From a stunning exposé on human donor conception to a terrifying plane thriller, here are the best books we read in May 2021!
Mark Harding – Brand & Content Manager
Falling by T. J. Newman
Why I loved it: This is an exciting, fast-paced thriller with a truly diabolical set-up. A commercial airline pilot’s family is taken hostage, and will be killed … unless the pilot crashes his plane. The author is a former flight attendant so there is a level of realism and attention to detail that really brings the action to life. I have a big fear of flying, but this book was the sticking-the-earbud-in-too-far of plane thrillers.
Buy it here
Olivia Fricot – Senior Content Producer
Idaho by Emily Ruskovich
Why I loved it: What would make a mother murder her child? This is the question that author Emily Ruskovich attempts to answer in her debut novel Idaho, and the answer is as compelling as it is utterly incomprehensible. I picked this book up at random and it’s been a welcome reminder that my bookshelf is full of many unexplored gems. Set in the rugged wilderness of its namesake, Idaho tells the story of how one senseless act of violence splits a family apart. Ruskovich cleverly writes around the act itself from a few different perspectives, making the novel more of a fascinating study of character than a literary thriller, and paints a beautifully vivid picture with stunning prose.
Buy it here
Joel Naoum – Head of Trade Product
Who Gets to Be Smart by Bri Lee
Why I loved it: A deep dive into the way that education interacts with privilege through a very personal lens. Bri Lee’s Eggshell Skull was a shocking and somewhat unexpected cult success. This is a different book altogether, but no less urgent or fascinating. Meticulously researched and carefully argued, Who Gets to Be Smart is also passionate and rage-inducing. Compulsive reading.
Buy it here
Ben Hunter – Fiction Category Manager
Nothing But My Body by Tilly Lawless
Why I loved it: Startling, brief, urgent and honest, Nothing But My Body demonstrates just why Tilly Lawless is such a highly-celebrated voice in the queer community and beyond. Described as an eight-day journey into the mind of a young woman who is a queer Australian sex worker, the writing here moves seamlessly between narrative and a kind of personal essay. Themes of love and obsession, class and merit, sex and intimacy are explored against a back drop of the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. I was blown away by the clarity and thoughtfulness this fluid kind of novel presented – there’s no limit to the compassion that Lawless brings to her writing. This book is the perfect celebration of queer community and rejection of the hegemonic lauding of romantic love. Few other authors could write about sex work in such an authentic and nuanced way. Challenge yourself to read this and you’ll be richly rewarded.
Buy it here
Shanulisa Prasad – Lifestyle Category Manager
The Tribute by John Byron
Why I loved it: This is a crime book unlike any Australian crime book I have read recently, with twists and turns that I didn’t predict, and a great hook (the serial killer recreates scenes from a famous anatomical text). Reading this book made me glad I live in a modest house in a busy suburb and not in a fancy house with no neighbours in sight!
Buy it here
Cassandra Sharpe – Assistant Category Manager for Non-Fiction
Brave New Humans by Sarah Dingle
Why I loved it: This book is a rollercoaster. I finished it and felt emotionally empty. Dingle, a journalist, takes you inside the world of IVF and donor-conception – exposing the lies, malpractice and ethical issues that are often ignored when parents seek treatment. At 27, Dingle received a bombshell – that she was conceived via sperm donor. Brave New Humans traces her journey from reckoning with her mother’s secret, the shocking truth of donor conception in Australia in the early days until today and incredible medical negligence. It was harrowing and heartbreaking to see the damage this can create. Children created through these methods have surprisingly few legal rights, and Dingle fiercely advocates for changes to how the current system works. She presses on again and again, with an admirable zeal – making this an essential read for potential parents considering donor-conception.
Buy it here
Hannah Armstrong – Assistant Category Manager for Fiction
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
Why I loved it: Picture this: you are roadtripping with your sister to attend a friend’s wedding in Scotland when BAM – your ex-boyfriend and his manipulative best friend rear-end your car and you are forced to give them a lift to the wedding, along with a random tag-along you met on Facebook. Welcome to The Roadtrip. I am a sucker for eccentric characters being forced to spend time together in an enclosed space, and Beth O’Leary’s recent release delivers. This book centres on two love stories – the first between Addie and Dylan, falling for each other in a French villa in their early twenties, and the second also between Addie and Dylan, reconnecting years after their messy and traumatic breakup. I loved the dual timelines, Beth O’Leary’s signature warm and witty writing, the flawed, complicated characters and this book’s exploration of misunderstandings, old wounds and second chances. This book is a must-read for romance fans and for anyone who loves The Flatshare.
Buy it here
Ashleigh Berry – Campaigns Coordinator
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Why I loved it: This is a bold (and slightly unsettling) debut literary fiction novel that is guaranteed to keep you hooked with every twist. Set in the New York publishing industry, it explores issues of diversity and discrimination (including white privilege, racial bias and micro-aggressions) with intelligence, originality and a fair amount of creepiness, à la Get Out. The Other Black Girl is a complex social commentary that demands discussion.
Buy it here
Scott Whitmont – Business Development and Relationship Manager
Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess by Elisabeth Basford
Why I loved it: This first full biography of the Queen’s aunt reveals fascinating details of her family relationships and life of public service working tirelessly in support of charities and the Crown through both World Wars. The daughter and sister of three kings, she kept a low media profile whilst becoming the first royal to work professionally as a nurse and the first female university chancellor in Britain. After marrying, Mary took to being chatelaine of the expansive Harewood House estate with aplomb, gradually accepted by the people of Yorkshire as one of their own whilst readily stepping in for the monarch as a Counsellor of State, undertaking substantial international royal tours, often attending up to five separate official events in a day despite her natural shyness to engage. This informative and revealing portrait of an admirable, previously widely unlauded Windsor makes a welcome contribution to the canon of royal historical biography.
Buy it here
Karen Robinson – Territory Relationship Manager
Legacy by Nora Roberts
Why I loved it: Every year I look forward to Robert’s standalone novel – they are a guilty pleasure that I always put a weekend aside for to just indulge. Legacy is this year’s offering and it won’t disappoint her fans, or anyone who grabs a copy as a first time reader. With the introduction on the cover: ‘The first time Adrian met her father was the day he tried to kill her’, the scene is set for a journey through secrets and lies and the legacies left by family, both good and bad. With a great cast of characters, a strong plot and the picture of life in a small town that makes me want to live there, it was a wonderful way to spend a cold, windy weekend indoors.
Buy it here
Tell us about the best book you read in May 2021 in the comments!
May 2021 May 2021 May 2021 May 2021 May 2021
Books we are excited to read in September 2023 
REVIEW: The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
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