The Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2024

As everyone knows, the best things in life are worth waiting for. It’s no surprise then that some of the best new books of 2024 are still to come. The next few months will be filled with new releases by some of the literary world’s biggest hitters, as well as plenty of gems by new and emerging authors. Here is a sneak peek of some of the books we are most excited about.

August - September

There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

Out 13th August 2024

Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees holds a perennial space on our Books We Love Wall as it is so beloved by our staff and customers alike. This month, Shafak returns with a lyrical new historical novel for us, the stunning There are Rivers in the Sky. It’s an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two rivers, all under the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems of all time. Put it to the top of your book club wish list!

Translations by Jumaana Abdu

Out 27th August 2024

Jumaana Abdu is not yet a big name in Australian literature, but she might well be be soon. Her fantastic debut novel is soon to hit our shelves. Here’s what Suzy thought of it.

“Abdu is one of the most exciting young writers in this country. Every article and short story she has published has been like a breath of fresh air. Here, in novel form, she brings literary creativity and bright intelligence together to explore love, friendship and faith. It's a compelling and moving story that will move minds and hearts. Don't miss this wonderful book!​” - Suzy​

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

Out 29th August 2024

A new Liane Moriarty book is always an event. Her latest novel, Here One Moment, promises to be no exception, combining a brilliantly suspenseful storyline with sharp insight into modern life and timeless questions about fate, free-will, grief and love.

On a an ordinary flight between Hobart and Sydney, something extraordinary happens. Some of the passengers are told when they will die. Once they land, how will they change their future?

New Australian Fiction edited by Suzy Garcia

Out 1st September 2024

Published by the team at Kill Your Darlings, New Australian Fiction showcases the strength and diversity of Australian short fiction at its best. Now in its sixth year, this year’s anthology was edited by Mary Martin’s own Suzy Garcia and features stories from some of Australia’s best-loved writers alongside exciting new voices. These stories will move, entertain and enlighten you.

Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh

Out 3rd September 2024

A new Ottolenghi cookbook is always at the top of our wish list at Christmas! Weaving memories of childhood and travel with over 100 irresistible recipes, Ottolenghi COMFORT is a celebration of food and home – of the connections we make as we cook, and pass on from generation to generation.

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

Out 3rd September 2024

Before it’s release date, this literary spy novel from the author of Flamethrowers and The Mars Room has already been longlisted for the 2024 Man Booker Prize. Not only does it have literary chops, it also sounds like a thrilling read. Creation Lake follows a seductive and cunning American woman as she goes undercover within an anarchist collective in France. Sent by a shadowy employer, her mission is to infiltrate the group of radical eco-activists who have been influenced by the beliefs of a mysterious elder, Bruno Lacombe. Intriguing!

Three Wild Dogs and the Truth by Markus Zusak

Out 10th September 2024

This true story from the author of much-loved novel The Book Thief is an account of what happened when the Zusaks opened their family home to three big, wild, pound-hardened dogs. The result is an exquisitely written memoir about the human need for connection amid disorder, and a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty into our lives and can change them for the better.

From Jaye’s review: I felt conflicted, outraged and sympathetic throughout, laughed out loud and bawled my eyes out too. A great read.

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

Out 10th September 2024

This new book by Yuval Noah Harari, the bestselling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus, is the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world.

Taking us through the Stone Age through the Bible, witch-hunts, Stalinism and the resurgence of populism today Yuval Noah Harari considers the complex relationship between information and truth, wisdom and power. He also addresses the choices we’ll face in the future with the rise of AI.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Out 17th September 2024

We Solve Murders is first book in a brand new series from Richard Osman, the incredibly popular creator of the Thursday Murder Club. This new novel combines the heart and humour of The Thursday Murder Club with a puzzling international mystery.

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Out 24th September 2024

Excitement is already building in the literary world for the latest novel by the bestselling author of Normal People. An exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family, Intermezzo takes a deep dive into the lives and loves of two brothers, who on the face of it seem to have little in common. Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties, and Ivan a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. However, in the wake of their father’s death, the two men’s paths take new, unexpected turns.

The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

Out 24th September 2024

Billed as a ‘health resort horror story’, the latest book from Nobel Prize winning Polish author blends horror, folklore and feminist parable. The sly wit underlying Tokarczuk’s writing has won her many fans, among them our staff, who can’t wait to get their hands on The Empusium.

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Out 24th September 2024

The fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series serves up another heartwarming tale of finding closure and comfort at Cafe Funiculi Funicula. Four new guests arrive at the cafe hoping to travel in time and the right wrongs that will allow them to embark on a beautiful future.

The Ledge by Christian White

Out 24th September 2024

No one does a plot twist quite like Christian White, and The Ledge promises to be his most unpredictable novel yet. The story races along two parallel timelines as the discovery of a body in the present sends a group of old friends into a panic about something that happened back when they were teenagers in 1999. Another fast-paced, gripping mystery from this fantastic Australian crime writer.

Playground by Richard Powers

Out 24th September 2024

Playground is a sprawling new novel from the Pulitzer-winning author of The Overstory and Bewilderment that explore themes profound themes of humanity, evolving technology and the environment. Set in the world’s largest ocean and bringing together multiple characters’ stories, Playground explores the last wild place humans have yet to colonise. Despite not yet being released, it has already been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, so you know it must be good!

October

Juice by Tim Winton

Out 1st October 2021

It’s been over five years since we last had a new novel from iconic Australian storyteller Tim Winton and intriguingly his new book Juice sounds like nothing he’s written before. It’s story of two fugitives, a man and a child, fighting to survive in a desolate landscape, struggling to retain their humanity in a dystopian world. Sure to be one of the biggest new books of the year!

Odyssey by Stephen Fry

Out 1st October 2024

The story of brave Odysseus, on his journey home to Ithaca after the end of the Trojan war, as retold by the inimitable Stephen Fry. If you have yet to have the pleasure of reading Fry’s books on Greek Mythology do yourself a favour and order a copy of Mythos now! Or better yet listen to his fantastic audiobook version. Those already in the know will be looking forward to getting their hands on Odyssey this October.

The Burrow by Melanie Cheng

Out 1st October 2024

The Burrow is a literary gem from the Miles Franklin longlisted author of Room for a Stranger. We’ll let Jaye tell you about this one!

“Searching for the right words to describe this book, I can't go past 'powerful, poignant and restraint'. In a deceptively simple way, Cheng explores what is meant by family in the aftermath of a tragedy. Time and healing takes place, the shifts in moods within the book are so cleverly done, you won't know why you feel the way you do, but suddenly you are there.” - Jaye

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

Out 8th October 2024

From growing up on the streets of the South Bronx to becoming one of the most respected actors of his generation, Al Pacino tells his story in his own words in his long-awaited memoir Sonny Boy. He describes the book (and his life’s) ‘golden thread’ as the spirit of love and purpose that kept him going through his decades-long career. We think this one will join Keith Richard’s Life and Springsteen’s Born to Run as one of the great biographies that transcend the celebrity-memoir genre.

Dusk by Robbie Arnott

Out October 8th 2024

A mythic new novel by one of Australia’s most exciting literary voices. Like Limberlost, Dusk is a historical novel that puts the epic Australian landscape at its centre. In the distant highlands, a puma named Dusk is killing shepherds. Down in the lowlands, twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money and friends. When they hear that a bounty has been placed on Dusk, they reluctantly decide to join the hunt.

‘Robbie Arnott perhaps evokes the Australian landscape more evocatively than any other author writing today. His lyrical prose conjures the novel’s epic natural setting with vivid clarity.” - Kat

RecipeTin Eats: Dinner by Nagi Maehashi

Out 10th October 2024

This is probably #1 on our list of books most likely to sell out before Christmas this year! If you know, you know: RecipeTin Eats is the go to for whenever you find yourself asking ‘what’s the best recipe for XYZ?’. Nagi’s triple-tested fool-proof recipes work every single time! Perfect for home cooks of every level of ability RecipeTin Eats: Tonight is a great gift to inspire anyone wanting to make easy, yet incredibly flavoursome meals in their own kitchen.

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

Out 15th October 2024

Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough. This extraordinary book is composed of both Lisa Marie's and Riley's voice, a mother and daughter communicating across the transom of death as they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other-the last words of the only child of a true legend.

What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci

Out 15th October 2024

The irresistibly charming Stanley Tucci is back with another food-oriented memoir this October. In What I Ate In One Year, Tucci records twelve months of eating in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself. Ranging from the mouth-wateringly memorable, to the comfortingly domestic, to the infuriatingly inedible, the meals memorialised in this diary are a prism for him to reflect on the ways his life, and his family, are constantly evolving.

Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser

Out 29th October 2024

We are very much looking forward to this new novel by de Kretser which represents something a little bit different for the two-time winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award. It's 1986, and 'beautiful, radical ideas' are in the air. A young woman arrives in Melbourne to research the novels of Virginia Woolf. In bohemian St Kilda she meets artists, activists, students-and Kit. He claims to be in a 'deconstructed' relationship, and they become lovers. Meanwhile, her work on the Woolfmother falls into disarray. Sounds fantastic!

The Voice Inside by John Farnham

Out 30th October 2024

From a childhood in London and Melbourne through to pop stardom in the 1960s, Farnham celebrates the critical success he has enjoyed with the release of the highest-selling Australian album of all time, Whispering Jack, and a decades-long touring career. But this is also the story of the resilience John found as his stellar career stalled, record companies turned their backs, and he faced financial ruin. Like like sitting down with an old friend sharing stories that are both deeply personal and wildly entertaining.

NOVEMBER

The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

Out 23rd November 2024

Few things get booksellers more excited than a new Murakami novel! We can’t wait to read the new book by Japan’s master storyteller.

When a young man's girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own. A love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a parable for these strange times.

The Season by Helen Garner

Out 25th November

Last but by no means least on our list this year is a new book by the grande dame of Australian letters. Garner's first new work in a decade is a tender portrayal of the relationship between grandmother and grandson, and of that moment on the cusp of adulthood when a boy is both child and man.

Following her teenage grandson and his suburban football team over the course of a season, Garner reflects on masculinity, on the nobility, grace and grit of team spirit and the game's power to enthrall.