THREE WOMEN by Lisa Taddeo (Bloomsbury, $32.99)

If you only read one book this year, make it this. Author Lisa Taddeo spent eight years and thousands of hours tracking and interviewing three women: the unhappily married mum-of-two Lina, the teenager Maggie in a relationship with her teacher and the sexually adventurous Sloane. The result? An intense, extraordinary an oh-so-relatable look at female desire.

THE BAD MOTHERS’ BOOK CLUB by Keris Stainton (Hachette, $29.99)

This is a book club with a difference: polite small talk is banned, gossip and swearing are welcome and they only read wine labels. You’ll want to join – and become mates with Emma, who founded the Bad Mothers’ Book Club after moving to Liverpool and being kicked out of the exclusive school-mums’ book club. Rude.

THE SUBJECTS by Sarah Hopkins (Text Publishing, $29.99)

Meet Daniel, a 16-year-old drug dealer on his way to jail, who instead ends up in a facility for “gifted delinquents” in the middle of nowhere. Written by criminal lawyer Sarah Hopkins, the story of Daniel will get under your skin and stay with you long after it ends.

SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO by Jess Hill (Black Inc., $32.99)

Australia is in the midst of a domestic violence epidemic: one woman a week is dying as a result of abuse. Instead of asking, “Why didn’t she leave?” We should be asking, “Why did he do it?” Investigative journalist Jess Hill dives deep into the national crisis of fear and abuse in our homes.

This article originally appeared in the September issue of marie claire.