Easter Long Weekend The Lace Weaver | Lauren Chater | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster 1941, Estonia. Fiercely partisan, Katarina battles to protect her grandmother’s precious legacy – the weaving of gossamer lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations.
FICTION
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The House of Impossible Beauties | Joseph Cassara | $27.99 | Allen & Unwin Set in NYC in the late 70s early 90s against the backdrop of the impending AIDS crisis, The House of Impossible Beauties follows a cast of gay and transgender kids navigating the Harlem ball scene, banding together as they flee their traumatic pasts.
The Shepherd’s Hut | Tim Winton $39.99 | Penguin John says: Winton is so ‘earthy’ he seems made of the iron-red sands and salt-lake crystals of the Western Australia he so lovingly depicts. In Jaxie Clackton, the irreverent and broken youth who narrates this gripping yarn, he has created another unforgettable character, stripped and raw and hungry. Reeling from a family disaster and yearning for a forbidden love, he sets out into the mulga scrub with a rifle and a need to survive. Don’t Skip Out On Me | Willy Vlautin | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin Meet Horace Hopper, a 21-year-old farm hand in Nevada. Half-white, half-Paiute Indian; he dreams of bigger things. Leaving behind the farm and its fragile stability, he heads South to re-invent himself as the Mexican boxer Hector Hidalgo. Slowly, the possibility emerges that his dreams might not just be the delusions of a lost soul.
Little Gods | Jenny Ackland | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin Little Gods is a novel about the mess of family, about vengeance and innocence lost. It explores resilience and girlhood and questions how families live with all of their complexities and contradictions. Resonating with echoes of great Australian novels like Cloudstreet, and Jasper Jones, Little Gods is told with similar idiosyncrasy, insight and style.
Those Other Women | Nicola Moriarty | $29.99 | Harper Collins Rivalries and resentments between mums and non-mums spiral wildly out of control in the compelling new book by the bestselling author of The Fifth Letter. An online rivalry spills dangerously into the real world. Cafes become battlegrounds, playgrounds become warzones and offices have never been so divided.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart | Holly Ringland $32.99 | Harper Collins Dean says: An accomplished debut from a natural storyteller, Ringland’s prose blooms from the page as the natives do leading into each chapter. Full of whimsy and heart which will capture fans of Holly Throsby’s Goodwood then it shifts up a gear to tackle the impact of violence on young women’s lives. Spanning 20 years a shocked child stops talking when she loses her violent parents to a fire then moves to her unknown Grandmother’s native flower farm. Here she learns to speak to flowers and finds her own strength hidden within each native’s meaning. Holly Ringland is a genuine storyteller and this debut is written from her heart!
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CRIME FICTION / FANTASY
The Portrait of Molly Dean | Katherine Movacic | $29.99 | Bonnier In 1999, art dealer Alex Clayton stumbles across a lost portrait of Molly Dean, an artist’s muse brutally slain in Melbourne in 1930. Alex buys the painting and sets out to uncover more details, but finds there are strange inconsistencies.
Hangman | Daniel Cole | $29.99 | Hachette The new thriller from the bestselling author of Ragdoll. A detective with no one to trust A killer with nothing to lose 18 months after the ‘Ragdoll’ murders, a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, the word ‘BAIT’ carved into the chest.
The Ruin l Dervla McTiernan $32.99 | Harper Collins Dean says: McTiernan is Australia’s new writing star. This first-class thriller holds you from start to finish. Atmospheric, intriguing characters and excellent writing makes The Ruin an instant stand out. This is the first book in a series featuring Irish detective Cormac Reilly. Reilly is the perfect gritty detective - well rounded and loveable.
A Hero Born l Jin Yong | $32.99 Hachette Dean says: I’m very excited that this fantasy series has been translated and it is every bit as exciting as Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars …. you see where I’m going… and can see what kind of epic fantasy wonder this is. This classic Chinese fantasy was first written in 1959 and possesses all of the classic fantasy traits; revenge, loyalty, betrayal and war- this is a truly wonderful series.
Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Stuart Turton | $24.99 | Allen & Unwin As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed. But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. An utterly original murder mystery.
The Body Library | Jeff Noon | $19.99 | Simon & Schuster Noon returns with a staggering hallucinogenic sequel. In a city where words come to life and reality is infected by stories, private eye John Nyquist wakes up in a room with a dead body... The dead man’s impossible whispers plunge him into a murder investigation like no other.
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All The Beautiful Lies | Peter Swanson | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin On the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father. But who really is Alice, his father’s much younger second wife?
The Book of Joan | Lidia Yuknavitch | $27.99 | Allen & Unwin A group of rebels have united to save a world ravaged by war, violence and greed. Joan is their leader. Jean de Men is their foe. The future of humanity is being rewritten. A genre-defying masterpiece that may very well rewire your brain.
NON-FICTION
Am I There Yet? | Mari Andrews | $24.99 | Allen & Unwin This on-point guide to growing up captures the feelings and comical complexities of millennials and adulthood with essays and illustrations. In the journey toward adulthood, it is easy to find yourself treading the path of those who came before you; the path often appears straight and narrow, with a few bumps in the road and a little scenery to keep you inspired. McQueen | Tom Rasmussen $49.99 | Simon & Schuster The illustrated history of a fashion icon tells Lee Alexander McQueen’s story through the edgy and beautiful illustrations of R.SONG and text by Tom Rasmussen, charting the rise and rise of McQueen through his life, his loves, his friendships, his struggles, his models and his biggest fashion moments, before his deeply sad death at the age of 40 in 2010.
A Certain Light | Cynthia Banham | $32.99 Allen & Unwin Cynthia Banham’s inspiring family memoir uncovers a true picture of what survival means: ‘This book tells a story that I tried to write many times before, but couldn’t. For a long time, it was too painful to tell. It is also one I hadn’t known how to tell. It had to be more than a story about surviving a plane crash, a random event without intrinsic meaning.’
Finding My Place Anne Aly | $32.99 Harper Collins From Cairo to Canberra the irresistible story of an irrepressible woman. Anne Aly was the first Australian Muslim woman, the first Egyptian-born woman and the first counter-terrorism expert to be elected to federal parliament. She was also most probably the first parliamentarian to have seen Zoolander 23 times.
Misogynation | Laura Bates $29.99 | Simon & Schuster In this collection of essays Laura Bates uncovers the sexism that exists in our relationships, our workplaces, our media, in our homes and on our streets, but which is also firmly rooted in our lifelong assumptions and in the actions and attitudes we explain away, defend and accept. Misogynation joins the dots to reveal the true scale of discrimination and prejudice women face.
The Friendship Cure | Kate Leaver $29.99 | Harper Collins Emily says: A fantastic, readable nonfiction about the difficulties of finding true connection in what should be a highly connected age. Kate Leaver made me cry, and snort with laughter (my fellow commuters must have thought very strange things!) A book for everyone who has ever struggled with loneliness or making friends, this is also a celebration of friendship in all its forms.
New Power | Jeremy Heimans & Henry Timms | $32.99 | Pan Macmillan The technological revolution of the past two decades has made possible a new form of power, one that operates differently, like a current. New Power provides the tools for using new power to successfully spread an idea or lead a movement in the twenty-first century.
The Hope Circuit | Martin Seligman | $34.99 | Penguin Seligman works out his theory of psychology, making a compelling and deeply personal case for the importance of virtues like hope, anticipation, gratitude and wisdom for our mental health. You will walk away from this book not just educated but deeply enriched.
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CHILDREN’S FICTION
The Hole Story | Kelly Canby | $24.99 | Fremantle Press One day Charlie finds a hole. A hole of his very own! He picks it up and pops it in his pocket. But it doesn’t take Charlie long to realise that a hole in your pocket is not a good thing to have. The Hole Story is a quirky and fun pictorial story that explores all of the things in the world that might need a hole. Canby plays with language and symbolism in the most fun and interesting of ways to bring the remarkable and the playfulness into the everyday. 3 yrs +
Go Go and The Silver Shoes | Jane Godwin | $24.99 | Penguin When Go Go is allowed to buy the most beautiful shoes ever, she decides she will wear them EVERYWHERE! Even to the creek, where she and her brothers go adventuring. But that’s when a terrible thing happens... A sparkly story of one independently minded little girl, and the unexpected, precious ways life sometimes works. 3 yrs +
Sky Song | Abi Elphinstone $16.99 | Simon & Schuster Mischa says: Set in the icy north, Sky Song is an action packed adventure about the magic of the wilderness. Erkenwald is a land of mountains, forests and glaciers; it is home to polar bears, eagles, whales and wolves, as well as to the Fur, Feather and Tusk tribes. Elphinstone has orchestrated a captivating story embedded in mythology with two brave and resourceful children at the forefront. Fabio the World’s Greatest Flamingo Detective | Laura James $12.99 | Bloomsbury From the author of Captain Pug, comes the start of a hilarious new mystery series. In a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives the world’s greatest flamingo detective. He’s not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he’s very, very clever. Fabio is incredibly entertaining with bright and witty illustrations for the delight of both children and adults! 6 yrs +
The Dangerous Art of Blending In Angelo Surmelis | $19.99 | Penguin Seventeen year old Evan acts as the voice for a community that has survived by being silent. Evan navigates how he fits into the world when the world seems like it’s against him. Angelo Surmelis has created a poignant and uplifting read about coming to terms with an emerging self and sexuality that isn’t accepted as the norm, especially when growing up in a Greek family. This book is a brave and provocative work of extraordinary art. 12 yrs +
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Tin Heart | Shivaun Plozza | $19.99 | Penguin Tin Heart is just one of those books that can fill your heart with love and laughter at the same time as squeezing it so tightly it hurts. Shivaun Plozzo has created a complex drama around Marlowe Jensen, whose life is saved by the donation of a heart from an anonymous young donor who died in a car accident. Tin Heart is a coming-ofage story that is made unique by the fact that Marlowe must find her sense of self with someone else’s heart beating in her body as well as an overwhelming feeling of survivor’s guilt. 12 yrs +
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