HarperCollins Media Bites May 2021

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MEDIA BITES

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Reverend Bill Crews 12 RU L E S FOR L I V I NG A B E T T E R L I F E The vital importance of community in our fragmented society. The power of doing – ‘The planet is chock-a- block with people who are quite happy to reflect and navel-gaze until the cows come home, but it is the actual doing that brings change.’ The difference between empathy and sympathy.

Christina Sweeney-Baird TH E E ND OF ME N

A novel that feels ripped from the headlines, only it was written before the pandemic began. What is it like to write a novel on a pandemic and then watch it happen around the world? Why is it the end of men? Why tackle a gendered pandemic?

Kel Richards F L ASH J I M The origins of Australian vernacular.

Daniel Kahneman (pictured), Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein NO I S E New book from the enormously influential, bestselling author of Thinking Fast and Slow. A groundbreaking exploration of why people make bad judgments, and how through controlling both noise and cognitive bias, you can make better ones.

How language changes and evolves over time. Convict transportation and the penal system. Colonial Australia. Incredible true Australian stories.

MAY 2 021 – F ICT ION

The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison ME R E D I TH JA F F E

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 368pp AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: HarperCollins meredithjaffe.com

Derek’s daughter Debbie is getting married. He’s desperate to be there, but he’s banged up in Yarrandarrah Correctional Centre for embezzling funds from the golf club, and, thanks to his ex-wife, Lorraine, he hasn’t spoken to Debbie in years. He wants to make a grand gesture - to show her how much he loves her. But what? Inspiration strikes while he’s embroidering a cushion at his weekly prison sewing circle – he’ll make her a wedding dress. His fellow stitchers rally around and soon this motley gang of crims is immersed in a joyous whirl of silks, satins and covered buttons. But as time runs out and tensions rise both inside and outside the prison, the wedding dress project takes on greater significance. With lives at stake, Derek feels his chance to reconcile with Debbie is slipping through his fingers ... A funny, dark and moving novel about finding humanity, friendship and redemption in unexpected places.

The End of Men CHR I S T I NA SWE E N E Y- BA I RD

The Final Twist J E F F E RY D E AV E R Unique Investigator Colter Shaw is

Glasgow, 2025. Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a young man with a mild fever. Within three hours he dies. The mysterious illness sweeps through the hospital with deadly speed. This is how it begins. The victims are all men. Dr Maclean raises the alarm, but the sickness spreads to every corner of the globe. Threatening families. Governments. Countries. Can they find a cure before it’s too late? Will this be the story of the end of the world – or its salvation? Compelling, confronting and devastating, The End of Men is the novel that everyone is talking about.

searching for the answer to his father’s final, posthumous riddle. It will lead him to evidence that will topple the secretive espionage company, BlackBridge. He believes BlackBridge to be responsible for his father’s murder and brother’s disappearance. They can outmanoeuvre anyone, as the long trail of bodies behind them can confirm. But they haven’t yet met Colter Shaw. This time the stakes are huge – the fate of a nation is in Colter’s hands. He must find the solution as to why his father died – but to do that he needs to stay alive… jefferydeaver.com

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 416pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 19/05/21 TPB | 416pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

F ICT ION

The Girl and the Mountain MARK L AWR E NC E On Abeth there is only the ice. And the Black Rock.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 448pp

For generations the priests of the Black Rock have reached out from their mountain to steer the ice tribes’ fate. With their Hidden God, their magic and their iron, the priests’ rule has never been challenged. But nobody has ever escaped the Pit of the Missing before. Yaz has lost her friends and found her enemies. She has a mountain to climb and even if she can break the Hidden God’s power her dream of a green world lies impossibly far to the south across a vast emptiness of ice. Before the journey can even start she has to find out what happened to the ones she loves and save those that can be saved. Abeth holds its secrets close, but the stars shine brighter for Yaz and she means to unlock the truth.

AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: Harper Voyager

marklawrence.buzz

Her Last Holiday C . L . TAYLOR

Savannah’s Secret MANDY MAGRO

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong. Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna. Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden? Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 400pp

Starting over was never going to be easy, especially as he’s looking for the one thing she can’t give ... the truth. Set in the heart of the Australian countryside comes a compelling romance with a touch of suspense from bestselling author Mandy Magro.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 320pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: Mira

cltaylorauthor.com

mandymagro.com

AU $24.99 NZ $27.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

F ICT ION

How To Mend A Broken Heart R ACHA E L JOHNS

Summer in New Orleans means hot days, long nights and surprising new beginnings.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 448pp AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: HQ Fiction

Felicity Bell and her daughter are both recovering from heartbreak and a trip to New Orleans seems like a good opportunity for a fresh start. After a chance meeting with Aurelia, a reclusive artist, all three women will need to discover if they can learn from the past to embrace their future. An uplifting novel about three women joyously learning to move on after heartbreak by the bestselling author of The Patterson Girls and Flying The Nest.

rachaeljohns.com

The Woman With The Blue Star PAM J E NOF F From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris comes a riveting tale of unfathomable sacrifice and unlikely

Dial A For Aunties J E S S E SUTANTO

Your family would kill to see you happy When Meddy Chan accidentally kills her blind date, she turns to her aunties for help. Their meddling set her up on the date so they kind of owe her. Although hiding this goddamn dead body is going to be harder than they thought especially when her family’s wedding business has THE biggest wedding of the year happening right now.

friendship during World War II. Inspired by harrowing true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 304pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ Fiction

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 304pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ Fiction

jesseqsutanto.com

pamjenoff.com

F ICT ION

MAY 2 021 – NON - F ICT ION

We make thousands of decisions every day, from minute choices we don’t even know we’re making, up to great, agonising deliberations. But when every decision we make is life-changing, the way we reach them matters. And for every decision, there is noise. This book teaches us how to understand all the extraneous factors that impact and bias our decision-making – and how to combat them and improve our thinking. Filled with new science, fascinating case studies and revealing practical examples, the skills this book teaches can be readily used by private or public institutions, by schools, hospitals, businesses, judges and in our everyday lives. Noise DAN I E L K AHN EMAN , OL I V I E R S I BONY & CAS S R . SUNS T E I N

Julia Makes It Easy J U L I A MORR I S Hilariously half-baked life advice from another deluded celebrity. Life is hard. Families, friends, jobs, bills. So much pressure, and everyone else seems to make it look so simple. But don’t panic, Lady JMo is here to help you live the perfect Julia Morris life. Julia’s hilarious brand of nice-but-not- very-bright advice, slacker life hacks and impractical solutions to practical issues is 0% guaranteed to transform your life with the bare minimum of effort or time. And if she can’t do that, she’ll at least show you how to cover up the mess she made and make it all look OK on Instagram. EASY!

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 352pp AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 352pp AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Comparisonitis ME L I S SA AMBROS I N I It creeps up on you without warning – perhaps while chatting with a friend, scrolling through social media, or even just while walking down the street. All it takes is the hint of someone doing or having something you perceive as ‘better’ than you, and it hits. A feeling takes over – intense, blinding, gutting. Your brain starts spinning with toxic thoughts about yourself (or others), and you’re left feeling ashamed, guilty, and even worthless. It’s called comparisonitis. And if you’ve suffered from it, you’re NOT alone. Comparisonitis is a contagious, socially transmitted condition that occurs when you compare yourself to others so frequently and fiercely that you’re left paralyzed, with your confidence in tatters and your self-worth plummeting. It may sound trivial, but this affliction can have serious adverse effects on our mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, overthinking, and regret. To make matters worse, our comparison culture is only expanding. Thanks to social media, we have more opportunities to compare ourselves than ever before, and even kids are falling into the trap.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 304pp

AU $29.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HarperCollins melissaambrosini.com

NON - F ICT ION

12 Rules for Living a Better Life R E V E R E ND B I L L CR EWS He’s been named one of Australia’s 100 most influential people, yet he’s often considered a thorn in the side of his own church. He’s a fierce campaigner against poker machine gambling yet it was the proceeds of a horse race that first established his soup kitchen that now feeds thousands across the city. His Sunday-night radio show is the most widely listened to across the nation, but he often makes the news himself. He is a 75-year-old minister and regularly inspires news article headlines that read: ‘What if we were all like Bill Crews?’ He is the epitome of compassion and often controversial. He is Bill Crews, the charismatic shepherd of Ashfield in Sydney’s inner-west. Operation Pedestal was a crucial relief mission that became an epic, bloody naval battle and a pivotal moment in the Second World War. In 1942, the Luftwaffe had a stranglehold on Malta. In the months of April and May, they dropped more bombs on the island than on London in the entire Blitz. British attempts to bring in supplies and reinforcements were failing with heavy losses, and the people on Malta were closing in on starvation as the Axis attempted to force their surrender. Released: 19/05/21 TPB | 336pp Operation Pedestal MA X HAS T I NGS

Flash Jim K E L R I CHARDS If you wear ‘togs’, tell a ‘yarn’, call someone ‘sly’, or refuse to ‘snitch’ on a friend then you are talking like a convict. These words, and hundreds of others, once left colonial magistrates baffled and police confused. So comprehensible to us today, the flash language of criminals had officers complaining about the need for an interpreter in the colonial court. Luckily, by 1811, that man was at hand. James Hardy Vaux – conman, pickpocket, absconder and thief, born into comfortable circumstances in England – was so drawn to a life of crime he was transported to Australia ... not once, but three times! Vaux’s talents, glibness and audacity were extraordinary, and perceiving an opportunity to ingratiate himself with authorities during his second sentence, he set about writing a dictionary of the criminal slang of the colony, which was recognised for its uniqueness and taken back to England to be published. Kel Richards tells Vaux’s story brilliantly, with the help of Vaux’s own extraordinarily candid memoir of misdeeds – one of the first true-crime memoirs ever published. Kel’s book combines two of his favourite subjects: the inventiveness, humour and origins of Australian English, and our history of fabulous, disreputable characters.

Released: 05/05/21 TPB | 288pp AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 05/05/21 NSP | 320pp AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

AU $34.99 NZ $39.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

NON - F ICT ION

You Will Get Through This Night DAN I E L HOWE L L

Released: 19/05/21 HB | 320pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ Non-Fiction

A practical guide to taking control of your mental health for today, tomorrow, and the days after, from the Sunday Times bestselling author and beloved entertainer ‘There’s a moment at the end of every day, where the world falls away and you are left alone with your thoughts. A reckoning, when the things you have been pushing to the background, come forward and demand your attention.’ Written by Daniel Howell, in consultation with a qualified psychologist, in an entertaining and personal way from the perspective of someone who has been through it all – this no- nonsense book gives you the tools to understand your mind so you can be in control and really live. You will laugh and learn – but most of all, this book will assure you that even in your darkest times, there is always hope. You will get through this night.

shop.danielhowell.com

The First Three Months TR E S I L L I AN

Gentle, expert advice for the parents of newborns, from Australia’s largest and most trusted parent-support organisation. The first twelve weeks of a baby’s life can be a challenge for any new parent. Tresillian’s experienced, expert advice will guide you through with practical tips and real-life stories, set out in an accessible format for tired brains. With dedicated information for fathers and other caregivers, and key sections on coping with lockdowns and parenting in an age of social media, this is a book packed with reassurance, guidance and ideas. Released: 19/05/21 TPB | 304pp

AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

NON - F ICT ION

MAY 2 021 – CHI LDREN’ S & YA

Can’t Say it Went to Plan GABR I E L L E TOZ E R

Eliza Vanda’s Button Box EM I LY RODDA

From the award-winning author of The Intern , Faking It and Remind Me How This Ends . School’s out. Forget study, exams and mapping out the future. For the next seven days, the only homework is partying with friends, making new ones and living in the moment. There are no parents or curfews – and no rules. Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are strangers, but they have something in common: their plans for a dream holiday after their final year of school are flipped upside-down before they even arrive at the beach. From hooking up and heartache, to growing apart, testing friendships and falling in love, anything can go down this week.

From the author of the award-winning His Name was Walter comes another magical mystery story that will delight Emily Rodda fans. Buttons three, attend to me! Take me where I want to be! No one saw Eliza Vanda arrive in Tidgy Bay that rainy winter afternoon. The sign advertising ‘Cabins for Rent’ was almost hidden by a pile of builder’s rubble, but Eliza Vanda didn’t seem at all put out by the mess. ‘This is a nice little pocket,’ she said. ‘It should suit us very well.’ Life hasn’t been much fun for Milly Dynes lately. There seem to be problems everywhere she looks. She’s always loved her home in Tidgy Bay, but at the moment she wishes she was somewhere – anywhere else. Then Eliza Vanda turns up-and magic comes with her.

Released: 05/05/2021 HB | 288pp | Ages 10+ AU $22.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: Angus & Robertson

gabrielletozer.com

Released: 05/05/2021 PB | 384pp | Ages 14+ AU $19.99 NZ $22.99 Imprint: Angus & Robertson

emilyrodda.com

Minecraft Bite-Size Builds MOJANG Learn how to design, build and customise 20 mini-projects in Minecraft, from firefighter planes and deep-sea submarines to hidden bunkers and mini arcade games. There’s even a superhero flying school! With detailed instructions, block hacks and build tips, this book will encourage you to polish old skills and learn new tricks as you create a wide range of fun, bite-sized builds to impress your friends in Minecraft. Each build is accompanied by exploded views, step-by-step guides and detailed instructions to show you how to complete each build from start to finish. Informative text will help you with your construction understanding, and encourage you to use your new knowledge to create your very own builds. Minecraft is a multi-platform block-based gaming sensation available on Xbox, PlayStation, PC and mobile devices. Whether you’re in Creative, Survival or Hardcore Mode, the official Mojang-approved Minecraft books contain all the advice you need to survive and thrive.

Released: 05/05/21 HB | 96pp | Ages 7+ AU $16.99 NZ $19.99

Imprint: Egmont minecraft.net

CH I LDR EN ’ S & YA

Funny Kid: Prank Aliens MAT T S TANTON

Before You Were Born K ATR I NA GE RME I N ( I L L . H É L È N E MAG I S SON ) A wonderfully inclusive book to celebrate the anticipated birth of a child.

Ready to see a real-life alien? Laugh your head off with the super-popular Funny Kid series! Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen. He’s also the kid who’s keen to spend the most boring school holidays ever coming up with the greatest prank of all time. Max is the funny kid and he’s going to prank the world! Conspiracy theories, crop circles, alien invasions, a mayor who has lost his marbles and the most Un-fun Fair in the universe are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends in this brand-new Funny Kid adventure.

Before you were born and while you grew, there was a party just for you.

This heartwarming picture book captures the excitement and anticipation of the arrival of a baby. Filled with love, hope and happiness, it celebrates the universal joy of new babies in all kinds of families.

Released: 05/05/21 HB | 32pp | Ages 0-2 AU $19.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: Working Title Press

katrinagermein.com helenemagisson.com

mattstanton.net

Released: 05/05/21 PB | 272pp | Ages 7+ AU $14.99 NZ $16.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Night Ride into Danger JACK I E F R E NCH

Truly Tyler T E RR I L I B E NSON A story about being your truest self – and trusting your truest friends. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Cliques. Crushes. Comics. Middle school. Ever since Tyler started getting into art and hanging out with Emmie, his friends and teammates have been giving him a hard time. He wonders why can’t he nerd out on drawing and play ball. Emmie is psyched that she gets to work on a comics project with her crush, Tyler. But she gets the feeling that his friends don’t think she’s cool enough. Maybe it’s time for a total reinvention. Don’t miss the rest of the Emmie & Friends series: Invisible Emmie , Positively Izzy , Just Jaime and Becoming Brianna .

Six mysterious passengers and seven dark secrets. Who can be trusted? It’s a dark and dangerous journey for the Cobb and Co night mail coach, but when his coach-driver father is injured, young Jem Donovan must take the reins. Surely a boy like Jem can’t handle a team of four horses and guide the coach on a rough bush track through fog and untold dangers? But there are six passengers on the coach tonight, each with a secret. And if Jem can’t get them all to their destination by morning, the seventh secret could be deadly.

jackiefrench.com

Released: 05/05/21 PB | 256pp | Ages 10+ AU $16.99 NZ $19.99 Imprint: Angus & Robertson

Released: 05/05/21 PB | 192pp | Ages 8+ AU $16.99 NZ $19.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

terrilibenson.com

CH I LDR EN ’ S & YA