BOOK CLUB TOP NEW READS FOR SPRING

BOOKCLUB

Fresh new reads for spring

WORDS SALLY MACMILLAN

SPECIAL TREAT

Renowned chef Nicola Coccia, of Osteria il Coccia in Ettalong Beach, has produced a beautiful cookbook celebrating the Italian peasant food of his childhood. Farm to Flame tells how Nicola grew up surrounded by food; in a family of farmers, cheesemakers, fishermen and cooks, good food was not just nourishment, it was about understanding the cycles of nature and the importance of family. Since moving to Australia in 2010, Nicola cooked at Sydney institutions Otto, Ormeggio and Quay before establishing Osteria il Coccia. Available at Osteria il Coccia and at osteriailcoccia.com.au, RRP$55

THRILLS & CHILLS

Lying Beside You is the latest page-turner from Michael Robotham, the third in a series featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and troubled teenager Evie Cormac. Both have experienced horrendous traumas as children and Evie is blessed – or cursed – with the ability to tell when people are lying. Cyrus’ family was murdered by his brother Elias 20 years earlier, and he now has to come to terms with Elias’ release from a secure psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, Cyrus is called to a crime scene in Nottingham and the ensuing twists and turns take you to a very dark place indeed. Hachette Australia, RRP $32.99

Jane Harper’s Exiles is the final of her trilogy starring federal investigator Aaron Falk – Eric Bana played him in The Dry and is reprising the role in Force of Nature, which is being filmed in Victoria. In Exiles, the deadpan detective visits friends in a country town in South Australia, where he becomes enmeshed in the case of a missing woman whose baby was found abandoned at the annual wine festival the previous year. Family, friends and Aaron’s new love interest all come under suspicion in what is destined to be another bestseller. Pan Macmillan, RRP $32.99

‘Outback noir’ has become a big thing in recent years and like Jane Harper, Chris Hammer is a master of the genre. His new multi-layered thriller, The Tilt, is set in a small town on the border between NSW and Victoria and involves a cold case that has been festering since World War II. Detective Nell Buchanan, who made her debut in Treasure and Dirt, is assigned to the job in her hometown and as more bodies are discovered, she realises that her family is deeply implicated and her own life is in danger. Totally compelling. Allen and Unwin, RRP $32.99

FABULOUS FICTION

Lessons is the 18th novel from Ian McEwan, whom The Sunday Times calls “the supreme novelist of his generation”. It follows the life of Roland Baines from his childhood at an ‘unusual’ boarding school to the disappearance of his wife 25 years later, when he is left with their baby son. Forced to look for answers, Roland finds himself reflecting on the global events backgrounding his own existence, from the 1950s Suez Crisis to today’s covid pandemic. One ordinary man’s journey becomes an epic story of love, regret and the search for meaning during an era of disturbing change. Penguin Random House, RRP $32.99

Another panoramic, century-spanning novel from a bestselling British author is The Romantic by William Boyd. Set in the 1800s, protagonist Cashel Greville Ross leads a wild life as a soldier, farmer, bankrupt, jailbird and gigolo – among other manifestations – before ending his days as a diplomat in Austria-Hungary. Cashel’s adventures take him from Ireland to London, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and Italy as he seeks his fortune across continents in times of peace and war. As you’d expect from the title, he finds love as well as loss on his turbulent travels. A wonderful read. Penguin Random House, RRP $32.99

Fans of My Name Is Lucy Barton and Oh William! will welcome Lucy’s return in Pulitzer prizewinning Elizabeth Strout’s third novel in the series. In Lucy by the Sea, Lucy’s philandering ex-husband and long-time friend, William, persuades her to leave New York as the covid pandemic takes hold and join him in a house he has rented in coastal Maine. As weeks turn into months the couple navigate their complex past, crises in their daughters’ marriages and living together in an inhospitable town during lockdown. Resilience is at the heart of this quiet, beautifully written tale. Penguin Random House, RRP $32.99

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic novel David Copperfield, Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead takes us through the modern perils of a lost boy made good. Demon Copperhead is the child of a teenage single mother and with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-coloured hair, a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival, he has to make his way through the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of impoverished rural America in the 21st century. The esteemed author of Flight Behaviour and The Poisonwood Bible has created another fascinating world. Allen and Unwin, RRP $32.99