A short thread of Australian books launched in Melbourne's second wave that you should get your hands on. First up - Ordinary Matter by @lauraelvery, a brilliant collection by one of our finest short story writers.

The Morbids by @ewaeramsey - a powerful and heartwarming novel about anxiety, friendship and building a life. I didn't know anything about this beyond its beautiful cover, and it didn't let me down.

The Rain Heron by @RobbieArnott - I think this came out in the weird gap between lockdowns, but I'm including it because it's one of the most memorable and affecting things I've read this year.

Show Me Where it Hurts by @kyliemaslen is the funny, smart, bleak and honest chronic pain memoir you didn't know you needed. Kylie's been one of my favourite writers for a long time, and she nailed it on her first book. This would have been a huge hit at festivals etc too.

I'm still feeling my way into poetry, but this is phenomenal - I would recommend to everyone.

I didn't love Lohrey's last book, but this dreamy, hypnotic story really worked for me. It's mysterious and loaded with meaning. I'm not sure I fully parsed it, but it's lodged firmly in my brain.

Hysteria by @katerina_bry is another memoir dealing with illness. It draws in the way women's illness has been (mis)treated historically and is honest and powerful about Bryant's own condition.

I'm not sure @katemildenhall's new book needs any more hyping up - it's the book of the moment. A page-turning thriller, set in a vivid, horrifyingly plausible near-future.

Anyway, support some local authors in this weird year. Even better, buy their books from your local indie bookshop!