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Never Ever Forever (Karina May, Macmillan)
Released December 2023
A charming contemporary Australian romance novel, Never Ever Forever by Karina May is a heartfelt tale of love, second chances and self-discovery. The story revolves around Rosie Royce, an endearing protagonist... Read more
The Broken Wave (Matthew Ryan Davies, Macmillan)
Released December 2023
In 1992, 12-year-old Andrew moves from the US to the coastal town of Queenscliff, Australia, with his mother and stepdad. That summer, he meets Tom, an easygoing Aussie boy who... Read more
Our Family Dragon (Rebecca Lim, illus Cai Tse, Albert Street Books)
Released December 2023
Our Family Dragon: A Lunar New Year story is a joyful celebration of love, family and the Lunar New Year from award-winning writer Rebecca Lim. This festive story is illustrated... Read more
Emergency Exit Only (Michelle Upton, HarperCollins)
Released December 2023
For the past 10 years, Amelia Harris has preferred to gaze at the fire escape doors opposite her desk at Queensland Office Supplies, rather than take any chances with her... Read more
Frank Moorhouse: Strange paths (Matthew Lamb, Knopf)
Released December 2023
Frank Moorhouse worked relentlessly to refine both his writing and his understanding of himself. The first volume of Matthew Lamb’s biography of Moorhouse—who passed away last year at 83—is a valuable... Read more
In the Rockpool (Andrea Rowe, illus Hannah Sommerville, Little Hare)
Released December 2023
Andrea Rowe’s In the Rockpool transports us to a sunny beach where children play on the rock platform. With the sea in the background and the alluring rockpool in the... Read more
Deep in the Forest (Erina Reddan, Pantera)
Released December 2023
The Trenthen family’s revered reputation in Stone Lake crumbles when a damaging bushfire uncovers an item that appears to belong to Charli, a bookbinder and the family’s last surviving member, right... Read more
Ladybirds Do Not Go to Day Care (Ali Rutstein, illus Niña Nill, Bright Light)
Released December 2023
Ladybirds Do Not Go to Daycare is the story of Ravi, a young boy who loves dressing up as his favourite insect—a ladybird. He loves brushing his teeth (or mandibles)... Read more
Secret Sparrow (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
Released December 2023
Jackie French’s latest middle-grade novel, Secret Sparrow, focuses on the unheralded work of women in World War I. This exciting adventure story is told with dual timelines and begins in... Read more
The Wiregrass (Adrian Hyland, Ultimo)
Released December 2023
With wild weather, swollen rivers, falling trees, a disgraced cop, a cult and a dead man, Adrian Hyland’s The Wiregrass is a thrilling mix of wry humour and page-turning crime.... Read more
The Locked-Up Country: Learning the lessons from Australia’s Covid-19 response (Tom Chodor & Shahar Hameiri, UQP)
Released November 2023
After reading The Locked-Up Country, you may rethink your position on Australia’s Covid-19 response. It’s not a comfortable read, but important books rarely are. Authors Tom Chodor (senior lecturer in Politics... Read more
The Drowning (Bryan Brown, A&U)
Released November 2023
The accidental drowning death of a local Gumbaynggirr boy—David, from whose viewpoint the book opens—brings a shadow of sadness over a small NSW coastal town. Then a backpacker doesn't turn up... Read more
Silver Linings (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books)
Released November 2023
Following the multi-award-winning success of Katrina Nannestad’s World War II novels for younger readers, Silver Linings sees her move from the battlefields of Europe to post-war Australia, and a story... Read more
The Conversion (Amanda Lohrey, Text)
Released November 2023
When Zoe’s husband, Nick, dies unexpectedly, she finds herself adrift. Recently retired and unable to afford to continue living in the city, she purchases an old and rundown church in... Read more
Stuck Up & Stupid (Angourie Rice & Kate Rice, Walker)
Released November 2023
Stuck Up & Stupid is the debut novel from a mother-daughter writing team: actor Angourie Rice and playwright Kate Rice. With a familiar yet fresh narrative, this contemporary YA reimagining of Pride and... Read more
Good Night, Good Beach (Joy Cowley, illus Hilary Jean Tapper, Gecko Press)
Released November 2023
A celebration of summer, holidays and the natural world, award-winning Aotearoa New Zealand author Joy Cowley’s latest picture book, Good Night, Good Beach, follows five children and their adventures across one day as... Read more
Meatsmith (Andrew McConnell & Troy Wheeler, Hardie Grant)
Released November 2023
Acclaimed restauranteur Andrew McConnell (Cutler & Co) and butcher Troy Wheeler opened the specialist butcher Meatsmith with a passion for close relationships with farmers and producers with shared ethical values.... Read more
Hunter on Holiday: A Big Trip Around Europe (Jessica and Stephen Parry-Valentine, illus Ashlee Spink, Puffin)
Released November 2023
In 2015, Jessica and Stephen Parry-Valentine quit their jobs, booked a one-way flight to New York, and have been sharing their wayfaring through over 80 countries with an audience of... Read more
Days of Innocence and Wonder (Lucy Treloar, Picador)
Released November 2023
Lucy Treloar’s third novel centres on a woman named Till, whose life was cleaved in two when her childhood friend E was kidnapped right before her eyes 18 years ago—‘nothing... Read more
Medieval Monsters and Other Creatures (Timothy Ide, MidnightSun)
Released November 2023
Medieval Monsters and Other Creatures, written and illustrated by Timothy Ide, is a nonfiction deep dive into weird and wonderful creatures that filled medieval imaginations—especially in Europe—presented A to Z. With whole spreads... Read more
