Home - Roaring Stories Bookshop

devotion2

BOOK OF THE MONTH

To Paradise

By Hanya Yanagihara

From the author of A Little Life, a bold, brilliant novel
spanning three centuries and three different versions
of the American experiment, about lovers, family, loss and the
elusive promise of utopia. 'A masterpiece' – The Guardian

ANTHEM

NEW FICTION

Anthem

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW

By Noah Hawley

A stunning new epic literary thriller from Richard & Judy
bestselling author, and writer and creator of Fargo, Noah Hawley.

cha

NEW FICTION

Chai Time at Cinnamon
Gardens

By Shankari Chandran

'A lyrical, stirring, accomplished exploration of the trauma
we carry, the secrets we keep, the histories we harbour, and
the family we find.' – Maxine Beneba Clarke

stolen

NEW NONFICTION

Stolen Focus

By Johann Hari

Why have we lost our ability to focus? What are the causes?
And, most importantly, how do we get it back?

afghan

NEW NONFICTION

The Ledger

By David Kilcullen, Greg Mills

For Afghans, the war is not over because the West has
declared it so. In this searing book, two experts accounting
.for the failure in Afghanistan.

penguin

NEW NONFICTION

The Penguin Classics Book

By Henry Eliot

A complete and wondrous guide to all of the Penguin Classics,
from the Creative Editor of the series.

Welcome

Roaring Stories is Balmain’s independent bookstore, serving the book-loving community of the neighbourhood and surrounds. More than just a place lined with shelves, Roaring Stories aspires to be a welcoming threshold for journeys to begin: to faraway places and back in time; to personal development and enriched understandings; to fantastical worlds and matters close to heart. You may remember us under our former name Brays Books.

If you need a guide across our wide range of genres and titles, just ask our friendly team of expert booksellers: Bronwyn, Tim, Sylvia, Nell, Stella, Shanti and Lia.

Happy reading, booklovers. We hope to see you soon.

Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain

Roaring Pages

Interviews, reviews, lists and more

January 22, 2022

Job opening: experienced bookseller

We’re looking for a friendly, experienced and passionate bookseller to join our team.

January 17, 2022

What We’re Reading in January

Here’s what our Balmain bookshop staff have been reading these summer holidays.

December 18, 2021

Great books to give this Christmas

Christmas time is here! Last-minute shoppers, scroll down for great gift ideas for readers across all ages and interests. Our little elves are providing free gift wrapping in store with a gold coin donation to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation – check out our holiday trading hours, and swing by this week! FICTION Love & Virtue by […]

December 18, 2021

‘I suppose I was willing everything, including me, back to life’: Q&A with Tim Ross on Scorcher

Aussie comedian, radio host, design enthusiast and TV presenter Tim Ross speaks about his new book, Scorcher.

December 17, 2021

Holiday Trading Hours

Get your last-minute holiday shopping done at Roaring Stories! See our opening hours from 20 Dec – 2 Jan.

VIEW MORE

New Release Highlights

Adult Fiction

$29.99

She and I

Hannah King

Our Country Friends

$29.99

Our Country Friends

Gary Shteyngart

Something to Hide

$32.99

Something to Hide

Elizabeth George

Beasts of a Little Land

$29.99

Beasts of a Little Land

Juhea Kim

Adult Non-Fiction

The Women I Think About At Night

$27.99

The Women I Think About At Night

Mia Kankimäki

$45.00

Nests

Susan Ogilvy

The Illustrated Etymologicon

$39.99

The Illustrated Etymologicon

Mark Forsyth

$49.99

Fabric

Victoria Finlay

Children's Books

Looking After Country with Fire

$24.99

Looking After Country with Fire

Victor Steffensen

The Wild Guide to Starting School

$19.99

The Wild Guide to Starting School

Laura Bunting

The Bone Spindle

$17.99

The Bone Spindle

Leslie Vedder

10 Ideas to Save the Planet

$19.99

10 Ideas to Save the Planet

Giuseppe D’Anna

Sign Up

Stay in the loop with the Roaring Stories newsletter, packed with exclusive offers, new releases, events and more

Instagram

#ROARINGSTORIES

Back in stock! After it was featured on ABC's The

Back in stock! After it was featured on ABC's The Bookshelf last year, there was a HUGE surge in demand for Alexis Wright's Miles Franklin-winning novel Carpentaria – meaning the book was virtually nowhere to be found, in stores or online. After a reprint through @giramondopublishing, we've now got copies of this epic work again on shelves. If you haven't read it, you must! There's a new fiction book coming this year from Wright, too, which we cannot wait to get our hands on.
.
.
.
#roaringstories #auslit #carpentaria

A third of the way through, and Bronwyn is finding

A third of the way through, and Bronwyn is finding herself staying up past midnight reading the epic new novel from @hanyayanagihara! (If you also read A Little Life, Bron assures us it is lighter going.) To Paradise is our first book of the month for 2022 – ask Bron if you think it could be your next favourite read ❤️

Want to spend days surrounded by books, talking ab

Want to spend days surrounded by books, talking about books, and doing book-related things? 🛎️ Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain is looking for an experienced bookseller to join our team! Applications close Friday 28 January. To learn more about the role and how to apply, visit the Roaring Stories website.
.
.
.
#bookseller #bookshopjob

Staff recommended: Matrix by Lauren Groff 🌟 a f

Staff recommended: Matrix by Lauren Groff 🌟 a favourite summer book for bookseller Stella, who has now also convinced her mother and sister to read it too. Read her review below!

'I’m such a sucker for lyrical prose and Groff’s lilting voice absolutely hooked me in from the first chapter. Matrix is a book that spans decades, slowly unravelling the life of Marie and the nuns she lives and works with in a 12th century English abbey. I loved the way it grew in scale throughout the novel, as the world of the abbey expands.

Groff writes such a beautiful tale of women’s power and relationships. She so deftly explores religion and spirituality and the experiences of women in this time period where there were so few spaces existing outside of the patriarchal structure. All of this is wrapped in a gorgeously grim old English countryside, tied together with Groff’s transportive and sensory style. Reading this felt reverential, much more than a beach read!'

So you shouldn't judge a book by its cover...but y

So you shouldn't judge a book by its cover...but you can definitely still appreciate the cover. How striking is this one! Book cover designers really are a talented bunch. Without them, browsing would be not only very difficult, but very dull.