Books & Media

Three years on, the fate of Torra Alta and Belbidida hangs in the balance once more.

Caspar has become entranced by the evil of the Druid's Egg, and so is sent, with Brid, to find orphan wolflings which the dying Morrigwen declares are vital. Hal is sent to the neighbouring country of Ceolothis, as part of an escort for the Princess Cymbeline who is to marry Belbidia's king.

Press the soft patches to hear the skeleton and its friends come to life in this hilarious Halloween treat.

 You'd better not tickle the skeleton... because it might just rattle if you do!Babies and toddlers just won't be able to resist tickling the touchy-feely patches to hear each creature make a sound in this hilarious novelty book. At the end, readers will find all the characters gathered together for a spooktastic Halloween dance. An exciting new series for babies and toddlers, from the creators of That's not my...With over 20 books to discover in this award-winning series, there is a book to excite every baby and toddler; including dinosaurs, bears, tigers, unicorns and lots more - giggles are guaranteed! Every DON'T TICKLE book supports sensory development with:- Engaging characters to encourage playfulness - Furry patches for developing motor skills- Playful music to inspire movement- Holes to peep through, sparking curiosity - Rhythmic text for developing language

Simple but satisfying arts, crafts and puzzles for young children

 This delightful activity book is full of easy but fun ideas for things to draw, paint and craft, as well as some simple picture puzzles. Sponge print a fierce T.rex or make your own friendly paper plate-o-saurus - then follow the footprints or spot the differences to solve the dinosaur-themed puzzles. Perfect for sharing with preschoolers, the different activities will entertain while helping to develop hand control, coordination and concentration.

It's the most wonderful time of the year…to bake! Unleash the cozy magic of baking this holiday season with 100 Christmas classics and unique indulgences. Whether it's for yourself, the family, or a gift for friends and coworkers give the gift of cookies, cakes, pies, and more!

'Tis the season for festive treats! Turn your kitchen into a haven of holiday cheer with The Christmas Baking Cookbook. From traditional gingerbread cookies to sweet innovations such as the eggnog-flavored cupcake, this cookbook is guaranteed to elevate your festive candies and pastries. Discover new favorites and expand your repertoire as you sit by the fireside this season with your favorite holiday goodies.

Inside you'll find:

• 100 deliciously simple holiday recipes for cookies, cakes, breads and breakfast treats, pastries, pies and tarts, custards and other decadent confections
• Step-by-step simple instructions and prominent ingredient lists
• Easy, festive decorating techniques

Christmas Baking Cookbook is:

• A fun Christmas, holiday, or advent gift for host or hostess, family or parents, coworkers or friends
• A great activity to bring friends and family together or do some holiday baking with children
• A wonderful way for home bakers to grow their skills and talents

Gather around the Christmas tree and treat yourself, delight your friends, and (most importantly) impress your in-laws. It's time to deck the halls with loads of icing with The Christmas Baking Cookbook!

Deadly wolves attack throughout the kingdom of Belbidia, while the king's wife-to-be has been kidnapped. For both of these, the Barony of Torra Alta is blamed. The heroes must face magic and blood in their quests to avenge the wrongs done to them and restore the Trinity of priestesses.Â

In the land of hard-workers, meet the world’s laziest ant! From architecture to farming, explore how amazing ant-work can be.

The other ants think Anita is lazy, but she just can’t choose what job to do. At the colony job fair, she discovers all the types of work that go on inside and around the anthill, but that just gives her a taste for adventure. Reporting back on her travels – did you know ants were the world’s first farmers, and can build their own boats? – Anita accidentally, finds her perfect role.

Have you ever wanted to change how a story ends? Dragon Dave has been stuck in this book forever. He really wants to get out. And he really doesn’t like the ending ... Then Prince George shows Dave that words can be re-written (even in a picture book), but will Dave be brave enough to change his story? And what exactly would he change? Read how these two friends find a better ending in this funny, innovative picture book that celebrates empowerment, friendship, and daring to be different!

Introduce your little one to the magic of Australian flowers with May Gibbs. From flannel flowers to wattles, there is so much to discover and enjoy.

Read the original May Gibbs stories that give us a peek behind the gum leaf at what makes our favourite Bush Babies their cheeky selves. This bind-up edition is beautifully embellished with May Gibbs' original illustrations and words from over 100 years ago. Containing stories from Gumnut Babies, Gum Blossom Babies, Boronia Babies, Flannel Flower Babies, Wattle Babies and much more.

About the Book

*PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF BRIDGET COLLINS' STUNNING NEW NOVEL, THE NAKED LIGHT*

The Sunday Times bestseller, from the author of The Binding

'Utterly original… ensnared me from the very first page' EMILIA HART

'Storytelling at its most immersive' ERIN KELLY

The whole world disappears when you enter

THE SILENCE FACTORY

In the Factory, the looms clatter all day. Cobwebs found in ancient Mediterranean glades are spun into a precious fabric that silences the world.

But what happens to those who fall under its spell?

And who is harnessing its power?

After all, a world of silence can bring peace, but it can also conceal the deeds of the wicked…

The Silence Factory is an enthralling story about complicity, desire and corruption – a novel to lose yourself in.

'Breathtaking' GLAMOUR

'A gorgeous, gothic read' i PAPER

'A world that exists on the edge of time and magic… this is storytelling at its most immersive' ERIN KELLY

‘Elizabeth was king,

Then James was queen.’ – English author (1603)

James Stuart, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland did not always love wisely, but he never failed to do so boldly.

He fell in love three times – with a Scottish lord, a knight and George Villiers, ‘the handsomest man in the whole world’. He was infatuated three more times – with a Highland earl, a Welsh lord and an English spy.

We know so much about the six wives of Henry VIII, why not the six loves of James I?

This groundbreaking new book puts James – genius, liar, spendthrift, idealist, witch-hunter – and the men he loved at the centre of one of the most dramatic stories in British royal history.

Beginning with the brutal and mysterious murder of his father in 1567, James’s life encompassed kidnapping, witchcraft trials, torture, his mother’s beheading, poison, political radicalism, religious fundamentalism, a queen’s alleged abortion, passionate sex, strong love, stronger hate, espionage, brothels, and a decade-long love affair that ended in assassination.

It is unquestionably one of the most gripping stories in British history, retold in Gareth Russell’s Queen James with scholarship, biographical insight and wit.

________________________________

'Books like this don't come along very often. Told with Gareth Russell's characteristic verve and exquisite eye for detail, it is a story so compelling and surprising that it feels as if it has been hiding in plain sight for 400 years. A stunning achievement and a must for history fans everywhere' TRACY BORMAN

Runaway Wife

The small town of Koomera Crossing was the perfect hiding place for runaway Laura Graham. She immediately felt at home — thanks to her neighbour, handsome, brooding Evan Thompson.

Evan had his own reasons for hiding out, but maintaining his distance proved hard when it came to Laura. Her apparent innocence and obvious beauty threatened to soften his hardened heart. Both had secrets. And now those secrets could break them apart...

Outback Bridegroom

Christine is on her way back — to a town full of bittersweet memories, but home to the only man she has ever truly loved, Mitch Claydon. Outback born and bred, Mitch is filled with anger whenever he thinks about Christine. He’d loved her — had even offered marriage — but she’d chosen to pursue a life far away from Koomera Crossing. Now she's returned, and despite his strong resolve, Mitch finds he can’t keep away. Christine is as beautiful and desirable as ever...

Outback Surrender

Banished from his Outback home, Brock Tyson had left Koomera Crossing without a backward glance. But Shelley Logan was secretly in love with him and has never forgotten their one stolen kiss...

Now Brock has returned to claim his rightful and considerable inheritance. Romance is the last thing on his mind — until he sees Shelley! She’s blossomed into a beautiful and sensual woman — and their passionate surrender to each other is inevitable. Only, circumstances are against them, and Brock now has a battle on his hands if he’s to claim Shelley as his bride...

Born and raised in remote Broken Hill, Trevor Barry left school after year ten to work in the mines. Years later, a single glimpse of Saturn through a colleague's telescope knocked Trevor's world completely off its axis, turning his whole life upside down.

With his newfound passion and armed with decades of outback know-how, Trevor set about building an observatory in his backyard using bits and pieces from his shed, a second-hand washing machine motor, rainwater tank parts and an old catamaran wire. It took some canny negotiations with his wife, Cheryl, 'the Gorgeous and Adorable', whose prized garden took a battering - especially when he decided to add a second storey - but before long Trevor was not just gazing at the stars but capturing extraordinary images of the planets.

Over the years, Trevor's love affair with Saturn, 'the ringed jewel of the solar system', only grew more passionate, and in his early fifties he did a degree in astronomy, topping his class. When he recorded a massive storm on Saturn from his backyard observatory, he alerted NASA. The world's greatest space agency took note and invited Trevor to contribute to its interplanetary research - leading to opportunities far beyond Broken Hill and even Trevor's wildest dreams.

Today, when he's not tending the greens at his local bowls club, Trevor can usually be found in his backyard, collecting data for international research projects. His work is held in high regard by professional astronomers, and his observations are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals around the world.

From acclaimed picture book maker Barry Falls, a pitch-perfect story about being GIANT . . . even when you’re tiny!

Tiny the giant lives in a shoe, and as the smallest giant in the land, he is always overlooked. But, when a HUGE and dastardly troll comes along, could it be Tiny’s diminutive size (along with his HUGE courage) that saves the day?

A joyfully exuberant rhyming story about being seen, heard and accepted – however small you may be!

From the critically acclaimed creator of It’s Your World Now, Dare We Be Dragons and Alone!, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022.

The original story of Paddington, the classic bear from Darkest Peru – now a major movie star!

Unabridged and featuring colour illustrations from the original Paddington illustrator, Peggy Fortnum, this beautiful large-sized edition of a much-loved classic will enchant established Paddington fans and a new generation of readers alike.

“A bear on Paddington Station?” said Mrs Brown in amazement. “Don’t be silly – there can’t be.”

Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same… for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is involved.

Claimed By The Scot - Julia London

Widowed and forced to remarry in three years’ time or forfeit her son’s inheritance, Daisy Bristol, Lady Chatwick, has plenty of suitors vying for her hand...and her fortune. But a letter from a long-lost love sends Daisy and her young son to her Scottish Highland estate to buy time for his return. Along the way she encounters the powerful Cailean Mackenzie, laird of Arrandale and a notorious smuggler, and she is utterly — though unwillingly — bewitched.

Cailean has no use for any Sassenach in his glen. But Daisy’s brazen, flirtatious nature and alluring beauty intrigue him. When her first love appears unexpectedly at her estate, Cailean knows that a passionate woman like Daisy cannot marry this man. And to prevent the union, Cailean must put his own life at risk to win her heart.

Claiming His Highland Bride - Terri Brisbin

Discovering her role in her father’s plot to destroy another clan, Sorcha MacMillan risks her life to go into hiding. Her safety relies on her disguise, but she is drawn to a man who could see through her...

Unknown to Sorcha, Alan Cameron has been sent to track her down. He’s attracted to the woman in disguise. Even discovering her true identity, he can’t overcome his instinct to protect her. No matter the danger, he will keep Sorcha safe...and claim her as his bride!

Claimed By The Scot - Julia London

Widowed and forced to remarry in three years’ time or forfeit her son’s inheritance, Daisy Bristol, Lady Chatwick, has plenty of suitors vying for her hand...and her fortune. But a letter from a long-lost love sends Daisy and her young son to her Scottish Highland estate to buy time for his return. Along the way she encounters the powerful Cailean Mackenzie, laird of Arrandale and a notorious smuggler, and she is utterly — though unwillingly — bewitched.

Cailean has no use for any Sassenach in his glen. But Daisy’s brazen, flirtatious nature and alluring beauty intrigue him. When her first love appears unexpectedly at her estate, Cailean knows that a passionate woman like Daisy cannot marry this man. And to prevent the union, Cailean must put his own life at risk to win her heart.

Claiming His Highland Bride - Terri Brisbin

Discovering her role in her father’s plot to destroy another clan, Sorcha MacMillan risks her life to go into hiding. Her safety relies on her disguise, but she is drawn to a man who could see through her...

Unknown to Sorcha, Alan Cameron has been sent to track her down. He’s attracted to the woman in disguise. Even discovering her true identity, he can’t overcome his instinct to protect her. No matter the danger, he will keep Sorcha safe...and claim her as his bride!

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon must solve the perfect crime in the dazzling new tale of murder, greed, and corruption from #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Daniel Silva.

Sometimes the only way to recover a stolen masterpiece is to steal it back ...

Gabriel Allon has been awarded a commission to restore one of the most important paintings in Venice. But when he discovers the body of a mysterious woman floating in the waters of the Venetian Lagoon, he finds himself in a desperate race to recover a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

The painting, a portrait of a beautiful young girl, has been gathering dust in a storeroom at the Vatican Museums for more than a century, misattributed and hidden beneath a worthless picture by an unknown artist. Because no one knows that the Leonardo is there, no one notices when it disappears one night during a suspicious power outage. No one but the ruthless mobsters and moneymen behind the theft -- and the mysterious woman whom Gabriel found in a watery grave in Venice. A woman without a name. A woman without a face.

The action moves at breakneck speed from the galleries and auction houses of London to an enclave of unimaginable wealth on the French Riviera -- and, finally, to a shocking climax in St. Peter's Square, where more than one life hangs in the balance. An elegant and stylish journey through the dark side of the art world and the Vatican's murky finances, An Inside Job proves once again that Daniel Silva is the reigning master of international intrigue and suspense.

'One of fiction's greatest spies' Kirkus

'If you like Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, get to know Gabriel Allon' Australian Women's Weekly

'A world-class practitioner of spy fiction' Washington Post

The companion volume to YOUNG HAWKE: the making of a larrikin from the award-winning historian and author of CURTIN and CHIFLEY

Bob Hawke was one of the most influential Australians of the twentieth century, firstly as Australia's most powerful trade union leader in the 1970s before becoming the longest serving Labor prime minister in the 1980s. The government of this formerly hard-drinking womaniser did much to transform the Australian economy, reorient Australian foreign policy towards Asia and introduce groundbreaking social welfare measures, including Medicare, and did much to promote the advancement of women. After the difficult years of the late 70s and early 80s, it was a time of renewed confidence that was exemplified by the winning of the America's Cup and the celebration of Australia's Bicentenary. It was also a time of national introspection, with the demand for a treaty with the Aborigines, the 75th anniversary of Gallipoli and the questioning of Australian identity. Bob Hawke was at the centre of it all, and for much of his time in office enjoyed an unprecedented level of popularity. But there was a prime minister-in-waiting who was intent on taking his position and a difficult family life that contrasted with the public image. This is the definitive biography of one of Australia's most important prime ministers.

A heart-pounding, high-stakes, high-adrenalin relentless blast of an action-packed thriller, from Gabriel Bergmoser. the bestselling author of The Hunted and The Caretaker.

After a year of searching, rogue ex-cop Jack Carlin has finally found his estranged daughter, Morgan, holed up in the top floor of a rundown, grimy high-rise building. The trouble is, Jack's unconventional policing and information-gathering methods in the past has made him some serious enemies. And what Jack doesn't know as he heads into the building, intent on saving his daughter, is firstly, that Morgan doesn't want to be saved - particularly not by him - and secondly, that the entire criminal underworld in the city are on their way too... There's a bounty on his head, and they're after his blood - and they don't mind if Morgan is collateral damage.

As bounty hunters and gang members converge on the building, father and daughter are thrown into a desperate fight for survival through fifteen storeys of deadly enemies - with only each other to rely on. Think: Die Hard meets The Raid, but the funnier, grittier Australian version. Fast, furious and ferocious, this is thriller writing at its nail-biting, unputdownable best.

The go-to book for parents wanting help with that talk has now been updated for the 10th anniversary edition.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS

It's one of the most amazing stories ever told -- and it's true!

Funny, frank, embarrassment-free and updated for the 10th anniversary edition, THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF HOW BABIES ARE MADE gives a fresh take on the incredible tale of where we all come from.

REVIEWS:

'If you're looking for a book for children that's accessible but honest, sex positive and inclusive, THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF HOW BABIES ARE MADE is pretty much perfect.' -- Child Magazine

'Common sense, facts, the delightful humour and illustrations will enable this book to be universally accessible and a joy to be shared. A must buy for all parents.' -- Buzzword Books

'Highly recommended ... a necessary addition to every parent library' -- ReadPlus.com.au

'It's the inclusive nature of the book as well as its light touches of humour that make it a worthy update of a perennially interesting subject' -- Sydney Morning Herald

'terrific, funny and explicit-in-a-good-way ... Destined to become a classic.' -- Weekend West