Abbeys.com.au Summer Reading Catalogue 2024

Abbey's Bookshop at 131 York Street (across the road from the QVB) is an Aladdin's cave for readers and Sydney's much-loved indie bookshop since 1968 ~ where ideas grow

Biography

Reading opens doors

Here's how it works:

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ABBEY'S REWARDS

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IN-STORE: Just ask our

ONLINE: In your Order Notes say: 'Please add me to Abbey's Rewards'

• 14 clues are spread throughout our catalogue.

• The answer to each clue relates to one book on the double-page spread.

• Write down the first letter of the book's title (ignoring the word 'The' in the title).

• When you have all 14 letters, unscramble the letters to complete the three-word answer.

• Email your answer to abbeysnewsletters@abbeys.com.au with the subject Aladdin's Gold

The last day for entries is Friday 31 January 2025. Ten winners will be drawn randomly from correct entries on Monday 3 February 2025. Entry is only eligible to residents of Australia. Full conditions of entry can be viewed at abbeys.com.au (scan the QR code below).

Letters:

Answer:

FICTION at Miles Franklin Literary Award

& Stella Prize

Praiseworthy Alexis Wright

An epic story set in the north of Australia, told with the richness of language and scale of imagery for which Alexis Wright has become renowned. Her novel pushes allegory and language to its limits, a cry of outrage against oppression and disadvantage, and a fable for the end of days. Pb $39.95

Booker Prize Shortlist

Stone Yard Devotional Charlotte Wood

An unnamed narrator takes a retreat at a cloistered abbey near the town she grew up in. She’s avoiding thinking about her marriage breakdown and observing the nuns’ rituals with some incomprehension, but a few years later she is resident there. Has she run away from the world? Is it solace or solitude she seeks? Or forgiveness? As she revisits her moral failings, the world intrudes: first a mouse plague, then someone from her past... A quiet novel, all the more powerful because of its introspection. Lindy Pb $32.99

ALSO ON THE SHORTLIST:

James Percival Everett Pb $34.99

Orbital Samantha Harvey Pb $22.99

Creation Lake Rachel Kushner Pb $34.99

Held Anne Michaels Pb $22.99

The Safekeep Yael van der Wouden Hb $34.99

Precipice Robert Harris

In the summer of 1914, H H Asquith - Prime Minister of Englandfinds himself caught between two dangerous situations. On the one hand, his country is edging ever closer to war with Germany; on the other, he’s increasingly obsessed with 26-year-old Venetia Stanley, with whom he’s sharing sensitive state secrets... Once again, Harris does a wonderful job of weaving fact and fiction into a compelling and extraordinary tale. Greg Pb $34.99

Book Curses Eleanor Baker

We’re all booklovers here, right? So when you lend a book and it’s damaged, or it’s taken without your consent, you may find yourself uttering a malediction on the culprit... This entertaining volume details curses from ancient Assyria to contemporary times, with a number taken from medieval tomes. It just goes to show that books have always inspired passion - and this one might just inspire you to pen a few clever lines of literary protection yourself! Lindy Hb $29.99

Gifted Suzumi Suzuki

In 2008, the unnamed narrator is working as a hostess and living in Tokyo’s nightlife district. One day, her estranged mother, who is seriously ill, suddenly turns up at her door. As her mother approaches the end of her life, the two women navigate their strained relationship, while the narrator also reckons with events in her own life, including the death of a close friend. A moving portrayal of a troubled mother-daughter relationship.

Pb $27.99

Annihilation Michel Houellebecq

It is 2027. France is in a state of economic decline and moral decay. As the country plunges into a closely-fought presidential campaign, the French state falls victim to a series of mysterious and unsettling cyberattacks. Houellebecq’s latest novel reveals new sides to his writing, adding compassion and tenderness to the emotions of rage, disgust and irony that have powered his earlier works. Pb $34.99

Juice Tim Winton

An exhilarating read, like a cross between a Mad Max film and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road ($21.99), peppered with a dry wit. Earth is battling a vengeful climate, inhabitants spending large parts of the year underground, with the brutal landscape changing people’s demeanour and morals. The narrator and a young girl are held captive, and the prisoner begins to relate his story to his gaoler in an effort to ensure their safety and buy some time. With strong environmental themes, this really is a classic page-tuner! It’s been six years since Winton’s last novel, but it’s been worth the wait. Greg Hb $49.99 $39.99

Dusk Robbie Arnott

The Thinning Inga Simpson

Set in the near future, Australia is suffering from the effects of climate change and a government veering towards totalitarianism. Fin has grown up in the dark sky regions of the central west, her father a famous astronomer and her mother a renowned astrophotographer. But as the world heads towards chaos, she has lived off-grid with her mother and other likeminded people, full of grief and anger - and ready to take action. As a total solar eclipse approaches, Fin must journey away from safety, and in the company of someone she has no reason to trust... A furiouslypaced novel with moments of grace and wonder in the natural world. Lindy Pb $32.99

Twins Iris and Floyd are friendless itinerant workers whose parents’ crimes and reputation both haunt and dog them. When they hear that a substantial bounty has been placed on a man-killing puma in the snowy uplands, they head off in search of it. They react to the land in different ways, and Iris in particular finds it calls to her. But the people they meet have different stories to tell of the land - and of Dusk, the puma. Once again, Arnott powerfully evokes the time-filled landscapes of Tasmania with this mythic tale of loss and longing, of horror, family and the search for redemption. Brilliant! Lindy Pb $34.99

Signed copies while stock lasts

The City and its Uncertain Walls

Haruki Murakami

When a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives, but when he finds her, she has no memory of their life together. As the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose... A love story, a quest and a parable for these strange times. From the author of 1Q84 ($29.99). Hb $49.99

Marigold Mind Laundry Jungeun Yun

After young Jieun accidentally misuses her powers, causing her beloved family to vanish, she lives a million restless lives in search of them. Overnight, in the village of Marigold on top of a hill, she conjures up her Mind Laundry, cleansing painful experiences from the heart. The Korean bestseller for fans of The Alchemist ($22.99) and The Midnight Library ($24.99). Hb $32.99

Playground Richard Powers

A group of people meet on the island of Makatea in French Polynesia which is marked for humanity’s next great adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out to sea. Set in the world’s largest ocean, this story explores that last wild place we have yet to colonise, interweaving profound themes of technology and the environment. From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Overstory ($22.99). Pb $34.99

FICTION at

The Granddaughter Bernhard Schlink

After the death of his wife Birgit, German bookseller Kaspar learns that before he helped her defect from East Germany, she left behind a child. When he tracks down Birgit’s daughter, she’s living in a neo-Nazi community and has a 14-year-old daughter, Sigrun. By pretending there is an inheritance, Kaspar gets to spend time with Sigrun, who comes to think of him as her grandfather, but her indoctrination means a clash of philosophies that he tries hard to overcome... A quietly powerful and elegant novel. Lindy Pb $34.99

Our Evenings Alan Hollinghurst

Dave Win is 13 when he goes to stay with the sponsors of his boarding school scholarship, and is exposed to the envy and violence of their son Giles. As their lives unfold over the next 50 years, the two boys’ careers diverge dramatically: Dave, a gifted actor struggling with discrimination, Giles an increasingly powerful and dangerous politician. Pb $34.99

Comes with a free copy of Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart ($19.99) while stock lasts.

Before Sia leaves her Greek village in 1945 to voyage to Australia and be reunited with her father, she visits the local wise woman who gives her four prophecies and four charms, or matia, which are destined for her female descendants. Over four generations, and moving from Greece to Perth to New York, this engrossing novel shows the effects of trauma and secrets upon its characters, and the difficulties for women in navigating traditional expectations and cultural values in a new land. Pb $34.99

The Players Minette Walters

The sequel to The Swift and the Harrier ($22.99). England, 1685. The country is once again divided when Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Protestant Duke of Monmouth, arrives in Dorset to incite rebellion against his Catholic uncle. Armed only with pitchforks, Monmouth’s army is quickly defeated and charged with high treason. Those found guilty will be hanged, drawn and quartered. As Dorset braces for carnage, Lady Jayne Harrier strives to save men from the gallows. A powerful story of guile, deceit and compassion. Pb $34.99

Time of the Child Niall Williams

In an undistinguished village on the west coast of Ireland, where rain and religion have left ‘the people a twinned philosophy of offering it up and getting on with it’, something unusual happens during Advent, 1962. Doctor Troy and his unmarried daughter Ronnie are given an abandoned baby to look after, and in trying to keep it secret, lay themselves open not only to the judgement of the villagers, but also love. A novel of small events and great grace, with such beautifully perceptive writing you find yourself re-reading sentences for the sheer wonder of the prose. Lindy Pb $32.99

Spinning Around The Kylie Playlist

Kirsten Krauth & Angela Savage (Eds)

Australian icon Kylie Minogue is the musical muse for this sparkling new anthology from 24 writers, a third of whom identify as LGBTQIA+, who each use a Kylie song as the springboard for an original piece of work. Covering the genres of crime, memoir, speculative fiction, poetry and science fiction, authors include Alice Pung, Ellen van Neerven and Christos Tsiolkas. Pb $34.99

The Fortune Teller of Berlin J C Maetis Berlin 1940. Hitler appoints Edith Creutzen as his personal fortune teller. Day by day, their work intensifies, and Edith begins to realise the extent of her power to help engineer his demise by guiding him into the hands of British intelligence. But the price of success is high, and the closer she gets, the more she stands to lose. Inspired by true events, this is the incredible story of one woman’s fight to overturn Hitler. Pb $34.99

Tell Me Everything Elizabeth Strout

It’s autumn in Maine and small-town lawyer Bob Burgess is defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. Bob has become friends with acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, and they talk about their lives, hopes and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy also maintains a strong relationship with one of the town’s longest inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge. A novel about new friendships, old loves and our human desire to leave a mark on the world. From the author of My Name is Lucy Barton ($2299). Hb $34.99

Comes with a free copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret ($32.99) while stock lasts.

It’s 1914 and Molly Dunnage wants to see change: at home, at work… and in underwear. Her burgeoning corsetry business is taking off and she’s marching with Melbourne’s suffragists for better conditions for women. But as the clouds of war gather and an ominous figure skulks in the shadows, her dreams begin to falter. A prequel to The Dressmaker ($14.99), this is an unforgettable story of lost hopes and love found. Pb $34.99

The

Golden Thread Tea Cooper

One morning in 1889, Constance Montague discovers that her usually punctual and formidable grandmother has vanished entirely. Constance tracks Nell down to a Parramatta boarding house, once the Government House, and finds her in the company of astonishing people. It turns out Nell has been hiding secrets that will upend Constance’s life, and is looking for something hidden in the attic... Another captivating historical novel that weaves actual objects with imaginative writing and unforgettable characters. Lindy Pb $34.99

This Kingdom of Dust David Dyer

As the world watches two men step onto the moon, something terrible is about to go wrong. Covering Buzz and Neil’s adventure is Life magazine journalist Aquarius, who spends more time focusing on Buzz’s wife Joan than on the astronauts. Brilliantly mixing meticulous research with a creative alternate history, this suspenseful and thoughtful novel deals with a world going through social and political upheavals as the astronauts deal with physical and metaphysical questions that desperately need answers. Greg Pb $34.99

A Cold Season Matthew Hooper

Set in the foothills of Mt Kosciuszko in the poverty-stricken years between the world wars, this powerful and intimate novel is narrated by 14-year-old Beth. Her brother Sam has disappeared in a freak snow storm and her father Owens has also gone missing. As she struggles with their absence, and waits with hope, her Mama takes up with the local outlaw, Wallace. Told in Beth’s distinctive, semi-educated way, this novel deals with themes of absence and hope, and how the powerless find agency. Pb $32.99

Matia Emily Tsokos Purtill

Molly Rosalie Ham

There are Rivers in the Sky Elif Shafak

In the ruins of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nineveh, hidden in the sand, lie the fragments of a long-forgotten poem: The Epic of Gilgamesh. In Victorian London, young Arthur’s extraordinary memory earns him a spot as an apprentice printer, with one book sending him across the seas: Nineveh and its Remains. A rich, sweeping novel spanning centuries, continents and cultures, all connected by a single drop of water. Pb $34.99

The Illustrated Book of Japanese Haiku

A Journey Through the Seasons with Japan’s Best-Loved Poets

William Scott Wilson (Ed/Translator)

Subtly coloured book

Full of yearning words and odes From master poets.

385 Haiku, translated and with the original Japanese, with illustrations in the traditional manner by Manda - a lovely volume to linger over! Lindy Pb $34.99

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat

Syou Ishida

On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few - those who feel genuine emotional pain - can find it. The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for patients: it prescribes cats as medication. For fans of The Travelling Cat Chronicles ($22.99), this Japanese bestseller is a charming celebration of the healing power of cats. Hb $32.99

Before We Forget Kindness

#5 Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The mysterious cafe - where customers arrive hoping to travel in time - welcomes four new guests: a father who could not allow his daughter to get married; a woman who couldn’t give Valentine’s Day chocolates to her loved one; a boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents; and a wife holding a child with no name. They must follow the cafe’s strict rules, however, and return to the present before their coffee gets cold. Pb $19.99

The Lantern of Lost Memories

Sanaka Hiiragi

Imagine waking up in a photo studio in the mountains, between this world and the next. A man hands you a hot drink and a stack of photographs, one from every day of your life. You’re asked to pick one photo from each year to be placed in a lantern, which is then set spinning so your whole life will flash before your eyes before you move on. You can also go back in time to relive one day, to take a fresh photo and find peace. Pb $19.99

The Belburd Nardi Simpson

Ginny Dilboong is a Blak poet living in Sydney who buries her poems in the earth. She is grappling with a broken relationship, and with displacement, but is full of determination and feistiness and the need to create. Then there is Sprite, or Splat, a spirit drifting in a before and after, whose experiences are out of time. Both Ginny and Sprite struggle to become themselves, and let go of things that they don’t like about themselves... A lyrical and energetic novel, full of wonder and connection. Lindy Pb $32.99

Gabriel's Moon William Boyd

Gabriel is a young man haunted by a tragedyhis childhood home in flames. His days are spent as a travel writer, capturing changing landscapes in the grip of the Cold War. Falling under the spell of Faith Green - an enigmatic and ruthless MI6 handler - he becomes ‘her spy’, unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming his new covert life, it will be revelations closer to home that change the rest of his story… Pb $34.99

Switching between currentday Brisbane and the 1840s when it was being colonised, modern-day relationships and attitudes are contrasted wonderfully with the past.

the

Inspired by true wartime events, Royal Blue is a royal racing pigeon. One day the King himself comes to the loft and chooses Blue for a very special assignment.

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

This clue might make you sing out 'I can't get you out of my head!' CLUE #2

CHILDREN'S BOOKS at

All the Beautiful Things

Katrina Nannestad

Starting in 1943 in Berchtesgaden, this powerful novel cements Nannestad’s gift for telling stories set in WWII. Anna is 12 and the perfect Aryan girl in looks, but not in her heart or mind. Her beloved little sister Eva would be considered weak and inferior by the Nazis and sent away if ever discovered. Anna and her mother have kept Eva hidden, with the help of trusted neighbours and her best friend Udo. As the war grinds on and life gets harder, Anna and Udo befriend another Eva, who is impossibly glamorous and well connected. Through her and the local seamstress, they come into contact with the wives of important Nazis - and the difficulties mount in keeping secrets... Empathetic and finely portrayed. Ages 9-13 Lindy Hb $22.99

Party Rhyme! Antonia

Pesenti

A bright and joyful celebration of the fun a reader can have with language while imagining themselves at a party! Clever puns and child-friendly jokes are concealed beneath flaps, and the illustrations are full of vivid colours and simple shapes. Share this with youngsters aged 3-6. Lindy Board Book $19.99

How We Share Cake Kim Hyo-eun

A family of five Korean siblings have all learnt the power of division! Sharing things equally isn’t always easy, however they have worked out systems to ensure fair quantities for each - but sometimes it’s good not to share! This simple, yet warm-hearted, tale is enlivened by uncomplicated illustrations that capture the dynamics of a big family! Ages 4-6 Lindy Hb $27.99

To Stir with Love

Kate Mildenhall & Jess Racklyeft

A little girl visits her Grandma - who is older than computers! - every Monday. Sometimes Grandma forgets some of her stories, but she never forgets how to make her special, magical lemon cake. Together they mix it together, once, twice, three times with love, and wait for the moment when they share a slice straight from the oven... A tender story enhanced by soft and expressive illustrations celebrating the beautiful bond of child and grandmother. Lindy Hb $24.99

31-and-a-Half Things to Know as You Grow

Meg McKinlay & Nicky Johnston

My grandma gave me a lovely book when I was seven, full of wise words of advice that I’ve treasured ever since. This sweet and gentle book reminds me of it very much! With quiet, pastel-coloured illustrations and simple sentences, it imparts life lessons in a kindly and tender way, from knowing “how to make a friend - and how to be one” to knowing “which way is north - which way is up - and which way is home.” A book to pass on to youngsters aged 5-8. Lindy Hb $22.99

Our vast selection of children's books is lovingly curated by Lindy Jones. Visit KIDS' TREASURE TROVE at abbeys.com.au for the latest booksand tick 'Children's & Young Adult' for eNews.

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals Sami Bayly

A companion to her other wonderful natural history books for children (Ugly Animals / Dangerous Animals / Peculiar Pairs $32.99 each), this has the same quality illustrations and interesting facts. It covers expected things like the Dodo and the Thylacine, as well as insects (Sloan’s Urania), reptiles (Delcourt’s Giant Gecko), other mammals (Western Black Rhino) and birds (Moa). Here are 60 lost creatures brought back to life for the curious young naturalist! Ages 8-12 Lindy Hb $32.99

Atlas of Cats

Dog Beach Julie Murphy & Annie White

This joyful picture book shows all sorts of dogs enjoying their time at the beach. Told in short, bouncy couplets“strong dogs, long dogs, playing dogs, staying dogs”the attractively coloured illustrations are full of verve and expression. A celebration of simple happiness and a delight to read out loud! Also contains some information at the back about different dogs. Ages 3-6 Lindy Hb $24.99

Discover the Claw-Some World of Cats

Frances Evans & Kelsey Heaton

Cats are one of the most popular animals in the world, and this brightly coloured and informative book explains both domestic breeds and wild felines around the globe. Pet cats are described by temperament and background, with brief notes about caring for them. Wild cats are also covered by continent, with slightly more information, including ‘cat stats’ and anecdotes. Scattered throughout are special sections containing more facts, including historic cats, growth, instincts and habits. Expressive illustrations add to the appeal! Lindy Hb $29.99

Fabulous Frogs

Katrina Germein

& Suzanne Houghton

This charming book shows some of the many frogs found in Australia, explaining along the way habitats, diets, life cycles, unusual features and their place in the environment. Told in gentle rhyming couplets, the accessible text is enhanced by simple and naturalistic illustrations. Factual information and a glossary complete this celebration of our fascinating frogs! Lindy Hb $24.99

Dalmartian A Mars Rover’s Story

Lucy Ruth Cummins

Visitors from outer space come to Stephen’s yard one ordinary night, but one gets left behind when they have finished collecting specimen leaves. Stephen invites the guest into his home, and that is the start of a beautiful friendship – once Stephen understands that the visitor isn’t actually a dog! A fun story about being a good friend, the compromises that have to be made, and knowing where home is. Bright, bold illustrations in a limited colour palette are simple and very expressive. Ages 4-6 Lindy Hb $24.99

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Story Orchestra

Jessica

Courtney-Tickle

The latest in the perennially popular Story Orchestra series, this one introduces the young reader to Shakespeare’s famous tale of mischief and pranks, actors, lovers and fairies, as well as Felix Mendelssohn’s delicious music based on the play. Colourful illustrations with plenty to look at, 10-second excerpts at the press of a button on each page, plus factual information at the back - a true delight! Lindy Hb $35

The Muttcracker

Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie

I adore Kemp’s Dogs Don’t Do Ballet ($16.99), so it’s a great pleasure to see this! When Miss Polly the ballet teacher announces this year’s ballet will be The Nutcracker, Biff the dog dreams of dancing the twinkliest character of all, the Sugar Plum Fairy. But when the roles are handed out, the little girl and Biff aren’t fairies of any sort... A delightful and colourfully illustrated story about never giving up, making the most of a situation and simply enjoying yourself in whatever you do. Ages 4-6 Lindy Pb $16.99

Summer of Shipwrecks Shivaun Plozza

Sid looks forward all year to her summer holiday in Penlee Point, where she and her best friend Lou look for treasure and make up stories about a famous 19th-century shipwreck. But this year is different, because her Mum has brought along her new boyfriend and his teenaged daughter, and Lou has invited Hailey, who is too cool for such childish things. Suddenly Sid is faced with being the outsider. An emotionally intelligent novel about friendship, being true to yourself and the bravery to accept change. Ages 9-12 Lindy Pb $16.99

The Lost Book of Magic #3 Grandest Bookshop in the World Amelia Mellor

Times are tough in drought-stricken Melbourne, but Pearl and Vally are horrified to learn that their father wants to relocate Cole’s Book Arcade to Sydney. When Pearl is offered enough magic to save the bookshop, she doesn’t think twice, but what has she gotten herself into? The only way Vally can save her is to approach their old enemy, the Obscurosmith, but that also comes at a cost. This engrossing adventure - full of action, riddles and magic - concludes a trilogy, but can be read alone. Ages 8-12 Lindy Hb $22.99

Tunnel to Tar-Ra Susan Boyer Oliver, Jemima, Millie and Archie live in The Rocks. One day while mucking about they discover a tunnel which takes them back to the past - 1791 to be precise! They are befriended by Nanberry and other local inhabitants, and witness the penal colony’s struggles to survive. Full of historical detail, this is a vividly realised time-slip adventure. Pb $22.95

Flora Australia’s Most Curious Plants Tania McCartney

A fabulous introduction to a tiny fraction of Australia’s 24,000 native plants. Full of information and fascinating facts, it covers everything from floral landscapes to the future, with double-page spreads devoted to topics including trees, grasses, water flora, deadly plants, curious ones, wildflowers, floral emblems and bush food. Well laid out with gorgeous, realistic illustrations and clear diagrams explaining the finer points of botany. Perfect for any young naturalist aged 7-12. Lindy Hb $29.99

Off to the Nursery

A Celebration of Gardening, Plants and Seasons

Alice Oehr

This bright and boldly illustrated book introduces youngsters to the joys of gardening. Starting in Spring - the best time to work in the garden patch - the reader is taken to the nursery to meet all sorts of characters, who show them different plants and ways to nurture them. Lots of simple tips and information lead the reader into wondering what they could grow! An engaging and vibrant book for ages 4-7. Lindy Hb $24.99

Ten-Word Tiny Tales Joseph Coelho & Friends

Sometimes the best stories can be conveyed in very few words! This brilliant book comprises double-page spreads containing ten-word stories, enhanced by an array of images from renowned children’s illustrators including Shaun Tan. The tales tend towards the surreal (“The fisherman’s catch is full of astronaut suits and skeletons”) or even spooky (“The x-rays reveal writing etched onto all of my bones”) and each one will launch the reader into a world of imagination and creativity. Highly recommended for ages 6-9. Lindy Hb $27.99

A Treasury of Traditional Tales Retold

by Authors from Around the World

Lonely Planet

A collection of 20 stories colourfully illustrated by Teo Georgiev, this is a fantastic blend of folk tales, fables and the sort of stories passed down through the years from different cultures. From Australia and the Pacific, North America and Europe to Africa and Asia, these tales will spark imagination and impart important lessons of bravery, kindness and respect. Ages 8-12 Lindy Hb $32.99

The Secret of the Stone Kathryn Lefroy

Olive and her friends Theo and Lola find a pretty stone in a cave overlooking San Francisco Bay. When Olive makes a wish while holding the stone, it comes true and remains in force for a week. The friends take it in turns to wish, but it’s hard to keep such things secret. Soon they realise other, less innocent, people are looking for the stone too... Underlying themes about fulfilment and satisfaction, and what’s really important in life, don’t get in the way of a rattling good adventure! Ages 9-12 Lindy Pb $17.99

The Rocks Book Nancy Dickmann

This wonderful book is a guide to the rocks, minerals and gemstones found around the world. Arranged continent by continent, it shows the budding geologist or lapidarian the incredible array of rocks that make up our planet. There’s a directory of almost every type of rock and mineral, plenty of facts and tips on collecting, and lots of clear and colourful photographs - perfect for poring over! Ages 9-12 Lindy Hb $32.99

The Boab Tree Helen Milroy

A little boab nut is transported away from his country and falls to earth in a strange place. He cannot thrive there, but with the help of some hopping-mice, he makes a home, even if he yearns for his own mob. Perhaps one day he will find his way back - and he does, with assistance and cooperation. A beautifully illustrated and multi-layered fable that can be read simply as a tale of friendship, or deeper still, as one of resilience and country. Ages 6-9 Lindy Hb $24.99

Cloud Atlas Everything You Need to Know About Clouds

Sarah Zambello & Suzy Zanella

This is both a beautiful and educational book. The illustrations are painted depictions of the clouds described, the text conversational and informative. Starting with definitions of clouds and their formations, it then leads into the varieties of clouds. The ten principal cloud types are classified by genus, then the 15 species from which they may be drawn. Each is depicted in a simple way on a single page, followed by a double-page spread that expands on the cloud type. A splendid introduction to clouds that anyone can enjoy, starting from age 6. Lindy Hb $34.99

Design and Building on Country First Knowledges for Younger Readers

Alison

Page & Paul Memmott

A retelling for younger readers of the bestselling First Knowledges book, this deals with inventions. To live on a continent for more than 65,000 years means to have accumulated a lot of know-how! From tools and weapons to building shelter, weaving fibres, engineering fish traps and much more, this is a clearly explained and fascinating account of the ingenuity of Australia’s First Peoples. Colourful illustrations by Blak Douglas. Ages 8-12 Lindy Pb $26.99

Your Ultimate Travel Adventure List Anna

Brett

Instil a love of adventure and travel in young readers with this fun and entertaining guide to some of the most exciting places on the planet! It combines imagination with knowledge, giving sneaky history lessons within the excitement of picturing different experiences, such as feeding jumping crocodiles in Australia, playing at Legoland in Denmark, watching snow monkeys bathing in hot springs or taking a boat beneath Niagara Falls. Plenty of colourful photographs throughout. Ages 8-12 Lindy Hb $32.99

CRIME ALLEY at

We Solve Murders

#1 Steve & Amy Wheeler

Richard Osman

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but adventure is now the preserve of his daughter-in-law Amy - a private security officer currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job. So begins a breakneck race around the world, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy? Pb $34.99

Murder Under the Sun Classic Mysteries for Summer

Cecily Gayford (Ed)

The temperature is rising and so is the body count! Reserve your spot in the shade, pour a cold drink and immerse yourself in a vintage collection of short stories of murder and mystery. Authors include Arthur Conan Doyle, Gladys Mitchell, Nicholas Blake, Edmund Crispin, Ellis Peters and Simon Brett. Perfect summer reading!

Pb $24.99

When you buy any of these four, get a free bonus crime novel - while stock lasts. See abbeys.com.au

Prize Catch

Alan Carter

BONUS BOOK

When Roz’s wife is killed in a hit-and-run on a lonely Tasmanian road, she begins to wonder if it was an accident or deliberate. Sam, an SAS veteran, is hoping for a fresh start working at a salmon farm, but as allegations of old war crimes surface, he is ‘promoted’ as a special operative against opponents of the farm. Forced to retreat into the unforgiving wilderness, Roz and Sam scramble to find the truth, with murderous thugs on their trail. Pb $34.99

When it Rains #5 Dan Clement

Dave Warner

Broome detective Dan Clement has his hands full with a free-spirited new girlfriend. When his sergeant is beaten up, and a woman is brutally assaulted, it seems like the same two suspects are behind both incidents. But when a woman’s hand is discovered in crocodile-infested waters, things take a macabre turn... Pb $34.99

Jasper Cliff

Josh Kemp

When Toby vanishes, his younger brother Lachlan retraces a road trip to the last place Toby phoned from - the remote northern town of Jasper Cliff.

Lachlan finds himself marooned at the dying town’s pub, learning that his brother is just one of many to have gone missing in recent years. He becomes obsessed with finding the Rift, a deep hole in a ravine somewhere in the hills. But what will he learn, and what will he see, if he also stares into the Rift?

Pb $34.99

Death Holds the Key Alexander Thorpe

In small-town Western Australia in the late 1920s, loathed landholder Fred O’Donnell is found shot dead in a locked room. Detective Hartley seeks the help of a mysterious wanderer to solve the case, and it’s one where everyone, including his family, has a motive and a secret to keep. Full of twists and turns, this seemingly impossible murder mystery delights in the characters as they navigate the strained sensibilities and dark secrets of the past. Pb $29.99

Abbey's is Australia's specialist crime bookshop. Visit CRIME ALLEY at abbeys.com.au for the latest crime book releases - and tick 'Crime' as your eNews interest.

Everyone this Christmas has a Secret #3 Ernest Cunningham

Benjamin Stevenson

Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling mysteries following Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect ($22.99 each).

“My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped this Christmas that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.”

Hb $29.99

The

Dark Wives #11 Vera Stanhope Ann Cleeves

A body is found by a morning dog-walker outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens. DI Vera Stanhope is called to investigate. Her only clue is the disappearance of 14-year-old resident Chloe. When a second body is found near the Three Dark Wives - standing stones in the Northumbrian countryside - folklore and fact begin to collide. Pb $34.99

In Too Deep #29 Jack Reacher

Lee Child & Andrew Child

Reacher wakes up alone in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm is badly injured. He has no idea how he got there. The last thing he recalls is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed. His captors assume he’s the driver’s accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk. A plan that will backfire spectacularly... Pb $34.99

$29.99

The Blue Hour Paula Hawkins

Eris, an island with one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for 12 hours a day. Once home to Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared 20 years ago. Now home to Grace, a solitary creature of the tides, content in her isolation. But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling, and the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge... From the author of The Girl on the Train ($22.99). Pb $34.99

Karla’s Choice Nick Harkaway

In 1963, after the events of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold ($22.99), George Smiley is called back into the Circus when a Russian agent - sent to London to kill a Hungarian immigrant - has a change of heart. The Hungarian goes missing and with the help of the man’s colleague, Susan, Smiley is recruited to find him. With all the labyrinthine touches of a classic cold war thriller, Le Carré’s son Nick has taken up the mantle to carry on the Smiley story. I’m happy to report he’s done an excellent job and fans will not be disappointed. Greg Pb $34.99

Holmes and Moriarty

Gareth Rubin

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are hired by an actor to investigate why his audience are the same people each night, wearing disguises. Moriarty and his henchman Moran are implicated in a gang leader’s murder, and go on the run to find out who is behind the set-up. When all four men realise they’re being targeted by the same person, they form an uneasy alliance to unmask the true villain. Pb $34.99

Comes with a free copy of A Bird in the Hand ($32.99) while stock lasts.

The Ledge Christian White

A semi-successful writer hears that a body has been found near his childhood town, and the news causes him to retrieve an old diary. Through the entries from 25 years ago, Justin tells of the events surrounding his gang: his best friend Aaron - who he is frankly very worried about - and Chen and Leeson. When Aaron disappears, it sets off a chain reaction as Justin tries to figure out how he can help. Meanwhile in the present time, three friends wonder if the past is about to catch up with them... Meticulously plotted and atmospheric writing that pulls you in from the very first page! Lindy Pb $34.99

Midnight and Blue #25 Rebus Ian Rankin

John Rebus is serving a mandatory life sentence for attempted murder. In HMP Edinburgh, he waits for his legal team to appeal, navigating the currents of prison politics and keeping a wary eye out for enemies. When a prisoner is found murdered in a locked cell, Rebus can’t help but try to solve the crime, particularly when the prison’s governor asks him to keep an ear out. In the outside world, Siobhan Clarke investigates a missing teenager, and her colleague Christine Esson deals with the prison murder. Both are hampered by a lack of clues - and by Malcolm Fox... I lost a weekend reading this and don’t regret it at all - it’s fabulous! Lindy Pb $34.99

Berlin Duet

S W Perry

The Waiting #5 Ballard & Bosch Michael Connelly

Renée Ballard and the LAPD find a DNA link to the Pillowcase Rapist, but when she and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles. At the same time, her badge, gun and ID are stolen - a theft she can’t report without giving ammunition to her enemies. Forced to seek outside help, she knocks on Harry Bosch’s door... Pb $34.99

In 1938, English spy Harry Taverner and Jewish photographer Anna Cantrell dance together in Berlin, not expecting to meet again. But after the war, they reunite in the ruins of Berlin, where Anna is searching for her missing children. With the blockade tightening and the Soviets set on conquest, they walk a treacherous line between love and duty, loyalty and betrayal. And as the Cold War dawns, they are bound by a secret that will only be revealed decades later... A sweeping historical epic of war and its aftermath. Pb $34.99

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The Valley Chris Hammer Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic have been sent to The Valley - an idyllic village in the south coast hinterland - to investigate the death of a local entrepreneur. It’s unusual, as there are competent teams nearby who could deal with the case, but of course there’s more to the picture - and a huge shock awaits Nell. Alternating from the present to events 30 years ago, this can’t-put-down story weaves all the mastery and mystery for which Hammer is justly famed! Lindy Pb $34.99

Death

The Creeper

Margaret Hickey

A small town in Victoria’s high country has been haunted for the last decade by the murders of five hikers. Also found dead near the scene was Bill ‘Creeper’ Durant, a bushland loner with a reputation for stalking campers. Conclusion: murdersuicide. But now Detective Constable Sally White revisits the investigation and finds that each murdered hiker had skeletons in their closet… Pb $34.99

at the Sanatorium Ragnar Jónasson

In the north of Iceland, a nurse is found murdered in a hospital which was previously a tuberculosis sanatorium. Days later, the chief physician is also found dead, having apparently fallen from a balcony. Decades later, Helgi Reykdal, a young police officer, returns to Iceland from the UK and decides to look into the case, but is faced with silence and suspicion at every turn. Pb $34.99

Death

at the Sign of the Rook

#6 Jackson Brodie

Kate Atkinson

Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town to investigate some stolen paintings, including from a magnificent country house now hosting guests for Murder Mystery weekends. A vicar, ex-army officer, impecunious aristocrats and old friends all converge to play their part in this fiendishly clever mystery that pays homage to the masters of the genre, from Agatha Christie to Dorothy L Sayers. Pb $34.99

AUDIOBOOKS

Abbey's Bookshop is proud to partner with Libro.fm to give you a great audiobook experience.

SUPPORTING ABBEY'S

You purchase your audiobooks directly from the Libro.fm website or app and Abbey's receives some of the purchase because Libro.fm is an employee-owned Social Purpose Corporation.

Listen while you walk, drive, workout - wherever and whenever! Audiobooks are available for all categories: fiction, crime, kid's books, history, science, fantasy, and also for a range of non-English languages.

$150 Gift Voucher prizes.

p2 for competition details.

It was a reach for them to hitch their hopes on their plan running smoothly.

Three Wild Dogs and the Truth

Markus Zusak

What is it about our companion animals that fosters such a sense of love - and sometimes less easily dealt-with emotions? In this tender book, Zusak tells of the chaos and consequences of rescuing the almost-unlovable dogs his family have lived with. There’s Reuben the indestructible, Archer the devious, and Frosty the monster. Each of them have been agents of change and calamity, but with humour, canine joy and intelligence, and ultimately the greatest devotion. Written from the heart, this will elicit great fellow-feeling in other dog-people - and maybe cat-people will also understand! Lindy Hb $36.99

while stock lasts

The Voice Inside John Farnham

Farnham has been a part of the Australian music scene for so long, you might think you know all about him. This honest book, written in conjunction with award-winning filmmaker Poppy Stockell, shows that behind the pop stardom of the 60s and the stellar heights of his 80s comeback album Whispering Jack, and all the subsequent years of performing, there were times of despair and ruin, as well as resilience and determination. Deeply personal and vastly entertaining! Hb $49.99 $39.99

Mr and Mrs Gould

Kosciuszko

The Incredible Life of the Man Behind the Mountain

Anthony Sharwood

One day Sharwood wondered to himself, who was the bloke who got a mountain named for him, in a country he never visited? So starts a very readable book about an incredible man (and also about the mountain). Born into minor Polish nobility, Kosciuszko was a military engineer who served in the American War of Independence (it was his drawings of fortifications that Benedict Arnold wanted to sell to the British!), led an uprising against the Russians and Prussians occupying Poland, then returned to America where his unclaimed war salary went to freeing slaves, and is still acclaimed for his principles of liberty, opportunity and dignity for all. Pb $34.99

The Extraordinary Adventurers Who Took the Beauty of Australian Wildlife to the World Grantlee Kieza

John and Elizabeth Gould sailed to Australia in 1838, intending to find and study the birds and animals of the new continent. Elizabeth was pregnant with their seventh child, but she would work tirelessly to illustrate the birds her husband found with the help of indigenous guides. John had a reputation to maintain, but it was his wife’s prodigious talents that supported it. The landmark production of The Birds of Australia would astonish the scientific world, but Elizabeth was not destined to see its effects. A vivid narrative history from the highly popular writer who brings the past to full life. Hb $49.99

Brainstorm

Richard Scolyer with Garry Maddox

Having dedicated years to researching treatments for skin cancer, the 2024 co-Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in 2023, but rather than accept an expectation of little more than a year to live, he instead chose to undertake worldfirst experimental immunotherapy based on melanoma science. His brave decision could shorten his life or save it; the only certainty is that it will advance scientific understanding and ultimately help save the lives of others. This is his inspirational story. Pb $34.99

We are the Stars

A Misfit’s Story of Love, Connection and the Glorious Power of Letting Go Gina Chick

The inaugural winner of Alone Australia also won the hearts of viewers nationwide. This powerful, passionate and moving memoir tells the story of her life, from her unconventional childhood, the hidden worlds of Sydney’s nightlife in the 90s, the love and losses and lessons she has experienced. Intelligent, honest and vulnerable, Chick teaches the reader to embrace everything life offers, to take the pain of grief and transform it into defiant celebration, to dance and chance it all. Truly inspiring! Pb $36.99

December

Murriyang Song of Time

Stan Grant

Stan Grant is talking to his country in a new way. Partly in response to the Voice referendum, he eschews politics for love. In his most poetic and inspiring work yet, he zooms out to reflect on the biggest questionsranging across the history, literature, theology, music and art that has shaped him - to set aside anger for kindness, reaching past the secular to the sacred and transcendent. Hb $39.99

Jilya How One Indigenous Woman from the Remote

Pilbara Transformed Psychology

Tracy Westerman

From humble beginnings, Westerman went on to become the first Aboriginal person in Australia to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Here she draws on client stories of trauma, heartbreak, hope and connection from her years of practice, offering a no-holds-barred reflection on how the monocultural, one-size-fits-all approach to psychology is failing Aboriginal people. Pb $34.99

A Bit on the Side

Max Dupain A Portrait

Helen Ennis

Having written the definitive and award-winning biography of Olive Cotton ($34.99), Ennis turns to Max Dupain - Cotton’s first husband - who championed modern photography and created many images now regarded as iconic. Regarded as a hyper-masculine herofigure, he was a complicated man who chased perfection to allay his self-doubt and anxiety. An extraordinarily illuminating portrait of a complex and fascinating man. Hb $55

Reflections on What Makes Life Delicious

Virginia Trioli

Trioli knows that the enduring joy of life is often found not in the big moments, but the small. When the main course is unappetising, the ‘bits on the side’ can make life really delicious. This is her ode to joy, filled with wisdom, stories, memories and recipes, told with her renowned insight and wicked sense of humour. A book to be shared with anyone who wants life served with a side of delight. Hb $36.99

My

Brother Jaz Gideon Haigh

In January 2024, in a period of personal crisis, journalist Gideon Haigh abruptly started writing the story of the night his 17-year-old brother Jasper was killed in a car accident and finally facing how it had shaped the rest of his life. Three days later, he stopped writing. Dark, raw and revealing, this is a story of how it feels to lose someone, and yourself. Just 90 pages long, this is a profoundly moving memoir on grief and resilience.

Pb $24.99

Trigger Warning

Forged in Fire

An Australian Commando’s Story of Life and Death on the Frontline

Signed copies while stock lasts

Scott Ryder

Ryder's memoir takes us inside the secretive world of the commandos as he shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have experienced since the Vietnam War. After being seriously injured in a shocking Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, he was the only survivor to return to active service. Pb $36.99

A Special Operations Engineer in Afghanistan

Nathan Bolton

During multiple tours of Afghanistan working alongside Australia’s Special Forces, Bolton’s role was to search for and clear Improvised Explosive Devices. These hidden bombs were littered all over the battlespace and he was involved in countless traumatic situations, which inevitably took their toll on him, physically and psychologically. This story covers his time at war, and his even tougher battle to recover his mental health, embracing a vulnerability that he once considered a sign of weakness. Pb $32.99

A Long March Kim Carr

My Animals and Other Animals

A Memoir of

Sorts

Bill Bailey

Known for his self-deprecating and straight-faced humour, Bailey is also a passionate birder and companion to many animals. This sort-of memoir celebrates the variety of animals who have shared and enriched his life - an assortment of dogs, reptiles, birds, even an armadillo. They have offered joy, companionship, meaning, and sometimes even correction. A wryly humorous book, full of warmth and wisdom. Pb $34.99

After a blue-collar upbringing and joining his local Labor party as a teenager, Carr went on to serve in the Senate for 29 years. A minister in both the Rudd and Gillard governments, he addresses the often-fraught process of developing policy, the manoeuvering of factions and the raw use of power inside party forums, unions, the caucus and the front bench. An engaging memoir and a revealing and comprehensive analysis of today’s political landscape. Hb $49.99

Race Mathews A Life in Politics

Iola Mathews

Mathews was Principal Private Secretary to Gough Whitlam, an MP in the Whitlam government and a Victorian state politician for many years. He was involved in such key social features as Medibank, gun control laws, disaster management (after the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires) and establishing the Melbourne Writers Festival, amongst many other achievements. Drawing on a memoir he started (but was too ill to finish), his partner Iola has added to it with interviews, insights and personal recollections. Pb $36.99

December

Citizen My Life After the White House

Bill Clinton

Robert Manne A Political Memoir: Intellectual Combat in the Cold War and the Culture Wars

Robert Manne

Often subverting conventional notions of left and right, Manne has been a political analyst for nearly 50 years. His memoir reveals how his family background and early years informed the questions he would spend his life trying to answer. It also provides a fascinating portrait of key political controversies, including intellectual combat over communism, Quadrant, the Stolen Generations, the Murdoch press, Manning Clark and much more. Hb $59.99

In January 2001, after nearly 30 years in politics - including two terms as President - and aged only 54, Clinton was suddenly a private citizen. Over the next two decades, he would create an enduring legacy of public service and advocacy work, redefining the impact a former president can have on the world. Hb $65 $55

What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts)

Stanley Tucci

Tucci records 12 months of eating - from the memorable to the domestic, in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, family, strangers and occasionally by himself, the meals giving shape and emotional richness to his days. Through food, he marks - and mourns - the passing of time, the loss of loved ones, and prepares himself for what is to come.

From the author of Taste: My Life Through Food ($22.99).

Hb $45

Memories of Distant Mountains Illustrated Notebooks

Orhan Pamuk

For many years, this Nobel Prize-winning author kept a record of his daily thoughts and observations in notebooks, illustrating them with his paintings. He writes about his travels around the world, his complex relationship with his home country of Turkey, his family and his writing process, detailing the things that have inspired his characters and stories. Includes the vibrant paintings of the landscapes that surround and inspire him. Pb $39.99

Australian Gospel A Family Saga

Lech Blaine

Michael and Mary Shelley are Christian fanatics who loathe their fellow Australians, especially their “obsession with idiotic ball sports”. Lenore and Tom Blaine are Queensland publicans raising a large family, obsessed with rugby league. The Blaines foster three of the Shelley children - removed as infants from Michael and Mary - who are now prepared to do anything to get them back. This is a family saga like no other - heartbreaking, hilarious and astonishing. Pb $36.99

Patriot Alexei Navalny

The Russian opposition leader began writing this book after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It’s the full story of his life - his youth, his call to activism, his marriage and family, his commitment to challenging a world superpower determined to silence him, and his conviction that change will eventually come. This is a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth, a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply, and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life. Hb $55

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

Jack whispered "Try and understand itI'm no Johnny-come-lately."

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

Indigenous Knowledge

Australian Perspectives

Marcia Langton, Aaron Corn, Samuel Curkpatrick (Eds)

Indigenous knowledge traditions carry understandings of ancestral histories and exemplify beneficial behaviours for living well on country, managing environmental resources and maintaining social cohesion. This book reveals how Indigenous ways of being and knowing are intricately tied to place, expressed through beauty and resounding with wisdom. Pb $34.99

The Legend of Albert Jacka

Peter FitzSimons

Albert Jacka, a typically unassuming Victorian forestry worker, was the first Australian awarded the Victoria Cross in WWI on the battlefields of Gallipoli after singlehandedly holding off an enemy onslaught. He went on to fight on the fields of France and was further awarded for military valour. With all his customary verve and narrative flair, FitzSimons tells the story of this once-household name and his brave exploits. Hb $49.99 $39.99

Take Flight

Incredible Stories of Australian Women Who Reach for the Sky

Kathy Mexted

Ten stories of amazing Australian women who have not let gravity confine them to the ground! From a helicopter pilot to a hot air balloonist, a paramotor pilot following migrating swans to an indigenous astrophysicist, glider pilots, wing-suiting and base-jumping, an aerial acrobat and a skydiver, this celebrates personal spirit and vast courage! Pb $39.99

Beyond the Broken Years

Australian Military History in 1000 Books

Peter Stanley

Bill Gammage published a seminal thesis in 1974, The Broken Years, which drew on diaries and letters from WWI participants, and invigorated a generation of scholars. This fascinating new book for the general reader is a personal survey and appraisal of Australian military history. From books written by men who fought in the battles they describe, to amateur historians recording official operational accounts, to journalists writing dramatised versions (‘storians, a Peter FitzSimons’ term) and academic historians analysing and evaluating, this shows why it’s essential to question who writes our history, thus creating our perceptions of the past. Lindy Hb $39.99

Remember When...

The Battle of the Generals

MacArthur, Blamey and the Defence of Australia in World War II

Roland Perry

Douglas MacArthur and his family had to flee the Philippines when the Japanese invaded, escaping to Australia. Thomas Blamey, the foremost of Australia’s generals, was recalled from the Middle East by Prime Minister John Curtin to deal with what appeared to be an imminent Japanese invasion of the continent. These two colourful characters, with clashing personalities, had to work together to defend Australia; one would lead the defence, and the other claim the glory... Engaging narrative history from a master writer!

Pb $34.99

Snapshots of Australia from the ‘50s to the ‘90s

Bob Byrne

This is a fun and joy-filled book celebrating simple nostalgia - every page sends you down that path marked ‘Memory Lane’! Over 180 photographs celebrate things that were everyday, occasions and events that enthralled the nation, and people who captivated popular imagination. Whether reminders of drive-ins or Dennis Lillee bouncers, summer holidays or black and white TV, this will be sure to elicit many a personal story of the past! Lindy Pb $39.99

Warra Warra Wai

How Indigenous Australians Discovered Captain Cook and What They Tell About the Coming of the Ghost People

Darren Rix & Craig Cormick

We know Captain (Lieutenant, as he was then) Cook’s version of ‘discovering’ Australia, but what of the original inhabitants and their stories of the white ship sailing up the east coast of the Country they had lived on for millennia before him? This generous book retells Cook’s journey from their perspectives and oral traditions, from the Gunaikurnai at the south through more than 20 language groups to the Kaurareg at the northern tip of the continent. Our shared history must include ‘the other side’ and this extends knowledge and truth-telling in a warm, inclusive way. Lindy Pb $34.99

Black Convicts How Slavery Shaped Australia

Santilla Chingaipe

On the First Fleet of 1788, at least 15 convicts were of African descent, and by 1840 there were over 500 black transportees. Among them were John Caesar, who became Australia’s first bushranger, and Billy Blue, the ferryman who gave his name to Sydney’s Blues Point. This deeply researched book reveals the little-known story of Australia’s black convicts, showing how empire, slavery, race and memory have shaped the nation. Pb $34.99

Words to Sing the World Alive

Celebrating First Nations Languages

Jasmin McGaughey & The Poet’s Voice (Eds)

In this celebration of First Nations languages, 40 Indigenous writers and thinkers, journalists and lawyers, artists and astronomers come together to reveal their favourite and significant words - imbued with family and belonging, and that surprise with their connections. Contributors include Kim Scott, Tara June Winch, Nardi Simpson, Ellen van Neerven, Bruce Pascoe and Anita Heiss. Pb $34.99

Protecting Indigenous Art

From

T-shirts to the Flag

Colin Golvan

The unauthorised use of Indigenous artworks is a global industry that damages cultural integrity and harms the livelihoods of artists. Intellectual property barrister Colin Golvan gives a first-hand account of landmark legal campaigns such as the unauthorised reproduction of artworks on T-shirts, the seminal carpets case, the campaign to recover the copyright of Albert Namatjira and the extraordinary story of the Aboriginal flag. Pb $45

A Matter of Taste

Health

#8 First Knowledges: Spirit, Country and Culture Shawana Andrews, Sandra Eades & Fiona Stanley

The eighth book in the phenomenal First Knowledges series, this offers an Indigenous concept of health that is different from the Western one, exploring how Elders and practitioners are reshaping considerations of health and wellbeing today. From birthing practices to end-of-life care, it reveals many cultural practices being reclaimed and rebuilt, claiming back decision-making for the people most affected. Pb $24.99

The Australian Women’s Weekly and its Influence on Australian Food Culture

Lauren Samuelsson

I’m old enough to remember the pull-out cooking supplements in The Australian Women’s Weekly and how they introduced many families to the joys of different cuisines and flavours - not to mention cakes! This fascinating book explores how the AWW shaped the nation’s culinary experiences, how its triple-tested recipe books came to be so influential (8 million copies of the Birthday Cake book alone!) and how middleclass Australia entertained, baked and dieted over the decades... Well researched, full of insights and also fun to read! Lindy Pb $39.99

Quarterly Essay #96

Minority Report: The New Shape of Australian Politics

George Megalogenis

Australian politics is shifting. Politics-as-usual is not enough for many voters. The two-party system was broken at the last federal election. This essay traces the how and why of a political realignment. In a contest between new and old, progressive and conservative, which vision of Australia will win out? Pb $29.99

A Better Australia

Let’s Tax Carbon And Other Ideas for a Better Australia

Ross Garnaut

Could Australia become a full-employment, renewable-energy superpower? Ross Garnaut says yes. He calls for a new Carbon Solutions Levy on the big polluters to help fund Australia to become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions. A thought-provoking book by a visionary thinker. Pb $36.99

Politics, Public Policy and How to Achieve Lasting Reform

John Brumby et al

Leading policymakers including Julia Gillard, Malcolm Turnbull, Cheryl Kernot, John Hewson, Ken Wyatt and Christine Milne discuss the development of successful policy in areas such as energy, gun control, taxation of natural resources, disability insurance, marriage equality, gender equality in the workplace, superannuation, reproductive healthcare reform, Closing the Gap and the pandemic response. Pb $39.99

Indie Award Book of the Year

Killing

for Country A Family

Story

David Marr

The author was shocked to discover his forebears served with the brutal Native Police in the bloodiest years on the frontier. This is a richly detailed saga of politics and power in the colonial world - of land seized, fortunes made and lost, and the violence let loose as squatters and their allies fought for possession of the country. A gripping personal reckoning with the brutal history of Australia’s frontier wars Pb $39.99

The Great Divide

Australia’s Housing Mess and How to Fix It

Alan Kohler

The sustained escalation in Australian house prices has effectively divided the country into those who own a home and those who don’t. It’s caused a rental crisis, a dearth of public housing and a mortgage crunch. It’s changed the way wealth is generated. An updated edition of last year’s Quarterly Essay #92, this book proposes a new way forward, including lessons from overseas.. Pb $27.99

Our Streets

The Family History Book

How to Trace Your Ancestors in Australia

Cassie & Shaun Gilmartin

Everyone has family stories that spark interest, yet sometimes it’s a bit daunting tracking down your forebears. This wonderfully clear and informative book guides you through the thickets of family research! It’s full of excellent tips and hints, from how to set out your findings, to how to search different databases, to the intricacies of bureaucratic records and more. Written in a conversational style, this is all you need to get started on the fascinating stories of your personal history! Lindy Pb $32.99

The Regional Cities and Major Towns Project National Library of Australia

In the 1990s, the NLA commissioned photographers to record the streetscapes and buildings of rural cities and towns throughout Australia. From Albany to Young and more than 70 other regional centres, this gorgeous book evokes a sense of place that is familiar to anyone who has lived in, or just driven through, these country towns. Whether mining town mansions or humble workers cottages, local variations of Art Deco or contemporary architecture, civic buildings or shopfronts, this is a reminder that architecture is about history and people. Lindy Hb $39.99

$150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

Garnering all her superpowers, she set about the taxing task.

Essays that Changed Australia

Meanjin 1940 to Today

Esther Anatolitis (Ed)

This anthology brings together 20 impactful Meanjin essays that have helped shape Australian culture and society, including Arthur Phillips’ 1950 idea of ‘cultural cringe’, Tim Rowse’s 1978 Heaven and a Hills Hoist defending suburbia, David Yencken’s 1988 Creative City sparking an urban planning movement, and Hilary Charlesworth’s 1992 A Law of One’s Own? challenging Australia’s legal system with a formidable feminist ethic. Pb $34.99

Imagining a Real Australia

The Documentary Style 1950-1980

Stephen Zagala

Australian documentary photography was at its height from the 1950s to 1970s. A style that drew the viewer into the world of the subject, it drew on social, political and cultural themes. Photographers such as Max Dupain, William Yang, Carol Jerrems, Rennie Ellis, David Moore, Mervyn Bishop and Sue Ford pushed photography in startling and revolutionary directions, showing real people leading real lives. Pb $59.99

HISTORY at

Nexus

A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Yuval Noah Harari

The story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world for the last 100,000 years. Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good or ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our existence. Pb $39.99

Land Between the Rivers

A 5,000-Year History of Iraq

Bartle Bull

This sweeping, extensively researched and ambitious history traces Iraq through five millennia, from the reign of Gilgamesh to the slaughter of the last royal family in 1958. Highlighting the human stories to illustrate the political threads of its tumultuous history, it shows how the Land Between the Rivers has always been a place where East and West have mixed and clashed. Hb $55

Adventures

in

The

Shortest History of Ancient Rome

Ross King Rome left an indelible mark on the world, shaping politics, law, philosophy and architecture. From the foundation myths of a beloved city to the decline and fall of an empire, this book shares the astonishing, entertaining story of Ancient Rome. It introduces the emperors and warriors, the madmen and upstarts, the artists and gladiators responsible for its rise, its reign and its ruin. Pb $27.99

Maps Debbie Hall

Abbey's is Australia's specialist history bookshop. Visit HISTORY HERALD at abbeys.com.au for the latest history book releases - and tick 'History' as your eNews interest.

The Last Dynasty

Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra

Toby Wilkinson

The three-century Ptolemaic rule of Egypt began after the death of Alexander the Great, who deposed the hated Persian overlords. The melding of Greek influences with the ancient traditions of Egypt brought about great innovations in learning, as evidenced by Alexandria’s Great Library, but it was also a time of internecine battles within the dynasty. This vivid and engaging history draws on original papyri and recent archaeological research to tell the tales of the dynasty that only ended with the rise of Rome. Pb $34.99

The Mysterious Fayum Portraits

Faces from Ancient Egypt

Euphrosyne Doxiadis & Ahdaf Soueif

The Fayum paintings are funeral portraits of people who lived in Roman Egypt in the first 300 years of the Common Era. Embalming their dead as per Egyptian tradition, residents placed stunningly beautiful and accurate representations of the beloved dead over the mummies. Over 1,000 have been discovered and this gorgeously illustrated book presents 200 of the works. Social, artistic and historical context is provided, and their influence on Byzantine art and onwards is discussed. Haunting and compelling! Lindy Hb $79.99

The Fall of Egypt and the Rise of Rome

A History of the Ptolemies

Guy de la Bédoyère

During the Ptolemaic era, Egypt’s rulers expanded Egyptian power over a span of 300 years in a period that saw intellectual enlightenment and imaginative state-building. But the Macedonian Greek pharaohs embarked on ruinous warfare, faced rebellion and descended into murderous family feuds. A lively, accessible account of Ancient Egypt’s last days and the new power rising in its place.

Hb $51.95

This splendid book features 20 intriguing journeys. Sea charts and surveys of the southern oceans, archaeological expeditions along the Euphrates or the Silk Road, Thomas Cook’s first package tour, pilgrimages across Europe, air routes over the Arctic, and the Moon surveys that allowed the first lunar landing - all this and more! Beautifully illustrated. Hb $49.99

December

Four Points of the Compass

The Unexpected History of Direction

Jerry Brotton

Almost all societies use the four cardinal directions to orientate themselves. They are fundamental to our travel, navigation and exploration, and central to our imaginative, moral and political geography. Exploring how directions like ‘east’ and ‘west’ have taken on broader implications, this book introduces surprising new ways to think about the world at large. Hb $45

December

Tracks on the Ocean

A History of Trailblazing, Maps and Maritime Travel

Sara Caputo

A hidden history of the modern world through the tracks left on maps of the sea. From ancient Greek itineraries to 21st-century digital mapping, via the voyages of Magellan, Drake and Cook, the decks of Napoleonic warships and the boiler rooms of ocean liners, Caputo reveals how marks on maps have changed the course of modernity. Hb $59.99

Myths of Geography

Eight Ways We Get the World Wrong

Paul Richardson

Our perceptions of the world are shaped by geographic myths, such as Europe being the centre of the world. Or that border walls work. Or that there are as many continents as we think there are. Or that nations retain sovereignty in this day and age. These and other assumptions are tested in this thought-provoking book, showing how they have had far-reaching consequences for the world today. Pb $34.99

This Earthly Globe

A Venetian Geographer and the Quest to Map the World

Andrea di Robilant

In 1550, a volume titled Journeys and Navigations was published anonymously in Venice, closely followed by two more volumes that, when taken together, constituted the largest release of geographical data in history. The editor of the volumes was littleknown public servant, Giovambattista Ramusio, who had gathered together a vast array of narratives, including the journals of Marco Polo, to show how the world was much larger than anyone previously imagined. A dazzling tale, brilliantly told. Pb $34.99

Wonders in the Deep Extraordinary Shipwreck Discoveries

from Spanish Gold to Shackleton’s Bible Mensun Bound & Mark Frary

Shipwrecks are time capsules. Marine archaeologist Mensun Bound (who has been involved in many discoveries covering a span of 3,000 years of marine history) and journalist Mark Frary take us on an aweinspiring deep-dive into the treasures found on the sea floor and what they reveal about the past. Interwoven throughout with beautiful photographs, this is a riveting story of human ambition and ingenuity. Hb $49.99

Oathbreakers

Silk Roads

Sue Brunning et al

A lavishly illustrated book which explores the networks and connections of Asia, Africa and Europe from 500-1000 CE. People, objects and ideas flowed both ways along the trade routes, and the traces left behind tell fascinating stories. Seafarers in the Indian Ocean, a forgotten empire of the eastern steppes, Vikings, Jewish Egyptians with links from India to al-Andalus - all these cultures influenced and exchanged knowledge and innovations across ‘East’ and ‘West’. It shows how much more there is to the romance conjured up by images of the Silk Roads! Hb $90

The War of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe

Matthew Gabriele & David Perry

Lower than the Angels

A History of Sex and Christianity

Diarmaid MacCulloch

Recent times have seen changing attitudes towards the place of women in society, a new place for same-sex love and a public exploration of gender and trans identity, bringing liberation for some, and fear and anger for others. This book seeks to calm those fears and encourage understanding by telling the 2,000-year tale of Christians encountering sex, gender and family, with all its glorious complexity and contradictions. Hb $80

The 9th century Frankish empire that Charlemagne had built was the most powerful one in Europe since the Romans, but two generations later it had degenerated into civil war which lasted for years. Brother pitted against brother, king against king, son against father, this was a brutal battle for supremacy which ultimately led to chaos and destruction. Drawing upon rich primary sources, this is a colourful and well-researched history that shows how the consequences of that medieval struggle still impact upon the present day. Pb $35.99

Crusader Criminals

Steve Tibble

Annette Kehnel

The Green Ages Medieval Innovations in Sustainability

This bold and thought-provoking book reveals how medieval European societies can teach the contemporary world how to live sustainably. From early microcredit banks and fishing quotas to rent-a-cow schemes and the use of common lands, this shows a different version of the perceived typical medieval existence and how we might learn from the past to change our future.

Hb $59.99

The Knights Who Went Rogue in the Holy Land

The religious wars of the crusades are renowned for their military engagements, but the period was also witness to brutality beyond the battlefield. In the first history of its kind, Tibble explores the criminal underbelly of the crusades, from gangsters and bandits to muggers and pirates - stemming from a downward spiral of desensitisation that grew out of the horrors of incessant warfare. Hb $51.95

Catherine de’ Medici

Ocean

December December

The Life and Times of the Serpent Queen

Mary Hollingsworth

The most powerful woman of 16th century Europe, Catherine has been reviled and poorly treated by propagandists motivated by religious hatred. Italian-born and mother of three successive French kings, she is remembered as a poisoner, dilettante, spendthrift and instigator of the St Bartholomew’s massacre. This enthralling new biography draws on contemporary archives to show that Catherine was a well-informed woman who worked tirelessly to find a way for Catholics and Protestants to coexist peacefully, and whose patronage of the arts transformed the French court. Hb $59.99

A History of the Atlantic Before Columbus

John Haywood

Embers of the Hands

Hidden Histories of the Viking Age

Eleanor Barraclough

We tend to picture a Viking as a warrior leaping ashore from a longboat, ready to terrorise the hapless local population. Yet while such characters define the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. This is the history of all the other people - women, children, enslaved people, seers, artisans, travellers, writers - who inhabited the medieval Nordic world, encompassing not just Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, parts of the British Isles, Continental Europe and Russia, as told through the traces they left behind. Hb $49.99

El Cid The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Mercenary

Nora Berend

This sprawling history starts with the formation of the midAtlantic ridge 200 million years ago and ends with the Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands in the 15th century. It’s also the story of the Europeans learning maritime skills that allowed them to ‘discover’ the world and master its oceans. Hb $54.99 December

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

Spying the means to keep his powder dry, he kept the two doors firmly shut.

Rodrigo Diaz fought for whoever could pay for his services in 11th-century Iberia, whether Christian kings or Muslim potentates. Eventually he set up his own fiefdom. So how did this opportunist become a symbol of medieval Spanish multiculturalism, the perfect Christian knight and Franco’s emblem of nationalist Spain? Looking at the legends that arose and the people who propagated them - his female relatives, monks, a playwright and an historian - this book asks: why do we transform unsuitable men into heroes?

Pb $34.99

From Tudor to Stuart

Women

and

A Global History

the Reformations

Merry Wiesner-Hanks

The Reformations, both Protestant and Catholic, have long been told as stories of men, but women were central to the transformations that took place in Europe and beyond. This book explores for the first time the history of women and the Reformations, revealing women’s experiences as monarchs, mothers, martyrs, mystics and missionaries. Hb $51.95

The Regime Change from Elizabeth I to James I

Susan Doran

James I of England didn’t have an easy or smooth transition to the throne of England. From questions about the legitimacy of his accession and the plots to remove him (most famously the Gunpowder Plot of 1605) to unrest in Ireland and shifts of power and administration, the transition from Elizabethan to Jacobean was full of drama, uncertainty and struggle. A thorough examination that draws on a huge range of contemporary sources, yet also immensely readable. Hb $63.95

All His Spies

The Secret World of Robert Cecil

Stephen Alford

The untold story of Robert Cecil, the ultimate Tudor spy-master in an astonishingly threatening period in English history. Queen Elizabeth had no clear successor and enemies both external and internal threatened to destroy England as a Protestant state, most spectacularly with the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder Plot. Cecil’s sureness of purpose and espionage network, as well as good luck, conspired to keep England uninvaded and create a new ‘British’ monarchy which has endured to the present day. Hb $65

HISTORY at

The Enlightenment’s Most Dangerous Woman

Émilie du Châtelet and the Making of Modern Philosophy

Andrew Janiak

How did the most famous woman of the Enlightenment, whose influential treatises were debated all over Europe, disappear from the histories of philosophy and become known only for her liaison with Voltaire? Her visions of science and philosophy and her promotion of autonomy and independence (instead of being a disciple of someone else’s thoughts) were significant contributions to the Enlightenment. A clear, accessible and masterly account. Hb $54.95

Empireworld

How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe Sathnam Sanghera

The author of Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain ($22.99) extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain, travelling the globe to show how Britain’s idea of its imperial history and the world’s experience of it are two very different things. He demonstrates how deeply British imperialism is baked into our world and why it’s time Britain was finally honest with itself about empire. Pb $36.99

Hitler’s

Money A Story of Humanity

David McWilliams

Money is one of our most ingenious and complex inventions, and has shaped the world we know, according to this remarkably entertaining book. Cultures proficient with its concept also had other innovative breakthroughs - writing, numeracy, law, philosophy. And every version of money is built on trust, which means sometimes scoundrels get involved! From a 20,000-yearold African artefact, swinging past ancient civilisations and empires built on credit through to the Renaissance and Reformation, colonisation and right up to cryptocurrency, this is an enlightening read! Lindy Pb $36.99

Kingmaker

Pamela Churchill Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Seduction, Intrigue and Power

Sonia Purnell

Pamela Churchill Harriman, born into British aristocracy, daughterin-law of Winston Churchill, has been denigrated as a conniving gold digger obsessed by men and sex. And whilst she had many erotic adventures and hungered for wealth and beautiful things, it was power that excited her most. Her personal friendships stretched from world leaders and politicians to famous writers, actors and media tycoons. This book draws on newly discovered papers that paint a picture of a highly nuanced character who was a singular force on her own account, one with a zest for life and keen political instincts. Pb $34.99

In the Fight

Australians and the War in Burma 1942-1945

Andrew Kilsby & Daryl Moran (Eds)

The compelling stories of Australians involved in what became one of the great sagas of the war against the Japanese in India, Ceylon, Burma, China, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaya, Singapore and Sumatra. Australian airmen attached to the Royal Air Force were heavily engaged, but many other Australians, both uniformed and civilian, were part of the monumental struggle to turn ‘defeat into victory’ in what was called ‘a forgotten war’. Pb $34.99

People The Faces of the Third Reich

Richard Evans

Evans uses a wealth of recently unearthed evidence to present a fresh view of Hitler’s inner circle, including Göring, Goebbels, Himmler, Eichmann and Heydrich, as well as other sympathisers and fellow-travellers who helped the Nazis in myriad ways. A chilling, brilliantly written work detailing the texture and values of the Third Reich, exploring just how far individuals will go when normal moral constraints have disappeared. Hb $75

Colonial Adventure

Ken Gelder & Rachael Weaver

Adventure was one of the grand narratives of colonisation, which saw European powers sending agents off to distant worlds. Some adventurers to Australia were shipwrecked, lost or marooned. Many adventurers went wherever ambition took them, killing and dispossessing Indigenous peoples and claiming ownership of the land. By examining colonial adventure narratives in all their rawness and complexity, this book reflects on the continuing legacies of colonialism in Australia today. Pb $29.99

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective

Sara Lodge

The traditional image of the Victorian detective is male, notably Sherlock Holmes, however female detectives also worked with both the police and private agencies. Lodge recovers these forgotten women’s lives, taking us into the murky underworld of Victorian society on both sides of the Atlantic. Hb $41.95

Vertigo

The Rise and Fall of Weimar Germany 1918-1933

Harald Jähner

WWI is over, a nation defeated. Germany launches its first democratic government and the years that follow see political extremism, economic upheaval and the transformation of Germany. But not everyone feels part of the Weimar Republic and deep divisions emerge, leading to the violence, intimidation and propaganda of the Nazis’ rise to power in 1933. From the author of the acclaimed Aftermath ($24.99). Pb $36.99

The Holocaust Codes

The Untold Story of Decrypting the Final Solution

Christian Jennings

British and Allied codebreakers intercepted and decrypted secret messages detailing the atrocities committed against the European Jews. The Germans in turn used everything to conceal this persecution. Told from the perspectives of two central characters - British codebreaker Nigel de Grey at Bletchley Park, and SS Major Hermann Höfle, who oversaw the operations of five concentration camps, including Treblinka – this is fast-paced and thoroughly researched. Pb $36.99

Eden Undone

A True Story of Sex, Murder and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II

Abbott Kahler

At the height of the Depression, a group of scientists financed by an American oil baron discovered two bodies on an island in the Galapagos. They also found three sets of exiles riven by conflict - a Berlin doctor and his lover, a traumatised WWI veteran and his family, and an Austrian baroness and her two paramours. A macabre, true-life murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie herself! Pb $34.99

The Siege

The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama

Ben Macintyre

The first definitive account of the televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in May 1980. Drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive SAS interviews and testimony from hostages, negotiators, intelligence officers and the on-site psychiatrist, Macintyre takes readers on a gripping journey from the events beforehand to a detailed account of the tense six-day siege and daring rescue mission. Pb $36.99

The Greatest Nobodies of History

Minor Characters from

Major Moments

Adrian Bliss

History belongs to the heroes, but to get the full story, you have to ask the supporting cast members, who now get to join their glory-hogging contemporaries in the spotlight. Equal parts fascinating and hilarious, this is a surreal love letter to life’s forgotten heroes featuring hitherto undocumented accounts, from Ancient Greece to the Great Emu War. Pb $36.99

Jerusalem Through the Ages From its Beginnings to the Crusades

Jodi

Magness

A scholarly, yet accessible, book on the pre-modern history and archaeology of Jerusalem, this draws on the latest research to show how complex and layered Jerusalem is. From a small settlement 5,000 years ago - named for the god Shalem that was worshipped there - to the medieval conquest by Crusaders in 1099, the city has weathered many transformations as it changed hands and populations. Each chapter focuses on a key moment, including the Israelite, Babylonian, Herodian, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, providing a vivid account of an extraordinary place. Hb $69.95

The Rest is History Returns

An A-Z of Historical Curiosities

Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook

The phenomenal podcast has revolutionised how nonhistorians can enjoy history, and this follow-up to The Rest is History ($24.99) presents a delicious array of the weird and wonderful for your reading pleasure! Dip in and find something curious - maybe Baghdad’s origin story, or a history of domestic service a la Downton Abbey, JFK assassination theories, the top 10 monkeys in history or pregnant popes. And was 1974 the worst year Britain had? All this and much more, presented in a light-hearted, informative way. Lindy Pb $34.99

Great

To the Success of

Lost Souls

Soviet Displaced Persons and the Birth of the Cold War

Sheila Fitzpatrick

After WWII, nearly a million displaced people whom the Soviet Union claimed as its citizens lived outside the USSR’s borders. They refused to repatriate and the American enthusiasm for resettling them waned, until they were retitled ‘victims of Communism’. In 1947, the US paid for their mass resettlement to nations outside Europe, using it as propaganda in the Cold War.

A thoroughly researched, compelling and vivid account.

Hb $59.99

Our Hopeless Cause

The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement

Benjamin Nathans

In the 1960s, an unexpected dissident movement hatched in the USSR, spearheading the actions that broke the USSR from its totalitarian past. The dissidents demanded that the Kremlin obey its own laws, and although they were persecuted and imprisoned, their actions undermined the Soviet system. Drawing on archival material, this is a gripping and dramatic history of remarkable people who changed the 20th century. Hb $54.99

The Gates of Gaza

A Story of Betrayal, Survival and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands

Amir Tibon

The gripping, true story of how Israeli journalist Amir Tibon and his family were rescued by Tibon’s father on 7 October 2023 from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on the Gaza border - an incredible tale of survival that reveals the tensions and failures that led to the Hamas attacks. Drawing on Israeli and Palestinian sources, he offers an unsparing, but ultimately hopeful, view of this seemingly intractable conflict and its global reverberations. Pb $36.99

Game On The Contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy

Geoff Raby

Australia’s former ambassador to China and author of China’s Grand Strategy ($34.99) takes us on a journey across Eurasia to understand the forces shaping its geopolitics, enriching his analysis with his own travel stories, experiences and adventures. What threats and risks must China address? And what happens if China becomes the most consequential global power? Pb $34.99

The Shortest History of Migration

Ian Goldin

The ability to travel far and adapt to new environments has been a key to the success and survival of Homo sapiens. Across every age and continent, this book is the story of migrants, empires, slavery and war. Drawn from ancient records and the latest genetic research, it explores the impulses that have led to movements of people, and examines contemporary attitudes which may stop societies benefitting from what migrants can bring to them. Thought-provoking! Hb $37.99

What Went Wrong with Capitalism

Ruchir Sharma

An examination by a leading financial analyst and investor of the ills of capitalism and how they can be fixed. In recent decades, government in most developed nations has expanded, while productivity and economic growth have slowed, shrinking the pie for everyone. Sharma proposes a series of seven fixes to restore the balance between state support and free markets. Hb $55

Baltic Souls

Fate in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Jan Brokken

From 1999 to 2010, Brokken explored life stories in the Baltic states, presenting a monumental journey through the region’s history and culture. Written in the style of a travel diary, where chance encounters and biographical sketches mingle, we feel the cruelty and violence of that era, but also the tenderness and solidarity of an entire people, united across borders. Now available for the first time in English. Pb $39.99

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

Disregarding the locals, the colonel bellowed "Adventure for the taking, boys!" CLUE #8

SCIENCE at

The Best Australian Science Writing 2024

Jackson Ryan & Carl Smith (Eds)

This anthology is one I look forward to every year, knowing I’ll be challenged, informed, stimulated, entertained - and sometimes very worried! Includes topics such as the use of emojis in preserving an Indigenous language, the coding behind climate models, the perils and promises of AI, how dogs and humans bond, even the science behind a good espresso or new chip flavours, there is much to enjoy. More than 30 contributors, including winners of the Bragg Prize for Science Writing Lindy Pb $32.99

The Secret Life of the Universe

An Astrobiologist’s Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life

Nathalie Cabrol

This book’s odyssey begins by investigating how life began on Earth to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our Moon play? Could life on Mars, or another world, have seeded life on Earth? The interplanetary tour continues by looking at the likeliest places for life - Venus, Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and Pluto - before looking for life beyond our Solar System. A comprehensive guide to the latest discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans. Pb $34.99

A

Wild Science

Unexpected Encounters When Working in Nature

Helen Waudby

(Ed)

In every habitat, you’ll find a scientist collecting, observing and studying its animals and organisms, but even with meticulous planning, things go awry and unforeseen encounters occur. Here are 25 tales of scientists in the field - and their precarious, thoughtprovoking and sometimes humorous adventures - proving the value of direct observation and how mishaps can add to our understanding of the world.

Pb $36.99

Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Australia 4th Edition

Dean Ingwersen

A user-friendly introductory guide to 280 bird species seen in Australia, including the most commonly seen and rare endemic species. High quality photographs from the author and other top Australian nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, including nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The introduction covers climate, vegetation, biogeography and the key sites for viewing the listed species. Pb $29.99

Enchantment by Birds

A History of Birdwatching in 22 Species

Russell McGregor

Enchantment by birds is common; birdwatchers simply go an extra step and actively seek to be enchanted. These stories of 22 Australian birds range widely, from the Paradise Parrot’s tragic fall into extinction and the everyday enjoyment of a Magpie’s carol to wordy squabbles over bird names and artistic finessing of field guides. Pb $39.99

What the Chicken Knows

A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird

Sy Montgomery

Chooks are amazing creatures, and although they’re the most familiar bird to humans worldwide, that shouldn’t breed contempt! The bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus ($24.99) has kept chickens for years and this book is an enjoyable blend of personal observation and scientific fact. From their precocious start straight out of the egg, to how they can recognise dozens of other chickens and communicate with at least 24 distinct calls, to their concept of the past and future, this book goes to show how special chickens truly are! Lindy Hb $29.99

Abbey's is Australia's specialist science bookshop. Visit SCIENCE CENTRAL at abbeys.com.au for the latest science book releases - and tick 'Science' as your eNews interest.

2025 Australasian Sky Guide

Nick Lomb

This annual guide is much loved and used by those of us with an interest in the night skies. With its monthly sky maps, tips for viewing, celestial events to look out for (eclipses, meteor showers, supermoons) and easyto-use format, it also brings you up-to-date with the latest information on the solar system. A perennial favourite for all austral stargazers! Lindy Pb $24.99

Lunar A History of the Moon in Myths, Maps + Matter

Matthew Shindell

This large and truly splendid book showcases the hand-drawn geological maps of the Moon created by the US Geological Survey after President Kennedy declared man would go to the moon. Among the book’s 500 illustrations are those 44 superb charts, accompanied by expert analysis and interpretation. The book also covers the cultural associations and myths that cultures around the world have built up over the millennia, as the Moon has long been a source of wonder, learning and fascination.

A sumptuous volume! Hb $100

The

Little Book of Cosmic Catastrophes (That Could End the World)

Sara Webb

Asteroid impact, rogue black holes, alien invasions, gamma ray bursts. There are plenty of ways the Earth could be destroyed! But when you think about it, it’s sheer luck it exists at all! From what makes the planet so special, and how incredible it is that the planet hasn’t already been destroyed, to the inevitability of destruction in the far distant future as the sun dies, this is a book that presents astrophysical conundrums and complex ideas in a way that’s easy to understand. Hb $32.99

Twelve Trees And What They Tell Us About Our Past, Present and Future

Daniel Lewis

This beautifully written book considers the place of trees in the world, and the human interventions and interferences that have affected 12 particular species. They are drawn from around the globe, including the redwoods and bristlecone pines of North America, the toromiro from Easter Island / Rapa Nui, our blue gum, the ceiba of South America, the baobab and ebony of Africa, the sandalwood of India and the Mediterranean olive tree. Science can draw lessons from their adaptions and the trees’ profound environmental impacts - and this book shows why we need to learn from them. Lindy Hb $49.99

The

Tree Atlas

The World’s Most Amazing Trees and Where to Find Them

Matthew Collins

This lavishly illustrated book celebrates 50 trees across five geographical areas. Informative text describes each tree, its distribution and attributes, tells you how to identify it and how to see it in its natural habitat. Glorious photographs capture the wonder, grace and beauty of the trees, sometimes in close detail, or in panoramic spreads. Perfect for the dendrophile in your life! Lindy Hb $70

Why Are We Like This?

An Evolutionary Search for Answers to Life’s Big Questions

Zoe Kean

Why do humans care? Why do we make love, have two sexes, get cancer, sleep, age, drink or have inner lives? These questions are intriguing and perpetual, and a whole lot of evolutionary biologists are exploring the answers. From whale strandings to peppermint stick insects, Tasmanian devils to epaulette sharks, great apes to jellyfish, the studies of different species are contributing to understanding life’s big questions - and ourselves. Engaging and stimulating science writing for the general reader. Lindy Pb $32.99

Phenomena

An Infographic Guide to Almost Everything

Camille Juzeau

An imaginative and encyclopaedic book covering 125 topics, ranging from the anatomy of snowflakes to migration patterns for marine animals, the formation of snail shells to the Big Bang, the world’s tallest buildings to the sewers of Paris! Colourful infographics and accessible text make this a thoroughly entertaining tour through science. Hb $59.99

The Elements of Marie Curie

How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science

Dava Sobel

Mme Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize twice, and in two different disciplines - physics and chemistry. This engaging book shows what she accomplished in the face of tradition, entrenched misogyny, occasional scandal, ill-health and through sheer persistence, combined with a stunning intellectual capacity for thorough research. She achieved many firsts in the scientific world and also generously mentored, taught and encouraged other brilliant women to follow in her path. Highly recommended! Lindy Pb $34.99

On this Ground

Best Australian Nature Writing

Dave Witty (Ed)

Our interactions with nature provide inspiration, solace and wonder, but our environment is under threat. This unique collection of new writing from some of our best known and original voices - including Tim Winton, Inga Simpson and Bruce Pascoe - offers insights into the world around us, calling for its protection. Pb $34.99

December

The Secret History of Sharks

The Rise of the Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators

John Long Sharks are the longest-surviving vertebrate on Earth. How have they managed to last 500 million years and multiple mass extinctions? And can they survive humans? This fabulous book starts with the first sharks, continues with the rise and rule of sharks in the primordial waters, the threats of extinction and competitors during the Triassic period, the mega-sharks that followed, and sharks today. Science with a personal touch, both deeply informative and immensely readable. Lindy Pb $34.99

Deep Water

The World in the Ocean

James Bradley

The ocean has shaped and sustained life on Earth from the beginning of time. Its vast waters are alive with meaning and connect every living thing on Earth. Weaving together science, history and personal experience, this book is a hymn to the immense beauty, mystery and wonder of the ocean. Pb $36.99

Living with Wildlife A Guide for Our Homes and Backyards

Tanya Loos

Possums in the roof, an echidna in the backyard, a snake under the stairs? As urbanisation encroaches on habitat, encounters with wildlife become more common. This provides practical information and helpful advice to deal with wild creatures, based on the latest research and guidance from wildlife rescue organisations. Pb $39.99

The Genetic Book of the Dead

A Darwinian Reverie

Richard Dawkins

DNA doesn’t just carry instructions for building new organisms. It also contains lots of information about the environment in which an organism’s ancestors lived. This information reveals the power of evolution - and its limitations. Written with Dawkins’ customary flair, this is a superb dive into the mechanics of evolution. Great stuff! Dave Hb $49.99

The Universal History of Us

A 13.8 Billion Year Tale from the Big Bang to You

Tim Coulson

An Oxford professor explains what science tells us about the history of the universe, and whether humanity’s existence was inevitable or if we’re just plain lucky. In language that won’t put off non-scientists, he provides the most accessible and clear guide yet to what thousands of years of study have told us about who we are, where we came from and what comes next.

Pb $39.99

The Princeton Field Guide to Predatory Dinosaurs

Gregory Paul

There’s something fascinating about predators, especially ancient ones! This authoritative guide details some 300 species of predatory theropods, drawing on recent discoveries and new insights, and discussing anatomy, locomotion, growth, reproduction and extinction. Detailed paleo-art make these Mesozoic creatures come to life. Hb $59.99

Color in Nature

Justin Marshall et al

A wide-ranging survey of vision and visual ecology, this features many colourful illustrations, explains what colour is, how animals and humans see colour, and its importance in animal behaviour. It places human experience in the context of all the colours around us, including those we don’t perceive, or can’t because of colour-blindness. Written by scientists for the general reader. Hb $59.99

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BARGAINS

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

TODAY'S WORLD at

Signed copies while stock lasts

The Happiness of Dogs

Squat

A Week Squatting at Kanye’s Mansion

John Safran

Upon discovering Kanye West praising Adolf Hitler, Australia’s most intrepid Jew heads to America to find out what’s up. Kanye proves elusive, one thing tumbles into another, and Safran is soon squatting at one of Kanye’s mansions in Los Angeles. Alone with his thoughts, he finds himself asking where he fits into the world. Dangerous and hilarious, this unusual tale examines just how precarious identity and belonging can be. Pb $36.99

Why the Unexamined Life is Most Worth Living

Mark Rowlands

Rowlands explores the way dogs experience the world and discovers they have a unique way of existing which amounts to a different philosophical outlook to humans. Drawing on his life lived with dogs, and on the ideas of philosophers from Socrates to Hume and Sartre, this book uses the psychology of canine cognition to bring us closer to an understanding of ourselves.

Pb $34.99

Australia at the Movies

The Ultimate Guide to Modern Australian Cinema

David Stratton

Stratton reviews almost every Australian feature film from the past three decades, including international co-productions, from road movies and comedies to love stories and rural noir. With his familiar zeal and delight, he explains why they’re worth watching and reveals fascinating behind-the-scenes details. The indispensable companion for every movie lover!

Pb $39.99

The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks

The Inside Story of a Design Icon

Daniel Konstanski

Written for adult fans of what started as a child’s toy, this is a seriously detailed history of the brick. From its invention and the science behind the segments, to the development of the other elements that showed the only limit to making models was imagination, to the new worlds of storytelling and licensing, this is a highly illustrated behind-the-scenes look at the brick and the teams behind it. Hb $59.99

Churchill’s Wit

The Definitive Collection

The Natural Gardener

Advice and Inspiration for Wildening Your Garden

Richard Unsworth

Natural gardens are about blurring the line between cultivated and wild, celebrating the ephemeral and crooked. Unsworth offers advice on how to achieve a garden that sits peacefully in the landscape, with practical advice on plant selection, combinations, materials and plans. Splendid photographs of gardens of all sizes (from sprawling acreage to tiny urban yards) will inspire and delight anyone who wants to plant, dream or replenish. Lindy Hb $59.99

Richard Langworth (Ed)

Churchill’s sense of fun and mischief has led to many of his jokes and ripostes becoming almost as famous as his wartime speeches. Gloriously definitive, this compilation includes his best-known quips and witticisms, as well as little-known asides and observations. The only book of its kind to be sanctioned by the Churchill estate, it captures the great statesman at his most eloquent, witty and engaging. Pb $29.99

Best Australian Political Cartoons 2024

Russ Radcliffe (Ed)

The year in politics as observed by Australia’s funniest and most perceptive political cartoonists. Featuring Dean Alston, Peter Broelman, Andrew Dyson, John Farmer, First Dog on the Moon, Matt Golding, Fiona Katauskas, Mark Knight, Jon Kudelka, Johannes Leak, Sean Leahy, Alan Moir, David Pope, David Rowe, John Spooner, Andrew Weldon, Cathy Wilcox and many more. Pb $35

The Baggy Green

The Pride, Passion and History of Australia’s Sporting Icon

Michael Fahey & Mike Coward

The baggy green cap is the coveted icon of Australian Test cricket, and this entertaining book explores the cap’s history. Dealing with its evolution, the mystique attached to it and its worth, it includes insights from some of our greatest cricketers and commentators. Over 100 colour photos accompany the anecdotes and statistics. Perfect for any cricket fan! Pb $34.99

The Seven Deadly Sins of Sport

Sport’s Greatest Sinners

Titus O’Reily

Here we meet the players, mascots and sporting administrators whose absurd, unwise, inspired or reckless actions inspire the question: Does sporting greatness attract personalities that lean towards sin and pushing boundaries? Or is it more a case of simply being presented with greater temptation? A highly entertaining romp through sporting history. Pb $36.99

Earn $10 Abbey's Rewards vouchers

The Soul A History of the Human Mind

Paul Ham

For thousands of years, the soul was an ‘organ’, an entity, a part of all of us that survived the death of the body. The soul could be saved, condemned, tortured, bought. And then, mysteriously, the ‘soul’ disappeared.

The Enlightenment called it the ‘mind’. Ham restores the idea of the soul to the human story and shows how belief in, and beliefs arising from, the soul/mind have animated and driven the history of humankind. Hb $49.99

All Things Are Full of Gods

The

Mysteries of Mind and Life

David Bentley Hart

A group of aging Greek gods gather to discuss the nature of existence, the mystery of mind, and whether there is a transcendent God from whom all things come. Writing in the form of a Platonic dialogue, the author argues through the gods’ exchanges that the foundation of all reality is spiritual or mental, rather than material. A genre-defying exploration of the mystery of consciousness. Hb $51.95

We Who Wrestle with God Perceptions of the Divine

Jordan Peterson

Adam and Eve and the eternal fall of mankind, the murderous war of Cain and Abel, the cataclysmic flood of Noah, the spectacular collapse of the Tower of Babel, the epic of Moses and the Israelites - stories of the bible which Peterson argues we ignore at our peril. Drawing on the psychology of religion, mythology and philosophy, he guides us through these ancient, foundational tales. From the author of 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life ($22.99 each). Pb $39.99

The Chaser and Shovel Annual 2024

The Year of AI The Chaser

Each year, The Chaser and The Shovel combine forces to generate an end-of-year annual, compiling all the best satirical news of the year, plus fresh original content. This year, all text was outsourced to ChatGPT, making it hilariously off-point and eerily accurate. The perfect gift for that person you can’t think of a better gift for. Pb $34.99

Why Machines Learn

The Elegant Maths Behind Modern AI

Anil Ananthaswamy

Machine-learning systems now make life-altering decisions for us - approving loans, determining whether a tumour is cancerous, deciding whether someone gets bail. This book explains the fundamental maths behind AI, arguing that to make the most of these wondrous technologies, we need to understand their profound limitations - and the clues lie in the maths that makes AI possible. Hb $55

On Xi Jinping

How Xi’s Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World

Kevin Rudd

Understanding the Chinese leader’s worldview and how it drives both domestic and international behaviour is essential. The former PM comprehensively analyses Xi’s ideology, national narratives and historical context, arguing that whilst Chinese politics have gone to the left, Chinese nationalism has veered to the right. Draws on Chinese primary sources, in-depth research and Rudd’s personal experience. Hb $54.95

The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World Essays David Graeber

“The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently”, wrote David Graeber (1961-2020). Anthropologist, academic and activist, Graeber played a leading role in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Drawn from more than two decades of pathbreaking writing, here are his most important essays and interviews. From the author of Debt ($44.99), Bullshit Jobs ($24.99) and The Dawn of Everything ($26.99). Pb $39.99

Working for the Brand

How Corporations are Destroying Free Speech

Josh Bornstein

This book asks how our major corporations have come to exercise such repressive control over the lives of their employees. Welcome to corporate cancel culture, a burgeoning phenomenon that is routinely ignored in debates about free speech. As Bornstein argues, we wouldn’t tolerate this type of censorship and control from a government, so why do we accept it from companies?

Pb $36.99

The Chairman’s Lounge

The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out

Joe Aston

Before Covid, both Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce were flying high. After Covid, it was all bad news - illegally redundant workers, unethical flight credits, abysmal customer service and yet huge executive bonuses. How did things go so wrong? And why were customers at the end of the queue? The full story of how one of the nation’s favourite brands brought itself to ground, as well as how power, money and influence work in this country. Pb $34.99

AI Snake Oil

What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference

Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor

There is so much hype and misinformation about Artificial Intelligence that it’s easy to be confused. Written by two computer scientists, this book helps by providing a clear understanding of how AI works, or why it doesn’t, where it might be useful - or harmful - and why we should be more worried about what people can do with AI than about anything it can do on its own. Pb $34.99

Mean Streak

MoneyGPT

AI and the Threat to the Global Economy

James Rickards

What are the implications for finance and investing in an era of generative AI, and how can we better understand these developments to protect and grow wealth? As Richards sees it, the danger is not that AI will malfunction, but that it will function exactly as intended. The peril is not in the algorithms, but in ourselves. And it’s up to us to intervene with old-fashioned human logic before it’s too late. Pb $36.99

A Moral Vacuum and a Multi-Billion Dollar Government Shake Down

Rick Morton

How on earth did the Australian government allow Robodebt to ruin the lives of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens? Why did it concoct a system that was known to be mathematically wrong and illegal? A gripping and profoundly disturbing account of how this appalling tragedy was created and perpetuated by a heartless bureaucracy, from a writer whose compassion for the underdog makes this a compelling read. Pb $35.99

Opus

Autocracy, Inc.

The Dictators Who Want to Run the World Anne Applebaum

A fascinating look at the current state of the world, where democracies are challenged by autocratic states that are ruled not so much by one leader, but rather by corrupt bureaucrats and propagandists using sophisticated surveillance techniques and social media to manipulate and influence. Applebaum focuses on a few of these states to expose what they’re doing and what the democratic world should be doing in response. Greg Hb $45

Dark Money, a Secretive Cult and its Mission to Remake Our World

Gareth Gore

A thrilling exposé recounting how members of Opus Deia secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect - pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe over six decades, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world’s largest banks prior to its collapse in 2017. Gore’s groundbreaking investigation raises important questions about the hidden forces that shape our society. Pb $39.99

He Went Back

for His Hat

Justice Michael Lee's Judgment on Bruce Lehrmann

Michael Lee

“Having escaped the lions’ den, Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat.” Following an unsuccessful rape prosecution in 2022, Bruce Lehrmann brought a defamation case against journalist Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10. On 15 April 2024, Justice Michael Lee delivered his judgment. A masterclass of legal dissection, this narrative shows what civil courts can achieve in a way that criminal courts cannot. Pb $36.99

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

With a wild flourish she would plant herself in the garden and dream.

FOOD, ART, TRAVEL & WRITING at

My Mediterranean Life Recipes and Stories

Sarah Di Lorenzo

Ottolenghi Comfort

Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh

Weaving memories of childhood and travel with over 100 irresistible recipes, Ottolenghi’s latest inspiring cookbook is a celebration of food and home - of the connections we make as we cook, and pass on from generation to generation. This is comfort food, Ottolenghi style. Hb $65 $59.99

The acclaimed nutritionist draws upon her family background to present an array of delicious and healthy recipes. From the perfect Sunday roast lamb to classics like spanakopita, prawn saganaki, pilafi, stuffed tomatoes and sweets such as baked ricotta figs (is your mouth watering yet?), this book contains over 200 easy-to-make recipes. Woven between them are stories of Di Lorenzo’s family, showing how food connects the generations. Full colour throughout. Lindy Pb $49.99

The

Place of Tides James Rebanks

Rebanks meets an old woman living alone on a remote Norwegian island, caring for wild Eider ducks and gathering their down. Years later, he writes her a letter, asking if he can return. Bring work clothes, she replies, and come quickly - her health is failing. And so he returns to witness her last season on the island. As the weeks pass, what begins as a journey of escape becomes an extraordinary lesson in self-knowledge and forgiveness. From the author of The Shepherd’s Life ($24.99). Pb $36.99

Australia’s Best 50 Multi-Day Walks

Wendy Bruere (Ed)

There is a great wealth of wonderful long-distance walks in Australia. Bruere has assembled a team of experienced Australian writer-hikers, including John & Monica Chapman, to survey and showcase the best, ranging from 3-day hops to 3-week (or more) challenges. Detailed descriptions, essential planning information, maps and stunning photography to inspire your next adventure. Pb $39.99

Swimming Sydney A Tale of 52 Swims

Chris Baker

Sydney is blessed with many natural and man-made swimming pools - rock pools near coastal cliffs, bogey holes on the beaches, enclosed harbour spots and municipal pools. Over the course of a year, Baker swims in a different one each week. This enjoyable tribute to the glories of swimming is mixed with history, both personal and shared, a dash of philosophy and a great splash of love. Even a nonswimmer like me wanted to go for a dip after reading this!

Lindy Pb $32.99

Dream Trips of the World

100 Destinations and Itineraries to Make Your Bucket List a Reality

Lonely Planet

All travellers know that one of the most important things about planning trips is to dream and imagine the places you might go! This inspirational guide covers 100 destinations and itineraries, with practical planning advice and background information. Full of gorgeous photography, it follows the ring road around Iceland, cruising the Nile, kayaking the Whitsundays, wildlife spotting in Madagascar, getting your kicks on Route 66, trekking in Patagonia, wandering the Ionian Sea - all these and more await you! Lindy Hb $60

Cocktails and Canapés

Step by Step: An Easy

Guide

Rockpool Publishing

This bestselling French title takes the seriousness out of cocktail mixing and makes it fun! More than 100 recipes for classic and contemporary drinks (some non-alcoholic) are presented in easy-tofollow photographic flowchart style, with 40 recipes for the nibbles you need to accompany them. Fuss-free and delicious, both sweet and savoury, these are also shown in a casual photographic formula. Something different, this will be your go-to guide! Lindy Hb $39.99

Italy by Ingredient

Love Crumbs Nadine Ingram

From the renowned Sydney baker behind Flour and Stone comes this gorgeously photographed book of cakes (although ‘cakes’ doesn’t do justice to the masterpieces within). They are creations that need time and attention, and the results not only speak for themselves, they proclaim with expressions of joy and delight! Carefully set out instructions inform and guide the home cook, so while the cakes sound complicated and combine surprising ingredients, they are really quite achievable and a true celebration of flavours! Lindy Hb $54.99

Artisanal Foods, Modern Recipes

Viola Buitoni

EVENT Join us in-store on Saturday 16 November to meet Viola and talk all things food, cooking & Italia! See abbeys.com.au for info.

A fresh approach to Italian cuisine through its most iconic ingredients. In her debut cookbook, this US-based cooking instructor shares her passion for the beloved flavours of her homeland. She explores the history and geography of Italy’s most iconic ingredients, including balsamic vinegar, parmigiano reggiano and fresh ricotta, showing the modern home chef how to incorporate robust flavours and techniques into their kitchen. Organised by ingredient, featuring accessible recipes such as traditional ragù and polenta custard tart, with practical tips for seasonal eating and substitutes. Hb $99 $80 while stock lasts

Best in Travel 2025

Lonely Planet

This annual bestseller returns with all the information on the best destinations, journeys and experiences in the year ahead. The traditional lists of top 10 countries, cities and regions are joined by new top 10 categories, refreshed map presentations, travel tips and the photography that has always been an integral part of the guide. Start planning now! Pb $32.99

The Travel Book

A Journey Through Every Country in the World

Lonely Planet

This photographic journey around the world features 200 countries, including 680 images and maps. There are random facts, tips for the best times to travel and must-see places, plus handy recommendations for further reading, films to watch and music to listen to in order to gain a deeper appreciation of the country’s culture. A book to return to again and again, but beware - it might inspire more than armchair travel... Lindy Pb $45

Biblioflora

65,000 Years

A Short History of Australian Art

Marcia Langton & Judith Ryan (Eds)

This ironically-titled book examines how the extreme antiquity of Indigenous art was regarded as ‘primitive’ by colonial occupiers before gradually becoming acknowledged as distinctive and valuable Art in the late 20th century. Essays from 25 leading thinkers range in topic from first encounters to innovations, activism to cultural astronomy, and the expressions and legacies of various ‘schools’. Beautifully illustrated in full colour, this is a thoughtprovoking and essential history. Lindy Hb $79.99

A Celebration of Floral Beauty in Botanical Art

Jeanne Batiste

This beautifully produced book is full of page after page of sumptuous historical botanical illustrations. It is a delight to the eye, with very little text to interrupt the depictions of flowers, apart from naming the specimens and the artist who so finely rendered them. Artists include Redouté, Verneuil, Mary Vaux Walcott and Robert Thornton, amongst many others. One for any lover of art, flowers or colour! Lindy Hb $49.99

You Don’t Have to Have a Dream

Advice for the Incrementally Ambitious

Tim Minchin

A wonderfully idiosyncratic celebration of life, art, success, kindness, love and thriving in a meaningless universe. Beautifully designed with specially commissioned illustrations throughout, this is a rallying cry for creativity, critical thinking and compassion in our daily lives. It’s never too late to put something beautiful out into the world.

Hb $36.99

The Wild Reciter Poetry and Popular Culture in Australia 1890 to the Present

Peter Kirkpatrick Poetry was once all the rage in Australia. Newspapers and magazines published it, and entertainers performed it on stages across the country. Kirkpatrick examines why it largely disappeared, exploring the shifting relationships between poetry and popular culture, and in particular the arrival of new media. Pb $34.99

Noble Fragments

The Maverick Who Broke Up the World’s Greatest Book

Michael Visontay

In 1921, Gabriel Wells, a New York bookseller, broke up the Gutenberg Bible - the first substantial book in Europe to have been printed on a printing press - and sold it off in individual pages, marketed as ‘noble fragments’. Many years later, Visontay decides to track down the broken bible. Part detective story and part memoir, this is an expedition into the arcane world of book collectors and their eccentric passions. Pb $36.99

The Diaries of Fred Williams 1963-1970

Patrick McCaughey (Ed)

A generous and insightful glimpse into the private life and creative process of a giant of Australian landscape painting. Disciplined and meticulous, Williams kept a daily diary from 1963 until his death in 1982, recording life in the studio, family life and his contact with artists, dealers and the art world - one page per day. Colour reproductions of his extraordinary paintings reveal the struggles behind their evolution in his studio. Hb $120

Nolan’s Africa Andrew Turley

Journey with Sidney Nolan across the African continent in this richly illustrated monograph. This book looks at the artist in a way that he has never been looked at before. Full of energy, texture and colour, it provides a compelling picture of one of the most complex and famous painters of the 20th century, shining new light on his examination of nature, human nature and the nature of modern civilisation. Hb $120

About Face

Contemporary Portrait Painting in Australia and New Zealand

Amber Creswell Bell

The continued success of the Archibald Prize demonstrates that the fascination with portraiture has not diminished, and that portraits don’t need to be photographic likenesses. This sumptuously illustrated book covers 40 contemporary painters who work in a variety of styles, showcasing a handful of their works with introductory text and comments from the artist.

A splendid volume for anyone interested in art! Lindy Hb $69.99

Odyssey Stephen Fry

The epic final chapter to Fry’s outstanding retellings of Greek Myths, following Mythos, Heroes and Troy ($24.99 each). Troy has fallen. After 10 years of war, the Greeks make their way back to their own lands, but what homes now await them? Agamemnon must return to his wife Clytemnestra, who has been nursing her rage since he sacrificed their daughter to the gods for a favourable wind. Odysseus has angered the god Poseidon and is cursed to wander the seas, facing angry monsters and possessive demi-gods as he tries to return to Ithaca. Pb $36.99 Hb $55

Australia in 100 Words Amanda Laugesen

Describing Australia in 100 words or phrases is a big task, but Laugesen (Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre) is more than qualified to do so! Drawing on First Nations words, slang from the past 200 years and contemporary expressions, this also contains occasional breakout sections that expand on particular themes. From dingo to democracy sausage, budgie smugglers to bin chicken, greenie to marngrook, this is an enjoyable and illuminating book, perfect for dipping in and out of! Lindy Pb $32.99

Hidden Libraries

The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories

D C Helmuth

Now this is what I call a travel guide! Bibliophiles will drool over the images of 50 wonderful libraries - or suffer shelf envy! Some are eccentric (the Beer Crate Library in Germany), some are obscure (a Chinese library on a secluded beach), some are historical (the Chained Library in England), some are mobile (the Horse and Donkey Library in Ethiopia), but every one of them has a fascinating story. And yes, locations are revealed, so travellers can add them to their wish list of must-visit places! Lindy Hb $42.99

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

languages

Welcome to Australia's largest range of learning aids for over 100 languages, including English as a Second Language (ESL).

Discover our huge range of fiction, non-fiction, children's books and DVDs in foreign languages.

Bilingual Folktales

• Stories of Adventure and Wonder in Vietnamese & English

• Ten Traditional Stories in Chinese & English

Timeless charm and wisdom to delight readers of all ages. Perfect for parents who want their children to absorb the wisdom of folk stories while becoming familiar with the language along the way. Hb $29.99 each

Boy and the Heron DVD/Bluray

El Estanque Ribbit-Ribbit

The Ribbit-Ribbit Pond

Bilingual Spanish/English

This charming picture book tells the story of a group of Croac-Croac frogs and their arrival at the RibbitRibbit Pond. The newcomers are eyed warily, but are eventually welcomed into the community in this warm tale of respect, openness, curiosity and discovery. Hb $24.99

El Gato y el Pepino Cat and the Cucumber

Bilingual Spanish/English

Teach Yourself Beginners' Series - Book & Audio Online

Learn Faster, Remember More

This

Welcome Teachers! We're here to help with all your student texts and teaching resources.

Hello Korean Volumes 1 & 2

A Language Study Guide for K-pop and K-drama Fans. With online audio recordings by K-drama star Lee Joon-gi! Pb $49.99 each

Korean for K-pop and K-drama Fans

Essential Korean phrases for everyday use. Pb $29.99

When Pepe, the adventurous black cat, encounters a lost cucumber named Carlos, a special friendship forms. This vibrantly illustrated story celebrates friendship, acceptance and the joy of adventure. Hb $19.95

The Parisian ABC's Enjoyable for both children and adults, this is a tonguein-cheek look at why we love the French, celebrating clichés from A to Z. Text in English, featuring French words. Hb $24.99

Yonde Kaite Children's Japanese Flashcards 240 flashcards in full colour with an image and the target word on the front of each

and Japanese, Romaji and English on the back of the

Japanese for Travelers Phrasebook & Dictionary: Useful Phrases, Travel Tips, Etiquette & Manga Dialogues Packed with practical expressions and information for every travel situation, this helps you to get around and communicate effectively. Hundreds of tips and phrases for: asking directions; asking about prices; ordering food and drinks. Helpful illustrations demystify the complicated rail and subway system. The handy Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary puts over 5,000 words at your fingertips! Pb $16.99

SF & FANTASY

upstairs at

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman & Levi Pinfold

Gaiman’s riveting retellings of the classic Norse myths, now reproduced with full-colour illustrations. From the dawn of the world to the twilight of the gods, these ancient myths now burst into epic life, from Odin the all-father and his mighty son Thor - whose hammer Mjölnir makes the mountain giants tremble - to Loki, wily and handsome, impossible to trust. Hb $60

Stardust 25th Anniversary Edition

Neil Gaiman

At the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves leisurely in the sleepy village of Wall. To win the love of the beautiful Victoria, Tristran vows to bring her a star which they see fall from the night sky. It’s an oath that sends him over the town’s wall into the mysterious land of Faerie - a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining… Now reissued with foiled boards and custom endpapers. Hb $59.99

The Masquerades of Spring

A Rivers of London Novella

Ben Aaronovitch

New York City. Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young, an Englishman abroad, as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps. That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives to pursue a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone. The adventure will take Gussie from his warm bed to the cold shores of Long Island and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic and madness haunt the shadows... Hb $36.99

Sorcery and Small Magics

#1 Wildersongs

Maiga Doocy

Leovander is a master of small magics - he can summon butterflies with a song and turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Anything more elaborate blows up in his face. When a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian, they enter the Unquiet Wood to dissolve the curse, but first they have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them. Pb $32.99

GALAXY is Australia's specialist science fiction & fantasy bookshop. Visit GALAXY at abbeys.com.au for the latest releasesand tick 'Science Fiction' and 'Fantasy' as your eNews interests.

Join our eNews for the monthly new releases

@galaxybookshopsydney

The Great When #1 Long London Alan Moore

When Dennis comes into possession of a book that shouldn’t exist, a magical version of London beyond time and space reveals itself. Reality blurs with fiction, and concepts such as Crime and Poetry are incarnated as wondrous, terrible beings. So begins a journey delving deep into the city’s occult underbelly, tarrying with an eccentric cast of sorcerers, gangsters and murderers. Pb $32.99

A Tide of Black Steel #1 Age of Wrath

Anthony Ryan

The land of Ascarlia has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. Now whispers are heard of an imminent invasion by mysterious tattooed warriors. Thera, servant of the Sister Queens, sails north to uncover the truth, while her reviled brother Felnir seeks the Vault of the Altvar to win the Sister Queens’ favour at his own sister’s expense. Both siblings - and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power - will play a part in the coming storm... Pb $34.99

Wind and Truth #5 Stormlight Archive

Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare, and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray… The long-awaited climax to the first arc of this bestselling series! Pb $34.99

Caraval Series Stephanie Garber

Garber's series is available in these beautifully presented hardbacks. Book #3.5 available as hardback only in the gorgeous boxed set!

Secret Dead Men Duane Swierczynski

Del Farmer isn’t your ordinary hardboiled private eye; instead of collecting clues, he collects souls of the recently dead. And his latest dead guy might just be the key to destroying his long-time nemesis, The Association. Meanwhile, a mundane babysitting gig threatens to steer him way off course into a violent hell of sexual deceit. A smart-talking supernatural noir, full of twists and turns, delivered at a cracking pace. Pb $24.99

Landovel Boxed Set

Emily Rodda

The ProblemThree-Body

Cixin Liu

The award-winning 2008 novel now in a stunning deluxe edition with sprayed edges. Hb $49.99

Derry lives as a captive on Cram’s Rock, shunned by other young prisoners, until the day a traveller arrives, on the run from the sinister El executioners. She leaves Derry with a magical notebook full of secrets that might hold the key to his destiny… All three books with colourful sprayed edges presented in a unique giftbox - a special keepsake of the ultimate fantasy quest. Hb $39.99

House of the Dragon Tarot Deck and Guidebook

$49.99

12 Days of House of the Dragon

A Pin Collector’s Countdown Calendar $69.99

Star Wars Encyclopedia

The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy

Produced in collaboration with Lucasfilm, this is the most comprehensive reference book of the Star Wars galaxy. Meticulously researched, expertly written and stunningly illustrated, it contains over 2,200 entries updated to include the most current film and TV series.

Hb $65

The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire

This is the story of how a tyrannical regime rose from the ashes of democracy, ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, then collapsed into dust. From the ruthlessness of Darth Vader’s campaigns to the horrors of the Tarkin Initiative, this in-world political history offers fresh new insights into the dark entity at the core of Star Wars Hb $42.99

Warhammer 40,000

The Ultimate Guide

This visual encyclopedia dives into the vast universe of the 41st Millennium with hundreds of beautiful photographs showcasing miniatures from every faction, following key characters through the evolution of their models and exploring Warhammer 40,000 in pinpoint detail through the lens of its incredible miniatures.

Hb $65

World of Warcraft Chronicle

Volume 4

In the wake of cataclysmic events across Azeroth, new adventures and old dangers await those willing to meet them. Packed with fresh story insights, gorgeous original artwork, maps, cosmology charts, character family trees and much more.

Hb $95

More steamy romance p28...

Icebreaker #1 Maple Hills

Deluxe Collector’s Edition

Hannah Grace Anastasia is on the Maple Hills ice skating team and has a shot at Team USA. Nate is captain of the ice hockey team, and when Anastasia’s skating partner gets injured, he looks like her best option to advance in the competition. Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried. She doesn’t have time for a relationship, right? Deluxe edition with exclusive bonus chapter and sprayed foil edges. Four chillis, not for younger readers. Hb $39.99

The Book of Concealment

Dungeons & Dragons

This beautifully illustrated journal features gridded pages for you to take notes on your campaign and worldbuilding, as well as a hardcover case that slides off and unfolds into a four-panel privacy game screen, allowing you to shield your stats and strategies. Pb $44.99

For over 50 years, the world has been kept safe from alien invasion by the tireless work of UNIT - the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. This never-before-seen record includes declassified case files, technical schematics of recovered alien technology, previously unreleased press reports and testimony from UNIT personnel who witnessed events firsthand. Hb $85

upstairs at SF & FANTASY

Daydream #3 Maple Hills Hannah Grace

Fan-favourite hero Henry knows he needs to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college, especially now he’s ice hockey captain. Halle is an academic superstar, and also trying to write a novel. When Henry accidentally crashes Halle’s book club, they come up with a plan to help each other… in and out of the classroom. They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love. Four chillis, not for younger readers.

Pb $22.99

The Front Runner #3 Gold Rush Ranch

Elsie Silver

Stefan is infuriatingly handsome and annoyingly persistent. We’re supposed to hate each other, but apparently he didn’t get the memo because he’s been asking me out for years. I always say no, but now he has something I need. Our time together starts as a simple transaction: three dates, no touching, no telling anyone, and definitely no falling in love... This edition of a 'fakedating', small-town romance includes an exclusive bonus scene. Pb $22.99

The West Wind #2 Four Winds

Alexandria Warwick

The follow-up to The North Wind ($32.99). Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey and has no contact with men, but when she finds an injured stranger, she helps him to safety. This leads her to the realm of Under, where the air breathes rot and the fair folk dance and whisper. She discovers that the man she helped is Zephyrus, the West Wind. Ensnared in a perilous situation, where faith and heart collide, she must risk not just her future, but her life. Pb $32.99

Immortal Dark #1 Immortal Dark Tigest Girma

A lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister in this dangerously romantic dark academia debut. Orphaned Kidan is heiress to a fallen House of humans bound to vampires and must study and nurture human/vampire relationships at Uxlay University. But when her sister is kidnapped, Kidan suspects her own house vampire - the enigmatic Susenyos - is to blame, and heads down a violent path towards vengeance, willing to hurt anyone who stands in her way. Pb $24.99

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle

romance...

The Striker #1 Gods of the Game

Ana Huang

Asher is the darling of the Premier League, but when his feud with a rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they’re forced to ‘bond’ during off-season training. Their new trainer is beautiful, talented and he can’t take his mind off her. The only problem? She’s his rival’s sister. Scarlett swore she’d never date a footballer, but when she’s thrown into close proximity with the charming striker, things get complicated... Pb $22.99

Wrecked #3 Dirty Air Lauren Asher

Signed Christina Lauren novels! While stock lasts.

To repair his broken reputation, Jax’s Formula 1 team hires Elena, a glorified babysitter, to keep him in check. He’s hell-bent on making her quit before either of them act on their attraction to one another. In response, Elena tries to exploit his weaknesses, only to realise she’s his biggest one… A steamy, swoonworthy romance that can be read as a stand-alone. Pb $22.99

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Andrew Joseph White London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits, and 16-year-old Silas would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married soon, and it doesn’t matter that he’s a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing. Then he’s shipped away to Braxton’s Sanatorium and Finishing School, where students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear... Pb $22.99

Misha, a jaded scriptwriter, has been working in Hollywood for decades and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. When he’s pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character “for the algorithm” in an upcoming season finale, he finds it’s not that simple. Haunted by his past, and past mistakes, he must risk everything to find a way to do what’s right before it’s too late. Pb $22.99

Onyx Storm #3 Empyrean

Rebecca Yarros

Get ready for the next breathtaking instalment following the bestselling Fourth Wing and Iron Flame ($24.99 each). Violet Sorrengail must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre, and it will test every bit of her wit, luck and strength. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find - the truth. Pb $34.99

Throne of Secrets #2 Prince of Sin Kerri Maniscalco Prince Gabriel lives for indulgence, but when a hunt takes a deadly turn, he realises something is very wrong in his demon court and he needs journalist Adriana to uncover the truth. Adriana has been trying to report something damning about Gabriel for years, so others would finally see the no-good demon as she does. However, in the face of darkness, Gabriel and Adriana must unite against an escalating danger… then deal with the rumour that they might not hate each other after all. Pb $32.99

Spark of the Everflame #1 Kindred's Curse

Penn Cole

Featuring a new bonus chapter and collectible design! In a world ruled by the cruel, magic-wielding Descended, Diem Bellator yearns to escape her poor village. When her mother disappears and Diem discovers a dangerous secret, she seizes an opportunity to enter the dark world of royalty and unlock the mysteries her mother left behind. With the King’s handsome, enigmatic heir watching her and a ruthless rebel alliance recruiting her, Diem must navigate love, power and politics to save her family – and all of mortal kind... Pb $32.99

Reclaimed #3 Reforged Seth Haddon

Signedwhile stock lasts

Saba Vasili, a scholar of the astral sea, faces a harrowing accusation after an arcane device he designed malfunctions and obliterates an entire district of the city, killing a foreign dignitary. Saba is incarcerated on the orders of Byrengrad’s ruling council, the Triad. Ambassador Luan Zek of the Rezwyn Empire arrives to take custody of the alleged murderer, but questions whether Saba is truly guilty or simply the Triad’s scapegoat. With Byrengrad’s fate in the balance, Saba and Zek must uncover the truth and stop the malfunctioning device. Pb $32.95

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

#2 Cerulean Chronicles TJ Klune

Following The House in the Cerulean Sea ($24.99), this is a beautifully queer, funny story about fighting for acceptance and being true to yourself. Arthur releases a public statement about his past, but his ability to care for the six magical children in his charge is put into question. With Linus by his side, Zoe and Helen supporting him, and the soon-to-be-seven children ready to resist the fear and hatred around them, Arthur faces the biggest challenge yet: to believe in himself... Zoë Pb $34.99

Pb $34.99

A Pirate’s Life for Tea #2 Tomes and Tea

Rebecca Thorne

The heart-warming sequel to Can't Spell Treason Without Tea ($34.99). Kianthe and Reyna join forces with local constable Bobbie to capture notorious pirate Serina, but lawmaker and lawbreaker have a complicated history that might jeopardise everything. Luckily, matchmaking is Reyna's favourite pastime. Take a break with a good book and a (heart)warming tea - and prepare for adventure. For fans of Bookshops and Bonedust ($22.99) and the TV series Our Flag Means Death Pb $34.99

The Dagger and the Flame #1 City of Fantome

Catherine Doyle

In Fantome, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers. After her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine seeks sanctuary with the Cloaks, her heart set on revenge. But are her abilities a match for Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers? As rumours swirl of monsters stalking the streets, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic... Pb $24.99

Comes the Night Isobelle Carmody

Will is 16 and lives with his father in Canberra in a dome that protects inhabitants from the corrosive atmosphere outside. His dreams are haunted by his beloved uncle Adam, who unexpectedly died in his sleep. As the nightmares grow more disturbing, Will decides to investigate his uncle’s death. Set in the near future, full of secrets, high stakes, peril, deception and dreamwalkers. Stand-alone novel. Pb $24.99

Unravelled #9.5 Keeper of the Lost Cities

Shannon Messenger

The latest instalment in this popular series is told entirely from Keefe’s point of view and contains crucial clues about truths buried deep in the elvin world. While his friends faced their own challenges in Stellarlune #9 ($17.99), Keefe was in the human world. Where did he go, who did he see and what shocking secrets were revealed? Perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Skandar Pb $17.99

HORROR! HORROR!

House of Leaves

Mark Z Danielewski

The award-winning and terrifying cult classic originally published in 2000, now available in a deluxe edition with full-colour text for an even more immersive reading experience, foil cover and embossed maze design. Hb $100

Blood Like Mine

Stuart Neville

I Shall Never Fall in Love Hari Conner

A joyfully queer graphic novel inspired by the work of Jane Austen and perfect for fans of Heartstopper ($22.99). George has always been in love with Eleanor, but has tried to ignore it. And now Eleanor is expected to marry a suitable man, so it doesn’t matter how George feels. Eleanor has always wanted to do everything ‘right’, including falling in love, but has never met a boy she’s interested in. Now she’s beginning to realise she likes George more than any man she’s met... Pb $24.99

Powerless

#1 Powerless (Deluxe Collector’s Edition)

Lauren

Roberts

The Elites possess powers gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are shunned by society. When Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as an Elite, saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she's thrown into the Purging Trials - a brutal competition to showcase her ‘Elite’ powers. If the Trials don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will… if he discovers she’s actually Ordinary. Hb $39.99

We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord Garth Nix

Inspired by Nix’s childhood playing Dungeons & Dragons in Canberra in the 1970s, this story maintains a steady tension from the moment a glowing orb is uncovered by a precocious ten-year-old, and only her older brother and his friends can stop it taking control of the weather, animals and people. A love letter to role-playing games and the bonds and problem-solving skills they build, as well as nostalgia for a time many of us haven’t lived. Allison Pb $17.99

Blood Over Bright Haven

M L Wang

After 20 years of study, Sciona finally becomes a highmage, the first woman to attain this status. Together with her mysterious assistant, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever - if it doesn’t get them killed first… A stand-alone dark academia fantasy. Pb $34.99

Rebecca and her daughter Monica, or ‘Moonflower’, travel the American West, always on the move, only interacting with others when necessary. But wherever they go, bodies are left behind. FBI agent Marc Donner has been tracking a serial killer for two years, the victims all men with their throats cut, but he’s not prepared for what’s really out there… Pb $34.99

The Mercy of Gods #1 Captive's War

James S A Corey

The Carryx - part empire, part hive - has waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy. When they descend on the isolated world of Anjiin, the human population is killed or put in chains. The best and brightest are abducted and kept with prisoners from a thousand other species. Dafyd is captured along with his scientific team, not knowing his peculiar insight and skills will be the key to seeing past their captors’ terrifying agenda... Pb $34.99

The Escher Man

T R Napper

Endel ‘Endgame’ Ebbinghaus is a violent man, by profession and by nature, the perfect enforcer for the Macau Syndicate. He’s also a father and husband, and longs for a simple life. But in a world where memory manipulation has become a weapon of choice for the powerful, he begins to lose faith in his own thoughts. He has to find a way to escape the labyrinth they’ve made of his mind, and take revenge. Pb $24.99

Godzilla / Godzilla Raids Again

Shigeru Kayama

Awakened and transformed by nuclear weapons testing, Godzilla emerged from the sea to devastate Tokyo, serving as a terrifying metaphor for humanity’s short-sighted destructiveness. Kayama drafted the 1954 film and its first sequel, creating a global sensation, then published these novellas the following year - now available in English for the first time. Pb $34.99

Ten $150 Gift Voucher prizes. See p2 for competition details.

Her super-bookish star may be rising but will the crash become a crush? CLUE #14

Steven Spielberg

The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work

The Art and Making of Ultraman: Rising

Drew Taylor

Ian Nathan

This in-depth study delves into the life and works of the world’s most famous director. Spielberg is the embodiment of the Hollywood ideal, successfully marrying commercial potential with creative possibilities. From a suburban background that supplied many of his films with a biographical streak, to the methodology behind his filmmaking and collaborations with other movie greats, this is a wonderful celebration of his timeless movies. Hb $59.99

When Tokyo is threatened by rising monster attacks, an all-star athlete reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman, only to discover his greatest challenge isn’t fighting giant monsters, it’s raising one. Take a deep dive into the animated movie-making process behind this 2024 Netflix film, from the genesis of the original idea to the creation of the bold, stylised worlds. Includes exclusive imagery and director’s commentary. Hb $79.99

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Jeff Bond

Before George Lucas and Steven Spielberg there was Irwin Allen, who broke box office records with The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. This book traces ‘the Master of Disaster’ from his days as a Hollywood agent to his long stint at 20th Century Fox producing movies such as The Lost World and the TV shows Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. Over 2,000 images including concept artwork, storyboards, blueprints and behind-the-scenes photos, many never before published. Hb $140

Total Recall The Official Story of the Film

Simon Braund

Incredible concept art and behind-the-scenes photography sheds new light on how this 1990 film was developed from a Philip K Dick short story into a big-budget Hollywood production starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. New interviews with cast and crew capture their experiences on the notoriously difficult shoot. Take a trip back in time with this lavish tribute to a sci-fi classic! Hb $79.99

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