Staff Reviews

The pick-pocket orphans by Lindsey Hutchinson

Available in large print and CD

Thirteen-year-old Alice Truelove can’t take another day of her father’s cruelty.

Better a life on the streets than being constantly blamed for her mother’s sad death, or that’s what Alice thinks as she packs her meagre possessions. But fending for herself in the Black Country town of Wednesbury is not as easy as she expected, and without help she will quickly be hungry and cold.

Bertram Jordan, or BJ to his friends, became an orphan after his parents were stolen away by influenza. Growing up on the streets BJ has learnt to survive, and when he meets Alice, alone and desperate, he takes her under his wing.

As Alice learns the tricks of the pick-pocketer and the skills to get by, the two children become firm friends. So, when BJ makes a fatal mistake, Alice can’t bear the thought that she might lose her only friend – forever…

The lost bookshop by Evie Woods

Available in print and large print

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books.

And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder…where nothing is at it seems.

Emergency exit only by Michelle Upton

Available in print, large print and eAudiobook

No evacuation plan, no safety net… Sometimes you just have to save yourself.

Amelia Harris has played it safe all her life – but when a minor accident lands her in hospital, she dramatically quits the tedious office job she’s had for a decade.

At a loss at what she wants to do next – and fast running out of cash – Amelia tries her hand at the dream jobs she’s always fantasised about. Soon she’s shadowing a thrilling cast of characters and professions – as a journalist, a florist, a wedding planner, a zookeeper, and more. Life couldn’t be more exciting, especially when she meets the man of her dreams.

But when her mother, Toni, drops a truth bomb about their family, Amelia’s whole world tilts on its axis. Meanwhile, each new job starts taking on a life of its own. Has she created a monster?

As she’s about to find out, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and sometimes you just have to save yourself.

The things that matter most by Gabbie Stroud

Available in print

The staff of St Margaret’s Primary School are hanging by a thread. There’s serious litigation pending, the school is due for registration, and a powerful parent named Janet Bellevue has a lot to say about everything. As teachers they’re trying to remain professional, as people they’re unravelling fast.

There’s Tyson, first year out of uni and nervous as hell, Derek the Assistant Principal who’s dropped the ball on administration, Bev from the office who’s confronting a serious diagnosis, and Sally-Ann who’s desperate for a child of her own.

Thank goodness for kids like Lionel Merrick. Lionel is the student who steals your heart and makes the whole teaching gig worthwhile: he’s cheerful, likeable, helpful – and devoted to his little sister Lacey. But Lionel has a secret of his own. As his future slides from vulnerable to dangerous, will someone from St Margaret’s realise before it’s too late?

As secrets threaten to be exposed and working demands increase, each staff member struggles to recall the things that matter most.

$10 Meals with Chelsea by Chelsea Goodwin

Available in print 

Big on flavour, low on cost!

Discover the delicious recipes and brilliant meal planning from the creator of $10 Meals Australia that will save you money and time every week.

Revolutionise your kitchen. Home cook Chelsea Goodwin, creator of budget cookery platform $10 Meals Australia, wants to make your life a whole lot easier – and cheaper.

She’s taken the stress out of getting good food on the table by curating ten weeks’ worth of dinner meal plans with their recipes and grocery lists, making budget-friendly cooking a breeze.

Delicious dinners on a dime. Each recipe is easy to make and feeds at least four people, and the meal plans work out at $2.50 per serve or less. That’s a whole week of generous dinners for just $70!

Flavourful, affordable family meals. Family-friendly, nutritious and flavour-packed, Chelsea’s recipes use easy-to-find supermarket ingredients and come with bonus tips and swaps for keeping your food costs low.

With eye-catching, full-colour photographs for every recipe, $10 Meals with Chelsea features “Fakeaway” favourites including Buttermilk Chicken Burgers, Black Pepper Beef and Cheat’s Pad Thai; 30-minute meals like Vietnamese Meatballs, Green Carbonara and Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry; One-pot winners such as Zingy Chicken Tray Bake and Lamb Harira and Healthy choices from Rainbow Minestrone and Beef Burrito Bowls to Spinach and Potato Curry.

Kiss goodbye to the daily dinner dilemma and say hello to cost-saving convenience with $10 Meals with Chelsea.

The simple air fryer cookbook by Denise Smart

Available in print

Make the most of your air fryer with 80 easy and budget-friendly recipes.

Air fry anything with these delicious, low-effort recipes.

Air fryers have become a global phenomenon. They are simple, fuss-free and use less oil, making them the perfect healthy alternative to typical frying methods. Air fryers are also one of the most cost-saving and energy-efficient appliances available, cheaper and faster than traditional ovens.

In this cookbook you will discover how to get the most out of your air fryer. Whether it's breakfast, a quick snack, dinner or dessert, this cookbook gives you flavourful dishes for any time of day. With 80 simple recipes - some you never even thought possible to make in an air fryer - you can cook everything from Harissa chicken thighs to BBQ mushroom burgers to an Apple & blackberry ginger crumble.

With shorter cook times and minimal clean-up, air fryers are a must-have gadget for your kitchen, and The Air Fryer Cookbook is the perfect book to go with it.

The sweet as baking cookbook

Available in print

The essential collection for every passionate baker from the experts at Australia's favourite food website, including cakes, biscuits, pastries and more, by taste.com.au.

The classic cookbook for the modern kitchen.

For the first time, from Australia's #1 food site, here comes the ultimate baking companion with 250+ favourite recipes hand-picked by the taste.com.au experts.

The book includes baker's secrets, biscuits and bites, super slices, pastries and pies, cupcakes and cakes, and pimped-up party cakes.

This book has serious wow factor. Recipes include Anzac biscuits with buttercream, chequerboard wafer cake, Eton mess cake, roast grape pastries, and apple and ricotta slice.

Weaning: what to feed, when to feed, and how to feed your baby by Annabel Karmel

Available in print

Everything you need to know about your baby's food journey.

Wean your baby confidently and safely, with guidance from bestselling baby and child nutrition author, Annabel Karmel.

Weaning guides you through every aspect of weaning your baby, with advice on when to start weaning, which foods to introduce first, how to prepare foods safely, and how to spoon-feed purées and solid foods. With up-to-date information on critical nutrients for your baby, advice on allergies and intolerances, and tips on combining foods to build up flavours and textures, you can be sure your baby is getting exactly what their growing body needs.

Over 60 enticing and versatile weaning recipes take you from six months to 12 months and beyond, along with nutritionally balanced menu planners. Every recipe can be adapted to cater for common allergies and intolerances, and many recipes suggest simple ingredient swaps to challenge and excite your baby's maturing palate. With real-world advice, encouragement and troubleshooting strategies from Annabel along the way, Weaning will lay the foundation for a lifetime of happy, healthy eating.

Upcycled beauty by Anna Brightman

Available in print

This beautiful hardback book is filled with creative ways to make your own zero-waste and all-natural skincare, haircare, makeup, cleaning products and home essentials.

Featuring 50+ recipes, covering Masks, Balms, Butters + Bars, Scrubs, Oils + Mists, Ices, Beauty, Bath Bits, Home. Enjoy the best DIY beauty recipes in the comfort of your own home!

Vintage crochet from the National Library Australia

Available in print

This book features vintage patterns from Australian publications such as the Australian Women's Weekly and the Australian Woman's Mirror. The book presents a curated selection of patterns from these publications from as early as 1888, tried and tested to suit the needs of the modern day crocheter. It contains instructions for a variety of vintage garments, accessories, toys and homewares, including a flapper unisex waistcoat from 1928, a shopping bag from 1950 and a granny-square playsuit from 1970. Each pattern will be accompanied by illustrations from the original publication and modern photographs of the newly crochet piece.

Tapping into the trend for everything vintage, as well as handmade and resurgence of crochet, this book will bring style and joy to any modern crocheter. 

Sweet home macrame by Casey Alberti

Available in print

This book features step-by-step instructions for making wall hangings, jewelry, home decor, and more from macrame.

Whether you’re a beginner to soft crafts, looking to try a new craft, hoping to improve upon your existing macrame techniques, or a DIYer, Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner’s Guide to Macrame offers the instruction and inspiration you need to succeed.
Top seller Casey Alberti is the founder of Sweet Home Alberti, a small business selling macrame items and knotting lessons. In this complete guide to working with macrame, Alberti shares her techniques and showcases her fresh, vibrant macrame art.

Grow to eat by Rob Smith

Available in print and eBook

Grow to Eat gives you the guidance to successfully grow veg that are bursting with flavour.

We know fresh vegetables are good for us and there's no better feeling than harvesting your own homegrown produce, but Rob Smith wants to upgrade your gardening experience. From stripey aubergines and super sweet beetroot to elephant garlic and purple tomatoes, growing your own food allows you to tap into a treasure trove of different vegetables that you won't find in the shops. And with colour and flavour (and pests and diseases) always in mind, Rob advises on how to grow, when to grow and which varieties to grow to best complement your gardening space.

Whether you have a balcony, allotment or garden, with Rob's gardening expertise and practical tips and techniques, you'll be growing an abundance of gourmet veg with ease.

Mildura Rural City Council Libraries has a Seed Library at each branch that offers a selection of vegetable seeds for people to take home and grow.

My Mother and I by Ingrid Seward

Available in print 

The relationship between the late monarch and her son, the King, has long been a subject of fascination. The upbringing of an heir is especially important, since the demands placed on the monarch are unique – and no one understood this better than the late Queen. Princess Elizabeth made it a point of maternal honour to try to build her routine around her young son while doing her duty – something that became an even more delicate and difficult balance when she ascended to the throne.

This is the story of how Charles was shaped and moulded by his heritage. Acclaimed royal biographer Ingrid Seward sheds new light on their relationship and its impact on their family and on the nation. My Mother and I reveals the challenges faced by Prince Charles as he remained in his mother’s shadow for most of his life and offers insight into how their relationship operated behind closed doors.

Charting Charles’ colourful life through many personal anecdotes from his family and his friends – from the moment the guns saluted his birth to the day he was officially declared King at his coronation – My Mother and I is not only a vivid portrait of a complex relationship; it is also a celebration of the power of family.

Justice in Kelly Country by Lachlan Strahan

Available in print, large print and eBook

Partway through the Jerilderie Letter, Ned Kelly accused Senior Constable Anthony Strahan of threatening to shoot him ‘like a dog’. Those few fateful words have ricocheted through Australian history. Many have blamed Anthony Strahan for the turmoil and bloodshed that unfolded during the Kelly Outbreak. For, two days after Anthony reputedly made his threat, Ned and his gang shot dead three policemen at Stringybark Creek. Ned’s reason for opening fire? He thought one of the cops was Anthony.

Lachlan Strahan, Anthony’s great-great-grandson, grew up believing Ned Kelly was a heroic outlaw and Anthony the ruthless cop who pursued him. Yet as he combed through letters, police reports, court transcripts, newspaper articles and family histories, Lachlan pieced together a different story about the life of his ancestor – a fiery Irish immigrant who embodied the thin blue line in the bush for 32 years. Bent on justice, Anthony Strahan apprehended all manner of criminals, from brazen fraudsters and wily horse thieves to murderous husbands and the bushrangers who perpetrated the Wooragee Outrage. Yet his legacy was forever ensnared in the Kelly legend. Did Anthony utter those incendiary words about Ned? Whose version of history do we believe?

This is a tale about justice and retribution, morality and character, and making a life against the odds in a frontier society. It is also a story of inheritance: of the words passed from father to son, and the tales we choose to preserve and retell.

Living The Beatles legend by Mal Evans with Kenneth Womack

Available in print and eAudiobook

The first full-length biography of Mal Evans, the Beatles’ beloved roadie, assistant, confidant and friend

A towering figure in horn-rimmed glasses, Malcolm ‘Mal’ Evans was an invaluable member of the Beatles’ inner circle. Serving as their long-time roadie, personal assistant and protector, he was a sometime lyricist, occasional performer and regular fixer at the height of the group’s fame and beyond.

But Mal’s dedication to his beloved ‘boys’ and his own desire for stardom took its toll, leading to the dissolution of his marriage and his untimely death in January 1976.

Until now, Mal’s extraordinary life has remained shrouded in mystery. Drawing on hundreds of exclusive interviews and with full access to Mal’s unpublished archives – including his personal diaries, manuscripts and memorabilia – renowned Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack paints the first complete portrait of this complicated figure at the heart of the Beatles’ story.

Living the Beatles Legend is a fascinating but ultimately tragic tale about life at the edges of superstardom.

My My!: ABBA through the ages by Giles Smith

Available in print

My My! The story of ABBA told through a selection of their greatest hits.

This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Waterloo (the song, not the battle) – a seminal moment in pop history which saw Swedish sensation ABBA burst on to the international music scene. How is it that half a century later this seventies Eurovision act is bigger than ever – reaching listeners of all ages and spinning off into musicals, museums and holograms? Giles Smith, writer and music fan, sets out to find out why.

My My! is a celebration of ABBA through the ages. It’s one fan’s way of saying: thank you for the music.

Novak Djokovic by Dominic Bliss

Available in print

Novak Djokovic - the greatest of all time follows the life of the record-breaking champion, from winning his first European Championships at the age of fourteen to celebrating his historic 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023.

Explore the incredible life of Novak Djokovic - from his boyhood in war-torn Serbia to his reign as the world's #1 male tennis player - in this stunningly illustrated biography. Join expert tennis journalist Dominic Bliss, for an up-close look at the unbelievable talent of a player destined for greatness. Djokovic's extraordinary achievements, include iconic moments such as becoming the first man in the Open Era to achieve a double Career Grand Slam in singles, and the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of the four majors at once across three different surfaces.

Novak Djokovic: the greatest of all time recounts the tennis legend's remarkable ascent to sporting glory with a riveting account of Djokovic's life and career, from his childhood in Serbia, when his unparalleled talent was recognised, to being the biggest name in tennis with a fan base of over 10 million.

With this captivating biography, find inspiration in the exceptional spirit and determination that led Djokovic to go on to win 23 Grand Slam mens singles titles, 91 ATP singles titles and a record breaking 373 weeks ranking as No.1.

Tokyo by Lonely Planet

Available in print

Discover Tokyo's most popular experiences and best kept secrets - neighbourhood by neighbourhood - from chowing down sushi at Toyosu Market to visiting Tokyo's oldest temple, build a trip to remember with Lonely Planet's Tokyo travel guide.

Create your ideal trip with exciting Perfect Day itineraries with suggestions of unmissable attractions and activities to match your passions. Plus, day trips from Tokyo so you can explore the surrounding areas and essential information containing tips on arriving; transport; making the most of your time and money; LGBTIQ+ travel advice; useful words and phrases; accessibility; and responsible travel. With a full-sized pull-out map included. This guide to Tokyo will be your best friend in organising that special trip. 

Hidden Japan by Chiara Terzuolo

Available in print

Chiara Terzuolu takes us on a journey through Tokyo and its surrounding cities, uncovering the hidden treasures that lie beneath the well-trodden hustle and bustle of one of the world’s most-travelled destinations.

This kawaii book takes us into the world of tucked-away bars, quirky vending machines and themed walks to secret tea houses.  With chapters on Nature, Food, History, Art, Late-Night destinations and places you’ll find only in Tokyo, Hidden Japan has detailed recommendations for every kind of traveller.

Budget travel by Geoffrey Morrison

Available in print

Tips and tricks for stretching your travel budget all the way around the world.

Not just focused on finances, Budget Travel for Dummies has hints and tips for every aspect of travel. How to pack, hotel etiquette and staying safe are all covered in this concise and to the point handbook. For the adventurer, this guide is full of tips on traveling without a plan, living for months with just carry-on luggage, and staying flexible in case you need to change your plans.

Yes, you can afford that bucket-list trip.

Be More Japan – The art of Japanese living

Available in print

In love with all things Japan or looking to absorb a little Japanese wisdom into your daily life? From the philosophies of ikigai and wabi sabi to kitsch karaoke nights and futuristic robot restaurants, learn about all things Japan from traditional tea ceremonies and tranquil onsen dwellings, to cosplay culture and J-Pop megastars.

Japan is renowned for its ultramodern capital Tokyo - a sprawling neon-lit metropolis straight from the pages of a science fiction novel. However, Japan is still deeply rooted in ancient tradition, with traditional crafts such as ceramics, calligraphy, origami and wood block prints still as important as ever. 

All you need is love: the end of The Beatles by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines

Available in print 

From 1980 to 1981, Beatles insider Peter Brown and author Steve Gaines conducted interviews with everyone in the Beatles’ inner circle for the book The Love You Make.  They used a small portion of the interviews in the book and kept the rest locked in a bank vault, a closely held secret.  That is until now.

All you need is love is a ground-breaking oral history of the Beatles and how it all came to an end, drawing on over 100 hours of intimate never before published or heard interviews with the band and their inner circle – all except John, who was killed while the book was being written including observations and anecdotes from Yoko Ono, Alexis Mardas, Brian Epstein, Alistair Taylor, Neil Aspinall, Cynthia Lenon, Pattie Boyd Harrison, Maureen Starkey and many, many others, the interviews are utterly candid and offer unprecedented insights into the psyche of the band in the decade after they split.  This was an opportunity that could and would never be repeated.

The dog behaviour problem solver by Teoti Anderson

Available in print

A happy, loving dog will be a friend for life.  But coping with a dog with behaviour issues can be frustrating and at times, dangerous.  If you are concerned about your dog’s behaviour, you need reliable help – fast.  This book is the key to resolving many of the most common behavioural concerns found in dogs. 

This is a must-have resource which is packed with sound, down-to-earth advice, and above all, effective instructions that will turn your problem pooch into a well-behaved member of the family.  You’ll find a wealth of positive training techniques that will help you eliminate undesirable behaviour while strengthening your bond. 

Under the stars camping Australia & New Zealand : the best campsites, huts, glamping and bush camping (Lonely Planet)

Available in print

From rugged camping in the bush to curling up in a cosy cabin, discover the most amazing locations to sleep under the stars in Australia and New Zealand.  Lonely Planet’s experts recommend 200 places, from the best campgrounds in national parks and peaceful high-country to deluxe cabins and glamping sites.

Regional introductions provide practical information on local dos and don’ts, the best times to visit and the top destinations to explore.

A dozen guides to outdoor interests, including cycling, hiking, wine tasting, wildflowers, rock art and surfing, will inspire you to spend more time under the stars.