JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

GOOP Clean Beauty by the Editors of GOOP

The ultimate beauty guide from the experts at GOOP — the trusted resource for healthy, mindful living, curated by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Millions of women around the world turn to the clean-living team at GOOP for beauty advice. From nontoxic product recommendations, hair and makeup tutorials, to guidance on ageing, acne, and antioxidants, GOOP has become the go-to resource for head-to-toe beauty.

Finally, the editors of GOOP have shared their top tips and recommendations, favourite detox recipes, workout plans, and hair and makeup looks in one must-have guide. Featuring more than 100 gorgeous photos and extensive Q&As from GOOP’s family of expert contributors, GOOP CLEAN BEAUTY will shed a definitive light on the importance of diet, sleep, exercise, and clean beauty products, while offering tactical advice for healthy, glowing skin and hair that starts from the inside out.

This book is beautiful — gorgeous photographs, beautiful models, and well-explained instructions and recipes throughout the book. GOOP Clean Beauty covers so many different topics that you’ll definitely find something in here that’ll interest you. I really loved reading about about how sleep affects the body and the brain, and also GOOP’s tips for keeping clear, flawless skin.

It’s a big, gorgeous hardback book that acts as a bible for beauty. It covers beauty inside and out, food, makeup, hair treatment and skin treatment. There is a lot to this book if you take the time to read it. The foreword has been written by Gwyneth Paltrow herself, detailing her aim for not only this book but the GOOP brand and also what she hopes her readers will get out of this Clean Beauty guide.

“The whole concept of beauty is complicated. It’s kind of like love — you know it when you see it — but that only really holds when it’s in the flesh, unbiased by Photoshop, Instagram filters, Glam Squads, and really great lighting and photography.”

GOOP Clean Beauty is full of scientific information behind what the company is arguing, as well as interviews with renowned specialists about their recommendations and suggestions for readers. It’s actually a really well structured book, presenting a lot of information to the reader and making their purchase feel worthwhile.

This book did seem to be a bit of a marketing ploy to plug their GOOP products, and when I looked online their products were very expensive (their little tub of facial mask is $125 USD!). They do plug some other products as well but they are also quite pricey and so this book is probably targeted at women who are quite well off or who earn quite a bit from their jobs.

“Lots of makeup layered on top of a breakout usually looks like…lots of makeup layered on top of a breakout. It’s a catch-22; in trying to minimise a problem area, you can end up highlighting it. The trick is to do as little as possible: Leave the clear spots on your skin as makeup-free as you can — there’s nothing prettier than bare skin, and it’ll distract the eye from the less alluring area.”

I really appreciated how simple the recipes are — there aren’t many ingredients you need to buy and a lot of the ingredients are pretty easy to find and aren’t too expensive. The photos that accompany the recipes are also gorgeous and well-presented and make the food look delicious.

GOOP Clean Beauty is full of valuable information about the body, and is a great companion to have on your bookshelf if you’re interested in how to live a healthier lifestyle (inside and out). The makeup tips and skincare advice are two particular highlights in the book and I think women who are in their mid 20s or older will particularly love this book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

GOOP Clean Beauty
The Editors of GOOP (curated by Gwyneth Paltrow)
March 2017
Hachette Book Publishers

A Beginner’s Guide to Losing your Mind by Emily Reynolds

A Beginner’s Guide to Losing Your Mind is a memoir about a girl with bipolar who spent years trying – and failing – to cope with her symptoms. Emily was diagnosed in her early 20s and spent many years trying to understand how to live with the diagnosis. She knew something was wrong even before being diagnosed; she couldn’t get any doctors to believe her.

This memoir is both hilarious and moving. Emily makes light-hearted jokes throughout the book and is brutally honest about her life’s experiences. She doesn’t shy away from talking about the tough topics. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to self-harm/suicide and how they enveloped her life and worsened her condition.

“But whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is that I was miserable all of the time. ‘Sad’ doesn’t quite capture how I felt – ‘sad’ is melancholic. Sad is soft. Sad is gentle. Sad is looking out of a window wistfully. What I felt was more vicious than that.”

Emily wrote this book because she couldn’t find a self-help book that actually helped her cope with her symptoms and she wanted something she could pass on to others.

A Beginner’s Guide to Losing Your Mind is a candid exploration of mental illness. Unflinching and brutally honest, Emily Reynolds has detailed exactly how depression affected her life. She dedicates a chapter to self-care and how she didn’t possess any, harming herself in her bed and then sleeping in bloodied sheets. Emily had empty wine bottles all over the floor, and used a cheese grater as a spoon because she didn’t own any cutlery. Sanitary products cost money and would require her to leave her apartment to buy them, so she didn’t, and she rarely showered.

This is an incredibly brave memoir about navigating mental health, but it’s also a fantastic resource for any reader struggling with it themselves. After the end of every chapter, some of which focus on education, relationships and self-harm, Emily gives advice for anyone going through the same thing. And even though I’m not the target audience for that section of each chapter, the advice seems reasonable and practical. She wrote it because all the self-help books that she read gave impractical advice that didn’t really help her. So, she wrote this book in the hope that she might be able to pass her knowledge on to anyone else struggling with depression.

“Empathy can’t – or shouldn’t – be limitless; there’s a point in which you really should stop making excuses for other people’s shitty actions.”

This benefits readers who want to understand what mental illness is like and how it can affect a person’s life, in case they have a loved one going through it and needing help. Emily talks about her family, and she offers advice to those who may have a loved one going through depression. She advises them to be a listening ear because there’s no quick or easy fix to that person’s condition. You need to be patient and understanding and not bully or judge the person for their condition.

I loved this book so much and devoured it in one sitting. It’s shocking, hilarious, eye-opening but also extremely well written. This is the book you should pick up if you’re interested in gaining more insight into mental illness.

Thank you to Hachette Publishers for sending me a review copy of this title.

A Beginner’s Guide to Losing Your Mind
Emily Reynolds
March 2017
Hachette Publishers

The Art of Discarding by Nagisa Tatsumi

The Art of Discarding was first published in 2000 and is now reprinted as a gorgeous, nifty hardback. Nagisa argues that we need to learn to let go. She tackles the psychological issues that people have with getting rid of things. In particular, a reluctance to discard things ‘just in case’, the desire to hoard things, and guilt about getting rid of things that were gifts.

“The subject of tidying first caught my attention when I was in junior high school. The catalyst was a book called The Art of Discarding by Nagisa Tatsumi…this book completely opened by eyes to reorganisation”
-Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying

The Art of Discarding is a quick, simple remedy for anyone who is struggling to declutter their lives. The advice is straight-forward, well explained, and accessible for all readers. Some of the information did seem a bit outdated, and in this reissue, Nagisu could’ve included more up to date information. For example, she talks about people who do bookkeeping/keep physical copies of all their records, but she doesn’t mention that people might keep these electronically now and perhaps that’s what people should do.

There is a lot of mention about books/magazines and how adults feel like those are the two things that they feel can’t throw away, but probably should. I found this enlightening, given I have too many books and bookshelves and I’m constantly trying to donate excess books. I have a rule: If I’ve read the book and I know that I’m never going to read it again, I donate it. There’s no use keeping a book that you’re not going to read again (or admire ever again!)

The Art of Discarding really has two sections: Nagisu goes through ten attitudes that people can adopt to help them tidy up their things. And then she goes through ten strategies fro discarding. These two sections help break up the book and the reader can flick through it really quickly.

This book is very focused on Japanese culture with Japanese customs. Nagisa talks about post-war attitudes in Japan and how that has affected people’s inability to declutter their homes. But this is really only relatable for Japanese readers. For example, Nagisa talks about her mother and how she has post-war-thinking: “As children in the post-war years her generation knew real want. They were marrying at a time when the country had begun to produce a succession of new home-electrical and other products. Things are precious to them. They can’t throw away something useable without a sense of guilt.” Whilst I found this interesting, I couldn’t relate because I’m not from Japan and I also wasn’t alive during the Second World War.

“To stop seeing things as sacred you have to tell yourself one thing: When I’m dead, it will all be rubbish.”

Even in the year 2000, Nagisa was ahead of her time. She probably didn’t predict a tidying up trend, but she’s considered one of the first authors to write a book about this topic. She definitely delivers some home truths. Things that people might not want to admit are true but really are: “Disposal of most things in the house is often down to women – clothes, shoes, socks, general household goods, etc.” Women usually are more motivated to declutter than males are, and it’s clear with every household example that Nagisa gives.

I recommend this book to those looking for other ways to declutter. This book is also good for those of you who are quite organised, but just need that bit of extra help. You might be quite tidy and you don’t have much stuff, but perhaps you have quite a lot of documents on your work desk and you’re not sure whether they should be thrown out or filed away.

Thank you to Hachette Publishers for sending me a review copy of this title.

The Art of Discarding
Nagisa Tatsumi
March 2017
Hachette Publishers

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Born A Crime
Trevor Noah
December 2016
Hachette Publishers Australia

Trevor Noah is the host of The Daily Show in the United States and has just published his memoir Born a Crime, documenting his life in South Africa under apartheid and then the country’s entry into a post-apartheid era in the 1990s.

The title of the book comes from the illegality of his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. As a result, Trevor was kept indoors for the early years of his life, his mother going to extreme efforts to hide him from a government that could steal him away. Eventually, South Africa was liberated of the tyrannical white rule and Trevor and his mother lived openly and freely.

“The only time I could be with my father was indoors…if we left the house, he’d have to walk across the street from us.”

Born a Crime is comprised of eighteen personal essay chapters, each prefaced by a short piece explaining an element of the apartheid in South Africa. Most of the chapters focus on Trevor’s relationship with his mother, who is smart, bold, brash and did the best job she could raising him and keeping him safe from harm.

“We waited and waited for a minibus to come by. Under apartheid the government provided no public transportation for blacks, but white people still needed us to show up to mop their floors and clean their bathrooms.”

Trevor’s memoir is compelling and inspiring but also comical and entertaining. He reflects on his caterpillar dinners and that time he was thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping. He also spent a week in jail because he didn’t want his mother to know what he’d done. Trevor had a lively childhood and many chapters will make the reader laugh. By high school, he had become entrepreneurial, copying and selling pirated CDs to classmates and also standing in line at the cafeteria and to make a profit from students’ orders.

There is also a darkness to Born a Crime. When he was an adolescent, his mother married an auto mechanic Abel, whose Tsonga name Ngisaveni translates to ‘Be Afraid’. At times, he is caring and compassionate, but other times he is highly controlling and violent. Trevor and his mother became the victims of domestic violence and no matter how hard Trevor tried to convince his mother to leave, she always came back, fearful of what Abel would do to the family. Additionally, every time she went to the police with her complaints, the police would laugh it off as silly marriage issues and wouldn’t charge Abel.

In the end, Abel shot Trevor’s mother in the back of the head in a fit of rage. She survived, miraculously, but Abel was not charged. Even though Abel and Trevor’s mother are now divorced, even now after all these years he lives a few streets away from her. Born a Crime is as much a story about Trevor’s mother as it is about Trevor. She’s a courageous, resilient woman who worked hard to give Trevor the life that he deserved and to give him the skills to succeed in life.

I really enjoyed reading Born a Crime. It’s well-written and reflective, but also fast-paced and heartbreaking. It not only tells the story of Trevor’s childhood, but it highlights his mother and her role in his life. The book exposes the absurd and damaging apartheid and the historical significance of its liberation. Born a Crime was a great read and I have a whole new level of respect for Trevor (and his mum!) after having read the memoir.

Thank you to Hachette for sending me a review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

2016 Christmas Gift Guide

If you can believe it, we’re just over one week away from Christmas! For those of you who are still stressing over what to buy your family and friends, I’ve put together a list of books that I’ve really loved this year and would be great gifts for your loved ones. See below for the breakdown!

BOOKS FOR ADULTS

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (Fiction)

The Bennet sisters have been summoned from New York City. Liz and Jane are good daughters. They’ve come home to suburban Cincinnati to get their mother to stop feeding their father steak as he recovers from heart surgery, to tidy up the crumbling Tudor-style family home, and to wrench their three sisters from their various states of arrested development.

The Lucas family’s BBQ throws them in the way of some eligible single men. Chip Bingley is not only a charming doctor, he’s a reality TV star too. But Chip’s friend, haughty neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy, can barely stomach Cincinnati or its inhabitants. As Liz is consumed by her father’s mounting medical bills, her wayward sisters and Cousin Willie trying to stick his tongue down her throat, it isn’t only the local chilli that will leave a bad aftertaste.

From the hand of Curtis Sittenfeld, Pride & Prejudice is catapulted into our modern world singing out with hilarity and truth.

Who’s That Girl by Mhairi McFarlane (Fiction)

When Edie is caught in a compromising position at her colleagues’ wedding, all the blame falls on her – turns out that personal popularity in the office is not that different from your schooldays. Shamed online and ostracised by everyone she knows, Edie’s forced to take an extended sabbatical – ghostwriting an autobiography for hot new acting talent, Elliot Owen.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)

‘I don’t want that nurse touching my baby.’

Those are the instructions from the newborn child’s parents. However, when the baby goes into cardiac arrest, Ruth, a nurse of twenty years’ experience, sees no option but to assist. But the baby dies. And Ruth is charged with negligent homicide.

Ruth is shattered and bewildered as she tries to come to terms with her situation. She finds different kinds of support from her sister, a fiery radical, and her teenage son, but it is to Kennedy McQuarrie, a white middle-class lawyer, to whom she entrusts her case, and her future.

Working Class Boy by Jimmy Barnes (Non-Fiction)

A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of Ozrock – there isn’t an accolade or cliche that doesn’t apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan – a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life.

Working Class Boy is a powerful reflection on a traumatic and violent childhood, which fuelled the excess and recklessness that would define, but almost destroy, the rock’n’roll legend. This is the story of how James Swan became Jimmy Barnes. It is a memoir burning with the frustration and frenetic energy of teenage sex, drugs, violence and ambition for more than what you have.

Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford (Non-Fiction)

Personal and fearless – a call to arms for feminists new, old and as yet unrealised by one of our most outspoken feminist writers.

Online sensation, fearless feminist heroine and scourge of trolls and misogynists everywhere, Clementine Ford is a beacon of hope and inspiration to thousands of Australian women and girls. Her incendiary debut Fight Like A Girl is an essential manifesto for feminists new, old and soon-to-be, and exposes just how unequal the world continues to be for women. Crucially, it is a call to arms for all women to rediscover the fury that has been suppressed by a society that still considers feminism a threat.

Victory at Villers-Bretonneux by Peter Fitzimmons (Non-Fiction)

It’s early 1918, and after four brutal years, the fate of the Great War hangs in the balance.

Across a 45-mile front, no fewer than two million German soldiers hurl themselves at the Allied lines, with the specific intention of splitting the British and French forces, and driving all the way through to the town of Villers-Bretonneux, at which point their artillery will be able to rain down shells on the key train-hub town of Amiens, thus throttling the Allied supply lines.

Arriving at Villers-Bretonneux just in time, the Australians are indeed able to hold off the Germans, launching a vicious counterattack that hurls the Germans back the first time. And then, on Anzac Day 1918, when the town falls after all to the British defenders, it is again the Australians who are called on to save the day, the town, and the entire battle.

The Good People by Hannah Kent (Fiction)

Nóra Leahy has lost her daughter and her husband in the same year, and is now burdened with the care of her four-year-old grandson, Micheál. The boy cannot walk, or speak, and Nora, mistrustful of the tongues of gossips, has kept the child hidden from those who might see in his deformity evidence of otherworldly interference.

Unable to care for the child alone, Nóra hires a fourteen-year-old servant girl, Mary, who soon hears the whispers in the valley about the blasted creature causing grief to fall upon the widow’s house. Alone, hedged in by rumour, Mary and her mistress seek out the only person in the valley who might be able to help Micheál. For although her neighbours are wary of her, it is said that old Nance Roche has the knowledge. That she consorts with Them, the Good People. And that only she can return those whom they have taken…

Grog: A Bottled History of Australia’s First 30 Years by Tom Gilling (Non-Fiction)

Writer Tom Gilling presents a compelling bottled history of the first three decades of European settlement: how the men and women of New South Wales transformed the colony from a squalid and starving convict settlement into a prosperous trading town with fashionable Georgian street names and a monumental two-storey hospital built by private contractors in exchange for a monopoly on rum.

Grog is a colourful account of the unique beginnings of a new nation, and a unique insight into the history of Australia’s long love affair with the hard stuff.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)

What if they hadn’t gone? That’s the question Clementine can’t stop asking herself. It was just a backyard barbeque. They didn’t know their hosts that well. They were friends of friends. They could so easily have said no.

But she and her husband Sam said yes, and now they can never change what they did and didn’t do that beautiful winter’s day.

Victoria by Julia Baird (Non-Fiction)

When Alexandrina Victoria was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 20 June 1837, she was 18 years old and barely five feet tall. Her subjects were fascinated and intrigued; some felt sorry for her. Queen Victoria is long dead, but in truth she has shaped us from the grave. She was a tiny, powerful woman who reigned for an astonishing 64 years. By the time of her Diamond Jubilee Procession in 1897, she reigned over a fourth of the inhabitable part of the world, had 400 million subjects, and had given birth to nine children.

A fascinating, provocative and authoritative new biography of Queen Victoria which will make us see her in a new light, from one of Australia’s most admired and respected journalists and commentators, Julia Baird.

COOKBOOKS

Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay
Australia’s most trusted and best-selling cookbook author, Donna Hay, wants to take you from basics to brilliance.

Donna believes that, just like anything you want to be good at, mastering the basics is how you build confidence. So, in this book, she’s sharing all her favourite, tried and true recipes – think the perfect tender steak, golden roast chicken, crispy pork belly, her nan’s sponge cake, and of course the fudgiest brownies! Each basic recipe is followed by clever variations and simple flavour change-ups, so one recipe becomes many and your repertoire naturally grows.

This is your ultimate guide to being brilliant in the kitchen!

Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay
‘If you think you can’t eat as well at home as you do in a restaurant – think again. I’m going to show you how to cook stunning recipes from Bread Street Kitchen at home.’ Gordon Ramsay From breakfast to dinner and everything in between, this is a collection of 100 fresh new recipes from Gordon Ramsay and the award-winning team at Bread Street Kitchen.

The Bikini Body: 28-Day Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Guide by Kayla Itsines
The body transformation phenomenon and #1 Instagram sensation’s first healthy eating and lifestyle book!

Millions of women follow Kayla Itsines and her Bikini Body Guide 28-minute workouts: energetic, kinetic, high-intensity interval training sessions that help women achieve healthy, strong bodies. Kayla’s audience is avid and growing, with over 10 million followers worldwide.

The Bikini Body 28-Day Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Guide features:
– A 4-Week workout plan which includes Kayla’s signature 28-Minute workouts
– 200 recipes

The Zen Kitchen by Adam Liaw
The new cookbook from Adam Liaw, one of Australia’s favourite foodie celebrities and former winner of Masterchef. A cookbook of easy-to-prepare Japanese recipes and philosophies for the home kitchen to guide you and your family to healthier, more enjoyable meal times.

With Adam’s simple and accessible style and his belief that cooking is a celebration of food, philosophy and culture, The Zen Kitchen is your practical guide to cooking tasty Japanese family food at home.

Street Food Asia by Luke Nguyen
Join Luke Nguyen on his latest adventure through the bustling and fragrant backstreets of Asia. Through Saigon and Jakarta, to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, Nguyen uncovers the hidden locations and secret eats of four very different cities and their street food cultures.

Venturing out at dawn and late into the night to discover street vendors, stallholders and roaming food carts, Nguyen captures the energy of each place at their busiest times of the day. Vibrant local personalities, colorful photographs and stories about the most unique dishes lead us through one of the world’s richest and most fascinating food traditions.

Salads and Vegetables by Karen Martini
Karen Martini is one of Australia’s most respected chefs, and is well known for her show-stopping salads. This collection draws on her genius in teaming gorgeous produce with cheese, nuts, pastry, legumes, herbs and spices to create stunning and nourishing vegetable-led dishes that you’ll make again and again.

The Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook by John Susman, Anthony Huckstep, Sarah Swan and Stephen Hodges
The definitive guide to cooking great fish.

Written by the most respected authorities on seafood in the country, this landmark publication contains all you need to know about selecting and preparing over 60 types of fish and seafood, including catching methods, notes on sustainability, flavour profiles and cooking guidelines.

More than 130 recipes showcase the delicious potential of the vast array of seafood available, and clear step-by-step photography illustrating the key techniques takes all the guesswork out of cooking seafood at home.

Smith & Daughters by Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse
Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (That Happens to be Vegan) ignores convention in favour of plant-based creativity in the kitchen. Shannon comes from the perspective of a carnivore and combines science, innovation and whimsical methods to create dishes and flavors that aren’t the norm for vego/vegan food. She instead tries to replicate the tastes and textures of meat that is the opposite of bland, predictable vegan food. Across 7 chapters, including big plates, small plates, salads, sweets, dressings and drinks, Smith & Daughters offers 80+ delicious vegan recipes with a Spanish twist to recreate at home.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Pointe by Brandy Colbert
Theo is better now. She’s eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction?and his abductor.

Donovan isn’t talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn’t do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she’s been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, exes Kady and Ezra – who are barely even talking to each other – are forced to fight their way onto the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But the warship is the least of their problems. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results. The fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what the hell is going on.

The Diabolic by S.J Cincaid
A Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for. Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia.

When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia – a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything.

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanangan and Deborah Biancotti
Introducing Zeroes – featuring six unique superheroes, one bag of stolen drug money, one bungled bank robbery and a whole heap of trouble. All adding up to one outstanding YA series by three extraordinary writers.

Don’t call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening instalment of a thrilling new series.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E Schwab
Sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic
In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port. But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams – but he can’t pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction – if they don’t kill each other first.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a freshman. And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. But Charlie can’t stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Second-hand bookshops are full of mysteries. This is a love story. It’s the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets, to words. It’s the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea. Now, she’s back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal. She’s looking for the future in the books people love, and the words that they leave behind.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At eighteen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget it. The thick glass of a mason jar cuts deep and the pain washes out the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the bridge. Your best friend who is gone forever. Or your mother who has nothing left to give you. Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen to find your way back from the edge.

When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah
When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees – standing on opposite sides. Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre. Michael’s parents have founded a new political party called Aussie Values. They want to stop the boats. Mina wants to stop the hate.

When Mina wins a scholarship to Michael’s private school, their lives crash together blindingly.

BOOKS FOR KIDS (UP TO 12)

There is a Monster on my Holiday Who Farts by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
Ever wondered what could remove that smile from the Mona Lisa’s face? What could force the Buckingham Palace guards to run for their lives? What mighty gust of wind could finally make the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall?
Ages 3+

The Bad Guys 4: Apocalypse Now by Aaron Blabey
It’s a ZOMBIE KITTEN APOCALYPSE! Should you panic? Should you cry? Should you poop your pants? NO! Just sit back and watch the fur fly as the world’s baddest good guys take on Mad Marmalade’s meowing monsters!
Ages 6-10

Wormwood Mire by Judith Rossell
When Stella Montgomery returned to the Hotel Majestic cold and wet but exhilarated by adventure, the Aunts were furious. Now they are sending Stella away to the old family home at Wormwood Mire, where she must live with two strange cousins and their governess.

But within the overgrown grounds of the mouldering house, dark secrets slither and skulk, and soon Stella must be brave once more if she’s to find out who or what she really is …
Ages 9+

Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh
Artie and his best friend Bumshoe have stumbled upon a Cave-of-Possibly-Stolen-Stuff, and along with it a gang of shady characters including scary Mary, fang-toothed Funnel-web and the devious Mayor Grime.

Artie and Bumshoe’s attempt to solve the mystery sparks a chaotic chain of events that involves kidnapping, puppy-dog cutlets, modern art and pioneering the sport of the bungee- wedgie. It’s a sticky situation and if Artie’s going to he might need help from family, friends, a little old lady, a small dog and the Fartex 120Y.
Ages 8-12

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
The pressure’s really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his “creative side.”

As if that’s not scary enough, Halloween’s just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle. When Greg discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can he get his mom off his back by making a movie … And will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg’s troubles?
Ages 8-12

The Unforgettable What’s His Name by Paul Jennings and Craig Smith
Now you see him, now you don’t – an action-packed adventure about a boy who just wants to blend in.

Even before all this happened I had never been like the other kids. I tried not to be seen. If I climbed a tree or hid among the bins, no one could find me. ‘Where’s What’s His Name?’ they’d say. Then, one weekend, I got what I wanted. First, I blended in with things. But on the second day I changed. I mean, really changed.
Ages 7-12

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition
Prepare to be spellbound by Jim Kay’s dazzling full-colour illustrations in this stunning new edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Breathtaking scenes, dark themes and unforgettable characters – including Dobby and Gilderoy Lockhart – await inside this fully illustrated edition. With paint, pencil and pixels, award-winning illustrator Jim Kay conjures the wizarding world as we have never seen it before.

Marge in Charge by Isla Fisher
Jemima and Jake’s new babysitter doesn’t look too promising. In fact she looks very sensible, very old and VERY small (she only comes up to daddy’s armpit!). But the moment their parents leave the house, Marge gives a mischievous wink, takes off her hat and reveals a marvellous mane of rainbow-coloured hair!

Marge really is a babysitter like no other and the children spend a wild evening with her – racing snails, slurping chocolate soup and mixing potions in the bath! But if Jake and Jemima want her to babysit again it’s time for them to take charge of Marge, tidy up and settle her down for a little sleep.
Ages 6-9

Ruby Red Shoes Goes to London by Kate Knapp
Ruby and her grandmother love to travel and now they are in London, the home of red buses, red telephone boxes and red letter boxes. No wonder Ruby’s red shoes feel especially at home in this wonderful city!
Ages 4+

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