10 books by Canberra authors to add to your TBR this spring
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Looking to add more books to your reading list this spring? This article is for you!
Whether you wish to expand your TBR list or are looking for something new, why not try reading books from authors based in Canberra? These talented authors deserve recognition for their work, and this list includes nonfiction, fiction, children’s books, and poetry. You’re bound to find something that calls to you…
The Valley by Chris Hammer
The winner of the ACT Book of the Year award for 2024, Chris Hammer, is back with The Valley. This thriller follows the story of investigators, Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic, as they investigate the murder of an entrepreneur at a remote mountain valley. As they try to solve the case, they find connections to Nell’s mother that bring more questions than answers. It’s hard to discover the truth from the lies, and this story will keep you on the edge of your seat until you reach the very last page.
Pictures Of You by Emma Grey
This book is one for all of the romance readers who love the idea of second chances.
After surviving a traumatic car accident that killed her husband, Oliver, Evie Hudson wakes in the hospital with no memory of him or the last 13 years of her life. With no idea of how to get her memories back, she comes across her best friend from high school, Drew Kennedy, who begins revealing pieces of information about Oliver. As she unlocks more and more of her memories, Evie begins to question the life that she had originally chosen for herself. Second chances aren’t always possible, so will she be brave enough to choose the life she truly wants?
Sidelines by Karen Viggers
If you’re a fan of soccer and drama, this story is for you. Focusing on pressures that cause strain in the relationship between parents and their children, this book contains rivalry, bias, and inequity that threaten to turn the characters’ worlds upside down.
Written in third person, the reader is transported to and from five different perspectives, swapping between parents and their children and the way they each view their life. The pressures to do well on the field start to blend into the reality of each character and it’s only a matter of time before someone snaps.
How To Sing Like A Gibbon by April Dwyer
This fun and informative children’s book (with credit to the illustrator; Napas (Nap) Somsawad), tells the story of a gibbon named Gilly as he learns how to sing and swing through the Bornean jungle with the help of some friends he finds along the way.
In search of his parents, Gilly must find a way to reunite with them by singing and learning about the jungle and the other animals who live there. Facts are woven in about apes, monkeys, and primates, while also teaching young readers about the beauty of nature and the importance of forming connections within the community.
How To Not Work Forever by Natasha Etschmann and Ana Kresina
Tackling lack of information that holds you back from investing is the core of Natasha and Ana’s new book. Written in a way that is jargon-free and easy to understand, How To Not Work Forever aims to talk about the benefits of investing.
Wondering what you’ll learn? You don’t have to give up everything, you can start investing with just $5, and it isn’t as scary as it’s made out to be. All about creating the the freedom to enjoy life while saving and investing simultaneously, and this book reveals all that and more.
Worth Waiting For by Justine Lewis
Two stories in one, in this book you’ll get to read about two brothers meeting up for their mothers’ wedding in Bali. The first story (Breaking The Best Friend Rule) focuses on Ben and his best friend Charlotte. After Charlotte is invited to Ben’s mothers’ wedding, she starts to notice Ben in a way she never had before. Soon, it will be time to decide whether they take the leap towards something more or remain as “just friends”.
The second story (The Billionaire’s Plus-One Deal) involves Will and a struggling songwriter who he asks to be his fake girlfriend, Summer Bright. After a while, it begins to feel like their acting is becoming a little too real…
Strokes Of Light by Lucy Alexander
If you love poetry and/or are a lover of nature, this book is for you. Full of prose describing nature, memories and childhood, it serves to spread the message that shifting worlds are entwined with the smallest of things.
Shaping and morphing language beyond its limits, Lucy creates poetry that extends the boundaries of imagination and speaks truth to the shifting environment we are a part of. See the world through a new lens and enjoy the language that defines enchanting poetry.
Wild Sea: A History Of The Southern Ocean by Joy McCann
Combining historical information from journals, whaler’s logbooks, explorers’ letters, scientific reports, ancient myths, and Joys’ own discoveries, Wild Sea is a guidebook for anyone who is fascinated about the unknown parts of our world. Focusing on the cultural and environmental aspects of the Southern Ocean, it aims to illuminate its importance in understanding climate change.
There is little known and understood about the Southern Ocean, but with Joys’ research and exploration documented in this story, it may not be as much of a mystery as it used to be.
Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney
Targeting young readers, this book includes information on Australia’s diverse plants and nature. In addition to the facts and scientific terms that define countless plants, it introduces information on bush food, floral ancestry, and the Gondwana garden. You’ll even get to read about a living Jurassic fossil found in a sandstone canyon! A glossary is included at the end of the book to help the reader understand the scientific terms used, and is written to engage as well as inform.
Even though the book was made for young readers, you’re bound to find something that interests you too that will help you gain a new fascination for our Australian flora.
COMING SOON
When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin
Mark your calendars for Tuesday 17 June 2025 for the release of Emma Pei Yin’s novel: When Sleeping Women Wake. Following themes of hope, love, and the knowledge that seemingly ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things.
The story follows Mingzhu, a mother, Qiang, her daughter, and their maid, Biyu, as they are separated and forced to survive through the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War Two. Mingzhu is saved from the physical labour of the war but is forced to work for the enemy due to her ability to speak multiple languages. Qiang and Biyu aren’t doing much better either. Surviving on small food rations and working in a factory, they have each other through their hardships until the appearance of resistance fighters lead to their separation. Now they must find a way back to each other while supporting resistance fi
Feature image: Paperchain Manuka. Credit Pew Pew Studio.
