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2 y separately published work icon The Limestone Road Nicole Alexander , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29171974 2025 single work novel historical fiction

'From the deserts of Egypt to the rolling hills of South Australia, The Limestone Road is a captivating novel about one soldier's courageous journey 'home'.

'In the summer of 1944 returning soldiers Canning Christie and his father Michael arrive in South Australia from the desert sands of North Africa.

'Canning carries the trauma of war and a fractured memory of a terrible event, while charismatic Michael resumes his womanising ways, intent on concealing his own secret wound.

'Inexplicably drawn to a vineyard on their land, Canning dreams of producing his own wine. And a chance meeting with Grace Huntley, daughter of the local landowner, offers him hope for that future.

'But dormant memories keep rising up- his childhood with his mother, the years traversing the interior with his father and his time at the front.

'Soon, viniculture becomes an obsession - one he suspects lies in a hazy recollection of a night in battle. To move forward Canning must reconcile the past, even if that means working with Italian POWs and accepting help from an immigrant German . . .

'. . . And ultimately taking a stand against his own father, whose increasingly  reckless behaviour is threatening to destroy their new life.' (Publication summary) 

2 y separately published work icon Where the Birds Call Her Name Claire Van Ryn , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29171818 2025 single work novel

'Broome 2023: When Saskia’s free-spirited mother leaves her a caravan in her will, it doesn’t make sense. Saskia is a schoolteacher, tied to plans and schedules, even if they are beginning to feel restrictive. Then she finds clues in the van about her mother’s mysterious past, setting her on a journey to Tasmania with her young daughter Anouk, who shares her late grandmother’s fascination with birds.

'In 1968, teenager Greta De Winter seeks solace in the Stanley wetlands, a swamp that attracts all manner of wildlife. Her father is the local councillor and her mother a taxidermist, working to create bird dioramas for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. But while the De Winter household seems harmless from the outside, a dark secret hides within.

'When Saskia and Anouk arrive in Stanley, they search for the missing pieces to the puzzle of Greta’s tragic childhood. In the process of uncovering her family history, Saskia realises that her mother’s final act might also enable her to rediscover who she really is, and what she is truly capable of.

'Set in the breathtaking landscape of Tasmania’s majestic north-west, this is a moving and highly evocative novel of family bonds and betrayals, by the bestselling author of The Secrets of the Huon Wren.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Goodbye Good Girl, Hello Me Goodbye Good Girl, Hello Me : Becoming a Woman Who Likes Herself Kasey Edwards , Melbourne : Penguin Random House Australia Audio , 2025 29013044 2025 single work autobiography

'What happens when you want to stop feeling like you’re never enough?

'A Good Girl is acutely aware of everyone’s emotional state. Except her own.

'She was praised for not being difficult like other girls.

'She must never get too big for her boots and always be grateful. So damn grateful.

'She masks her own needs, dreams and fears so thoroughly that she loses herself.

'Until one day her smile falters, her serenity cracks and a tiny, long-forgotten little voice dares to whisper, “What about me?”

'And then all hell will break loose.

'Bestselling author of Raising Girls Who Like Themselves Kasey Edwards has helped thousands of families raise kids to believe in themselves. She decides it’s time to apply her research and strategies to herself.

'Her journey of learning to like herself unpicks the worth-crushing beliefs taught to girls.

'But it’s not just Kasey’s story. It’s about all of us.

'Raw, irreverent, and deeply relatable, Kasey dares to say what many women think but few say out loud.

'This poignant memoir will confirm what you’ve long suspected — that you deserve more. And it will show you how to rediscover who you were always meant to be. Then you too can say, "Goodbye good girl, hello me."'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29012844 2025 single work novel

'From the New York Times bestselling author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves, a novel about a family living alone on a remote island, when a mysterious woman washes up on shore.

'Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, 18 and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, 17, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; 9-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back towards the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

'Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realises Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

'A novel of heartstopping twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is a story about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us is ending.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon The Mix-up Kylie Ladd , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29012608 2025 single work novel

'A beautifully told and thought-provoking novel about a mix-up that leaves two children wondering who they really are and where they belong . . .

'What would you do if you found out you'd been raising another couple's child - and they've been raising yours?

'Fourteen years ago, Kelsey and Raf Maccioni left hospital with their newborn daughter, Ammy. Days later, Shona and Nathan James welcomed the birth of their son, Zac.

'The only thing the two couples have in common is the IVF clinic where their dreams came true. They are strangers to each other – for now.

'Fast forward to April 2024 . . . Ammy has grown into a rebellious young woman, and Zac is a kind but introverted teenager.

'Life may not be perfect for either family, but like everyone else they are muddling through.

'Until Ammy takes a DNA test for a school project. At first the results are puzzling. Then disturbing. Then earth-shattering - when the IVF clinic admits a terrible mistake.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Half Truth Nadia Mahjouri , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29012479 2025 single work novel

'A daughter searches for her father; a mother for her son. From isolated Tasmania to vibrant Morocco, two women seek the truth about what happened to the same man.

'Khadija is packing up her home of fifty years. In her box of special belongings are the last reminders she has of her son Ahmed, missing for more than twenty years. Her belongings take her back to her village childhood, her marriage and move to Marrakesh, and the birth of Ahmed when she was just thirteen.

'In Cloudy Bay, Tasmania, Zahra is in the throes of new motherhood and desperate for answers about her own identity. She decides to take her baby to Morocco and search for the father she has never known. There she finds an extensive loving family and a culture ready to embrace her, but no father.

'Zahra and Khadija’s stories collide – giving Khadija the power to move on, and Zahra the courage to reshape herself into a mother and African Australian woman, ready to create a fulfilling life for her son and herself.' (Publication summary) 

2 y separately published work icon When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole Geoff Parkes , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 29012042 2025 single work novel crime thriller

'A missing woman . . . a townful of suspects. The haunting debut crime novel that transports the reader back to the 1980s and a small rural town in New Zealand.

'‘She wasn’t the first and she wouldn’t be the last; swallowed into the deep, dark recesses of the King Country bush, never to be seen again.’
It’s January 1983. During his university summer break, Ryan Bradley returns to the remote town of Nashville in New Zealand’s rugged King Country.

'It’s a bittersweet trip: he’s working long, punishing hours as a woolpresser, he needs to sell his late mother’s house, and he’s increasingly feeling like an outcast in his childhood town.

'But mostly he’s haunted by memories of Sanna Sovernen, a Finnish backpacker and his secret lover, who worked with him in the shearing shed the summer before - then vanished without trace.

'Now Sanna’s sister Emilia has arrived from Finland, determined to get answers - and as he’s the workmate who reported Sanna missing, she wants Ryan’s help. Because Emilia knows her sister was not the first female traveller in the area to disappear . . .'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Last Shot Emma Pignatiello , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 28948689 2025 single work novel romance crime

'They’re the only ones who can stop the murder … if they don’t kill each other first.

'Solving a murder that hasn’t happened yet should be easy, right? But when Maxella Conrad barges her way onto the illustrious Barbarani Estate to warn them about a murder plot, her life becomes anything but easy.

'For one thing, there’s Greyson Hawke, the Barbarani family’s ‘fixer’ who’s lived and worked with the wine dynasty his whole life. He refuses to believe Max, especially when he realises who she is: a disgraced ex-cop who’s just spent the last six months behind bars. But when it seems that Max might be telling the truth, Grey is forced to team up with her to save the Barbaranis.

'But nothing is at it seems on the Barbarani Estate, and it soon becomes clear that they won’t be able to stop this murder unless they solve the secrets of the past – and learn to trust each other.

'Can Max and Grey confront their own demons before the last shot fires and they both lose everything?'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Blood and Gold Michael Trant , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 28948502 2025 single work novel crime thriller

'Someone is stalking gold hunters. Now a bushman is stalking them . . .

'Terry Drage is not the first amateur gold prospector to rock up to the Murchison Hotel, brag about an exciting discovery - and then vanish into thin air. But Gabe Ahern is determined he will be the last.

'No one knows the land around the remote Western Australian town of Cue better than Gabe - a wild dog trapper who's in his element in the bush. Feeling responsible for his friend's fate, he races there to join the search.

'But it won't be an easy ride. For a start the local cops seem sure Terry going missing is nothing more than a tragic accident. It's down to Gabe to spot the sinister pattern of disappearances and deaths in recent years.

'Plus, the last time Gabe was in his old home town it was under the very worst of circumstances. And now, to stop a killer, he'll need to confront the ghosts from his past .  . .' (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Blood Pact Fiona McIntosh , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 28947986 2025 single work novel thriller

'Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is seconded by counter-terrorism to investigate a spate of domestic events. First it was needles in strawberries, then tampering of lipstick samplers and baby formula. But when toxic mushrooms enter the market system and a death occurs, a wave of terror is set to sweep the country.

'There are no leads, no DNA, no witnesses, no CCTV footage. Jack and his team must work on instinct to figure out why someone would want to harm innocent victims. Scrutiny of the incidents' geography and cold cases reveals a single overlap that leads them to the death of a child in a London hospital, but little else is adding up.  

'When a bomber threatens the same hospital, it is up to the team to prevent the inevitable bloodshed. The clock is ticking, and no one is safe from the possibility of a tragedy on a catastrophic scale' (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon The Bad Bridesmaid Rachael Johns , Melbourne : Penguin , 2025 28942481 2025 single work novel romance

'The delightful new romantic comedy by the bestselling Australian author of The Other Bridget.

'When serial dater Winifred Darling – Fred – is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother’s sixth wedding, she’s determined to do everything in her power to stop it. As the author of a forthcoming book called 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love.

'On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom’s hot muso son Leo is just as set against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with ‘Operation Break-Up’ to prevent their parents from making what they believe will be a catastrophic mistake.

'But as Fred and Leo get to know each other better, their unexpected feelings for each other create further complications, and Fred is forced to rethink her own rigid rules about romance and family. Maybe not every relationship has to play by the book, and could Fred become the star in a romcom of her own?
A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings – and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.' (Publication summary)
 

2 y separately published work icon Camp Chaos Meredith Badger , Prahran : Hardie Grant Children's Publishing , 2000 Z1894822 2000 single work children's fiction children's 'Sophie makes a new friend when she is swapped into another class at school. But with camp coming up, will she be forced to choose between her new bestie and her old bestie?' (Publisher's blurb)
2 y separately published work icon Break the Rules Lauren Jackson , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28766422 2024 single work novel romance

'An addictive second-chance college sports romance for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace

'Anya's carefully planned life has spun out of control overnight. Lost, confused and desperate, she seeks refuge at her brother's house. She is determined to leave her past heartbreak behind and take control of her life. Little does she know that the boy she's always loved - but now despises - has also moved in.

'Mason has never settled down. Due to an unstable upbringing, he has always done what he wants, when he wants - partying, disappearing for days at a time, booking flights and leaving the country without telling anyone. After it all gets too much, he decides to stay with his best friend and focus his energy on football. The last thing he needs is his best friend's sister distracting him, especially since he's sworn he would never lay a hand on her.

'Will Anya and Mason be able to heal the wounds of their past before their undeniable chemistry takes over?'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Nanny Piggins and the Origin Story R. A. Spratt , Melbourne : Puffin , 2024 28623131 2024 single work children's fiction children's

'Charming, funny and absurdly good - find out where it all began in the prequel to The Adventures of Nanny Piggins.

'PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE GREATEST STORY ABOUT A FARMYARD ANIMAL EVER TOLD.

'When Mother Piggins leaves the family sty for a job on a yacht, the Piggins piglets are faced with two options- fend for themselves . . . or become bacon sandwiches.

'Luckily, Sarah Piggins is no ordinary piglet.

'An amazing lemon meringue pie makes Sarah the most sought-after baker in the region, and their future is looking up. But when her no-good siblings sell all the cakes to visit the local circus without her, Sarah is forced to use all her agility and cunning to punish them. Her spectacular feat captures the eye of the world's most despicable ringmaster, and Sarah's fate - and that of the circus crew - is changed forever . . .

'Discover the side-splitting story that inspired a phenomenon with the prequel to The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. Hear Nanny Piggins' stories, and more, on the hit podcast with over 5 million downloads Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Christmas Lights Emma Memma , Emma Memma (illustrator), Melbourne : Puffin , 2024 28621934 2024 single work picture book children's

'Sing, dance, sign. Join Emma Memma for a magical Christmas story time.

'It's Christmas and Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin are twirling by the Christmas tree. When they step outside, Christmas lights are sparkling everywhere - in houses and gardens around town. Join in as they visit the wonderful Christmas lights and feel the joy of this special time of year.

'A stellar Christmas gift for Emma Memma fans, and those who love the festive season and the special traditions made with our family and friends.' (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon MACCA: My Story so Far Mackenzie Arnold , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28612926 2024 single work autobiography

'Matildas fever swept across the country during the 2023 World Cup campaign, filling stadiums beyond capacity, uniting communities and inspiring the next generation of world-class athletes. In one of the iconic ‘where-were-you-when’ moments in Australian sports history, the Matildas faced down the French in an epic penalty shootout that would propel them through to the semifinals for the first time ever. Standing on the collective brilliance of her teammates, it was Macca’s courage, leadership, steel-eyed focus and heroics in front of goal that won the hearts of a nation. We’ll never forget the outstretched arms, the roar of victory, green and gold flooding the pitch.

'But heroes don’t just fall from the sky. Storybook endings often belie a lifetime’s work, and the making of Mackenzie Arnold began well before that electric night in August.

'Macca’s story is one of dizzying heights and hard-won lessons. Whether it’s facing down her doubts and fears to find the courage to be her truest self on and off the pitch; using her temporary setbacks to inspire others; or shouldering the hopes of a nation to deliver moments that transcend sport, Mackenzie Arnold has packed a lot into her life so far.

'Honest, funny, brave and inspired, Macca shares her story here for the first time: the family and first-believers who supported and challenged her from the beginning; the coaches and mentors who pushed her beyond her comfort zone and provided the blueprint of a champion; the rivals and teammates who transformed the Matildas into a global force to be reckoned with.

'And for her next act? Heroics and storybook endings are best left unscripted, but if Mackenzie Arnold has taught us one thing it’s this: Don’t blink.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon The Fallen Woman Fiona McIntosh , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28611528 2024 single work novel historical fiction

'Botanical artist Jane Saville is devastated when her manipulative mother banishes her to the countryside to protect someone else’s honour. Isolated far from home, she is forced to live an impoverished, secretive life to save the family from public shame.

'Guy Attwood is heir to a fortune, but prefers his quiet passion for rare-apple hunting on behalf of Royal Kew Gardens to building the family’s business empire. He sets out to find a critically endangered apple species that he dreams of gifting and re-naming for his friend, the soon-to-be coronated George V.

'When the paths of these people from two very different worlds collide, Jane begins to hope for a different future, but their new friendship is shattered by jealousy, misunderstanding, duty and treachery. A young boy will inspire Jane to defy the powers working against her and prove she is no woman to be outcast.

'Set in the picturesque English countryside, in a forgotten orchard and beneath the ancient spire of Salisbury Cathedral, this is a heart-wrenching story about a woman who finds that in her darkest hour she can harness her greatest strength.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Mary Christmas Mary-Anne O'Connor , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28609684 2024 single work novel historical fiction

'It's 1909 and Mary Richards has worked hard to gain an education and become a teacher in her close-knit, picturesque village in the Cotswolds, but not everyone approves of her modern ways.

'When her sister Emily becomes engaged to David Christmas, it seems fate will intervene in the form of the best man, his eligible brother Johnathon. Mary finds herself in danger of falling for this handsome, almost too perfect stranger, only married women have to give up their careers as soon as they're wed and there's no way Mary is going to sacrifice her dreams for a man.

'Yet the ancient village of Bibury has a way of weaving its magic over them all, and as the winter snows fall and Emily's Christmas-Day wedding approaches, Mary isn't immune to the romance of the season. In the end she must decide whether she's ready to embrace love or not, and if she can truly have the best of both worlds on the eve of what could well be the merriest Christmas of them all.

'You need to find a way to have your independence and love too. A Christmas miracle.'  (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Pictures of You Emma Grey , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28602919 2024 single work novel

'The heartbreaking new novel from the Australian author who has won hearts the world over, for fans of David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes.

''Urgent, profoundly affecting and utterly unforgettable. A masterclass in compelling fiction.' - Tess Woods
'The sort of book that blocks out the rest of the world.' - Kate Solly

'People say you never forget your first love. But what if you do?
Evie Hudson should be grieving her dead husband, but since the car crash that claimed his life, she can’t remember him at all. The only person who can help her piece her past together is her high-school best friend, Drew Kennedy.

'When snippets of her memory start falling into place, she wonders exactly how she ended up in a life that couldn’t be further from the one she dreamed of. This time around, she’s seeing all the things she missed … and the picture isn’t pretty.' (Publication summary)

2 y separately published work icon Unlovable : A Memoir from the Voice of Savage Garden Darren Hayes , Melbourne : Penguin , 2024 28602557 2024 single work autobiography

'Darren Hayes – singer, songwriter, producer, performer and former frontman of the iconic pop duo Savage Garden – takes control of his life story in this candid, unfiltered memoir.

'Darren Hayes was always a storyteller. As a child, in suburban Queensland in the 1970s, he told himself he was going to be a pop star – and he did it. Throughout Savage Garden’s astonishing success – which included multiple Australian number 1s, cracking the US charts and selling more than 35 million albums worldwide – he kept telling us stories of love and longing, through his vulnerable, open song lyrics.

'But the reality of his life was much more complicated than the constraints of a three-minute pop song.

In Unlovable, for the first time, Darren recounts the events and circumstances that shaped his unique life: from childhood trauma and his journey with depression, to the dizzying heights of worldwide fame in Savage Garden, and everything in between.

'Told in his own lyrical words, Unlovable is a magical dark fairytale that reclaims the terrors and obstacles of his past to reveal the fabulous artist he has become.' (Publication summary)

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