Books

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER BY SETH GRAHAME-SMITH, ALLEN AND UNWIN, $24.99. The master of the literary mash-up is back. It was Seth Grahame-Smith who launched the conga line of Celebs-meet-Monster books with his chart-topping Pride and Prejudice And Zombies, in which the undead wreak havoc on Jane Austen’s muslin, mannered world. This time it’s Honest […]

AT HOME, BY BILL BRYSON, RANDOM HOUSE, $55. Best-seller Bill Bryson has an exceedingly lively mind. Having tackled space, time and the mysteries of the universe in his award-winning A Short History Of Nearly Everything, he was casting around for something more domestic – a book he could write in carpet slippers in his own […]

29, BY ADENA HALPERN, SIMON & SCHUSTER, $29.99. Seventy-five year old Ellie Jerome, a wealthy widow living in Philadelphia, isn’t overjoyed about getting older and has more in common with her 25-year-old grand-daughter, Lucy, than she does with her 55-year-old daughter. Has she wasted her life marrying young and playing safe? She makes a birthday […]

SIZZLING SIXTEEN, BY JANET EVANOVICH, HACHETTE, $32.99. Everyone’s favourite larger-than-life bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, is back in her 16th adventure. This time, her job at Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is on the line, her friend Lula is caught up in a shabby investment scheme and Stephanie still can’t decide between her two love interests – […]

The PassageBY JUSTIN CRONIN, ORION, $35. This, the first book in a trilogy from Harvard graduate, university English professor and novelist Justin Cronin, has already netted a $4.4million book deal and $2.07 million in film rights, with the movie due to be made by Robin Hood director Ridley Scott. This is a weighty (766 pages) […]

What started off with private dance rehearsals is quickly becoming a family affair for Jo Beth Taylor and her Dancing With The Stars partner, Dannial Gosper. In the clearest sign yet that Jo Beth, 39, and Dannial are partners both on and off the dance floor, the 31-year-old performer took the significant step of introducing […]

She was one of the youngest contestants in MasterChef, now 21-year-old Sharnee Rawson tells Woman’s Day her next step in the food industry and which fellow competitors inspired her during the competition. Has it been strange adjusting to reality since leaving the house? Yeah, it has! There’s so much freedom [laughs] obviously it’s nice waking […]

He was tipped as a favourite to take out the MasterChef title, but recently eliminated 21-year-old contestant Matthew Caldicott tells Woman’s Day how the show has helped him explore a career in the food industry. You guys have been filming since late last year. What has it been like being out of the MasterChef house? […]

Win our Book of the Month Be one of the first 25 people to sign up to the Simon & Schuster monthly update and correctly answer the competition question for your chance to win a free book! About the book At a certain time in life, we all come to realise what is truly important […]

Dessert queen, 35-year-old Skye Craig, chats to us about her friendship with Alvin and her new business venture. What was the easiest part about being on the show? The easiest thing about being on a show like MasterChef was two things. Number one was learning from some of the best chefs in Australia and across […]