I’ve got a very exciting post to share with you all today! I’m going to be sharing some of the upcoming Aussie releases that I’m most excited for this year. Get ready for this one because it’s a very long list—maybe get a snack, a beverage and of course, open up Goodreads or Storygraph or whatever you use.
Of course, because it’s so early in the year, a lot of these don’t have covers or even a lot of information about them. And of course, there are so many others that will be released that either just aren’t my cup of tea, or I haven’t even come across them yet. That being said, let’s get into what I’ve got.
February & March
The Boy From The Mish by Gary Lonesborough
This one came out a couple of days ago on February 2nd from Allen & Unwin, but I won’t be purchasing my copy for a few more days so it’s going on this list. This sounds incredible—it’s a queer Indigenous YA contemporary set in a rural community. I believe it takes place around Christmas as well, and that the love interest is ‘a mysterious boy with a troubled past’. I’m hoping to read this soon while I’m still in that summery contemporary mood.
A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan
I swear, our debut Aussie authors are really showing up this year. A Room Called Earth is a literary fiction that ‘explores a young woman’s magical, sensitive, and passionate inner world’ with a neurodiverse narrator written by an OwnVoices author. I’m not usually one for literary fiction, but I’m willing to give anything with neurodiversity a chance—plus there’s a cat on the cover. This is out March 2nd from Scribe.
The Gaps by Leanne Hall
Who doesn’t love a good school-set mystery, right? The Gaps follows the girls at Balmoral Ladies College after one of the Year Tens is abducted and the way that affects all the other girls. This sounds like it’ll be pretty thrilling, and is described as ‘a tribute to friendship in all its guises…a moving examination of vulnerability and strength, safety and danger, and the particular uncertainty of being a young woman in the world.’ This out from Text Publishing on March 2nd.
A Million Things by Emily Spurr
This one honestly sounds like it’s going to be heartbreaking. It follows a young girl named Rae who is forced to learn how to look after herself and her dog when her mum disappears. It’s described as ‘a gut-wrenching story of abandonment and what it’s like to grow up in a house that doesn’t feel safe into an astonishing portrait of resilience, mental health, and the families we make and how they make us in return’. This is Emily Spurr’s debut and it’s out from Text on March 30th.
The Shape of Sound by Fiona Murphy
Speaking of March 30th from Text, The Shape of Sound if Fiona Murphy’s memoir about being deaf. There’s a lot of hype for this on my Twitter feed right now, as well as some very high praise from some really incredible authors. Text is describing this as not just a memoir, but ‘a story about the corrosive power of secrets, stigma and shame, and how deaf experiences and disability are shaped by economics, social policy, medicine and societal expectation’. It definitely looks like one to watch out for.
April
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
I have to admit I’m a little hesitant about this one—it sounds incredible, but it’s also been marked as horror on Goodreads a few times. I do not do well with horror at all, but it also sounds a bit mysterious, maybe even a little magical realism. I believe it’s set in Scotland, and it also has a gorgeous cover. This is out March 30th from Penguin Australia.
Sunburnt Veils by Sara Haghdoosti
The blurb of this one makes me want to squeal. Girl meets boy, ghosts his text messages, then convinces him to help her run for the student union. Just your typical love story with a hijabi twist. Amazing, right? But wait, there’s more! When a bomb threat on her first day of university throws her together with totally annoying party king and oh-so-entitled politician’s son Alex, things get complicated. Um excuse me, I’d like this pumped directly into my veins. Please and thank you. This is out April 1st from Wakefield Press.
June and July
One Hundred Days by Alice Pung
This was meant to be released last year, but like so many others, it was pushed back. Alice Pung is a pretty well-known writer here—lots of schools study Unpolished Gem, and her YA book, Laurinda was nominated for the Stella Prize. I believe this one is her adult fiction debut, and it’s described as a ‘fractured fairytale exploring the fault lines between love and control’. I adore the cover for it, which I think is relatively newly revealed, and I think it’ll look gorgeous on my shelves. It’s due to be released June 1st from Black Inc.
Echolalia by Briohny Doyle
I’ve been awaiting a new Briohny Doyle novel ever since reading The Island Will Sink back in 2016, and this is finally on it’s way. I don’t really know a whole lot about this one, but it seems to be a family-based story. I think it might also have an environmental aspect to it as well, which checks out with what Doyle has written in the past. This is also out June 1st from Vintage Australia.
Girls in Boys’ Cars by Felicity Castagna
And the best premise awards goes to! Okay, so listen up—this is about two girls who steal one of their (possibly ex) boyfriend’s cars and go on a road trip. This sounds like it could be kind of badass and I’m hoping for a really lovely female friendship and hopefully some girl power stuff. This is due out in August from Pan Macmillan.
The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks
There’s basically no information out about this one yet, other than it’s Danielle’s debut YA and that it’s set in Hobart. I absolutely loved The Year The Maps Changed which was Danielle’s middle-grade release last year, so this instantly went on the this. It’s out in July from Hachette.
After Story by Larissa Behrendt
This follows an Indigenous lawyer, Jasmine as she takes her mother on a tour of literary England in the hope it will bring them closer together. The blurb mentions that Jasmine has a love of Austen, the Brontes and Woolf so I think this will be one I end up enjoying even if literary fiction isn’t usually a genre I read. This is out July 2nd from UQP.
When Days Tilt by Karen Ginnane
This one is a historical fantasy taking place in Victorian London alongside a ‘darker parallel city’. I love a good two London story, so this sounds very intriguing to me. The protagonist is only fourteen, so I’m a little hesitant about that because I’m not sure how dark the world really will be then but we’ll see. This is out July 2nd from Penguin.
Henry Hamlet’s Heart
I wish this one was already out because it sounds downright adorable and I need it in my hands already. This is a queer romance set in Brisbane, following Henry Hamlet as he navigates his final year at school and falling in love with the last person he expected. I am ready for ALL OF THE FEELS. This is out July 29th from UQP.
September/October
Dark Rise by C.S Pacat
There’s no information up about this one other than it’s a YA fantasy and LGBTQ+. I’ve never actually read any C.S Pacat but it’s YA fantasy and I am here for that. It’s due out September 28th from Quill Tree Books.
Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
This doesn’t really show up in my reading, but I love a good Gothic story. It definitely stems from my love of things like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, but it’s not a super popular genre right now. But Lakesedge is being described as ‘a lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake.’ So uh, I’m here for it. This is due out October 12th from Henry Holt & Co.
Unknown Dates
Menagerie by Emily Bitto
I’ve been desperate for a new Emily Bitto since The Strays came out in 2014. Whatever this is about, I’m probably going to at least give it a chance.
Social Queue by Kay Kerr
There’s also no information about this one yet. I own Kay Kerr’s debut novel Please Don’t Hug Me which is an Own Voices, neurodivergent contemporary YA. Even though I haven’t read that, this one instantly went on my TBR and I’m excited for it.
Phew, I can’t believe I finally made it to the end of this list! Are any of these books on your list? Are you adding any of them to your TBR now?
Earl Grey Books 