WellRead

Introducing October's selection: Rapture, by Emily Maguire.

Dropping us in ninth century Mainz, Maguire introduces us to Agnes, the daughter of an English Priest. She’s hungry for knowledge and she listens with intent as she waits on her father’s friends who visit from afar. To avoid a future as a wife or a nun, Agnes disguises herself as a man and secures a place at the Fulda monastery.

From there, we follow her on a journey of astounding proportions as she navigates political intrigue, desire and the realities of a Church unsteady on its feet.

Inspired by a series of medieval stories of a woman whose life took a similar trajectory, Maguire says she was initially intimidated by how much the rumours and records couldn’t agree on the details, or even the existence of this woman.

Rapture is one of the best books you will read all year, if not in your life. We can’t wait to hear what you think of it. If you’d like to join us in Sydney to hear from Emily Maguire at Ace Hotel at the end of the month, get yourself a ticket here: https://buff.ly/3zB7GUd

Subscribe to WellRead before October 7 to get Rapture as your first delivery!

Here's what we caught in the land of book news in September! What have we missed?

Dig into Kirsty's backlist, and read other books we loved exploring similar themes 💛

Our seasonal add-ons have now been listed! Get yourself a stack of some of the most anticipated titles of the year and we'll ship them out to you in the week of 7 October. There are some reeeealllyyy exciting reads in here. Some we've devoured, some we've ordered. It's such a wonderful time in the land of publishing.

If you're a current subscriber, check your inboxes, because a $10 code is in there for you!
Orders close 10am (AEST) 26th September. Head to our website for a browse (buff.ly/4eyBL5P) and fill that cart 💛

Want to dig into the brain of this month's author Kirsty Capes? Here's her Watch, Read, Listen 👀

Every month, as I pull off each address label and stick it onto an AusPost satchel, I imagine the distance it will travel. From Christmas Island to Elcho Island to our red desert centre.
Here's a map of where our current subscribers are. We're covering some ground!

“Grief comes in waves. Sometimes it is there, in every second of every waking moment, and it is paralysing. You cannot think, eat, breathe, or speak without the presence of them in the intention of every choice you make. It slides a hand around your oesophagus and doesn’t let go, until you can’t breath, until you are choking.

In quieter moments, more bearable moments, the hand is on the small of your back, guiding your body but never pushing. I liked having that hand there, even though it was painful, even though sometimes it kept me awake at night and made me resentful and cruel and unreachable.” — Girls, .author

An update from us 💛

Dig into the brains of this month's author Evie Wyld.
Our reading list gets longer every month 🥲

At first glance, it might not seem like we have too much in common with slimy worms – they live underground, love to eat stinky leftovers and get messy in the dirt. We like to be above ground, nice and clean.

This month, we hope you have an open mind, because in Worms Are Our Friends, you might just learn a few things that will change the way you look at these hungry little creatures.

Subscribe to WellRead Kids by August 7 to get Worms Are Our Friends in your first delivery.

This month's selection is The Echoes by Evie Wyld. When we received The Echoes in the mail, Louise ripped open the parcel, handed it to me and said matter of factly: 'without even reading this, I assure you it will be the August pick'. I remember curling up on the couch and reading the first chapter and texting her something like, 'you're bloody well right. She's got it!'. The spark. There's something to Evie's writing that just draws you right in.

Wyld carries a powerful track record. She has previously won the Encore Award (2013), the Miles Franklin Award (2014) and the Stella Prize (2021). You'll soon see why.

The Echoes is a story about life, death, grief, secrets and tangled webs of family failings. Set between London and rural Australia, Wyld captures the feeling of being pulled by two homelands, never really feeling at ease in either of them.

Our protagonist, Hannah, sits at the heart of the story, but around her there are more questions than answers. Hannah is haunted by ghosts of the past, family ghosts, ghosts created by broken systems and, of course, the ghost of her partner Max, whose own narration brings a little levity to the story.

Subscribe to WellRead before August 7 to get The Echoes as your first book 💛
https://buff.ly/3v1W7TC

We love this review from one of our dear subscribers, 💛 Anyone else have the same hesitation before they picked it up?

There are so many things in the world to be thankful for! This month’s Kids selection takes us on a journey to explore all the things – big and small – that keep our world interesting and fun. In Thank You, author and artist Jarvis reminds us that there are so many things to say thank you for.

Subscribe by July 7 to get Thank You as your first Kids selection.

This month we’re bringing you Max, a coming-of-age novel by New Zealand author Avi Duckor-Jones. In this story we follow Max, a young man grappling with his sexuality and identity in the wake of his final months of high school. Featuring a charismatic best friend Fletch, the nostalgia of dial-up internet, chat rooms and Radiohead, Max will take you on a journey across New Zealand to ensure a young boy finds belonging and acceptance.

Duckor-Jones has worked as a writing instructor and trip leader for National Geographic, directed a school in Ghana and, yes, even won the reality TV competition Survivor New Zealand in 2017. We’re traversing New Zealand’s majestic landscape in Max, and what better storyteller to be holding the pen.

For fans of Craig Silvey and Trent Dalton, this one will tug at your heartstrings and make you reach out to every young q***r navigating this complex world for a warm hug.

Subscribe to WellRead before July 7 to get Max as your first experience!

Here's what's happening in the world of books, in case you missed it.

If you liked this month's pick, Sandwich by , you might want to get stuck into some of these great reads next.
Lovely image of Sandwich by one of our subscribers 🌞

This month's selection, Sandwich, is filled with quotes that needed highlighting. Funny, heartbreaking, human quotes.

“And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same. To say, I understand how hard it is to be a parent, a kid. To say, Your shell stank and you’re sad. I’ve been there” - Catherine Newman, Sandwich

Catherine Newman's Watch Read Listen doesn't disappoint. Sink your teeth into this month's selection's list. Catherine is right, Stevie Wonder always.

“Despite the cheerful photographs and tearful nostalgia, despite how you look wistfully back and see only your own defined collarbones and prettily tanned shoulders, the children rosy and perfect, you probably spent the entire week discouraging a furiously determined someone from biting into a stick of butter.”
Catherine Newman, Sandwich

Beautiful beach scene by Madeleine Gross 💛

This month, we’re bringing you a powerful and poetic story from award-winning Gunai author, Kirli Saunders (OAM). The Land Recalls You honours the Stolen Generations and all who’ve been taken from their Country, by telling a story of returning, remembering and rejuvenation.

Illustrated by debut Bundjalung artists David and Noni Cragg, this is a story full of colour and light, in the face of a sad history.

To the grown ups that share stories with our smallest readers; these are big topics, but we’ve never been ones to shy away from a challenging story and we believe that the thread that runs through this story is one of hope and love.

Subscribe by June 7 to get The Land Recalls You as your first Kids selection.

Introducing June's WellRead selection: Sandwich, by Catherine Newman.

Following Rocky and her family on their annual week-long holiday to Cape Cod, Sandwich had us swinging from laughter to tears as it delves into the imperfections, secrets, hilarity and raw moments of ordinary family life.

Centred around motherhood, menopause, marriage, loss, ageing parents and empty-nesting, Sandwich has a clear audience, but it also offers something for everyone. The team at WellRead are all at different stages in life but this didn’t detract from our reading experience – we each loved the story for the mirror it held to the messiness of life and the feeling of being pulled in different directions.

It’s a beach read in a literal sense, so you can expect plenty of lighter moments with witty dialogue and relatable moments, but you can also expect keener reflections that press on sensitive topics with an unrestrained, authentic voice that will meet you where you’re at.

Subscribe to WellRead before June 7 to get Sandwich as your first experience!

And the Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist is out now too! 👀

Did you like Shankari Chandran's Safe Haven this month? We've made a list of books you might want to add to your bedside book stack 📚

We asked Shankari Chandran, author of this month's selection Safe Haven, what she's watching, reading and listening to at the moment.

You're in for a surprising one this month! What a playlist 👀