QBD Books announces much-anticipated 2023 Books of the Year.
As bibliophiles around the country ponder their festive shopping lists, leading Australian-owned and operated book retailer, QBD Books, has announced its highly anticipated 2023 Books of the Year.
First announced in 2017, the Books of the Year are chosen by QBD’s team of literary enthusiasts and buyers, who lovingly compare hundreds of engaging books, before the deserving winners are separated into three categories – fiction, non-fiction, and children’s.
Keep reading to find out more about our three fantastic Book of the Year titles.
Fiction Book of the Year
Taking out this year’s fiction category is international best-selling Australian author Trent Dalton‘s highly arresting novel, Lola in the Mirror, which centres on the story of a girl on the run from the police, blending suspense and gritty crime with coming-of-age and teenage romance.
QBD are also releasing an EXCLUSIVE special edition print of “Lola In The Mirror”, which includes a Q&A between Trent and his publisher, a special letter from Trent to the reader introducing the novel, and, extra never-before-seen illustrations.
Non-Fiction Book of the Year
In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new bestselling title, “Be Useful”, he details the essential seven rules to follow and instill into your life for success and productivity. In multiple spheres of life, Arnold has achieved monumental levels of accomplishment, and this title takes readers through his process of thinking big, problem-solving, resilience, hard work, and more.
Children’s Book of the Year
The childrens’ book winner comes from New York Times bestselling author Kiyash Monsef, whose Once There Was conjures the world of fantastic beasts and heroes.
This story follows Marjan – a young girl who has always been fascinated by the stories her father would tell her about mythical beasts such as dragons, griffons, and unicorns. Now, Marjan is 15 years old and looking after her father’s vet clinic that he left behind after he tragically passed away. One day, a mysterious visitor appears, telling Marjan that her father was not an ordinary vet. Shockingly, the fantastic beasts from his tales are real and it was his job to travel the world and look after them.
As Marjan finds herself deeper into this hidden magical world, she soon realises the danger that lurks there for herself and the mythical creatures that her father cherished.
Marketing Director, Dan Ruffino, from Simon & Schuster Australia stated, “QBD’s Book of the Month and Year program is a trusted vehicle to get the right books into thousands of readers’ hands and that couldn’t be more important than for children’s books. QBD’s choice of the enchanting and magical Once There Was, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman and J.K. Rowling, as their Children’s Book of the Year will ensure children renew their love of books and reading, the best guarantee they then become readers for life.”
Nicholas Croydon, CEO of QBD Books, explains the process behind selecting the Books of the Year.
“Every month we run our Book of The Month promotion, which highlights debut or new authors who have written standout works,” said Mr Croydon.
“New releases are reviewed by our team of expert buyers, and we then shine a spotlight on the winning titles for the whole calendar month of its release, with the resulting heightened sales often catapulting those titles into the top 20 of the Bookscan chart.
“That said, our three Books of the Year are typically titles that have not been selected as Book of The Month – instead, we look at the calendar year, and select winning titles that have sold well or that have resonated with our readers, which we then spotlight throughout the month of December.”
According to Trent Dalton, receiving QBD’s Fiction Book of the Year award is an exceptional honour, particularly for Australian authors.
“Lola in the Mirror is the QBD Book of the Year – I’ve written a lot of sentences in the past year, none more moving and inspiring than that one,” he revealed.
“With this book, I wanted to write an ambitious and deeply heartfelt love story that still had something current and socially relevant to say about Australia in 2023.
“To see Lola in the Mirror named QBD’s Book of the Year is an honour that I will cherish for the rest of my days – thank you QBD.”
To further celebrate the success, QBD Books will be offering its customers an exclusive Lola in the Mirror cover, available both in-store and online.
Karen-Maree Griffiths, sales director at Harper Collins Publishers Australia, publishers of Lola in the Mirror, says QBD’s Book of The Month can provide a major boost to authors.
“This exceptional initiative shines a well-deserved spotlight on a diverse array of authors, including debut, emerging, and established talents,” she said.
“This program not only promotes their works but also provides a national platform across Australia, celebrating and elevating authors across the literary world.”
We would like to recognise every author and publisher who was a part of our Book of the Month promotion in 2023 and congratulate them on a fantastic year.
To grab your copy of our Books of the Year, visit us in-store or online here.
