Books

From top politicians to billionaires, no one is too powerful or rich to escape the baleful purges of China’s president, Michael Sheridan writes.
World
Michael Sheridan

How those who cross Xi Jinping disappear or end up dead

From top politicians to billionaires, no one is too powerful or rich to escape the baleful purges of China’s president, Michael Sheridan writes.

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Sweet Valley High was adapted into a TV series in 1994.
Books
Wenlei Ma

Sweet Valley High should be a cultural powerhouse

Francine Pascal died over the weekend. If you were a girl growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, that name means something special to you.

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If you’ve committed to reading more books but don’t have enough time on your hands, you might want to consider some shorter works.
Books
The Economist

Six of the best non-fiction books you can finish in a day

Resolved to read more? There may be no more rewarding genre than the short book . Here are six of the best non-fiction books you can get through in a day.

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The future of Booktopia is uncertain following a tumultuous month. Stock image
Business
Molly Magennis

Fears major book retailer on brink of collapse

The news comes amid the axing of jobs.

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Rebel Wilson’s memoir will be published in Australia next month but with an entire chapter on her claims of working with Sacha Baron Cohen blacked out.
Pop Culture
Kellie Balaam

Rebel’s book finally set for Aus release (with a catch)

Rebel Wilson’s memoir will be published in Australia next month but there’s one dramatic change.

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Rebel Wilson has revealed the identity of the actor to whom she lost her virginity when she was 35.
Australia

Rebel has named the actor she lost her virginity to

The Aussie star says she was convinced ‘no one would ever find me sexually attractive’ until she met the actor she would later lose her virginity to at age 35.

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o date, it has sold 11.6m copies worldwide, according to the publisher
The Economist
The Economist

The children’s book that rewrote the rules for success

How Julia Donaldson’s much loved children’s tale ‘The Gruffalo’ became a global phenomenon.

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The top five stories from The Best Australian Yarn 2023.
Australia
Ross McRae

The five Best Australian Yarns you need to read now

The Best Australian Yarn — the world’s richest short story competition — was launched in 2022 and has become one of the most coveted in the nation. Thousands entered in 2023. Here are five of the bes yarns.

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Split Life ® by Jacqueline MacDonald.
Culture
Jacqueline MacDonald

Split Life ® by Jacqueline MacDonald

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Jacqueline MacDonald’s dystopian story is about a worker who wrestles with doubt as the rich and powerful increasingly clone themselves.

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Grey Paint by Josh Lowe.
Culture
Josh Lowe

Grey Paint by Josh Lowe

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: An emotive story by Josh Low about a young man who returns to his narrowed-minded home town and the hard-bitten father who refused to accept his teenage son was different.

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Dorothy’s To-Do List by Peter Byrne.
Culture
Peter Byrne

Dorothy’s To-Do List by Peter Byrne

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: This is the story of a fastidious, older employee who patronised and passed over in her workplace and quietly makes her own arrangements for a comfortable retirement.

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The Expert by Rachel Van Nierop.
Culture
Rachel Van Nierop

The Expert by Rachel Van Nierop

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Rachel Van Nierop’s tale about a specialist veterinarian who treats her heartbroken clients with disdain. 

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The Culinarian by Cameron Rutherford.
Culture
Cameron Rutherford

The Culinarian by Cameron Rutherford

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Cameron Rutherford’s graphic exploration of the relationship between creator and consumer in the age of social media.

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The biggest books of 2024 are set to be dominated by two key themes.
Culture
The Economist

The key themes set to dominate the biggest books of 2024

If 2023’s bestsellers lists were still dominated by works dissecting COVID and climate change, this literary new year looks to be heading in two vastly different directions.

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Everyone loves a good spy novel, and it turns out former spooks make especially strong authors.
Books
The Economist

Eight of the best spy novels of all time

Everyone loves a good spy novel, and it turns out former spooks make especially strong authors.

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