Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Reviewed by Kerrie, Cronulla

This page- turner had it all: action, susupense, romance and heartache. This novel is based on the astonishing true story of Nancy Wake- a woman who showed unfaltering courage in the face of constant danger during WWII. 5 stars- incredible! (continued)

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Reviewed by Allanah, Cronulla

This best-selling memoir is an unflinching gaze into child stardom. A candid retelling of a mothers abuse and obsession with fame that led to addiction and an eating disorder. MuCurdy pulls no punches on an industry and family that failed her. (continued)

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Reviewed by Kayla, Cronulla

Impossible to put down! Intelligent, introspective and relatable, Diana Reid's latest is a fascinating read examining the tension between lust and loyalty. Fans of Sally Rooney's 'Normal People' will absolutely adore Reid's first romanace set in post-lockdown Sydney (continued)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Reviewed by Kiah

"God as my witness, none of this ever would have happened if it were not for those two fools back in Salalah. Them and their map." Amina al-Sirafi was once an infamous pirate captain, with stories of her escapades, numerous husbands, and rumoured dealings with djinn and demons s... (continued)

A Kind of Magic

Reviewed by Kat

A love letter to those of us who spend life trying to win a wrestling match against our minds – Spargo-Ryan writes mental illness as I have never read it before, walking us through the unreliability of memory and the unexplainable agony of anxiety to tell her story. A Kind of Magic is a ... (continued)

All My Rage

Reviewed by Bianca

All My Rage is both a heart-warming and heart-breaking story about two Pakistani-American Muslim young people trying to survive the hardships of life in Juniper, California. Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, this novel is another example of Tahir’s be... (continued)

The House with the Golden Door

Reviewed by Bianca

The sequel to Elodie Harper’s outstanding historical fiction, The Wolf Den, The House with the Golden Door continues Amara’s story of struggle and love in the beautiful, dangerous, and tantalising world of Ancient Pompeii. Seamlessly blending fact and fiction, this narrative effort... (continued)

Joan

Reviewed by Bianca

Katharine J. Chen brings Joan of Arc to life in this brilliant historical fiction. From her difficult childhood as an outcast in the small village of Domrémy to her position as the renowned leader of the French army, Chen recreates Joan as strong-willed, powerful warrior with a skill an... (continued)

The Branded

Reviewed by Bianca

An excellent fantasy debut, Jo Riccioni’s The Branded offers a complex but gripping look into social hierarchies and class divides. Drawing off the YA fantasy tropes we all love, Riccioni weaves together an exciting, mysterious, and dangerous narrative of two sisters navigating shocking ... (continued)

This Is Gonna End In Tears by Liza Klaussmann

Reviewed by Hayley Saunders

It was perfect – until it all fell apart.  Miller, Ash and Olly were always the best of friends, growing up in the idyllically named Wonderland, a Quaker town in middle America. When they finish school in the early 1980’s the three of them travel across country to LA, esta... (continued)

THE MAGICAN / TOIBIN

Reviewed by Book Barn Berrima

The Magician is first and foremost a portrait of the writer as a family man; there is comparatively little in it about Mann’s development as a writer or about his status in the literary world. Rather, it places him at the centre of a panoramic vision of the early 20th-century German... (continued)

THE PLAGUE Albert Camus

Reviewed by BOOKBARN, BERRIMA

Revived interest in Albert Camus’s novel The Plague (1947).  A thinker for our age of pandemic and polarization. He sought to transcend the divides of his own epoch by warning against dogmatic ideologies on both the left and right, all while earnestly defending democracy a... (continued)

One of Us is Lying

Reviewed by Zac Warne

I read the teen fiction novel, One of Us is Lying, a little over a year ago, yet it still left a mark on my mind. The style of writting was incredible to read as it was very different, changing between the main characters. The mystery of movies and book is something I have always enjoyed, and ... (continued)

The Truth About China

Reviewed by Book Barn Berrima

A journalist’s perspective on this rising global power has never been more important, as Australia’s relationship with China undergoes an extraordinary change that’s seen the detention of a journalist Cheng Lei, Canberra’s criticism of Beijing’s efforts to crush H... (continued)

WITH THE FALLING OF THE DUSK

Reviewed by Book Barn Berrima

Don’t be fooled by the title of Stan Grant’s latest offering. With the Falling of the Dusk may sound gentle and poetic but the book is about nothing less than the challenges facing the world and how to avert crisis. From geopolitical shifts, global pandemics and... (continued)

The Mother Fault

Reviewed by Peta Miller

Set in an Australia of the near-future, climate crisis has irrevocably altered the landscape: meat is a luxury few can afford, farmlands are contaminated and every movement is monitored by the Department. When Mim's FIFO husband is reported missing she is left with little comfort and no as... (continued)

DESIGN LIVES HERE Penny Craswell

Reviewed by BOOKBARN BERRIMA

A compelling snapshot of contemporary Australian design through the lens of materials, utility, site and place. It showcases the best of Australian residential architecture and interiors, paying homage to local designers and makers of furniture and lighting. Exceptional. (continued)

TROY

Reviewed by BOOKBARN BERRIMA

Following his bestselling books on Greek mythology, Mythos and Heros, Fry returns with an inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy. The pillars of the story are well known - the beauty of Helen, Aphrodite's bribing of Paris, the wooden horse ... but Fry's narrative, artfully humorous ... (continued)

THE LIVING SEA OF WAKING DREAMS

Reviewed by BOOKBARN BERRIMA

The pandemic has had a strange distorting effect on time and perspective. The modern condition - simultaneous connection and isolation through our devices - feels particulary acute. Flanagan hasn't just written about the space between living and dying; in writing about the things that are ... (continued)

PANDEMICS/WALTNER-TOEWS

Reviewed by BOOKBARN BERRIMA

David Waltner-Toews is a renowned Canadian epidemiologist, veterinarian and specialist in food and waterborne diseases, zoonoses and ecosystem health. On Pandemics: Deadly Diseases from Bubonic Plague to Coronavirus examines the increasing impact of animal-borne diseases on our world and e... (continued)