Cirrus@Austlit

'Welcome to Green River.

'Five families on an annual camping trip, a mothers' group of fourteen years, children starting to look like adults, a father with his own mysterious agenda...

'He Would Never is the book you'll be talking about this season, a searing page-turner about the bonds we forge in the furnace of early motherhood, the trust we place in other adults, and the chaos that erupts when one man refuses to play by the rules.' (Publication summary)

'It was the impossibility of him that kept her coming back.

'Edna gave up everything when she fell in love with an acclaimed writer, leaving Australia and moving to New York where the publishing and literary scene was the backdrop to their secret story.

'When Molly, an Australian editor working in New York, discovers a novel by an anonymous author, she is drawn intimately into the story. She becomes determined to find the author and know how the story ends - not imagining that she will uncover shocking truths about her own life along the way.

'A compelling literary mystery about desire, creativity, food, longing and the ever-shifting power dynamics of love.' (Publication summary)

'Three women and the healing power of friendship, an uplifting story for readers of Rachael Johns and Joanna Nell.

'A heartwarming and evocative novel of love, friendship and family, where hope overcomes all - even terrible hospital coffee.

'Andie has no memory of the man who pushed her out of the way of a speeding car. A week before Coral's biggest career highlight, her mum has a fall. And the last thing Mara wants is to be assigned to work at the hospital bedside of the much-despised senior partner of her law firm.

'Andie, Coral and Mara become the daily visitors to the three patients at the end of East Wing of Hepburn House Rehabilitation Hospital. The balcony that connects the three rooms provides an oasis, a healing place, but more than that, too: a place where their lives will interconnect and never be quite the same again...' (Publication summary)

'She's salty, he's spice - there's no room for sugar in this fake relationship, but it may be sweeter than they think...

'Ellie Pang has had enough of her controlling family, who have been micromanaging her life since her type 1 diabetes diagnosis. When her parents orchestrate a public proposal from their business partner's son, a proposal that goes humiliatingly viral, Ellie escapes to the other side of the country to put her dream of opening a sugar-free bakery into action. After all, she's done her research. How hard can it be?

'She hits a snag when her storefront turns out to be a dump and in need of major renovations. Worse, the only person who can help her turn things around is Alec Mackenzie, her brother's best friend and the man responsible for crushing her teenage heart ten years ago.

'But Alec has a proposal of his own: he needs a pretend girlfriend in order to cement a business deal. All they need to do is feign love and affection, while trying not to maim each other. As the thin line between hate and fake-madly-in-love starts to blur, buried secrets resurface, and Ellie must learn to trust her heart.'  (Publication summary)

'Mark Smith presents the ultimate moral dilemma in a breathtaking psychological thriller. Would you try to save them?

''First rule of rescue: don't create another casualty.'

'Grace Disher is about to face every teacher's worst nightmare.

'Three of her students are going to die.

'On a high school camping trip, three boys slip away for an ocean swim. By the time Grace catches up, the perilous surf conditions are overwhelming the teenagers. If she goes in, she will die trying to save them.

'Should she have given her life?

'The question haunts Grace as investigations begin and her decision not to attempt a rescue comes under scrutiny. Hounded by conflicted staff, grieving parents and relentless media - all dissecting her actions, all looking for someone to blame - Grace's safety is compromised and she must be careful who she trusts.

'And she's not the only one with a secret.' (Publication summary) 

An appassionata enemies-to-lovers Venetian romp by bestselling Italian-Australian author Jenna Lo Bianco.

'Venice's most desirable bachelorette, Lucia Trevisan, has just had the best kiss of her life. If only she knew with whom.

'After losing her parents in a tragic accident, and having her then eleven-year-old face splashed across every newspaper in Italy, Lucia will forever be known as l'Orfana. Years later, Lucia is a perpetual hot mess, hiding away from the outside world, running her parents' Italian language school.

'When the school's future is threatened, Lucia must come out of hiding and fight back - despite the many distractions, like a masquerade ball and an electrifying anonymous encounter.

'Between dates to uncover her mysterious kissing Casanova, the quest to save her beloved school, dodging paparazzi, and dealing with her infuriating - yet infuriatingly handsome - new neighbour, will Venice's most famous singleton sink or swim?'  (Publication summary)

'A week on Pearl Island is exactly the R&R that perpetual planner Andie Alcott needs. Except instead of sipping pina coladas by the beach, she's busy throwing her freshly-divorced bestie, Taylor, a girls' trip to remember, dealing with a double-booking fiasco and worrying about her ailing father on the mainland. But it's cool - she has it covered. After all, everyone would be lost without her, right?

'The last thing habitually barefoot local Jack Cooper wants is the headache of managing tourist bookings. But since he's to blame for the island's dwindling supply of holidaymakers, he'll do whatever it takes to keep them happy - in particular, a beautiful visitor named Andie . . .

'With sun-kissed sands, sapphire waters, oysters and wine, Pearl Island promises the perfect getaway - and maybe even a hot holiday fling. But what happens when the emotional baggage comes in excess, and island life suddenly feels all too real?' (Publication summary)

'Virginia Trioli knows that the enduring joy of life is often found not in the big moments but in the small.

'When the main course is heavy going or unappetising, the 'bits on the side' make life really delicious. Our small, meaningful selections are the ones that make life glorious, and the side dish is the perfect metaphor for what many of us need right now.

'A Bit on the Side is Virginia's ode to joy, filled with wisdom, stories, memories and recipes, all told with her renowned insight and wicked sense of humour.

'This is a book to be read, treasured and shared with anyone who wants life served with a side of delight.'  (Publication summary)

'It's 1914 and Molly Dunnage wants to see change: at home, at work and in underwear.

'Her burgeoning corsetry business is starting to take off, thanks to some high-profile supporters. She's marching with Melbourne's suffragists for better conditions for women everywhere. And her family - her eccentric, confounding, adored father and aunt - are turning their minds to country retirement.

'But as the clouds of war gather and an ominous figure starts skulking in the shadows of her life, Molly's dreams begin to falter. Then, when true love drops out of the sky and into her arms, her hopes for her life and the world are entirely upended.

'With the dark humour, richly detailed settings and vividly drawn characters we've come to expect from Rosalie Ham, this prequel to the international bestseller The Dressmaker is an unforgettable story of hopes lost, love found - and corsets loosened.'  (Publication summary)

'It is 1914, and the storm clouds of war are building on the horizon.

'In Sydney, Josiah Steele is the new head of the family and grappling with his two very different sons - David, upstanding, decent and heir to the family enterprises; and Benjamin, wayward, restless and a magnet for trouble. To give Ben some responsibility, Josiah sends him on a trade mission straight into the territory of their soon-to-be enemy.

'As war erupts across Europe, its repercussions are felt in the Pacific. Ben and David find themselves caught up in the first Australian action of World War I - the fight to take possession of German New Guinea.

'But that is only the start. The brothers will see desperate action across Egypt, Palestine, and the terrible killing fields of the Western Front, and the years of war, mud and bloody battlegrounds will forever change the Steele family ...'  (Publication summary)

'we only need to tease out the first stray thread, such as the lingering wake left by a white ship forging through grey light to where a thousand seabirds disappear from the collapsing sky . . . and we've begun 

'It is 1954, but not the same way the history books would have it. Events and characters swirl in a vortex of fragments and chance connections.

'Brisbane celebrates the young Queen Elizabeth II's arrival on her first royal tour of the commonwealth. Meanwhile the future is being shaped behind closed doors, laying the foundations for the 21st century...'  (Publication summary)

'The arrival of a hotshot New York composer brings a rare touch of glamour and excitement to the peaceful country town of Fig Tree River. For Leonie, Madison, Sarita and Chrissie, four women involved in the local musical theatre, it's a welcome distraction from the pressures of daily life.

'Then a lottery ticket, bought together on impulse, changes everything.

'The winnings, shared between the four friends, are all they ever hoped for ... and all they ever feared, bringing dreams, dilemmas and disaster.

'When their new lives start to fall apart, will the women have the strength to find the song inside their hearts once more?'  (Publication summary)

'Circus performer Mira has spent her life on the run. Training in secret, she intends to win glory and protection by competing for a place in one of the magical royal Orders. But when her candidacy puts Mira in the crosshairs of the Ravalian emperor, the Trials become her lifeline. And failure means death.

'Illegitimate princess Scarlett is fighting to withstand her half-brothers' sinister ambitions and her sorceress mother's vicious schemes. When Scarlett meets Mira, she sees an opportunity to alter the balance of power - but only if she can keep Mira alive through the Trials and use her as a weapon in a bloody bid for the throne.

'Navigating a glittering world of magic, court intrigue and forbidden romance, both Mira and Scarlett must decide whether they're willing to sacrifice everything - even their own lovers - for power and revenge. Because in the cutthroat Ravalian Court, where alliances shift in a heartbeat and seduction is the prelude to murder, only one thing is certain: not everyone will survive . . .' (Publication summary)

'In the distant highlands, a puma named Dusk is killing shepherds. Down in the lowlands, twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money and friends. When they hear that a bounty has been placed on Dusk, they reluctantly decide to join the hunt. As they journey up into this wild, haunted country, they discover there's far more to the land and people of the highlands than they imagined. And as they close in on their prey, they're forced to reckon with conflicts both ancient and deeply personal.' (Publication summary)

'Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel . . .

'Mattinesh Jay, heir to his family’s struggling business, needs his arranged marriage to go off without a hitch. But if he’s to successfully restore his house’s fortunes, Matti must first hire a swordsman to defend him against any sword-challenges at the altar. Unfortunately, the only duellist he can afford is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

'All Luca wants to do is make some easy money and forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible – and inconveniently handsome – wool-merchant like Matti.

'However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

'The cosy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance by Freya Marske.'  (Publication summary)

'An epic saga of brotherhood, betrayal and revenge.

'On the unforgiving streets of 1920s Sydney, the Leach family have nothing but each other.

'In a tale spanning decades, three children of the broken, working-class family find adventure, heartache and trouble, as their lives drift apart.

'John finds faith and love at a young age. The inevitable clash between the two leads him into a different kind of brotherhood as war clouds gather.

'Maureen dreams of a life 'just like the movies' and waits to be swept off her feet. Yet at every crossroad, she makes the wrong choice.

'Bob discovers a natural talent with his fists and an instinct for trouble. But with every win he earns the hard way, more enemies rise.

'From police corruption and gambling dens to brothels and blood feuds, the Leach family toil in Sydney's seedy underbelly and on battlefields far away. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the Second World War, The Youngest Son chronicles one family's mesmerising fate in a grand saga and a masterclass in epic storytelling.' (Publication summary)

'A feisty, funny and poignant novel - about being 17; being Indigenous and navigating high school, cultural and personal expectations and responsibility - by proud Yidinji woman Steph Tisdell, writer, actor and one of the brightest stars of Australian comedy.

'Layla is in her final year of school. It's the last year to make sure that the next major phase of her life begins correctly because she's got big plans.

'All Layla wants to do is fit in and be a normal teenager but when her troubled cousin Marley comes to stay, he unwittingly challenges everything she thought she was. Plus she's trying to work out what it means to be Indigenous, she's falling in love and her best friend Amy has a new best friend.

'Steph Tisdell's words sparkle with humour, depth and authenticity in this extraordinary debut novel which explores cultural and personal expectations, and responsibilities.' (Publication summary)

'Why would my best friend want to destroy my life? Finn and her best friend, Daphne, have grown up together in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Bonded by both having lost a younger sister to suicide, they've always had a close - sometimes too close - friendship.

'Now in their twenties, their lives have finally started to diverge: Daphne is at university and Finn is working in the Mountains, as well as falling in love with a beautiful newcomer called Magdu. Unused to sharing Finn, Daphne starts to act up in ways that will allow her to maintain the control over her best friend she's always relished.

'Then, one fateful day, Finn, Daphne and Magdu all go mountain climbing - and Magdu falls to her death. Is it suicide, or a terrible accident - or has something more sinister happened?

'Bold, dramatic and utterly compelling, Girl Falling forces us to confront the stories we tell ourselves about the people we love. Displaying all of Hayley Scrivenor's razor-sharp skills for character, landscape and narrative, this is a breathtaking read.' (Publication summary)

'Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'll make 'at least one friend'.

'But Zee would rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce than attend a camp called Youth Fusion. Especially when the fearsome camp leader, Madam Augustus, declares a bonding game called 'Murder in the Dark'.

'With influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, Zee soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-raising mystery, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv.' (Publication summary)

'There's a madman dog beside me, and the hounds of memory ahead of us. It's love and beasts and wild mistakes, and regret, but never to change things...

'What happens when the Zusaks open their family home to three big, wild, pound-hardened dogs - Reuben, a wolf at your door with a hacksaw; Archer, blond, beautiful, deadly; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm?

'The answer can only be chaos: there are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property trashing, bodily injuries, stomach pumping, purest comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that needs to be seen to be believed ... not to mention the odd police visit at some ungodly hour of the morning.

'There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love - and the joy and recognition of family.

'From one of the world's great storytellers comes a tender, motley and exquisitely written memoir about the human need for both connection and disorder; but it's also a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty - but also the visceral truth of the natural world - straight to our doors and into our lives, and change us forever.' (Publication summary)