WITH work winding down for the year and summer now in full swing, many Wimmera residents might have a bit more time on their hands to read a new book.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Horsham’s Redrock Books and Gallery has been busy with people coming in to pick up a summer read.
Owner Marian Anderson said customers were always keen to get their hands on the new book by their favourite author.
“People are also catching up on some books that came out during the year,” she said.
“Tim Winton’s new book came out earlier in the year and has been a popular seller. The Book Thief’s author Markus Zusak also put out a new book – Bridge of Clay – which is supposed to be really good.
“There’s even a book for sale called Summer Reads, which is a collection of short stories from Australian authors.”
Ms Anderson said people were also eager to tackle some classics over the summer.
“A really popular one at the moment is War and Peace, and Vanity Fair – I think they both have new adaptations so that always reignites an interest,” she said.
“Ladies in Black has also been popular because of the movie that came out this year. To Kill a Mockingbird is always popular, but it is also on the school book list.”
Popular marquee authors continue to dominate the crime fiction genre.
“Lee Childs had a big new one out this year that I’ve sold out of, called Past Tense, which was really good. Michael Robotham’s The Other Wife was also popular, and Jo Nesbø’s Macbeth,” she said.
“There are also a few new Australian crime authors that I’ve been getting into, including Jane Harper’s The Lost Man.”
For younger family members, Ms Anderson said the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series continued to be hugely popular.
“Judy Moody books are a bit old, but are also very popular – I haven’t got any left,” she said.
“Paul Jennings, Andy Griffiths and David Walliams are the most popular children’s book authors. The popular classics for the kids include the Winnie the Pooh stories, as well as Storm Boy because there is going to be a new movie next year.
“In young adult fiction, Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series has been huge. John Flanagan’s Ranger's Apprentice is also very popular. My personal favourite for young adults is The Alchemyst by Michael Scott.”
Marian’s book recommendations for summer:
Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
What it’s about:
The day that turns a life upside down usually starts like any other, but what happens the day after? Dual Walkley Award-winner Leigh Sales investigates how ordinary people endure the unthinkable.
What Marian said:
“It’s about ordinary days in people’s lives were dramatic things happen to them,” she said.
“Leigh interviews a lady from the Lidnt cafe siege, who also discovered at a similar time that she has cancer. She also talks about an experience she had when her baby was born.”
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
What it’s about:
The retreat at health and wellness resort Tranquillum House promises total transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage.
What Marian said:
“This is a really popular read for summer holidays – a lot of people are buying it as a lighter page-turner,” she said.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
What it’s about:
Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.
What Marian said:
“This book was a bestseller all year and it seemed to completely come out of nowhere. It’s a very funny and heartwarming story,” she said.
“It was recommended by Reese Witherspoon and her book club. It a really crazy story about a women with OCD tendencies, but she’s also got a bit of a dark past too.”
The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
What it’s about:
This book is full of stories from everyday Aussies — single people, young families, empty nesters, retirees — who have applied the simple steps in this book and achieved amazing, life-changing results.
What Marian said:
“Quite a few of these were sold before Christmas – a lot of people were buying it for their adult children to put them on the right track. It has been around for two years now and it’s still in the top 20 bestsellers,” she said.
“He also has a newer book called The Barefoot Investor for Families which teaches children how to save in different ways. That one I’ve sold out of, but there will be more in in the new year.”
The Unexpected Education of Emily Dean by Mira Robertson
What it’s about:
A coming-of-age story against the backdrop of World War Two. Fourteen year old Emily Dean is dispatched from Melbourne to stay with her father’s relatives in the Wimmera during wartime.
What Marian said:
“It’s set in wartime Australia and is an interesting portrayal of country life,” she said.
The Year of the Farmer by Rosalie Ham
What it’s about:
In a quiet farming town somewhere in country New South Wales, war is brewing.
What Marian said:
“It’s very much like The Dressmaker. It’s the same sort of dark humour and quirky story,” she said.
“A lot of people have said they liked it and it has been a big seller.”
The Land Before Avacado by Richard Glover
What it’s about:
Richard Glover takes a journey to an almost unrecognisable Australia. It's a vivid portrait of a quite peculiar land: a place that is scary and weird, dangerous and incomprehensible, and, now and then, surprisingly appealing.
What Marian said:
“This is a bit of a humourous look at the way things were back in the 1970s,” she said.
