambitious somebodies, is still figuring out what she wants from her life. She always says she doesn’t care about money – but will that still be the case when she finds herself in possession of a lottery ticket worth millions?
The Detective, Matthew Reilly – 21 October
For 150 years, women have been going missing. And all of the investigators who went in search of them – from 1877 to the present day – have disappeared, too. Now Sam Speedman, a most unique private detective, is on the case. Brilliant, direct and disarming, Sam is … different. He’s not your average private detective. But then again, this isn’t your average case.
The Lucky Sisters, Rachael Johns – 21 October
Adopted twins Nora and Stevie Lucky have always been close, despite being total opposites.
When their mother dies, Nora convinces Stevie to search for their biological parents, only to come face-to-face with a life-changing revelation that sends them spiralling in opposite directions.
With their careers, love lives and even their sisterly bond at risk, they’re going to need more than luck to survive.
The Long Night, Christian White – 28 October
Em has lived a quiet life and is now looking for love and a potential escape from her small hometown. When a masked man kidnaps her in the dark of night, though, she is drawn into a terrifying world.
The Hiding Place, Kate Mildenhall – 28 October
When Lou sees an ad for a long-abandoned mining town up for sale, it doesn’t take her long to convince her sister and their oldest friends to go in on the idyllic property buried in the bush – a place where the four families can hide away on weekends, get back to nature and unstick the kids from their screens. But things start to go wrong before they even arrive for their first camping trip …
Last One Out, Jane Harper – 28 October
In a dying town, Ro Crowley waits for her son on the evening of his 21st birthday. But Sam never comes home. His footprints in the dust of three abandoned houses offer the only clue to his final movements. One set in. One set out.
A Disappearing Act, Jo Dixon – 28 October
Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne – but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé.
Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career… but this time the allegations go further… Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?
The Transformations, Andrew Pippos – 28 October
In the fading glow of Australia’s print journalism era, The National is more than a newspaper: it’s an institution, and the only place that George Desoulis has ever felt at home. A world-weary subeditor with a bookish sensibility and a painful past, George is one of nature’s loners.
The Underworld, Sofie Laguna – 28 October
Martha Mullins is a misfit. Her mother is glamorous, aloof and judgemental. Her father, mostly absent. Academic and shy, Martha finds herself fascinated by the underworld, a place she learns about in Roman mythology classes at school. To Martha, the underworld and its divine inhabitants provide a place of refuge, escape, imagination and desire.
The Tangled Web, Tea Cooper – 28 October
Maitland 1892 When Viola’ Oswald’s beloved brother Sebastian dies of a hereditary blood disease, Viola suspects her stepfather, prestigious surgeon Elias Sinclair, has used Sebastian’s illness to enhance his reputation. But Viola has no proof until she discovers a letter within the pages of Sebastian’s favourite book – Lamb’s Tales of Shakespeare.
Chosen Family, Madeleine Gray – 28 October
Set in Sydney over 18 years, Chosen Family follows Nell and Eve as they grow into themselves, as they both love and destroy each other. From school, to university, to careers, to motherhood, Nell’s and Eve’s is a relationship that is a life-raft that is also a poison apple that is also a Medusan stare, frozen in time.
Non-fiction: new books
Average at best, Astrid Jorgensen – 30 September
Average At Best is a memoir about embracing mediocrity if you want to get anything done. As the creator of Pub Choir® – a global phenomenon that unites complete strangers to connect, laugh, and make beautiful music – Jorgensen takes you behind the curtain as she stares down her dizzying highs, her crushing lows, and everything in between.
Riots, Fiona Skyring – 30 September
From 1918, 1919 and into 1920 Australia was rocked by a series of riots involving returned soldiers. From brawls in small regional towns to major riots in capital cities, thousands of men took their grievances to the streets, where in some cases police spent days quelling the chaos. Yet this noisy and violent chapter of our history has been absent from our contemporary commemorations of Anzac.
Silo Art second edition: journey through Australia’s Outdoor Art Scene, Alasdair McGregor – 30 September
In this illustrated coffee table book, Alasdair McGregor explores the creative and community forces driving this grass roots art movement. He visits the small towns where dreams of joining the burgeoning Silo Art Trail have united rural communities in efforts to transform their faded agricultural heritage into grand visions that instil pride and bring the tourists in.
Full tilt: A champion’s story of Ford, Holden and the defining era of motor-racing, by Colin Bond with John Smailes – 30 September
Bathurst winner, Australian Touring Car Champion, and the only man to have won on both sides of racing’s most iconic rivalry – Ford versus Holden – this is the high-octane story of motor-racing legend Colin Bond.
Guts, Melissa Leong – 30 September
Gold Logie-nominated TV personality and food icon Melissa Leong bites down on her demons in this memoir, exploring themes of abuse in the hospitality industry, racism, mental health and, for a light palate cleanser, the thrill of mouth-wateringly memorable food.
Defiance: stories of nature and its defenders, Bob Brown – 30 September
In Defiance, Bob Brown draws on his experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action. He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting.
The Butterfly Thief, Walter Marsh – 30 September
The story of the most audacious serial heist in the history of Australia’s museums – and the British gentleman adventurer who pulled it off and got away with it – in a scientific true crime caper stretching around the globe.
Oliphant, Roland Perry – 30 September
The extraordinary life of the man behind the atomic bomb, radar and much more, a maverick scientist from Australia who changed the course of history.
Beyond Baking, Philip Koury – 30 September
Beyond Baking is an evolution is an exploration of how far baking can go when it’s guided by flavour, process, and purpose, rather than tradition alone – upping the ante on plant-based baking by using natural ingredients to make sweet and savoury recipes.
The Seeker and the Sage, Brigid Delaney – 30 September
How Stoic principles can help us navigate the challenges of our divided, unstable world. Can the principles of Stoicism lead us to a peaceful, ‘good’ life? We are all going to die, so how should we live?
Femonomics, Corrine Low – 30 September
To be a woman today is to be overwhelmed from every angle. The data proves that the odds are still stacked against us – biologically, culturally, economically. But that same data can empower us to make choices that will reclaim our time, energy and help us find joy. Economist Corinne Low explodes the myths about what makes women successful and happy.
Destination Moon, Kate Reid – 30 September
Destination Moon is a memoir about passion and finding purpose from the woman whose mid-career 180 turn led her from Formula 1 to opening the world-famous Lune Croissanterie.
2026 Australasian Sky Guide, Nick Lomb – 1 October
Opening with an essay by Kāi Tahu woman Victoria Campbell on the cultural significance of the heliacal rising of Matariki in winter, this book features monthly sky maps, with details of the movement of the planets, stars and constellations. It also offers the latest information on the solar system and its history, as well as tips for optimal viewing.
Be(wilder): Journeys in Nature, Darryl Jones – 1 October
In (Be)wilder, urban ecologist Darryl Jones explores how people around the world interact with wildlife. He spends time with bearded pigs in Borneo, rock ptarmigans in the Arctic, birdwatchers in Iowa and conservationist farmers in Australia’s Snowy Mountain.
Silence is my Habitat: Ecobiographical essays, Jessica White – 1 October
Jessica White has been deaf since she was four years old. Through ecobiography, which dwells on a person’s interaction with their ecosystem and how this shapes their sense of self, she considers how deafness encouraged and moulded her relationship to the natural world.
Calendar, Vanessa Berry – 1 October
In Calendar Vanessa Berry presents a year through 365 objects, collecting the everyday, familiar, curious, and unusual. Inspired by the 18th century French Republican calendar, in which every day was dedicated to an object, Berry set about writing her own object calendar over the course of a year, writing in real-time.
Confessions of a minor poet: Phil Brown – 1 October
Phil Brown tells all (well almost all) in this account of his career in literature and journalism from The Morning Bulletin in Rockhampton to Melbourne’s Sunday Age and back to The Courier-Mail in Brisbane. He shares his challenges as a young surfer foolishly yearning to be a poet and his personal struggles on the road to becoming a writer with a fluctuating passion for poetry and a top drawer full of rejection slips.
Unfinished Revolution: the Feminist Fightback, Virginia Haussegger – 1 October
In 1975, the fight was alive. It was the year the United Nations declared International Women’s Year as a marker of progress and aspiration. Fifty years on, award-winning journalist Virginia Haussegger shines a light on the feminist revolution in Australia, capturing its spirited momentum and a fatigued lag.
Plant collecting in another planet E.H. Wilson in Australia 1920-21, Margaret Grose – 1 October
Ernest H. Wilson (1876-1930), trained at Kew Gardens, became Harvard’s most famous plant collector in the early decades of the 20th century, and established his fame through travels in China and his photography. In 1920-21 Wilson collected in Australia, where he was astounded by the plants he found and thought them so different to anything in the Northern Hemisphere that it was like collecting in ‘another planet.’
Brave New Wild, Richard King – 1 October
A cohort of organisations insist that geo-engineering, nanotech and AI can solve our environmental crisis. But by bending nature to our will, could we break ourselves in the process?
Don’t Ask the Trees for Their Names: Stories of Leaving and Becoming, edited by Edited by Oula Ghannoum and Loubna Haikal – 1 October
An anthology of stories about migration to Australia by nine first-generation Arab women.
When Australia became a Republic, Esther Anatolitis – 1 October
Esther Anatolitis examines the key moments in our emergence as a republic and maps out new paths to securing legitimate independence for a more honest society.
Giants, Jem Creswell – 1 October
Over a five-year period, photographer and filmmaker Jem Cresswell took more than 11,000 images of one of nature’s most majestic creatures – the humpback whale. Cresswell selected the most striking of these images to document the Southern Hemisphere humpback whales that breed and calve in the waters surrounding the Tongan Trench.
Elizabeth Harrower: The woman in the watch tower, Susan Wyndham – 1 October
In this biography, Susan Wyndham grapples with the elusive Elizabeth Harrower. She immerses us in the author’s tumultuous family, her complex friendships with Patrick White, Christina Stead, Kylie Tennant and Shirley Hazzard, and her timeless probing of the human spirit in five novels.
Living with Schizophrenia, Margaret Leggatt and Mary Ryllis Clark – 1 October
In Living with Schizophrenia, two mental health advocates, researcher and founder of SANE Australia Margaret Leggatt and journalist Mary Ryllis Clark, explore the myths and mistruths around schizophrenia, as well as how we can improve treatment options and ensure earlier interventions for those with schizophrenia and their families.
Fault Lines: Australia’s Unequal Past, Edited by Seumas Spark and Christina Twomey – 1 October
The essays in Fault Lines present a powerful re-examination of legal and political actions present a powerful re-examination of legal and political actions that have shaped – and often scarred – individual lives and communities across history.
It’s a Scorcher!: Tales of the Australian summer, William McInnes – 14 October
In this collection of nostalgic stories, William McInnes recalls moments in time and memories of summers past. He takes us back to the energy-sapping heat of Redcliffe in the 1960s and 70s, ruminates on budgie smugglers, remembers holiday road trips that went on forever and epic Boxing Day Tests that stopped fans in their tracks.
Turbulence: Australian Foreign Policy in the Trump era, Clinton Fernandes – 14 October
Turbulence: Australian Foreign Policy in the Trump Era is a manual for understanding the present and navigating the future. It addresses the serious challenges Australia faces as Trump upends geopolitical tectonic plates and shows that a shrewd calculus is at work behind the chaos.
Early Photography in Colonial Australia, Elisa Decourcy – 14 October
This book offers the first major study of photography’s arrival and establishment in colonial Australia. It places photos in conversation with prints, sketches and watercolours to explore how the medium adapted to the Australian culture.
The Mushroom Murders, Greg Haddrick – 14 October
Greg Haddrick tells the fascinating inside story of the triple murder trial that gripped the country and made headlines around the world. With details not previously published, it is the compelling story of a troubled family and a poisonous mushroom that is readily found in parks and gardens.
Code of Silence: How Australian Women Helped Win the War, Diana Thorp – 22 October
As World War II climbed to its crescendo in the Asia Pacific, the Australian government called in a new weapon: women. Within this female arsenal was a top-secret group focused on signals intelligence.
Ride on, Michelle Payne with Angus Fontaine – 28 October
A decade after her dramatic launch into fame, celebrated jockey Michelle Payne reflects on what she’s learned about love, loss, courage and kindness. The Melbourne Cup: the most prestigious horse race in Australia and never won by a female jockey – until 2015.
Unapologetically Ita, Ita Buttrose – 28 October
Ita Buttrose has been a defining force in shaping Australia’s cultural and social landscape for over six decades. Now in her eighties, Ita is as passionate as ever about the many causes important to her, the future of Australia, and living meaningfully to the very end of our lives.
Children’s and Young Adults: new books
Dreaming: Welcome to Country, Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing and David Hardy – 30 September
Told in a child’s voice, Dreaming is a joyful and thought-provoking story in the Welcome to Our Country series and follows one young girl as she imagines what it might be like to be part of the Dreaming, past and present…
Mr Search and Mrs Find, CSIL – 30 September
This detailed activity book will keep children entertained for hours of hide-and-seek fun. This large format search-and-find book is perfect for poring over every detail and includes over 20 activities to solve.
Ningaloo: Australia’s Wild Wonder, Tim Winton and Cindy Lane – 1 October
In the north of Western Australia, where the desert meets the sea, lies one of the last great wild regions on earth. The First Peoples of the region call it Nyinggulu. The rest of the world knows it as Ningaloo. Join award-winning author and passionate conservationist Tim Winton and watercolourist Cindy Lane as they dive into this part of the world.
Bluey: Big Pop-up book, Bluey – 7 October
This pop-up book has Bluey and family popping out of every page. Turn the pages to explore what pops up at the creek, the pool, and the backyard – for real life! Oh no . . . here come the grannies!
Everything under the sun: all around the world, Molly Oldfield – 7 October
A global collection of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by Molly Oldfield. How were rollerskates invented? How do boats float? Do snails go upside down?
All about Antarctica, Marc Martin – 14 October
From colossal squids and active volcanoes to research vessels and cricket matches, there’s a lot more to the South Pole than just penguins and icebergs (though there are also a lot of penguins and icebergs). Learn how humans survive in the coldest, driest, windiest place on Earth.
Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping, Craig Silvey and Sarah Acton – 30 September
The sequel to Runt, six weeks have passed since Annie Shearer and Runt competed valiantly at the Krumpets Dog Show. The town of Upson Downs is rejuvenated, and a Tournament of Champions has just been announced, with the world’s best canine talent invited to showcase their skills in the Grand Ballroom of the abandoned Robert-Barren estate.
Between, Anna Walker – 30 September
A cabbage moth and a cricket meet for the first time in the space between twilight and dawn. As the unlikely pair discover each other’s worlds, friendship blooms in unexpected places.
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fast and Slow Animals, Sami Bayly – 30 September
Is the Australian tiger beetle faster or slower than a basset hound? Find out all about some of the world’s fastest and slowest animals in the latest beautifully illustrated encyclopaedia from award-winning author and illustrator Sami Bayly.
There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy, Annabel Crabb – 30 September
Political writer and commentator Annabel Crabb explores, explains and examines Australia’s unique democracy from the smallest shrimp to the largest coathanger with help from Guardian Australia cartoonist First Dog on the Moon.
Elif’s itchy palm, Lora Inak and Kruti Desai – 15 October
It’s Elif’s first day at Cockatoo Hill English Language School, and although she learned a little bit of English in Türkiye, she’s worried she won’t make any new friends in Australia. But when Elif’s palm itches in class and her very special $2 coin goes missing, she discovers that the kids in her class are part of a secret ‘superhero-ish’ group called The Cockatoo Crew.
Sambu won’t grow, Lora Inak and Kruti Desai – 15 October
Sambu is about to turn eight, and his family is planning a big birthday celebration! He has just one wish: to grow tall and strong like his Kenyan Maasai Warrior ancestors. Then maybe his older sisters will stop calling him a baby – and he might finally stop being scared of the strange noises on the roof at night.
The Boys Book of Feelings, Lauren Ace – 28 October
This illustrated board book follows four friends as they navigate the ups and downs of growing up together, forging bonds that last a lifetime.
For no mortal creature, Keshe Chow – 7 October
In this fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights, a girl with the power to move between life and death must travel into the afterlife to save her grandmother. But to survive she’ll have to rely on her mortal enemy, as well as the ghost of the boy who once betrayed her.
Sophia and Gracie to the Rescue, Kate Waterhouse and Sally Sprat – 21 October
Sophia is the fastest horse in town, winning race after race! But amidst the glamour and thrills, something is missing for Sophia. A holiday break with her friend, Princess Gracie, could be just the what they both need . . . but when disaster strikes, the ponies learn to be true to themselves, joining in to help save the day!
The Adventures of Pongo and Stink, Lisa Nichol and Karen Blair – 28 October
Pongo and Stink are fed up with living in a pigsty. They want to live a life of luxury, just like their tormentor, Rollo the dog. When Pongo has the audacious idea of dressing up as pups, the two piggies set out to chase their dreams.
Catch, Sarah Brill – 30 September
The summer Beth turns 16, she grows. She grows so fast her bones hurt and she feels like throwing up. Everyone – including Etienne, the boy who lives over the road – looks at her differently. Then she starts catching people. People who are falling out of trees or from tall buildings.
The 113th Assistant Librarian 2: Lost in a book, Stuart Wilson – 30 September
Oliver has settled into his life as the 113th assistant librarian. He loves his job – even though it sometimes includes battling giant crabs or fending off firedrakes – and his new friend, the mostly-human Agatha, is always on hand to help. But when he discovers a rare edition of a history book with unique wording, he realises the slightest misinterpretation could endanger the entire kingdom.
Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop, Krystal Sutherland and Martin Seneviratne – 21 October
Twins Pearl and Patrick are no ordinary twelve-year-olds. They’re geniuses hiding in plain sight, who pull heists all over the world to further their scientific and historical research. They’ve finally achieved their greatest triumph: time travel. Pearl’s Chrono-Loop can take the twins anywhere! Their first stop: ancient Egypt, where they even get to see King Tut!
The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets, Jacqueline Harvey – 21 October
Josephine Eloise Thomas is in Paris receiving a huge reward for solving one of the world’s greatest art heists. But she’s not alone. Gabriel Barbier, the gorgeous French boy who helped her solve the crime is there too, along with their families and the ghost of Louis XVII, who is still Josephine’s big secret, for now at least.
Party Pooper: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (20), Jeff Kinney – 21 October
Expect gobs of fun and over-the-top antics as Greg throws an epic birthday party for none other than himself. So come celebrate and laugh alongside Greg, his family, and the entire world of Wimpy Kid fans.
Poetry: new books
Arsenic flower, Dakota Feirer – 30 September
In this debut collection, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man Dakota Feirer potently explores the legacy of generational trauma and the cultural wisdom of First Nations people. In a landscape of loss, his words act as both spear and shield.
A Lick of Fireweed: Poems, Erik Jensen – 30 September
A sequel to Erik Jensen’s first collection of memoir poems, A lick of fireweed takes a spare and unflinching look at love and landscape. These poems are the diary of a relationship ending and the story of how small details can make the world beautiful and whole.
Peckinpah Suite, Peter Munden – 1 October
Paul Munden checks into the suite of rooms in the Murray Hotel, Livingston, Montana, once occupied by Sam Peckinpah, legendary director of The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs, and other notorious classics. For the poet, it is an act of homage and immersion, not without risk. Addressing Peckinpah directly, he reflects on the films – and the turmoil of their making – in poems both personal and finely attuned to Peckinpah’s own experience.
KONTRA, Eunice Andrada – 1 October
KONTRA by the Filipina-Australian poet enacts a poetics of clashing decadences, testing the tightrope between ‘feminine’ goodness and deviance, desire and refusal, reverence and repulsion.
International: new books
I am dyslexic, Chanelle Moriah – 30 September
Chanelle Moriah shines the spotlight on dyslexia, creating a resource that explains what dyslexia is and how it can impact the different areas of someone’s life. I Am Dyslexic is a tool for both diagnosed and undiagnosed dyslexic people to explain or make sense of their experiences. It also offers non-dyslexic people the chance to learn more from someone who is dyslexic.
Hekate, Nikita Gill – 30 September
A retelling in verse of the life of Greek goddess Hekate, child of war turned all-powerful goddess of witchcraft and necromancy.
You’ve found Oliver, Dustin Thao – 30 September
It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches. Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up. The voice on the other end isn’t Sam. Sam’s number was reassigned, and a stranger has been receiving Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages.
The four spent the day together, Chris Kraus – 30 September
On the Iron Range of northern Minnesota, at the end of the last decade, three teenagers shot and killed an older acquaintance after spending the day with him. In a cold, rundown town, the three young people were quickly arrested and imprisoned. No one knows why they did it.
The Midnight Timetable, Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur – 30 September
The Korean horror and sci-fi writer’s new book follows an employee on the night shift. They soon learn why some employees don’t last long at the centre. The handkerchief in Room 302 once belonged to the late mother of two sons, whose rivalry imbues the handkerchief with undue power and unravels those around it
Holly: a Belladonna novella, Adalyn Grace – 30 September
Reunited at last, Blythe and Aris have settled into their magical manor and are hosting family for the holidays. Blythe has her heart set on the perfect celebration, full of as much hot chocolate and as many decorations as possible, and Aris is determined to deliver – if only he can figure out what to get the woman who holds the power of life itself.
Ernest Rutherford and the birth of modern physics, Matthew Wright – 30 September
Ernest Rutherford was a New Zealander who became known as the ‘father of the atom’ in recognition of his pioneering role in particle physics. But he was far more than that. Through his roles at Manchester University and then the Cavendish Laboratory in England, he steered a new generation of highly influential physicists such as Niels Bohr, helping to shape much of the way we understand physics today.
The Killing Stones, Anne Cleeves – 30 September
When a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient inscriptions, is found discarded nearby. Detective Jimmy Perez, no stranger to the complexity of human nature and the darkness it can harbour, is soon on the scene.
The Experiment, Rebecca Stead – 30 September
The Experiment is a fast-paced YA adventure – with aliens – that asks universal questions about how we figure out who we want to be, whether it’s ever too late to change, and the importance of friendship.
Venetian Vespers, John Banville – 30 September
1899. As the new century approaches, English hack-writer Evelyn Dolman marries Laura Rensselaer, the daughter of a wealthy American plutocrat. But in the midst of a mysterious rift between Laura and her father, Evelyn’s plans of a substantial inheritance are thrown into doubt.
Someone is walking on your grave: my cemetery journeys, Mariana Enriquez translated by Megan McDowell – 30 September
In Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, Mariana Enriquez blends journalistic rigour and her fascination with the macabre as we encounter famous graveyards steeped in history, such as Montparnasse in Paris, Highgate in London, and the Jewish cemetery.
A Guardian and a Thief, Megha Majumdar – 14 October
In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and famine, Ma, her two-year-old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma’s husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Ma’s purse, containing all the treasured immigration documents, has been stolen.
What Have I Done?: My Autobiography Ben Elton – 14 October
This book takes a deep dive into Ben Elton’s life and times, both private and public, to reveal the true stories behind hits such as The Young Ones, Blackadder and We Will Rock You, his pioneering routines hosting Saturday Live, which birthed a revolution in stand-up comedy, and much more.
Heart the Lover, Lily King – 14 October
Heart the Lover is a celebration of literature and the life-long echoes of young love. The narrator understands good love stories: their secrets, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the rules.
No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm as told by Larry David and the cast and crew, Lorraine Ali – 21 October
The official companion book from the team behind the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm reveals all the magic, mayhem, and creative genius that went into making one of the most influential and funniest shows in television comedy history.
The Proving Ground (Lincoln Lawyer Book 8), Michael Connelly – 21 October
The Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl. Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.
I love you just the same, Keira Knightley – 28 October
Inspired by the actress’ experiences as a parent, I Love You Just the Same is an illustrated book that explores themes of change, acceptance and family love.
Rumours of my demise: a memoir: Evan Dando – 28 October
From the clubs, the drugs, and the ringing ears, to the fun, the fame, and the fall, Rumours of my Demise is a heady, candid trip into the grunge-filled 90s from the Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando.
The Ex-boyfriend’s Favourite Recipe Funeral Committee, Saki Kawashiro – 28 October
The Ex-Boyfriend’s Favourite Recipe Funeral Committee is a soul-nourishing comfort read that is part confessional, part group therapy, part recovery, part cookbook, for anyone who has loved and lost and loved again.
Read: Best new books September 2025
Letter from Japan, Marie Kondo with Marie Iida – 28 October
Letter from Japan is an invitation to explore into customs and traditions, and how these ways of thinking have informed Marie Kondo’s life and her famous life-changing tidying method.
Have we missed some best new books? Publishers, please send your advance book lists to thuyon@artshub.com.au and our editor inbox and we’ll include you next time!
