A Woman's Work by
Victoria Purman

The astonishingly rich prize of the 1956 Australian Women's Weekly cookery competition offers two women the possibility of a new kind of future, in this compassionate look at the extraordinary lives of ordinary women - our mothers and grandmothers - in a beautifully realised post-war Australia.

It's 1956, and while Melbourne is in a frenzy gearing up for the Olympics, the women of Australia are cooking up a storm for their chance to win the equivalent of a year's salary in the extraordinary Australian Women's Weekly cookery contest.

For two women, in particular, the prize could be life-changing. For war widow and single mum Ivy Quinn, a win would mean more time to spend with her twelve-year-old son, Raymond. Mother of five Kathleen O'Grady has no time for cooking competitions, but the prize could offer her a different kind of life for herself and her children, and the chance to control her own future.

The War Nurses by
Anthea Hodgson

In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war.

What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.

When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses - the girls on the beach - are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.

Inspired by the author's own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
 

Behind The Voice by
Anthony Callea

All Anthony Callea wanted was to sing. From his first memories of singing for his family, Anthony knew that he wanted to share his voice with the world.

He had a strong held dream but was as surprised as anyone when his breakout moment (his heart-stopping rendition of ‘The Prayer’ on Australian Idol) turned him into a household name overnight.

Now, in his own words, Anthony shares the joys and challenges of becoming celebrated for his voice, all while navigating the twists and turns of life.It’s a story of a kid from the working-class western suburbs of Melbourne with a big dream and an even bigger voice, who had to finish growing up in the spotlight.

These candid, courageous, and often amusing anecdotes take us beyond the slick facade of showbiz, to the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to become one of Australia’s most enduring and beloved entertainers. A warts-and-all story of grit, determination, integrity, and joy.

Gluten Free Baking by
Cherie Lyden

The new go-to cookbook for gluten-free bakers, filling the void of long unanswered cravings.

From the humming kitchen of Wholegreen Bakery and the heart of its founder Cherie Lyden, Gluten-Free Baking Made Simple is your playbook for re-creating the magic at home.

Enjoy 80-plus sweet and savoury recipes that Cherie has developed and cooked over the years for her family, as well as at her renowned Sydney bakery. Each recipe includes the tips and know-how that Cherie has learnt over the years to achieve truly remarkable gluten-free results at home. As well, she shares her best flour blends, pantry essentials and the secret to the perfect crumb.

If you're ready to give gluten-free baking a go, make it easy with these simple, beautiful, approachable recipes where everything not only looks delicious but tastes.

Dying To Know by
Rae Cairns

Twelve years ago, budding journalist Geneva Leighton received a phone call that stopped her life in its tracks. Her terrified sister, Amber, was locked in the boot of a moving car and begging Geneva for help. Amber was never heard from again.

Since that night, Geneva's days have revolved around caring for her traumatised niece and nephew, despite the unpredictable behaviour of their father ... and keeping the search for her sister alive. But the knowledge it should have been her in the boot of the car haunts her waking hours.

When Sergeant Jesse Johns turns up with shocking new evidence about Amber, Geneva's world is thrown into chaos again.

The police leads hit a dead end and desperate for answers, Geneva becomes Amber's lone warrior for justice.

 

Fire With Fire by
Candace Fox

A married couple launch a deadly plan to find their missing child... A half-dead man washes up on a Los Angeles beach...A rookie cop is fired on her first day.

Ryan and Elsie Delaney don't accept the official line that their young daughter drowned on Santa Monica beach. Her body has never been found and their pleas for a proper investigation are rejected.

So now the desperate pair are raining hellfire on the police.

Taking three hostages at the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Centre, they give law enforcement an ultimatum- if Tilly isn't located in the next 24 hours, they will destroy evidence in several major cases.

Detective Charlie Hoskins only just survived five years embedded with the ruthless gang known as the Death Machines. All his work is in that lab. If the police won't look for Tilly, he will. Even if that means accepting help from Lynette Lamb, the rookie officer sacked for blowing his cover - and having him thrown to the sharks.

Finding Tilly is now a matter of life and death - for the Delaneys, for their hostages, for Charlie and Lamb, and for the little girl who one day simply vanished.

Over The Hill & Up The Wall by
Todd Alexander

Of course, we love our parents. Even if they do so many things that drive us bonkers.

Like how a mother - for argument's sake, let's say mine - taps her fingernails on the car window whenever she sees a place of interest (seven taps for a regular haunt, up to twenty for somewhere fascinating). Or the way a father - let's call him Dad - practises deafness but can miraculously hear a suggestion of no ham at Christmas over the roar of cricket commentary.

When do we stop being our parents' child and become their parent? After all, they did pretty well on their own for decades - why do they need our intervention now?

And that tendency for them to drive us up the wall...could it be because we are entering middle age and starting to recognise some of those traits in ourselves?

Taking To The Field: A History Of Australian Women In Science

If asked to name an Australian woman scientist from the past, very few could. Let's change that.

Taking to the Field is the first comprehensive history of Australian women in science from the colonial period to contemporary times.

This untold story shows that women have played a greater role than is commonly recognised. From the first years of colonisation, women engaged in myriad scientific endeavours, ranging from botany to genetics to organic chemistry. There was a vibrant culture of women in science in the years up to 1945 - as academics, researchers, lab workers, teachers, writers and activists for science-based social reform. They outnumbered men in some fields.

From the first female science graduate, Edith Dornwell, to Nobel laureate molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn, to the discoveries of Tasmanian-born molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn and the research of Melbourne zoologist Georgina Sweet. They all tell a story: how Australian women in science have transformed the world.