Reader's Digest Australia Dec/Jan 2025

Joyride By Susan Orlean A poacher of rare orchid plants in Flor- ida. An African king who drives a cab in New York City. How people spend a Sat- urday night in America. Legendary non- fiction writer Susan Orlean has spent a lifetime closely examining the ordinary to find the marvelous. For her memoir, she points her lens back at her own career and what she calls “a joyride of a life” (“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” she writes), revealing how her personal life influenced—and often inspired—works of genius (our words, not hers). Orlean opens with an ode to the giants she aspired to walk among. She has become one. — CF Dog Affirmations By Andrea Cáceres Illustrator Andrea Cáceres uplifts and de- lights with these picture-book insights into the deepest thoughts of man’s best friend. Tobi, Cáceres’s own 15-year-old silky terrier, appears alongside dogs of every size, shape and color. What they have in common is joy—for toys, treats, sticks, naps and a chance to “roll in something stinky.” In one illustration, a pup gazes forlornly at the reflection in its water bowl: “Todaymy humans won’t communicate, and I will get double din- ner.” Every page is a little gift, making it the perfect one for any dog lover (or eter- nal optimist) in your life. — DebbyWaldman BOOKS COURTESY OF BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING (DOG AFFIRMATIONS). AVID READER PRESS | SIMON AND SCHUSTER (JOYRIDE). THE NOUN PROJECT (TV & BOOK ICON) reader ’ s digest 140 December 2025/January 2026 BOOKS The Witch’s Orchard By Archer Sullivan A decade ago, three girls from fic- tional Quartz Creek, North Carolina, disappeared, and an applehead doll was left at each crime scene. Max An- drews, brother of one of the victims, hires former Air Force special investi- gator Annie Gore to warmup the cold case. Her skills are tested as she en- counters tight-lipped locals, a deadly drug lab fire and an eccentric woman rumored to be a witch. Steeped inmountain folklore and local legend, Archer Sulli- van’s debut novel is a twisty, atmo- spheric mystery inspired by her own Appalachian roots. — Meredith Hale Masters of the Game By Sam Smith and Phil Jackson A master class from an NBA duo as potent as Kobe and Shaq. Longtime sportswriter Sam Smith and legendary Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson team up to dish on the league’s best players. Find out who welcomed criticism (Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant), who invited it (Wilt Chamberlain, Dennis Rodman) and who didn’t stir the pot (Larry Bird, Steve Nash). Insider information about Walt Frazier’s fur coat collection and Bill Walton’s connection to Patty Hearst adds to the league’s mythology. — Debby Waldman PENGUIN PRESS (MASTERS OF THE GAME). MINOTAUR BOOKS (THE WITCH’S ORCHARD). THE NOUN PROJECT (FILM AND BOOK ICONS) readersdigest.com.au 141 The RD List