From the bomb blitz of London to Sydney, then Auckland and a tiny Pacific Island, Emirau Island, New Zealand author Olivia Spooner brings to life the harsh realities of parents having to make heartbreaking decisions to send their children to far off places to ‘keep them safe’ as the shadows of the European war stretched across Britain. Her meticulous research solidifies the fictionalised account, making The Girl From London an absolute must-read.

Full, extensive, invaluable intellectual knowledge is placed into our hands for us to glean from in their new book The Abundant Kitchen – we gain from their exploratory principles and hard work. Each page is full of a glossary of terms well explained for us to learn; the art of preserving plentiful yields and protect fragile food security; not just for themselves but in the true spirit of permaculture – nurturing the spirit of community.

Honest and authentic, Mason gives us not only his own memories, but quotes from Murray’s books, hand-written speeches and recollections from the wider family. A poignant touch is the cover photo taken by Murray’s beloved and dedicated wife Pam – a moment in time captured with the farm dog Finn who is reminiscent of his iconic Footrot Flats character Dog.

Big, bold, heart-breaking, hopeful – full of love, danger and audacious courage …this makes Lola In The Mirror my number one top read for 2023 and why Trent Dalton will continue to be a well-deserved award winning storyteller.

A fun, curious tale that sparks our adventurous spirit – young Adam breaks out from his wheezy, snorty reading nook to make a determined decision to head to the creek!

Carl and Schascha bring an unlikely friendship – perfectly paired for this time of their life and show us the need for enacting on intuition and the power that a book can bring to add the spark of life!

In Bookshop Dogs, Ruth Shaw introduces us to the wide, vast and varied community of Manapouri and the Fiordland region, south-west New Zealand. Isolated in geography only, Ruth’s collection of short stories reminds us that there is no isolation within these huge-hearted rural communities.

A perfect who-dunnit written in a gentle style that will transport you to the New South Wales Pittwater and straight into an eclectic boat-access-community, centred around the Briny Café. This is perfect, cosy reading.