Holiday Reads, Thrillers, Romance and Big Name Authors
The book world has been running at great speed lately; There are scandals on our left, award announcements on our right, and a broadcast schedule that hasn’t been breathing since August. The publishing industry enters a summer hibernation in December, with new releases arriving in a slower, sleepier drift. But quieter doesn’t mean boring: from Olivia Nuzzi’s headline-grabbing memoirs to royal intrigue, provincial mysteries, political slang and a deep dive into the Chinese art of espionage, there’s plenty to pack in your beach bag as the 2025 reading calendar draws to a close.
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Dirty Politics: Cheating, Betrayal, and Other Delicious Treats from A to ZMacquarie Dictionary, Macquarie, $19.99
From the nation’s lexicographers comes a vivid and barbed compendium of the insults, euphemisms and headline-grabbing gaffes that have colored two decades of Australian public life. From “bonk ban” and “brotherhood” to “virtue-signalling soybean intelligentsia,” the alphabetical guide is a reminder that the way we talk about power is often as revealing as the power itself.
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Melbourne’s Dark PrinceIan W. Shaw, HarperCollins, $35.99
Ian W. Shaw turns his pen to Joseph “Squizzy” Taylor, the charismatic stand-up man who dazzled as much as he terrified Melbourne. Following Taylor’s rise from pickpocket to underworld celebrity, Shaw follows the detectives, juries, and rivals who try and mostly fail to stop him. The result is a vivid portrait of a gangster who enjoys being the center of attention and eventually meets a suitably dramatic end.
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Varicose Veins VisibleRebecca Armitage, HarperCollins, $34.99
Lexi Villiers thought she had hung up her crown for good, living a perfectly ordinary life in Hobart, away from the palace corridors. But when a family accident pushes him to the front of the line of succession, he is called back to London. When she becomes the spare heir, Lexi must decide if she really wants the crown that is destined for her. It’s a sparkling debut that does more than a few winks at today’s royal soap operas.
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Infinite SkyDi Morrissey, Macmillan, $39.99
The prolific author’s 31st novel sends a TV presenter and producer deep into the red heartland; Here a brilliant new series becomes a journey into the mysteries and dangers of the Australian outback. Land becomes the book’s most compelling asset in this tale of adventure, friendship and love, with fossil treasures, local histories and long-buried secrets.
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EucalyptusStephen D. Hopper, Reaktion Books, $39.99 (December 1)
Botanist Stephen D. Hopper offers a richly illustrated account of Australia’s most emblematic trees and their evolution, biology, cultural significance and global reach. From towering mountain giants to sturdy hammers, eucalypts have inspired artists, scientists and activists, shaped landscapes and industries, and held deep meaning for Aboriginal communities. This comprehensive study blends ecological insight with decades of fieldwork to reveal the complexity behind such a familiar-looking species.
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RudderSarah Hall, Faber Fiction, $34.99 (December 2)
Twice Booker shortlisted Sarah Hall returns with a daring novel told in part by the wind of Helm, a legendary, unforgiving force that storms Cumbria’s Paradise Valley. Hall weaves together humanity’s centuries-long efforts to understand, worship, measure, or resist this presence. The result is a creative meditation on nature, time, and the fragile lives lived in the path of the wind that will blow you away.
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Best Offer WinsMarisa Kashino, Doubleday, $34.99 (December 2)
Real estate anxiety meets psychological sleight of hand in this darkly comic thriller about a woman pushed to extremes by the terrors of house hunting. Margo’s desire to secure the home of her dreams gives way to an obsession that involves snooping, befriending the owner, and a spiral she can’t quite control. Darkly satirical and full of surprises, comparisons Yellow Face I feel fit.
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American CantoOlivia Nuzzi, Simon & Schuster, $49.99 (December 2)
The former Washington reporter became a story when her emotional affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became public, and now she’s writing a book about it. American Canto It comes with enough buzz to power a small newsroom. Vanity Fair quote and Nuzzi’s own talent for creating headlines. The writing leans towards the high altitude, but most readers will turn the pages for scenes involving “The Politician”. Either way, expect this to dominate the news cycle again. (Australian print edition released January 13.)
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The Great Heist: China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s SecretsDavid R. Shedd and Andrew Badger, HarperCollins, $27.99 (December 2)
Former intelligence officials outline what they claim is the largest organized theft of intellectual property, technology and data in history. Drawing on interviews with spies, policymakers, and corporate security teams, they describe how “China has quietly plundered the crown jewels of Western technology” and reshaped global power in the process.
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World War CrimesGeoffrey Robertson, Penguin, $36.99 (December 9)
Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson offers a guide to what constitutes a war crime and why so few perpetrators are held accountable. Drawing on global conflicts and decades of legal work, Robertson explains how atrocities are identified, why governments hesitate to name them, and what ordinary citizens, journalists, and soldiers need to understand. This is a timely start.
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Adapted FactsBrandon Sanderson, Gollancz, 9 December
The Stormlight Archive creator is stepping outside the Cosmere with an illustrated collection of short fiction spanning fantasy and science fiction, including a new novella: Moment Zero, and stories previously dispersed in anthologies or digital publications. For fans, this is a chance to explore the bestselling author’s genre-bending experiments; a useful example of his storytelling for newcomers.
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on the sidelinesKate Horan, HQ Fiction, $34.99 (Dec. 30)
Heritage The author returns with a tense small-town mystery sparked by the unsolved death of a young girl 16 years ago. When Nel Foley, once the victim’s best friend and now a reluctant visitor, returns home following the death of her father, old suspicions and new dangers emerge. One for the beach bag!
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