As mentioned, this newsletter is completely new and I’m still trialling to see if it works and if it’s something you would all like. So please let me know in the comments, or even send me a message.
I’m flagging all of the goodies coming this month!
Obviously, there are so many more to come, but this is a start :)
AUGUST
All You Took From Me by Lisa Kenway - 01/08/2024
Anaesthetist Clare Carpenter loses her husband and her memory in a car accident, only to find herself followed by a stranger. After questioning patients about their dreams, she believes an anaesthetic drug might help her recover her lost memories, though using it could risk her career and life. As threats escalate, Clare decides to uncover the truth about her secretive husband, his link to a mysterious club, and what she did to provoke a stranger's vengeance. But how far will she go to find the answers?
Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward - 06/08/2024
Bigambul woman Brynn Wallace leaves Brisbane for New York City, dreaming of a glamorous publishing career and a wardrobe full of Louboutins. Instead, she ends up working in a doggy daycare with a terrible boss. Despite setbacks, Brynn believes in New York's magic and tackles a series of NYC Missions from her late mother to celebrate life in the city. She forms meaningful friendships, has flirty flings, and meets the captivating dancer Scarlett Belle, also known as Sienna. When she encounters a handsome, single dog-dad who is a literary editor, she hopes to prove she's more than just a dog-sitter. However, Sienna has other plans, and as Brynn's journey hits obstacles, New York proves it’s full of surprises.
Translations by Jumaana Abdu - 27/08/24
Translations is Jumaana Abdu's powerful debut novel, following Aliyah and her daughter, Sakina, as they move to a rural property in New South Wales after a personal tragedy. This new setting highlights their interactions with those around them, while fiercely independent Aliyah often retreats from relying on others. Key characters include Shep, an imām turned farmhand; Billie, a Kamilaroi woman and colleague; and Hana, a childhood friend with a complex past.
The novel explores these relationships and the conflicting worldviews that shape Aliyah's journey to self-discovery. Abdu’s tender, deliberate writing often conveys more through what is left unsaid, capturing raw emotions. Themes of grief, religion, dispossession, Palestinian–First Nations solidarity, and quiet resilience are woven throughout. With its intimate plot and nuanced dialogue, Translations is ideal for fans of Etaf Rum and Yumna Kassab.
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace - 27/08/24
Blythe Hawthorn has always been fiercely independent and refuses to be controlled by anyone—not society, her overprotective father, or the insufferable man she's now bound to. Determined to be a thorn in his side, she finds life in his palace far from the decadent fairytale she imagined. However, as Blythe uncovers a new side of herself tied to his past, she must decide if she's ready to let an unexpected spark ignite and discover her true self. Wisteria, the thrilling conclusion to the Belladonna trilogy, is filled with dramatic twists and a seductive romance that will captivate readers.
Vortex by Rodney Hall - 27/08/24
In 1954, Brisbane is abuzz with the arrival of young Queen Elizabeth II on her first royal tour of the Commonwealth, but this is not the history you know. Events and characters intertwine in a whirlwind of fragments and chance connections, shaping the future behind closed doors and laying the foundations for the 21st century. This magisterial novel, by one of Australia's foremost authors, resonates with contemporary concerns and showcases the writer at the height of his ambition.
The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning - 29/08/2024
From bestselling author Kirsty Manning comes a stunning novel based on a true story of World War II bravery. Prisoners of war risk their lives to document Nazi atrocities, and one man conceals this evidence for decades before passing it to his family, who grapple with their inherited trauma.
In the 1940s, Nico Antonov is imprisoned in Austria's Mauthausen concentration camp. Despite the harsh conditions, he defies his captors. He meets Lena Lang, who helps him hide a secret photo book created by Spanish POW Mateo Baca, documenting the camp's horrors.
In Australia, from the 1980s to the present, Hannah Campbell discovers her grandfather Nico's photo album. The images make WWII's atrocities feel immediate. Haunted by them, she seeks the truth behind Nico’s past, realising the photos capture a shared humanity that must never be forgotten.
Here one moment by Liane Moriarty - 29/08/2024
Yes, unfortunately, we still have to wait a while for this one to be released! I am REALLY looking forward to this release.
It all starts on a flight from Hobart to Sydney. The flight is smooth, lands safely, and everyone disembarks. But something extraordinary happens: an unremarkable woman predicts how and when many passengers will die. For some, death is distant; for others, it is imminent. This brilliantly crafted story explores free will, destiny, grief, love, and the struggle for control in an uncertain world. Liane Moriarty, a modern-day Jane Austen, humorously critiques social norms while weaving a mysterious and thought-provoking tale.
International releases
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid - 06/08/24
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare's most infamous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her. The Lady knows the tales, that her eyes drive men to madness. She knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute who brings his warrior ways to their marriage. She knows she must navigate a hostile, suspicious court, using all her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive. But she does not know her husband harbours occult secrets and is shielded by prophecy. She does not know her magic is more powerful and dangerous, capable of threatening the world's order. She does not know this yet. But she will.
The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord – 13/08/24
June and Levi were best friends as teenagers until their friendship fell apart. Now, June is struggling to keep her beachside tea shop open, while Levi is a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist in New York. They haven't spoken in years, but after both experience humiliating break-ups that go viral, a photo of them together convinces the internet they're a couple. With everyone rooting for them, they decide to fake a relationship to benefit both their lives—helping June's shop and making Levi's ex regret her decision. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love through staged photo ops, then they can part ways without regrets... right?
By any other name by Jodi Picoult - 20/08/24
In 1581, Emilia Bassano, silenced like most women of her time, secretly brings her work to the stage by paying a man to use his name, thereby erasing herself from history. In the present, playwright Melina Green, inspired by her ancestor Emilia, faces a similar struggle in the still-unequal theatre world. As she contemplates sacrificing her credit for the chance to have her work performed, this intertwining narrative explores the ambitions, courage, and desires of two women willing to pay a great price to see their creations endure, even if it means being forgotten.
The Volcano Daughters by Gina Maria Balibrera - 20/08/24
You can order this one online as it doesn’t reach Australia until later.
Graciela, raised in the shadow of El Salvador's Izalco volcanoes, sees her life change when a messenger from the Capital claims her at nine years old. Selected to work as an oracle for the country's dictator, who believes she can foresee El Salvador's future, Graciela is taken far from her mother and friends to the city. There, she meets Consuelo, the sister she never knew. Despite their differences, the sisters become a small fortress within the dictator’s regime. The brutal massacre, La Matanza of 1932, changes their lives and country forever, but they never lose hope of being reunited. Narrated by the ghostly victims of the massacre, The Volcano Daughters is an unforgettable story of resilience, reinvention, and sisterhood.
These are some gorgeous covers. I can't wait for Lady Macbeth.