Staff Reviews

Our Dear Daisy by Rosie Goodwin

Available in print, large print and eAudiobook

Nuneaton, 1880. Twenty-year-old Daisy Armstrong lives a happy life with her father Jed. They have a special bond, particularly after losing her mother and brother. But when Jed falls in love with Victoria Peake, a local widow, everything is set to change for them both.

With expensive tastes and a lavish lifestyle, moving into Daisy and Jed’s humble forge is not what Victoria or her spoiled son Gilbert expected – and they make that very clear. Worked to the bone trying to look after their home, Daisy is exhausted. But her one glimmer of hope is Lewis, Gilbert’s brother, a gentle and hard-working young man.

Then something terrible happens to Daisy, and she finds herself sent away from home. After unbearable suffering, but finding incredible strength within, she might finally have a chance at the life she wants. But she will ever find her way back to Lewis?

Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison

Available in large print

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor…And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

An eye for an eye by Jeffrey Archer

Available in print, large print, CD, eBook and eAudiobook

In one of the most luxurious cities on earth, a billion-dollar deal is about to go badly wrong. A lavish night out is about to end in murder. And the British government is about to be plunged into crisis.

Thousands of miles away, in the leafy Berkshire countryside, Lord Hartley, the latest in a line of peers going back over two hundred years, lies dying. But his will triggers an inheritance with explosive consequences.

Two deaths. Continents apart. Completely unrelated.

So why are they at the centre of a master criminal’s plot for revenge?

And can Scotland Yard’s Chief Superintendent William Warwick uncover the truth before an innocent man’s life and legacy are destroyed?

We solve murders by Richard Osman

Available in print, large print, CD and eAudiobook

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits and routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job…

Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?

Vertical gardening by Martin Staffler

Available in print 

With low-cost and sustainable DIY projects, this practical guide helps gardeners to make use of small spaces by growing upwards.

Vertical gardening offers great opportunities to grow flowers, vegetables, succulents and herbs, particularly for those with a balcony, patio or compact garden. It can also be a fantastic way to showcase creative and sustainable design choices, whether you've got wood, terracotta pots, burlap sacks, fabric or even plastic bottles.

From privacy screens to foldable storage, this helpful guide includes step-by-step DIY projects, plant care tips and tricks, and practical information on the special challenges that come with planting in a compact garden, including advice on pests, drainage and plants suited for gardens with limited light.

Beautifully illustrated throughout with aspirational photography and useful diagrams, Vertical Gardening celebrates the versatility of growing up in a small or awkward space.

A Periodic tale by Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki

Available in print, eBook and eAudiobook

How did a shy Polish immigrant kid - Karl Sven Woytek Sas Konkovitch Matthew Kruszelnicki - evolve into the fabulously eccentric Dr Karl?

The only child of Holocaust survivors who fled to Australia in 1950, Karl has always forged his own destiny in an idiosyncratic way. Before he became one of the world's favourite scientific storytellers, he ambled through a convoluted cacophony of a career.

In the 1960s, he got his start as a physicist at the Port Kembla Steelworks and promptly joined the Steel Industries Auto Club, racing modified rally cars on Wollongong's deserted back roads. In the 1970s, he entered his self-described 'drug-crazed hippie years', making a living as a long-haired, dope-smoking taxi driver. After he applied to be a NASA astronaut in the 1980s and 'failed', he ended up live broadcasting the first space shuttle launch on Triple J instead. Unexpectedly, that blasted off his media career, and from there it was a stratospheric rise from radio to TV, books, newspapers, speaking, podcasts and the internet.

Karl's story teaches us that you don't have to know all the answers, as long as you ask the right questions. He has wandered down more than a dozen career paths, from being a TV weatherman (really) to a professional four-wheel drive tester in the outback (really) to being a roadie for Bo Diddley (really). All of these seemingly random experiences have helped create the Karl we know today.

In this long-awaited memoir, you will learn that it's okay to not take a linear path through life, and that by following our curiosities and our passions, we can bend the universe to our liking.

The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and his new China by Michael Sheridan

Available in print

A concise, readable and revelatory biography of the most powerful man in the world.

The Red Emperor presents an eye-opening portrait of Xi Jinping, the man who presides over 1.4 billion people and the second largest economy on earth. Born a 'princeling' to one of Communist China's ruling families, the young Xi was exiled to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. He fought his way back to the top by stealth, privilege and guile. In 2012, following the spectacular fall of his rival Bo Xilai, Xi Jinping became the leader of China.

In a compulsively readable narrative, veteran foreign correspondent Michael Sheridan takes the reader from the poor, isolated country of Xi's youth to the military and economic superpower of today. In Xi's new China, family mafias struggle for power amid murder, corruption and sex scandals as ministers and generals vanish in purges. No one is safe in his techno-security state. Xi is an absolute ruler whose word is law on everything from war and peace to the ruthless campaign against Covid-19. He aims to dominate world trade, to defeat Western democracy and to make China the supreme power in the East. A loner and a risk-taker, he is the most consequential leader of our time.

Drawing on intimate stories from the closed world of China's leading families and two decades of first-hand reporting, Michael Sheridan sheds new light on the history and politics of China. The book reveals that behind the facade of the Chinese Communist Party there is a modern dynasty and a new emperor.

The buy right approach to property investing by Cate Bakos and Pete Wargent

Available in print

The basic premise of this book is that the best time to sell property is never, provided you buy the right property in the first place.

The Buy Right Approach to Property Investing will help you to achieve a passive income and financial freedom through investing in Australian property.

Cate and Pete’s industry knowledge of Australian property investing shines through with detailed reflections on a multitude of investor successes and mistakes. Importantly, they outline what’s involved in buying the right property, which includes:

• doing your due diligence on areas, properties and price
• researching historical capital growth and performance
• calculating your return on investment
• adopting a cautiously optimistic outlook and long-term view
• managing your risk

Their mission is to demystify much of the jargon in the world of real estate and enable readers not only to better understand and relate to property investment goals but to embrace their confidence and take sensible, well-informed action.

Bad girls of Ancient Greece by Lizzy Tiffin

Available in print

Bad Girls of Ancient Greece contains profiles of wayward wives, mad mothers, scandalous sisters and damsels, that quite frankly, caused others A LOT of stress in the ancient world.

With the ever-growing popularity of mythological retellings, Lizzy Tiffin has written THE guide to all the baddies of ancient Greece. This book stands as a reminder that us women really have been bad – in the best way possible – from the start.

Written with humour and sass, Lizzy profiles the women in Greek myth and legend covering: mortals, goddesses, titans and nymphs. Here you’ll find the weird and wonderful escapades of the women we’re often led to believe were minor characters.

Bad Girls of Ancient Greece is an accessible, intelligent, hilarious (sometimes spicy) guide to the women we love and know – Athena, Medusa, Aphrodite – and those we may not, like Polyphonte, who was cursed with burning hot lust for a wild bear … imagine!

Dive into the stories you thought you knew with Bad Girls of Ancient Greece as your illuminating guide…

The Whole Truth: Jackie O by Jackie Henderson and Konrad Marshall

Available in print and eAudiobook

I’ve always strived to be honest in my public life; however, there’s a lot I’ve kept private. Now, it’s time to tell the whole truth.

Jackie Henderson, known to most as ‘Jackie O’, has graced Australia’s airwaves since 1993. Through hard work and openness with her listeners, she rose from minor on-air roles to form one half of the country’s biggest radio programs alongside controversial co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and ‘Ugly Phil’ O’Neil.

Here, for the first time, Jackie speaks candidly about her life in and out of the spotlight. She takes us behind the scenes of the spectacles and scandals of The Kyle and Jackie O Show and shares stories from thirty years spent working with huge celebrities, big egos and legions of both fans and detractors.

Her body. Her relationships. Her parenting. Her salary. Her health. All have been discussed across gossip pages and on social media, but there are parts of her life Jackie has kept private.

In this brave, no-holds-barred memoir, she is finally telling all. Forget everything you think you know about Jackie O. This is the whole truth.

Heartstrong: Chumpy, Minnie & Me by Ellidy Pullin

Available in print

A powerful, moving memoir on love, loss and this one precious life.

'If not with you, then for you.'

It was a perfect Wednesday morning when Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin kissed his partner, Ellidy, goodbye to go spearfishing. Most days, Ellidy would go to the beach too, but that day she didn't. Later, there was a knock at the door. A man had been found unconscious on the ocean floor. It was Chumpy.

From that moment, Ellidy's world stopped. There was deep grief, disbelief and then the gradual realisation that this was real. Ellidy's partner of eight years, a World Champion snowboarder, a man of energy and music, was gone. And so was the life they had built together and the dream of the child they had been trying for. In the hours that followed, a suggestion was made: did Ellidy want to harvest Chumpy's sperm and try for the baby they both wanted so deeply?

There was a ticking clock and the need to discuss with family and friends. They had thirty-six hours before it would be too late . . .

Heartstrong is an unforgettable book about love, joy, grief, hope and finding a way to keep going in the darkest of times.

Taylor Swift style: fashion through the eras by Sarah Chapelle

Available in print

For Taylor Swift, fashion and music go hand-in-hand--each playing a powerful role in shaping the narrative of this generation's most prolific storyteller. Red lipstick isn't just a makeup choice--it's the emblem of an era. A mini skirt isn't simply part of a cute outfit--it's a suit of armour. From cowboy boots to teetering heels, fairytale dresses to bleach-tinged tresses, and the many memorable moments in between, Taylor Swift Style tells the fashion story behind every single Taylor Swift album, tracing Swift's musical evolution along with her ever-changing personal style.

From red carpet looks, to streetwear, to tour costumes, Sarah Chapelle of the successful Instagram and blog Taylor Swift Style, has spent more than a decade documenting Swift's fashion choices and the intention behind each ensemble. Her deep dives into songs, lyrics, and behind-the-scenes insights paint a portrait of a megastar who knows exactly what she is doing. Taylor Swift Style seeks to explain the 'why' behind Swift's outfits--the Easter Eggs and deeper meanings behind every hemline and haircut--that speak to the emotional context of each musical moment.

With over two hundred photos dating from Swift's earliest days as a country singer in Nashville, up through the present as a renowned pop icon, paired with insightful commentary, Taylor Swift Style is a one-of-a-kind keepsake and a must-have for Swifties.

Missing by Nicole Morris

Available in print and eBook

In Missing, Nicole Morris, best-selling author of Vanished and founder of the Australian Missing Persons Register, delves into the chilling world of long-term missing persons cases. With over 55,000 disappearances annually in Australia, each story is a heart-wrenching account of unanswered questions and shattered lives.

From a West Australian man entangled in the dangers of online dating to an Adelaide father possibly linked to Australia's most notorious serial killings, Morris uncovers haunting tales of those who vanished without a trace. Three mothers leaving behind bewildered children, a young hitchhiker lost on a desolate Queensland highway, and two Sydney men who lost their way—all woven into the fabric of inexplicable disappearances.

The narrative spans decades, from the 1980s to present-day mysteries, including the puzzling case of a gentle Greenpeace worker vanishing amidst inner-city Melbourne, the suspicious disappearance of a 21-year-old, and the grim discovery of scattered remains in Queensland, unravelling a harrowing tale of violence and tragedy. And then there is the perplexing case of a man who went missing over and over again.

Missing sheds light on the untold stories of those who vanished, leaving behind a void of unanswered questions and enduring pain. Nicole Morris brings attention to the cold cases from families of missing persons, raising awareness, and hopefully uncovering new leads for desperate families searching for the truth.

The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop by Neil Mercer

Available in print, eBook and CD

Roger Rogerson captured Australia's attention as its most notorious cop in the golden age of graft and violence. But who was the real Rogerson? And who was his principal partner in crime, the underworld kingpin, heroin dealer and armed bandit Arthur 'Neddy' Smith? Now Rogerson and Smith are both dead, and the full truth can be revealed.

Roger and Neddy have fascinated the public for decades. Our most decorated yet crooked police officer and the murderous drug importer he protected and enabled led interwoven careers that were truly stranger than fiction. Their crimes were committed against the backdrop of a changing Australia, as the nation's social fabric adapted to a more global world, and money - and drugs - poured into the country. Police, judges and even the media were up for sale, and Rogerson and Smith were the princes of this glamorous but bloody kingdom.

But as Roger and Neddy grew ever richer and more powerful, their crimes became too brazen, too violent and too public, leading to their spectacular downfall, years in court and life in prison. Crime reporter Neil Mercer knew Roger and Neddy from the early 1980s, when the men were at the height of their powers. He followed their careers for major news outlets, met with them and was given exclusive interviews and insider information. Rogerson even wrote to him from jail. With key witnesses finally coming forward, Mercer has uncovered astonishing new evidence that will rewrite the story of the Australian underworld.

The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop is the definitive account of Roger and Neddy, and the era that made them. As compelling as any crime novel, it is filled with colour, violence and inside stories never seen or read before.

The knowledge gene by Lynne Kelly

Available in print and CD

Over 500,000 years ago, a single gene mutated. It spread over time, becoming critical in the journey that transformed our earliest ancestors into fully modern humans, capable of navigating the entire planet and beyond.

A few thousand years ago, humans started outsourcing knowledge to writing, displacing art and music from the heart of learning.

This is the extraordinary story of a gene that makes us uniquely human. Dr Lynne Kelly recounts how a widespread congenital disorder was the critical clue she and her collaborators needed to identify this gene as the supergene that has long eluded researchers into human cognition.

The knowledge gene supercharged our ability to learn and share knowledge with others, explaining the prodigious memories of Indigenous people the world over. The knowledge gene unlocks many other puzzles too. It explains for the first time why humans are the only species to make art, offers new insights into the earliest music and storytelling, and discusses the cognitive strengths of neurodivergent people.

The Knowledge Gene shows that we can all access the full power of our memories, without giving up any of the advantages of writing and technology. The implications for learning and creativity at any age are profound.

Hyperefficient by Mithu Storoni

Available in print 

In today's digital age, we move through life at a frantic pace to keep up with the never-ending influx of information and daily tasks. But what if some simple shifts could help boost creativity and optimise how we focus and process data, to elevate our mental performance and productivity?

In Hyperefficient, Dr Mithu Storoni lays out the tools to retune our brains to the best settings for complex thinking, concentration, and decision-making. Storoni proposes we impose the rhythm of our brains on our work in order to create the perfect environment for us to thrive individually at work and at home. Rooted in the very latest scientific research, Hyperefficient is a must-have practical manual for your brain.

Real conversations by Mitch Wallis

Available in print 

Healthy relationships are the heartbeat of life: research tells us the number-one thing that keeps us happy is who we have around us. The best way to improve your own life, and the lives of others, is to invest in your ability to connect. But so often, when the people around us experience emotional pain, we don’t know how to support them.

You may be a parent supporting your child with anxiety, a partner supporting your spouse with depression or addiction, a manager trying to support your employee through grief, a co-worker supporting your teammate with relationship issues, a friend supporting a loved one through financial stress or a teacher supporting a student being bullied.

If you can see yourself in any of these situations, this book is for you. Like the tens of thousands of people Mitch Wallis has trained over the years through his Real Conversations workshops, you will learn from an evidence-based 5-step framework: Engage, Listen, Safety, Action and Boundaries.

Real Conversations will help you to form unprecedented trust and closeness in your most important relationships, without hurting yourself in the process.

Tonight by Nagi Maehashi

Available in print

Australia's favourite home cook, Nagi Maehashi, is back to solve the perennial problem of what's for dinner tonight ... and every night.

Following on from her record-breaking first cookbook, Dinner, Nagi brings us Tonight with more than 150 brand-new foolproof, flavour-packed recipes, 800 variations on those recipes and 3000 possible combinations that match formulas (including the world-famous Charlie sauce) with different ingredients.

Some dinners can be cooked in 20 minutes, and others can be made using only pantry staples. For high-impact guest-impressing, turn to Sunday Suppers - the Vietnamese pulled pork is a festival of flavour - while the Sweets chapter delivers on the promise of maximum decadence.

With a stunning photo and link to a how-to video for each recipe - and plenty of guest appearances from Australia's most loved golden retriever, Dozer! - this is a book for every Australian kitchen, for every level of cooking ability, for every budget, for every set of taste buds, and for every single night of the week.

Too easy by Donna Hay

Available in print

Cooking has never been easier! In Donna Hay's stunning new cookbook, Too Easy, you'll find inspiring recipes that transform a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients into delicious meals within minutes.

Understand the value of creating a well-stocked pantry with staple ingredients aimed at minimising food waste. Then challenge yourself to perfect your fake-away game with pad thai, pizza, toasties and brunch ideas. 

Mediterranean diet: the Australian way by taste.com.au

Available in print

Australians are captivated by the Mediterranean diet, and no wonder. Along with its regular listing as the world's #1 healthiest diet, for anyone watching their grocery bills, it's also one of the most affordable. The ingredients that form the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet are fresh, plentiful, accessible and wide-ranging in Australia, from vegetables to herbs, wholegrains to legumes, and fresh omega-rich fish. They're all at our fingertips.

Like all healthy recipes on taste.com.au, each recipe makes prep and cooking easy, and all the ingredients are as close as your local supermarket. The cookbook also includes an easy meal planner with every meal occasion covered.

When it comes to healthy diets, the Mediterranean diet is second to none. Five decades of studies and research clearly point to its broad suite of health benefits, and its proven links to help reduce risk of a whole raft of serious chronic diseases. All recipes in The Mediterranean Diet: The Australian Way have been rigorously checked for their alignment with the traditional Mediterranean diet protocol by taste.com.au's leading nutritionist.

Sewing perfect little bags & totes by Carolina Moore

Available in print

Whether you've been sewing for years or are looking for an approachable entry point to learn how to sew, this is a must-have guide for any kind of crafter. Featuring 15 easy-to-make pouch and bag sewing patterns, plus tutorials for various styles and techniques for applying straps, pockets, and hardware, have a blast mixing and matching to sew all kinds of bags.

From a simple clutch to an organizational tote or even a reusable gift bag, this guide will show you tons of the most common techniques used in bag making to build your sewing skills and even make your own original bag designs.

Crochet toy box: create toys & games the family will love

Published by Sona Books

Available in print

Every kid loves to have fun, so why not fill up their toy box with delightful handmade toys?

From bears and dolls to rattles and lovies, we've got everything you need to create crochet toys and games for the little ones in your life. They can take a trip to Mexico with an amigurumi doll, learn colours and shapes with fun geometric patterns, and battle each other in noughts and crosses.

For crochet beginners, we've also included a handy guide to get you started in the craft. So what are you waiting for? Straightforward text, ideal for the beginner.

Macrame: 25 projects to create with cord by Francoise Vauzeilles

Available in print

There are more than 30 simple and beautiful projects for readers to turn their hands to, including braided wreaths, fringed lampshades and woven wall hangings.

All the projects are shown in versatile Scandi neutrals, which would make a tasteful addition to any home, but if you decide to feature a bit of colour, there’s handy information on using natural dyes included. With helpful instructions on basic macramé knots as well as inspirational photography, it won't be long before your home is adorned in gorgeous macramé pieces.

Painting birds: expressive watercolour techniques by Sarah Stokes

Available in print

A guide to capturing the beauty of birds using modern, expressive watercolour painting techniques.

Painting watercolours in a loose style is a technique admired by many artists, yet there are a range of skills to master in order to achieve a sense of freedom and lightness of touch. Birds present us with a vibrant array of colours and textures – from the iridescent plumage of the hummingbird to the zingy turquoise blue of the kingfisher – and with such varied and lively characters they are a wonderful subject to paint.

Supported by instructional photos throughout, experienced artist Sarah encourages you to let go of the detail whilst providing you with all the techniques required to paint beautiful and characterful portraits of birds with colour and verve.