Christmas predictions: Sean Guy from the Bookshop Darwin

In the lead-up to Christmas, the busiest time of year on the bookselling calendar, Books+Publishing is asking booksellers across the country to predict their biggest sellers and surprise sellers.

In this first instalment for 2019, the Bookshop Darwin manager Sean Guy offers his Christmas predictions.

Fiction

We have a few great fiction titles out this year, and first we have to mention The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (Harvill Secker). Night Circus was one of my favourite books a few years ago and still remains in my memory as one of the most magical experiences, so I can’t wait to see what Morgenstern’s new book is like.

We have also been really enjoying The Wife and the Widow (Christian White, Affirm), a riveting crime thriller that is incredibly easy to recommend. And we can’t wait to get stuck into The Bee and the Orange Tree (Melissa Ashley, Affirm), all about the woman who invented fairytales. We heard about it earlier in the year at a booksellers’ conference and it sounds like the perfect holiday read for when we have a few days off over Christmas.

Nonfiction

As with fiction, there are so many great nonfiction books we can recommend, for all types of readers, but we’ll try and narrow it down to three! Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life (A&U) is a wickedly funny read and a perfect stocking filler for any age, and Clare Bowditch’s Your Own Kind of Girl (A&U) is getting great reviews for its honesty and inspirational story.

But here in Darwin we’re most excited about Archie Roach’s biography Tell me Why (S&S). Archie is an Australian icon with a beautiful gift for storytelling through music, and we’re excited to learn more about his journey through life.

Children’s

The biggest children’s/young adult book we have at the moment is Philip Pullman’s The Secret Commonwealth (Penguin & David Fickling Books). This is a sequel in the prequel series to the ‘Golden Compass’ trilogy. It’s so much fun to be drawn back into this world of fantasy, and there is enough depth for children or adults of all ages to enjoy.

For younger readers, we can’t go past recommending Beauty by Sandra Kendell (Windy Hollow Books). This stunningly illustrated picture book was recently launched here in Darwin and has been an absolute hit.

Surprise sellers

A surprise bestseller this Christmas is The Firebringer by me (self-published)! This is my second novel, and I’m pleased to say that it is rushing off the shelves here at the Bookshop Darwin through some great word-of-mouth reviews. Suitable for fans of both Matthew Reilly’s action and urban fantasy writers like Neil Gaiman, I hope it appears under several Christmas trees this year!

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