Better Read Than Dead Bookstore Newtown

JUNE Book of the Month

Rejection

By Tony Tulathimutte

There's a certain level of bravery in committing to creating repulsive characters. Tony Tulathimutte showcases the very worst traits of society ranging from incels to kink shame to the death spirals that happen in a group chat after you've made a fool of yourself. These interconnected short stories are biting, graphic and filled with disdain, and while nobody escapes Tulathimutte's ire, the real victims are the tech-bros who are chronically online.

While it would be easy to dismiss Rejection as scathing and critical, this is a book that mirrors a little bit of all of all of us, and touches on the perils of vulnerability and how we personally deal with rejection. Rejection is the quintessential American work of fiction and essential for anyone who has ever been online.

– LEXIE –

$36.99

JUNE ILF Book of the Month

Melaleuca

By Angie Faye Martin

Embodying racial injustice, Indigenous history and inter-generational trauma, Melaleuca tells the story of Aboriginal policewoman Renee Taylor, who is visiting her hometown in Queensland. When a woman is murdered, Renee ends up leading the investigation and discovers curious connections to two disappearances that occurred the area in the 1960s.

Renee is a total badass, expressing the vital determination of a woman in a male-dominated field, only strengthened by what she’s had to put up with to get there. Flashbacks to the earlier disappearances help to create an emotional link to the case and characters. As someone who grew up in a small rural town myself, I found this story really encapsulated that experience.

– RUBY –

$34.99

JUNE Kids Book of the Month

The Great Phoenix of London

By Lindsay Galvin

December, 1664. Nine-year-old Gilbert is gathered with his family to witness a comet streaking through the skies above London. Is it a sign? Or an ill-omen? And what of the mysterious round stone that falls from its tail to smash at their feet? Over the next two years, tragedies befall Gilbert and his family, culminating in September 1666 when London is set ablaze by a raging firestorm that ravages the city for days.

This story is so fast paced and exciting that I was frantic to get to the next page and discover the next exhilarating episode. You will find yourself literally racing alongside Gilbert, thrilling with each new discovery, twist and turn. Lindsay Galvin has gifted us a story seeded with great historical facts wonderfully woven together with a fascinating cast of genuinely likable heroes and hiss-worthy villains. Brilliant. 9+

– ROBERT –

$21.99

JUNE Cookbook of the Month

The Spanish Pantry

By José Pizarro

I’ve had a long love affair with Spanish food, so when I saw this gorgeous new book by award-winning chef and author José Pizarro, I was pretty excited. Here, Pizarro focuses on twelve key ingredients of Spanish cooking, including tomatoes, onions, saffron, chickpeas, chorizo and lemons – all with their own unique and enticing characteristics – and creates a selection of easy and delicious recipes for each.

Luckily for us, Pizarro puts flavour front and centre in both his Spanish classics and modern creations, and you’ll find options perfect for a simple weeknight dinner, as well as recipes to combine into a festive menu for a weekend or special-occasion feast. I can’t wait to give these a try!

– SYLVIA –

$55.00

Australian Fiction

By Her Hand: An engrossing historical fiction debut, a tale of family, battles and female empowerment, for readers who love Geraldine Brooks and Maggie O'Farrell

Theory & Practice: Winner of the 2025 Stella Prize

Fiction

The Pretender: 'A frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year' - The Times

Young Adult

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games)

The Forest King's Daughter: an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood

Middle-Grade Fiction

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow: Nevermoor 4

After: Dystopian sci-fi adventure for kids aged 9, 10, 11, 12 – a thought-provoking story of AI and humanity

Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter: From the former Children's Laureate comes a fast-paced new adventure series

Cooking

The Australian Ingredients Kitchen: Simple recipes using bushfoods

Slow Cooking: Wholefood recipes | Every recipe for slow cooker and oven or stove

Konbini: Cult recipes, stories and adventures from Japan’s iconic convenience stores

Biography

Australian Non-Fiction

Annette Kellerman, Australian Mermaid: The inspiring true story of the swimming champion and Hollywood star, from the bestselling author of SISTER VIV and THE REMARKABLE MRS REIBY

Unsettled: A Journey Through Time and Place

Mean Streak: A moral vacuum, a dodgy debt generator and a multi-billion-dollar government shake down - the powerful story of robodebt, shortlisted for the ABIA Social Impact Book of the Year 2025

Non-Fiction

The Fran Lebowitz Reader: The Sunday Times Bestseller

Lifestyle

Stress Tested: How the New Science of Stress Hormones Can Transform Your Health

Pain Free: The easy four-step method to reduce pain naturally

How to be Enough: Seven life-changing steps for self-critics, overthinkers and perfectionists

All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot: Self image, beauty ideals and desirability

Art

This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance

The Japanese Tattoo: The History and Evolution of an Art Form

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