READINGS MONTHLY MOTHER'S DAY MAY 2016

FLIGHT OF DREAMSAriel LawhonAffirm Press. PB. $29.99

On the evening of 3 May 1937, Emilie Imhoff boards the Hindenburg. As the only female crew member, Emilie hears everything, including rumours of a bomb threat – and everyone on board seems to be hiding something. But in this dazzling flight of imagination, romance, betrayal and suspense, Emilie is more focused on hiding a secret of her own – her life depends on it.

HITMAN ANDERS AND THE MEANING OF IT ALLJonas JonassonFourth Estate. PB. Was $29.99

$26.99

Five thousand kronor belonging to the hitman in Room 7 has gone missing at a hotel in Stockholm. Per Persson (receptionist) would prefer not to be murdered. Johanna Kjellander (Room 8) may be a priest without a parish, but she has an envelope stuffed with cash and an excellent idea. This story is as hilarious as Jonasson’s bestseller The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

OLIVER OF THE LEVANTDebra JopsonVintage. PB. Was $32.99

$29.99

It’s 1969 and Oliver Lawrence, a Bondi Beach kid, is transported to Beirut in the Levant. The city is on the verge of civil war, but Oliver is more concerned with keeping his family together, and uncovering his gin-swilling stepmother’s secret. Beirut is a confusing place to learn how to be a man, and as Lebanon begins to disintegrate all are caught in the crossfire.

THE BRICKS THAT BUILT THE HOUSESKate TempestBloomsbury Circus. PB. $27.99

Young Londoners Becky, Harry and Leon are escaping the city with a suitcase full of stolen money. In her debut novel, award-winning poet and rapper Kate Tempest explores a cross-section of contemporary life and love, exposing the everyday stories that lie behind the tired faces on the morning commute and what happens when best intentions don’t always lead to the right decisions.

THE MANDIBLES: A FAMILY, 2029-2047Lionel ShriverHarperCollins. PB. Was $29.99

$26.99

As a fiscal crisis hits near-future America, three generations of the Mandible family face the loss of their inheritance. Avery can’t buy olive oil; her sister Florence must take in strays. Their father, Carter, has to care for his demented stepmother and his expat sister, Nollie, returns to an unrecognisable country. Their only hope is Florence’s oddball teenage son, Willing, an economics autodidact.

BETWEEN A WOLF AND A DOGGeorgia BlainScribe. PB. $29.99

Ester is a family therapist who helps the middle class through their anxieties: loneliness, relationships, death. Estranged from her sister, April, and her ex-husband, Lawrence, Ester’s own happiness is elusive. April is struggling through her own directionless life; Lawrence’s reckless past decisions are catching up with him; and Ester and April’s mother, Hilary, is about to make a choice that will profoundly affect them all.

THE TURNER HOUSEAngela FlournoyBlack Inc. PB. Was $32.99

$27.99

The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street for over fifty years, through thirteen children grown and gone, the arrival of grandchildren, the fall of Detroit’s East Side, and the loss of a father. Yet the house is worth just a tenth of its mortgage. Ailing matriarch Viola must move in with her eldest son and the Turner children are called home to decide the house’s fate and to reckon with their pasts.

ELIGIBLECurtis SittenfeldHarperCollins. PB. Was $29.99

$26.99

The fourth book in The Austen Project brings Jane and Lizzy Bennet home to Cincinnati from New York City to look after their father following his heart surgery, to wrench their sisters from arrested development, and to be berated for being single. Enter Chip Bingley (charming doctor, reality TV star) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (haughty neurosurgeon) at the Lucas family BBQ.

OUR TINY, USELESS HEARTSToni JordanText. PB. Was $29.99

$26.99

Henry has left Caroline for Mercedes’ Grade 3 teacher, Martha. Caroline has followed them. Janice, Caroline’s sister, is looking after the girls. Craig from next door came through the bedroom window expecting Caroline, but found Janice; Lesley, Craig’s wife, has stormed in; and Henry, Caroline, and Martha return from Noosa in separate taxis. Then Janice’s ex-husband Alec turns up and things suddenly get complicated.

THE SACRED COMBEThomas MaloneyScribe. PB. $32.99

After Samuel Browne’s wife left him suddenly after three years of marriage, he finds himself deep in the English countryside working for a man as fond of mystery as enlightenment. Is there a purpose to the seemingly hopeless task set for Sam in the house’s ancient library? What is the secret of the unused room? And where does a life lose its way or gain its meaning?

THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOSDominic SmithA&U. PB. Was $32.99

$27.99

In 1631, Sara de Vos is the first woman admitted to the Guild of St. Luke in Holland as a master painter. Three hundred years later, Australian grad student Ellie Shipley is struggling to stay afloat in New York and agrees to paint a forgery of de Vos’s only remaining work. Now, half a century later, she’s curating an exhibition of female Dutch painters, and both versions threaten to arrive.

DYING IN THE FIRST PERSON: A NOVELNike SulwayTransit Lounge. PB. $29.99

Twin brothers Samuel and Morgan are separated by oceans. Once, they shared a family, and a secret world and language: Nahum. That was before Morgan became a wanderer whose only contact with his brother was the Nahum stories. When Morgan unexpectedly dies, the mysterious Ana accompanies his body, and his final Nahum story, home to Australia. She brings not only a manuscript, but also a startling revelation.

| Fiction

READINGS MONTHLY MOTHER'S DAY MAY 2016

TAKING FLIGHTKristen AlexanderNLA. PB. $39.99

From her first taste of the air, Lores Bonney was hooked on aviation. In 1932 Lores became the first woman to circumnavigate mainland Australia by air, and she went on to become the first woman to fly from Australia to England, and Australia to South Africa. Drawing on diary extracts, interviews and documents, Taking Flight celebrates this audacious pilot’s aerial accomplishments.

| Crime FictionMAESTRAL.S. HiltonZaffre. PB. Was $29.99

$26.99

When Judith Rashleigh stumbles across a conspiracy at the London auction house where she works, she is fired. Already moonlighting as a hostess at a West End bar to make ends meet, she agrees to accompany a client to the French Riviera. But sedating him doesn’t go to plan; Judith must flee for her life, fake it among Europe’s elite, and take the inside track on the lucrative art fraud she discovered.

THE LAST MILEDavid BaldacciPan Macmillan. PB. $29.99

After the murder of his wife and daughter, ex-detective Amos Decker lost his job, home, and self-respect. But when his extraordinary memory (from a head injury in his professional footballer days) might help solve the shooting at a local school two years later, and it transpires that one of the weapons from these new murders was also used to kill his family, Decker goes back to work with help from his former partner, detective Mary Lancaster.

DARK FIRES SHALL BURNAnna WestbrookScribe. PB. Was $32.99

$27.95

This scintillating literary crime debut is inspired a real unsolved murder. In 1946, eleven-year-old Nancy and her best friend, Frances, are growing up in Newtown. Fifteen-year-old Templeton lives amid bootleggers, gangs, and prostitutes with his sister, Annie, and her friends. Threatened by Annie’s partner, they are forced to seek protection from a Darlinghurst madam. When Frances witnesses an attempted assassination, two worlds collide.

THE TRAPMelanie Raabe & Imogen Taylor (trans. )Text. PB. $29.99

Linda’s sister’s murderer was never caught, but Linda saw him. Twelve years later, she’s just seen him again: on TV. He’s become a well-known journalist, and Linda – a famous novelist and infamous recluse – knows no one will believe her if she accuses him. So, Linda writes a thriller about the unsolved murder of a young woman. When it is published, she agrees to give just one interview – at home, and to the one person who knows more about the case than she does.

WOMEN OF AUSTRALIABruce PostleAffirm Press. PB. $29.99

For over 50 years, multi-award-winning press photographer Bruce Postle captured significant moments in Australian life. This collection of 180 of Postle’s greatest images portrays the lives of Australian women over half a century: from childhood, recreation, vocations and partnerships, to activism, trailblazing and public life. There are the famous and the infamous, the expected and the unexpected, the quiet achievers and the battlers.

DEAR LIFEKaren HitchcockBlack Inc. PB. $22.99

In this short, powerful book, Karen Hitchcock shines a light on ageism in our society. Through some unforgettable case studies, she shows what care for the elderly and dying is really like, exploring end-of-life decisions and over-treatment, frailty and dementia. Rather than seeing the elderly as a ‘burden’, Hitchcock shows how society must adapt to meet the needs of an ageing population.

GEORGIANA MOLLOYBernice BarryPicador. PB. $39.99

Following a swift marriage, Georgiana and Captain John Molloy were among the first Europeans to migrate to the remote West Australian coast. Here, Georgiana’s passion for flora was ignited. To this day, her specimens are still held in some of the world’s leading herbarium collections. Using Georgiana’s own notes, Bernice Barry reveals a resilient, independent woman whose love of the landscape become her salvation.

HIGH SEAS AND HIGH TEASRoslyn Russell & Kerry O’BrienNLA. PB. $44.99

Free settlers from Britain and Ireland endured raging seas, dazzling heat and freezing temperatures as they travelled over 100 days to Australia, forming social communities, developing relationships and taking part in wild nautical rituals. Drawing on diary entries and shipboard newspapers, Roslyn Russell gives a vivid sense of what it was like to sail across the world into the unknown.

THE ROAD TO RUINNiki SavvaScribe. PB. $32.99

Prominent political commentator, author, and Australian columnist Niki Savva reveals the ruinous behaviour of former prime minister Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. Based on her unrivalled access to their colleagues, and devastating first-person accounts of what went on behind the scenes, Savva paints an unforgettable picture of a unique duo who wielded power ruthlessly but not well.

IN OTHER WORDSJhumpa Lahiri & Ann Goldstein (trans.)Bloomsbury. HB. $29.99

Despite studying Italian for many years, full mastery had always eluded Jhumpa Lahiri. So in 2012, seeking full immersion, she decided to uproot herself and her family for three years to Rome, speaking and writing only in Italian. A startling act of self-reflection and an eloquent provocation, and a love story about the Italian language, this is her most intimate, revealing and exciting book to date.

SURRENDERJoshua YeldhamMacmillan. PB. $49.99

In this journal for his daughter, Indigo, Joshua Yeldham charts his life, from growing up on the Hawkesbury River to becoming one of Australia’s most astonishing artists. Yeldham’s first foray into literature, Surrender is a stunning creation that layers painting, photography, drawing and prose; an immensely powerful celebration of Yeldham’s deeply spiritual affiliation with the land and the creative imagination.

MAY GIBBSRobert Holden & Jane BrummittHardie Grant. PB. $29.99

May Gibbs is one of Australia’s most loved illustrators; her gumnut babies have been adored by generations of children. This fascinating illustrated biography explores her early life and artistic career in detail, from her early years exhibiting wildflower paintings and contributing illustrations to newspapers, to her time in England, support of the suffragette movement and return to commercial success in Australia.

ROSETTAAlexandra JoelVintage. PB. $34.99

In 1905, the beautiful Rosetta deserted her husband and daughter in Melbourne to run away with fortune teller Zeno the Magnificent. Reinventing themselves in London, the pair risked everything for a life of glamour and desire. This is the compelling story of Alexandra Joel’s quest to uncover the truth about her scandalous great-grandmother, and the century-old secret at the heart of her family.

| Nonfiction

READINGS MONTHLY MOTHER'S DAY MAY 2016

A GIRL FROM OZLyndall HobbsHardie Grant. HB. $39.99

In this memoir, Lyndall Hobbs bares all. Too large for life in suburbia, at 19 Lyndall left home to pursue a journalism dream. From Sydney to London and LA, and from journalist to award-winning director, A Girl From Oz is a memoir full of heart and humour, fashion and folly, love and strife and everything that makes a life fully lived.

| Art & DesignTHE LONG GOODBYEP.J. ParkerHardie Grant. PB. $29.99

When Pamela’s ageing mother succumbs to advanced dementia, it is her father who takes matters into his own hands, ending her mother’s life before taking his own. Illustrating the devastation of dementia and its terrible consequences for an entire family, The Long Goodbye is a true story of impossible beauty and sadness, and the story of a remarkable love that could be no other way.

AVALANCHEJulia LeighPenguin. PB. $24.99

At the age of 38 acclaimed novelist Julia Leigh made her first visit to the IVF clinic, full of hope. So started a long and costly journey of nightly injections, blood tests, surgeries and rituals. Avalanche is a courageous, compelling and ultimately wise account of a profoundly important and widespread experience, and an exploration of who and how we love.

DAFFODILHelen O’NeillHarperCollins. HB. $35

The daffodil is the beautiful first flower of spring, the inspiration of poets, a treasure-trove to scientists and a symbol of everything from unrequited love, rebirth, eternal life and misfortune. In telling the story of the daffodil, Helen O’Neill is really telling the story of humanity, taking in politics, greed, religion, science, and, now as a symbol for cancer research, hope.

SHE SHEDSAffirm Press editorsAffirm Press. PB. $29.99

An answer to the man cave, the ‘She Shed’ has become a global phenomenon. Whether reclaiming a domestic space or redoing the old garden shed, women all over the world are creating beautiful studios, reading spots or places to just get away for a few minutes. She Sheds is a beautifully illustrated celebration of these spaces and the women who create them.

HOW I MET MY SONYolanda BogertAffirm Press. PB. $24.99

Yolanda Bogert, a mum from regional Queensland, made worldwide news in December 2014 when she placed a newspaper ad retracting the announcement of her child Elizabeth as a daughter, and presenting her son Kai. This is the story of Yolanda and Kai, as they deal with issues of trans acceptance, religion and tradition in a heart-warming story of love in transition.

MÉLODIEAkira MizubayashiMUP. PB. $27.99

Mélodie is the heartfelt memoir of a Japanese man’s life with his golden retriever – or rather, of his golden retriever’s life with him. Through the demands and joys of living with a large dog in a small apartment in Tokyo, Akira Mizubayashi’s attachment to Mélodie profoundly transforms how he lives his life and makes him reimagine the nature of relationships between humans and animals.

THE FIGHTERArnold ZableText. PB. $27.99

Henry Nissen was a champion boxer, fighting his way up to beat some of the world’s best in the 1970s. But now his real work is on the streets, working with the disadvantaged and disaffected. Always in the background is the memory of his mother, another fighter. A moving and poetic portrait of a compassionate man, and a window onto Melbourne’s unnoticed recesses.

THE GENIUS OF BIRDSJennifer AckermanScribe. PB. Was $35

$29.95

Jennifer Ackerman presents the latest research on bird intelligence, revealing that birds are much, much smarter than we ever supposed. Whether it’s making complex navigations, singing in regional accents, or joking around with humans, birds are capable of high-level abstract thinking, problem-solving, recognising faces, and even conversing in a meaningful way – all with brains so tiny each would fit inside a walnut.

THE FASHION BOOKPhaidon editorsPhaidon. HB. $49.95

Easy to use and filled with inspirational images, this is a comprehensive guide to the world of clothing and accessories, covering designers, photographers, institutions, models and those iconic individuals who instigated or symbolise a whole fashion movement. Spanning almost 200 years, the entire industry is represented; from clothing and footwear designers, to photographers, stylists, icons, retailers and educators.

WHAT LIFTS YOUKelsey MontagueAffirm Press. PB. $19.99

Inspiring, beautiful and unique, The Secret Garden meets the Instagram generation in the first truly interactive colouring book, What Lifts You, from the street artist whose unique blend of art and social media has inspired people across the globe. Create your own masterpieces and share them, from origami, masks, ornate fans or puzzle pieces to make beautiful keepsakes or selfies to be shared.

THE SIMPLE HOMERhonda HetzelPenguin. HB. $45

Award-winning blogger Rhonda Hetzel shares the day-to-day practicalities of a simple life and shows you how to rediscover the heart of your home. With a year of monthly projects that make household management easier, Rhonda shows you how to stretch money further, safely clean your home and cook from scratch with 40 favourite recipes, including guides to baking bread and making cheese.

THE ART OF READINGDamon YoungMUP. PB. $27.99

Philosopher Damon Young reveals the pleasures of this intimate pursuit through a rich sample of literature: from Virginia Woolf’s diaries to Batman comics. He writes with honesty and humour about the blunders and revelations of his own bookish life, devoting each chapter to a literary virtue, and celebrates the reader’s power to turn shapes on a page into a lifelong adventure.

BEYOND BELIEFHugh MackayPan Macmillan. PB. Was $32.99

$29.99

Around two-thirds of us say we believe in God or some higher power, but under 10 percent of Australians attend church weekly. Hugh Mackay interviews dozens of Australians to investigate one of the great discrepancies of our time, arguing that while our attachment to a traditional idea of God may be waning, our desire for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever.

DAMNED WHORES AND GOD’S POLICEAnne SummersNewSouth. PB. $39.99

In 1975, before the Sex Discrimination Act, Anne Summers identified ‘damned whores’ and ‘God’s police’, the stereotypes that characterised all women as being either virtuous mothers or bad girls. These stereotypes persist to this day, she argues in this updated version of her classic book. Who are today’s damned whores? And why do some women themselves still want to be God’s Police?

HEARTLINESSusannah McFarlane & Robin LeubaRandom House. PB. $34.99

In 1965, Robin gave her baby up for adoption. The adoption laws at the time guaranteed no contact between birth mother and child. But the laws changed, and after nearly 50 years apart, Robin and Susannah were reunited. But the path to a relationship is not smooth. Fast-paced, warm and funny, Heartlines is a piercingly honest story of what it takes to reconnect after a lifetime apart.

| Philosophy

| Natural History

READINGS MONTHLY MOTHER'S DAY MAY 2016

| Gift Books

| Food

| Parenting

| Children

100 YEARSJoshua Prager & Milton GlaserW.W. Norton. HB. $24.95

An extraordinary literary journey, 100 Years traces the passages of life from age one to one hundred through quotations from the world’s greatest writers. Moving year by year, with surprising and illuminating juxtapositions of quotations from figures as diverse as Plato and Woolf, Tolstoy and Barthes, this wise, beautiful and moving portrait of the human experience will delight readers of all backgrounds.

THE PIE PROJECT

Phoebe Wood & Kirsten JenkinsHardie Grant. HB. $29.99

The Pie Project is a collection of 60 sweet pie recipes, in all their bubbling, fruity, caramelised, buttery glory. Readers are encouraged to use imperfect fruit, play around with lattice, design their own pastry top and bake the pies in whatever they have handy. The Pie Project will convince you that pie really is a dish that should be enjoyed every day!

THE MIDDLE EASTERN VEGETARIAN COOKBOOKSalma Hage

Phaidon. HB. $49.95

Traditionally, the Middle Eastern diet consisted largely of vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, pulses, grains and legumes. Drawing inspiration from ancient and prized Phoenician ingredients, this book offers an array of delicious breakfasts and drinks, mezze and salads, vegetables and pulses, grains and desserts. These 150 nourishing recipes are so flavourful and satisfying they will be loved by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

MINDFULNESS FOR MOTHERSRebecca RyanPan Macmillan. PB. $19.99

Becoming a mother brings a lot of change, both physically and emotionally. Mindfulness for Mothers is a book to help create a sense of balance, awareness and calm for you and your child. Meditation teacher Rebecca Ryan presents a series of simple exercises, from 10-second tension breakers to 30-minute restorative body-awareness routines, to do either alone or with your child.

THE TREEHOUSE FUN BOOKAndy Griffiths, Terry Denton

& Jill GriffithsPan Macmillan. PB. Was $12.99

$10.99

Plunge into the crazy world of the bestselling Treehouse series in an activity book like no other as Andy, Terry and Jill bring you all their favourite treehouse things to do! Stuff to write! Pictures to draw! Puzzles to solve! To-do lists and to-don’t lists! Things to invent and un-invent! Word searches, treehouse trivia, and so much more. This is the perfect activity book to entertain the whole family together.

ONE POT FAVOURITESPete EvansPan Macmillan. PB. $39.99

Pete Evans has 100 simple, warming and flavoursome one-pot paleo meals full of fresh vegetables, sustainable seafood, free-range chicken and meat, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and spices. Pete draws inspiration from around the globe as well as closer to home, and inside you’ll find stews, roasts, braises, curries, stir-fries, and even Pete’s favourite meatloaf recipe. You’ll be amazed at what you can make with just one pot!

THE KITCHEN SHELFEve O’Sullivan & Rosie ReynoldsPhaidon. HB. $49.95

Packed with recipes and information, this books shows how to have a perfectly stocked ‘kitchen shelf ’ so that after a long day you only need a couple of fresh ingredients to make a delicious meal. With handy tips and simple techniques, it is a staple book for the kitchen: reliable recipes, no-fuss shopping and fantastic photographs of the finished dishes.

TEENS: WHAT WE’RE REALLY THINKING (WHEN WE’RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING)Paul Buhre & David Shaw (trans.)Scribe. PB. $27.99

Teenagers are people too! But what kind? Until now, we’ve always seen the lives of adolescents through the eyes of worried parents, overworked and overstressed teachers, or even family therapists. Now, for the first time, a 15-year-old lifts the lid on what makes teenagers tick. From social media to fashion, love and money, here is an insider’s report on the adolescent world.

ONE MORE TICKLE!Sam McBratney & Anita JeramWalker. BB. $19.99

A ticklish tale complete with a cuddly puppet. Little Nutbrown Hare wants to discover if Big Nutbrown Hare is ticklish in this charming tale based on characters from the award-winning Guess How Much I Love You. This is a gorgeous book for children to share with mum; little ones will love joining in as they find out just how ticklish Big Nutbrown Hare actually is – and they might receive one or two tickles too!

STEPHANIE ALEXANDER’S KITCHEN GARDEN COMPANION: GROWINGStephanie AlexanderPenguin. PB. $49.99

Follow in the footsteps of one of Australia’s best-loved cooks and food writers as she shares her experiences and the secrets of rewarding kitchen gardening. Detailed gardening notes explain how to plant, grow and harvest 73 different vegetables, herbs and fruit, whether you have a large plot in a suburban backyard or a few pots on a balcony.

STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON: THE KITCHENOlafur Eliasson & Alice WatersPhaidon. HB. $59.95

Celebrate the communal spirit of cooking and creativity of one of today’s most internationally recognised artists, Olafur Eliasson, who brings his studio together every day for a communal lunch that fuels their creative process. With 100 recipes from the studio kitchen approachable for the home cook, it has plenty of recipes and ideas for readers to replicate the experience in their home kitchen.

WHERE TO EAT PIZZADaniel YoungPhaidon. HB. $39.95

The world over, people want the inside scoop on where to get the ultimate slice of pizza. With quotes from chefs, critics, and industry experts, readers will learn about secret ingredients, special sauces, and the quest for the perfect crust. Featuring detailed city maps, reviews and over 1,700 listings, this book gives you key information and honest comments from those in the know.

A KITCHEN IN THE VALLEYSally WiseABC. HB. $45

Bestselling cookbook author Sally Wise has won countless fans for her no-nonsense recipes and delicious, nutritious food. Now she brings together the best of her farmhouse kitchen recipes in a beautiful, full-colour cookbook. A Kitchen In the Valley showcases more than 100 of Sally’s recipes, all accompanied by glorious photographs of the food, produce and landscapes of Sally’s native Tasmania.

THIS ANNOYING DOMESTIC LIFEOslo DavisBlack Inc. PB. $9.99

Domestic bliss? As if! Home is where the annoying is. But home is also where you can colour in, without the shame of people seeing you! Designed for mums, dads, kids and old people on all levels of the angst spectrum, Oslo Davis returns with an even more miserable collection of images awaiting your ridiculous attempts to colour them in.