Even if you've only got the days between Christmas and New Year off, the holiday break is a good time to get started on reading some books you might have missed during the year. Here are 10 top reads - drawn from fiction, biography and self-help - that are worthy of being something to unwrap under the tree on Christmas Day and have by your side in the holiday season.
Prices of books vary widely. We have given the recommended retail price of the paperback version. Some bookshops may sell them for less and all are also available as an e-book.
Fiction
Cairo
Chris Womersley
Set in bohemian Melbourne in the 1980s, Cairo is a reimagining of the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman involving a 17-year-old Tom who moves from the country to study. $29.95
Cartwheel
Jennifer duBois
When Lily Hayes arrives in Buenos Aires for her semester abroad, she is enchanted by everything she encounters: the colourful buildings, the street food, the elusive guy next door. Her studious roommate, Katy, is a bit of a bore, but Lily hasn’t come to Argentina to hang out with other Americans. Five weeks later, Katy is found brutally murdered in their shared home, and Lily is the prime suspect. A compelling and suspenseful read which keeps you guessing right to the end. $29.95
The Flamethrowers
Rachel Kushner
Radical politics, avant-garde art and motorcycle racing all spring to life in this novel about a young woman who moves to New York to become an artist in the 1970s, only to wind up involved in the revolutionary protest movement that shook Italy in those years. The novel explores how individuals are swept along by implacable social forces. $34.95
Tongue in Chic
Kirstie Clements
A witty and salacious exposé of the world of glossy fashion magazine - a tell-all by the ultimate insider who was formerly editor of Vogue Australia. True events revolve around the fictitious Chic magazine, where an average day involves counting calories (preferably other people's), masterful justification of spending half an annual salary on a blue fox fur, and keeping a kohl-lined eye on the competition. $29.99
Biography
The Youngs: the brothers who built AC/DC
Jesse Fink
With sales of over 200 million albums, AC/DC is not just the biggest rock band in the world, but a family business built by three brothers: George, Malcolm and Angus Young. And, as with any business, some people prospered while others got hurt along the way. A fascinating inside look at a band that rocked the world. $34.95
Wave
Sonali Deraniyagala
On the day after Christmas in 2004, Deraniyagala called her husband to the window of their hotel room in Sri Lanka. “I want to show you something odd,” she said. The ocean looked foamy and closer than usual. Within moments, it was upon them. Deraniyagala lost her husband, her parents and two young sons to the Indian Ocean tsunami. Her survival was miraculous, and so too is this memoir — unsentimental, raggedly intimate, full of fury. $19.95
We Are Alive: a portrait of Bruce Springsteen
David Remnick
A profile of the man who defines America’s soul, written by a multi-award winning author and journalist. “One of the most thorough profiles of Springsteen ever published” according to the influential Rolling Stone magazine. $19.95
Self-help
Best Start
Lynne Jenkins
Every parent wants the best for their child, but how do you go about giving your baby or toddler the skills they need to live a happy, fulifilled life? Simply written with an engaging honesty and humour, this is essential reading for every parent. $19.99
Modern Family Survival Guide
Nigel Latta
Find answers to the complex issues surrounding today’s family in its many and varied forms. Topics covered include separation and divorce, surviving family court, sharing custody, co-parenting when your ex is difficult, step parenting and more. Nigel says: “What I do is try to give parents plenty of room to make up their own minds. I’m never going to kick in your door and tell you what to do.” $29.99
The Values Factor
Dr John DeMartini
What is the most important step you can take to achieve the life you’ve always dreamed of? You might think the answer is something like start saving money, get a better job, find my soul mate, or improve my marriage. Solutions like these might offer temporary satisfaction, but none of them can provide true, lasting fulfillment or help you achieve your unique purpose in life according to John DeMartini. His provocative thirteen-part questionnaire will reveal to you what you value most and explain how to align every aspect of your life with your true values. $19.95
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