Books & Media

A mini book packed full of fun puzzles and games to do on a train journey.
This little book is packed with puzzles that will make any journey steam by, including mazes, spot-the-differences, number puzzles and more. Part of a range of mini paperbacks perfect for journeys, rainy days and party bags.

Ten little lambs in the warm sunshine, along comes a butterfly and then there are . . .nine! Learning to count has never been more fun. This unique board book counts from ten little lambs all the way down to one with adorable illustrations. With each page, one more lamb disappears. To demonstrate this concept, this book uses tactile lamb buttons to help children count how many little lambs are left as the story progresses. Follow along with the easy rhythm and rhymes of this story and let your child touch the colorful, built-in toys for a creative, hands-on approach to counting. Start young ones on a lifetime of loving reading and learning with Ten Little Lambs.

Ten little bear hugs for your valentine, along comes a kitten and then there are…nine!Learning to count has never been more fun. This unique board book counts from ten little bear hugs all the way down to one with adorable illustrations. With each page, one more bear hug disappears. To demonstrate this concept, this book uses tactile buttons to help children count how many little bear hugs are left as the story progresses. Follow along with the easy rhythm and rhymes of this story and let your child touch the colorful, built-in toys for a creative, hands-on approach to counting. Start young ones on a lifetime of loving reading and learning with Ten Little Bear Hugs.

France, 1942
Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping, and drawing elegant dresses in her sketchpad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.
But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters — including Paulette’s co-worker and friend Nicolle Cadieux — who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.
Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in, and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-or-death decisions about who to trust, who to love, and who to leave behind...

My name is Kitty Collins and I’m a serial killer.
I don’t want to kill. It’s just so hard to resist. Some men really, really deserve it.
Men like Blaze Bundy, an anonymous influencer spreading misogyny online. He’s making it very hard for me to control my murderous urges.
Meanwhile I’m in the South of France to watch my mother marry a man I’ve never met. I should be drinking cocktails and focusing on my tan, not plotting a murder.
But a woman’s work is never done. Surely one more teensy little kill wouldn’t hurt, would it?
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This is a book about what you can't see: the works that have disappeared entirely, whether destroyed by authorities or whisked into people's private art collections to languish on walls or in collector's vaults. These remarkable works are as elusive as their creator, but are returned here for public consumption and enjoyment.
A victim of his own success, Banksy is famous the world over and yet more famously disdainful of the spotlight, preferring to remain anonymous. Considered by many to be one of the greatest living artists in the world and to others a rogue vandal with a political agenda, Banksy has scandalised and enlightened the art world since his acts of guerrilla art began to appear on the streets of Barton Hill in Bristol over 25 years ago. His artworks can now be found on streets across the globe, adorning the walls of some of the world's most distinguished galleries and even being sold for millions at private auctions.

The Master stepped closer and the pressure around Phoenix grew vicelike. Despair raged through her. How had she thought she could save everyone, when she couldn’t even save herself?
Following the shocking battle at Icegaard, Phoenix and her friends gather with the Hunters, desperate to unite the warring clans before their enemy, the Master, attacks Ember.
The Cavern of Light may offer hope in the form of a legendary weapon, but it lies deep in goblin territory, in the terrifying dark zone of the underground caves. The friends must brave the unknown, facing new and deadly creatures in search of a way to save their world.
As an epic final showdown draws near, Phoenix struggles to protect her friends, determined not to lose anyone else she loves. But the Master is crueller and more powerful than she ever imagined and as Phoenix’s past and present collide, unthinkable sacrifices will have to be made to defeat him.

True stories of life and death from a New Zealand pathologist

From the number-one bestselling author of The Cause of Death comes a book about the unlikely, extraordinary, obscure and often tragic ways humans meet their end.
A dead body without a trace of trauma; alien parasites; worms of the brain; crocodile attacks and bizarre eating disorders ... In The Quick and the Dead, pathologist Dr Cynric Temple-Camp takes readers into a world of disease and death as he seeks answers for those who were unlucky, and those still alive to tell the tale.

Birdie & Harlow is the story of a baby and a dog. But motherhood is never quite that simple. In Taylor Wolfe’s case, it’s a long, zigzagging and winding road.
Meant to be a last-minute anniversary gift for her then boyfriend (and now husband), the highly-energetic and loud-mouthed Vizla puppy named Harlow turns out to be the best snap decision twenty-year-old Taylor ever makes—and the beginning of the most epic friendship she ever has. As Wolfe’s resistance to 9-5’s and traditional adulthood grows, Harlow becomes the perfect companion for her eccentricities in a world that thrives on conformity. Wolfe’s twenties—full of pitfalls and surprises, sad days and silver linings—led her to the realization that life is too short to spend your days in a crate (or a cubicle), that parks are meant to be enjoyed, and most importantly, she wants to be a mom. But really, isn't she one already
A charming and touching memoir, Birdie & Harlow is a tribute to the many expressions of modern motherhood, to both human and fur babies alike. Taylor’s story reminds all of us that life will surprise you and that families should come in every shape and size.

Numerous conflicts have left countries divided and often shattered. Remnants of countries can by design or accident be left behind as a legal anomaly in this complex world.
Most people believe that a country’s borders are clearly defined: just lines that separate countries. Everything on one side of the line belongs to one country and everything on the other side belongs to another country. This might be the case most of the time, but there are unusual exceptions to this unwritten rule.
Examples include:
• Campione d’Italia where Italian residents have to travel 15km through Switzerland to reach the nearest available Italian territory
• Tomb of Suleyman Shah which is a tiny Turkish enclave within Syria which was moved closer to Turkey when Lake Assad was created but still stayed in Syria
• Pheasant Island which for half a year belongs to the Spanish city of Irun, and the remaining half, to its French twin-town, Hendaye
• Canadian Stanstead and American Beebe Plain where the boundary line runs along the centre of the main street, so that the houses on one side of the street are in Canada and on the other in the United States
These and many more instances are captured in this fascinating book full of strange geographical intrigue.
International Cartographic conference 2021 overall winner of the atlas category and shortlisted for the 2020 Edward Stanford Travel Writing.

Sometimes you have to become what you hate to protect what you love.
Danny Ryan is rich.
Beyond his wildest dreams rich.
The former dock worker, Irish mob soldier and fugitive from the law is now a respected businessman - a Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire silent partner in a group that owns two lavish hotels. Finally, Danny has it all: a beautiful house, a child he adores, a woman he might even fall in love with.
Life is good.
But then Danny reaches too far.
When he tries to buy an old hotel on a prime piece of real estate with plans to build his dream resort, he triggers a war against Las Vegas power brokers, a powerful FBI agent bent on revenge and a rival casino owner with dark connections of his own.
Danny thought he had buried his past, but now it reaches up to him from the grave to pull him down. Old enemies surface, and when they come for Danny they vow to take everything - not only his empire, not just his life, but all that he holds dear, including his son.
To save his life and everything he loves, Danny must become the ruthless fighter he once was - and never wanted to be again.
Ranging from the gritty back rooms of Providence, RI to the power corridors of Washington, DC and Wall Street to the golden casinos of Las Vegas, City in Ruins is an epic crime novel of love and hate, ambition and desperation, vengeance and compassion.
'City in Ruins is Don Winslow showing the rest of us how it's done. The novel builds and builds, the drama, the suspense, our feelings for the central characters - and then everything comes together. Actually, everything explodes. It's a beautiful, artful thing.' James Patterson
'An addictive finale ... Winslow's ambitious narrative culminates with an exhilarating climax that beautifully wraps up the series' many plot threads. It's a fitting swan song from a giant of crime fiction.' Publishers Weekly
'With the Danny Ryan trilogy, Winslow seems destined to claim a place beside Mario Puzo's The Godfather on the Mount Rushmore of American crime fiction.' Associated Press

The Cancer Guide is a definitive and inspirational book designed to help patients, partners, family and work colleagues navigate the trials and difficulties associated with cancer and its treatment.

The Cancer Guide is a definitive and inspirational book designed to help patients, partners, family and work colleagues navigate the trials and difficulties associated with cancer and its treatment.
With over forty years worth of experience to her name, O’Dwyer writes about cancer with humanity and clarity, helping to combat the myths and misinformation surrounding the disease in an age of information overload.
Adopting an integrated biological and psychological perspective, O’Dwyer highlights the person at the heart of every treatment, providing helpful advice and shared experiences that are able to destigmatize the shame, fear and denial faced by those affected by cancer.
The Cancer Guide is an empowering and informative book for all those whose lives and loved ones have been touched by cancer.

Our ability to make meaningful connections with other animal species and their ability to return the favour is, perhaps, never more beautiful than the bond we have with dogs.
Simon Wooler, trainer to social media’s most famous fearful dog, Sophie from Romania, unlocks the heart of the special relationship we have with dogs. He explores how over millennia, they have inveigled their way into our homes and hearts and evolved to live alongside us. He explains how dogs learn (and why they sometimes seem immune to our efforts to train them), how they communicate and what influences the powerful bond they form with their people. He unpacks the problems of fear and reactivity and with insight and humour acts as a guide for all dog lovers navigating life’s changes and challenges.
Demystifying the science of dog behaviour and debunking the sticky myths that all too often can get in the way of understanding, this is a celebration of the joy of life with dogs in all its messy, loveable reality.

Jilted heiress Penny Hindmarsh-Firth sets her broken heart on escaping high-society city life. Instead, she’s trapped by floods in the Outback and a handsome stranger on horseback comes to her rescue!
After a betrayal shattered his life, Matt Fraser withdrew from the world — but he can’t deny Penny a refuge. The secret billionaire is reluctantly intrigued as the society princess starts proving there’s more to her than meets the eye...
Outback Man - Miranda Lee
When Adrianna Winslow emerged from her plane’s tangled wreckage in the middle of the Australian outback, she knew her life had crashed in around her — in more ways than one. Bryce McLean made that doubly clear when he came riding to her rescue like a dashing knight of old. Suddenly civilisation seemed very far away.
Adrianna’s career, her fiancé — her entire life — awaited her back in Sydney. But here in the primitive desert, this rugged rancher tempted her in ways she’d never imagined. Desperate, confused, and lost in an oasis of red-hot passion, she knew their time together was merely borrowed...
Outback Gift - Melissa James
Anna and Jared West must reunite to look after baby Melanie at their Outback home. As if changing nappies, mushing baby food and sleepless nights aren’t enough of a challenge, Anna and Jared must confront what went wrong in their marriage.
Could this dimpled, smiling baby be the one small miracle who can rescue all their hopes and dreams?

Home is where the heart is and for one country girl, she'll do whatever it takes to save it...
Mila Hayes will do anything to keep her family's farm, including marrying the wrong man. But when the groom backs out at the last minute, and Sawyer Mann, her teen crush and her brother's best friend, witnesses her humiliation, Mila's hopes plummet.
She doesn't believe Sawyer when he says he can help. She's done with short-term solutions. So how will Mila cope when she falls for Sawyer all over again and is forced into making a choice: follow her head or her heart?
Sawyer, now a high-powered land broker who fled Ashe Ridge years ago to escape painful memories, is back temporarily and finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Mila. He kept secrets from her in the past and it pushed them apart. Can he convince Mila this time will be different?
Meanwhile, Adelaide Hayes, who left her grumpy husband Jack fourteen years ago to follow her dreams, is unsettled by memories resurrected at Mila's wedding. She's wary of a man tied to this town, but what if he can prove they can build a new future together?

Claverton Castle, 1940. Eagles and Spitfires fly in the skies of England as Lady Deanna, the aristocratic granddaughter of the Duke of Claverton, spends her days shovelling manure and her evenings in blue satin, attending dinner parties to gather intelligence from the many Nazi sympathisers among Britain's powerful upper classes. She is an excellent spy: the information she gleans may prove vital in the months ahead. But when she becomes enmeshed in the German plot to restore the Duke of Windsor to the throne of England and ensure an alliance with Hitler, she must feign cooperation and risk her life for the sake of her country.
As war devastates Europe, 'Lady Dee' must solve other mysteries, too. Why do the three orphaned children she has taken into her home and grown to love refuse to reveal their identity? What reason can British Intelligence have to warn her away from Sam Murray, a decorated Australian pilot and the only man she feels she could ever marry? Is the wounded soldier who stumbles along the secret caves below her home truly the missing Duke of Claverton?
From bestselling author Jackie French comes a book about the conflicts between love and duty, and the royal betrayals kept secret from the public for so long.

Forgetting is terrifying. Remembering is worse…
Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning… they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love… every memory has vanished.
Now Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be… the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
Forgetting is terrifying, but remembering may be worse.

Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past, and anticipate in the future, in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.
In this deep and incisive study, General David Petraeus, the former CIA director who commanded the US-led coalitions in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the prize-winning historian Andrew Roberts, explore over seventy years of conflict, drawing significant lessons and insights from their fresh analysis of the past. Petraeus and Roberts show how often critical mistakes have been repeated time and again, and explore the challenge, for statesmen and generals alike, of learning to adapt to various new weapon systems, theories and strategies. Among the conflicts examined are the Arab – Israeli wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the two Gulf wars, the Balkan wars in the former Yugoslavia, and both the Soviet and Coalition wars in Afghanistan, as well as guerrilla conflicts in Africa and South America.
Conflict culminates with a bracing look at Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine, yet another case study in the tragic results that occur when leaders refuse to learn from history, and an assessment of the nature of future warfare. Filled with sharp insight and the wisdom of experience, Conflict is not only a critical assessment of our recent past, but also an essential primer of modern warfare that provides crucial knowledge for waging battle today as well as for understanding what the decades ahead will bring.

Jam is sweet but it can also burn.

Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory.
Four years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets.
As the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects.
Intertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, The Jam Maker is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life.
PRAISE:
'Brought to vivid life with richness, colour, and incredible warmth, the prose sings in this bitter-sweet Tasmanian tale of triumph over adversity, love, loyalty and the ties that bind and divide. The Jam Maker is another irresistible story from Mary-Lou Stephens, one that will sweep you into its heart and linger in yours. Simply delicious.' Bestselling Australian author Karen Brooks

A heartwarming story about finding love where you least expect it from Stella Quinn, bestselling author of The Vet from Snowy River.

Lady mechanic seeks love in the country.
Kylie Summer loves her hometown in the Snowies, and life would be wonderful if only her workshop would turn a profit (she's broke) and Hanrahan would recover from its shortage of eligible blokes (unlikely).
But then an arrogant city lawyer turns up. Is he in Hanrahan to stay? Not at all. He's charming and he's good-looking but he's a bad decision waiting to happen. If only he didn't make her feel so ... wonderful.
Damon Johns hasn't lost a court case in months, so he's mad as fire when his colleagues ban him from work. Sure, he's had a run-in with a traffic cop ... and a judge ... but banning him? What his colleagues don't know is that Damon's past is about to catch up with him and his career may not be the only thing set to implode.
A chance request to organise the sale of a country property is good news: he'll need a distraction if he can't work, and soon he'll be back in the city where he belongs. The bad news? The place comes with a special-needs labrador and a girl-next-door mechanic who both conspire to give his lonely heart crazy ideas about sticking around ...

The remarkable story of a battle between science and the law, and a mother's fight for justice

In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of smothering her four young children to death, one by one. Medical experts told her trial that they had never come across a family like hers, where three or more infants had died from natural causes. Extracts from diaries she had written were judged to be virtual admissions of guilt, and Folbigg was sentenced to 40 years in jail. But did she do it?
This is a gripping and meticulously researched account of one of Australia's most infamous criminal cases, written by investigative journalist Quentin McDermott, whose groundbreaking work with ABC's Australian Story helped trigger a push by scientists to uncover the genetic cause of two of the children's deaths. It is also the story of how dedicated teams of lawyers, friends and supporters fought to achieve Kathleen Folbigg's eventual pardon, release and acquittal after 20 years behind bars.
Meadow's Law is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime, justice, science and the power of investigative journalism.