Prophet by Helen Macdonald & Sin Blanché

Reviewed by Kiah

In a remote field in England, random objects start appearing. A bouquet of flowers, board games, a toy dinosaur, a motorbike jacket, even a whole American diner. These items are bright and nostalgic - treasured mementos from people’s pasts. But looking closer, there’s something not... (continued)

Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Reviewed by Poppy Solomon

~ Stuck in an eerie shopping centre outside of time and space, with everything they could ever want at their fingertips, six teens become like family ~   This isn't an apocalyptic sci-fi story about kids who turn into heroes; the teens form close bonds with each other, drink b... (continued)

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

Reviewed by Poppy Solomon

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman – 5/5 stars   A unique, disturbing and witty new historical fiction.   ~High society regency era spinsters begin saving women in trouble – but the conspiracies they get themselves into are dea... (continued)

"Fire Rush" by Jacqueline Crooks

Reviewed by Bianca

Set in London in the 1980s, Crooks' striking debut novel offers a captivating portrait of Black womanhood within the dub reggae scene. A story of resilience, loss, and finding your inner voice, Fire Rush is a brilliant work of literary fiction that will break your heart and heal it all at ... (continued)

"Wandering Souls" by Cecile Pin

Reviewed by Bianca

"There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies - everything in between is speculation" Longlisted for the 2023 Women's Prize for fiction, Wandering Souls tells the story of three tenacious young people fleeing political unrest in Vietnam after the withdrawal o... (continued)

"All's Well" by Mona Awad

Reviewed by Audrey

Awad's exploration of chronic pain captivates you from the get go. Her enticing examination of marginalization and isolation through the prism of women's pain is incisive and filled with biting humour. Set amongst our protagonist Miranda's dogged attempt to stage Shakespeare's ... (continued)

"Trust" by Hernan Diaz

Reviewed by Audrey

In Trust, 4 stories frame and then reframe the life of elusive businessman Andrew Bevel and his wife Mildred. The reader is drawn deeper into these lives with new text, examines the couples financial prowess in the tumult of the era of the Great Depression and then the murky circumstances rega... (continued)

The Arabian Nights: The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Complete 6 volume set

Reviewed by Book Barn, Berrima

The latest second hand book reviews for those who enjoy to fossick and discover the unknown and the unpredictable...the joy of second hand.     Delight in our Folio Society books nestled either side of our inglenook fireplace. Founded in London in 1947, the Folio Society ... (continued)

The Penguin Story MCMXXXV-MCMLVI

Reviewed by Book Barn, Berrima

Be you a lover of the orange, blue, green, red, cerise, grey, yellow or purple covered Penguin Books, this is a fascinating account of its development published to mark its twenty-first birthday in July 1956, written by Sir William Emrys Williams, C.B.E., - associated with the firm for twenty ... (continued)

How To Be Remembered by Michael Thompson

Reviewed by Kiah

Tommy Llewellyn can't be remembered. Every year, on his birthday, all evidence of his existence vanishes. Photographs, hospital records, his birth certificate, and every memory people have of him are wiped away, leaving Tommy as the only one who remembers. With no answers to be found as to... (continued)

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Reviewed by Kiah

  Once, a man who studied fairy tales met a mysterious woman called Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. They fell in love and decided to marry, but Indigo had one condition: do not ask about her past. Do not look, do not pry. The man agreed, and they were wed.     But whe... (continued)

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Reviewed by Kerrie, Cronulla

This page- turner had it all: action, susupense, romance and heartache. This novel is based on the astonishing true story of Nancy Wake- a woman who showed unfaltering courage in the face of constant danger during WWII. 5 stars- incredible! (continued)

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Reviewed by Allanah, Cronulla

This best-selling memoir is an unflinching gaze into child stardom. A candid retelling of a mothers abuse and obsession with fame that led to addiction and an eating disorder. MuCurdy pulls no punches on an industry and family that failed her. (continued)

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Reviewed by Kayla, Cronulla

Impossible to put down! Intelligent, introspective and relatable, Diana Reid's latest is a fascinating read examining the tension between lust and loyalty. Fans of Sally Rooney's 'Normal People' will absolutely adore Reid's first romanace set in post-lockdown Sydney (continued)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Reviewed by Kiah

"God as my witness, none of this ever would have happened if it were not for those two fools back in Salalah. Them and their map." Amina al-Sirafi was once an infamous pirate captain, with stories of her escapades, numerous husbands, and rumoured dealings with djinn and demons s... (continued)

A Kind of Magic

Reviewed by Kat

A love letter to those of us who spend life trying to win a wrestling match against our minds – Spargo-Ryan writes mental illness as I have never read it before, walking us through the unreliability of memory and the unexplainable agony of anxiety to tell her story. A Kind of Magic is a ... (continued)

All My Rage

Reviewed by Bianca

All My Rage is both a heart-warming and heart-breaking story about two Pakistani-American Muslim young people trying to survive the hardships of life in Juniper, California. Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, this novel is another example of Tahir’s be... (continued)

The House with the Golden Door

Reviewed by Bianca

The sequel to Elodie Harper’s outstanding historical fiction, The Wolf Den, The House with the Golden Door continues Amara’s story of struggle and love in the beautiful, dangerous, and tantalising world of Ancient Pompeii. Seamlessly blending fact and fiction, this narrative effort... (continued)

Joan

Reviewed by Bianca

Katharine J. Chen brings Joan of Arc to life in this brilliant historical fiction. From her difficult childhood as an outcast in the small village of Domrémy to her position as the renowned leader of the French army, Chen recreates Joan as strong-willed, powerful warrior with a skill an... (continued)

The Branded

Reviewed by Bianca

An excellent fantasy debut, Jo Riccioni’s The Branded offers a complex but gripping look into social hierarchies and class divides. Drawing off the YA fantasy tropes we all love, Riccioni weaves together an exciting, mysterious, and dangerous narrative of two sisters navigating shocking ... (continued)