Hello, and congratulations to all those who have made it through their first weeks back at work or school. Welcome to Five Great Reads, your summertime, morning tea wrap of brilliant writing and insightful analysis, selected by me, Alyx Gorman, Guardian Australia’s lifestyle editor.
Today we have a moving tribute to a life lost to Covid-19, and explainers on some of the week’s big news stories. What we do not have is breaking news; the live blog has that. Meanwhile, if you just want a feelgood break this weekend, may I suggest you watch Palm Springs?