Summer Reads 2023
Your UQ book guide for the holidays
Words: Hayley Lees and Britt Wilkins
Book cover illustrations: Alysha Addicott
With a little more time on your hands, the summer holiday season is perfect for diving into a good book or 2. To set you up for a sensational summer of reading, the Contact team has compiled our first ever Summer Reads list – a line-up of some of our favourite recently released books, all of which have a UQ connection.
With a raft of best-selling authors in our alumni community, and award-winning writers among our academics – not to mention Australia’s finest small publisher, The University of Queensland Press (UQP) – UQ is something of a literary powerhouse.
If you’re looking for a great read for your holiday, or a gift idea for the bookworm in your life, look no further.
Our 2023 Summer Reads line-up includes:
- The Naturalist of Amsterdam, Melissa Ashley (Affirm Press, 2023)
- Three Crooked Kings (updated edition), Matthew Condon (UQP, 2023)
- Paris Dreaming, Anita Heiss (Simon & Schuster, 2023)
- The Jaguar, Professor Sarah Holland-Batt (UQP, 2022)
- How to Kill a Client, Joanna Jenkins (Allen & Unwin, 2023)
- The Consul: An insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline, Adjunct Professor Ian Kemish AM (UQP, 2022)
- Leading through Disruption: A Changemaker's Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership, Andrew Liveris (HarperCollins Leadership, 2023)
- Homecoming, Kate Morton (Allen & Unwin, 2023)
Read on for personal recommendations for each book!
Win one of 2 book packs valued at over $230
To help you on your summer of reading, we’re giving away 2 book packs, including all 8 of the books recommended in our Summer Reads guide below. Entries close Wednesday 20 December. Each pack is valued at over $230. Terms and conditions apply.
The Naturalist of Amsterdam
Melissa Ashley (BA(Hons) '02, MPhil '09, PhD '16)
Genre: Historical fiction
Why read it: The Naturalist of Amsterdam is impeccably researched and beautifully written, a highly evocative story about the importance of art-making and new ways of seeing. From the pulsating art scene of 17th century Amsterdam, to the intoxicating rainforests of Suriname, the naturalist and scientific illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughter Dorothea make their way through worlds not usually accessible to women. With her questing spirit, Merian revolutionised contemporary understandings of flora and fauna, as detailed here through her daughter's voice with great strength and integrity.
Perfect for: Those who enjoy historical fiction and wish to discover and enjoy the brilliant, brave, talented (and often overlooked) women of the past. It also encourages us to think about how we interact with the natural world.
Recommended by: Associate Professor Andrea Bubenik, Art History, UQ School of Communication and Arts
Three Crooked Kings (updated edition)
Matthew Condon (BA '82)
Genre: True crime
Why read it: Three Crooked Kings is the shocking true story of Queensland and half a century of corruption, based on extensive access to the personal papers of deposed and jailed former police commissioner Terry Lewis, as well as hundreds of interviews with key players and conspirators. It’s the first of 3 explosive books by award-winning journalist and novelist Matthew Condon that exposes a police underworld operating from Queensland to New South Wales, and that still reverberates to this day.
Perfect for: Lovers of true crime and Australian history.
Recommended by: Michael Jones, Contact editor, UQ Marketing and Communication
Paris Dreaming
Professor Anita Heiss (UQ Professor of Communications)
Genre: Contemporary romance
Why read it: Paris Dreaming is funny, emotionally satisfying, and wears its politics lightly. This novel about work, art and friendship – with some romance thrown in – shows what genre fiction at its best can do! You'll wish you were in Paris with Libby.
Perfect for: Anyone who wants to experience the fashion, food and flirtation of Paris by way of a light-hearted rom-com read.
Recommended by: Associate Professor Maggie Nolan, UQ School of Communication and Arts, Director of AustLit
The Jaguar
Professor Sarah Holland-Batt (BA(Hons) '05, MPhil '08, PhD '19)
Genre: Poetry
Why read it: The Jaguar is an award-winning poetry collection that explores love, death, grief and the parent-child relationship, drawing moving inspiration from Professor Holland-Batt’s experience losing her father to dementia. This book has now won both the 2023 Stella Prize and the 2023 Queensland Premier's Award for a Work of State Significance – and deservedly so.
Perfect for: Anyone who’s poetry-curious but doesn’t know where to start – Professor Holland-Batt’s poems are rich and resonant but also accessible and universal.
Recommended by: Britt Wilkins, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications (Advancement and Community Engagement)
How to Kill a Client
Joanna Jenkins (BA '84, LLB '87)
Genre: Crime and mystery
Why read it: How to Kill a Client is an engaging read from the start, with well-developed characters and a gripping story. The different setting to a legal-based thriller (law firm drama as opposed to court-room drama) also provides an alternative lens through which to experience the personalities (and tribulations!) of the legal profession.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves a good mystery novel, but anyone who has ever worked in the law (or had the misfortune of being related to/in a relationship with a lawyer) will find it particularly enjoyable.
Recommended by: Georgina Morgan, BA LLB (Hons) '16, Director of UQ Law Alumni Association
The Consul: An insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline
Adjunct Professor Ian Kemish AM (BA '87)
Genre: Politics and international relations
Why read it: The Consul is a masterfully crafted book that seamlessly blends insightful reflections on political intrigue, personal dilemmas and the nuanced nature of international relations.
Perfect for: A wide range of readers, including political enthusiasts, fans of political thrillers, individuals interested in diplomacy, and those seeking a thought-provoking and engaging literary experience.
Recommended by: Emma Dawson, International Alumni Engagement Manager (Advancement and Community Engagement)
Leading through Disruption: A Changemaker's Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership
Andrew Liveris (BE '75, Hon Doc '05)
Genre: Business and economics
Why read it: A business and leadership book that jettisons jargon and showcases the ins and outs of being a responsible global leader. Andrew shares insights on managing ‘disruption’ – which in the world we live in is a steady constant – while remaining a good global citizen who strives towards creating a more equitable, sustainable future.
Perfect for: Anyone in, or aspiring to be, in a leadership role with a desire to drive change, while also – in the pursuit of success – protecting the planet's future for everyone.
Recommended by: Mikaeli Costello, Chief Community Engagement Officer (Advancement and Community Engagement), MBA ’20.
Homecoming
Kate Morton (BA(Hons) '99, MPhil '09)
Genre: Historical fiction
Why read it: If you love to get stuck into a good Australian saga, Homecoming definitely delivers. Three generations of women, hidden diaries, secret pasts, a riparian poisoning! Set in the fictional town of Tambilla in the rolling Adelaide Hills and a grand historic house on the water in Sydney, this book will have you seeking out a nook to carve out some serious reading time. I listened to the audiobook on my train commute, beautifully read by actress Claire Foy.
Perfect for: Anyone who is ready for a nice long reading stint in a camping chair by a river, with a cup of tea and slice of hot buttered Vegemite toast.
Recommended by: Hayley Lees, Communications Coordinator, Marketing and Communications (Advancement and Community Engagement)
Sunbather illustrations: Good Studio/Adobe Stock
Sunbather illustrations: Good Studio/Adobe Stock
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