Books

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre, Sceptre (Hachette), $19.99 One of the world’s most iconic spy thrillers has stood the test of time. First published in 1974, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is back on shelves to coincide with the release of the film adaptation. George Smiley is a sadder man than his name […]

Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville, Text Publishing, $39.95 The daughter of convicts, Sarah Thornhill has grown up a comparatively wealthy young woman on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in the Colony of New South Wales. But a mysterious missing brother, the strange behaviour of her father, and a thwarted love affair will lead her […]

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson, Random House. $29.99 At six weeks old, the baby who would become the successful novelist Jeanette Winterson was given up for adoption. And so started a life story that would inspire the bestselling book and television series Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. Her […]

Lady Almina and the Story of the Real Downton Abbey by Lady Fiona Carnarvon, Hodder & Stoughton, $32.99 The perfect gift for lovers of the television series Downton Abbey, a show filmed at magnificent Highclere Castle, home of Lady Almina, Countess of Carnarvon, from 1895 until 1923. The much loved but illegitimate daughter of a […]

Shannon Bennett’s France: A Personal Guide to Fine Dining in Regional France by Shannon Bennett and friends, Miegunyah Press, $44.99 This pretty little hardback is more than a guide for those fabulous few who summer in the South of France. It’s a mouth-watering armchair holiday in itself, complete with gorgeous recipes, expert tips on wine […]

Powderfinger Footprints, by Powderfinger with Deno Scatena, Hachette, $45 For twenty years Australian band Powderfinger topped music charts and rocked packed venues. For most of that time they let their music do the talking. But now they’ve teamed up with author Dino Scatena to tell the story of the band, from its beginnings at Brisbane […]

11.22.63 by Stephen King, Hodder & Stoughton$32.99 Perhaps only seasoned storyteller Stephen King could accomplish changing the course of history, in his vast time-travelling debut masterpiece 11.22.63 — the date of John F. Kennedy’s assassination — while effortlessly weaving political and social detail, human behavioural observation and abundant humour. “I knew where I was… the […]

Australia Story of A Cricket Country edited by Christian Ryan, Hardie Grant $89.95 Melbourne journalist Christian Ryan has created the ultimate cricket book in this incredible tome which is certain to thrill any cricket fan. It’s not just another almanac, this is an homage to the Australian game with eulogies and deep thinking discussions from […]

What Bird Is That? By Neville W Cayley, Australia’s Heritage Publishing, $69.95 First published in 1931, What Bird Is That? became a standard for budding Australian bird watchers. Author Neville Cayley’s impetus was to encourage and inspire people to appreciate and recognise our natural bird life and what started as his “little bird book” fast […]

The Freudian Slip by Marion Von Adlerstein, Hachette, $32.99 It’s being pitched as Australia’s answer to Mad Men in novel form and while Marion Von Adlerstein’s debut novel is not nearly as multi-layered as the hit US TV show about the advertising industry in the 50s and 60s, it oozes the aura of the era […]