New Releases

Eleven
Mark Watson $29.99

This is a tale of love, loss, Scrabble and six degrees of separation, asking big questions about life and death, strangers and friends, heartache and comfort,and whether the choices we don't make affect us just as powerfully as those we do.

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Our Recommendations

Freedom
Jonathan Franzen $32.95

At times funny, at times tragic, but always totally engaging. Freedom is a testament to Franzen’s literary genius and is destined to become a modern classic.

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Five fantastic runners-up

Here are some of this month's new release books:

September New Releases

To go straight to the Children's and Young Adult books click here

Having Cried Wolf, Gretchen Shirm : Affirm Press $24.95
Small towns harbour secrets. Rising, receding and returning like the tides lapping the fictional coastal town of Kinsale, the stories in this collection revolve around Alice and Grace, friends since childhood, who grow to live vastly different lives. Weaving in and around these women is a lattice of interconnecting stories drawing in their husbands, families, neighbours and strangers, each linked to one another by fate or circumstance. Having Cried Wolf is a contemplative and affecting collection – one that marks the arrival of an original literary talent.
Other Hand Eleven, Mark Watson : Simon & Schuster $29.99
Xavier Ireland is a radio DJ who by night listens to the hopes, fears and regrets of sleepless Londoners and by day keeps himself very much to himself - until he is brought into the light by a one-of-a-kind cleaning lady and forced to confront his own biggest regret. This is a tale of love, loss, Scrabble and six degrees of separation, asking big questions about life and death, strangers and friends, heartache and comfort, and whether the choices we don't make affect us just as powerfully as those we do.
Savages, Don Winslow : Random House $29.95
Part-time environmentalist and philanthropist Ben and his ex-mercenary buddy Chon run an independent Laguna Beach-based marijuana operation, reaping significant profits from an established clientele. But they may have come up against something that they can’t handle – the Mexican Baja Cartel wants in, and saying no is unacceptable. When they refuse to back down, the cartel kidnaps Ophelia, the boys’ playmate and confidante. They agree to pay the exorbitant ransom, but hatch an alternate plan to get her back, get revenge, and then disappear.
Lunatic in my Head, Anjum Hasan : Hunter Publications $29.95
Set against the backdrop of a small hill town in north-east India, Lunatic in my Head is a beautifully lyrical novel about three lives in limbo. The early 1990s. It’s raining in Shillong. Eight-year-old Sophie Das is convinced she is adopted. But she’s looking forward to meeting the baby kicking in her mother’s stomach and that will keep her from running away to her real parents. For now. Aman Moondy will attempt the Indian Administrative Service exam for the second time. Distracted by the lovely Concordella and plans for a first-of-its-kind Happening, his heart really lies with Pink Floyd and the messages they are sending him through their music. College lecturer Firdaus Ansari is struggling with her thesis on Jane Austen, staff room politics and an unpredictable boyfriend. One of these days she will finish that thesis, have a no-nonsense talk with her boyfriend, and get out. Lunatic in my Head is a funny yet tender portrait of three people determined to break out of their small town destinies.
Torpedo Greatest Hits, Chris Flynn : Hunter Publications $27.95
Torpedo Greatest Hits showcases the best writing from the first three years of Torpedo, Australia's most innovative fiction quarterly. Featuring the best of a new generation of writers from Australia and around the world, including Steven Amstredam, Toby Litt, Krissy Kneen, Clancy Martin, Josephine Rowe, and Jon Bauer, plus graphics from Oslo Davis, Mandy Ord, and Paul O’Connell.
Freedom Jonathan Franzen : Fourth Estate $32.95
Patty and Walter Berglund were the new pioneers of old St. Paul -- the gentrifiers, the hands-on parents, the avant-garde of the Whole Foods generation. Patty was the ideal sort of neighbour who could tell you where to recycle your batteries and how to get the local cops to actually do their job. She was an enviably perfect mother and the wife of Walter′s dreams. Together with Walter --environmental lawyer, commuter cyclist, total family man -- she was doing her small part to build a better world. But now, in the new millennium, the Berglunds have become a mystery. Why has their teenage son moved in with the aggressively Republican family next door? Why has Walter taken a job working with Big Coal? What exactly is Richard Katz-outré rocker and Walter′s college best friend and rival-still doing in the picture? Most of all, what has happened to Patty? Why has the bright star of Barrier Street ′a very different kind of neighbour′ -- an implacable Fury coming unhinged before the street′s attentive eyes? Read our review.
Trick of the Dark, Val McDermid : Little, Brown $49.99
Death is a hollow drum whose beat has measured out my adult life.' So writes Jay Macallan Stewart in her latest volume of memoirs. But nobody has ever asked whether that has been by accident or design. Nobody, that is, until Jay turns her sights on newly-wed and freshly-widowed Magda Newsam. For Magda's mother Corinna is an Oxford don who knows enough of Jay's history to be very afraid indeed. Determined to protect her daughter, Corinna turns to clinical psychologist Charlie Flint. But it's not the best time for Charlie. Her career is in ruins. Pilloried by the press, under investigation by her peers, she's barred from the profiling work she loves. What Corinna's asking may be her last chance at redemption. But as Charlie digs into the past and its trail of bodies she starts to realise the price of truth may be more than she wants to pay.
Bereft, Chris Wormersley : Scribe $32.95
It is 1919. The Great War has ended, but the Spanish flu epidemic is raging through Australia. Schools are closed, state borders are guarded by armed men and train travel is severely restricted. There are rumours it is the end of the world. In the NSW town of Flint, Quinn Walker returns to the home he fled ten years earlier when he was falsely accused of an unspeakable crime. Aware that his father and uncle would surely hang him, Quinn hides in the hills surrounding Flint. There, he meets a mysterious young girl called Sadie Fox, who encourages him to seek justice — and seems to know more about the crime than she should. A searing gothic novel of love, longing, and revenge, Bereft is about the suffering endured by those who go to war and those who are forever left behind.
The English Class, Ouyang Yu : Transit Lounge $32.95
"The English Class is an utterly authentic story which deepens our understanding of both Chinese and Australian culture, an epic journey across languages and cultures, recounted with all Ouyang Yus compelling honesty and passion." Alex Miller. The English Class gives us a vividly remembered China that has changed beyond recognition and a protagonist whose life is equally full of twists and turns. But more than that its a book of language, creatively used, explored, challenged. How do we make sense of things, how do we live, how do we express ourselves, in this unruly, unreliable, irrepressible medium? Ouyang Yu asks those questions like no one else, and the experience is surprising, exhilarating and moving.
Dismantling the Empire: America’s Last Hope, Chalmers Johnson: Henry Holt $35.00
Dismantling the Empire explores the subjects for which Johnson is now famous, from the origins of blowback to Barack Obama's Afghanistan conundrum, including America's inept spies, its bad behaviour in other countries, its ill-fought wars, and its capitulation to a military that has taken ever more control of the federal budget. There is, he proposes, only one way out: President Obama must begin to dismantle the empire before the Pentagon dismantles the American Dream. If it does not learn from the fates of past empires, he suggests, America's decline and fall are foreordained. This is Johnson at his best: delivering both a warning and an urgent prescription for a remedy.
Packing for Mars, Mary Roach : One World $32.00
What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? When you can’t have sex? Or smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles an hour? Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations, and as Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Happiest Refugee, Ahn Do : Allen & Unwin $32.99
Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates, nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in the country they had dreamed about. The Happiest Refugee tells the incredible, uplifting and inspiring life story of one of our favourite personalities. Tragedy, humour, heartache and unswerving determination - a big life with big dreams. Anh's story will move and amuse all who read it.
Bespoke: the Handbuilt Bicycle, Julie Lasky : Lars Müller $75.00
The publication presents the designs of six internationally renowned bicycle builders whose embrace of the tradition of working in metal brings striking innovation to their craft. Through their manipulation of steel, aluminum and titanium, the builders of Bespoke produce racing bicycles that speed champion athletes to victory, mountain and cyclocross bicycles built to negotiate vertiginous terrain, urban bicycles that stylishly convey commuters, and randonneur bicycles elegantly stripped down for epic journeys. Candid portraits including builders inspirations, working methods and bicycles, lavishly photographed in great detail, highlight this exhibition at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design. Bespoke offers a rich and intimate view of objects that sit squarely at the intersection of art, design, craft and performance.
A Place in the Sun, Stuart Harrison : Thames & Hudson $69.95
Living in Australia and New Zealand is now more than ever about adapting to our unique environment. As broad interest in sustainability grows, and energy ratings for buildings become more stringent, architects must work with the environment in mind and design to make living spaces better and more efficient. From the sunny beaches of tropical Queensland to the terrace houses of inner-city living to rural retreats (snow-capped mountains) on the South Island of New Zealand, A Place in the Sun takes you on a journey through over 40 homes of stylistic distinction and functional design all built in harmony with the sun. This collection of cutting-edge dwellings, showcases through stunning images and projections, thoughtful design solutions that respond to varied climates to maximise the sun's potential. They take different approaches, such as passive design to reduce energy use, retrofitting or more technical solutions, whilst others focus on how light adds magic to an interior. Esteemed architectural commentator and architect, Stuart Harrison provides insightful observations and informative text, imparting expert knowledge to reveal what is possible through intelligent design and architecture. Extensively illustrated with colour photographs, plans and cross-sections, this is a fresh and inspiring look at residential architecture.
Street Art Stencil Book, On Studio : Laurence King $49.95
This book is a pure celebration of the art of the stencil. It is a book of stencils that can be used and treasured or just simply be an inspiration to others to create. The 20 stencils featured, printed on perforated card stock so that they can be torn out and used, have been created by an impressive list of international street artists, from the masters to the new kids on the block. Each artist has created an in-situ photograph to accompany their stencil, showing how they would use it, along with other imagery. There is also a short biography for each artist. The book opens with an interview with the founder of stencil art, the Paris-based artist Blek Le Rat, who has also created a stencil for the book. A collectors item in its own right, the book is a must for artists, illustrators and anyone who loves street art.
Stéphane Reynaud’s 365 Good reasons to sit down and eat : Murdoch Books $79.95
From Stéphane Reynaud, the best-selling French author of Ripailles and Rôtis, comes his quirky culinary almanac 365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat. There's a recipe for every day of the year, including breakfasts, one-pan wonders, succulent roasts, refreshing salads, cool cocktails and everything in between. It's an irreverent selection of dishes to inspire every meal. Stéphane also includes a seasonal calendar and clever cooking tips to make your dishes a success.
Kimonos, Annelore Parot : Renaud-Bray $24.95
Discover traditional Japanese dress through illustrated games and with the help of six kokeshi. Get to know the families through their accessories or themes and then find the right clothes to match.
Dinosaurs Galore, Masayuki Sebe : Gecko Press $19.99
Brightly-coloured cartoon dinosaurs of every shape and size feature in this collection of puzzles and games for children, who will enjoy searching for hidden animals, matching up species, reading coded messages, finding their way through mazes, and numerous other attention-grabbing games.
Finger Lickin Fifteen Maisy’s Show, Lucy Cousins : Walker Books $27.95
Join Maisy and her friends as they hit the stage for music, magic and dancing! Come into the theatre and step behind the scenes in the biggest, brightest, sparkliest pull-the-tabs Maisy book yet. In this classic interactive title, Maisy and her friends put on their costumes to rehearse for – and then put on – a show-stopping performance. See Eddie the elephant tossing a ball! Watch Charley flip right over! And be prepared for a dazzling, all-singing all-dancing surprise finale…
It’s a Book, Lane Smith : Walker Books $27.95
No matter how many electronic devices are available these days, you can't deny the simple appeal of a good book. Monkey is reading a book, but his friend wants to know what the book can do. Does it have a mouse like his computer? Can you make the characters fight? And does it make loud noises? No, it's a book. Monkey's friend discovers that a good book doesn't need fancy electronic accessories.
Up and Down, Oliver Jeffers : Harper Collins $24.99
The boy and the penguin still enjoy spending all their time together... That is, until the penguin starts to dream of flying, ignoring the boys advice that it is impossible. Running away, the penguin visits place after place, searching for a chance to get his feet off the ground. But will flying be everything he had hoped? And is the boy missing him, as much as he is missing the boy? A heart-warming story about friendship, love and reaching for your dreams, from highly regarded, multi-award-winning author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers.
My Uncle’s Donkey, Tohby Riddle : Viking $24.95
My uncle's donkey is allowed in the house. And in the house, the donkey gets up to all sorts of things - he talks to his friends on the phone, does hoofstands in the kitchen, cartwheels in the living room, takes long baths and stays up late ... A humorous and entertaining picture book that will delight children and adults alike!
Took the Children Away, Archie Roach : One Day Hill $19.95
Took the Children Away is a moving indictment of the treatment of indigenous children from the ‘Stolen Generation’ and a song which ‘struck a chord’ not only among the wider Aboriginal community, but also nationally. The song was awarded two ARIA Awards, as well as an international Human Rights Achievement Award, the first time this had been awarded to a songwriter because of a song. The album it came from featured in Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 100 Albums for 1992. From the lyrics of this iconic song a very special book for children of all ages has been created. Featuring the heart wrenching lyrics of Archie Roach and the classic artwork of his late wife and soul-mate Ruby Hunter, this book is destined to become a masterpiece. Renowned Queensland artist, Peter Hudson has adorned the book with his stunning landscapes of South West Victoria – Archie’s traditional lands.
Mr Badger, Leigh Hobbs : Allen & Unwin $13.99
Mr Badger is in charge of special events at a splendid old London hotel. When he and his assistant, Miss Pims, prepare for Miss Sylvia Smothers-Carruthers' seventh birthday party, little does Mr Badger know just what is in store for Sylvia, and for him...Meet Mr Badger and his friends and discover the world of the Boubles Grand Hotel.
Aussie Bites: Rosie Staples’ Minor Magical Misunderstanding, Cath Crowley and Judy Watson : Puffin $12.95
Rosie Staples is determined that this year she will win the lead in this year's school play, but she needs some very serious magic if she is to defeat Maddison Diamond. Maddison is the teachers' pet and she always gets the lead, while Rosie has to put up with short, funny roles. So Rosie, who loves tricks and magic, saves her money and buys The Sooner it Happens the Better Magical Wishing Stone from the magic shop. But she is much too impatient to listen to the instructions (which have a personality of their own), and when she makes her wish to act like Maddison Diamond, she does everything wrong. Her wish is taken literally, and when she wakes up next morning she feels strangely unlike herself … And when she gets to school everything becomes even weirder!
The Very Bad Book, Andy Griffiths : Macmillan $14.99
In a very bad wood,
There was a very bad house.
And in that very bad house,
There was a very bad room.
And in that very bad room,
There was a very bad cupboard.
And in that very bad cupboard,
There was a very bad shelf.
And on that very bad shelf,
There was a very bad box.
And in that very bad box,
There was a VERY BAD BOOK...
AND THIS IS IT!!!
Mimi and the Blue Slave, Catherine Bateson : Woolshed Press $16.95
Following on from The Wish Pony, Catherine Bateson's new novel returns to the world of magic realism to chart the stormy waters of a child's grief. When grief strikes, you need an ally. For Mimi, that ally is Ableth, the wildly disobedient blue slave. He comes, he goes, he says and does whatever he likes, but he's always there when Mimi needs him most, offering his own brand of crooked wisdom. Ableth says, 'You need to learn to look under the surface of things. Look at water. It's just a great expanse of blue with little wavelets and riffs of foam. But underneath the surface are whole worlds of wonder. There are treasures and wrecks and bones . . .' But it's hard to look beneath the surface when your Mum is shipwrecked by despair, and you're the only one left to keep things afloat. There's a bric-a-brac shop to run, your first Christmas without a dad, and quite possibly a fugitive taking refuge in your back shed. This warm, captivating story celebrates the odd families we make, as well as those we are born into.
Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins : Scholastic $18.99
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has twice survived the Hunger Games. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge . . . Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss Everdeen.
Trash, Andy Mulligan : David Fickling $24.95
Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael’s world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It’s a bag of clues. It’s a bag of hope. It’s a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man’s mission to put right a terrible wrong. Three street-boys against the world – can they win?
Mice, Gordon Reece : Allen & Unwin $19.99
Even the meekest of mice have their breaking point...This provocative thriller will have you asking: What would you do if you were pushed to the limit? Shelley and her mum have been bullied long enough. When they retreat to an isolated cottage in the country, they think their troubles are over, and they revel in their cosy, secure life. But one night, an intruder disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties.
I am number 4, Pittacus Lore : Penguin $19.95
We were nine, three are dead, I am number four. Nine teenagers and their guardians are hiding on Earth … protected by a charm that means they can only be killed in numeric order, three are already dead. John Smith is Number Four. And his mortal enemies are hunting him down. Reminiscent of Smallville and Heroes, here finally is a thriller with awesome pace, mind-blowing special effects and a breathtaking high concept. It demands to be read in one sitting.
Girl Saves Boy, Steph Bowe : Text $19.95
The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life. Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher? No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine? With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way. But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own. Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.
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