In a year of international tumult and change, we’ve done what we always do to achieve clarity and transcendence: read. Below our book experts have put their minds together to collect our most favourite non-fiction books of 2022.
Click here to explore the rest of our favourite non-fiction books of 2022
Non-Fiction
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
For Stolen Focus, internationally bestselling author Johann Hari went on a three-year journey to uncover the reasons why our teenagers now focus on one task for only 65 seconds, and why office workers on average manage only three minutes. He interviewed the leading experts in the world on attention, and learned that everything we think about this subject is wrong.
Sheilas by Eliza Reilly
It’s been said that ‘well-behaved women seldom make history’, but the handful of white boys who wrote our history books conveniently left most of them out. Whoops! To rectify this situation, Eliza Reilly is setting out to revive the forgotten stories of the badass Sheilas of Australian history.
The Space Between the Stars by Indira Naidoo
After her younger sister died suddenly, broadcaster Indira Naidoo’s world was shattered. Turning to her urban landscape for solace, Indira found herself drawn to a fig tree overlooking Sydney harbour. A connection began to build between the two – one with a fractured heart, the other a centurion offering quiet companionship while asking nothing in return.
Not Now, Not Ever by Julia Gillard
On 9 October 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard stood up and proceeded to make all present in Parliament House that day pay attention – and left many of them squirming in their seats. The incisive ‘misogyny speech’, as her words came to be known, challenged not only Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, on his words and actions but, over time, all of us.
The Book of Roads and Kingdoms by Richard Fidler
When Richard Fidler came across the account of Ibn Fadlan he was struck by how modern his voice was, like that of a twenty-first century time-traveller dropped into a medieval wilderness. On further investigation, Fidler discovered this was just one of countless reports from Arab and Persian travellers of their adventures in medieval China, India, Africa and Byzantium. Put together, he saw these stories formed a crazy quilt picture of a lost world.
Explore the rest of our favourite Non-Fiction books of 2022 here
Biographies
Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
Multi-awardwinning Hannah Gadsby transformed comedy with her show Nanette, even as she declared that she was quitting stand-up. Now, she takes us through the defining moments in her life that led to the creation of Nanette and her powerful decision to tell the truth-no matter the cost.
The Boy from Boomerang Crescent by Eddie Betts
Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always honest – often laceratingly so – The Boy from Boomerang Crescent is the inspirational life story of a champion, in his own words. Whether he’s narrating one of his trademark gravity-defying goals from the pocket, the discrimination he’s faced as an Aboriginal person or the birth of his first child, Betts’s voice – intelligent, soulful, unpretentious – rings through on every page.
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner by Grace Tame
In 2021 Grace stepped squarely into the public eye as the Australian of the Year, and was the catalyst for a tidal wave of conversation and action. Australians from all walks of life were inspired and moved by her fire and passion. Here she was using her voice, and encouraging others to use theirs too. The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is Grace’s story, in Grace’s words, on Grace’s terms.
I Am NOT Fine, Thanks by Wil Anderson
What do you get when a housebound comedian is left with no option but to make comedy using only a rampant washing machine, a lot of Vaseline (it’s for the pipes-no not that pipe), a roast chook and an unused exercise bike to keep him company? You get I Am NOT Fine, Thanks.
My Dream Time by Ash Barty
I’m only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that’s young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it’s always been important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. In that context, the timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racket as a 5-year-old girl in Ipswich to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open.
Explore the rest of our favourite Biographies of 2022 here
Food & Drink
Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero
In Mabu Mabu, charismatic First Nations chef Nornie Bero champions the tastes of native flavours in everyday cooking by unlocking the secrets of Australian herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits.
Chinese-ish by Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu
As immigrants with Chinese heritage who both moved to Australia as kids, Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu spent their formative years living between (at least) two cultures and wondering how they fitted in. Food was a huge part of this journey – should they cling to the traditional comfort of their parents’ varied culinary heritage, attempt to assimilate wholly by learning to love shepherd’s pie, or forge a new path where flavour and the freedom to choose trumped authenticity? They went with option three.
Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon
In this masterwork from Australia’s most respected vegetable-loving food writer, Hetty Lui McKinnon takes readers on a vegetable-by-vegetable journey, packed with clever and inventive ways to combine ingredients, flavours and texture.
First Nations Food Companion by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan
We know more about pine nuts than bunya nuts, kale than warrigal greens, but there’s an edible pantry of unique flavours that First Nations people have been making the most of long before anyone came up with the word ‘foodie’. Welcome to a food-lover’s guidebook to the First Foods of this continent. Including an informative guide to more than 60 of the most accessible Indigenous ingredients, including their flavour profiles, along with tips for how to buy, grow and store them.
Lune (Special Edition) by Kate Reid
This special, limited edition of the debut cookbook from Lune, the world-renowned croissant bakery in Australia, comprises a luxurious slipcase, featuring holographic foil and ribbon, and contains a 272-page cookbook and an exclusive 48-page anniversary lookbook celebrating the first 10 years of Lune. Both hardback volumes feature holographic foil and stunning colour photography throughout.
Explore the rest of our favourite Food & Drink books of 2022 here
Beautiful Books
Style by Natalie Walton
Style: The Art of Creating a Beautiful Home is a timeless interiors book that shows you how to transform your living spaces using what you own and love. While designing can be a big investment, styling allows you to elevate your spaces with what you’ve already got.
Dreaming the Land by Marie Geissler
The artworks of Aboriginal Australian peoples are a profoundly important repository of knowledge and reflect a deep connection to Country. This visually rich survey explores the evolution of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement in remote areas of Australia across twenty-nine art centres in five states from the Kimberley through to Arnhem Land and beyond.
Cressida Campbell by National Gallery of Australia
Cressida Campbell celebrates the career of an exceptional Australian colourist who has worked between painting and printmaking for over forty years. Combining keen observation with formal design, Campbell uses an innovative technique to create woodblock paintings and unique woodcut prints that take direct inspiration from the humble beauty of the everyday.
Audrey Hepburn by Megan Hess
From Sabrina to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn is renowned for her unforgettable film roles and fashion looks, but less well known is her fascinating life, including her childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland and her tireless dedication to helping those less fortunate than herself. In this book, Megan’s beautiful illustrations follow Hepburn through three distinct chapters.
Arent & Pyke by Arent & Pyke
The objects that tell stories, the colours that call to the senses, the materials that evoke certain moods – all these play a vital part in the design of a home by Arent & Pyke. Known for their focus on the psychology of space, the design duo maintains that a well-designed home can enrich your life. Their masterful approach to colour and materials results in optimistic, meaningful interiors high on charm and comfort.
Explore the rest of our favourite Beautiful Books of 2022 here
Read an extract from Arent & Pyke: Interiors Beyond the Primary Palette by Juliette Arent, Sarah-Jane Pyke
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