Staff Reviews

The house of now and then by Jo Dixon

Available in print and eBook

Dixon's debut novel was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction and introduced readers to a mystery spanning decades.

After a humiliating public scandal, Olivia is hiding from the press in a remote Tasmanian house when an unknown man knocks on her door, seeking Pippa, a woman who once lived there. His father, Jeremy, has died, leaving behind a letter for this mysterious woman. Olivia wants to help, but can she risk revealing her own sordid past?

Thirty years earlier, bohemian wild-child Pippa and her best friend Jeremy spend a perfect summer in the house. Pippa falls deeply in love with local boy Leo, and they begin to plan a life of adventure together, much to the displeasure of his conservative and controlling family. One night Leo leaves the house to confront his parents ... and is never seen again.

As Olivia is drawn into solving the mystery, the unexpected and tragic story of Pippa, Jeremy and Leo is slowly uncovered. At the same time, a path to reclaiming her own life opens, if only she has the courage to take it.

A shadow at the door by Jo Dixon

Available in print

Dixon followed her successful debut with another suspenseful Tasmanian mystery focused on former television star Remi Lucan.

After a brutal attack and the breakdown of her marriage, life has taught former TV star Remi Lucan that it's safer to not rely on anyone. Instead, she's buried herself in Hobart, transforming her dilapidated sandstone house back to its former splendour, and it has been her proudest achievement. Better than her short-lived acting career. Definitely better than being a smile-on-command trophy wife. But when she runs out of money, her wealthy ex-husband tries to force the sale of the property and Remi realises her only option is to lower her defences and take in tenants.

At first her biggest problem is adjusting to the intrusion of two unlikely housemates, but when a series of 'accidents' turns ugly, it becomes clear these incidents are more than pranks. Someone is out to get Remi, and they won't stop until they destroy her...

A disappearing act by Jo Dixon

Available in print, large print and eBook

Jo Dixon’s latest novel explores the complexities of friendship, ambition and betrayal.

Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne – but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé. Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career… but this time the allegations go further... Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?

As the days unfold, it becomes clear that time has pulled the women apart, and that perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. And when long-buried secrets and resentments rise to the surface, tensions spiral out of control.

And then one of them disappears.

No one can survive the harsh elements of a Tasmanian winter for long, and soon panic sets in. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far more sinister at play?

And does it have anything to do with what happened twenty-five years ago, when the four of them lived together in a rambling warehouse, fuelled by ambition, and where nothing – absolutely nothing – mattered more than being part of the group?

The meteorite hunters by Joshua Howgego

Available in print

Meteors, with their ethereal, glowing trails slashing through the atmosphere, have entranced us for centuries. But these extraterrestrial visitors are also inestimably valuable. Not just for collectors, who can make their fortunes tracking them down, but for scientists too. Meteorites are the most ancient objects we know, unblemished time capsules from the birth of the solar system.

Following in the footsteps of passionate hobbyists, ground-breaking scientists and intrepid adventurers, Joshua Howgego takes a rollicking ride through the world of meteorite hunting. Join the seasoned practitioners braving the elements as they scour the Sahara and ice sheets of Antarctica. Discover how, closer to home, one unlikely hero is uncovering the countless micrometeorites scattered across the rooftops of our cities. And meet the professor searching for the rarest of the rare: fossil meteorites, entombed in rock since the days of the dinosaurs.

Finding these stones from space is just the beginning. As scientists tease out their secrets, they piece together an unexpected new history of the solar system, with implications that extend to one of the most fundamental questions we can ask: how did life on earth begin?

Sacrifice: a year in the life of a champion jockey by Oisin Murphy

Available in print

Born prematurely, weighing less than a bag of sugar, Oisin Murphy's life has always been one of struggle.

From a young age he found communion with horses. Mesmerised by their power, their spirit, he discovered a gift for the saddle. Oisin quickly established himself as one of horseracing's most prodigious talents.

But reaching the pinnacle of the sport has required a high-wire dance that continues to push his body and mind to their breaking point. Despite four champion jockey crowns, alcohol addiction lurked beneath the surface, and a string of misdemeanours have overshadowed his racing.

Fast paced and searingly honest, Sacrifice lays bare Oisin's personal struggles and immerses readers in the daily life of a jockey throughout an entire season.

The fifth season: creativity in the second half of life by Mark Nepo

Available in print

As the years go by, the question for each of us becomes more real: What does it mean to age? Despite the limitations that come as the body wears down, Mark Nepo believes that there are many gifts to inhabit by aging. So much is gained and so much is shed along the way.

As Mark began to reflect on the gifts and challenges of this process we're all immersed in, he realized, more than ever, that we are called to live a creative life as we age. We are led to what the Chinese call "the fifth season"-that moment in late summer when the glare of the sun fades so that we can see clearly the true colours around us.

The Fifth Season offers Mark's wise and gentle insights on growing older, helping readers identify the second half of life as a turning point, a time of integration and transformation that guides us in making sense of our experiences. All seasons lead to this season; all experiences lead to this understanding of experience.

The menopause brain by Lisa Mosconi PhD

Available in print

Menopause and perimenopause are still a black box to most doctors, leaving patients exasperated as they grapple with symptoms ranging from hot flushes to insomnia and brain fog. As a leading neuroscientist and women's brain health specialist, Dr Lisa Mosconi unravels the mystery by revealing how menopause doesn't impact just the ovaries but is a hormonal show in which the brain takes centre stage.

The island retreat by Cathy Kelly

Available in print, large print and eBook

Rose Talisman is pinning it all on a fresh start.

Five years after her career as a therapist ended in one catastrophic instant, she is opening a retreat in Corfu. The understated, luxurious Villa Artemis is surrounded by wild pines and sea views.

Just six guests. One week. Time for Rose to help them face their secrets – and move forwards.

But Rose has staked everything on the retreat. It has to work – or she loses it all. And people’s secrets have a way of revealing themselves in ways no one expected.

Nobody’s past is staying hidden for long…

Will that include Rose’s, too?

The new neighbour by Valerie Keogh

Available in large print and eAudiobook

A quiet street holds deadly secrets…

Chloe Tomson wants a quiet life. A new home, a new street, and no more drama – she’s had more than her share. But the moment she steps in to help her elderly neighbour during a violent altercation, the peace she craves begins to crumble.

The street seems friendly at first. Until the questions start. Who exactly is Chloe? Why did she move here? And what really happened in the house she lives in before she arrived?

As some neighbours become friends and others become enemies, it isn’t always certain which is which. Because Chloe isn’t the only neighbour keeping secrets…and someone knows the truth about her past. Someone who wants her gone.

But as whispers turn to threats, Chloe realises she’s been here before. And last time, not everyone made it out alive…

The strawberry house by Rachel Burton

Available in large print and eAudiobook

1938: For Camilla Kerrigan, life at her family’s Oxford manor is a delicate balancing act – between duty to her family and a yearning for something more. When her brother Anthony returns for the summer, bringing with him a new friend, Camilla recognises a kindred spirit. Like her, Henry is thoughtful, restless and uncertain of his future.

But the arrival of four strangers – among them a gifted artist determined to paint Camilla’s sister Mabel – soon shatters the fragile peace of the manor. In the shimmering heat, desires are stirred and one impulsive act will set in motion a tragedy that echoes for decades.

1952: Haunted by war and the memory of that long-ago summer, the last thing Henry wants is to return to Montagu Manor. But when a photograph arrives, showing the painting he thought destroyed – the portrait that ruined so many lives – he is drawn back into the past.

Now, Henry and Camilla must face the secrets that shaped them, and the love that refuses to fade.

One unforgettable summer. One devastating secret. A love that time could not erase.

A stranger in the family by Diane Saxon

Available in large print and eAudiobook

I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

As the last of my children leave home, I’ve persuaded my husband we should move house.

Clearing out thirty-odd years of rubbish is overwhelming, but nothing prepares me for what I find in my attic.

It’s a hint at a hidden horror. A box of secrets I only glimpsed, before I was disturbed.

And now it’s gone.

Someone in my home has removed it. Which means someone I love thinks I know their secret. A secret so dark, I refuse to contemplate it. Until I am forced to.

I need to find that box and take a better look.

I need to protect myself because if I’m right…

My life is in peril.

The Smartest & Longest Living Animals

Available in book-with-video

Enjoy stories about orangutans, dolphins, certified therapy pigs, elephants, crows, a special turtle named Jonathan, and the oldest clam. The smartest animal videos. Say hello to the smartest animal on the planet. If you think your dog or cat is a genius, then wait to see our incredible lineup of animal intelligence. Which animals are the smartest and why? The longest-lived animal. Are your grandparents old? How old is old? Introducing the longest-lived animal on the planet. You will learn about animals that can live for hundreds of years. That's right, hundreds of years old! What about the "immortal jellyfish"? Can it really live forever? Short quizzes will help you reinforce your understanding of the information in the videos and readings.

To explore other titles in this format click here.

Mini amigurumi food by Julia Chiang

Available in print

29 super-sweet amigurumi treats that will bust your stash and steal your heart!

Crochet your favourite fun, foodie projects, from sushi rolls, bubble tea and avocado toast to spicy hot sauce and juicy watermelon slices - all bursting with character and charm!

Perfect for beginners, this simple book uses only a handful of stitches and contains clear, easy-to-follow instructions to get you started. Using small amounts of yarn, these adorable amigurumi projects are a feast for the eyes and deliciously colourful - just too cute to eat! 

Buzz by Richard ‘Bugman’ Jones & Sarah Boccaccini Meadows

Available in print

Discover 15 bugs with extraordinary abilities and uncover the secrets of their survival in nature though fun and accessible text in renowned entomologist Richard "Bugman" Jones's first book for children.

Let your child's curiosity run wild with this beautifully illustrated book of beetles, butterflies, bees, and more!

Try to spot the Indian stick insect and see how its remarkable camouflage helps it evade predators. Admire the vibrant colours of the monarch butterfly and learn how its wings support an incredible migration. And take a closer look at the emperor dragonfly's compound eyes to see how its vision helps it catch its next meal.

Illustrated with stunning detail, this book is buzzing with the tiny creatures that make our world thrive.

Animals at work by Jess Hayman

Available in print

Animals are better at certain jobs than we are. Did you know that ferrets can be employed by electricians to safely lay cables in inaccessible areas? Or that bats can live in ancient libraries protecting the books from insects and other pests? Would you hang up a painting by a pig? Get to know the different jobs that animals can have, from helping people as therapy pets, to crafty spywork, as you meet photographer pigeons, geese guards, post office cats and much more.

Eat 30 plants a week by Katharina Seiser

Available in print 

More plants. Better gut. Happier you. It’s achievable with this cookbook!

Join the gut-health revolution—one delicious plant at a time! Eat 30 Plants a Week: A Cookbook is your friendly, no-nonsense guide to building a thriving gut microbiome by eating a greater variety of plants. Based on the popular science-backed challenge to eat 30 different plant foods per week, this cookbook gives you everything you need to boost your gut health without ditching your favourite meals or following a restrictive diet.

The new money strategy: the modern guide to rational, long-term investing by Brandon van der Kolk

Available in print

The New Money Strategy: The Modern Guide to Rational, Long-Term Investing shows new investors how to avoid common mistakes and build long-term wealth through value investing.

Readers will learn how to:

• Apply proven value-investing strategies to today’s market
• Use Warren Buffett’s approach to identify long-term winners
• Build a simple framework using index funds and quality stock selection

All the medals have been handed out by Guy Martin

Available in print

The million-selling truck mechanic is back with a thrilling new collection of extreme adventures, from cartel territory in Colombia to Arctic survival training and punishing motorbike endurance rides. Packed with danger, grit and dark humour, this is a no-holds-barred account of life lived well beyond the limit.

From being shot at and waterboarded in Colombia to freezing Arctic missions and brutal long-distance rides to Istanbul and Baku, he throws himself into every challenge with fearless determination. Add beach races, the legendary Scott Trial and his 300mph world speed record quest, and the result is an exhilarating story of risk, resilience and sheer nerve.

Babylon: the mother of all cities by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Available in print

Babylon often appears more myth than history. Purportedly the site of the Hanging Gardens and the Tower of Babel, its infamous presence in the Bible has made it a byword for sinful decadence. But Babylon was a real place teeming with life, a bustling mega-city on the Euphrates where schoolteachers, artisans, priests, slaves, prostitutes and soldiers rubbed shoulders in maze-like streets and busy marketplaces.

The city was home to some extraordinary rulers, from Hammurabi the great lawgiver to Nebuchadnezzar II, the conqueror-king, under whose reign the city glistened in gold and lapis lazuli.

In Babylon, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones brings the city vividly to life, tracing its foundation through to its world domination, and subsequent decline, fall and ruin into dust. From ribald drinking songs to acerbic letters between rival kings, the extraordinary ancient sources help inform what is both a stunning work of scholarship and a fascinating evocation of a long-lost world.

In nature’s slipstream: how to turn your garden into a haven for nature by Carol Bruce

Available in print

Welcome to a new approach to gardening that gives equal weight to beauty and sustainability, creating a charming haven filled with flowers where the gardener and nature work in harmony.

Carol Bruce has spent over 20 years considering how we relate to nature and the implications this has for gardening. Driven to find a balance between a wild and cultivated environment, she developed a method that combines both in a holistic system, resulting in a garden of otherworldly beauty.

With lessons from the countryside and her own garden, Carol takes you on a journey where you will learn: Sustainable Design and Maintenance Methods: How to incorporate natural processes within your garden without sacrificing its beauty. Adapting Existing Spaces: How to modify your existing flowerbeds to future-proof your garden and welcome wildlife. Personal Style and Colour Schemes: How to combine layout and colour scheming techniques to express your own personal style.

Sundowner of the skies: the story of Oscar Garden the forgotten aviator by Mary Garden

Available in print

In the early morning of 16 October 1930, Oscar Garden taxied his tiny Gipsy Moth across London's Croydon aerodrome. His plan was to fly to Australia, which was sheer madness as he only had a mere 39 flying hours under his belt. When he landed at Wyndham 18 days later no one was expecting him.

His flight - the third fastest after veteran aviators Bert Hinkler and Charles Kingsford - captured the world's imagination. The press dubbed him 'Sundowner of the Skies'. Unlike most of his contemporaries who died in crashes, Oscar survived and went on to a career in commercial aviation. Sundowner of the Skies is a fascinating and compelling biography of Oscar Garden, an unsung hero of aviation, written by his daughter.

5 ingredient Indian by Chetna Makan

Available in print 

Combining bold flavours and straightforward cooking methods, Chetna has created recipes and her signature spice blends to make and enjoy delicious Indian cuisine with minimal fuss.

Recipes include delicious main meals like a Tandoori Roast Chicken, Palak Paneer, or a Cod Fish Curry; dals such as Palak Dal (Spinach Lentils) and Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils) , snacks such as Masala Papad and Sev (Gram Flour Noodles), and sweet treats such as Saffron Rice Pudding and Rasgulla, all with just five ingredients.

The secret: what great leaders know and do by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller

Available in print

In a world where 82 percent of managers struggle to lead effectively, this international bestseller reveals the one secret that separates great leaders from the rest. ''What do I need to do to be a great leader?'' Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.

Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: ''What is the secret of great leaders?'' His reply-''Great leaders serve''-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility. This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart