Media Bites Dec 23 and Jan 24

DECEMBER 2023 – FICTION

Emergency Exit Only MICHELLE UPTON No evacuation plan, no safety net. Amelia’s quitting the daily grind to find her fantasy job. But a shocking secret from the past shows her that where there’s smoke, there’s fire ... And sometimes you just have to save yourself. A hilarious, big-hearted story about second chances from the author of Terms of Inheritance . 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 been working at for a decade.

Boy Swallows Universe TV Tie In TRENT DALTON Australia’s favourite novel, now a major Netflix series, starring Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker, Phoebe Tonkin, Bryan Brown and Anthony La Paglia. The bestselling novel that has taken Australia, and the world, by storm. Winner of Book of the Year at the 2019 Indie Book Awards , winner of a record four Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019, including the prestigious Book of the Year Award , and winner of the 2019 UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing , NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Brisbane, 1985: A lost father, a mute brother, a junkie mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crim for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli Bell’s life isn’t

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complicated enough already. He’s just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to be a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way - not the least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary Brisbane drug dealer. But now Eli’s life is going to get a whole lot more serious: he’s about to meet the father he doesn’t remember, break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day to rescue his mum, come face to face with the criminals who tore his world apart, and fall in love with the girl of his dreams. A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe is heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating. Released: 29/11/23 BPB | 528pp www.harpercollins.com.au/trentdalton/

When her mother, Toni, asks her what she wants to do, Amelia is at a loss. Out of sheer desperation, she tries her hand at the dream jobs she’s always fantasised about. Soon Amelia’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 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. Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 352pp www.michelleupton.com

AU $22.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: Fourth Estate

AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

COVER TO BE REVEALED

FICTION

River of Golden Bones AK MULFORD

The Mystery Guest NITA PROSE A new mess. A new mystery. Molly the maid returns . . .

Love Me Do She’s written the perfect romance... for someone else. LINDSEY KELK

From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all new Golden Court trilogy. A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin. Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…

Greetings card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two – and it makes her a fantastic Cupid. So when she lands in the Hollywood Hills – a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don’t just exist in the movies – she can’t resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren. But you can’t hide from love in La La Land. And isn’t there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door? Released: 29/11/23 BPB | 384pp lindseykelk.com/

Molly Gray wears her Head Maid badge proudly for every shift at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows, sweeping up the guests’ secrets, silently restoring rooms to a state of perfection. But when a renowned guest – a famous mystery writer – drops very dead in the grand tea room, Molly has an unusual clean-up on her hands. As rumours and suspicion swirl in the hotel corridors, it’s clear there’s grime lurking beneath the gilt. And Molly

AU $22.99 NZ $25.00 Imprint: HarperCollins

and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow... the backup plan. No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend – and sister’s betrothed – the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court. Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try? Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla’s journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy.

knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. But unlocking it means thinking about the past, about Gran, and everything else she’s kept tidied away in her memory for so long. Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time – and he knew her . . . Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 416pp www.nitaprose.com/

The Watchmaker’s Hand JEFFERY DEAVER A CITY IN TURMOIL Looming over the Manhattan skyline, a lone crane comes crashing down into the city, sending panic radiating across New York City.

AU $32.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

A DEADLY CONSPIRACY The NYPD believes a political group is behind the sabotage and turns to Lincoln Rhyme for help. He knows this is just the beginning.

A RACE AGAINST TIME Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs must race to stop further attacks before more chaos is unleashed upon the city. Watching Rhyme from the shadows is the elusive assassin The Watchmaker, and he’s preparing to strike…

www.akmulford.com/

Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 384pp AU $32.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: Voyager

www.jefferydeaver.com/

Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 400pp AU $32.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

FICTION

FICTION

A Shadow at the Door Jo Dixon

Vendetta Sarah Barrie

A Very Inconvenient Scandal From No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard comes a page-turning family drama that explores the emotional consequences of loyalty, deception and jealousy. Stunned by her recently widowed father’s reckless behavior, a young woman must learn to navigate a new world — where the people she should trust the most have become strangers she cannot trust at all. Frankie Attleboro returns home to Cape Cod with thrilling news. She’s met the love of her life, they’re getting married and have a baby on the way. Her talented, charismatic father overshadows her with his own announcement: he’s also getting married. To Frankie’s best friend, Ariel, who is also pregnant, and due soon. In an instant, he upends Frankie’s life. Her father’s choices will have profound implications for her, for her family and for her unborn child. Before Frankie and Ariel can adjust to this new reality, Ariel’s estranged mother, Carlotta, returns after a decade-long absence. Carlotta’s presence is unsettling — where has she been all these years? Why did she come back now? Ariel is welcoming but Frankie is suspicious. She digs into Carlotta’s past, where she finds multiple identities, unexplained illnesses and a mysterious case of arson that was never solved. As Carlotta’s sinister behavior intensifies, Frankie realises she must untangle the threads of Carlotta’s past to protect Ariel’s future — and her own. Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 352pp AU $32.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ JACQUELYN MITCHARD jacquelynmitchard.com The Good Liars ANITA FRANK From the author of stunning historical fiction books comes a Sunday Times bestselling new story of crime, deceit, and murder, set in the early 1920s… In the summer of 1914 a boy vanishes, never to be seen again.

Cop or criminal? When you’re undercover, the lines can get a little blurry. Former vigilante Lexi Winter, returns in a fast-paced, suspenseful crime thriller for readers of Candice Fox and Shelley Burr Ace hacker, former sex worker and vigilante Lexi Winter is now a cop and not keen to revisit her criminal past. But when old friends invoke the wrath of a local motorcycle club - the same club Lexi herself used to work for - she races to help them the only way she can: undercover.

From the bestselling author of The House of Now and Then comes a vividly portrayed story that reveals the darkness of greed and desire where people will stop at nothing to get what they want. No matter the cost ... 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...

If Lexi is to save a child’s life, she is going to have to go back - back to a life she thought she had outrun. Back to the person she used to be. But her timing isn’t great. Former club president Arthur Cronin has finished his long prison sentence and is out for revenge for the death of his wife and child. As he launches a series of bomb attacks on the club members who set him up and the cops who took him down, Lexi is caught in the middle.

Torn between old loyalties and new responsibilities, she must decide once

Now, in 1920, the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall find themselves struggling with the legacy of the First World War. Leonard bears the physical scars, while his brother Maurice has endured more than his mind can take. Maurice’s wife Ida yearns for the lost days of privilege and pleasure and family friend Victor seems unwilling to move on.

Released: 15/11/23 TPB | 400pp AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HQ

But their lives are thrown into further disarray when the missing boy’s case is reopened – and this time they themselves are under police scrutiny.

Jo-dixon.com

Released: 01/12/24 TPB | 304pp AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HQ

www.jefferydeaver.com/

Released: 03/01/24 TPB | 352pp AU $32.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ

FICTION

FICTION

Kennedy 35 CHARLES CUMMING

The Gilded Crown The Witch’s Heart meets The Priory of the Orange Tree in this debut novel about a woman who can bring people back from the dead, and the princess – and only heir to the throne – that she must protect, no matter the cost. The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old… Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects. Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’ death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side. But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the princess alive. But Death will always take what he is owed. Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 384pp AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: Voyager MARIANNE GORDON

Day

MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

The third book in Charles Cumming’s gripping new thriller series surrounding BOX 88 – a covert intelligence organization that operates below the radar. 1995: In the wake of the Rwandan genocide, 24-year-old spy Lachlan Kite and his girlfriend, Martha Raine, are sent to Senegal on the trail of a hunted war criminal. The mission threatens to spiral out of control, forcing Kite to make choices that will have devastating consequences not only for his career at top-secret intelligence agency BOX 88, but also for his relationship with Martha. 2023: Eric Appiah, an old friend from Kite’s days at school and an off-the record BOX 88 asset, makes contact

As the world changes around them, a family weathers the storms of growing up, growing older, falling in and out of love, losing the things that are most precious – and learning to go on. April 5th, 2019: In a cozy brownstone in Brooklyn, the veneer of domestic bliss is beginning to crack. Dan and Isabel, troubled husband and wife, are both a little bit in love with Isabel’s younger brother, Robbie. Robbie, wayward soul of the family, who still lives in the attic loft; Robbie, who, trying to get over his most recent boyfriend, has created a glamorous avatar online; Robbie, who now has to move out of the house – and whose departure threatens to break

the family apart. And then there is Nathan, age ten, taking his first uncertain steps toward independence, while Violet, five, does her best not to notice the growing rift between her parents. April 5th, 2020: As the world goes into lockdown the brownstone is feeling more like a prison. Violet is terrified of leaving the windows open, obsessed with keeping her family safe. Isabel and Dan circle each other warily, communicating mostly in veiled jabs and frustrated sighs. And beloved Robbie is stranded in Iceland, alone in a mountain cabin with nothing but his thoughts – and his secret Instagram life – for company. April 5th, 2021: Emerging from the worst of the crisis, the family comes together to reckon with a new, very different reality – with what they’ve learned, what they’ve lost, and how they might go on. From the brilliant mind of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham, Day is a searing, exquisitely crafted meditation on love and loss, and the struggles and limitations of family life – how to live together and apart, and maybe even escape the marriage plot entirely.

with explosive information about what happened all those years ago in West Africa. When tragedy strikes, Kite must use all his resources to bring down a criminal network with links to international terror… and protect Martha from possible assassination.

www.charlescumming.co.uk/

Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 336pp AU $32.99 NZ $37.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 288pp AU $32.99 NZ $37.99 Imprint: Fourth Estate

FICTION

FICTION

OCTOBER 2022 – NON-FICTION DECEMBER 2023 – NON-FICTION

Wise Words From David Attenborough With his unmistakable voice and childlike wonder, Sir David Attenborough has graced our television screens since 1954. This unauthorised collection celebrates the world’s favourite naturalist and his perspective on plants, animals, sustainability, community and beyond. From vegetarianism to climate change, each of these quotes demonstrates the power of words and positive thinking in our everyday lives.

How To Win Friends And Manipulate People: A Guidebook for Getting Your Way A humorous handbook that’ll teach you how to seize power and keep it, from Survivor Australia’s most cunning mastermind, King George. This motivational guidebook will teach you how to emulate the cunning, dastardly qualities of Australia’s favourite reality TV villain, King George. Known for his witty one-liners, silver tongue and strategic genius, George has much to teach anyone who wants to control a room. Each chapter is grounded in an insightful anecdote from George’s life that will leave you doubled-over with laughter and ready to reign over your own kingdom. These lessons are drawn from key moments that have formulated his mindset, from his upbringing in a tight-knit Macedonian-Greek household in Bankstown, to his careers in politics, poker and TV - two times GEORGE MLADENOV

A Book of Quotes ‘Nature once determined how we survive. Now we determine how nature survives.’

masterminding entire tribes on Survivor and sprinting around the world in The Amazing Race. After reading this book, you’ll be proclaiming GLORY OR DEATH to anyone who will listen.

‘Movements and ideas can spread at astonishing speed.’ ‘We need more than just intelligence, we need wisdom.’ Released: 29/11/23 NSH | 96pp AU $16.99 NZ $20.99 Imprint: Harper by Design

Released: 29/11/23 NSP | 320pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Endgame OMID SCOBIE The new book from bestselling author Omid Scobie shedding light on the Royal Family, with unique insight and exclusive access. On September 8, 2022, the world stood still as news broke of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Her death dismantled the protective shield around the world’s most famous family, and saw a long-simmering crisis of confidence in the British monarchy begin to resurface. Now, with unique insight, deep access and exclusive revelations, journalist Omid Scobie pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil—exposing the chaos, family dysfunction, distrust and draconian practices threatening its very future. This is the monarchy’s endgame. Do they have what it takes to save it?

Good Influence ZAC PERNA

Find the motivation to live your best life and get into your best shape with social media influencer Zac Perna. Consider this your personal (and hilarious) road map to becoming a lean and happy good influence in your own life. Let’s begin. People worldwide know fitness guru Zac Perna for his informative, motivating, curious and very funny social media content. In this book Zac goes deeper, wider and more intimate than ever before. With lots of information about diet, nutrition, exercise and fitness, Zac also reflects on pivotal lessons he’s learned about confidence, resilience and what it takes to create something tangible out of your dreams. Zac has done the hard work so you don’t have to struggle through the same journey. Drawing on his experience establishing a mega social media brand, a hugely successful fitness-coaching business and the Slouch Potato pyjama brand, and on his extensive health knowledge, Zac offers life lessons through intimately personal and at times unbelievable anecdotes that will make you laugh, reflect on your own life, then laugh some more. If you want a new start, need a bit of encouragement or just want to be inspired, Good Influence is here to help you create healthy habits and become the very best version of yourself.

Released: 29/11/23 NSH | 368pp AU $35.00NZ $39.99 Imprint: HQ

www.zacperna.com/

Released: 29/11/23 TPB | 304pp AU $34.99 NZ $39.00 Imprint: HarperCollins

NON-FICTION

NON-FICTION

DECEMBER 2023 – CHILDREN’S & YA Wrath Becomes Her

Secret Sparrow JACKIE FRENCH

How to be a Friend SARAH AYOUB & MIMI PURNELL

ADEN POLYDOROS

Vera was made for vengeance. Lithuania, 1943. The Nazis have killed Ezra’s daughter. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can craft something in her image — a golem, infused with pointed rage, to avenge Chaya’s death. A Nazi killer made with kishuf, an ancient and profane magic. When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose — her reason for existing — thrumming within her. But she can feel other things, too: glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognises the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets to have a life beyond what she was made for. If she deserves one. Vera’s strength feels limitless — until she learns that there are others who would use kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter’s death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave her: not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.

In 1917 sixteen-year-old Jean McLain is working as a Post Office assistant in England. But when she wins a national Morse code competition, the British army makes a request Jean cannot refuse - to take a secret position as a signaller in France. If Jean can keep the signals flowing between the soldiers at the Front and at headquarters, Britain might possibly win the war. But the British army are determined to hide their desperation - they will go on to burn every document that showed how women and girls were working behind the scenes, in the trenches, and even in battles during World War I. Decades later, and half a world away, an old woman on a motorbike tells the young man she has rescued from a flash flood the story of ‘the telegraph girl’: the friends she lost, the man who loved her, and the happiness she so surprisingly found again.

Do you know what it takes to be a friend, someone on whom someone else depends? Just a few ingredients, tips and tricks, Make the perfect friendship mix! A lyrical story with heartfelt ideas about what it means to be a good friend from the team that brought us The Love That Grew.

Released: 29/11/23 NSH| 24pp AU $24.99 NZ $26.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

adenpolydoros.com

Released: 29/11/23 NSP | 144 pp AU $22.99 NZ $22.99 Imprint: HQ

Released: 29/11/23 NSP | 144 pp AU $17.99 NZ $19.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Funny Kid - Snowballs MATT STANTON Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen. When Max and his friends holiday at a ski resort for the rich and famous, Max realises that everything he could ever need to be happy is all here in one place and he’s determined to fit in quick-smart! Max is the funny kid, but will his jokes work in the snow? Frozen pyjamas, fast cars, falling gracefully off cliffs, a wild mountain man, impossible chair lifts and a high-end fashion parade from lost property are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends in this brand-new Funny Kid adventure. FUNNY KID is the mega-bestselling series from author-illustrator Matt Stanton that has everyone laughing!

The Crayons Go Back To School DREW DAYWALT & OLIVER JEFFERS

The crayons are getting ready to go back to school and each crayon has a subject they’re looking forward to the most. They’re also ready to meet new friends and let loose during their very favourite time of day . . . art class. A hilarious back-to-school story featuring everyone’s favourite school supplies!

Released: 29/11/2023 BPB| 288pp AU $15.99 NZ $17.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Released: 29/11/2023 NSH| 32pp AU $24.99 NZ $26.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

CHILDREN’S

CHILDREN’S

JANUARY 2023 – FICTION

The Hidden Letters LORNA COOK As the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate. Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden. Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the young men are called away to war, Cordelia takes over. From the battlefields of Europe, Isaac sends her letters, that give her hope for their future in peacetime.

Ruthless Vows REBECCA ROSS TORN APART BY WAR. REUNITED BY LOVE? Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign. Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But

The Beach At Summerly A ravishing summer read from New York Times bestseller Beatriz Williams, sweeping readers back to a mid-century New England rich with secrets and Cold War intrigue. June 1946. As the residents of Winthrop Island prepare for the first summer season after the sacrifice of war, a glamorous new figure moves into the guest cottage at Summerly, the idyllic seaside estate of the wealthy Peabody family. To Emilia Winthrop, daughter of Summerly’s year round caretaker and a descendant of the island’s settlers, Olive Rainsford opens a window into a world of shining possibility. While Emilia spent the war years caring for her incapacitated mother, Olive BEATRIZ WILLIAMS

The Forest Grimm A spellbinding new YA fairytale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, breathing new life into folklore and myth – with a touch of magic all her own… Once upon a time, villagers would whisper their desires to The Book of Fortunes, and its pages would reveal how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for evil. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away and the village withered. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned. Despite the warning from her fortune teller grandmother, Clara embarks on KATHRYN PURDIE

But when these messages abruptly cease, Cordelia must face up to the worst and take her future – and the fate of the garden they both loved – into her own hands… An epic, sweeping tale of love, war and the strength of the human spirit. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be absolutely gripped by this historical page-turner. Released: 03/01/24 TPB | 384pp AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: Avon www.lornacookauthor.com/

traveled the world, married fascinating men, and involved herself in political causes. She’s also the beloved aunt of the two surviving Peabody sons, Amory and Shep, with whom Emilia has a tangled romantic history. As the summer wears on, Emilia develops a deep rapport with Olive, who urges her to leave the island for a life of adventure, while romance blossoms with the sturdy and honorable Shep. But the heady promise of Peabody patronage is blown apart by the arrival of Sumner Fox, an FBI agent who demands Emilia’s help to capture a Soviet agent who’s transmitting vital intelligence on the West’s atomic weapon program from somewhere inside the Summerly estate. April 1954. Eight years later, Summerly is boarded up and Emilia has rebuilt her shattered life as a professor at Wellesley College, when shocking news arrives from Washington—the traitor she helped convict is about to be swapped for an American spy imprisoned in the Soviet Union, but with a mysterious condition only Emilia can fulfill. A reluctant Emilia is summoned to CIA headquarters, where she’s forced to confront the harrowing consequences of her actions that fateful summer, and a choice that could destroy the Peabody family—and Emilia’s chance for redemption—all over again. Released: 03/01/24 TPB | 368pp beatrizwilliams.com/

the journey into the deadly forest to procure the Book of Fortunes – to reverse the curse and save her mother and village. Clara’s friend Axel puts aside his longing for her to join the journey – the young travellers have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. Alas, the forest – alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales – has a mind of its own… A dark and sparkling tale of romance, courage and magic. Perfect for fans of Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo and Hannah Kaner Released: 03/01/24 TPB | 352pp kathrynpurdie.com/

given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war. Released: 03/01/24 TPB | 400pp rebeccarossauthor.com/

AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: Magpie Books

AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: Magpie Books

AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: HarperCollins

FICTION

FICTION

OCTOBER 2022 – NON-FICTION JANUARY 2023 –

JANUARY 2023 – CHILDREN’S & YA Lani and the Universe

Muster Dogs From Pups to Pros When Muster Dogs first hit screens in 2022, viewers were enchanted. Five lively kelpie pups adopted into farming homes across Australia and put on an intensive training program and became instant stars. Could they learn to herd and muster within a year? Could they prove that working with natural ability was an optimum way to farm? With the help of expert breeders and trainers, these dogs and their new trainers showcased not only what the puppies were capable of but how using dogs contributed to better stock, farm management and environment. Among those who lost their hearts to these amazing puppies was narrator Lisa Millar. Muster Dogs quite literally changed her life. In this book Lisa tells us about her journey over two seasons, bringing us up to date with the characters of series 1 - human and canine - and introducing us to five new collie pups, trainers and the hurdles of season 2. Many questions have been asked about Muster Dogs. How did it start? Why did it resonate with audiences? Lisa addresses the show’s impact, brings us stories from behind the scenes, and takes us deep into country life, all the while examining the powerful relationship between human and dog. With tips from trainers and experts, this is a book that will immerse you in affection, resilience, and loyalty, all set against the wide brown (and green) land that is our productive heartland. LISA MILLAR

Time Travelling with a Tortoise

VICTORIA CARLESS

ROSS WELFORD

Lani Scrub has a plan: study hard and become a world-renowned scientist like her hero, Kit Galway, who wrote The Meaning of the Universe. The plan is ruined when Lani’s mum decides to ‘find herself’ by joining a nature-loving community called Passing Waters. Lani should have known things were up when they got backyard chickens. At Passing Waters Lani fails every test thrown her way - despite coaching from nine-year-old nature kid Lentil and a chef/ astronomer named Meadow. Turns out failing is hard, and what’s worse is their tree change is making her question the meaning of the universe ... And when the community’s future is threatened, will Lani Scrub pitch in to save the day?

Al Chaudhury travelled back in time to save his father’s life. And it worked - Al’s dad is alive again and life is back to the way it should be. At least, that’s what Al thinks. But when an accident robs Al’s beloved Grandpa Byron of his world-beating memory, Al is forced back in time again, this time leaving someone behind, trapped in a prehistoric dimension. Al is forced into a rescue mission to recover his friend from the past - and to make sure that there will be a future waiting for them all. It turns out time travel is far more complicated than Al thought.

Released: 17/01/24 TPB | 320pp AU $34.99 NZ $39.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Released: 03/01/24 BPB| 368pp AU $16.99 NZ $18.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 03/01/24 BPB | 336 pp AU $17.99 NZ $19.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Finding Bear HANNAH GOLD The unmissable follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling and award-winning The Last Bear.

April Wood has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But, over a year later, she can’t stop thinking about Bear. When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s her friend and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers.

But along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for - a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of her help. In freezing temperatures, April must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she’s to save him. Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Finding Bear is a stunning story of survival and a heartwarming tale of love that shows us how hope is born from the smallest of beginnings.

Released: 03/01/2024 NSH| 352pp AU $19.99 NZ $21.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

CHILDREN’S

NON-FICTION