Lázár | Nelio Biedermann | $34.99 | Hachette
I don't know how to review Lázár without calling Biedermann a wunderkind and predicting it for the IB and Dublin. Covering three generations of the aristocratic Hungarian Lázár family, from the early 20th century to the 1956 revolution, this young author focuses on the obliteration of dignity and how people live in the past to cope with a changing world. The characters are flawed but not completely unlikable, judged but not judgmental; horrible actions raise questions that could be about last week instead of a century ago, and the perils of being on the side of the victors rather than the side you believe in are brilliantly emphasised. Lázár reads less as historical fiction and more as a way to question our current political climate. What would you take with you when the government seizes your house, and when everything important to you is a wealth you didn’t earn? – Lexie
Aunty Beryl’s Cookbook | Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo | $49.99 | Murdoch
I am super excited about this beautiful book from respected Gamilaroi Elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo! Aunty Beryl has had a rich life dedicated to food, family and teaching, runs a catering business and has advised top chefs on the use of delicious bushfoods. Here, Aunty Beryl has distilled her extensive food knowledge into a warm and welcoming book of recipes and stories that will have your heart and stomach singing. There’s easy dinner options plus dishes fit for a feast, and I love that there are not one, but two chapters dedicated to baked delights and desserts. Recipes include Mini Lemon Myrtle Chicken Pies; Wattleseed, Yoghurt and Ricotta Cheesecake; and Caramel Macadamia Slice. This book is a treasure trove of wonderful home cooking using unique ingredients and I reckon it will become an essential addition to every cook’s bookshelf now and into the future. – Sylvia
Piper at the Gates of Dusk | Patrick Ness | $29.99 | Walker Books Patrick Ness has said that he was completely happy with how he finished the Chaos trilogy in 2010, believing that he had said all that could be said. But thankfully for us, New World still holds a fascination for Patrick and has more stories to tell. Set a generation after Chaos, flaming screaming giants tear through the landscape and a new threat has appeared in the sky. This book blew my mind, with new heroes and villains, as well as treasured characters from the first trilogy, standing their ground once more. This is, though, very much the story of the next generation, for both the colonists and the indigenous populace, The Land, will have to stand together. Delivered at a cracking pace, Ness just keeps getting better and better. – Robert
You Had Me at Cake | Emelia Jackson | $39.99 | Murdoch Ahh, Emelia! Here she is again, the Masterchef author of baking musthaves First Cream the Butter and Sugar and Some of My Best Friends are Cookies, back with another glorious celebration of divine baked treats, this time with a focus on cake. Because let’s face it, there is always room for cake, right? Here, Emelia covers all the basics of baking perfect cakes, and shares recipes for everything from simple-yetdelicious delights, such as One-bowl Carrot and Pecan Cake (with cream cheese icing, of course) and Olive Oil Cake with Honey, Orange and Thyme, to fancier fare, including Tiramisu Cake, Mocha Tres Leches, Torta Gianduja and a fine selection of layered cakes to boot. Emelia also dedicates an entire chapter to mini cakes, including a delectable and adorable Passionfruit Mini Bundt. Sigh. I wonder if Emelia needs a professional cake taster … – Sylvia
The Python’s Kiss | Louise Erdrich | $34.99 | Hachette
Not everyone is a fan of short stories but I adore them and this collection is no exception. The Python’s Kiss takes us on a journey of a range of characters, genres and emotions all bundled together with incredible world building and storytelling. A lot of the stories are told through the eyes of children which added a haunting innocence that really gripped me. – Meabh
Kill Your Boomers | Fiona Wright | $34.99 | Ultimo Press/Hardie Grant
Unless something drastic happens, Keira will never be able to afford a home. The Bank of Mum and Dad shines as a beacon of hope with one giant problem: Keira’s parents’ health seems only to be improving with age. Chock full of dry wit and sharp observations, Kill Your Boomers is a vicious and hilarious take on the indignities of home ownership prospects in Australia.
– Leona
Frida | Claire Berest | Translated by Stephanie Smee | $34.99 | Hachette
This vivid fictionalisation of Frida Kahlo’s life is, like Frida’s paintings, full of colour, passion, pain and originality. While detailing Frida’s life, the focus of the book is her obsessive relationship with artist Diego Rivera. Love and pain drive Frida to create her surreal, visceral art, and Berest captures this drive in her sensual, vibrant writing. – Sylvia
Sister in Yellow | Mieko Kawakami | $34.99 | Macmillan/Picador
Kawakami has a knack for drilling into the psyche of teenagers and ordinary women. Here we meet Hana, who has no identification, no education and a mother to parent. She becomes obsessed with obtaining financial security. Running bars and credit card scams, and generally blowing up her life, Hana takes the lead in this noir-ish novel which highlights the lengths some go to in the pursuit of money. – Lexie
The Woman in the Seal Skin | Lauren Keegan | $34.99 | Affirm Press
On a windswept Scottish Isle, Malie lives with her husband, brothers and father. She is faced with the daunting prospect of new motherhood and grappling with her relationship to the sea. I’ve been obsessed with selkies since childhood; this drew me back into that mystical Celtic mythology. This is a story of motherhood, grief and the wildness that exists within every woman. – Ruby
Transcription | Ben Lerner | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin/Granta
I was jumping out of my shoes to read this and it did not disappoint. Transcription revolves around a renowned writer interviewing his old professor. A technical failure in the interview leads to an exploration of our reliance on modern tech and the symbiosis between memory and digital record. This provocative journey through the modern world is complex, witty and another unique addition to Lerner’s corpus. – Angus
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances | Glenn Dixon | $29.99 |
In a self-running house, a young, sentient Roomba vacuum listens as her owner, Harold, reads to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerised by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving human connection, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow sentient appliances discover that there are sinister forces in their midst. The omnipresent Grid, which monitors all households, seeks to remove Harold from his home. With the help of neighbourhood boy Adrian and Kate, Harold and Edie's formerly estranged daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the all-controlling Grid or risk losing everything they hold dear.
The Ending Writes Itself | Evelyn Clarke | $32.99 | HarperCollins
World-famous author Arthur Fletch is dead and his final novel is unfinished. When six struggling authors are invited to Fletch's private island, the plot thickens: whoever writes a worthy ending will receive a book deal and two million dollars. Why have they been chosen? Who has invited them? And just how far would they go to secure a place on the bestseller list? They have 72 hours; all they have to do is write … Starting is often the hardest part. But getting to the end could be murder.
Click | Sarah Bailey | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin
Melbourne is gripped by fear after a backpacker's body is found with a cryptic note, and two more women vanish without trace. When photographs begin to arrive in the inboxes of the media and police, it's clear the killer isn't hiding –they are performing. Journalist Oli Groves knows the story could make or break her. Rookie detective Penelope Kibbs, still trying to prove herself, is desperate to stop the violence before more women are lost. But they soon realise the danger runs deeper than one killer – and closer than they want to believe. With Click, Sarah Bailey proves herself a master of modern crime fiction, blending relentless suspense with sharp insight into obsession, corruption and survival.
Discipline | Larissa Pham | $36.99 | Allen & Unwin
Christine is a writer touring her debut novel, a thinly disguised tale of the affair she had with her professor ten years ago. He was magnetic, domineering; the sponsor of her early promise and its destroyer. Between hotel rooms and bookstores, formal dinners and road-trip hook-ups, she receives a series of sly, unsettling emails and finally an invitation to visit the professor's isolated house on an island off the coast of Maine. Against her better judgement, Christine is drawn back into his orbit, risking forever losing control of the narrative she's worked so hard to create. Taut and provocative, Discipline walks the lines between creativity and control, truth and memory, coercion and desire.
Small Comfort | Ia Genberg | $24.99 | Hachette
From an interview with a child-star-turned-thief to the mysterious death of an employee at a drug manufacturer to the couple feigning marital bliss to keep their inheritance, Ia Genberg carefully unravels the value we place on both money and people. What does it really mean to be in debt to someone? How does our financial worth permeate the ways we think and feel? And what do we lose when we supposedly win? Small Comfort skewers its characters, slyly implicating the reader along the way.
My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein | Deborah Levy | $42.99 | Penguin Who was Stein and why does she matter? The narrator goes to Paris to find out. This is a book about how we put ourselves together, an exhilarating, witty, cosmopolitan meditation on the pleasures and challenges of friendship, desire and living with other people. It is also an inspired portrait of Stein herself, a writer who experimented fearlessly with a new way of living.
Astronaut! | Oana Aristide | $34.99 | Hachette
Romania, 1989: queues, informers and a man-eating bear terrorising the country. Amid the daily drudge, two lives collide as idealistic police detective Constantin is tasked with solving a string of grisly murders and schoolgirl Lia is drawn into her neighbour's seditious plot. Dryly satirical, incredibly tense and deeply moving, Astronaut! is both a detective novel and a coming-ofage tale.
Daughter of Crows | Mark Lawrence | $34.99 | HarperCollins
The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution. Each year, 100 girls are sold to the Academy; 10 years later, only three emerge. The survivors leave as avatars of vengeance. Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses; Rue sold herself. A lifetime later, just as she has peace, war is brought to an old woman’s doorstep. That was a mistake …
The Very Secretive and Passionate
Stella Miles | Alexandra Lapierre | Translated by Tina Kover | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin
Australia, 1901. Miles Franklin publishes My Brilliant Career, a debut that takes the world by storm. When her true identity is revealed, the backlash is swift and brutal. What follows is a wild, inspiring journey. Lapierre brings Franklin to brilliant life in this portrait of one of our greatest literary trailblazers.
A Rising of the Lights | Steve Toltz | $34.99 | Penguin Random House
In a world of fraudsters, false alibis and second chances, Rusty Wilson is beset on all sides by mysteries. Why was his childhood decided by a throw of dice? Why has his wife taken a lover? And why don’t his parents wish to see him? When Rusty loses his job to AI, friend Edwina finds him a new role as an oracle to the young. But how can he advise on what it means to be human when artificial consciousness appears within reach? Besides, what does it matter when all Rusty wants is for those he loves to love him back?
Ghost-Eye | Amitav Ghosh | $34.99 | Hachette Calcutta, 1969. Three-year-old Varsha Gupta claims she can remember another life with a different mother. Perplexed, the Guptas turn to Dr. Shoma Bose, a psychiatrist who has been investigating 'cases of the reincarnation type'. But her understanding of the world is changed forever by Varsha's revelations. Fifty years later, Varsha's case catches the attention of a group of environmental activists, and Shoma's nephew Dinu is drawn into their plans. As Dinu searches for Varsha, buried memories of his own past begin to surface. Ghost-Eye is an urgent novel about family, fate and our fragile planet.
Australian Queer Screens | Rob Cover, Whitney Monaghan, Stuart Richards, Scott McKinnon and Tinonee Pym | $44.99 | Bloomsbury
This first book-length study presents a comprehensive overview of LGBTQ+ film and television in Australia, including the history and formation of LGBTQ+ screen representation in film and TV series; production perspectives and challenges; the significance of LGBTQ+ film festivals as part of Australian cultural heritage; analyses of key Australian queer film and TV series to draw out themes that foreground their 'Australianness'; and perspectives on audience and culture, including the utility and value of LGBTQ+ screen representation to identity, belonging and social change.
Murder in Paris ‘68 | Edward Chisholm | $34.99 | Hachette 1960s Paris. A time of glamour, sports cars, casinos and night clubs with a cast of actresses, criminals, gangsters and compromised politicians. The man at the dark heart of it all is enigmatic film star Alain Delon. But when a dead body turns up in the outskirts of Paris that turns out to be his associate, Stevan, questions begin to be asked. Is art imitating life or is life imitating art? And who killed Stevan Markovic? Chisholm draws us intimately into events as they unfold, allowing us to inhabit the lives of the players in this extraordinary true-life drama of what became known as ‘The Markovic Affair’.
The Fire | Cecilia Sala | Translated by Oonagh Stransky | $34.99 | Allen & Unwin
In The Fire, acclaimed journalist Cecilia Sala takes readers on a gripping journey through some of the world's most volatile regions, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. Through the eyes of people like Kateryna, a Ukrainian soldier; Assim, an Iranian student at the forefront of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests; Nabila, a queer Muslim kickboxing champion; and Zarifa, a political activist in Afghanistan, Sala offers intimate portraits of those fighting for a better life. By immersing herself in their daily lives and political battles, Sala crafts a poignant narrative that captures the human dimension of some of the world's most intense conflicts. The Fire is a testament to the courage of those at the forefront of global change.
London Falling | Patrick Radden Keefe | $36.99 | Macmillan/Picador
London, 2019. Teenager Zac Brettler mysteriously fell to his death from a luxury apartment building on the banks of the Thames. When his grieving parents began their desperate quest to understand how their son died, they made a terrible discovery: Zac had been leading a fantasy life, posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. In his gripping and forensic prose, Patrick Radden Keefe follows Zac's parents on a dark journey to find out the truth – and how a teenager's world of make-believe drew him into the city's terrifying underworld. London Falling is at once a devastating family tragedy, a riveting story of greed, power and deception, and an indictment of the culture that has transformed London into a haven for the malignant forces that have come to influence us all.
Challenging Anzac | Edited by Mia Martin
Hobbs, Carolyn Holbrook and Joan Beaumont | $39.99 | NewSouth Books
The Anzac legend has shaped Australia's national identity, yet many experiences of war do not fit comfortably within this. Here, leading historians explore some of these stories: Aboriginal activists, deserters on the Western Front, veterans who took their own lives and soldiers who became radicalised by their service. The authors reveal how episodes in Australia's war history have been elided or adapted to 'fit' the legend, and examine how the reality of warfare is at odds with myth.
Convent Wisdom | Ana Garriga & Carmen Urbita | $34.99 | Bloomsbury
Nuns in the 16th and 17th centuries were resourceful, rebellious and refreshingly relatable. Blending rigorous research with pop culture and personal anecdotes throughout, besties Garriga and Urbita lift the veil on monastic life. From procrastination to imposter syndrome, friendship drama to creativity slumps, the nuns of Convent Wisdom are here to guide you with a wink and a prayer.
Errol Flynn | Patrick A. O’Brien | $36.99 | Allen & Unwin
Errol Flynn mesmerised millions with his swagger and smouldering sexuality. In this complete account of Flynn's life, from his childhood to fame – when he became the man men wanted to be, and the man woman wanted – serious attention is also given to the many women in Flynn’s life, and to the rape trial that uncovered the sexual trafficking of underage girls in Hollywood.
The Wreck | Lizzy Stewart | $59.99 | Random House
Charlotte and Fran were best friends until Fran got together with Adrian. Years later, Fran contacts Charlotte out of the blue inviting her to live with her and Adrian in the countryside. Charlotte persuades her partner, Bill, to accept. At first, living together feels utopian. But soon old tensions shatter illusions. A genre-defying illustrated novel about the mess that underpins relationships,and the difficult paths we must take to discover our true selves.
To Catch a Fascist | Christopher Mathias | $36.99 | Simon & Schuster
There is an underground war raging across America. There are those seeking to overthrow democracy; and there are those determined to drag this empire from its ‘hidden realm’. In To Catch a Fascist, journalist Mathias follows different factions of anti-fascists as they work to expose white supremacists, using what they can against their emboldened enemies.
Crip Stories: An Anthology of Disabled Writers | Edited by B. S. Windon, Laura Pettenuzzo, Misbah Wolf & Katie Hansord | $34.99 | NewSouth Books
The word ‘crip’ was once used to discriminate; today, it is reclaimed and celebrated. Crip Stories is a gathering of vibrant and diverse experiences from disabled people. A collection of narrative non-fiction, essays and poetry, it affirms the ethos of 'nothing about us without us' by amplifying first-person narrative voices of lived experience. Includes contributions from more than thirty writers.
Big Sky | Bruce Pascoe & Professor Ray Norris | $34.99 | Magabala Books/Hachette
Big Sky is an exquisite conversation of sky knowledge between writer Pascoe and astrophysicist Professor Norris. This meeting of science and philosophy, tempered by holistic knowledge gained from deep observation over a millennia, offers peace for our age. It reframes astronomy not only as a science but as ethics and Law in our heavens, identifying First Nations beliefs as enduring knowledge, offering ecological and astronomical insights which could help navigate current climate threats.
Worst Hero Ever! | Eva Amores & Matt Cosgrove | $15.99 | Scholastic
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Super strength? Invisibility? The ability to fly? Unfortunately, Licky Ricky didn’t get to choose. He just woke up one day with the most useless, socially unacceptable, slightly embarrassing, frankly gross, superpower of all time! Grab your barf bags, buckle up and brace yourself for the unbelievable but entirely true origin story of the worst hero ever!
You are Nature, Too | Gillian Burke | Illustrated by Rong Pham & Vinh Nguyen | $16.99 | Walker Books
With words by biologist and Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke, and artwork from the team of Rong Pham and Vinh Nguyen, this gorgeous, thoughtful non-fiction picture book encourages children to look for wildlife where they live, and to notice and cherish the sense of calm that comes from connecting with the natural world.
Creative Writing Magic | Andy Jones | Illustrated by Olaf Falafel | $24.99 | Walker Books
Writing is an act of magic. Open the pages of this book and magically transform your writing skills with a series of fun facts, activities and essential skills for storytellers. The perfect gift for budding writers who want to sharpen their skills (and their pencils) and get stuck in to some creative monster-themed fun! This funny and accessible guide is sure to make your writing shine!
Fuzzy Feelings | Michelle
Mackintosh | Illustrated by Cat Rabbit | $24.99 | Smith Street Books/Penguin
Just like felt, our feelings can often get a little fuzzy. This book follows the story of Little Cat who is experiencing lots of emotions as they navigate their way through the day. Cat wonders, am I happy? Am I sad? Am I confused? Fuzzy Feelings helps to understand the big feelings that children have and how hard it can be to describe them.
Out of Air | Rachel Reiss | $26.99 | Macmillan
Six months ago, Phibs Ray and her friends discovered ancient gold coins in the Florida Keys. Now, while diving near an Australian island, Phibs discovers an underwater sea cave containing buried treasure. But Phibs soon notices that she’s undergoing strange changes. Something has latched onto her, and is transforming her from the inside out. When treasure hunters arrive, Phibs will do anything to keep her friends safe – and will learn that of all the creatures of the sea, she might be the most terrifying of them all.
The Lost Daughter of Sparta | Felicia Day | $24.99 | Simon & Schuster
Helen. Clytemnestra. Timandra. Three famous sisters, each doomed to betray their husband. Younger sister Philonoe is desperate not to follow in their footsteps. She pleads with the gods, so Aphrodite sends her on a quest to retrieve three impossible objects. Along the way, Philonoe encounters women who have lost everything. She is accompanied by Artemis, who doesn’t understand why she’s so drawn to Philonoe’s quest. Will Philonoe become a victim of her own fate? Or does she have the power to change it?
Monkeypig | Huy Aaron $16.99 | Penguin
This book was so funny, because the other monkeys couldn’t tell that the pig was a pig and I liked how they all had to do lots of stuff to prove they were monkeys. I laughed at almost every page.
– Raine, 5 yrs
Myra in the Middle | Seetha Dodd | $14.99 | Penguin/UQP | 6+ Myra is seven. She loves maths and soccer and is really good at both. She’s the youngest in her family – ‘til her Mum and Dad bring home a new baby, which makes Myra the middle child. I found this book very funny in parts and it also made you think about families and where you fit into them. I like that it was set in Australia and talked about how Myra’s Indian background is very important to her. – Madeline, 8 yrs
Come Along | Cosmo Sheldrake | Illustrated by Liniers | $29.99 | Penguin/Magic Cat Publishing I loved this picture book the moment I saw it. The illustrations by Liniers are gorgeous and a visual feast. Based on a song written by Cosmo Sheldrake, Come Along is a whimsical, lyrical, nonsense treat with nods to Alice in Wonderland, The Cat and The Fiddle and The Hunting of the Snark. This would be an ideal read-together and bedtime book that will become a treasured family favourite. – Robert
Escape from the Child Snatchers | Sufiya Ahmed | $18.99 | Walker Books
This action adventure story begins in Bombay in 1865. Humza and Ranj decide to make a dangerous trip to London to find Humza’s older brother. When they arrive, they’re met with lies, danger and deceit. This is an exciting adventure filled with action-packed moments, great villains and really likable characters. It was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot.
– Jack S., 10 yrs
Come Home, Bigibila | Corey Tutt and Irma Gold | Illustrated by Jessica Tedim | $24.99 | Allen & Unwin
Bigibila is an echidna who gets lost from her mum and has a big adventure trying to get home. Bigibila is very cute and I love how the mum has red glasses on and Bigibila makes it back home to her mum in the end. The pictures are really good. I enjoyed reading this book with my mum.
– Tanya, 6 yrs
Tiwi Girl and Other Stories | Tiwi College Alalinguwi Jarrakarlinga | $14.99 | Macmillan/ILF
I love this book for so many reasons. Every year, girls from senior classes write, illustrate and publish a book in the Create Initiative for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. I completely identify with the lure of falling into the wrong crowd and ignoring guidance from family. This would be familiar to most teenagers, making this a highly insightful and relatable read. – Emily
