As the year winds down, a fresh batch of compelling new titles has arrived, offering Australian readers a diverse selection for the summer break. From harrowing true stories and historical biographies to festive crime capers and whimsical fiction, there's something to captivate every literary taste.
Non-Fiction: Tales of Survival and Science
The non-fiction releases this season are particularly powerful, led by a devastating personal account from Israel. Eli Sharabi's "Hostage" (Swift Press, $34.99) opens with the chilling line: "Five terrorists enter with weapons drawn." The book documents the October 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, where Sharabi, his wife, and two teenage daughters were hiding. Sharabi was forcibly taken from his safe room and spent the next 491 days in captivity within Gaza's tunnel network before his eventual release, which brought with it heartbreaking news.
On home soil, a legendary Australian figure gets the definitive treatment. Peter FitzSimons's "The Courageous Life of Weary Dunlop" (Hachette, $49.99) is a hefty, 540-page biography of the jungle medic, Wallabies rugby player, and World War II hero. FitzSimons traces Dunlop's journey from a Benalla farm boy to a Melbourne University student, young surgeon in London, and ultimately his leadership on the Thai-Burma Railway. Meticulously researched with over 1200 footnotes, the narrative is told with the engaging flair of a great storyteller.
For those fascinated by the weird and wonderful, "The Best Australian Science Writing 2025" (NewSouth, $32.99), edited by Zoe Kean and Tegan Taylor, delivers another stellar collection. Now in its 15th year, the anthology features accessible chapters on topics ranging from a free diver's "addiction to depth" and the mysteries of long COVID to a scientist who carbon-dated his own kidney stone. A standout piece by Angus Dalton recounts his night as a "bedside manservant" to "Putricia," a titan arum corpse flower that captivated Sydney with its foul odour at the Royal Botanic Garden.
Television fans will relish "No Lessons Learned" by Lorraine Ali with Larry David (Blink, $59.99), a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. The book reveals that the now-famous title received zero votes from a test audience, who preferred options like "Regrets Only." Larry David overruled them, declaring, "Too bad, I like that one." The account covers the show's 25-year history, featuring interviews, photos, and annotated scripts.
Fiction: From Classic Crime to Time-Travel Romance
The fiction offerings provide perfect holiday escapism. "The Santa Klaus Murder" by Mavis Doriel Hay (British Library Crime Classics, $22.99) is a 1936 country house mystery enjoying a renewed wave of popularity alongside the cozy crime trend. When Sir Osmond Melbury is shot at his Christmas gathering by someone dressed as Santa, every family member has a motive, from disinherited daughters to a poverty-stricken sister.
Literary heavyweight John Irving returns with "Queen Esther" (Scribner, $36.99), a sort-of prequel to his 1985 novel The Cider House Rules. Set decades before the events of that book, it follows Thomas and Constance Winslow to St. Cloud's, Maine, where they take in 14-year-old Viennese Jewish orphan Esther Nacht as an au pair. Her life already marked by anti-Semitism, Esther forms a lifelong bond with the family.
For a lighter touch, Brisbane author Remy Lai, writing as Cecilia Edward, presents "An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating" (Atria Books, $34.99). This romantic comedy, her first adult novel, follows 39-year-old witch Thorn Scarhart. After a potion misfire hurls her 350 years into the future, she navigates the perplexing world of 21st-century online dating in search of true love.
Finally, Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville makes his children's book debut with "Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room" (Bloomsbury, $17.99). The first in a planned trilogy, this heart-warming tale of a 10-year-old boy's adventures was inspired by Bonneville's own childhood in Blackheath, south London. He recalls that touring circus performers' children did attend his primary school, and one even arrived on a baby elephant.
This eclectic mix of new releases promises to inform, entertain, and transport readers through the holiday season and beyond.
