Today, we're excited to announce the arrival of one of this year's most anticipated debut novels: The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.
We guarantee you'll be hearing a lot about this book over the coming months – and not just from us. Some of our favourite writers have already praised and loved The Prophets and likened it to works by Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. That's some pretty enormous expectations to meet, but we hope you love the novel, too. Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous says:
"What a rare marvel this book is. The Prophets fashions an epic so rich in erudition, wisdom, clarity and power, so full of hard-earned yet too-brief joys, that it reaffirms for me literature's place as both balm and scalpel for the mind and soul. You can feel the decades of thinking embedded not only in these sentences but in how they question and build a world shamefully amputated from textbooks. Rarely is a book this finely wrought, the lives and histories it holds so tenderly felt, and rendered unforgettably true." |
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ROBERT JONES, JR.
HISTORICAL FICTION
$32.99
A literary wonder with deep resounding heart. Historical in setting yet contemporary in themes, the lyrical prose keeps structure and a gentle beat to the overlooked history of queer Black love and slavery. Isaiah and Samuel work on a plantation together and spend their evenings curled into one another. Their love which was once looked upon as lovely by their friends comes under the gaze of a fellow plantation worker who is turning to god as well as the master’s son. Heavy yet beautiful reading with all of the foundations that makes all literary greats. The buzz is real and warranted and kicks 2021 off with a bang!
— REVIEWED BY DEAN —
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EDWIDGE DANTICAT
SHORT STORIES
$22.99
I love everything by Edwidge Danticat and Everything Inside is no exception. Each story is beautifully constructed, with careful detail and a complexity that is both warming and flooring. There wasn't a story I didn't love. As always, Danticat writes of Haitian people: experiences of diaspora, of home, of community, of displacement, of love. And, as always, she writes with stunning emotional depth. If you are new to this author, Everything Inside is a great place to start reading her work. If you're already familiar with her short stories, novels and memoirs, you'll find this short story collection as brilliant as her previous works.
— REVIEWED BY EMMA —
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RUMAAN ALAM
CONTEMPORARY FICTION
$29.99
Sharp and unnerving, this socio-psychological thriller holds you from start to finish. With a masterful grasp of ambiguity and tension, Alam explores racial politics, complex family dynamics, and our everyday reliance on unseen and taken-for-granted infrastructures. Alam provokes: When it all falls apart, what next?
— REVIEWED BY JIMMY —
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VITOR MARTINS
YOUNG ADULT
$17.99
A feel-good romance between Felipe & Caio which celebrates body positivity and self-acceptance. Yes!!! This exciting book has it all. Feeling awkward in his body, Felipe doesn’t understand how Caio (his crush) could ever feel the same way. With the holidays ahead, his expectations are going to turn themselves right around. This coming-of-age is perfection.
— REVIEWED BY DEAN —
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FIONA FOLEY
INDIGENOUS STUDIES / HISTORY / CULTURAL STUDIES
$34.99
In this groundbreaking work of Indigenous scholarship, nationally renowned visual artist Fiona Foley addresses the inherent silences, errors and injustices from the perspective of her people, the Badtjala of K’gari (Fraser Island). She shines a critical light on the little-known colonial-era practice of paying Indigenous workers in opium and the ‘solution’ of then displacing them to K’gari.
Biting the Clouds – a euphemism for being stoned on opium – combines historical, personal and cultural imagery to reclaim the Badtjala story from the colonisation narrative. Full-colour images of Foley’s artwork add further impact to this important examination of Australian history.
"In Biting the Clouds, Fiona Foley reclaims the colonisation narrative for the Badtjala people and clearly asserts their sovereignty. Essential reading, it cements Foley’s place as one of our leading intellectual and creative forces." — Larissa Behrendt
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PLANTFULNESS
JULIA ROSE BOWER
GARDEN
$24.99
Well, just what would we do without plants? They feed us with the air we breathe, the aesthetic of our living rooms and a blooming companionship like no other. Plantfulness bids us with a very cute (and very handy) deck of plant recipes to keep your inner green-thumb thriving in and out of the home. Inside you’ll find; a little book of What your Plants can do for You, and a gorgeous illustrated deck of 50 cards, each containing a different plant with its description and how to grow the beauteous thing – something us greenies need and definitely must have!
— REVIEWED BY ARIEL —
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LISA HARVEY-SMITH
SCIENCE
$34.99
If you haven’t seen Harvey-Smith talk about astrophysics then you’re missing out. The Sydney-based astrophysicist makes the cosmic journey loads of fun! In her joyous new book, a must-have for all space enthusiasts, unusual and unique stars are brought to life as Harvey Smith explores the unique qualities and characteristics making these some of the galaxy’s most remarkable stars. Ok, so there is no sun featured but I think we can already give the sun the number one place holder and learn about stars we have previously known nothing about. This will surely bring out your inner-geek!
— REVIEWED BY DEAN —
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