Separate Beds by Elizabeth Buchan, Penguin UK, $24.95 British author Elizabeth Buchan writes chick-lit for the middle-aged woman which may sound a little grumpy-old-womanish but is actually surprisingly thought-provoking and hugely enjoyable. Separate Beds centres on Annie Nicholson, a 49-year-old health service manager, who hasn’t slept in the same bed as her media exec hubby […]

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo, Harvill Secker, $32.95 Since Swedish author Stieg Larsson and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo smashed the bestseller lists, a new literary sub-genre has developed – “Scandicrime” – with a buzz all of its own. Scandicrime is noir-ish, slightly subversive packed with antiheroes and set in the frozen snow-deadened landscapes […]

This weekend’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade will have a political message, rallying against the federal law that prohibits same-sex marriages. With gay marriage high on the national agenda, Mardi Gras isn’t missing the chance to tap into the debate, featuring an estimated 15 floats dedicated to the issue. “We are planning something huge […]

Angela Carter’s Book of Wayward Girls & Wicked Women edited by Angela Carter, Virago, $35 A revolutionary and pioneering collection of short stories about mad and bad women, written by women writers, including Angela Carter, this anthology was first published in 1986, just six years before Carter’s premature death at 51. In the preface she […]

Frank: The Making of a Legend by James Kaplan, Sphere, $35 James Kaplan’s 700-page biography of the first 39-years-old of Frank “The Voice” Sinatra (1915 until 1954), packs a colourful, sometimes crude and blue, but entertaining punch, littered with fascinating and dogged detail. Dubbed “scarface” by fellow New Jersey street kids because of facial disfigurements […]

Ask Me About Mary Kay by Jackie Brown, Strategic Book Group, $19.95 Jackie Brown rose through the ranks of Mary Kay Cosmetics as no-one else did and she became the role model for new recruits. In this pacey autobiography she takes us behind the scenes at the cosmetics house revealing the highs and more importantly […]

Insurrection by Robyn Young, Hodder & Stoughton, $32.99 Set during the period of the Wars of Scottish Independence, this historical fiction leads you in swiftly and doesn’t let you go. It starts in 1286 with the death of Alexander, King of Scotland, who is murdered by one of his own men as he rides home […]

Henri Matisse Rooms with A View by Shirley Neilsen Blum, Thames & Hudson, $90 The window was integral to the paintings of French 20th century artist Henri Matisse offering a unique framing for many of his works and for the first time this stunning book analyses its role. Art Historian Shirley Neilsen Blum looks at […]

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, Random House US, $12.95 I think I saw the film first, a brilliant film, and didn’t read the book until 15 years ago when I fell totally in love with it. It was first published in 1960 and is the most beautiful story about animals – a Labrador, a […]

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Allen & Unwin, $22.99 Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailsham – an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for […]