Long hot summer days are a prime time for Australians to escape into their books, and this year, 10 Australian authors have selected their favourite reads for SBS' summer reading guide.
Their choices span a wide range of genres, including steamy romances perfect for indulging in while sitting by a pool sipping cocktails, thought-provoking essays to discuss with family and friends, powerful memoirs to contemplate as a new year begins, and surreal explorations of family life.
The authors — Keshe Chow, Steve MinOn, Brooke Boney, John Safran, Saman Shad, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Kumi Taguchi, Jade Goodwin, Natalia Figueroa Barroso and Sisonke Msimang — are all from CALD backgrounds.
The novels they've chosen are ambitious, edgy, confronting, emotional and funny.
Whether you’re looking for escapism, depth or joy, SBS' summer reading guide has you covered.
Saman Shad is the author of The Sex Lives of Married Women. Source: SBS, Supplied
'Really funny, hot sex'
Sydney author Saman Shad was born in Pakistan but grew up in Australia on a diet of 90s rom-coms, which she describes as "all very white and heterosexual". She never saw two brown characters falling in love — something she set out to change in her first novel The Matchmaker, which tells the story of a wealthy Pakistani bachelor who falls for a western Sydney 'matchmaker'. Her latest novel Sex Lives of Married Women is a cheeky exploration of sex and marriage from the perspective of three different women who soon become friends.
First on Shad's list of recommendations is Love Unleashed (Melanie Saward), which follows an Aboriginal woman who leaves behind her life in Brisbane to pursue her dreams in New York City – a journey many Australians fantasise about. Shad says she loves that the book features an Aboriginal protagonist in a story that's not focused on trauma, highlighting "the joy, the happiness and the fun — all the wonderful things" that are part of having a diverse background.
It’s a refreshing point of difference that Shad also attributes to The Kiss Quotient (Helen Hoang). The protagonist is autistic and hires an escort to explore intimacy. "It's a really fun and funny book." Shad says the characters have "hot sex" and the protagonist, who is a maths whiz, is a welcome contrast to female characters in many romances, who are often "bumbling around".
The Other Americans (Laila Lalami) is written by a Pultizer Prize finalist who has also been longlisted for the Booker Prize. It's about a Moroccan immigrant in California who is killed by a speeding car and the impact this has on those around him. Shad says it's perfect for those with short attention spans, as the chapters are really short and there are many different characters, so you don't get bored. But it also stayed with her for a long time. "Sometimes you read a book and … the characters are inside of your body."
Brooke Boney is the author of memoir All Of It. Source: SBS, Supplied
'Bringing light to places many would prefer to stay dark'
This year, journalist and broadcaster Brooke Boney released her memoir All of It, which reflects on her life in the public eye and her Gamileroi identity. It's a vulnerable account that describes her feelings of responsibility in "overcoming [her] circumstances" and challenging racist perceptions around the work ethic of Black people.
Boney is recommending Praiseworthy (Alexis Wright) as the perfect book to sit with over the summer break. "Wright leans into the surreal and the mythic" in her book, which is set in a small town living under the looming shadow of a cloud, which heralds ecological catastrophe. Its cast of characters includes a woman seeking repatriation for her Aboriginal-Chinese family to China. "Sometimes hyperbole is the only honest way to describe the absurdity Indigenous people are forced to navigate."
Her second choice All About Love (bell hooks) is a 1999 classic that Boney describes as "honest, practical and deeply human". The first volume in a trilogy, hooks (who spells her name uncapitalised) explores ideas of love and what it means. "In a moment where so many of us feel unsure about how to engage with men and boys, and their attitudes and relationships with women, All About Love offers a starting point — a foundation, a manual, a straight-up recalibration of how we relate to each other."
Black Witness (Amy McQuire) is the winner of the 2025 Queensland Premier's Award for a work of state significance. It looks at the media's failures in reporting on Indigenous affairs. Boney says it lays bare why First Nations voices are ignored, deprioritised and dismissed, and the devastating consequences of that silence. "McQuire brings light to places so many would prefer to stay dark and she does it with sharpness, courage and an unwavering sense of justice."
Steve MinOn is the author of the book First Name Second Name. Source: SBS, Supplied
'Humorous, snippy and unashamedly political'
Steve MinOn is author of First Name Second Name, which was shortlisted in the people's choice category of the 2025 Queensland Literary Awards. MinOn has chosen ambitious books that play with form and explore themes of cultural detachment and identity. He praises the books for their creativity, humour and edginess, and for challenging stereotypes about migrant stories.
The two protagonists of Fierceland (Omar Musa) are the children of a palm oil magnate. They're attending school and university in Australia. "They feel like imposters in their culture, and I found that really interesting because that really is an Australian story. [Many of us are] taken away from our culture, our heritage, and we set up life here in Australia, and then we have to reflect on who we are." But the story also features a mythical demon and draws on tropes from horror stories. MinOn says there's a lot of fun to be had. "It's a way into a literary fiction landscape that doesn't seem literary or scholastic."
Hailstones Fell Without Rain (Natalia Figueroa Barroso) is told from the perspective of a young migrant family from Uruguay who are living in western Sydney. Shifting time and location, the protagonists try to make sense of their connections to Uruguay, their new home in Australia and each other. "These themes of distancing and detachment, and identity through that lens, are just really interesting to me, probably because I also write from that same perspective," says MinOn. Figueroa Barroso is part of the western Sydney-based literacy movement Sweatshop and, like many of its writers, she doesn't use traditional literary fiction language, MinOn says. "They write like the street and her voice in that book is incredible. It's very entertaining, quite humorous, snippy, a bit bitchy and also unashamedly political."
Ghost Cities (Siang Lu) won this year's Miles Franklin Literary Award, and the story is told from the perspective of a #BadChinese who gets a job in the Chinese consulate as a translator. But, he's using Google Translate to do his job. The character goes on a wild odyssey to China and this allows the book to provide an Australian perspective of the country. MinOn says the book is a feat of the imagination with beautiful descriptions. It's also absurdly funny. "It draws you in with its humour, then hits you between the eyes with its bigger themes. It's so relevant at the moment, [when the world is grappling] with despotic rulers rising in political landscapes around the world. This book reminds us how absurd the whole idea is, and that the best way to deal with it is to make fun of it.
Randa Abdel-Fattah is author of the book Discipline. Source: SBS, Supplied
'A very powerful confrontation with people'
Former lawyer Randa Abdel-Fattah is the author of 12 books for children and young adults. Her first book for adults, Discipline, was published this year and looks at the experience of Palestinian Australians. Fattah says she chose powerful books that have sustained her, both on a spiritual and intellectual level, "unveiling myths and lies about the world that we live in".
As a person navigating the worlds of academia and literature, Abdel-Fattah says she was struck by Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal (Mohammed El-Kurd), which asserts the freedom of Palestinians to tell their stories without fear. "The liberation that came with this book was so beautiful and the validation that you can be angry, and you can lean into the very valid rage that you have, and not have to conform, and have your language policed."
The essays in Black Thoughts Matter (Chelsea Watego) spoke to Abdel-Fattah, who has Palestinian and Egyptian heritage, about what it means to be a settler of colour living on Aboriginal land. "To be part of a movement of freedom that extends beyond just thinking about Palestine, but thinking about my responsibilities here [in Australia]." It also resonated in its assertion of the right of Indigenous people to resist conventional ideas about what scholarly or academic work should be. "To include personal stories and not have to subscribe to ideas that they're being biased or subjective."
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This (Omar El Akkad) is a book of essays "that holds the mirror up to self-idealised myths that the West tells itself". Abdel-Fattah says it reinforces how the Gaza war has exposed the fault lines of liberal democracy — and ideas of academic freedom, freedom of speech, democracy and liberalism. "[It's] a very powerful confrontation with people, the assumptions that people have made about the world that we live in, and the obscenity of it."
Kumi Taguchi is author of the memoir The Good Daughter. Source: SBS, Supplied
'You'll fall in love with the characters'
The journalist and host of SBS' Insight program, Kumi Taguchi, has chosen three books that reflect a sense of stoicism. In her emotionally honest memoir The Good Daughter, she explores her struggles with finding a sense of place amid mixed feelings about her absent father and the Japanese heritage she inherited.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (Haruki Murakami) is written by one of Taguchi's favourite authors, and she says the book is basically a memoir. "It's [a short book], it's beautiful and it's very reflective. I love how he breaks the genre of an autobiography." It provides insight into Murakami's disciplined, simple life and his love of running. She says you'll enjoy this book "if you like running, or even this idea of creativity or repetition [because] it's not really about running [and] it's not really about a Japanese author".
A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman) is a story written in a darkly humorous tone about a grumpy man who has lost his wife and has decided to kill himself. But the universe keeps intervening, and there's a softening of his character because of the "madness" of the neighbourhood he lives in. "He finds himself having to step up and become something for others," Taguchi says. "It's very clinical, very funny and very observant about quirks of human personality. You fall in love with the characters he writes about."
Taguchi says she was fascinated with Russia from an early age, and Patriot: A Memoir (Alexei Navalny) provides insight into the country and the struggles of its people. It also gives shape to the early years of an extraordinary person and how growing up near Chernobyl shaped Navalny's sense of distrust of authorities. "I'm quite fascinated with where people get strength from [and] I'm quite fascinated by people who really do have a deep sense of loyalty and place, because mine is sort of fractured."
John Safran is the author of Squat, about his experiences squatting at rapper Kanye's LA mansion. Source: SBS, Supplied
'For lovers of American pulp fiction'
Melbourne writer and filmmaker John Safran has made a career out of being the jokester observer, inserting himself into strange and testing situations. His fourth book Squat saw him move into one of rapper Kanye West's LA mansions. It was part of a madcap quest by Safran to understand his Jewish identity, after West made antisemitic remarks. His book choices reflect his love of adventure stories, his questioning nature and outsider status.
The Real Cool Killers (Chester Himes) is a gritty 50s crime thriller that follows a pair of black detectives who patrol the streets of Harlem. Safran says these types of detective books were historically dismissed as low-brow literature but are appealing to readers who like adventure stories. "If you love Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, this [is a great hit] of American pulp [fiction]." Safran also rates books by Jim Thompson and uses these detective novels to get into the right state of mind before writing his own non-fiction, "if I'm about to go on an adventure with extremists or whatever".
Weasels in the Attic (Hiroko Oyamada) is a novel set in contemporary Japan that follows a couple struggling to conceive while observing those around them starting families. The book is quite short and is a surreal tale that explores the societal pressures around parenthood. "There's literally a weasel in the attic and what does this mean? Is the guy imagining it?" Safran says. "I think it's a bit about the anxiety of being trapped in a relationship."
Wake in Fright (Kenneth Cook) — which inspired the classic 1971 film — captures the dark side of Australian drinking culture and what it feels like when you don't join in. As a young man, Safran says he didn't drink much and the book explores that experience well. "It's like you don't grow up eating horse ... [but] everyone's eating horse and you've gotta do this." The outback horror story captures how drunken crowds can be overbearingly friendly and strangely menacing. Safran says events in the book often turn ugly when the protagonist just doesn't want to drink.
Keshe Chow is the author of Chinese fantasy novel For No Mortal Creature. Source: SBS, Supplied
'Compulsively readable romance'
Melbourne author Keshe Chow is a Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy — specifically Chinese fantasy — romance and speculative fiction. Her latest novel For No Mortal Creature is a gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights. Chow says she wanted to capture a summery vibe in her recommendations that people could enjoy while sipping cocktails on a beach. She has suggested two romance novels and one young adult novel that grapples with academic pressure and self-acceptance.
Love Is A War Song (Danica Nava) is a "compulsively readable" romance that follows a Native American pop singer who gets cancelled after doing a photo shoot wearing a traditional headdress. She retreats to her grandmother's horse ranch to escape the online vitriol. For the first time, she experiences a more traditional life and grapples with questions about whether she's Indigenous enough and if she can really be part of a community she's had little connection with.
I Am Not Jessica Chen (Ann Liang) is a beautiful journey of self-realisation and a young adult novel Chow recommends to everyone. It follows the experiences of Jenna after she fails to get into an Ivy League university. One morning she wakes up in her cousin's body — someone who is popular, pretty and has secured a place at Harvard. Over time, she realises that her cousin's life is not as perfect as it seemed. "Even though [Liang's] whole cast is Asian, it's still got that element of 'I'm not good enough, I'm not pretty enough, I'm not smart enough' … and I think that is something that is just a universal experience of teens and even adults." The book also explores the heavy academic pressure that many young people feel.
Not Safe For Work (Nisha J. Tuli) is written from the perspective of a woman of colour who's sent on a corporate development trip specifically because of her diverse heritage. She's accompanied by a white 'nepo baby' colleague, and initially there are many misunderstandings between them. But each learn about the different pressures they're grappling with and end up falling in love. Chow says the book is really fun and sexy. "They go to Hawaii, there's lots of plot and it's really steamy." At the same time, it explores issues of feminism and racism.
Jade Goodwin is co-author of the Yarn Quest series. Source: SBS, Supplied
'Magical, emotional worlds'
First Nations illustrator Jade Goodwin has contributed to many children's books, including Ash Barty's Little Ash series and the Yarn Quest series, which she co-wrote. She says she is always drawn to books that celebrate culture and has selected a picture book, a young adult fantasy novel, and romance novel. "Reading is my favourite escape and each of these books opened a door into a world I loved stepping into."
Moonlight and Dust (Jasmin McGaughey) is a beautifully crafted young adult novel that follows 16-year-old Torres Strait Islander Zillah into a world of exclusive parties after her sister is injured in a mysterious accident. It weaves Torres Strait Islander culture into a magical, emotional world. "I love its sense of wonder and its strong, heartfelt voice."
Goodwin is also recommending Love Unleashed (Melanie Saward), which she describes as a "warm, deeply grounded romance that celebrates Aboriginal culture, love and community". She says it feels joyful, modern and full of heart.
NayNay and the Mermaid (Tasma Walton) is a vibrant, imaginative picture book bursting with colour and magic. It follows a young girl as she embarks on an underwater adventure, and draws on the stories of the Boonwurrung people of coastal Melbourne. "The storytelling and illustrations work together so beautifully, it's absolutely stunning."
Natalia Figueroa Barroso is the author of Hailstones Fell Without Rain. Source: SBS, Supplied
'A call to action'
Hailstones Fell Without Rain by Natalia Figueroa Barroso has been praised as a sharply funny debut novel that follows a young family in western Sydney. The Uruguayan Australian writer says she's chosen three memoirs that she hopes will be a call to action. They all deal with violence in different ways, whether that's through colonisation, genocide or sexual assault. "We always end up not believing the victim, which is absurd."
We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People (Nemonte Nenquimo with Mitch Anderson) tells the story of the author's childhood in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. Figueroa Barroso says the book pulses with ancestral knowledge, like the healing properties of medicinal plants and the wisdom carried in moon cycles. Figueroa Barroso says Nenquimo carries the voice of her people and their fight to save the Amazon, their land, their language and life itself.
Diary of a Young Doctor: Notes from the Genocide in Gaza (Ezzideen Shehab) is written by a doctor, but Figueroa Barroso says Shehab is also an incredibly talented writer who brings the horror of the Palestinian experience to life through intimate, unforgettable stories of the people he meets. She says it demands the world bear witness, but also reminds people that acts of care and hope persist.
Figueroa Barroso's third choice Ring of Salt: Finding Home and Hope on the Wild Coast of Ireland (Betsy Cornwell) tells the story of a wealthy white woman from the United States who migrates to Ireland to put a sea between herself and a father who sexually abused her. "When she sets foot in Ireland she becomes a migrant, she becomes working class ... so she starts experiencing what people of colour experience."
Sisonke Msimang is author of the 2017 memoir Always Another Country. Source: SBS, Supplied
'A beautiful portrait of what money does'
Sisonke Msimang wrote about her journey from Africa to America, and her new home in Australia in her thoughtful 2017 memoir Always Another Country. She has chosen two non-fiction books and one "really fun" fiction option that all make for a great beach read. "But of course it's me, so it's very much interested in race and conversations about place, belonging, identity and all those kinds of issues."
Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia (Santilla Chingaipe) was shortlisted for the 2025 Queensland Literary Awards and the Stella Prize. It looks at the contribution of African convicts who came to Australia on the First Fleet, including skills they had learned as slaves, such as sugar cane farming, which were passed on to white settlers. "There's all these interesting facts about Australian history and how it is imbued with the histories and traces of African people but we just don't know it." Msimang says it's a book she keeps coming back to whenever she speaks with people about "what Australia's history is and what this place means".
While many Australians have seen vision of the Gaza conflict unfold on TV and social media, Msimang says there's something powerful about reading about and visualising it for yourself. The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience (Plestia Alaqad) is a collection of diary entries that detail Alaqad's experiences as the war begins. "I do think there's something about the power of the written word ... you get to picture it yourself, and not through nameless, faceless [people] and rubble. It's one person, her story, and it's very intimate."
Entitlement (Rumaan Alam) follows a beautiful young African-American woman who develops an intense relationship with a billionaire while working at a large philanthropic foundation. He begins taking her advice on investments and other matters. "The power starts to get to her head ... so it's the story about how seductive it can be to be around people with a lot of money." The billionaire is an older white guy whose cultural capital is fading, but still has power. "Race is all over it but in a very non-preachy, very funny, now-generation kind of way. It's just a beautiful portrait of what money does, in a time of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk."
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