Cirrus@Austlit

'Its 1989 and a surf-loving Aussie teenager flukes a dream move to an English footballing giant. Problem is, its never been his dream, and in the brutal big leagues he has a fight on his hands to ensure his laidback life doesnt turn into one giant nightmare. Before Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill became household names in English football, and once Craig Johnston retired, there was another Aussie name on every football fans lips. Rippa - Joey Rippa. This 19-year-old high school drop-out wants to be on the waves or smoking pot and strumming his guitar in his small Western Australian beach town, instead of being on a football pitch. But the round-ball game is where his real talent lies and when he has the match of his life for the State team against a travelling West Ham United side in a glamour friendly, hes offered a pro contract with the English First Division side. With the bills mounting in his fathers bar, his beloved uncle facing homelessness, and his band needing a new recording, he reluctantly signs and heads over to the UK. But the dream move turns sour the moment he lands when he discovers that The Hammers manager, Bobby Noll, has been sacked and with no one at the club having any idea who this blonde-stubbled Kim Wilde-lookalike is, he's farmed out to Middleby United, a struggling non-league provincial outfit. And in the most landlocked town in Britain, and with its howling wind, never-ending rain and permanent grey skies, he feels a million miles away from his beloved sand and sun lifestyle. Rippa is faced with isolation, loneliness, terrible cuisine and a dressing room and stadium of home fans who think of him, at best, as a novelty, and, at worst, a pathetic joke. Still mourning his beloved English-born football-loving mother (who vanished six years earlier), he finds an unlikely ally in the clubs female physio and tries to buckle down and make it in the brutal sink or swim world of English football. And along the way, he makes his family and hometown back in Australia proud, reminds West Ham that he actually exists, and get struggling Middleby back to the big time.'  (Publication summary)

'Bee Bloom is a respected modern leader who wholeheartedly believes in kindness. So when a conniving new chairman arrives at the company where she is CEO, she has a fight on her hands. 

'Lucy Love, once a vivacious TV presenter, now finds herself a depressed, binge-drinking suburban wife. To make matters worse, her husband is facing accusations of harassment.

'Rosie Reid has earned a reputation as Sydney’s “fixer,” skilfully managing crises through her successful PR firm. However, she's growing increasingly tired of covering up for her misbehaving clients.

'When their worlds intertwine, the trio forge a pact to support one another. But as their dilemmas intensify, there is one looming question: can they throw the knockout punch and bring down the scheming, controlling men in their lives?

'High Heels and Low Blows is Jill Valentine's debut novel which also delves into themes of self-worth, identity, and friendship. With unforgettable characters, dramatic twists and sassy comedy, it is a story that is highly relatable to the modern woman and will leave you asking — which of these fabulous females do I admire the most?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lucy's finally come clean to her parents about her football dreams, but her elation is short-lived. Her football legend father, Paolo, isn't doing anything to quash rumours that he has a secret son from a past relationship. Is it game-over for Lucy's parents? As if that's not enough, Lucy's best friend Bella is jealous that Lucy is spending so much time with her team mate, Max. It looks like Bella's made friends with the school bully - and Lucy's on-pitch rival - as revenge.

'There's a reason Lucy is hanging out with Max. He's finally found a loving home with his uncle, but is struggling to adjust to family life. Can Lucy help Max find a place in the football world - and avoid going back to the streets? With all her worry about Max's chances, Lucy is neglecting to look out for her own. She might have messed up her trial for the state team, and she hasn't heard back from the football academy yet either.

'Her ex-model mother Frida might just have something to do with that. Frida's organised a new shoot in Milan for the Love Lucy brand. She says she wants them to get away from all their worries. A fantasy fashion shoot in the Piazza del Duomo is certainly a distraction - especially when friends and family arrive unexpectedly.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Everyone seems to have plans for Lucy's future. But will she get the chance to pursue her own dreams on the pitch? On the soccer pitch, Lucy Zoffi, nicknamed Zeezou by her team mates, is known as the smiling assassin - a star striker who consistently scores goals. Her right boot is like a magnet to the goal. Playing soccer, or football as it's known globally, is her passion and it's her dream to one day represent her country in the Olympics and the World Cup, just like her Dad, Paulo - a former Italian international soccer legend. But he has no idea about Lucy's love for football as he opposes girls playing the sport and that when it comes to the crunch she wants to play for Australia not his native Italy.

'Her mum, Freda thinks that Lucy is following in her footsteps in front of the camera. A model in her youth, Freda defied the odds, coming from a dysfunctional family in Sydney's Kings Cross to become one of Australia's leading models. She dreamed of becoming a supermodel on the international stage but never made it. She is living her dream through Lucy, pushing her to reach for the stars.

'Lucy's dream nearly comes true when she's about to be named in the national squad but her secret football life comes unstuck. How does she manage to chase her dream? Does she continue leading a double life? Or does she give up her dream and reluctantly follow her parent's wishes into the modelling world?' (From the publisher's website.)

'Captain Courageous is young Max's favourite TV character, for whom - according to the theme song - nothing is too rough or too tough. Max enjoys nothing more than to get home after school and enjoy the show. 

'However, much to Max's annoyance, more often than not he is waylaid by his elderly neighbour, Mrs Salamanda with her growly dog Graham, wanting help with some household tasks.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Dave Allenson, a gruff security guard, is no fan of football, but he takes his job seriously. When, in the 1997 play-off against Iran, Peter Hore tries to tear down the net of the Iranian goal, Dave tackles him and prevents the vandalism – setting off a series of events in an alternate timeline of Australian football.

'In this alternative universe 'sliding-doors' narration, we follow a pivoted history where the results of the infamous game between Australia and Iran had gone differently.

'One tiny moment can change everything. Through the eyes of various players, associates, and others over the course of twenty years, this book traces the course of “what if”.

'What would Australian football and the National Soccer League have looked like if things were different?

'It’s just one version of how, if that moment had gone differently, things would be today.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A football thriller based around a bid for the greatest prize – the World Cup – and the race towards the Qatar 2022 vote. Over-thinking strategist Asher Fox, his Ugandan best mate Windsor, and the world's top young footballer join forces to rid the game of corruption and elitism. But personality clashes and back-stories get tangled up in world power politics and the waters become well and truly muddied.

'A book that makes you wonder just how much fiction is fact.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Aussie footballer Jarrod Black’s life in the English Football League is going well after his exciting adventures in Newcastle, but there’s no time to get complacent. The opportunity to play Harlowe Croft in the long-running action movie series has arisen and with it the chance to relocate to Australia. At the same time, our man finds out that dangerous criminals are on the loose and looking for him. Jarrod sets off, ready to balance football and a new adventure, not knowing the danger - or the excitement - that might be waiting around the corner.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Thomas 'Tam the Bam' Bamford is the most reviled football fan on the Isle of Guff, known for his disgusting manner and terrible attitude. However, when his mother dies and he comes into a small fortune, he buys a fifty-one percent share in the Guff Rovers and becomes their gaffer. Despite his lack of experience and incompetence, he has to shape up and improve the team, or they’ll be out of the league. But with a team that hates him and Tam’s terrible attitude, there’s a long road ahead.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Albert is a young Indigenous man who is the best player in the local Aussie Rules team in his small fictional town of Duneldin. For the first time in most people's living memory, the team makes the grand final of the local footy competition with high hopes of winning, especially if Albert and some of his teammates are playing at their best on the day.

'One of Albert's teammates, Tom, sees Albert getting racially abused, and knows Albert won't take it. Incidents after training and at school make Tom and Albert think about the extent to which Albert is valued as player and as a young Aboriginal man, and what is most important. 

'Set against the backdrop of a country town where the footy club is the most powerful institution in town, Michael Fiddian's debut novel, The End of the Game, exposes contemporary issues of culture and race that are experienced by Indigenous sportsmen and women.'   (Publication summary)

'A product of suburban Sydney's large grassroots clubs, Anna blossoms into being a local star turning out for Australia's biggest W-League clubs, and a regular starter with the Matildas. 

''Anna Black - This girl can play' charts Anna's football journey culminating in the Matildas reaching the final of the 2023 World Cup on home soil and a move to the USA, as well as her life journey as she discovers that falling head-over-heels - something she thought was not for her - can and does happen.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In the latest installment of the Jarrod Black series of ‘unashamed football novels’, the Australian journeyman footballer finds himself on national team duty, running out onto his field of dreams, and caught up in a situation not of his making.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Australian midfielder Jarrod Black is a Football League player in England, plying his trade in a team gunning for promotion. With only a few games left to secure that automatic promotion spot, join our man as he lives through the highs and lows of the end of season dog fight. Will off-field drama and major challenges unhinge the season?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Aussie midfielder Jarrod Black is a successful player in the English Football League. Whilst the Premier League has eluded him so far, and despite his advancing years, could this be the season when it all finally comes together? Join our man on a journey through the eyes of a footballer and live the highs and lows as his career takes a twist.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.