Our January Book RecommendationsWith the beginning of 2025 comes a great selection of new books to read. Some long awaited such as Rebecca Yarros' sequel to Fourth Wing- Onyx Storm, as well as local author Rachael Johns' sequel to The Other Bridget- The Bad Bridesmaid. To ensure there is a book for everyone, we have also included some women's fiction, a thriller, cookbook, autobiography, true crime and a gardening book. While the Book Matters podcast team is taking a break over the Summer, we will be releasing 2 new episodes as part of our Summer Series.
These episodes feature audio from our last two author events- Julie Goodwin and Candice Fox. So if you weren't able to attend in person, you will be able to listen to the conversations over on your favourite podcasting platforms. Happy reading!
Book Matters Summer SeriesIn 2024 we had the pleasure of chatting to MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin about her amazing life and her memoir -"Your Time Starts Now". We recorded our chat with Julie for the Book Matters podcast, which is available to listen to now. Courtney and Julie chat about her memoir -
"Your time starts now'. Julie talks about her life and her time on MasterChef. It was by all appearances, a successful, rewarding life, but fame comes with pressure that led to struggles with her mental health. Her recovery, bumpy and circuitous, is an ongoing process that Julie tackles with tenacity. Search 'Book Matters' on your favourite podcast platform to listen.
Our first Author Talk for 2025!Join Connected Libraries as we welcome best-selling rural romance author Nicola Marsh and historical romance author Alison Stuart to Bunjil Place Library.
USA Today bestselling and multi-award winning author Nicola Marsh writes page-turning fiction to keep you up all night. She has published 82 novels, sold millions of copies worldwide, and currently writes contemporary romance and domestic suspense.
Alison Stuart has twelve published novels as well as a number of shorter works. In her life outside writing, she enjoyed a varied career as a lawyer in a wide number of fields including the military and as a senior executive in the fire services.
This event is one not to be missed, book your free spot now.
The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up by Kate SollyMeet Fleck Parker: Mother, Crafter and Amateur Detective.
Fleck loves a good puzzle. She spends most of her time feeling invisible, caring for three small children, and that's fine. But it does make her brain itch occasionally.
When Trixie, fellow school-mum and avid crafter, is accused of stealing money from Many Hands, the women's charity known for its charming handmade craft store, Fleck feels compelled to investigate and clear Trixie's name. From playground stake-outs to tailing cars while nursing the baby to sleep, Fleck and Trixie uncover a case more complex than either of them could have imagined.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca YarrosAfter nearly eighteen months at War College, Violet knows there’s no more time for lessons.
The battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre.
She will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army.
They need power.
They need magic.
And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
Bake with Brooki
by Brooke BellamyStep into the kitchen with wildly popular baker Brooke Bellamy, owner of Brooki Bakehouse, and discover how to create the most delectable, sweet treats for every craving and occasion.
Brooke's journey to owning a bakery has spanned continents- from patisserie classes in Paris and visiting Swiss chocolate factories, to hunting down the ultimate cookies in New York City and seeking out cardamom buns in snowy Copenhagen. Now, she inspires millions of followers with daily ideos from her Brisbane bakery, selling out to queues of fans.
Brooke's insatiable sweet tooth and passion for creating the very best bakes have driven her through it all, to here- her first cookbook.
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The Bad Bridesmaid
by Rachael JohnsWhen serial dater Fred is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother’s sixth wedding, she’s determined to stop it. As the author of a forthcoming book called 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love. On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom’s hot muso son Leo is just as against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with ‘Operation Break-Up’ to prevent their parents from making a catastrophic mistake. But as Fred and Leo get to know each other Fred is forced to
rethink her rules about romance and family.
Blood and Gold
by Michael TrantSomeone is stalking gold hunters. Now a bushman is stalking them . . .
Terry Drage is not the first amateur gold prospector to rock up to the Murchison Hotel, brag about an exciting discovery – and then vanish into thin air. But Gabe Ahern is determined he will be the last.
No one knows the land around the remote town of Cue better than Gabe.
Feeling responsible for his friend’s fate, he races there to join the search.
But it won’t be an easy ride. For a start the local cops seem sure Terry going missing is nothing more than a tragic accident. It’s up to Gabe to spot the sinister pattern of disappearances in recent years.
The Showman
by Glenn MaxwellDuring the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, Glenn Maxwell played the most audacious innings in the history of one-day cricket. Yet less than a year earlier he had been in hospital with a shattered leg, unsure whether he would ever play again. This is the story of that year, from devastation to triumph; twelve months of frustration on the road to recovery, as well as jubilation when Glenn became a father. For over a decade, Maxwell has batted with bearing the criticism of those who find his style more exasperating than exciting. At the same time, he has become one of the world’s best fielders. However, his career has also been dogged by depression and self-doubt.
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In the Dead of the Night
by Greg HaddickIn March 2020 a couple disappears from the remote Wonnangatta Valley, leaving a burnt-out campsite. Russell Hill and Carol Clay are secret lovers, and at first it seems they might simply have started a new life somewhere. But the police are convinced that they have been the victims of foul play, even though their bodies have not been found. So begins an investigation, tracing the driver of every car in the area at the time. Ultimately, there seems to be one driver who cannot be eliminated: Greg Lynn, a Jetstar captain. Is it possible that this highly successful professional pilot is a killer? This is the gripping inside story of the pursuit and trial of Greg Lynn.
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Your Asian Veggie Patch
by Connie CaoYour Asian Veggie Patch is a beginner-friendly guide to growing and cooking Asian vegetables, herbs and fruits at home. Permaculture gardener Connie Cao guides you though a curated selection of more than 40 cool-season and warm-season annuals and perennials (from amaranth greens, bok choy and daikon to loofah, pandan and yuzu), meaning it's easy to find produce that will thrive in your garden and climate. Then, make the most of your abundant harvest with home-style recipes inspired by Connie's Chinese heritage: think edamame and pickled mustard greens, stir-fried Shanghai rice cakes, pork and chive dumplings and winter melon
tea. Your Asian Veggie Patch has everything you need to get your garden flourishing and your mouth watering.
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