Aussie Readers discussion

Hi Aussie Readers, welcome to another bumper batch of giveaways for upcoming new releases that we're excited about including the no-holds-barred memoir from the ARIA Award-winning Clare Bowditch and spectacular novels from superstar authors Heather Rose, Chris Hammer and Charlotte Wood.

How far would your government go?

A right-wing US president has withdrawn America from the Middle East and the UN. Daesh has a thoroughfare to the sea and China is Australia's newest ally. When a bomb goes off in remote Tasmania, Astrid Coleman agrees to return home to help her brother before an upcoming election.

But this is no simple task. Her brother and sister are on either side of politics, the community is full of conspiracy theories, and her father is quoting Shakespeare. Only on Bruny does the world seem sane.

Until Astrid discovers how far the government is willing to go.

Bruny is a searing, subversive, brilliant novel about family, love, loyalty and the new world order.

Martin Scarsden returns in the sequel to the bestselling Scrublands.

For half a lifetime, journalist Martin Scarsden has run from his past. But now there is no escaping.

He'd vowed never to return to his hometown, Port Silver, and its traumatic memories. But now his new partner, Mandy Blonde, has inherited an old house in the seaside town and Martin knows their chance of a new life together won't come again.

Martin arrives to find his best friend from school days has been brutally murdered, and Mandy is the chief suspect. With the police curiously reluctant to pursue other suspects, Martin goes searching for the killer. And finds the past waiting for him.

He's making little progress when a terrible new crime starts to reveal the truth. The media descend on Port Silver, attracted by a story that has it all: sex, drugs, celebrity and religion. Once again, Martin finds himself in the front line of reporting.

Yet the demands of deadlines and his desire to clear Mandy are not enough: the past is ever present.

Four older women have a lifelong friendship of the best kind: loving, practical, frank and steadfast. But when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three. Can they survive together without her?

They are Jude, a once-famous restaurateur, Wendy, an acclaimed public intellectual, and Adele, a renowned actress now mostly out of work. Struggling to recall exactly why they've remained close all these years, the grieving women gather for Christmas at Sylvie's old beach house - not for festivities, but to clean the place out before it is sold.

Without Sylvie to maintain the group's delicate equilibrium, frustrations build and painful memories press in. Fraying tempers, an elderly dog, unwelcome guests and too much wine collide in a storm that brings long-buried hurts to the surface - and threatens to sweep away their friendship for good.

The Weekend explores growing old and growing up, and what happens when we're forced to uncover the lies we tell ourselves.
Sharply observed and excruciatingly funny, this is a jewel of a book: a celebration of tenderness and friendship that is nothing short of a masterpiece.

'This is the story I promised myself, aged twenty-one, that I would one day be brave enough - and well enough - to write.'

Clare Bowditch has always had a knack for telling stories. Through her music and performing, this beloved Australian artist has touched hundreds of thousands of lives. But what of the stories she used to tell herself? That 'real life' only begins once you're thin or beautiful, that good things only happen to other people.

Your Own Kind of Girl reveals a childhood punctuated by grief, anxiety and compulsion, and tells how these forces shaped Clare's life for better and for worse. This is a heartbreaking, wise and at times playful memoir. Clare's own story told raw and as it happened. A reminder that even on the darkest of nights, victory is closer than it seems.

With startling candour, Clare lays bare her truth in the hope that doing so will inspire anyone who's ever done battle with their inner critic. This is the work of a woman who has found her true power - and wants to pass it on. Happiness, we discover, is only possible when we take charge of the stories we tell ourselves.

'The words that kept coming to me over and over again as I read this book were authenticity and decency. Clare Bowditch made me feel how wonderful and difficult and amazing it is to be a human.' LEIGH SALES

'Brutal at times but funny as f@#k. This book will change a lot of lives for the better.' BERNARD FANNING

'Reading this book felt as intimate as having a long, heart-breakingly vulnerable yet hilarious conversation with Clare by a fire with wine in hand. It is a celebration of the human struggle, how we can learn to befriend (and say "f@#k off" to) our demons, and ultimately write our own story. There is so much hope in this book.' MISSY HIGGINS

'Clare Bowditch cements her status as one of Australia's most mesmerising storytellers with this debut. Her ability to lay bare the vulnerabilities, hurts and triumphs of a woman's life is second to none. She's my kind of girl, for sure.' CLEMENTINE FORD

You can learn more about all these books, and request one (or a few) of them, over on our website: www.allenandunwin.com/aussie-readers

Thanks as ever for all your reviews of our books!

Thanks again A&U - some more excellent titles!

Thank you Allen & Unwin . I like Silver and The weekend should be good reads.

Thanks Allen & Unwin! Bruny and The Weekend look really good!

Thank you A&U. They all sound good.

Ooh i want to read all of these!!

Thank you Allen & Unwin! Silver and Bruny sound great!!

Thanks A&U, excellent books as always!

Wow! These look like great reads :)

A great selection this month!

Some very exciting titles here! Thank you ☺

Excellent selection!

Fantastic selection! I love Clare Bowditch, she's so talented.

Oh wow, what a great selection A&U!

Look good

Would love to read Bruny as A Tasmanian I love reading anything about Tassie, fact or fiction!

Thanks A&U! Hard to know which one to request when they all sound so good.

Bruny sounds great, thanks A&U!

They all sound fantastic! Thanks A&U :)

3 of my favourite authors there! An amazing selection A&U! Thank you for the opportunity!

Everything sounds awesome!

I finished Scrublands today and arrived home to find I'd received Silver in the mail. Perfect timing, thanks A&U

Silver and Bruny arrived today. Thanks so much A&U!

Received a message from A&U last week that Bruny by Heather Rose is coming my way. So excited, it's my most anticipated book of the year. I'll be dropping everything to read that one when it arrives. :D
#Bruny and @allenandunwin

I received Silver from A&U! Really looking forward to reading it.

Received Bruny by Heather Rose in the mail today. Thanks very much to Allen & Unwin. Will be reading it straight away. I'm such a big fan of Heather Rose novels. Love her writing.
#Bruny and @allenandunwin

I received my copy of Bruny and can't wait to read it. Holding out though as Tasmania is the theme for our October Book Group so I am going to read it then. Not too long to wait now!

Kim wrote: "Received Bruny by Heather Rose in the mail today. Thanks very much to Allen & Unwin. Will be reading it straight away. I'm such a big fan of Heather Rose novels. Love her writing.
#Bruny and @allen..."
You and your October Book Group are in for a treat Donna! Bruny is a great read. Something for everyone, so much in it! Almost forgot it was Fiction once or twice. :D

Just received an email to say a copy of "Your own kind of girl" is on it's way. Looking forward to it.
Thanks A&U.

Doesn't "Your Own Kind of Girl" sound like a good read!

Just received The Weekend! Thanks Allen & Unwin! I look forward to reading it!

Just arrived. Thank you so much A&U.

Renee wrote: " Just arrived. Thank you so much A&U."

Ditto for me too, looking forward to it

Lily wrote: "Just received The Weekend! Thanks Allen & Unwin! I look forward to reading it!"

I have now received Bruny. This was a very pleasant surprise!
I'm so excited to read this. Thanks A&U!! :)

Received The Weekend. Have read and reviewed it after reading it on the weekend :-)
Loved it! Can't stop raving about how good it is!
Many Thanks Allen & Unwin

I just received in the mail! So excited - thanks Allen & Unwin ☺

I received a copy of The Weekend today as well. Yah!
Thanks to Allen & Unwin.

So curious about this book. Loved, loved, loved The Natural Way of Things. Got big hopes for The Weekend.

Thank you A&U for my copy of The Weekend. I am looking forward to reading this.

Received in the mail yesterday Your Own Kind of Girl by Clare Bowditch.
Thanks so much A&U. I'm reading non-fiction in November so I will get to read and review it soon.

I got Your Own Kind of Girl too (thanks Allen & Unwin) and I don't know that much about her so I'm really looking forward to reading it. :)

Thanks A&U for The Weekend and Your Own Kind of Girl! I was thrilled when they arrived in the post. Looking forward to reading and reviewing them.

Thanks for the books :) Have also brought Claire's book for our high school library