Nicotine by Nell Zink

$13.95 AUD

$29.99 (53% off)

Category: FICTION | Reading Level: very good

From the much acclaimed author of MISLAID and THE WALLCREEPER, a fierce and audaciously funny novel of families-both the ones we're born into and the ones we create-a story of obsession, idealism, and ownership, centered around a young woman who inherits her bohemian late father's childhood home. Recent business school graduate Penny Baker has rebelled against her family her whole life-by being the conventional one. Her mother, Amalia, was a member of a South American tribe called the Kogi; her much older father, Norm, long ago attained cult-like deity status among a certain cohort of ageing hippies while operating a psychedelic 'healing centre.' And she's never felt particularly close to her much older half-brothers from Norm's previous marriage-one wickedly charming and obscenely rich (but mostly just wicked), one a photographer on a distant tropical island. But all that changes when her father dies, and Penny inherits his childhood home in New Jersey. She goes to investigate the property and finds it not overgrown and abandoned, but rather occupied by a group of friendly anarchist squatters whom she finds unexpectedly charming, and who have renamed the property "Nicotine." The Nicotine residents (united in defence of smokers' rights) possess the type of passion and fervour Penny feels she's desperately lacking, and the other squatter houses in the neighbourhood provide a sense of community she has never felt before. She soon moves into a nearby residence, becoming enmeshed in the political fervour and commitment of her fellow squatters. As the Baker family's lives begin to converge around the fate of the house now called Nicotine, Penny grows ever bolder and more desperate to protect it-and its residents-until a fateful night when a reckless confrontation between her old family and her new one changes everything. Nell Zink exquisitely captures the clash between Baby-Boomer idealism and Millennial pragmatism, between the have-nots and want-mores, in a riotous yet tender novel that brilliantly encapsulates our time. ...Show more

Factory 19 by Dennis Glover

$32.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

They tell us that human happiness lies only in the future. But what if it really lies in the past? Hobart, 2022- a city with declining population, in the grip of a dark recession. A rusty ship sails into the harbour and begins to unload its cargo on the site of the once famous but now abandoned Gallery of Future Art, known to the world as GoFA. One day the city's residents are awoken by a high-pitched sound no one has heard for two generations - a factory whistle. GoFA's owner, world-famous tycoon Dundas Faussett, is creating his most ambitious installation yet. He's going to defeat the internet's dominance over our lives by establishing a new Year Zero- 1948. Those whose jobs and lives have been destroyed by Amazon and Uber and Airbnb are invited to fight back in the only way that can possibly succeed- by living as if the internet and the smartphone had never been invented. The hold over our lives by Gates, Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg and the rest starts to loosen as the revolutionary example of Factory 19 spreads. Can nostalgia really defeat the future? Can the little people win back the world? We are about to find out. ...Show more

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

$16.99 AUD

Category: FICTION | Reading Level: very good

The no 1. New York Times bestseller from the author of The Husband's Secret and new novel Nine Perfect Strangers.NOW AN EMMY AWARD WINNING HBO TELEVISION SERIES STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON & NICOLE KIDMANParents behaving badly ... a tragic accident ... or murder? What isn't in doubt is that someone i s dead. Madeline is a force to be reckoned with: witty, noisy and passionate. She remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. But perfection is often an illusion. Jane is a single mum with a mysterious past who carries a sadness beyond her years. These three women, all with children starting at the same school, are about to tell the little lies that can turn lethal ...WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR PRAISE FOR BIG LITTLE LIES"Irresistible ... Moriarty's sly humor and razor-sharp insights will keep you turning the pages to find out." People Magazine "Liane Moriarty produces novels that are miracles of structure as well as human insight" Sydney Morning Herald"Ms. Moriarty's long-parched fans have something new to dig into....in ways that may give Big Little Lies even more staying power than The Husband's Secret." The New York Times"A novel that will turn you into a compulsive book-finisher ... Moriarty has produced another gripping, satirical hit." Huffington Post"She is the mistress of the razor-sharp observation ... my favourite so far" Kate Morton ...Show more

Isabelle In The Afternoon by Douglas Kennedy

$32.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

Before Isabelle I knew nothing of sex. Before Isabelle I knew nothing of freedom. Before Isabelle I knew nothing of life. Paris in the early Seventies. Sam, an American student, meets a woman in a bookshop. Isabelle is enigmatic, beautiful, older and, unlike Sam, experienced in love's many contradictio ns. Sam is instantly smitten - but wary of the wedding ring on her finger. What begins as a regular arrangement in Isabelle's tiny Parisian apartment transforms into a true affair of the heart, and one which lasts for decades to come. Isabelle in the Afternoonis a novel that questions what we seek, what we find, what we settle for - and shows how love, when not lived day in, day out, can become the passion of a lifetime. 'The absolute master of love stories with heart-stopping twists' THE TIMES 'Kennedy is skilled at zigzag plotting, blending domestic twists with turns created by global affairs' OBSERVER   ...Show more

Hero For Hire/Hero For Hire/Shadow Hawk/A Royal Mess by Jill Shalvis

$13.95 AUD

$29.99 (53% off)

Category: FICTION

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis brings you three classic stories about finding yourself in unexpected predicaments...Hero For HireBrazilian heiress Terry Monteverde was supposedly killed in a tragic accident. But how could a dead woman give birth to a baby? Bounty hunter Rick Singleton go es underground in Rio to find out.His only lead is Terry's sister, Nina Monteverde. She's sweet, shy  and not telling what she knows. Rick's a dangerous man to cross, but Nina's not afraid...Rick is. He's defenceless against her innocent charm. And that scares the hell out of him.Shadow HawkWhen his latest mission turns into a bloodbath, Agent Conner Hawk realises he has been set up by someone at the top. Wounded and on the run, he has no choice but to take beautiful Abby Wells hostage. After all, she's in danger too.And if the only way to keep the fiercely independent communications expert safe is to cuff her and bring her along for the ride, he'll do it. Only, given their close contact, it's not long before Hawk's thinking about a totally different kind of pleasure.A Royal MessFirst she's bumped from first class to coach, then she's robbed, gets soaked in a rainstorm and now is stranded on a ranch full of animals she's afraid of!As far as days go, Princess Natalia Brunner has definitely had better ones. If not for the timely rescue by a good-looking cowboy, she would have quit this day long ago. But just like the old Westerns, the sexy Tim Banning has her thinking she should hang up her tiara and stay awhile... ...Show more

Sheerwater by Leah Swann

$32.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

Emotional, powerful, unforgettable. From a stunning new literary talent, you won't be able to put down this novel about a mother's love for her children - it will break your heart. Ava and her two young sons, Max and Teddy, are driving to their new home in Sheerwater, hopeful of making a fresh start in a new town, although Ava can't but help keep looking over her shoulder. They're almost at their destination when they witness a shocking accident - a light plane crashing in the field next to the road. Ava stops to help, but when she gets back to the car, she realises that somewhere, amongst the smoke, fire and confusion, her sons have gone missing... From a substantial new Australian writing talent, Sheerwater is tense, emotional, unforgettable. Perfect for readers of Mark Brandi's Wimmera and Stephanie Bishop's The Other Side of the World, this is a beautifully written, propulsive, gut-wrenching and unputdownable novel - an aching, powerful story of the heroic acts we are capable of in the name of love 'Sheerwater is that rare gift of a book that balances gorgeous, glittering language with breathless pace. Leah Swann writes with devastating honesty ... This is an extraordinary novel - I tore through it, captivated by the imagery and the setting, desperately hoping for a happy ending.' Rebecca Starford, author of Bad Behavior ...Show more

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

$22.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

Georgie Jutland is a mess. At forty, with her career in ruins, she finds herself stranded in White Point with a fisherman she doesn't love and two kids whose dead mother she can never replace. Leached of all confidence, she spends her days in isolated tedium and her nights in a blur of vodka self-recrim ination. One morning, in the boozy pre-dawn gloom, she sees, a shadow drifting up the beach below - a loner called Luther Fox, with danger in his wake.'Awe-inspiring . . . There are few finer stylists writing in English today.' Chicago Tribune'Wonderfully alive, inventive and assured.' The Age'Vividly written in a seemingly efffortless prose that never puts a foot wrong.' Sunday Times(London)'His prose retains the power to both to shock and to fill us with wonder.' The Bulletin'A compelling novel.' Times Literary Supplement'Beautiful, aching . . . compelling.' Washington Post ...Show more

The Three Secret Cities (#5 Jack West) by Matthew Reilly

$16.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

No. 1 bestselling action author Matthew Reilly continues his explosive Jack West Jr series with The Three Secret Cities. A SHADOW WORLD When Jack West Jr won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.BEHIND THE REAL WORLDNow these dark forces are coming after Jack...in ruthless fashion.CRASHING INTO OUR WORLDWith the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find three incredible lost cities of legend.It's an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted...'One of the best action-thrillers published in the past few years' Washington Post'An ending that will perhaps make you rethink everything you took for granted about his books' Sunday Age ...Show more

Security by Susan Hoddy

$25.00 AUD

Category: FICTION

The tale of an Australian woman who had to let go of the past and look into the future. Whether a loved one is taken from us through a prolonged illness or suddenly unexpected, our mind and body goes through a world of change. Death is something that we all experience at some stage of our lives; but no t very often, hence we don't get an opportunity to learn how to deal with it. Rebecca Landers has a perfect life. A loving and devoted husband, a close relationship with her daughter, a wonderful job, and lots of amazing friends and family in her home city of Perth. What more could she ask for in life? When a sudden unexpected tragedy strikes Rebecca, her world is shattered and she is confronted with having to cope with a future of being alone. As the days seems to roll into weeks, and then months, she knows she has to eventually draw on every bit of strength she has left and pull herself together. But how was she going to be able to do this? Could the answer be found during a visit to Seattle? ...Show more

The Poppy Wife by Caroline Scott

$19.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

**A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK** Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and 1917 If someone you loved went missing, would you ever stop searching for them? ''This excellent debut is a melancholic reminder of the rippling after-effects of war'' The Times ''[An] impressive debut... a touching nove l of love and loss'' Sunday Times 1921. The Great War is over and while many survivors have been reunited with their loved ones, Edie''s husband Francis has not come home. He has been declared ''missing, believed killed'', but when Edie receives a mysterious photograph in the post, taken by Francis, hope flares. And so she begins to search. Francis''s brother, Harry, is also searching. Hired by grieving families to photograph gravesites, he has returned to the Western Front. He too longs for Francis to be alive, so they can forgive each other for the last conversation they ever had.  And as Harry and Edie''s paths converge, they begin to get closer to a startling truth. An incredibly moving account of an often-forgotten moment in history, The Photographer of the Lost is an epic novel of forbidden love, loss and the shattered hearts left behind in the wake of the First World War. Caroline Scott is a freelance writer and historian specializing in WWI and women''s history. The Photographer of the Lost is partially inspired by her family history. Praise for The Photographer of the Lost: ''There''s only one word for this novel... and that''s epic... A beautifully written must-read'' heat ''A gripping, devastating novel about the lost and the ones they left behind'' Sarra Manning, RED ''The pain of not knowing where a son, brother or husband lies, and the guilt and psychological dissonance that torment survivors, are movingly conveyed in this terrific first novel'' Daily Mail ''Scott has done an amazing job of drawing on real stories to craft a powerful novel'' Good Housekeeping ''A deeply poignant and immersive novel . . .  told in beautiful, elevated prose. I was completely caught up in these characters'' stories'' Rachel Hore, author of The Love Child ''What a wonderful debut novel. So accomplished. It grabs you from page one with such immediacy, such urgency. With a mystery at its heart and a moving, but page turning hook, I couldn''t stop reading'' Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village ''A profoundly moving story of love and loss. The Photographer of the Lost is a sublimely rendered portrait of the search for answers amidst the chaos and devastation left behind in the aftermath of World War 1'' Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker''s Gift ''A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind'' Fanny Blake, author of A Summer Reunion ''I was utterly captivated by this novel, which swept me away, broke my heart, then shone wonderful light through all the pieces'' Isabelle Broom, author of One Winter Morning ''Beautiful, unflinching: The Photographer of the Lost is going to be on an awful lot of Best Books of the Year lists, mine included... unforgettable'' Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour ''Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!'' Historical Novel Society ''Had me spellbound from the first page to the last'' Hazel Gaynor, author of The Lighthouse Keeper''s Daughter ''An amazing debut. It captivated me from start to finish and I can''t recommend it highly enough'' NB Magazine ...Show more

Wild by Kristin Hannah

$32.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

From the New York Times number one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes 'Wild', a remarkable story about the resilience of the human spirit, the triumph of hope, and the promise of new beginnings. In the rugged Pacific Northwest of the United States lies the Olympic National Forest – a vast expanse of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. From deep within this mysterious land, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she offers no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past. Having retreated to her hometown after a scandal left her career in ruins, child psychiatrist Dr. Julia Cates begins working with the extraordinary little girl. Naming her Alice, Julia is determined to free her from a prison of unimaginable fear and isolation, and discover the truth about Alice’s past. The shocking facts of Alice’s life test the limits of Julia’s faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice – and find a new one for herself. ...Show more

The Yield by Tara June Winch

$32.99 AUD

Category: FICTION

Winner of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2020. Winner of the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction 2020. Winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2020. Just tell the truth and someone will hear it eventually. The Yield in English is the reaping, the things that man can take from the land. In the lang uage of the Wiradjuri yield is the things you give to, the movement, the space between things. Knowing that he will soon die, Albert ‘Poppy’ Gondiwindi takes pen to paper. His life has been spent on the banks of the Murrumby River at Prosperous House, on Massacre Plains. Albert is determined to pass on the language of his people and everything that was ever remembered. He finds the words on the wind. August Gondiwindi has been living on the other side of the world for ten years when she learns of her grandfather’s death. She returns home for his burial, wracked with grief and burdened with all she tried to leave behind. Her homecoming is bittersweet as she confronts the love of her kin and news that Prosperous is to be repossessed by a mining company. Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winch’s The Yield is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity.   ...Show more