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Wentworth Shire Library Issue 2 – 2019

Adult fiction

HALF MOON LAKE by Kirsten Alexander

In 1913, on a summer's day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns. The boy's mysterious disappearance from the family's lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and

influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South – offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp. But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports' own friends, take sides. As the tramp's kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they'd ever dreamed.

SMALL BLESSINGS by Emily Brewin

Rosie Larson doesn't trust people, and with good reason. Her violent ex-boyfriend, Joel, is out of jail

and she's determined he won't find her or their eleven-year-old son. For Isobel Hutchins, the cost of success is beginning to prove too high. Her impressive career and comfortable lifestyle can't protect her from the news her mother is dying or the need to face her past. When tragedy strikes, Rosie and Isobel are thrown together despite their differences. In this difficult space, they draw strength from

each other and form an unlikely friendship that may just see them through.

THE NEXT PERSON YOU MEET IN HEAVEN by Mitch Albom

Fifteen years ago, in Mitch Albom's beloved novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the world fell

in love with Eddie, a grizzled war veteran- turned-amusement park mechanic who died saving the life of a young girl named Annie. Eddie's journey to heaven taught him that every life matters. Now, in this magical sequel, Mitch Albom reveals Annie's story. The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to

remember why, Annie's life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love,

she believes she has finally found happiness. As the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. But when her wedding night day ends in an unimaginable accident, Annie finds herself on her own heavenly journey –and an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of the five people who will show her how her life mattered in ways she could not have fathomed.

Adult fiction

WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER by Christina Dodd

Kellen Adams suffers from a yearlong gap in her memory. A bullet to the brain will cause that. But she's

discovering the truth, and what she learns changes her life, her confidence, her very self. She finds herself in the wilderness, on the run, unprepared, her enemies unknown – and she is carrying a priceless burden she must protect at all costs. The consequences of failure would break her. And Kellen Adams does not break.

THE ANIMAL FACTORY by Edward Bunker

Ronald Decker, first-time San Quentin intern doing minor time for an insignificant offence, is befriended

by hardened old-timer Earl Copen and introduced into the White Brotherhood. When Ron rejects a homosexual advance by another con the pair are led to an act of ultimately fatal violence and, in desperation, seize a remote chance of escape.

A SPY IN EXILE by Jonathan de Shalit

In the upper echelons of Israel's intelligence community, an elite, secret unit discovers how easily the hunter can become the hunted. After Ya'ara Stein is forced out of her job at the Mossad – Israel's secret intelligence service – she is called upon by the prime minister for a classified job. The astute and deadly Stein is tasked with forming a secret unit that is answerable only to the prime minister. Made up of brilliant young recruits, Ya'ara's team faces a lethal terrorist cell with ties to old European factions. But

the ghosts of the past are not the only threats they face, and the agents scramble to distinguish between fact and fiction as their enemies turn the tables and close in.

LAST NIGHT by Karen Ellis

One of the few black kids on his Brighton Beach block, Titus "Crisp" Crespo was raised by his white mother and his Russian grandparents. He has two legacies from his absent father, Mo: his weird name and his brown skin. Crisp has always been the odd kid out, but a fundamentally good kid, with a bright future. But one impulsive decision triggers a horrible domino effect – an arrest, no reason not to accompany his richer, whiter friend Glynnie on a visit to her weed dealer, and a trip onto his father's old home turf where he'll face certain choices he's always tried to avoid. As Detective Lex Cole unravels the clues from Crisp's night out, they both find that what you don't know about your past can still come back to haunt you.

NEVER TELL by Lisa Gardner

One death might be an accident. Two deaths looks like murder. A man is shot dead in his own home, and his pregnant wife, Evie, is found with the gun in her hands. Detective D.D. Warren instantly recognises her. Sixteen years ago, Evie also shot her own father. That killing was ruled an accident. D.D. doesn't believe in coincidences. But this case isn't as open and shut as it first appears, and her job is to discover the truth. Evie might be a victim. Or she might be about to get away with murder again.

Adult fiction

I OWE YOU ONE by Sophie Kinsella

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: 'Family first'. But ever since her dad passed away, leaving his charming kitchen supply store in the hands of his children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn't take care of her father's legacy, who will? It's simply not in Fixie's nature to tell people 'no.' So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees –

she ends up saving it from certain disaster. Turns out the computer's owner is an investment manager named Sebastian. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, he scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off – she'd never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she? Then Fixie's childhood crush Ryan comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie's buttons. She wants nothing for herself, but for Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb

agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOU's between Seb and Fixie – from small favours to life-changing moments – ensue. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

HUNTER by Jack Heath

Timothy Blake, ex-consultant for the FBI, now works in body-disposal for a local crime lord. One night he stumbles across a body he wasn't supposed to find. He can't resist taking a bite. Having marked the body, Blake is forced to hide it. When the FBI calls Blake in to investigate the man's disappearance, Blake is the only one who knows the man is dead and in his freezer. Then another man goes missing. And another. There's a serial killer in Houston, Texas, and Blake is the only one who knows it for sure. His investigation takes him to a prestigious university, a sex doll factory, a sprawling landfill on Houston's outskirts and a secret hideaway in the woods. As they hunt the killer together, FBI agent Reese Thistle starts to warm to Blake – but she also gets closer and closer to discovering his gruesome secret. This is cause for anxiety to the gangster who employs Blake to dispose of her victims. It would be better for her to murder Blake than to risk exposure. Can Blake uncover the killer, without giving away his own dark secrets?

WIDOWS’ REVENGE by Lynda La Plante

Dolly, Linda, Shirley and Bella are back. And this time it's a fight to the finish. The sequel to Lynda La Plante's ground-breaking thriller, Widows. Against all the odds, Dolly Rawlins and her gangland widows managed the impossible: a heist their husbands had failed to pull off – at the cost of their lives. But though they may be in the money, they're far from easy street. Shocked by her husband's betrayal, Dolly discovers Harry Rawlins isn't dead. He knows where the four women are and he wants them to pay. And he doesn't just mean getting his hands on the money. The women can't keep running. They have to get Harry out of their lives for good. But can they outwit a criminal mastermind who won't hesitate to kill? Especially when one of them has a plan of her own...to kill or be killed.

THE BITTER SEASON by Tami Hoag

A middle-aged couple, hacked to death in their own home, with a samurai sword. Normal people. Who were they? And why were they targeted? It was a shocking crime. But it wasn't the first. Twenty years ago a policeman was murdered in his own back garden and the killer was never caught. One woman

might link these mysteries. But she is being watched. Can Detectives Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac find her before it is too late?

Adult fiction

THE CHEF by James Patterson

Police detective by day, celebrity food truck chef by night, now Caleb Rooney has a new title: most wanted. In the Carnival days leading up to Mardi Gras, Detective Caleb Rooney comes under investigation for a murder he is accused of committing in the line of duty as a Major Crimes detective for the New Orleans Police Department. Has his sideline at the Killer Chef food truck given him a taste for murder? While fighting the charges against him, Rooney makes a pair of unthinkable discoveries. His beloved city is under threat of attack. And these would-be terrorists may be local.

CALL ME EVIE by J.P. Pomare

Meet Evie, a young woman held captive by a man named Jim in the isolated New Zealand beach town of Maketu. Jim says he's hiding Evie to protect her, that she did something terrible back home in Melbourne. In a house that creaks against the wind, Evie begins to piece together her fractured memories of the events that led her here. Jim says he's keeping her safe. Evie's not sure she can trust Jim, but can she trust her own memories?

MAYBE THIS TIME by Jill Mansell

When Mimi Huish visits her dad at his new home in the Cotswolds, she immediately falls in love with the eccentric and charming inhabitants of his new community. And when she meets the seriously gorgeous, charismatic Cal Mathieson, Mimi begins to daydream about trading in her city life for country living. But even though Mimi and Cal feel like they might be soul mates, fate (and bad timing) keeps pulling them apart. But is there ever a perfect time for love? It's up to Mimi, Cal, and their raucous cadre of friends to turn their happily never after into a happily ever after!

CONNECTIONS IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads – and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr Rochelle Pickering – whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle's support. Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he's thrilled to hear about his sister's new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve's investigation confirms that this wasn't just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle's been pumped full of poison – and a neighbour with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene. Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run. They both believe in giving people a second chance but as far as they're concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering's murder has run out of chances.

THE PROMISED LAND by Barry Maitland

Newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Kathy Kolla investigates a series of brutal murders on

Hampstead Heath. Under intense pressure to find answers, she arrests the unlikely figure of John Pettigrew, a failing London publisher who lives alone on the edge of the Heath. Pettigrew's lawyer calls on recently retired David Brock for advice, and soon, unable to resist the pull of investigation, the old colleagues, Brock and Kolla, are at loggerheads. At the heart of the gripping mystery of the Hampstead murders lies a manuscript of an unknown novel by one of the greatest literary figures of the twentieth century. Brock believes that its story will unlock the puzzle, but how?

Adult fiction

THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOV DANCERS by Kerri Turner

Valentina Yershova's position in the Romanov's Imperial Russian Ballet is the only thing that keeps her from the clutches of poverty. With implacable determination, she has clawed her way through the ranks, relying not only on her talent but her alliances with influential men that grant them her body, but never her heart. Then Luka Zhirkov – the gifted son of a factory worker – joins the company, and suddenly everything she has built is put at risk. For Luka, being accepted into the company fulfils a lifelong dream. But in the eyes of his proletariat father, it makes him a traitor. As civil war tightens its grip and the country starves, Luka is torn between his growing connection to Valentina and his guilt for their lavish way of life. For the Imperial Russian Ballet has become the ultimate symbol of Romanov indulgence, and soon the lovers are forced to choose: their country, their art or each other... A novel of revolution, passion and just how much two people will sacrifice for each other.

THE NECESSARY ANGEL by C.K. Stead

A beautifully written, carefully observed novel that takes you to the heart of contemporary Paris and into a world of books and witty conversation. With a surprising twist at the end, this book is gripping and hugely satisfying.

THE QUEEN’S COLONIAL by Peter Watt

1845, in a village outside Sydney Town. Eighteen-year-old Ian Steele, humble blacksmith and son of a soldier, struggles to support his frail and widowed mother. All the while he dreams of a life in uniform, serving in Queen Victoria's army. 1845, Puketutu, New Zealand. Second Lieutenant Samuel Forbes, born to an aristocratic English family, fights the urge to run from the advancing Maori warriors. Two years before, Samuel's father had purchased a commission in an infantry unit and left him at the gates of the regiment, hoping the military would harden the young poet's sensitive spirit. When Samuel finally flees, he seeks refuge with his outcast uncle in the brand new colony of New South Wales. There he meets Ian; uncannily similar in appearance, yet remarkably different in temperament, the two men hatch a

plan for Ian to replace Samuel in both the military and the Forbes dynasty. Once in England, Ian must fool Samuel's family and is commissioned as a captain into the family's regiment as a company commander. He finds love with an enigmatic woman and faces battle in the bloody Crimean war, where he earns the nickname 'The Queen's Colonial'.

COURTNEY’S WAR by Wilbur Smith

Torn apart by war, Saffron Courtney and Gerhard von Meerbach are thousands of miles apart, struggling for their lives. Gerhard, despite his objections to the Nazi regime, is fighting for the Fatherland, hoping to one day have the opportunity to rid Germany of Hitler and his cronies. But as his unit is thrown into the hellish Battle of Stalingrad, his chances of survival are dwindling by the day. Saffron, recruited by the Special Operations Executive, and sent to occupied Belgium to discover the traitor within the Allied networks, soon finds herself being hunted by Germany's most ruthless spymaster. Confronted by evil beyond their worst imaginings, the lovers face an impossible choice: sacrifice themselves, or do whatever they can to survive, hoping that one day they will be reunited.

Australian rural romance

Adult fiction Australian authors

STONE COUNTRY by Nicole Alexander

South Australia, 1919. Ross Grant has always felt like the black sheep of his wealthy Scottish family. An explorer at heart, he dreams of life on Waybell, their remote cattle station in Australia's last remaining wilderness, the Northern Territory. Then his brother Alastair is branded a deserter after going missing during the Great War. To help restore the Grants' damaged reputation, Ross is coerced into marrying Darcey Thomas, a woman he has never met. Disgusted by his manipulative family, he turns his back on his unwanted wife just hours after the ceremony, and heads to Waybell with no plans to return. He carries with him the hope of carving his own empire in the far north. But Ross has not counted on Darcey's determination to be his wife in more than just name. Nor did he anticipate meeting Maria, a

young, part-Chinese woman who will capture his heart. And he certainly wasn't prepared for how this beautiful yet savage land would both captivate and destroy his soul ...

THE RIP by Mark Brandi

A young woman living on the street has to keep her wits about her. Or her friends. But when the drugs kick in that can be hard. Anton has been looking out for her. She was safe with him. But then Steve came along. He had something over Anton. Must have. But he had a flat they could crash in. And gear in his

pocket. And she can't stop thinking about it. A good hit makes everything all right. But the flat smells weird. There's a lock on Steve's bedroom door. And the guy is intense. The problem is, sometimes you just don't know you are in too deep, until you are drowning.

THE CHOCOLATE MAKER’S WIFE by Karen Brooks

Damnation has never been so sweet... When Rosamund Tomkins enters the world she is so different, with her darkling eyes and strange laughter, that the midwives are afraid, believing her a changeling. But Rosamund's life is set to be anything but enchanted. Born into poverty, brutalised and ignored by her family, it is only when she is married off to a nobleman that her life undergoes a wondrous transformation, as he recognises that Rosamund infuses magic she does not know she possesses into everything she touches. Clever, quick and irrepressible, Rosamund soon becomes the darling of the haute ton, and presides over her luxurious chocolate house where the rich go to be seen and indulge in their favourite pastime, drinking the sweet and heady drink to which they've become oddly addicted. But Rosamund stands on the brink of losing all she has worked so hard to achieve and will be forced to make a choice: walk away from all she knows and has grown to love with her soul intact, or make a deal with the devil?

Adult fiction Australian authors

THE YEAR OF THE BEAST by Steven Carroll

Melbourne, 1917: the times are tumultuous, the city is in the grip of a kind of madness. The Great War

is raging, and it is the time of the hotly contested second conscription referendum. Fights are raging on

the streets, rallies for 'YES' and 'NO' facing off against each other on opposing corners. Men, women

and children, jostling, brawling, fighting and spitting. Through these streets walks Maryanne, forty-

years-old, unmarried and seven months pregnant. These are uncertain, dangerous times for a woman

in her position. And she is facing a difficult choice – a choice which gets more urgent by the day –

whether to give her child up for adoption as the Church insists she does, or to keep her child and face

an uncertain future.

THE WAR ARTIST by Simon Cleary

When Brigadier John Phelan returns from Afghanistan with the body of a young soldier killed under his command, he is traumatised by the tragedy. An encounter with young Sydney tattoo artist Kira leaves him with a permanent tribute to the soldier, but it is a meeting that will change the course of his life. What he isn't expecting is a campaign of retribution from the soldiers who blame him for the ambush and threaten his career. With his marriage also on the brink, his life spirals out of control. Years later, Phelan is surprised when Kira re-enters his life seeking refuge from her own troubles and with a young son in tow. She finds a way to help him make peace with his past, but she is still on the run from her own. The War Artist is a timely and compelling novel about the legacy of war, the power of art and the

possibility of redemption.

HOW TO BE SECOND BEST by Jessica Dettmann

Going from one child to two is never all that easy for a family, but when Emma's husband simultaneously fathers a third child three doors up the street, things get very tricky, very fast. No longer is it enough for Emma to be the best wife and mother – now she's trying to be the best ex-wife, and the best part-time parent to her ex's love child, and that's before she even thinks about adding a new bloke to the mix.

ISLANDS by Peggy Frew

There was a house on a hill in the city and it was full of us, our family, but then it began to empty. We fell out. We made a mess. We draped ourselves in blame and disappointment and lurched around, bumping into each other. Some of us wailed and shouted; some of us barely made a sound. None of us was

listening, or paying attention. And in the middle of it all you, very quietly, were gone.

Helen and John are too preoccupied with making a mess of their marriage to notice the quiet ways in which their daughters are suffering. Junie grows up brittle and defensive, Anna difficult and rebellious. When fifteen-year-old Anna fails to come home one night, her mother's not too worried; Anna's taken off before but always returned. Helen waits three days to report her disappearance. But this time Anna doesn't come back ...

Australian authors

Adult fiction

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW by Sally Hepworth

Someone once told me that you have two families in your life – the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all. From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's

length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law. That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something.

AFTER THE PARTY by Cassie Hamer

Lisa Wheeldon has a lovely life. Wife to a gorgeous husband, Scott, and a devoted mother to two small

daughters, the former accountant has everything she wants – except a third child. But the universe has a strange way of providing. On the surface, Ava's fifth birthday party seems the ideal opportunity for Lisa to meet her daughter's new kindergarten friends – all 32 of them! But from beginning to end, the day is a complete nightmare, capped off by the discovery of a little girl hiding in the Wheeldon's backyard. At first, Lisa reasons that Ellie's mum is running late. But when they open a gift from the mysterious little girl, it becomes clear her mother has no intention of returning at all. What sort of mother abandons her child? And why has she chosen the Wheeldons? Together, Lisa and her sister

Jamie launch their own efforts to find the missing mum, a journey that will force Lisa to face her past, Jamie to confront her future and see both embroiled with angry exes, pragmatic fortune-tellers, Russian mobsters and a hyena pack of yummy mummies. A journey that will force Lisa to rethink all she knows about being a good mother.

HOME FIRES by Fiona Lowe

When a lethal bushfire tore through Myrtle, nestled in Victoria's breathtaking Otway Ranges, the town's buildings – and the lives of its residents – were left as smouldering ash. For three women in particular, the fire fractured their lives and their relationships. Eighteen months later, with the flurry of national attention long past, Myrtle stands restored, shiny and new. But is the outside polish just a veneer? Community stalwart Julie thinks tourism could bring back some financial stability to their little corner of the world and soon prods Claire, Bec and Sophie into joining her group. But the scar tissue of trauma runs deep, and as each woman exposes her secrets and faces the damage that day wrought, a shocking truth will emerge that will shake the town to its newly rebuilt foundations.

THE HOMESTEAD ON THE RIVER by Rosie Mackenzie

An unforgettable tale of love, loss and betrayal from an exciting new Australian voice in historical fiction. In stark contrast to her own childhood during the last days of the Raj in India, the spectacular beauty surrounding their home, Rathgarven in Ireland has proven to be a happy place for Kathleen O'Sullivan and her husband, James, to raise their four children. But Kathleen is no stranger to heartbreak, and when the family is faced with losing everything, she knows they will need to adapt to

survive. Even if that means leaving their beloved home and moving to Australia to start afresh. Lillie O'Sullivan knows that her mother and father haven't been entirely truthful about the reasons for their move to Australia. But as they settle into their new home in rural New South Wales she is willing to give

it a chance. That is, until the secrets her parents have kept for so long finally catch up with them. Secrets that have the power to destroy their family and ruin their future.

Adult fiction Australian authors

HEART OF THE GRASS TREE by Molly Murn

Pearl remembers Nell's feet stretched towards the campfires on the beach, her fourth toe curled in and nestled against the middle toe like a small prawn. They all have a curled fourth toe. Diana, Lucy, Pearl. When Pearl's grandmother Nell dies unexpectedly, Pearl and her family – mother Diana, sister Lucy – return to Kangaroo Island to mourn and farewell her. Each of them knew Nell intimately but differently, and each woman must reckon with Nell's passing in her own way. But Nell had secrets, too, and as Pearl, Diana and Lucy interrogate their feelings about the island, Pearl starts to pull together the scraps Nell left behind – her stories, poems, paintings – and unearths a connection to the island's early history, of the early European sealers and their first contact with the Ngarrindjeri people. The three women are pulled apart in their grief, but Pearl's deepening connection to their history, the island's history, grounds her, and will ultimately bring the women back to each other.

THE LAKE HOUSE by Kate Morton

Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure. One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the

family apart in ways they never imagined. Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone, yet more present than ever.

HIDING TO NOTHING by Andy Muir

Lay low, stay out of trouble and don't get pulled over. It was probably the best advice I'd ever had. How

long until I ignored it? All Lachie Munro wants is a quiet life in sunny Newcastle. But Lachie and quiet don't seem to get along. When his estranged dad, Terry, turns up fresh out of prison, he's packing more than the usual family baggage. Suddenly there are two murderous goons on Lachie's doorstep and the police are paying him special attention. But Terry's on the hunt for a long -lost fortune, and he won't be leaving Newcastle – or Lachie – without it. Which is bad news for Lachie who suspects the more time he spends with his dad, the more trouble it causes. And it'll be Lachie Munro who cops a hiding to nothing.

SAVING YOU by Charlotte Nash

In their tiny pale green cottage under the trees, Mallory Cook and her five-year-old son, Harry, are a little family unit who weather the storms of life together. Money is tight after Harry's father, Duncan, abandoned them to expand his business in New York. So when Duncan fails to return Harry after a visit, Mallory boards a plane to bring her son home any way she can. During the journey, a chance encounter with three retirees on the run from their care home leads Mallory on an unlikely group road trip across the United States. Zadie, Ernie and Jock each have their own reasons for making the journey and along the way the four of them will learn the lengths they will travel to save each other – and themselves.

Adult fiction Australian authors

THE ROSIE RESULT by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back in Australia after a decade in New York, and they're about to face their most important challenge. Their son, Hudson, is struggling at school: he's socially awkward and not fitting in. Don's spent a lifetime trying to fit in, so who better to teach Hudson the skills he needs? The Hudson Project will require the help of friends old and new; force Don to decide how much to guide Hudson and how much to let him be himself, and raise some significant questions about his own identity. Meanwhile, there are multiple distractions to deal with: the Genetics Lecture Outrage, Rosie's troubles at work, estrangement from his best friend Gene... And opening a cocktail bar.

THE RESTORER by Michael Sala

After a year apart, Maryanne returns to her husband, Roy, bringing their eight-year-old son Daniel and

his teenage sister Freya with her. The family move from Sydney to Newcastle, where Roy has bought a derelict house on the coast. As Roy painstakingly patches the holes in the floorboards and plasters over

cracks in the walls, Maryanne believes, for a while, that they can rebuild a life together. But Freya doesn’t want a fresh start she just wants out, and Daniel drifts around the sprawling, run-down house in a dream, infuriating his father, who soon forgets the promises he has made. Some cracks can never be smoothed over, and tension grows between Roy and Maryanne until their uneasy peace is ruptured with devastating consequences.

THE GIRL ON THE PAGE by John Purcell

Amy Winston is a hard-drinking, bed-hopping, hot-shot young book editor on a downward spiral. Having made her name and fortune by turning an average thriller writer into a Lee Child, Amy is given the unenviable task of steering literary great Helen Owen back to publication. When Amy knocks on the door of their beautiful townhouse in north-west London, Helen and her husband, the novelist Malcolm Taylor, are conducting a silent war of attrition. The townhouse was paid for with the enormous seven figure advance Helen was given for the novel she wrote to end fifty years of making ends meet on critical acclaim alone. The novel Malcolm thinks unworthy of her. The novel Helen has yet to deliver. The novel Amy has come to collect. Amy has never faced a challenge like this one. Helen and Malcolm are brilliant, complicated writers who unsettle Amy into asking questions of herself – questions about what she values, her principles, whether she has integrity, whether she is authentic. Before she knows it, answering these questions becomes a matter of life or death.

TWO STEPS FORWARD by Graeme Simsion & Anna Buist

Zoe, a sometime artist, is from California. Martin, an engineer, is from Yorkshire. Both have ended up in picturesque Cluny, in central France. Both are struggling to come to terms with their recent past –for Zoe, the death of her husband; for Martin, a messy divorce. Looking to make a new start, each sets out

alone to walk two thousand kilometres from Cluny to Santiago, in north -western Spain, in the footsteps of pilgrims who have walked the Camino – the Way – for centuries. The Camino changes you, it’s said. It’s a chance to find a new version of yourself. But can these two very different people find each other?

THE LOST GIRLS by Jennifer Spence

What would you do if you had the chance to change a pivotal moment from your past? How far would you go to save someone you loved? These are just two of the fateful choices a woman must face in this highly original and hauntingly evocative detective story of love and loss. At the core of the enigmatic

Stella’s story, past and present, is a mystery she is compelled to solve, a beautiful young woman who went missing fifty years ago – and a tragedy much closer to home she must try to prevent. As Stella

unravels the dark secrets of her family's past and her own, it becomes clear that everyone remembers the past differently and the small choices we make every day can change our future irrevocably.

Non-fiction

AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS by Belle

Australian Landscape Designers are creating some of the most innovative, beautiful and sustainable gardens in the world. To celebrate this incredible Australian talent Belle has teamed up with acclaimed garden and interiors photographer, Nicholas Watt, and regular Belle

contributor Chris Pearson to showcase 26 leading Australian landscape designers and their work. Despite our often harsh climes and difficult sites the garden aficionados featured in Belle's new tome have taken on these challenges with gusto and have produced enjoyable green spaces that sit comfortably within their surrounds and are a natural extension of the homes that they enhance. If you are looking for professional help for a landscape project, or are simply an

admirer of gardens this book will provide plenty of inspiration.

KEEPING HOUSE: CREATING SPACES FOR SANCTUARY AND CELEBRATION by Emma Blomfield

We all desire a space that feels authentically our own: somewhere we can curl up with a cup of tea or host a dinner party for our favourite people. Many of us see homemaking as something we will do ‘one day’ – perhaps when we are no longer renting, or when we have a larger budget. But interior

decorator Emma Blomfield can help you start making the most of what you’ve got right now. Emma shares her tips on how to style and maintain every room in your house to achieve a state of meaningful living, and how to decorate and connect with guests through beautiful events. Keeping House is your guide to creating the life that you want in the space that you have, no matter where that may be.

PURE: SIMPLE RECIPES WITH WHOLE INGREDIENTS by The Australian Women’s Weekly

Beautiful ingredients cooked simply. We bring to you a book that reflects the modern and flexible way that we eat today, which means plenty of plant-based dishes, as well as refined sugar-free and gluten-free recipes. With pared back cooking methods and ingredients, the ‘less-is-more’ approach results in healthy cooking with recipes to get you through the hustle bustle of the day-to-day, as well as casual entertaining. All are brought to life through beautiful photography and styling to keep you inspired.

A DIAMOND IN THE DUST by Frauke Bolten-Boshammer

The powerful true story of how one woman turned outback dust into a diamond empire. Within minutes of landing in Kununurra, Frauke Bolten had made up her mind to get on a plane back home to Germany. It was 1981 and the dusty frontier town was no place for a woman. However, Frauke stayed,

determined to help her husband carve out a new life farming. Tragedy struck just three years later when Friedrich took his own life and she was left to raise their family alone. Twenty-six years after she sold her first necklace off the back porch, Kimberley Fine Diamonds in Kununurra is now home to one of the world's largest collections of Argyle pink diamonds, with a client list that includes Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Frauke is credited for not only pioneering an industry, but for putting the tiny

outback town and its precious diamonds on the map. A Diamond in the Dust is a tale of love and loss, hardship and heartache, but ultimately the inspiring story of how a naive young girl from Germany overcame tragedy to pioneer a diamond empire in one of the most unforgiving terrains on earth.

THE ART OF TIDYING UP: HOW TO DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE by Kim Carruthers

A practical guide to the contemporary issue of de-cluttering your life – not just the material objects that clutter your home, but also the emotional clutter that may be holding your back. The Art of Tidying Up

tackles the contemporary issue of de-cluttering your life. This includes not just the physical aspects of de-cluttering a home or a room, but also the emotional clutter that many experience. This book teaches hoarders how to recognise, understand and conquer the emotions and compulsions that lead to clutter. Kim provides smart, practical techniques and methods that can be implemented every day to clear away clutter and keep it away. More than just "the physical stuff" The Art of Tidying Up blends compassion and critique to create a detailed plan to achieve a minimalist mindset, both physically and emotionally.

Non-fiction

BY SEA & STARS: THE STORY OF THE FIRST FLEET by Trent Dalton

Dazzling, poetic and vivid storytelling from one of Australia's greatest writers, which tells the bloody, brutal and enthralling story of the epic journey of the First Fleet. Originally published as a multi-part serial in The Australian, By Sea and Stars tells the story of the epic voyage which led to the founding of our nation, as told from the point of view of the people who took part – willingly or unwillingly – in it. Drawing from historical sources of the time, including letters and journals, Trent Dalton, one of

Australia's best writers, brings this epic voyage, and the people who went on it, to vivid life. This is not dry history of dates and names. These are gripping stories of real people, from the lowest to the highest. From terrified nine year old chimney sweep and convict John Hudson to conscientious Lieutenant Ralph Clark, pining after his wife and son, to the brave and determined Captain-General Arthur Phillip, the brightest star of the British Navy: these are the people who made the voyage, and these are their stories – of death, duty, glory, lust, violence, escape, mutiny – and a great southern land.

LIVE GREEN: 52 STEPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE by Jen Chillingsworth

Many of us are already doing what we can to adopt a greener lifestyle. We recycle, try to reduce our waste and plastics, choose organic food when shopping, eat less meat and opt for environmentally friendly cleaning products. Yet we often wish we were doing more and it can be overwhelming to

know where to start. Live Green is a practical guide of 52 changes – one for each week of the year – you can make to your home and lifestyle to reduce your impact on the environment. Tackling all areas of your life from your cleaning routine, home furnishings, food shopping, fashion choices, natural beauty and Christmas, this book has all the ingredients to help you achieve a more sustainable year. From making your own eco-friendly cleaning products, buying vintage furniture, making your own

moth repellent, improving your natural beauty regime, creating a capsule wardrobe and creating your own ethical Christmas decorations – discover how to get the most out of life by living with intention.

MICRO LIVING: 40 INNOVATIVE TINY HOUSES EQUIPPED FOR FULL-TIME LIVING, IN 400 SQUARE FEET OR LESS by Derek “Deek” Diedricksen

Diedricksen designs and builds tiny houses. This time he focuses mainly on the "true tinies" but points out that striving toward simplicity is more than "going small". The act of scaling back, even a bit, can have time – and money-saving results.

JACK’S DAUGHTER: GROWING UP GERMAN IN WORLD WAR II BROKEN HILL by Christine Ellis

Growing up during World War II was tough, especially if you lived on the wrong side of the mines that divided Broken Hill. If you were a girl? And German? You needed plenty of spirit! This is the true story of the indomitable Maisie Schuster, who struggled to escape the town, a controlling mother and, later, an alcoholic husband.

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY: A SAGA OF SURVIVAL, SEX, SEDITION, MAYHEM & MUTINY by Peter Fitzsimons

The mutiny on HMS Bounty, in the South Pacific on 28 April 1789, is one of history's truly great stories – a tale of human drama, intrigue and adventure of the highest order – and in the hands of Peter

FitzSimons it comes to life as never before. Mutiny on the Bounty is a sprawling, dramatic tale of intrigue, bravery and sheer boldness, told with the accuracy of historical detail and total command of story that are Peter FitzSimons' trademarks.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SUCCULENT GARDENING: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO GROWING

BEAUTIFUL AND LONG LASTING SUCCULENTS by Taku Furuya

A Beginner's Guide to Succulent Gardening is a friendly guide to popular succulents, walking novices

through all the basics, like:

Choosing your succulents—from Hens and Chicks (Echeveria) to bristly flowering cactus varieties

Mixing the right soils for your succulents and preparing the growing environment

Easy potting and transplanting techniques Succulent care

Understanding peak periods and seasonal traits

This book contains all sorts of helpful tips on what to look for when buying a plant, how to troubleshoot when your succulent shows signs of distress, how to trim the leaves and stems, and how

to start new plants from cuttings. Clear diagrams and at-a-glance fact sheets for each variety, as well as inspirational photos of attractively and happily-housed succulents, fill the pages of this book.

Non-fiction

THE LAND BEFORE AVOCADO: JOURNEYS IN A LOST AUSTRALIA by Richard Glover

There's plenty of nostalgia right now for the Australia of the past, but what was it really like? In The Land Before Avocado, Richard Glover takes a journey to an almost unrecognisable Australia. It's a vivid portrait of a quite peculiar land: a place that is scary and weird, dangerous and incomprehensible, and now and then surprisingly appealing. It's the Australia of his childhood. The Australia of the late '60s and early '70s. Let's break the news now: they didn't have avocado. It's a place of funny clothing and food that was appalling, but amusingly so. It is also the land of staggeringly awful attitudes, often enshrined in law, towards anybody who didn't fit in. The Land Before Avocado will make you laugh and cry, feel angry and inspired. And leave you wondering how bizarre things were, not so long ago. Most of all, it will make you realise just how far we've come, and how much further we can go.

I CAN’T REMEMBER THE TITLE BUT THE COVER IS BLUE: SKETCHES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOOKSHOP COUNTER by Elias Greig

As any retail or service worker will tell you, customers can be irrational, demanding, abusive, and brain-scramblingly, mind-bendingly strange. They can also be kind, thoughtful, funny, and full of

pathos. Something about the often-fraught interaction between customer and worker – with the dividing line of the counter between them, and the commercial imperative, with its curious etiquette and toleration of all kinds of suspect behaviour brooding above – dims down certain inhibitions, and has a kind of hot-house effect on eccentricity. In I Can't Remember the Title But the Cover is Blue, veteran bookseller Elias Greig collects the best, worst and most interesting customer

encounters from his years as a Sydney bookseller. From ill-behaved children to nostalgia seniors and everything in between, this hilarious and unpredictable book is the perfect gift for anyone who's

ever been on the wrong side of a store counter.

MAGIC LITTLE MEALS: MAKING THE MOST OF HOMEGROWN PRODUCE by Lolo Houbein

Put yourself in the expert hands of gardening guru Lolo Houbein, author of the international hit

One Magic Square, and organic farmer Tori Arbon, of urban food-growing workshops Magic Harvest. Find out how to grow (and prepare) more than fifty fruits and vegetables, with recipes ranging from simple snacks and finger food to inventive soups and salads; and warming stews and curries, to dinner-party risottos and vegetable roasts. Whether your taste runs to French onion

soup or Hungarian goulash, spanakopita or sweet potato fritters, you'll find bountiful ideas for turning your garden produce into delicious food. Magic Little Meals includes a host of bonus garden tips, on everything from edible garden activities for children to filling a raised garden bed.

Non-fiction BLACK SNAKE: THE REAL STORY OF NED KELLY by Leo Kennedy

The story of Ned Kelly is also the untold story of Michael Kennedy, the police sergeant slain and robbed by the outlaw 140 years ago. Both Kennedy and Kelly were Irish immigrants struggling to make their way in the new colonies of Australia – Kennedy was committed to defending the law, while Kelly was

hell-bent on breaking it. When their paths crossed one fateful day at Stringybark Creek, it triggered the end for one and the beginning of an incredible myth about the other.

Author Leo Kennedy is the great grandson of Sergeant Michael Kennedy. He was raised in the shadow of his great grandfather's murder. He witnessed the deep psychological wounds inflicted on successive generations of his family – and the families of other victims – as the Ned Kelly myth grew around them and the sacrifice of their loved ones was forgotten.

63 READY-TO-USE MAKER PROJECTS by Ellyssa Kroski

This new compilation from editor and maker Kroski spotlights a multitude of creative projects such as a

fun upcycled fashion show, as practical as Bluetooth speakers, and as mischievous as a catapult.

Included are projects for artists, sewers, videographers, coders, and engineers. Inside you'll find how -to

guidance for projects like:

a foam rocket launcher;

stop-motion animation with 3D print characters;

found-object robots;

glowing ghost marionettes;

Arduino eTextiles;

magnetic slime;

yarn painting;

fidget flannels;

an LED brooch; and

cardboard sculpture.

With takeaways like origami tea lights or a t-shirt tote bag, your patrons will be sure to remember how much fun your library can be.

THE SOLO TRAVEL HANDBOOK: PRACTICAL TIPS AND INSPIRATION FOR A SAFE, FUN AND FEARLESS TRIP by Sarah Reid

Don't let the idea of travelling alone stop you from living out your dreams. Packed with tips and advice for before and during your travels, The Solo Travel Handbook gives you the confidence and know-how to explore the world on your own, whether you're planning a once-in-a-lifetime adventure or short city break.

LOW CARB HEALTHY FAT NUTRITION by Steph Lowe

This book is your guide to supercharging your metabolism, supporting your health, performance and recovery goals and extending your longevity. Alongside over 150 recipes you'll find the latest research into why eating real food is essential – and tailored 14-day eating plans to suit your personal goals and needs. Let Steph Lowe, The Natural Nutritionist, show you how to perform and feel your best by eating the way nature intended us to.

Non-fiction THE FAST 800: HOW TO COMBINE RAPID WEIGHT LOSS AND INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR LONG-TERM HEALTH by Michael Mosley

Six years ago, Dr Michael Mosley started a health revolution with The 5.2 Fast Diet, telling the world about the incredible power of intermittent fasting. In this book he brings together all the latest science (including a new approach: Time Restricted Eating) to create an easy-to-follow programme. Recent studies have shown that 800 calories is the magic number when it comes to successful dieting

– it’s an amount high enough to be manageable but low enough to speed weight loss and trigger a range of desirable metabolic changes. Depending on your goals, you can choose how intensively you want to do the programme: how many 800-calorie days to include each week, and how to adjust these as you progress. Along with delicious, low-carb recipes and menu plans by Dr Clare Bailey, The Fast 800 offers a flexible way to help you lose weight, improve mood and reduce blood pressure,

inflammation and blood sugars.

DECLUTTER: THE GET-REAL GUIDE TO CREATING CALM FROM CHAOS by Debora Robertson

An easy to use, practical guide to decluttering everything from home to social media accounts. Bursting with practical and relatable advice, this book injects enthusiasm, energy and some much-needed humour into the essential task of decluttering. Forget the holier-than-thou approach promising a whole new you if you alphabetize your sock drawer – this is decluttering for real people, with real lives. With a refreshingly honest approach, Debora tackles the best ways to deal with

domestic dilemmas, cluttered kitchens and crowded cupboards. She includes handy tips and tricks for the average time-poor person. Tasks are broken down into achievable goals and quick fixes, allowing even the busiest of people to create, maintain and achieve a tidy home. And it's not just the home she tackles. She also explores how best to unclutter your virtual world, from managing social media accounts to balancing email mailing lists.

THE STOWAWAY: A YOUNG MAN’S EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE TO ANTARCTICA by Laurie Gwen Shapiro

It was 1928: a time of illicit booze, of Gatsby and Babe Ruth, of freewheeling fun. The Great War was over and American optimism was higher than the stock market. What better moment to launch an expedition to Antarctica, the planet’s final frontier? Everyone wanted in on the adventure. Rockefellers and Vanderbilts begged to be taken along as mess boys, and newspapers across the

globe covered the planning’s every stage. And then, the night before the expedition’s flagship set off, Billy Gawronski – a mischievous, first-generation New York City high schooler, desperate to escape a dreary future in the family upholstery business – jumped into the Hudson River and snuck aboard. Could he get away with it?

Talking books—MP3s

Dvds

Talking books—MP3s

WENTWORTH SHIRE LIBRARY

Short Street, Wentworth

Telephone: (03) 5027 5060

Fax: (03) 5027 2137

www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/library

OPENING HOURS:

Monday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Wednesday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Thursday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Saturday 9.30am - 12.00pm

DARETON BRANCH

Millie Street,

Dareton

Tel: (03) 5027 4258

Fax: (03) 5027 4922

OPENING HOURS:

Monday 1.30pm - 5.30pm

Wednesday 1.30pm - 5.30pm

Friday 10.30am - 12.30pm

1.30pm - 5.30pm

Saturday 10.00am - 12.00pm

MIDWAY SERVICE CENTRE

6 Midway Drive,

Buronga

Tel: (03) 5027 5027

OPENING HOURS:

Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

Saturday 10.00am - 12.00pm