Staff Reviews

Bellevue by Robin Cook

Available in print and large print 

A young doctor must come to terms with some of the greatest medical advances made in history. Dark truths are revealed in Bellevue, the gripping suspense-horror from New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook.

Twenty-three-year-old Michael ‘Mitt’ Fuller starts his surgical residency at the iconic Bellevue Hospital. With the pressure on, Mitt uses his secret sixth sense – a sensitivity to the nonphysical – to his advantage.

Between the fatigue, stress and nerves, the first few days and nights of his surgical residency are tough ones. Then his patients begin to die from mysterious causes. Mitt struggles to find the cause of the deaths, but things rapidly spiral out of control.

As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn into the secrets of the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building – having defied demolition a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorised entry into this storied but scary structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible… 

Now or never by Janet Evanovich

Available in print and large print

Stephanie Plum's life is ready to explode: She said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiancés and no plan. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone.

Stalling for time, Stephanie buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down fugitives from justice. There's Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be YouTube star Robin Hoody, masked hero to the homeless. There's Bruno Jug, a wealthy and connected man who is rumoured to traffic young girls alongside wholesale lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran - a laundromat manager by day and self-proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls. When he shows up on Stephanie's doorstep, it's not for the meatloaf dinner.

Stephanie has to use every trick in the book to reel in these men. But she can't decide what to do about Ranger and Morelli - and she's keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never, she's got to make the decision of a lifetime.

Jenny Cooper has a secret by Joy Fielding

Available in print and large print

Reeling from her husband’s death and best friend’s dementia diagnosis, seventy-six-year-old Linda Davidson feels lost and alone. Her beloved daughter Kleo and son-in-law Mick have moved into her house to keep her company, but the constant bickering quickly turns their presence into yet another worry on Linda’s long list.

Eager to escape the tension at home, Linda goes to visit her friend at Legacy Place, a memory care facility for the elderly, where she meets Jenny Cooper, a ninety-two-year-old dementia patient who makes a shocking confession: she kills people.

Linda dismisses the so-called secret as the confusion of an ailing mind, but Jenny seems strangely lucid during their visits as she recounts stories of her many victims – mostly men who hurt her. Then a fellow patient at Legacy Place dies. Everyone else sees it as the natural death of a sick old man, but Linda can’t help but wonder: is there any chance Jenny’s telling the truth?

The forest of lost souls by Dean Koontz

Available in print and large print

Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortuneteller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn’t cast such a dark shadow.

It’s where José Nochelobo, the love of Vida’s life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That’s the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can’t be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like José, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them.

Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored.

Bonded in death by J D Robb 

Available in print, large print, CD and eAudiobook

Decades ago, during the Urban Wars, Giovanni Rossi was part of a secret organisation called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons, he landed in New York and died within minutes.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. But she thinks Summerset – the man who rescued her husband from the Dublin streets – may know something. When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear – because he himself was one of The Twelve.

Now a cryptic message has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain – and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished.

Cozy vegan pies and tarts by Helen Au

Available in print

Going vegan doesn’t mean giving up flaky pie crusts and delicious tarts! With this outstanding collection of comforting recipes, it’s easy as can be to make delectable plant-based pastries that your family and friends will rave about.

Whether you’re looking for a classic childhood favourite, a no-bake tart for a hot summer day or a savory galette for a quick yet elegant dinner, Helen Au of With Helen has the perfect recipe for you. Traditional favourites such as Blueberry Crumble Pie, Vegan German Chocolate Tart and Pumpkin Caramel Pie are the perfect desserts for any gathering or special occasion. Approachable recipes like Strawberry Matcha Tart, Chinese White Pear and Ginger Pie, Chamomile Grapefruit Tart and Lemony Ricotta Summer Squash Galette feature unique, exciting flavour combinations to please every palate.

Packed with beginner-friendly treats and featuring a variety of tested-and-true crust recipes―including gluten-free and refined sugar-free options―this is the only guide you’ll ever need to make the perfect vegan pie every time.

Bookish crafts by Kanlin Butler

Available in print

Bring some literary love to your crafting corner with this amazing assortment of book-themed projects! For readers of every genre, these wonderfully simple projects provide endless opportunities to create one-of-a-kind crafts that you’ll love for a lifetime.

With 40 tutorials to choose from and easy-to-follow instructions, these creations are designed to make your beloved book collection even better. Make the Majestic Dragon Wings bookmark to save the page in your new fantasy novel. Give your favourite book’s cover a gorgeous new look with a Field of Wildflowers or the Abstract Sunset. Arrange a Book Bouquet for a fellow bookworm in your life. Organize your stacks of books in a cool new way with the Vinyl Record Bookends.

Whether you are looking for thoughtful gift ideas or a fun new way to craft, these unique projects truly have something for everyone. problem and become your own dog behaviourist in three simple steps.

Clay: Easy air-dry clay projects to make at home By Sarah Reeves

Available in print

Have you always wanted to try your hand at pottery? With air-dry clay, you can learn how to create gorgeous items without the need for a kiln or expensive equipment. All you need is clay, a few tools and your imagination.

Author and artist Sarah Reeves will guide you through everything you need to know to learn this fun and therapeutic craft. Discover 20 step-by-step projects suitable for all levels, along with an introduction to the core techniques and materials, and tips and tricks to finesse your projects.

Full of beans by Amelia Christie-Miller

Available in print

Expand your bean repertoire with delicious recipes that prove beans can be the hero of any meal, any occasion and any diet. Following The Sunday Times bestselling bold Beans, Full of Bean includes seven chapters that celebrate different bean types, making cooking effortless and exciting. Whether you’re after a quick, satisfying lunch, like Cheesy Marmite Butter Beans on Toast, a nourishing Chickpea, Tomato + Harissa Stew for a weeknight dinner, or a showstopping Black Bean-stuffed Pepper Feast to wow you guests, this book has it all. This is the ultimate guide to making beans not just a want, but a desire.

Organised by types of beans and featuring the brand's newly launched black beans, borlotti beans, queen carlin peas and queen red beans, new recipes include 'beanottos' and tray bakes for creating sensational, super-healthy and totally unprocessed meals that are fibremaxxed, planet-friendly and ultra delicious.

Raising sparrows by local author Rosemary Garreffa

Available in print

Set in the Victorian Era in colonial Australia, the author explores life as it was for women of that era.

Follow Annie Tegart from the goldfields of Sandhurst (now Bendigo) to Geelong and then inland to the Wimmera, Mallee and beyond.

This family saga has it all.  Hardship, fear, love and hate despair and hope, challenges and their overcoming.

Shining through the trials and trauma is Annie’s resilience and her unwavering love for her children.

The storybook killer by Keri Beevis

Available in print

Stick and stones may break your bones, but words can really kill you…

The graveyard of the New Hope Baptist Church in Juniper, Oregon should be a peaceful, but when two teenagers are found murdered in the prime of their lives, the horror-story begins.

I have seen plenty of shocking things as a police detective, but this is the kind of scene that you never, ever forget.

We discover a tatty paperback, written by bestselling crime author, Amy Gallaty, and learn that its pages have been used as a blueprint for murder.  But by who and why?  Diving into Amy’s past we try to discover why this killer is targeting her novels.  Is she as innocent as she claims or is the motive far more sinister?

When the murderer strikes again, mirroring yet another of Amy’s plots, it becomes clear that someone smart, ruthless and obsessed is pulling the strings and will not stop until we stop them.

Binding threads on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley

Available in print

Liverpool 1935

Ambitious event planner Daisy Haywood is torn between a safe and steady engagement to Harvey Harris and her lingering love for Max Galant, the adventurous journalist who left her to pursue this career overseas.  Daisy must decide if love is a luxury she can afford or the only thing worth fighting for.

Reckless Bridie Haywood returns from London under a cloud of mystery; her plight worsens when her movie star good looks attract the attention of notorious Beamer’s factory boss Henry Beamer who is only after one thing.  But Henry has secrets, dangerous secrets, which if exposed could see him hang.  Does Bridie have a clear conscience, or will she have to leave Beamer Street once more?

The binding threads of personal conflicts – love, betrayal and identity – need to be challenged as rumours of war gather pace.

Leaves, roots & fruit By Nicole Johnsey Burke

Available in print 

Do you dream of walking through your own kitchen garden with baskets full of delicious food you grew yourself? But are you worried you don’t have enough space, sun, time, or experience? Then consider this: Plants want to grow. And when you match a plant’s needs to your own resources, you’re just one step away from success.

Nicole Johnsey Burke - founder of Gardenary, Inc., and author of Kitchen Garden Revival - is your expert guide for growing your own fresh, organic food every day of the year, no matter where you grow. More than just providing the how-to, she gives you the know-how for a practical and intuitive gardening system that includes:

Leaves - quick satisfaction from abundant harvests, most available and simplest to grow; includes salad greens and herbs

Roots - underground harvests that require more tending and are built for endurance, longevity, and longer shelf life; includes tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes

Fruit - the most demanding and sweetest of all, requiring the most space, sunlight, and consistent watering to blossom; includes beans, squash, and tomatoes

Burke’s clear instructions for setup, care, and harvest are complete with insightful tips for every level of gardener. There’s always a plant you can grow right where you are, right away - all you have to do is take it step by step.

Cookies every day by Livia and Maya Benson

Available in print

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Desserts Designed to Brighten Your Day!

Creators of the popular baking blog Identical Recipes, Livia and Maya Benson, bring you a collection of cookies that are the perfect pick-me-up, no matter what you’re craving. From their viral cheesecake-stuffed cookies to treats inspired by your favourite coffee drink, there is guaranteed to be a go-to cookie for every sweet tooth, such as . . .

- Chocolate Toffee Fudge Cookies

- Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

- Vanilla Bean Iced Coffee Cookies

- Frosted Churro Cookies

- Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

- Banana Cream Cookies

- Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso Cookies

- Cake Batter Cookies

Whether you’re a chocolate fanatic or prefer something on the fruitier side, you’re bound to find your new favourite flavour combination in these deliciously unique recipes. With easy-to-follow instructions and quick bake times, bakers of any skill level will be able to create irresistible, gourmet cookies on demand. You’ll never scramble again for your sweet fix with this must-have cookie collection.

The energy reset plan by Rosie Millen

Available in print

Refresh your mindset, reform your diet and beat burnout in six weeks, with lifestyle plan and delicious recipes from qualified nutritional therapist Rosie Millen.

Do you frequently feel stressed, tired or anxious? Are you worried about burnout and poor mental health?

Qualified nutritional therapist Rosie Millen has the answer, with her holistic lifestyle plan designed to combat burnout, fatigue and poor mental health in just six weeks.

Drawing on her own experience from extreme fatigue and burnout, Rosie's plan will transform your lifestyle - from diet, sleep and exercise to mindfulness - through achievable strategies that can be easily maintained for ongoing metal wellness.

The plan includes over 70 delicious recipes, designed to boost your energy through nutrient dense, high-protein, unprocessed food that is simple to make. A six-week meal plan makes it easy to incorporate these recipes into your daily life, and start seeing the benefits.

With Rosie's plan to refresh, restore and renew, it's time to unlock a new, energetic you.

Money-saving meal plans with Chelsea by Chelsea Goodwin

Available in print

Take the mental load of dinner planning off your plate! From the creator of $10 Meals Australia, the easy meal-planning solutions and tasty everyday dinner recipes in this cookbook will save you money, time and energy every week.

Following the success of her bestselling first cookbook, $10 Meals with Chelsea, beloved recipe creator Chelsea Goodwin is back with more budget-friendly inspiration to help you get a delicious dinner on the table every night with ease.

Meal-planning is the secret to saving money on your grocery spend – and every meal plan in this book works out at $3 per serve or less!

Using the game-changing weekly meal-planning approach that was so popular in her first book, Chelsea serves up eight new weeks of practical meal plans:

- 30 minutes or less

- One pan

- Slow cooker

- Air fryer

- Light and fresh

- Vegetarian

- Gluten- and dairy-free

- Super low-cost ($2.50 per serve)

Every chapter comes with a photographic menu for the week, shopping list, cost-saving tips and all the family-friendly recipes needed to feed four people each night - including many that are cook once, eat twice.

Every recipe is easy to follow, complete with prep instructions and options for ingredient swaps, and has a mouth-watering full-page photograph that will have everyone looking forward to dinnertime!

Leave the daily dinner grind behind with Money-Saving Meal Plans with Chelsea.

Travels with Tracy by Andrew Pettifer

Available in print

Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Who do you want to meet? These were the questions that were on Andrew Pettifer and his wife Tracy's minds when creating a bucket list for their midlife gap year one warm, summer evening, a glass of wine in hand, a notes app open in the other.

With successful careers behind them, supportive families and a lifetime of hard work up their sleeves, Andrew and Tracy decided to pack up their lives and embark on a richly diverse two-year journey across four continents, and every state in Australia.

From exploring the outback in an RV to five-star hotels and open-top sports cars, their journey unfolds with a variety of experiences most can only imagine. Brimming with unforgettable adventures and encounters with remarkable people, Andrew takes readers from the Shibuya crossing and earthquakes in Tokyo to the Louvre and the Olympics in Paris, then all the way to the Amazonian rainforest and the breathtaking Galápagos Islands.

Full tilt by Colin Bond with John Smailes

Available in print

Bathurst winner, Australian Touring Car Champion, and the only man to have won on both sides of racing's most iconic rivalry – Ford versus Holden – this is the high-octane story of motor-racing legend Colin Bond.

From his rallying crowns to his extraordinary Bathurst victory and his Touring Car Championship triumph, to the hugely controversial 1–2 Bathurst win with Allan Moffat in '77, Bond's career spanned the most thrilling decades of Australian motorsport. At the heart of it all was the fierce tribal battle between Ford and Holden – a rivalry Bond knew better than anyone.

Dying to meet you by Angjolie Mei

Available in print

Growing up with a hardworking undertaker father known as the Coffin King, death was the family business for Angjolie Mei but that didn't make it any easier to understand, or grief any easier to feel. When her father died unexpectedly, leaving debts but no end of life instructions, Mei found herself taking up his funeral director business, not only to provide for her family, but to help others see death as an opportunity for dignity and celebration.

'A funeral', she writes, 'is life's graduation ceremony', and we should honour it and plan for it accordingly.

Striving to shift cultural perspectives on death and grief as well as to address common questions too often shrouded in mystery and taboo, Mei shares her craft's most important lessons with wit and grace, from the process of embalming to helping children understand a loved one's passing, taking care to include customs from diverse religious and cultural traditions.

Being Carlos Alcaraz by Mark Hodgkinson

Available in print

Based on new interviews with those closest to him - including coaches, friends, old teachers and other villagers - Being Carlos Alcaraz offers fresh insights into a tennis phenomenon. From a modest apartment above a kebab shop in the village of El Palmar to glory on the sport's biggest stages, this captivating book traces Alcaraz's emergence and contrasts his story against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.

Grit. Joy. Swagger. Belief. The dark moments between the smiles. The tears. The broken racquets. The tension of wanting to be a normal young man while aspiring to tennis greatness. Being Carlos Alcaraz delves into the emotional and cultural forces that have shaped a modern icon - one destined to redefine tennis for years to come.

Ride on by Michelle Payne with Angus Fontaine

Available in print

The Melbourne Cup: the most prestigious horse race in Australia and never won by a female jockey—until 2015. When Michelle Payne swept past the post, she made history and galloped straight into our hearts. Yet what came next for Michelle was an even wilder ride: a whirlwind of international celebrity that drove her to breaking point, a second catastrophic race fall and a gruelling road to recovery.

Ten years later, Ride On reveals how Michelle found the courage, resilience and determination to keep fighting and triumphing in the face of extraordinary adversity and pain, the perspective that allowed her to dig deeper and reach further than she'd ever thought possible and the wisdom that can help anyone searching for hope and the power to overcome.

Future Boy by Michael J. Fox with Nelle Fortenberry

Available in print

In early 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of the biggest stars on television. His world was about to get even bigger, but only if he could survive the kind of double duty unheard of in Hollywood. Fox's days were already dedicated to rehearsing and taping the hit sitcom Family Ties, but then the chance of a lifetime came his way. Soon, he committed his nights to a new time-travel adventure film being directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg--Back to the Future. Sitcom during the day, movie at night--day after day, for months.

Fox's nightly commute from a soundstage at Paramount to the back lot at Universal Studios, from one dream job to another, would become his own space-time continuum. It was in this time portal that Alex P. Keaton handed the baton to Marty McFly while Michael J. Fox tried to catch a few minutes of sleep. Alex's bravado, Marty's flair, and Fox's comedic virtuosity all swirled together to create something truly special.

All aboard! Explore the world of trains by Vicki Pipe

Available in print 

From trains that climb up mountains, through tunnels, across bridges and deep underground - take an exhilarating ride through the world of trains. Discover singing tracks, speedy bullet trains, powerful tunnel borers, super steam engines and so much more to delight young train fans.

Unfold multiple pages to reveal busy stations, cross-sections and lots of details and facts to pore over. A 'can you spot?' page at the back of the book encourages readers to go back through the book to find out even more. All aboard!

Blast off! Look inside spectacular spacecraft by Ben Elcomb

Available in print

From early rockets to distant space probes, learn what it takes to blast off from Earth and even live in space. With incredible cross-sections of 20 real-world spacecraft, discover what happens to them during take-off, what life is like inside the International Space Station, and what future missions to the Moon could look like.

Throughout Blast Off!, kids will be able to pore over large pages complete with detailed cross-sections and cutaways. Magnificent spacecraft and rockets are shown up close and in detail, including satellites, space stations, and space telescopes, with fun facts and details to spot. Each cross-section reveals the inner workings of a wide variety of spacecraft – perfect for inquisitive kids who love some space-themed fun!

Spacecraft shown as cross-sections include: the International Space Station, the Ariane 6 rocket, the Skylab Space Station, the Lunar Gateway, the Rosetta probe, Cassini-Huygens, Venus Express, Herschel Space Laboratory, The James Webb Space Telescope, and more.

An epic history of failure by Natalie Younger

Available in print

No one takes pride in it, but it is funny to see others fail. Take an educational and entertaining tour through history, visiting some of humankind's silliest decisions and the lessons we've learned (or not) from them.

From the sinking of the HMS Titanic, to the many, MANY missteps of Christopher Columbus, to the wonky construction of the Tower of Pisa, readers will discover some of the epic fails that have changed our world or simply left us wondering "what were they thinking?!"

Everybody gets things wrong sometimes and this book demonstrates how we can often learn something from failure―or as Thomas Edison put it: “I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Each tale is accompanied by wacky illustrations from Ella Kasperowicz, ideal for engaging reluctant readers.

This is the third title in Neon Squid's Wacky Histories series, following A Stinky History of Toilets and A Sick History of Medicine, and is perfect for curious kids with a fondness for the darker side of history.

Western Balkans by Lonely Planet

Available in print

Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime in this latest edition of our guide to the Western Balkans.

Discover the Western Balkans' most popular experiences and best kept secrets from hiking the snowcapped peaks and traditional mountain villages of Albania's Accursed Mountains; to gazing at glorious sea views from the resplendent city walls of Dubrovnik; and tasting the homespun cooking of North Macedonia, from paprika-tinged sausages to stuffed peppers.

Covers Albania, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

France by Lonely Planet

Available in print

Discover France's most popular experiences and best kept secrets from cycling through one of the world's most famous vineyards along La Voie des Vignes; to drinking with the ghosts of Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingway on place de la Contrescarpe in Paris' Latin Quarter; and marvelling at spellbinding fountain displays and equestrian shows at Unesco-listed Château de Versailles.

Alignment: a Montessori approach to reimagining work-life balance by Katie Keller Wood

Available in print

You know you make a difference. Your talent and expertise come together in your work to make an important contribution to the world. But your dedication shouldn’t mean sacrificing all the other parts of yourself. Inspired by principles from Montessori classrooms, educator and researcher Dr. Katie Keller Wood offers an alternative approach to thinking about your work and life―one that embraces you as a whole person rather than splitting you in two.

Drawing on decades of experience teaching Montessori students and adults, Keller Wood rejects the concept of work-life balance in favour of a more holistic alliance between you and your work. Your life is not a balancing act but a constantly evolving mosaic, and when the pieces are all aligned, thriving follows. There can be space enough for all the things that matter.

With real-world examples, exercises, and activities, this transformative, research-informed book will help you catch the first signs of misalignment and then show you how to move through a realignment process, so that you can find joy and value in all parts of your life, including your meaningful work.