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Large 9780099584094

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

$19.99 AUD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Fiction

On a warm July night in 1974 six teenagers play at being cool. The friendships they make this summer will be the most important and consuming of their lives. In a teepee at summer camp they smoke pot and drink vodka & Tangs, talk of Gunter Grass and the latest cassette tapes; they also share their d reams and ambitions, still so fresh and so possible. But decades later not everyone can sustain in adulthood what had seemed so special in adolescence. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, has resigned herself to a more practical occupation; Cathy has stopped dancing; Jonah has laid down his guitar and taken up engineering. Only Ethan's talent has endured. As their fortunes tilt precipitously over the years, some of them dealing with great struggle, others enjoying extraordinary wealth and success, friendships are put under the strain of envy and crushing disappointment. Against the backdrop of a changing America, from Nixon's resignation to Obama's new world, Wolitzer's panoramic tragicomedy asks how 'the Interestings' can be happy with being anything less than brilliant? ...Show more

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Large 9781847083197

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

$19.99 AUD

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2

Category: Fiction | Reading Level: very good

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING JAKE GYLLENHAAL, JOHN C. REILLY AND JOAQUIN PHOENIX A BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST AND A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Publishers Weekly - Amazon - Hudson Booksellers - Washington Post Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Comm odore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn't share his brother's appetite for whiskey and killing, he's never known anything else. But their prey isn't an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm's gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living-and whom he does it for. With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters-losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life-and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love. ...Show more

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Large 9781447299370

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

$19.99 AUD

Available Stock:
1

Category: Fiction | Reading Level: General Adult

A Best Book of the Year The Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Denver Post   In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away, her son even farther, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in empty houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. But maybe that could change? As Addie and Louis come to know each other better--their pleasures and their difficulties--a beautiful story of second chances unfolds, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature. ...Show more

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Large 9781473618701

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave

$29.99 AUD

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Category: Fiction

The breathtaking new novel from the multi-award-winning author of THE OTHER HAND. 'A cracker' Stylist, 10 Exciting Books in 2016 'His best book to date' Esquire, 10 best novels of 2016 Guardian Literary Highlight of 2016 Independent Best Book to read in 2016 Irish News Top Picks for 2016 Washington Post 20 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2016 When war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up. Tom Shaw decides to give it a miss - until his flatmate Alistair unexpectedly enlists, and the conflict can no longer be avoided. Young, bright and brave, Mary is certain she'd be a marvelous spy. When she is - bewilderingly - made a teacher, she instead finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary. And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams. In a powerful combination of both humour and heartbreak, this dazzling novel weaves little-known history, and a perfect love story, through the vast sweep of the Second World War - daring us to understand that, against the great theatre of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs, that change us most. ...Show more

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Large 9781742706931

Bewitched and Bedevilled: Women Write the Gillard Years by Samantha (ed) Trenoweth

$24.95 AUD

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0

Category: Culture Ideas Politics

Bewitched and Bedevilled looks at the reasons Julia Gillard, our first female Prime Minister, was so vehemently attacked, the varied reactions to being a female prime minister, her unfortunate position at the receiving end of a barrage of sexism and misogyny and how much this played a part in her politi cal problems, her public perception and her ultimate undoing. This book will bring together some of Australia's wittiest and most incisive writers and commentators, all of them women. It delves into much more complex issues than the other works on Gillard out there, from her pornification, to looking at how women leaders are expected to play a 'nurturing role' in the treatment of the marginalised in society, to more personal reflections on what Gillard's Prime Ministership meant to Australian women. Bewitched and Bedevilled: Women Write the Gillard Years is an intelligent but accessible analysis of Australia's reaction to the nation's first female Prime Minister from some of Australia's leading female voices. With room for outrage, humour, reason and personal reflection, it's a must-read for anyone looking to contemplate 'The Gillard Years'. Contributors include: Jane Caro; Eva Cox; Clementine Ford; Claire Harvey; Ruth Hessey; Shakira Hussein; Carol Johnson; Kathy Lette; Cathy Lumby; Emily Maguire; Helen Pringle; Helen Razer; Tracey Spicer and transcripts from Gillard's misogyny speech, Anne Summer's My Speech: Her Rights at Work. The Political Persecution of Australia's First Female Prime Minister (R-rated version) and Chloe Hooper's On The Road with Julia Gillard. ...Show more

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Large 9781780892344

The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons

$29.99 AUD

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0

Category: Crime Thriller Mystery

There's a serial killer on the loose. The social network sites all love him. Because he cuts the throats of rich and powerful men. And he's good at it. Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter's Field. Now they have started dying in the mo st violent way imaginable. Enter Detective Max Wolfe. Single parent, devoted husband of a brutally departed wife, dog lover, boxer. Defender of the weak. And every murderer's worst nightmare. Newly arrived in the Homicide division of London's West End Central, 27 Savile Row, Max follows the bloody trail from the backstreets and bright lights of the city, to the darkest corners of the Internet and all the way to the corridors of power. As the bodies pile up, Max finds the killer's reach getting closer to everything - and everyone - he loves. Soon he is fighting not only for justice, but also for his own life... ...Show more

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Large 9781406368444

Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes (HB) by Tim Wynne-Jones

$24.99 AUD

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Category: Childrens

Secret Agent Man (S.A.M.) needs new shoes. His mum - er, sidekick, "K" - takes him shopping. But the mission will be dangerous. To start with, Shoe Store Man looks shifty. "Search him," says S.A.M. With the help of a Team of Expert Spies and keen observation skills, will Sam find that his brand-new tige r-striped shoes bring him a new superpower ...and that he can now tie his own shoelaces? Imaginative play takes centre stage in this witty and stylish picture book that will charm and amuse all readers. ...Show more

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Large 9780702249631

What is This Thing Called Science? by Alan Chlamers

$26.95 AUD

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Category: Science & Natural History

A brand new edition of an internationally renowned science bestseller. Now well into its fourth decade, What is this thing called science? has become something of a classic the world over (it's available in nineteen languages). Each decade Alan Chalmers has drawn on his experience as a teacher and resea rcher to improve and update the text. The most significant feature of this new, fourth, edition is the addition of an extensive postscript, in which Chalmers uses the results of his recent research into the history of atomism to illustrate and enliven key themes in the philosophy of science. Identifying the qualitative difference between knowledge of atoms as it figures in contemporary science and metaphysical speculations about atoms common in philosophy since the time of Democritus proves to be a highly revealing and instructive way to pinpoint key features of the answer to the question 'What is this thing called science?' This new edition ensures that the book holds its place as the leading introduction to the philosophy of science for the foreseeable future. ...Show more

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Large 9781926428550

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane

$29.99 AUD

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Category: Fiction

One morning Ruth wakes thinking a tiger has been in her seaside house. Later that day a formidable woman called Frida arrives, looking as if she's blown in from the sea. In fact she's come to care for Ruth. Frida and the tiger: both are here to stay, and neither is what they seem. Which of them can Ruth trust? And as memories of her childhood in Fiji press upon her with increasing urgency, can she even trust herself? The Night Guest is a mesmerising novel about love, dependence, and the fear that the things you know best can become the things you're least certain about. It introduces a writer who comes to us fully formed, working wonders with language, renewing our faith in the power of fiction to tap the mysterious workings of our minds, and keeping us spellbound. Shortlisted for the 2014 Miles Franklin Literary Award 'The Night Guest is such an accomplished and polished debut. There's a delicacy and poignancy to the writing, combined with almost unbearable suspense. I love books in which I have no idea what's going to happen next.' Kate Atkinson, author of Life After Life 'A rapturous, fearsome fable of grief and love.' Susanna Moore, author of In the Cut 'The Night Guest is an extraordinary novel. At once a tender thriller and an exquisitely constructed meditation on time and memory, it is propelled by sentence after sentence of masterful prose. With The Night Guest, Fiona MacFarlane announces herself as a writer to be read, admired, and read again.' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds 'An enrapturing debut novel that toys with magical realism while delivering a fresh fable.'Kirkus Review 'impressive debut ... (with) broad appeal to literary readers and bookclubs.' Australian Bookseller & Publisher 'Rich and suspenseful . . . McFarlane gives a flourish to even the  smallest observations . . . This book is at once a beautifully imagined portrait of isolation and an unsettling psychological thriller.' Publishers Weekly 'Impressive ... McFarlane is in complete control ... dotting her narrative with careful, cumulative details like a pointillist painter ... There's precision in her choice of words and their sense of anticipation dangles the reader over the lip of every page ... [The novel] is a clear sighted and compelling exploration of the metaphors and realities of ageing with all its anxiety and wobbly paranoia, and you love Ruth as you travel with her to the book's end and the dreadful pragmatism of familial grief.' Weekend Australian 'An assured, elegiac first novel ... McFarlane gives an uncanny sense of Ruth's onset of dementia ... An exceptional debut by a writer of great talent.' West Australian 'Haunting ... When I finished the novel I was taken by [McFarlane's] skill. Now I'm mesmerised by it ... While McFarlane pulls the most stirring emotional strings with ease, she tells a poignant, unsettlingly beautiful story that still keeps me up at night.' Booktopia 'Compelling.' Vogue Australia 'Excellent and highly original.' Country Style 'A lovely book.' Caroline Overington 'McFarlane is not content to be predictable. Having mingled two genres already, the realist and the fabulist (probably the best descriptor here), she then introduces another, quite seamlessly. The novel mutates into a narrative that is increasingly sinister, with a mystery at its core.There is subterfuge, smuggling, in the writing of The Night Guest. It imports 'genre' techniques into the genre 'literary'. . . In this novel, the captor ultimately comes to care, beyond mercenary play-acting, for the frail,  defenseless creature she had originally intended no good. This point is subtle and interesting; it shows, perhaps more than anything else, that McFarlane is no ordinary young novelist. Not many debut novelists make you think about technique by deploying it with such sophistication. This aspect of the book is particularly evident in its ending. McFarlane has to bring the narrative to a close and she has a lot of information to impart and threads to tie up. She could try for a mystery ending, with all revealed, or an equally conventional realist literary conclusion. Or, daringly, she could do both . . . McFarlane has taken a number of diverse elements - the nursery tale tiger of Victoriana, allegory, advances in neuroscience, the callous greed of those who exploit the mentally impaired aged - and shaped them into a narrative that is not only coherent, but for the most part, adroitly controlled. The Night Guest is a novel both unpredictable and unusual . . . [McFarlane] deserves a space in the national literature.' Sydney Review of Books 'A very gripping study of loneliness; it's a slow burn.' Global Comment ...Show more

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Large 9781742757971

Sir Henry Parkes: The Australian Colossus by Stephen Dando-Collins

$45.00 AUD

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Category: Biography & Memoir

May 27, 2015 brings the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sir Henry Parkes. After he died, the London Times described him as 'a colonial colossus.' Henry Parkes received little schooling and worked on a rope-walk, breaking stones, as an ivory and bone turner, ironmonger, labourer and on the wharves befo re trying business life and ultimately politics. He and his first wife travelled to Australia on an assisted passage. Parkes steadily educated himself, reading voraciously and widely, including all the great poets. There has never been anyone else like Sir Henry Parkes in Australian public life. Not only was he the father of federation. His friends included Thomas Carlyle, fellow poet Lord Tennyson and British Prime Minister Gladstone. He convinced Florence Nightingale to send trained nurses to Australia. He conceived the international rabbit competition which led to the Pasteur affair and put Australia at the forefront of microbiology. He encouraged talented men to enter politics. Yet he shunned the limelight, rarely attending social functions. Whenever he received begging letters, (which he did, daily), Parkes always wrote back enclosing money. No wonder he went bankrupt three times! Yet he was Premier of NSW 5 times, leaving its finances well in the black every time. He married three times, the last time to a 23-year-old beauty. Clearly, Parkes loved women, and they loved him. He encouraged women to attend political meetings, even though they didn't have the vote. NSW Parliament House dining room was managed by a husband and wife; when the husband died, Parliament wanted to fire his widow, but Parkes stood up for her, saying she was perfectly capable of managing the dining room on her own, which she did for years to come. But not everyone loved Sir Henry; he had a long-running feud with poet Henry Lawson's mother after Parkes wouldn't give young Lawson the help she demanded and he constantly wrestled with political aspirants chasing his seat. ...Show more

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Large 9781925240511

The Story of the Lost Child (#4 Neapolitan) by Elena Ferrante

$29.99 AUD

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Category: Fiction | Series: The\Neapolitan Novels Ser. | Reading Level: very good

Soon to be an HBO series, book four in the New York Times bestselling Neapolitan quartet about two friends in post-war Italy is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted epic by one of today's most beloved and acclaimed writers, Elena Ferrante, "one of the great novelists of our time." (Roxana Robinson, The New York Times)   Here is the dazzling saga of two women, the brilliant, bookish Elena and the fiery uncontainable Lila. In this book, life's great discoveries have been made, its vagaries and losses have been suffered. Through it all, the women's friendship, examined in its every detail over the course of four books, remains the gravitational center of their lives. Both women once fought to escape the neighborhood in which they grew up. Elena married, moved to Florence, started a family, and published several well-received books. But now, she has returned to Naples to be with the man she has always loved. Lila, on the other hand, never succeeded in freeing herself from Naples. She has become a successful entrepreneur, but her success draws her into closer proximity with the nepotism, chauvinism, and criminal violence that infect her neighborhood. Yet somehow this proximity to a world she has always rejected only brings her role as unacknowledged leader of that world into relief.   Ferrante is one of the world's great storytellers. With the Neapolitan quartet she has given her readers an abundant, generous, and masterfully plotted page-turner that is also a stylish work of literary fiction destined to delight readers for many generations to come. ...Show more

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Large 9780715643662

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips

$19.99 AUD

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Category: Fiction

The doomed hero of The Tragedy of Arthur is Arthur Phillips, a young man struggling with a larger-than-life father, a con artist who works wonders of deception but is a very unreliable parent. Arthur is raised in an enchanted world of smoke and mirrors where the only certain fact is his father's and bel oved sister's shared love for the works of William Shakespeare - a love so pervasive that Arthur becomes a writer in a misguided bid to win their approval. Near the end of his life, Arthur's father shares with him a treasure that he has kept for half a century: a previously unknown play by Shakespeare, titled The Tragedy of Arthur. Arthur and his sister also inherit their father's mission, to see the play published and acknowledged as the Bard's last great gift to humanity. Unless, of course, it's their father's last and greatest deception. ...Show more

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