Cirrus@Austlit

'A brilliantly warm-hearted NEW series from Brooke Blurton and Melanie Saward, full of high school longing, friendship, footy matches, and dreams to change the world!

'It's funny how your life changes.

'I used to be worried about playing footy and whether my first kiss would be with a boy or a girl. I used to worry about having enough time after school and putting my little cousins to bed to go for a run with my best friend Loz and whether she'd ever look at me the way she looks at my brother Poss.

'But a new girl came to school and there's something about her ... I suddenly got the courage to stand up to our history teacher about teaching our true history with books written by blackfullas. And somehow she did too!

'At first we were on top of the world - and we might even have a chance to change it just a little bit. But now I'm banned from footy and I wonder ... is it all going to be worth it?' (Publication summary)

'Some passions just can't be tamed ... Brynn thought she'd be chasing her dreams, not chasing dogs, when she set off on the adventure of a lifetime.

'When Bigambul woman Brynn Wallace leaves Brisbane to pursue her dreams in the Big Apple, she imagines herself landing a fabulous career at a New York City publishing house and acquiring shelves of Louboutin shoes, not working in a doggy daycare with a boss from hell and a wardrobe from her nightmares.

'Yet good things are always possible in New York, especially when you believe in them hard enough. And Brynn has a collection of NYC Missions to set her on her way- challenges from her mother, whose death she is still getting over, to help Brynn rejoice in the city that never sleeps.

'Brynn soon finds herself making meaningful friendships, engaging in flirty flings, and meeting the gorgeous Sienna, also known as dancer Scarlett Belle. And when she stumbles on a handsome, single dog-dad who just happens to be a literary editor, she decides that if she can convince him she's more than just a dog-sitter, her dreams will finally come true. But Sienna has other plans, and as Brynn's NY ride begins to stall, the city shows her just how full of surprises it is.' (Publication summay)

'THE GULLY IS sheathed in mist and the air is water. Our footsteps crack along the pathway, and my breath, muffled in the hood of the rain jacket I bought at Big W just two hours ago, is warm and loud. The cockatoos are screeching. At first, it’s a few flying overhead, but the deeper we go into the gully the louder they are and the more there are, until the sky is no longer grey and cloudy but a swirl of white and yellow. They scream and scream, calling to each other. They’re not like magpies, whose voices are melodious and rich, and yet today the screeching is like a balm. My senses tingle, and each call sends a shot of pleasure down my spine.' (Introduction)          

'Shelf Reflection is our series where we explore the bookshelves and reading habits of writers. In this latest instalment, Melanie Saward talks to us about Blak lit, romance comedies and her new novel, Burn.'

'When a tragic bushfire puts two kids in hospital, Indigenous teenager Andrew knows the police will come after him first. But Andrew almost wants to be caught, because at least it might make his dad come and rescue him from suburban Brisbane and his neglectful mother.

'Growing up in small-town Tasmania, Andrew struggled at home, at school, at everything. The only thing that distracted or excited him was starting little fires. Flames boosted his morale and purified his thoughts, and they were the only thing in his life he could control. Until one day things got out of hand, and Andrew was forced to leave everything behind.

'Now as the police close in and Andrew runs out of people to turn to, he must decide whether he can put his faith in himself to find a way forward.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When I was a child, the water was a place of freedom. I remember throwing my body around with abandon, revelling in the joy of handstand competitions and long games of mermaids or lifeguards with my sister and cousins.' (Publication summary)

'Navigating fertility treatment as an Aboriginal person adds an extra layer of complexity to an already difficult process. What do you do when there are no Aboriginal sperm donors? What does it mean for a donor to help create a child who may not grow up in culture?' (Introduction)