Cirrus@Austlit

'It's 1977, and warm, bohemian Libby, a stay-at-home mother, genius entertainer and gifted cook, is lonely. When she meets Carol - recently emigrated from London, adrift and in a controlling marriage - and Anna, who loves her career, but not her marriage, and is craving a life that feels always out of reach, the three women form an unexpected bond.

'Their exes aren't happy about it, though, and neither are their children. Soon the women will be forced into a reckoning that will lay their futures - and their friendships - on the line.

'With a back drop of inner city grunge, far-out parties and ABBA songs, The Women and The Girls is a funny, questioning and moving novel about love, work, family, friendship and freedom.' (Publication summary)

'Without a saddle or bridle, all that’s left is the truth. The third book in the Dream Riders series that interweaves the issues young people face together with the deep connection that can be formed between a horse and its rider.

'Kai isn’t expecting much when he tags along with the Dream Riders on a trip to the Brumby Rescue Centre. He's not that interested in horses, but he's best friends with Frankie, he really likes Violet, and it's the last weekend before he goes back to the city. When they get to the Centre, though, Kai meets two brumbies who completely change the way he feels about horses, not to mention Frankie and Violet, and the place that he calls "home". He's been missing his old life in the city - especially his wise and funny older sister, Jindy - but now that he's met Jarrah the gentle giant, and Monty, the scrappy grey, nothing will ever be the same again.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Without a saddle or bridle, all that’s left is the truth. Dream Riders is an exciting new middle-grade series about horses, friendship and being true to yourself.

Living in a remote reach of The Pocket, twelve-year-old Storm is a hippy home-schooler Medievalist who knows almost nothing about the modern world. After taking out the archery prize at the local show, Storm spots the horse of her dreams, Morning Mist, on the jousting field. Inspired by Frankie’s demonstration of natural horsemanship, the headstrong Storm immediately decides to join the Dream Riders and buy Morning Mist with her prize money. But she’s told to forget it in no uncertain terms by the owner, Margery, a crotchety widower and champion marmalade-maker who has no time for hippies. As Storm begins learning natural horsemanship with the Dream Riders her extraordinary talent becomes clear. She could ride just about any horse – but she’s not prepared to give up on Morning Mist.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A story about a girl who meets a boy who changes everything

Mika is a girl growing out of her clothes and approaching womanhood with the expectations of her mother weighing firmly upon her shoulders and a love of music that transcends the strict classical lessons imposed on her. With a brother and sister who have ganged up on her, she is looking for a way to escape and find her own voice. Mika and Max form a strong bond that is inspirational and heartwarming.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Frankie’s dream is more like a nightmare when her new horse turns out to be Zen – a shaggy, disobedient clown of a pony, who will totally wreck her chances of fitting in at Pony Club in her new town. Zen is everything Frankie doesn’t want – until the magnetic horse whisperer Shannon shows her just what Zen could be if ridden freely. Natural horsemanship opens up a whole new way of riding and a whole new world of connection between Zen and Frankie. But Frankie’s dad is getting more depressed after her parents’ divorce, star rider and star mean girl Violet has it in for Frankie, and her best friend Kai is keeping a secret. Then Shannon announces she’s closing down her riding centre. Frankie’s got an idea that could save it … but can she and Zen rise to the challenge?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'This raw and often confronting indie film shot on location in Byron Bay, sets out to capture the vulnerability of today’s youth culture and the social pressures they face.

'In this coming of age drama, we follow Bella played by Jacqui Purvis tormented by her past, her failed relationships and the consequences of her choices. She exists in a world where escapism is far more appealing, exposing how the lack of oneself can be detrimental in finding the right path to take.'

Source: Production blurb.

'I needed someone I could trust. Someone others would trust. Someone with no criminal record. With no previous involvement. A cleanskin. Someone to come over, do the job, and go home ...

'Some days, even Halley can't find the person she once was. She's changed her name and no one - least of all her husband and son - knows of her past. No one except Aidan, who turns up one day in her small Australian town and shatters the faCade she's built so carefully.

'Aidan is on a mission. But why is he still taking orders from his brother in an English jail - at the cost of his own happiness?

'When Aidan forces Halley to face what she's done, what they discover not only changes their understanding of what happened back then, it changes everything now.

'Laura Bloom deftly goes to the dark heart of The Troubles to explore the lingering damage wrought by sectarian conflict on communities, families and individuals. Based on real events, The Cleanskin is a story of intense human relationships with a cast of flawed and entirely believable characters.' (Publication summary)

'It's February 1946, and Robert Booker is just home from the war. Home is a pretty weatherboard house in Summer Hill, where his wife, Catherine, is waiting. They haven't seen each other for three years, yet they are separated by so much more than time.

'Robert is haunted by the battlefields of New Guinea, and Catherine harbours the guilt of her affair with a charismatic US marine - and other secrets too painful to confront. Her heart divided between two men, she finds herself longing for what she has lost. With all that's changed between them, can Catherine and Robert find their way back to each other?' (From the publisher's website.)

'A quirky, delicious novel about a 14-year-old boy and his appetites ...

'Gus's life is getting out of hand. Muscle-bound Steve has started picking on him at school, his friends desert him, no one appreciates his gourmet lunches (except Brother Nicholas), and his older brother, Luke, insists on using Gus as a go-between for his romantic liaisons.

'When Luke sets his sights on the object of Gus's affection, the elegant, bulimic Trinity, things go completely out of control. And then there's the school camp to contend with ... What is a boy with a healthy appetite to do?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In Full Circle , Holly is desperate to impress Mark - but things don't turn out as she planned. In A Time to Choose , Emma is keen to learn how to surf, and Squid is prepared to help. In the last story, Elvis and Mel have always been friends, but Mel finds herself falling in love ...' (Publication summary)