Our Collection Team is responsible for preparing all our books so you can borrow them. Of the thousands of books that pass through their hands these are the ones that have caught their attention. These are the good ones that didn't get away.
Sita Walker
In a Common Hour by Sita Walker feels especially timely as children return to school and families settle back into shared routines. Walker’s writing is attentive to the small, often overlooked moments that make up daily life—the hours we pass together without much ceremony, yet which quietly shape our sense of connection and belonging. The book reflects on time spent in common: classrooms, kitchens, conversations, and pauses that might seem ordinary but carry emotional weight. As the school year begins and schedules fill, Walker’s calm, reflective prose is a reminder that meaning often lives in these everyday hours—between lessons, after the bell, or during moments of stillness at home. Thoughtful and unhurried, In a Common Hour will resonate with readers who appreciate literary writing that invites reflection. It’s a gentle companion for this season of transition, encouraging us to notice and value the shared time that anchors our busy lives.
Maggie O'Farrell
Have you heard the hype about the Movie Hamnet? Did you know the movie is based on a book by the same name written by Maggie O’Farrell which one the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020 plus a suite of other accolades? Hamnet is a quietly powerful novel that reimagines the life and death of Shakespeare’s only son, placing the emotional centre of the story firmly with his family—especially his remarkable wife, Agnes. O’Farrell writes with luminous, tactile prose, bringing 16th-century England vividly to life while exploring grief, marriage, and the fragile bonds between parents and children. Though readers know the outcome from the start, the novel’s strength lies in its tenderness and restraint, showing how private loss can echo into enduring art. Hamnet is a deeply humane, beautifully crafted book that lingers long after the final page.
Jo Piazza
Two phrases sum up this book: Trad Wife. Murder mystery. Pique your interest? It certainly piqued ours! A nail-biter of a thriller centred around two friends, a murder, a disappearance, and the power of social media. With a clever plot and a cast of colourful characters, Everyone is Lying to You will have you guessing all the way to the last page.
Jessie Sylva
After a cosy escape from the stresses of the modern world? Look no further than How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days, a sweet fantasy romance between a halfling and a goblin. Think an opposites-attract romcom ... set in The Shire. Expect magical forests, interfering wizards, lots of home cooking, and maybe even a kiss at the Harvest Dance. If you've ever dreamed of running away to Middle Earth to live out your cosy, cottagecore dreams, this one is for you!
Rhett Davis
Reading Arborescence felt like stepping into a dream—one that’s equal parts elegy and revelation. From the very first page, I was struck by Davis’s extraordinary ability to blend poetic tenderness with the pulse of a thriller. It’s a novel that dares to ask what it means to be human in a world where that very definition is unravelling. The story follows Bren and Caelyn, two young adults adrift in a society saturated with digital noise and ecological despair. Their lives begin to fracture in strange and beautiful ways as people around the world start vanishing—only to reappear as trees. Yes, trees. It sounds surreal, and it is, but Davis makes it feel heartbreakingly real. The forest-dwelling community they encounter, trying to transform into trees, is one of the most haunting and hopeful metaphors I’ve ever read. What makes Arborescence so compelling is its emotional depth. It’s a balm and an urgent whisper of hope, a reminder that even in the face of loss and disconnection, there’s still something worth reaching for. Davis’s dry humour and narrative playfulness offer moments of levity, but the book never loses sight of its profound core: that we often don’t realize what we have until it’s gone.
Peter Carpenter
As a lifelong Bowie fan who had the unforgettable privilege of seeing him perform in Adelaide, Gordy was thrilled when a fellow reader introduced her to this book. Bowieland is a moving, magical journey - 'one that deepens the connection to Bowie’s legacy in ways I never expected'. After undergoing open-heart surgery, poet Peter Carpenter was given one clear instruction: “Walk, if you want to stay on this planet.” So when David Bowie—his lifelong hero - inspired millions and passed away in 2016, Peter knew what he had to do. With no official shrine to Bowie, Peter decided to walk through the places that shaped Bowie’s life, hoping to reconnect with the man behind the music. Starting in familiar spots he found the windows Bowie once looked through, the streets he walked, and even the stage where a young Davy Jones performed. These walks became more than recovery—they mirrored Bowie’s own restless creativity. Along the way, Peter uncovered hidden stories and connections, discovering how Bowie fit into a larger cultural tapestry of poets, artists, and musicians who came before him. Through Carpenter’s journey, the suburbs and forgotten places became something new—a landscape rich with meaning. Part memoir, part cultural detective story, Bowieland is a lyrical, life-affirming walk-through grief, creativity, and the landscapes that shaped one of music’s greatest icons. A tale of resistance, recovery, and the strange magic found in persistence—even when the path seems lost.
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