One doesn’t have to be a bookworm or avid reader to appreciate the gift of a good book.

Considering Father’s Day is coming up quick (it’s on September 3 this year), a good book that whoever you are celebrating is sure to get lost in is always a good bet for a gift.

Outside of gripping novels and inspiring biographies (our go-to for the dads and granddads in our lives) there are helpful guides and how-to’s for hobbyists, limited edition collections for those with unique interests and even just great coffee table books for the man who dabbles in interior design.

From sport deep dives to best-sellers, we’ve found the best paperbacks and hardcovers to gift every man in your life.

Best Books To Gift Men

kindle

Kindle, $179 at Amazon

If he’s an avid reader and his bookshelf is overflowing, it may be time to upgrade him to a kindle, saving him space and money in the long run.

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Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, $24.99 at Dymocks

This best-selling memoir by Academy Award winning actor, Matthew McConaughey, is a book Dad is sure to love. Filled with life-lessons and antidotes from throughout his life, this is a non-stop thrill to read.

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On The Ashes by Gideon Haigh, $34.99 at Dymocks

If he’s a die-hard cricket fan then he will love this breakdown on the history of the iconic Ashes match by leading cricket writer Gideon Haigh.

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The Chilpilly Six by Lucas Jordan, $28.50 at Booktopia

For the history buff, this book delves into the story of the heroic Chilpilly Six and their lives before, during and after the first World War .

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The Star Ward Archives 1999-2005 by Paul Duncan, $50 at Dymocks

Dive into the archives behind the iconic Star Wars series and discover script pages, concept art, storyboards and more in this keepsake coffee table book for fans of a ‘galaxy far far away’.

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Lessons by Ian McEwan, $20.35 (usually $22.99) at Booktopia

The latest novel by the best-selling author of Atonement, Lessons is an breathtaking story of love from a character who watches history pass by.

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Tell Me Your Life Story Dad, $19.95 at Amazon

Delve into the history of your own family with this keepsake book to gift Dad and have him complete the prompts so you can understand him on a whole new level. There is also one for Grandpa if you want to explore a generation further.

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How To Drink Australian by Jane Lopes & Jonathon Ross, $69.99 (usually $79.99) at Dymocks

The perfect gift for the budding sommelier, this in-depth books goes into the the history of Australian winemaking and the different styles and techniques around the country.

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Down Under by Bill Bryson, $19.25 (usually $24.99) at Booktopia

Uncover parts of Australia you’ve never thought of before with this hilarious and insightful travel book into our very own home.

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Best Seat In The House by Jack Nicklaus II & Don Yaeger, Audible subscription from $16.45 at Audible

If they’re constantly complaining they don’t have the time to read an Audible subscription is their perfect gift, putting thousands of books into their earbuds so they can listen on the go. This best-seller is a beautiful audiobook for fathers by one of the best golfers of all time.

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The post Give Dad the gift of a good read this Father’s Day with the best books for men appeared first on Now To Love.

In a digital world, it is all too easy to get lost in the online and forget about the analogue world of books and physical media.

Growing up I was an avid reader, you could not pull me away from a book. But as is only natural, I got older and it became harder and harder to prioritise reading and I became positively stuck in a dreaded reading rut.

However last year, after years of letting my pile of ‘to-read’ books become dangerously high, I decided once and for all that I was going to get out of my rut.

It certainly wasn’t easy. I definitely found myself pushing, pushing, pushing to keep going. But on this journey, I learned to fall back in love with literature and curated some tips to keep me engaged.

Nearly a year and a half later, I can say proudly I am well and truly out of my slump. I’m normally reading a book a fortnight and have had the pleasure of getting lost in some true works of art.

Top tips for getting out of a reading rut

• Read your favourite book again. Go back to your childhood and read a long-forgotten favourite, remind yourself of the magic of getting lost in a good book.

• Set a timer for 15 minutes before bed and read until it goes off. If you are enjoying it, keep going! If not, at least you got 15 minutes in.

• Try a new genre or style than what you used to read. Taste changes and who knows you might love it!

• Don’t be afraid to opt out. Many of us feel the need to finish every book we start but if you aren’t loving it, don’t force yourself to continue! That will only make you read less.

• If you’re time-poor or are often stuck in long drives into the office, an audiobook is a great way to immerse yourself without having to physically read a book.

• Take recommendations. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers what they’re reading – it may inspire you.

Now I wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for the books that helped pull me out, in the hopes that these might end up on your shelves or bedside table, below I’m taking a look at some of my very favourites.

Happy reading!

The 12 books that helped me get out of my reading rut

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Sunbathing by Isobel Beech, $32.99 at Dymocks

If packing up and moving to the Italian countryside is something calling your name right now, this book will only serve to further convince you. A devastatingly beautiful depiction of grief and healing, Sunbathing by Isobel Beech started for me as a beachside read, only to help me come to terms with my own journey of loss and the hope that is sure to follow.

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The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, $32.99 at Dymocks

A biting satire about the political situation in 1980s Sri Lanka, this story follows closeted war photographer Maali Almeida as he navigates the afterlife. This book won the 2022 Booker Prize and is a must-read for those who are a fan of political, social and historical commentary. I also loved the use of second-person writing, which you don’t often come across but made an engaging and immersive read.

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Everything Feels Like The End Of The World by Else Fitzgerald, $24.90 (usually $29.99) at Booktopia

This is absolutely the book that pulled me out of my rut. I read this cover to cover in one day whilst on a trip with zero phone reception and have not stopped talking about it since. A collection of short fiction stories that delves into what the future of the world may look like. It explores grief, love, climate anxiety and despair with devastatingly descriptive prose and detail.

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Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, $17.70 at Amazon

With the entwined stories of twelve characters, this book had me hooked immediately. It tells the story of Black, mostly women living in England as they navigate the world, with each story linking and connecting throughout the novel. Don’t expect a distinct ‘storyline’ per se, but instead, a realistic and beautiful look into a world and experience you may not have had the pleasure of being familiar with.

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Just Kids by Patti Smith, $24.99 at Dymocks

I am not one to read a memoir usually, particularly in the world of music, but Patti Smith’s Just Kids is a book I will never forget. Having lived a life far more interesting than I will ever live, I enjoyed escaping to Patti’s experience in the 60s and 70s of New York and learning about an era I grew up envying; with thrilling cameos by icons like Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and more. If you’re a fan of rock and roll and not one to usually read memoirs, this is absolutely one to try.

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Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup, $33.88 at Amazon

For heartbreakingly beautiful descriptions of love, intimacy, and connection to nature, this novel by journalist Shubhangi Swarup is a must-read. It follows the interconnected stories of various characters across India and dips into the world of magical realism, which makes an imaginative and enchanting experience on every page.

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The Chiffon Trenches by Andre Leon Talley, $24.99 at Dymocks

I couldn’t possibly label myself a fashion nerd without featuring this memoir by the fashion journalism legend André Leon Talley on my list. Talley’s works are what sparked my own career, so this memoir provided a candid and inspiring glimpse into the life of one of my journalistic heroes. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast or simply curious about the backstage gossip of the supposedly glamorous industry, this offers an honest depiction of what the world of fashion is truly like.

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The Fran Lebowitz Reader, $21.75 (usually $24.99) at Booktopia

To be completely transparent, I haven’t even finished this book and I have to recommend it. Very rarely has a book made audibly laugh aloud, but this collection of essays by the iconic Fran Lebowitz is a must-read for the true cynic. I will preface that some pieces do feel dated or even culturally distant, but there are some absolute zingers to enjoy.

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After Australia edited by Michael Mohammed Ahmad, $23.75 at Booktopia

This collection of short stories, penned by a diverse group of Australian writers, provided me with the chance to immerse myself in the voices of authors I had never encountered before. It’s an engaging yet thought-provoking read that delves into the darker aspects of the country. Among the stories, Michelle Law’s Bu Liao Qing and Karen Wyld’s We Live On in Story stood out as remarkable highlights for me.

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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, $34.99 at Dymocks

If you haven’t heard the praises for this book, you might have been living under a rock. As someone who grew up watching McCurdy on the screen in iCarly (with her character, Sam, being my favourite), reading about the abuse she endured from her mother was a difficult experience, yet a wholly necessary one. This book delves into the painful and poignant details of the lives and challenges faced by a child actor, as well as the path to recovery.

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, $14.25 (usually $14.99) at Booktopia

When I decided to break free from my reading rut, I began with my all-time favourite book. Allowing myself to truly immerse in the enchanting world of Wonderland reminded me of the very reason I developed a love for reading in the first place.

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Become written and narrated by Michelle Obama, $27.99 at Audible

If you’re anything like me and fell in love with the honesty and authenticity of former First Lady Michelle Obama, this is the book for you. In fact, I would argue that listening along to the audiobook, narrated by Michelle herself, makes an even more engaging experience. Michelle delves into her career as an attorney as well as the highs and lows of serving as the first African American First Lady and it makes a truly inspiring listen.

You can even try out this book for free when signing up for a trial with Audible, after that the membership is only $16.45 a month for access to thousands of audiobooks and podcasts.

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The post I was in a reading rut for years, these 12 books helped pull me out appeared first on Now To Love.

A neatly-packed, little box of books that sits on your doorstep, waiting for you to open and delight in all its goodness, a book subscription is simply one of life’s greatest joys.

Saving you the time spent stuck at the bookstore, gazing at all the shelves and genres for what to pick next, a book box will do it all for you and send you a curated selection from your favourite genres.

Finding the right book subscription can be tricky, though, which is why we’ve gathered some of the best book subscription boxes in Australia for you to enjoy.

The best book subscription boxes in Australia

Bionic Book Subscription

Bionic Book Subscription, $99.95 per quarter at isubscribe

This personalised book subscription service will send you books via an algorithm that learns your taste preferences, as well as expert curators, to select and send books you’ll love. You can enjoy a mix of new and recent releases across fiction and contemporary classics.

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Mystery Book Subscription Box

Mystery Book Subscription Box, $75 per six months at Etsy

Enjoy a great selection of preloved books, coming straight to your door for six months, with a range of extras to keep you reading comfortably. You can expect to receive three or six books sent to you month by month, across a genre of your choice.

“Purchased as a gift subscription for Father’s Day and he absolutely loves it! Such a fantastic and unique option for a book lover for yourself or a loved one,” a five-star reviewer said.

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Ultimate Mystery Book Subscription Box

Ultimate Mystery Book Subscription Box, $95 per quarter at Etsy

Sent to you month by month, each box contains three or six great books with one hand-drawn bookmark, a new handmade candle in a variety of colours, scents and containers, and new pair of socks.

“Got 2/3 books so far and I’m loving the selection!! Can’t believe I got a mint-condition hardcover on my first go, it was an amazing surprise. The custom little bookmarks are cute too, I’d recommend this subscription in a heartbeat and can’t wait to purchase a second round,” a five-star reviewer said.

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Australian Magazine Subscription Magshop

Australian Magazine Subscription, from $36.99 at Magshop

Magshop features all of the top selling Australian magazine subscriptions in one place, making it easy for you to enjoy your favourites. You’ll find all kinds of publications in its extensive catalogues – from entertainment, lifestyle, fashion and beauty to games and puzzles, health and fitness, cooking, homes, and so much more.

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The post Four book subscription boxes to help revive your reading list appeared first on Now To Love.

Each title has been reviewed by our respected book reviewers, Katie Ekberg and The Weekly’s editor at large Juliet Rieden.

We have something to suit every kind of bookworm, so settle in with one of these Women’s Weekly recommended reads, all available through Booktopia.

Want more book reviews from The Australian Women’s Weekly? Sign up for our e-Newsletter!

MAY’S GREAT READ: The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa

When Ally Keller’s daughter emerges into the world, she’s silent, whimpers and finally howls – and it’s no wonder. The midwife who pulls her out condemns the newborn – “It’s a Rhineland bastard. You’ve brought a mischling into the world. This girl isn’t German, she’s Black,” she viciously announces. “She’s Lilith. Her name means light,” Ally corrects.

It’s 1931 and a terrifying change is underway in the fatherland of freethinking German writer Ally whose daughter is the result of a passionate affair with a black German musician. Her parents disowned her when she fell pregnant and soon Ally discovers her progressive ideas are out of step with the status quo.

As she grows up, Lilith learns to only go out under the cover of darkness, while at home Herr Professor, a Jewish lecturer thrown out of his university, becomes her educator. By age five she has nailed Pythagoras; age six she’s reading Shakespeare. But then as age seven draws near Lilith is called up in front of the German Commission for Racial Purity, her features measured in a chilling, barbaric scene.

“I’d read about the terrible fate of more than 60,000 Black Germans under the Nazis,” author Armando Lucas Correa says of his inspiration for this haunting novel. “Under the Nuremberg racial laws that Hitler introduced ‘mischlings’, mixed-race children, were sterilised when they turned seven. I started writing when my twins, Anna and Lucas, turned seven, and like Lilith’s mother, the number seven became an obsession for me. I couldn’t help thinking that my children would not have survived under Hitler’s racial laws.”

Ally is forced to make a terrible choice and opts to send Lilith on a ship to Cuba in the care of Jewish neighbours who also desperately need to escape. What follows is an epic tale with powerfully drawn characters through whom we learn the human cost of a history that in different guises is still with us.

“While I was writing the novel, the magazine where I was working was covering the US-Mexico border crisis in the Trump era. I remember many women questioning the mothers who’d sent their children alone to the US, accusing them of being bad mothers,” notes Armando. “Then I started thinking about the more than 10,000 children sent alone to London to save them from Nazi Germany … Let’s learn not to judge. No one knows what a mother, a father has to do to save their child.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cuban writer Armando Lucas Correa started his career as a theatre critic and after moving to the US in 1991 became a reporter for the Spanish version of The Miami Herald and later at People magazine in New York.

His first novel, The German Girl, was published in 2016 and an instant bestseller. The Night Travelers is his fourth novel and like all his books has women at its heart. “I grew up surrounded by strong, intelligent, determined women. My grandmother and my mother are the inspiration for all the female characters in my novels.”

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Dust Child by Nguyên Phan Quê Mai, Bloomsbury

Phong, wife Binh, son Tai, and daughter Diem sit in the American consulate. “Throughout his life, he had been called the dust of life, black American child, bastard. He had to fulfill his promise to bring Binh to America, away from the rubbish dumps where she worked, collecting plastic and paper. A country that voted for a black president had to be better than here.”

But Phong wasn’t expecting an old visa application to be on file – one prepared by a crook who promised to help illiterate Phong in the US if he took his family with him. “You claimed strangers as family members. You broke the law.” Meanwhile, Trang and sister Quynh work rice fields – backs breaking. They are starving and need to find their way out. The intimate care for every character is phenomenally beautiful.

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Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, Penguin

A bird’s-eye view over New York City as a generationally wealthy family unwittingly humiliates a new family member who has made an embarrassing error of dress. Chip and Tilda Stockton bought a new flat after handing their four-storey Brooklyn house in the fruit streets section of Brooklyn Heights (Pineapple, Orange and Cranberry) to son Cord and wife Sasha.

Spending time to create a beautiful meal for her in-laws, Sasha is hurt as they arrive with bags of take-out. At a house-warming party Sasha dons smart blue trousers and a crisp white shirt. All night she is asked for drink top-ups or to carry dirty plates away. “You’re wearing the same as [housekeeper] Berta!” trills Cord’s sister. “They must have thought you were a caterer!”

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The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams, Affirm

Companion novel to The Dictionary of Lost Words, sharing some common characters, but robustly standalone. Home to the Oxford University Press, Jericho has long been a bohemian community. It’s 1914 and when Great Britain declares war on Germany, it’s up to the women to keep the nation running. Motherless twins Peggy and Maude work in the bindery at the OUP. It’s the year writer Vera Brittain goes to Oxford to study English; Peggy reflecting, “I imagined spending my days reading books instead of binding them.”

Vulnerable Maude is happy with her lot. Actress Tilda, Ma’s best friend, promised to watch over the girls, staying in touch for all the “firsts” – Christmas, Easter, anniversary of her death. Later Tilda writes, “Asquith has become immovable on votes for women. Mrs Pankhurst thinks the war could be our Trojan horse and she’s mobilising her troops. She’ll find a way to keep us in the papers.” She certainly did.

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The Prize by Kim E. Anderson, Pantera

Flawless character studies unfold like a painting in this fictional account of the scandal surrounding William Dobell’s portrait of artist friend and lover Joshua Smith, which won the 1943 Archibald Prize. When the modernist portrait was accused by two artists of being a caricature and legal action taken as it “did not define the Archibald bequest”, even though the action was unsuccessful, the two artists are caught in a public spectacle.

They met in 1939, introduced by a friend in London. Bill takes Joshua to Wangi to stay at the cottage built by his father on the west shore of Lake Macquarie. It’s called Allawah, the Aboriginal word for “make your home here”. They paint, swim, become lovers. “Galleries are being infected by the ideas of the avant-garde,” says an artist at her studio soiree. “When the shape of a head is a violin, one has to question the integrity.” Australian society was conservative, homosexuality illegal and the “grotesque” painting described akin to a praying mantis.

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The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges, Pan Macmillan

Myra was five when her beloved grandmother, Trixie, died in a car crash; Myra at her side. Bereft, she is given Trixie’s miniature doll’s house, which is still her reason for living, at 34, as a recluse in the attic of her cabin in the Arizona mountains where the mini mansion resides.

Her stories of the minuscule palace are followed by tens of thousands of fans – Myra placing two tiny rockers either side of the library fire, sending bloggers wild. But the mansion has a life of its own – music playing in corridors; happenings Myra has no control over. Meanwhile, Rutherford Alexander Rakes hates working front of house at Rakes & Son, Lockhart, Texas. When two Mansion fans need help recreating one of Myra’s rooms, he is shocked to recognise his ancestral home.

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Read more book recommendations in the May issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly – on sale now.

The post Looking for a page turner? Here are all of the best new books to read right now appeared first on Now To Love.

“The spiral staircase appears to float, a twist of wrought iron eerily suspended between the chestnut groves below and the twelfth-century spire above”, writes author Dominic Smith.

This engrossing novel is packed with such evocative descriptions that immediately pull us into seductive Umbria.

Here, centuries of history are layered not just into the buildings and landscape, but the people. As the novel opens, we are in 2011 in Valetto, where just 10 residents remain in a town that once boasted 3000. In WWII it was a haven for refugees, with locals working for the Resistance.

Our protagonist Hugh is a Michigan history professor and single father to Susan, who is studying economics at Oxford University. Despite his daughter’s entreaties, Hugh is unable to shake a pall of grief following the untimely death of her mother, his wife, some years before.

But there is a great deal to love about this gentle man who recalls halcyon childhood summers spent in a cottage in the grounds of the family villa, visiting his three aunts and grandmother.

He arrives in the town to help with the preparations for the 100th birthday celebrations for his granny Ida Serafino but soon discovers Elissa, a Milanese chef living in his cottage.

She says the home was gifted to her family by Aldo Serafino, Ida’s husband, a Resistance fighter who disappeared during the war. It’s a claim the Serafino women cannot accept until a terrible incident involving Elissa and Hugh’s mothers comes to light.

Smith’s Valetto is fictional, inspired by his research into abandoned Italian towns. The female characters are “an amalgamation of the real and the invented”, he says.

“I was lucky enough to grow up with three older sisters and a mother who has endured a lot, so it felt natural to write about strong, resilient women.”

As for the character of Hugh, Smith concedes there may be a dash of his own personality in there. “My two daughters just read an advance copy of the novel and were speculating about that very thing! I’d say Hugh and I share a habit for wry commentary, self-deprecation, and we’re both sentimental but try to hide it.”

READ MORE: for more great book reviews by The Weekly see here for our top picks for March

About the author

Dominic Smith first penned short stories as a lad growing up in Sydney. “I gravitated toward far-flung places and people as a way of connecting with my surroundings but also as a way of ‘bridging the gap’ of the Pacific,” he says.

“That impulse has stayed with me as a writer.” In his last year of a graduate writing program he began writing novels, “calling them ‘long stories’ in case they didn’t work out”.

He now lives in Seattle, has published six novels including the multi-award-winning The Last Painting of Sarah de Vos, and is the father of two daughters.

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Get more top book recommendations in the March issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly – on sale now.

The post REVIEW: Dominic Smith’s evocative descriptions in Return To Valetto will immediately pull you in appeared first on Now To Love.

Each title has been reviewed by our respected book reviewers, Katie Ekberg and The Weekly’s editor at large Juliet Rieden.

We have something to suit every kind of book worm, so settle in with one of these Women’s Weekly recommended reads, all available through Booktopia.

Want more book reviews from The Australian Women’s Weekly? Sign up for our e-Newsletter!

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell, Bloomsbury

Swirling storytelling in the backstage machinations of the Mercury “tragic-play” Theatre Company. Jenny Wilcox’s theatre painter brother stole the family money and absconded with a “soubrette” (supporting actress) to America.

She has a job interview with theatre owner’s wife Mrs Dyer, who says her job is “correspondent”: to keep an eye on lead actress Lilith, who Mrs Dyer believes is sleeping with her husband.

The salary is £40 a year – our protagonist becomes a spy. But menacing superstitions hover behind the curtain. Bewitching Lilith has a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress ever to grace the stage.

Besotted Jenny befriends her but commits a cardinal sin when she speaks the play’s name (Macbeth). A curse is unleashed.

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River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, Hachette

It’s 1834 and Rachel has been a slave for 40 years at the Providence Plantation, Barbados.

When the Master announces that the King has decreed the end of slavery, but they must all still serve a six-year apprenticeship, Rachel runs. Freedom would be hollow if she didn’t find her children.

One day a sack is pulled over her head and she’s taken to a house. Mama B – Bathsheba – took her because “Me see it in your face. Your pickney [children]. You want to find them.”

Mama B’s working girl protege Hope helps Rachel find mute daughter Mary Grace. Thomas Augustus begs her to stop and stay with him at a camp of runaway slaves.

Then on Trinidad she finds fashionable (fairer-skinned) daughter Cherry Jane and kind-hearted pregnant daughter Mercy being beaten.

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The One and Only Dolly Jamieson by Lisa Ireland, Michael Joseph

Inspired to write this moving, dignified novel after striking up a conversation about a book a homeless woman was reading, Ireland recalls, “She said most people didn’t even make eye contact with her. She felt normal for a while.”

Dolly Jamieson, 78, doesn’t use the word “homeless”; she’s “without a permanent abode”. Plucked from her Geelong mill machinist job at 14, the talented singer, and dancer wowed in lead roles in ’60s West End and Broadway productions.

A life of hard knocks has not destroyed gutsy Dolly’s spirit when she meets a sad, well-heeled younger woman, writer Jane. The pair connect, discovering identical losses.

Dolly’s star is born again as her story is penned by Jane in a magical memoir.

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The Favour by Nicci French, Simon & Schuster

Jude is planning her wedding to bland Nat when the dangerous boy she devoted a summer of loving to before going to university to become a doctor pops up out of the blue.

Despite not having seen each other for a decade, Liam has an audacious and odd favour to ask and – bizarrely – Jude feels she can’t refuse. Cue a slick, twisty plot that leads to Liam’s murder and Jude’s life unravelling at an alarming pace as she is caught up in the investigation.

Nicci French’s best-selling thrillers are the work of married writing couple Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Do their combined brains cancel out gender bias, giving their characters yin and yang? It’s hard to say, but together they certainly create a pounding and addictive aura of suspense.

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The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele, Hachette

London 1941: A German Luftwaffe bomb has Baker Street in chaos. Children in pyjamas run for underground shelters, the “Moaning Minnie sirens” at full tilt. French agent Colette arrived in her hotel minutes before and must jump from her window ledge.

Below Flight Lieutenant Alec Scott grabs an ARP warden to catch the injured spy in a blanket. When he visits her in hospital she has complete memory loss, but he realises, “I would walk on hot coals to hold this hand again.”

Jump to 1997, and widow Amy Novak’s daughter Holly doesn’t want to go to school again. Once a classical musician, Amy now researches Cabinet Office declassified files.

Amy meet Colette: two peas in a pod.

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The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Hachette

A hypnotic debut thriller about posthumous baby Maya who never met her Guatemalan father. Her nurse mother warned her there was mental illness in the family and she should steer clear of drugs.

But grown-up Maya is having withdrawals from panic attack pills, which she used to buy from a friend who’s now disappeared. Her boyfriend Dan doesn’t know of her addiction, nor that she drinks morning vodka shots.

Maya hasn’t been back to the “cabin in the woods” where her friend Aubrey died “a sudden unexplained death” at 17. When another woman suffers a similar fate there, Maya is forced to return.

There’s embarrassing light relief as glass-eyed Maya consumes daquiri, red wine, and no food, at Dan’s birthday dinner for his mother at his parents’ posh house in what is a spine-chilling Gothic tale.

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Solito by Javier Zamora, Oneworld

Javier is nine, waiting to join his mother and father in ‘La USA’. Born during El Salvador’s 1990 civil war, he was a baby when his father fled, and gets nervous talking to him on the bakery telephone, but notes he has a soft voice. He lives with grandparents in a tiny village and is tired of relatives talking about his upcoming trip.

There are two types of courier, the one bringing expensive American toys to “Chepito” – he has a Panasonic video player – and the “coyote” Don Dago, who will accompany him on the 3000-mile journey, which was to take two weeks but lasts two months. When Grandpa has to return to El Salvador long before the journey is over, sensitive Javier feels “alone, lonely, solo, solito, solito de verdad (really alone)”.

But his fellow migrants tenderly pass care of the boy from one to another, teaching him survival skills.

BUY NOW at Booktopia.

The Artist’s Secret by Alexandra Joel, HarperCollins

Art historian Wren Summers possesses talent, taste and integrity. Daughter of a brilliant hippie artist, she was brought up in a commune. In 1987 she lands her dream job at Sydney Art Museum as a curator and is chosen to go to Rome to collect a rare Raphael painting.

When she meets Signor “call me Alessandro” Baretti, who owns the gallery, “a tide of attraction swept through her. She’d never felt so drawn to a man.”

A former editor of Harper’s Bazaar, author Joel gifts us insider fashion observation at a 1988 Sydney Opera House gala.

“You look fabulous. I wish they’d put me in what you’re wearing,” Princess Diana tells Wren. “Wren could swear she glimpsed a hint of desperation in Diana’s limpid blue eyes.”

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Life Unhurried by Celeste Mitchell, Katie Gannon and Krista Eppelstun, Hardie Grant

Slowing down is the new post-pandemic travel mantra and in this stunning book based on the blog of the same name, you’ll find a dreamy collection of Australian retreats to visit, switch off and recalibrate.

With a focus on sustainable tourism in small-scale sanctuaries, these are truly unique and enticing finds showing a new way to have a break. Enjoy!

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Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love and Rivalry in 1920s Paris by Mark Braude, Hachette

Illegitimate Alice Prin was 12 when summonsed to Paris by her mother. She loved the city on sight and would become artists’ muse “Kiki de Montparnasse” at the Jockey nightclub in the gritty neighbourhood where she was queen in the 1920s.

She never knew if she would perform; sometimes too drunk, but the clang of cutlery on tables by adoring fans would bring her on stage purring and growling to the “music of organ grinders and dancing bears”. If a singing voice could smell, hers would be “garlic hitting a pan’s hot butter and wine,” writes Braude.

It was her decade-long entanglement with artist and photographer Man Ray that propelled him to wealth and fame, and she to capture the spirit of the age, by doing no more than making a performance of herself.

“The affection from her ardent watchers sprung from recognition of shared circumstances.”

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MARCH TOP BOOK PICK: Read our in-depth review for Return to Valetto by Dominic Smith here.

The post What to read in March: The Favour by Nicci French, Solito by Javier Zamora and more great reads appeared first on Now To Love.

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Back in 2013, Chris Harrington may have found love in Summer Bay, but I found mine in a dance studio in Sydney in 2013.

I was preparing for an upcoming tour and using the studio for rehearsals and back-up dancer auditions. While passing through the waiting area, I saw a woman I recognised from Instagram. And this, kids, is how I met your mother. (Just kidding, I don’t have kids.) And this, friends, is how I met Tahnee Sims.

Technically, I met Tahnee on Instagram a few months prior. I don’t know what Insta-cupid was working their magic, but I stumbled onto her account, and after scrolling through a checkerboard of photos of her dancing, laughing with friends and travelling the world, I immediately knew I needed to know more.

So I did what any sane 26-year-old would do. I slid into her DMs [direct messages]. We chatted a bit back and forth, but nothing too deep. When I saw her in person, it was so unexpected that I didn’t really know how to approach her.

Hey, I’m the guy from your inbox!

Hey, I’m the guy who deep-scrolled and accidentally liked that photo you posted in February 2012. (Still dying of embarrassment.)

Hey, I’m the guy who would desperately like to get to know you.

They all felt wrong (clearly). For a few weeks, we kept crossing paths at the studio, but neither of us could work up the courage to do more than hold eye contact for slightly longer than one should or fumble our way through small talk.

One Monday, we were both walking out the door at the same time when her friend, Amy, tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hey! Are you free Wednesday?” she chirped.

I cracked a grin because I could smell a schoolyard date set-up a mile away.

“Yes …” I said coyly.

Amy turned to Tahnee and stated, “And you’re free Wednesday… So why don’t you two hang out?”

WATCH: Johnny Ruffo returns as special guest on Dancing With The Stars. Article continues after video

Thank God I managed to make my brain work with my mouth and tap into the charming guy I knew that lived inside me. From there, I asked Tahnee for her phone number and invited her over for dinner and a movie.

When Wednesday rolled around, I was conscious that I was nervous. There was something about Tahnee that made me struggle for words.

While she is an absolute stunner, I’m going to conclude that it was her talent as a dancer and radiant energy that rendered me smitten. The woman was pure daylight.

Tahnee arrived at 7pm on the dot and the first thing out of her mouth was a playful jab at me for not selecting her as a backup dancer. Ooooooph. “I didn’t get to choose! It was up to the producers,” I tried to explain.

Tahnee laughed and then joked with a wink, “It was sh-t choreography anyway.”

Over the course of the evening, I learned that Tahnee was originally from Byron Bay and had been studying performing arts in Sydney for two years. Passionate about dancing, she was working heaps and probably didn’t even have time to be my back-up dancer.

Even though I was touring and doing shows and Tahnee was dancing most weekends, we managed to find time to have lots of evenings like this. About three months in, I got to meet her family.

I don’t know why I thought they’d be pot-smoking, Camilla kaftan-wearing, green-juice-drinking yuppy hippies, but they couldn’t have been further from that. In fact, Tahnee’s dad, Kevin, and brother, Jayden, are total cowboys. I’m serious. You could serve an entire Christmas dinner on one of their belt buckles.

And before I knew it, we were all chatting away about everything from travel to TV shows to tennis.

On the flight back to Sydney from Byron, I kept thinking about how much I liked Tahnee and her family. The magnitude of it made me nervous.

What if I stuff it up?

What if Tahnee meets someone better?

What if I meet someone better?

Determined not to let my inner monologue get the best of me, I pushed those confronting thoughts aside and asked Tahnee how she felt about travelling over to Perth with me to meet my nonna and family.

She very much liked the sound of it.

No Finish Line by Johnny Ruffo is out now (Allen & Unwin). BUY HERE from Booktopia.

The post “She made me struggle for words”: Johnny Ruffo recalls the moment he first laid eyes on his girlfriend Tahnee Sims appeared first on Now To Love.

While this is a standalone, if you haven’t read the first novel, now is the perfect opportunity.

The power of Burton’s writing is in the lush three-dimensional world she creates – it’s as if the paintings of the Dutch masters have sprung to life, the damp streets and elegant houses of the waterside city alive with dark, complex characters.

Nella Brandt, the heart of the first novel, is now a widow grappling with the disgrace heaped on her house following the death of her husband Johannes at the end of the first book, and the prurient fascination with her niece Thea, the illegitimate daughter of Johannes’ sister Marin and his African man servant Otto.

Marin died in childbirth and in their wills brother and sister left their townhouse to Otto, as well as shares and small parcels of land outside the city to Nella.

As The House of Fortune opens 18 years have elapsed, and Nella, Otto, Cornelia (the house’s cook) and Thea are still in the family home but struggling.

In theory they should have managed a comfortable existence with Otto, who had worked by Johannes’ side for almost a decade, easily capable of continuing his business.

But the stain of shame from Johannes’ past life and ugly racism levelled at Otto and Thea has taken its toll.

For her part Thea is unaware of her family history and desperate to know more about her mother, her father’s childhood as a slave, and the reason aunt Nella is so reluctant to return to her own home in the countryside.

But no one is keen to tell Thea the truth. The naïve teenager is also hiding her own secret – a love affair with the chief set painter at the Schouwburg Theatre. But Nella has other plans – to find a wealthy suitor for her niece.

And the miniaturist whose spectre via beautifully crafted objects that signify eerie warnings, is back.

Burton says she felt compelled to return to the characters of her first book. “They’ve been a part of who I am, for a long time before I even wrote The Miniaturist. I can’t ignore them, so if they want to come out, I have to let them,” she teases.

In The House of Fortune Burton hopes readers will “feel transported into a story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, wrestling with her past, and what shape her future is going to take. I have tried to write a portrait of an unorthodox family, one full of difficulties but also love.”

Settle in for another intriguing page-turner.

BUY NOW at Booktopia

For more hand-picked recommendations, read our top books for August.

You can read this story and many others in the August issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly – subscribe here.

The post REVIEW: The one thing Jessie Burton “felt compelled” to do when writing The House of Fortune appeared first on Now To Love.

Much of the discussions around sexual autonomy, women in power, female rights, and discrimination based on gender have sought context from Julia’s speech. Whether through subliminal attribution or direct reference, its impact has grown stronger in the years since it first shot the nation out of one era and into another.

Across the room, she boldly declared to the then Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not… not now, not ever.”

WATCH: Julia Gillard give her Misogyny Speech in 2012.

Now Now, Not Ever: Ten Years on from the misogyny speech will be released on October 5 this year and a snippet has already been shared on the former PM’s website.

“Then it was done. After staying silent, I’d had my say. At no time did I feel worked up or hotly angry. I felt strong, measured, controlled. Yet emotion did play its role in the energy of the speech. The frustration that sexism and misogyny could still be so bad in the twenty-first century. The toll of not pointing it out,” it read.

The book will also include a variety of contributors who, along with Julia, will explore “the history and culture of misogyny, tools in the patriarchy’s toolbox, intersectionality, and gender and misogyny in media and politics.”

Some of the former Prime Minister’s contributors include Jess Hill, Jennifer Palmieri, Mary Beard, Katherine Murphy, as well as members of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.

Over the past 18 months, Julia’s speech gained a rebirth of sorts on TikTok when creators began to lip-sync to the speech and in the book, author Kathy Lette will share how the social media platform and other mediums responded to the political moment that occurred so many years ago.

WATCH: A TikToker perform Julia Gillard’s Misogyny Speech.

Notable Australians including actors Deborah Mailman and Cate Blanchett, former treasurer Wayne Swan and feminist and writer Anne Summers will also share their recollections of the speech.

Julia also includes excerpts from the next generations of feminists including Brittany Higgins, Sally Scales, Caitlin Figueiredo, and Chanel Contos.

The book’s proceeds will go to the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.

Can’t wait to get your hands on the book?

You can pre-order Now Now, Not Ever: Ten Years on from the misogyny speech from Booktopia for the reduced price of $27.75 ahead of its October 5 release here.

The post 10 years on from her iconic misogyny speech, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard is releasing a book all about it appeared first on Now To Love.

Starting out with our top pick, Wake by Shelley Burr, we have something for every kind of reader, from romance to crime.

So settle in with one of these great reads, all available through Booktopia.

Wake by Shelley Burr, Hachette

In the heady rush of Aussie crime thrillers flooding the bookstores, Shelley Burr’s Wake is blazing its own trail. For this gripping drama boasts all the energy of a true-crime podcast with a cast of wounded characters you desperately want to protect.

The action takes place in rural NSW, in a tiny outback town where farm life has been decimated by drought. Nannine is notorious, though, for a very different reason. It was here almost 20 years ago that nine-year-old Evelyn McCreery went missing, vanishing from her house one night seemingly without a trace. Her twin sister has lived in the shadow of Evie’s presumed abduction and murder ever since and when a private investigator turns up wanting to dig around, she is understandably sceptical. But Lane Holland has a record of solving cold cases and there’s something about him. Soon Mina finds herself letting him in, hoping he might be able to find her sister.

In a complex and tightly wrought plot, Lane tries to crack not one but two disappearances of young girls, all the time playing his own cards close to his chest. The subsequent tale pulsates with intrigue, something Shelley Burr worked hard to achieve.

“You need to hold a rope at two points to put tension on it,” she explains. “In a story, those two points are how much the reader wants to see the characters safe and happy, and the danger the story puts them in. If the reader doesn’t care about the characters, it doesn’t matter how high you ratchet up the danger, there’s no tension. The rope just flaps about.”

As for the plot, Shelley says it was inspired by the curious phenomenon of true-crime bloggers. “I went through a period of fascination with unsolved crime forums,” notes Shelley. “There are people on there who are deeply empathetic, trying to bring attention to forgotten cases and John/Jane Does. But it also creates an environment where people lose touch with the fact that they are talking about real people, especially when it comes to the surviving relatives and friends of victims. I read one particularly invasive comment digging into the life of a victim’s brother, and Mina was born from the spark of horror I felt.”

The starkness of Shelley’s prose echoes the parched land, while her atmospheric descriptions draw you in to a town that quickly feels so familiar you could walk into the pub, pull up a stool and order a beer. The result is a yarn that feels so plausible and terrifying it stays with you. This is a plot ripe for TV adaptation.

Order it here from Booktopia.

Sheilas by Eliza Reilly, Pan Macmillan

A bushranger, a pilot and a WWII spy are among the “badass women” Reilly musters for this whip-cracking line-up of girls who shot through the glass ceiling. Over 120 years ago Sydney sheila Annette Kellerman was born with a debilitating bone condition and told she faced a life in a wheelchair. But her dad nailed down a doctor who suggested swimming. Out of her steel braces, the “Diving Venus” even performed her underwater ballet in front of royalty in London – the night the women’s one-piece swimming suit made its debut; her men’s bathers deemed too risqué. In America “She was all, ‘Dad, here’s an idea, what about I throw myself off some high things for money?’ as she dove out of a stone tower into raging seas.” Gorgeous hardback keepsake.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Caretakers by Amanda Bestor-Siegal, Little Brown

Set in the sprawling luxury mansions outside Paris, where au pairs are treated as family members. Geraldine is director of the au pair language school program, but numbers have dropped since the 2015 terrorist attack. The book opens with the arrest of Alena, accused of killing her charge, Julien, his body lying under a sheet as it is carried into the ambulance. A police officer questions caring Geraldine, who invites homesick students to stay at her apartment. Alena and Lou were both at her place when the alleged crime happened. Confident Lou voiced, “Maybe Geraldine could rescue the children from their parents.” Alena adds, “Where are the parents when we’re seeing all the ways they [the kids] are completely messed up?”

Order it here from Booktopia.

Remember Me by Charity Norman, Allen & Unwin

Twenty-five years ago, bushwalker Dr Leah Parata, 26, went hiking in challenging terrain near her home in Tawanui, New Zealand. She disappeared off the face of this breathtaking part of the world. The last person to see her was neighbour Emily Kirkland, 21. Leah’s mother, Raewyn, was the school bus driver, and has been caring for Dr Felix Kirkland, who has advanced Alzheimer’s. Emily returns from her London home to help. She is shocked to see “Feed dogs” notes, watch distressed Dad cut the heads off his prize roses. But when she discovers a box containing sultry photographs of Leah and devoted letters to father Felix from “L”, a can of worms opens up. Tightly constructed with a tender heart.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews, Raven Books

Stunning debut. Norfolk, 1643, and soldier Thomas Treadwater is home from civil war, summonsed by sister Esther, 16. She has accused a maid of improper behaviour with their widowed father – “We are under attack by ungodly evil,” she says.Maid Chrissa is taken to prison and accused of witchcraft and examined by a midwife to “see if her body has signs of communing with imps or the devil”. When Esther starts cackling and talking in tongues, Tom tries to sedate the “Non-Esther” drowning out his sweet sister. Esther’s origins are the stuff of myths. Sixteen years ago a baby was rescued from a shipwreck – the boat was lifted 20 feet by a sea monster with a head “like a rattlesnake’s” – and taken in by Tom’s father.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson, Hachette

Based on the real-life secret library that ran beneath London’s disused Bethnal Green underground station which was a half-completed stop when war broke out. Open from 5.30-8pm every day, doors were locked when the air-raid siren sounded – captive audiences down below. Fictional characters Clara and Ruby run the community service, which houses a theatre, nursery, bunk beds and a cafe. East Enders defied Churchill’s orders not to shelter in tube stations – though at 78 feet below ground, Bethnal Green was really safe, dubbed the “Iron Lung”. But countless books were destroyed in 1940 when a bomb hit the library. One of the most rewarding resistance stories of the war.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Promise by Damon Galgut, Chatto & Windus

This literary tour-de-force injects an epic family saga spanning three generations with razor-sharp observations on the failings of post-apartheid South Africa. At its heart is a promise which is given and then broken with devastating results. Rachel Swart is on her death bed when she asks her husband to give their black maid, Salome, the deeds to the small house she lives in on the family farm, as recognition of her unfailing service. It was Salome who cared for Rachel, taking on the dirty jobs the family couldn’t or wouldn’t face. Manie agrees but reneges on his promise, along with two of their three children. As grief engulfs them all Damon Galgut flits among his characters, embodying each to tell their stories with mesmerising results.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Mother by Jane Caro, Allen & Unwin

Jane Caro is a firebrand on issues facing women so it’s no surprise that her first foray into novel writing tackles domestic abuse. But don’t expect a polemic, this is a clever domestic noir with a plot that keeps you guessing. At the centre is North Shore real estate agent Miriam Duffy who is feeling bereft when her recently wed youngest daughter Ally stops contacting her. They used to talk most days. Is Miriam being needy or is something up? As she delves further Miriam realises they don’t know new son-in-law Nick at all and what she starts to uncover she doesn’t like. The shocks come thick and fast, as love, loss and empathy combine with explosive effect. Most of all, these are people we can all recognise – friends, family, neighbours.Thought-provoking reading.

Order it here from Booktopia.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin, HarperCollins

A ton of reasons to love this high society season debut, which begins in conniving Kitty Talbot’s cottage home in Dorset, 1818. Eldest of five sisters, Kitty must fortune-hunt when her fiancé drops her for a prettier catch. Her late mother arranged the match before she died, now father has died too. The “unredeemable cad” wants a political career, which he could hardly do “married to someone like you”. But, not for the penniless reasons Kitty assumes. She’s concealed Mama’s youthful demimonde in London with actress “Aunt” Dorothy who, at 45, dyed her flame-red hair brown, morphing to respectable widow, “spending days in houses she had only spent evenings”. Is the Talbot courtesan scandal out? Bookish sister Cecily recoils. Under Dorothy’s wing in London, haut ton Archibald de Lacy drools over Kitty from his theatre box. Dashing brother Lord Radcliffe steps in, a fencing match for wily Kitty. Sage, sassy, word perfect.

Order it here from Booktopia.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Hachette

Loosely based on the real-life 1973 case of Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf, 12 and 14, sterilised without their consent in Alabama. Their social worker blew the whistle and the case went to court and won – a pivotal moment in reproductive injustice among poor, black minors. Their mother could not read or write, and signed an “X” not knowing what she was consenting to. In this exploration of the ramifications, Erica, 13, and India, 11, live in a shanty cabin with their widowed father and grandmother. Our protagonist, nurse Civil Townsend, daughter of a doctor, works at Montgomery Family Planning Clinic. From a moneyed background, she has a car, so is assigned to this remote family. She had an abortion at 23; just starting her career. She buys the sisters clean clothes, takes them home for baths, eventually securing them a three-bedroom home. This beautiful book is both an elegy to the girls she came to love as family, and a letter to Anne, 23, the girl from the care system, who Dr. Civil adopted at 48.

Order it here from Booktopia.

A House Party in Tuscany by Amber Guinness, Thames & Hudson

Eighteenth-century Tuscan farmhouse Arniano was bought and restored by an English couple in the 1980s. Their daughter, Amber Guinness, discovered her passion for cooking there and set up a painting school. Stunning photography and mouth-watering recipes.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The post What to read in June, according to The Weekly: Wake, Take My Hand and more great reads appeared first on Now To Love.

Starting out with our top pick, The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, we have something for every kind of reader, from romance to crime.

So settle in with one of these great reads, all available through Booktopia.

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Hutchinson Heinemann

“We have your daughter.” So starts Jessamine Chan’s engrossing dystopian drama. Frida Liu is driving back from work when she picks up the message that summons her to the police station. It’s a call that would strike fear into the heart of any parent and for Frida kickstarts a terrifying spiral of repercussions.

Quickly we discover that her 18-month-old daughter, Harriet, was found crying at home alone after a neighbour notified the police. Right from the get-go Frida is treated as a “bad mother” who has failed at the most basic of female requirements. That she was exhausted, working for a demanding boss while minding her daughter; that her husband, Gust, had left her for a younger woman; that she was alone in an unfriendly city struggling financially and emotionally … all this matters little.

Frida had left Harriet safely strapped into the ‘Exersaucer’ contraption while she dashed into the office. She wouldn’t be long. Frida knows she messed up, she’d had “a very bad day” and her punishment unfolds at a startling pace.

Harriet is taken from her, custody given to her husband and his girlfriend. Cameras in her house now monitor her every move and supervised encounters with Harriet are scrutinised. In court she is found guilty of neglect and abandonment. If she submits to a year at an experimental reform school to learn “motherease” she may be reunited with her daughter.

At the school Frida meets other “unfit” mothers, each paired with a robot doll with uncannily human reactions to learn the “Fundamentals of Care and Nurture”.

“When I began this project in 2014, I was consumed with anxiety about whether or not to have a baby,” says author Jessamine. “In the midst of wrestling with my ambivalence, I read an article about a mother fighting to regain custody of her son after leaving him home alone and her nightmarish experience with the family courts. The clinical language used by Child Protective Services, and the keen sense of injustice I felt on that mother’s behalf, lodged in my memory. Mothers are judged even before their babies are born. And those judgements come from everyone. It’s hard to tune out the cultural message that mothers should always be striving to do better.”

The novel’s future world has an aura of possibility and we ache for Frida. Can she make it back to Harriet?

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Social Lives of Animals by Ashley Ward, Allen & Unwin

Professor in Animal Behaviour at the University of Sydney, Ward takes us on a fascinating journey revealing the hierarchy and habits of animals. Long-living elephant families are built around a single female matriarch. “The rest of her family choose to follow her for the good judgement she brings to her leadership.” A pride of lions has at its heart generations of lionesses, often great-grandmothers. They adopt orphans whose mothers were killed in confrontation. The kamikaze female honey bee dies, protecting her nests, when her sting snags in its target, pulling away her entrails. “Take locusts, surging over the land in their millions, unable to slow down for a moment because the hungry ranks behind will bite their legs off if they don’t stay ahead.” Superb!

Order it here from Booktopia.

Strangers I Know by Claudia Durastanti, Text

Part novel, part memoir, this coming-of-age story plunges us into the complex childhood of the author and her brother, born to deaf parents. Her father preferred people to “enunciate clearly”, slapping away their hands if they tried to use sign language, which in the family home was never used. Her mother became deaf following childhood meningitis and her parents sent her to a boarding school where the nuns recognised her artistic talent. “Deaf girls are funny – they’re wild,” her mother once declared. The author’s dedication is “to a girl and a boy [her parents] who lived through their deafness with recklessness. While I was trying to be brave or good, they were teaching me how to be free.”

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Plant Hunter by T.L. Mogford, Allen & Unwin

A splendid adventure in the fantastical Victorian plant-hunters’ world, whose bold travel and oft frowned upon removal of species resulted in exotic displays in London’s hothouses. Prestigious plant nurseries, such as Josiah Piggott’s Plant Emporium in this tale, attracted the influential in droves. Our protagonist, Harry Compton, is a fine horticulturist, but chosen as one of the dandy salesmen in top hat and frock coat for his handsome face, which makes wealthy women swoon. But a plant-hunter’s dream is an expedition. Harry is left a rare Icicle Tree flower by opium-addicted botanist Lorcan Darke and a map of its location in China. Harry risks all for his specimen and a green-eyed, red-headed artist.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Maid by Nita Prose, HarperCollins

Prepare to fall in love with Molly. Abandoned by her mother, raised by lifetime maid, granny Flora. Molly can’t believe her lofty position at the Regency Grand Hotel. She knows people think she is a lowly nobody but she loves her trolley’s “cornucopia of bounty”, and is proud to leave rooms in a “state of perfection”. Gran’s “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life” attitude bathed sheltered Molly in sunshine. But Gran died, unaware Molly’s bad egg romantic “date” emptied their bank account. Naïve Molly now believes the grill bartender is her boyfriend, unaware he’s using her as a mule to supply empty rooms for nefarious drugs activity.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh, Hachette

Tender, precious feminist retelling of Korean The Tale of Shim Cheong. Mina was born an orphan. Her grandfather says, “Nothing seemed to comfort you.” But then her gentle brother, Joon, insisted he held her. “When you opened your eyes, the smile that lit your face was the most wondrous I’d ever seen.” Joon loves Shim Cheong, but she has been chosen as sacrificial bride to the wrathful Sea God. Mina wraps the red ribbon of fate around her wrist and plunges into the sea in place of Shim. The village girl enters the bedazzling Sea God’s City, where immortals celebrate and feast, while humans suffer. An enigmatic, epic achievement.

Order it here from Booktopia.

Mother’s Boy by Patrick Gale, Hachette

A fictional novel loosely based on author Gale’s fascinating discovery in his twenties that British poet Charles Causley [Eden Rock] lived up the road. Charles, five, meets his father, Charlie, for the first time when he comes home from WWI a shattered man. Laundress mother Laura recognises her son is a prodigy. At five he counts the four syllables of the word “temperature” as she takes his father’s “tempritcher”, confused it has but three. A top scholar, he is beaten up at school, Mum observing, “[the boy] won’t be the last to be maddened by his brilliance”. Father dies of TB and Laura feels she and Charles are “all in all” to each other. But his prize-winning poem at grammar school reveals his true self, “safely in a place where only those granted the key access”. He begins hiding himself from Laura. At male bathing spots, Charles’ closet life reveals. In WWII he signs up with the Navy as a coder and Laura is alone. Devastatingly dignified.

Order it here from Booktopia.

Only Birds Above by Portland Jones, Fremantle Press

Uniquely crafted tale of two world wars, seen through Jones’ tender horse trainer touch, as man and animal sweat, suffer and support each other in terrible times. Blacksmith Arthur Watkins weds horserace crazy Helen, before he leaves WA to join the 10th Light Horse Battalion in the Middle East. “We’re shipping out soon, not all of us and some poor bastard’s got to stay behind to feed and shoe [the horses].” When the regiment returns, Arthur counts the losses by the number of riderless horses. “Herbert, 19, the best of him left at Gallipoli.” War over, silent, sealed Arthur, “His heart behind his ribs, like a dog behind a fence.” In 1945 Arthur’s son, Tom, is taken prisoner in Sumatra and forced to build the infamous “death railway”.

Order it here from Booktopia.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan, HarperCollins

Like her protagonist Hannah Rokeby, author Dervla McTiernan studied law at university and says she’s still fascinated by “its nooks and crannies and deep injustices”. This twisty thriller was sparked by a newspaper article about a law student working for the Innocence Project, which finds new evidence in cases where the accused continues to protest their innocence. Here, Hannah manages to secure a place on a project to free a convicted rapist and murderer currently on death row. The subterfuge is because Hannah believes he’s guilty, if not of this crime, certainly of another and she is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure he stays in prison. Her evidence – scribblings she has found in her alcoholic mother’s diary.

Order it here from Booktopia.

Joan is Okay by Weike Wang, Text

Joan-na, 36, as her mother likes to call her, breaking her name into two syllables, is an attending doctor at a New York hospital intensive care unit. Her parents returned to China 18 years ago; businessman brother Fang living in Connecticut luxury. At 18 Joan was dropped off at Harvard. “The speed of [my parents’] exit reminded me of those old cartoons, ‘That’s all, folks!'” Joan is a wonderful character – she doesn’t want to stand out but she is different. She has never had a boyfriend, she’s not interested; work is everything. When their father suffers a fatal stroke, Fang flies them first class for the funeral. Joan is back at her work station the next day, but forced on bereavement leave. “I relish being [an anonymous] cog. What I was experiencing now was the reverse crisis. No person-y things to do.”

Order it here from Booktopia.

The post What to read in May, according to The Weekly: The School for Good Mothers, The Maid and more great reads appeared first on Now To Love.

It says a lot about how you know someone when you choose what type of story will capture their imagination – and if you’re not against writing inside their sleeves, a handwritten note brings some extra love to the page.

This Mother’s Day, show your mum how much you appreciate her by picking up a book to pair with your flowers.

We have sourced novels that fit every type of bibliophile itch like addictive page-turners, odes to the female experience, magical realism, and thought-provoking literature.

Below we have curated a list of 8 books published by authors around the world.

Want more Mother’s Day ideas? Take a look at the links below:

Nine perfect last minute Mother’s Day gifts for when you still haven’t bought her anything

Gorgeous Mother’s Day gift ideas under $100 so you can spoil mum without breaking the bank

The 18 best beauty gifts to give mum this Mother’s Day that you’ll want to “borrow” later

Treat mum this Mother’s Day with these 27 chic and indulgent gifts – because she’s worth it!

From elaborate bouquets to sweet native bunches, these are the best flower delivery services in Australia for Mother’s Day

Support the new mums in your life with these game-changing gifts for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day books

Charlotte Higgins’ retelling of iconic Greek Myths puts the stories of women narrators and characters into the spotlight. The novel reads like a collection of stories your mum can dip in and out of with its intriguing structural device woven between them that will likely halt her from putting it down.

Greek Myths: A New Retelling by Charlotte Higgins, down to $34.95, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a deeply heartbreaking but stunning literary debut from poet Ocean Vuong. The coming-of-age novel reads as a letter from Little Dog, in his late 20s, to his mother, who cannot read. It unearths a family history that predates his birth and tells the story of his family’s life in Vietnam to America, during and after the war.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, down to $17.52, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

If you’ve seen your mum read a copy of Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, then finish off her Taylor Jenkins collection with Malibu Rising. The intoxicating read takes place in sun-soaked 1980s Malibu and follows a family drama with so many twists your mum’s jaw will permanently drop.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, on sale at $34.37, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

The famous author of The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir’s lost book, has finally received its English translation. The compulsive story about two female friends growing up and falling apart gloriously depicts a tale so intrinsically connected to women’s experiences.

The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir, $24.87, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

Elena Ferrante places this book in her list of Top 40 Books by Female Authors for its notable depiction of three women trying to determine their lives in modern-day Tokyo. Thirty-year-old Natsuko is single but years for a child, while her older sister Makiko is an ageing hostess trying to hold onto her youthful features, and her daughter Modoriko is entering womanhood. Its author Mieko Kawakami dissects the conflicts and pain with beguiling nuance.

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, $22.11, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

This debut novel by Coco Mellors is a funny and evocative debut about the repercussions of one couple’s impulsive marriage. The book is likened to Modern Lovers and Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors, $38.67, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

The iconic author Zadie Smith won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for this literary piece about love and family. The novel follows two feuding families, The Belseys and The Kipps and their confusions, affairs, and histories.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith, $21.50, Book Depositary.

Mother’s Day books

In Tokyo, a small café has served coffee for a hundred years. However, it’s no ordinary establishment – customers can travel back in time, but they must obey four rules, or they may lose themselves forever. The novel adapted from plays introduces its reader to four visitors, each hoping to re-do the past.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, down to $15.73, Book Depositary.

The post Sing to the beat of your mum’s literary heart this Mother’s Day by gifting her a book she won’t be able to put down appeared first on Now To Love.

However, nothing is sweeter than fiction.

While we can’t possibly experience every type of love story possible in our lives, because, for one, that would be exhausting and second time is a finite resource, we can read!

Whether it was a beach read that exceeded expectations, a classic like Pride and Prejudice, or a guilty pleasure like Twilight, every reader has that book with a love so clearly written, it feels like it’s almost happening.

These page-turners are so romantically captivating, all responsibilities get thrown out the window, the pages are unashamedly stained, and they breed an obsession akin to falling in literal love.

On theme for Valentine’s Day, here are 11 books with or about romance that will take over your life – for better or for worse.

romance books

Love Stories – Trent Dalton

Trent spent two months in 2021 asking people, “can you please tell me a love story?” and from those observations and reflections comes a warm, funny and moving book that pays tribute to the feeling we don’t always understand but definitely need.

$24.75, Booktopia.

romance books

The Stationery Shop of Tehran – Marjan Kamali

Set in Iran in the 50s, Roya falls in love with the handsome Bahman at her favourite stationery shop run by Mr Fakhri. However, Iran is changing around them and on the night before their wedding, the couple plans to meet in the town square, but when violence erupts, Bhaman never arrives. 60 years later, Roya finds herself at a college in California, but fate intervenes.

$17.95, Booktopia.

romance books

Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the first son who has a great marketing strategy for his mum, President Ellen Claremont. But when photos of a fight between him and his nemesis Prince Henry at a wedding leak, they stage a fake friendship between the men for damage control. However, the first son and prince find themselves in a secret relationship that could cause a major scandal.

$22.95, Booktopia.

romance books

How We Love: Clementine Ford

Australia’s feminist icon wrote this memoir to understand love in all its forms, which is a nice break from stories about pure romance. She details her experience of losing her mum, her first love, and motherhood.

$22.50, Booktopia.

romance books

Seven Days In June – Tia Williams

Eva Mercy is a single mum and erotica writer. Shane Hall is a reclusive award-winning author. When they meet a literary event, their chemistry is insane, but people don’t realise they already shared a week-long love affair years earlier and wrote about each other in their books. However, they’re pretending they don’t know each other, but how long can they deny their chemistry?

$48.25, Booktopia.

romance books

Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This work of magical realism is about Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza, who fell deeply in love in their youth. However, Fermina chooses to marry a wealthy doctor, and Florentino is distraught. Over decades, he becomes a successful businessman and has 622 affairs until Fermina’s husband dies, and he plans to declare his love again.

$33.75, Booktopia.

romance books

Everything I Know About Love – Dolly Alderton

The High Low‘s Dolly loves love, and this memoir about her experiences in early adulthood is a beautiful ode to many of life’s purest moments but none more than friendship. However, it also dives deep into the painful heartaches and losses we must overcome to grow. It’s also getting made into a television show, so it’s best to get your hands on a copy ASAP.

$20.35, Booktopia.

romance books

Like Water For Chocolate – Laura Esquivel

This worldwide bestseller translated from Spanish is magical realism at its best. It follows the unusual history of the all-female De La Garza family and Tita, the youngest girl, who is forbidden to marry her one true love, Pedro after her mother dies as per Mexican traditions. But over the next 22 years, freak tragedies, bad luck, and fate will bring them back to one another.

$17.95, Booktopia.

romance books

The Course of Love – Alain de Botton

Modern philosopher Alain de Botton wrote this novel to discover how to survive, endure and flourish in a relationship after the honeymoon period. Characters Rabih and Kristen find their love is complicated when they settle down, start a family and build a home – it’s a more realistic view on relationships that isn’t bleak.

$17.25, Booktopia.

romance books

Less – Sean Greer

A failed novelist is about to enter his 50s when a wedding invitation from his former boyfriend of nine years who is engaged to someone else. Unsure how to accept or decline the invitation, he accepts every literary invitation from events around the world. But can our novelist escape the past on his 80-day journey? Less is a touching novel filled with passages worth underlying with pen, for it speaks to the flaws and beauty of the human heart.

$22.75, Booktopia.

romance books

People We Meet on Vacation – Emily Henry

Alex and Poppy may have nothing in common, but they became best friends after sharing a car home during college until one fateful vacation ruined everything. However, two years later, Poppy realises that the last time she was happy was when they were friends, so she convinces Alex to take one more holiday with her – but what could go wrong?

$33.25, Booktopia.

The post From the unrequited to the fated: 11 romance novels that explore love in all its forms appeared first on Now To Love.

Just like magic, it’s 20 years later, and the original cast and filmmaker Chris Columbus are coming together to celebrate and reflect on the eight Harry Potter films.

From interviews to behind-the-scenes footage, get ready for an exciting journey through one of the most loved series of all time.

1. Harry is sorted into Gryffindor house (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)

The sorting ceremony was nerve-racking for a young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe, with Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall).

Although he was new to the wizarding world, Harry was desperate to be “sorted” into Hogwarts’ Gryffindor house. Thankfully, the sorting hat heard his plea, sending him there alongside his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).

Dobby is a free elf (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

Dobby is a house elf who was a servant to the Malfoy family for generations. For years, the mistreated Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones) dreamed that one day, they’d give him an item of clothing to release him from service.

After seeing the abuse he’s endured, Harry sneaks his own sock into Tom Riddle’s diary, which he returns to Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs). When Lucius unwittingly hands it to Dobby, he frees him from a lifetime of servitude.

Harry’s name being pulled out of the goblet of fire (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

Because he was only 14, Harry wasn’t eligible to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. But that only made it more shocking when the Goblet Of Fire spits out his name.

With no choice in the matter, Harry must compete alongside older, more experienced witches and wizards in the life-threatening challenges the tournament presents.

When Hermione punched Draco Malfoy in the face (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Ever since The Philosopher’s Stone, Draco Malfoy has been a bully.

So when Hermione finally gives Draco (Tom Felton) a piece of her mind (well, more accurately, all of her fist) after he sentences Hagrid’s (Robbie Coltrane) pet Hippogriff Buckbeak to death, it’s a triumphant moment for both the trio of friends and the audience.

Sirius Black is actually good (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Whispers of the ruthless Sirius Black had been circulating ever since Harry started at Hogwarts. But it’s not until his third year that he finally meets him.

While he’s terrified at first, Harry soon realises Sirius (Gary Oldman) isn’t a bad guy after all and discovers he’s been wrongfully locked up in Azkaban, the wizarding world’s strongest prison, for a crime he didn’t commit.

Snape’s true valour is revealed (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)

Harry never trusted Severus Snape, believing Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) former henchman was plotting his demise. But in the final film, we learn Snape (Alan Rickman) always had Harry’s best interests at heart.

After falling in love with Harry’s mother Lily (Geraldine Somerville), he vowed to protect them both until his last breath.

Ron and Hermione finally get together (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)

No matter how much Ron and Hermione denied it, there were something between the young wizards.

Although everyone around them, including us, knew there was romance on the cards, it took until the final film for them to admit their feelings for each other. Aww!

Stream Harry Potter on Foxtel Now, live and on demand with a 10-day free trial. START FREE TRIAL.

Or, stream Harry Potter on BINGE, live and on demand with a 14-day free trial. START FREE TRIAL.

The post The seven most magical, unexpected and heartwarming moments from Harry Potter appeared first on Now To Love.

It’s one thing to watch a scary movie, but there is something about reading a truly terrifying horror book that stays with you much longer than any movie jump-scares.

And while Halloween is a great time to read something spooky, the really good stuff can be picked up anytime of year.

Ranker, a website that collates votes of internet users from around the world, listed some of the scariest horror-fiction of all time in 2020.

While some time has passed since the list was last updated, good horror holds up for years, even decades after it first tops the charts.

So if you’re after a real scare this October or just want to pick up a new book you’ve never tried before, these are the novels you need to flick through.

But fair warning; you may want to invest in a nightlight while you read them…

The top 10 scariest books of all time

It: Stephen King

It by Stephen King comes in at number one, and it’s no surprise given the novel’s history in pop culture. It was the 2017 movie everyone was talking about and the book every horror enthusiast needs to read.

Buy the novel, $20.35, from Booktopia.

Pet Sematary: Stephen King

Pet Sematary by Stephen King (again) came in second, because only a horror genius like King could turn your pet into a horrifying entity.

Buy the novel, $18.95, from Booktopia.

Salem’s Lot: Stephen King

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King is number three on the list, and you’ll see his name again soon.

Buy the novel, $16.75, from Booktopia.

The Exorcist: William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty took fourth place. You may have seen the movie, but you haven’t been truly scared until you’ve read the book.

Buy the novel, $22.40, from Booktopia.

The Shining: Stephen King

The Shining by Stephen King came in at number five – spoiler alert, King took out sixth and seveth place too. This man really is the king of horror.

Buy the novel, $20.35, from Booktopia.

Misery: Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King was ranked at number six. While the movie starring Kathy Bates is intense enough as is, the book manages to be even more horrifying.

Buy the novel, $20.35, from Booktopia.

The Stand: Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King is seventh and it really is post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy at its best.

Buy the novel, $20.35, from Booktopia.

Dracula: Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker takes eighth place. Read it to discover why this 1897 novel remains of the most iconic and well-known horror books of all time.

Buy the novel, $12.25, from Booktopia.

The Haunting of Hill House: Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson has jumped to ninth on the list, party due to the popular Netflix show of the same name. Trust us when we say the book is so much scarier.

Buy the novel, $20.35, from Booktopia.

The Amityville Horror: Jay Anson

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson rounds off the list in tenth place, but don’t think it will be any less horrifying than the books above it.

Buy the novel, $31.95, from Booktopia.

The post The top 10 scariest books of all time, just in time for Halloween appeared first on Now To Love.

Can’t get enough of The Australian Women’s Weekly? Why not subscribe or treat a loved one to a subscription and save up to 25% off the retail price!

Subscribe to a year (12 issues) of The Australian Women’s Weekly for just $69.99. Plus, just by subscribing with Magshop, you’ll will automatically enter into Magshop’s $25,000 Cash Giveaway!

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The post Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly for your chance to win! appeared first on Now To Love.

Can’t get enough of Australia’s No.1 weekly magazine – Woman’s Day? Get your weekly fix of fascinating Royal and celebrity news, quick and delicious recipes, and of course, puzzles!

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Coercive control is now at the forefront of domestic violence campaigns, with countries like England and Wales introducing legislation that is transforming how society sees domestic abuse. Defined as a sustained pattern of manipulative behaviour – which includes emotional abuse, isolation, sexual coercion, financial abuse and cyberstalking – coercive control is often a strong precursor to physical assault and associated with 99 per cent of cases where a woman is killed by her current or former partner.

In Australia, coercive control is not considered a crime anywhere except Tasmania, and as a passionate rally cry to State and Territory governments to change legislation to include coercive control, Are Media has launched its Criminalise Coercive Control Campaign. Launched with Women’s Safety NSW, White Ribbon Australia, Small Steps 4 Hannah, Queensland Women’s Legal Service, Women’s Community Shelters and Doctor’s Against Violence Towards Women, and supported by Are Media brands marie claire, The Australian Women’s Weekly and Better Homes & Gardens, the campaign is calling for coercive control to be criminalised by July 2021.

Below, we’ve looked to the incredible books that spent years exploring the underlying consequences on coercive control – both on individuals and society – providing crucial research and resources for those affected. From real-life stories to forensic research, these authors provide a welcome acknowledgement of how damaging, and how prevalent, this issue is.

See What You Made Me Do, Jess Hill

In See What You Made Me Do, investigative journalist Jess Hill puts perpetrators – and the systems that enable them – in the spotlight, doing a deep dive into the abuse so many women and children experience. Hill combines forensic research with riveting storytelling, radically rethinking how to confront the national emergency of fear and abuse in homes.

Hill asks; What do we know about perpetrators? Why is it so hard to leave? What does a successful intervention look like? The result is an award-winning investigation into the violence all-too-familiar in Australian society, and how that violence is often enabled and reinforced by the judicial system meant to protect us.

Buy it here.

Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women In Personal Life, Evan Stark

Evan Stark wrote Coercive Control in 2009, long before it was taken seriously in domestic violence cases. The American researcher explored the critical importance of non-violent control of intimate partners via coercive control, breaking through entrenched views of physical abuse that have ultimately failed to protect women.

From “beeper games”, food logs, micromanaging dress, speech, sexual activity and work, Stark – also a founder of one of America’s first women’s domestic violence shelters – details coercive strategies that men use to deny women their personhood.

Buy it here.

Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control In Your Intimate Relationship, Lisa Aronson Fontes

In Invisible Chains Lisa Aronson Fontes, Ph.D., explores what happens when a romantic relationship turns to domination, deep-diving into how the desire to control can lead to jealousy, threats, micromanaging and even physical violence. If you, or anyone you know, is trapped in a web of coercive control, this book provides hope, looking to real-life examples, in-depth explanations of controlling behaviours and an exploration of the underlying pathology of coercive control. It’s also aimed at helping readers recognise controlling behaviours of all kinds, determining whether they are in danger and find the resources necessary to regain independence.

Buy it here.

No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, Rachel Louise Snyder

Journalist Rachel Louise Snyder, through No Visible Bruises, gives context for what we don’t know we’re seeing. It looks to the common myths surrounding domestic violence: that if things were bad enough, victims would just leave, that a violent person can become non-violent and that violence inside the home is a private matter, sealed from the public sphere and disconnected from other forms of violence. Snyder delves into the stories of victims, perpetrators, law enforcement and reform movements, exploring the real roots of domestic violence, it’s consequences for society and what it takes to address it.

Buy it here.

Women with Controlling Partners, Carol A Lambert

Lambert, a psychotherapist and domestic violence expert with three decades of clinical experience, based Women with Controlling Partners on her highly successful recovery program for women with controlling partners, giving strength, courage and strategies to acknowledge coercive control. The book uses Lambert’s three-stage recovery model, encouraging readers to be “empowered to move out of denial, deconstruct what holds you hostage, and take back your life.”

Buy it here.

Sign our petition calling on the government to make coercive control a crime and help us change the lives of thousands of women.

If you or anyone you know needs help or advice, contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Main Image Credit: @blackincbooks

The post 5 books that shine a light on what coercive control really looks like appeared first on Now To Love.

We dig through the crop of new and exciting tales from authors at home and abroad to recommend you the very best in reading material.

Each month we publish our pick of the best books to dive into, as well as our Great Reads – the best of the best!

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Keep on scrolling to see our top book picks for September.

Our Great Read for September:

The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy

Literary fiction

The narrator of this mesmerising tale of love, loss and redemption, set in a time when wildlife is becoming extinct, is like a wild creature herself, constantly searching for the nest where she will find her family.

Franny is a mix of strength and fragility, and her journey is as much about the birds as it is about running from a traumatic past.

Franny has always been a wanderer and her childhood sees her boomerang between Australia and Ireland. At university in Galway, she meets and marries ornithologist Niall.

But when their relationship hits trouble, Franny heads for Greenland and the terns Niall always longed to track.

There, she persuades a fishing boat captain to take her on board and as they journey south, Franny’s turbulent past spills out…

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Family secrets

This kooky, courageous novel from literary sensation Mieko Kawakami sold a quarter of a million copies in her native Japan.

Two sisters reunite in contemporary Tokyo, when elder Makiko, who works as a hostess back in Osaka, arrives with her 12-year-old daughter, Midoriko.

Makiko has come to Tokyo for breast enhancement surgery. Midoriko has not spoken to her mother for a month. We hear her voice via her diary, as the scared loner navigates puberty on her own.

Incredible journeys by David Barrie

Non-fiction

“The first question I want to address is: how do animals – including humans – find their way around? We are abandoning the basic navigational skills on which we have relied for so long.”

“We can now fix our position at the press of a button,” laments former ferry deckhand, now award-winning author, sailor and cutting-edge navigator David Barrie.

Barrie is the great-great-nephew of Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie and his gift for storytelling is equally impressive.

Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan

Forbidden love

Ana and Connor have been sneaking around in hotel rooms for three years, building a hot-house affair alongside their marriages.

But then Connor dies, and Ana hears the news from his wife, who is calling Ana in her capacity as family solicitor.

From here, the revelations jump around, filling in the backstory and Ana’s need to hang on to something while unable to say anything.

Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

Thriller

Spellbinding novel about Columbia PhD student Nell, a botanist continuing the studies of a graduate who died while researching an antidote to poisonous plants.

Nell – born in Kansas, where “luxury was a tuna casserole” – tries to imagine what happened to Rachel’s organs as the toxins spread.

Class mentor, elitist Joan, is worshipped by Nell. “For years I’ve been your smaller self,” Nell says as she floats outside her door.

Instead, Joan takes up with Nell’s ex, Tom, as couples plant themselves in each other’s beds.

Prepare for a burningly brilliant pleasure house of obsession, ordeal, disappointment, betrayal and regret.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Crime fiction

Protagonist Rachel Krall produces true crime podcasts. Rachel’s first two seasons reopened cold cases, but now she’s reporting on the jury trial of an Olympic swimmer accused of rape.

At the same time, a woman named Hannah leaves a note on Rachel’s car, asking for her help with the rape and drowning of her sister 25 years earlier, which she claims was murder.

Rachel is intrigued, especially when Hannah says that her sister’s killer will be in the courtroom of the current trial.

Resident Dog by Nicole England

Table book

If you’ve ever wondered if a dog will make your house a home, this stunning book of photographs heralds

a resounding yes.

Melbourne-based interiors photographer Nicole England presents 25 houses with the dogs who live there.

From spoodle Charlie to lagotto ramagnolos Mars and Truffle, and bull-mastiff kelpie Bergie, these pooches bring warmth and character to their exquisitely designed domains.

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor

Children

Beautifully illustrated by Blak Douglas, this is a follow-up to Mayor’s Finding the Heart of the Nation about the Uluru Statement.

Warm, joy-filled and packed with information – including a detailed AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia – the colours of Country soothe and envelop Mayor’s rich words.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly Book Club picks for September appeared first on Now To Love.

We dig through the crop of new and exciting tales from authors at home and abroad to recommend you the very best in reading material.

Each month we publish our pick of the best books to dive into, as well as our Great Reads – the best of the best!

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Keep on scrolling to see our top book picks for August.

The Pull of the Stars

Our Great Read for August:

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Literary fiction

It’s 1918 and as this tender novel opens, nurse Julia Power is turning 30. The war is inching to a close but another battle is filling its shoes and though Julia should be celebrating her milestone birthday, instead we find her working on the maternity ward in an overburdened hospital in Dublin.

The ward is actually a converted supply room renamed “Maternity/Fever”; here pregnant women who have contracted Spanish Flu are treated in isolation.

On the tram she smells eucalyptus; the man next to her is pressing a soaked handkerchief over his nose and mouth. “I used to like the wood fragrance before it came to mean fear,” she notes.

Julia has already had the virus so is now immune but her supervisor is ill at home, leaving Julia alone and in charge.

Emma Donoghue actually wrote her novel before COVID-19 was even a thing, but it’s tempting to think that the author had some second sight.

Certainly, the currency of The Pull of the Stars gives it a gripping edge, but at its heart this is a story about friendship, love and compassion in extraordinary times.

One Bright Moon

One Bright Moon by Andrew Kwong

Autobiography

A beautifully crafted memoir of physician Kwong’s fleeing of Mao’s China to safety in Macau, Hong Kong and finally in 1969 to the “Golden Country”, Australia.

Abounding with courage and wisdom, we begin at his great-grandfather Fu-chiu’s arranged wedding. His “pretty as a moon” bride stumbles from her wedding sedan – a pole snapping – her veil flying away and delicate bound feet piercing through her wedding slippers.

Seen as unlucky by his father, Fu-chiu refuses to let the accident ruin the “sad maiden’s” life and insists the ceremony goes ahead.

Such bravery in Kwong’s ancestors is quickly understood as we witness the integrity of his own university-educated father Baba, who endures insults at the hands of student leaders.

At five Ah-mun (now Andrew) witnesses the arrest of his beloved Baba and public shaming with a rope around his neck. He is accused as a counter-revolutionary.

Sentenced to 15 years in prison, he farewells his children: “Get a good education and never stop learning. Keep your heads high.”

Buried

Buried by Linda La Plante

Crime fiction

This is the first in a new crime series from the creator of Prime Suspect and while it’s not as edgy in its characterisation, the twists and turns are vintage La Plante.

Detective Constable Jack Warr is hot, charming and aimless. He moved to London with his girlfriend Maggie for her career but has little ambition to rise up the ranks.

Then when a corpse is found in a burned out cottage with a heap of banknotes linked to a decades-old train robbery, Jack finally hits his stride.

Sex and Vanity

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

Romantic comedy

Based – loosely – on E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View, our protagonist is the over-privileged Lucie Tang Churchill, who as the novel opens is 19 and holidaying on the island of Capri.

Lucieis a “hapa” – half Chinese, half American – and on her first morning in Capri meets George Zao, a handsome Chinese-Australian surfer. Even though she claims to abhor him, they have a brief fling.

Then when years later the two meet again, it is clear Lucie is again attracted to George, only now she is engaged. A typically Kwan-like plot of deception and redemption follows.

Australia’s First Naturalists

Australia’s First Naturalists by Penny Olsen and Lynette Russell

Natural history

This important book recognises the contribution by First Australians who led white expeditionists exploring the nation.

Without these guides the scientists could not have crossed the mountains, yet the owners of the land have largely remained nameless.

Dramatic colour plates show possums being smoked out, a moonlit bay as men and women use torches to attract fish, and men chasing a tagged bee to its honey.

The Silence

The Silence by Susan Allott

Mystery

It’s the middle of the night in 1997 and Isla Green is fast asleep in her flat in London when the phone rings.

It’s her dad Joe calling from Sydney with some troubling news. In 1967 their next-door neighbour Mandy disappeared. Joe was the last person to see her alive and now he’s a suspect in her murder enquiry.

Told in chapters alternating between the 30-year time frames, Allott builds the tension deftly in this debut thriller as suspicion is thrown on different characters.

The Fogging

The Fogging by Luke Horton

Romance

This unsettling study of the breakdown of a relationship is utterly addictive. The novel opens as Tom and Clara head for Bali for their first holiday in a decade.

There is a tension between the couple and this quality time will hopefully salve the wounds.

But when Tom has a panic attack on the plane we get a glimpse of what is going on in his head… and it’s a mess.

Persistence

Persistence by Zanni Louise

Children’s fiction, ages 6 and over

A powerful book about not giving up, whether it be learning to ride a bike without wheels or reading.

And if you do then you have the skills to be kind to others.

“Persistence helps your heart grow, so you can look after the world, yourself and each other.” Fabulous illustrations.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly Book Club choices for August 2020 appeared first on Now To Love.

We dig through the crop of new and exciting tales from authors at home and abroad to recommend you the very best in reading material.

Each month we publish our pick of the best books to dive into, as well as our Great Reads – the best of the best!

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Keep on scrolling to see our top book picks for July.

Our Great Read

Our Great Read for July: Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

Literary fiction

As America stumbles into election season, it’s tempting to recall what could have been if Hillary Clinton had made it to the White House instead of Donald Trump.

This extraordinary novel is a piece of fantasy fiction, conjuring a world of what ifs. What if Hillary had rejected Bill Clinton’s marriage proposal?

What if she had pursued her own political dreams earlier and managed to run for president unencumbered by the judgements attached to her husband’s devastating fall from grace? What if Hillary had been able to fly?

The Things She Owned

The Things She Owned by Katherine Tamiko Arguile

Family drama

A dazzling debut with picture perfect moments of the life of London chef Erika, 30, and her Japan childhood with glamorous but distant “Jackie-O” style mother Michiko.

It’s 2003 and Erika awaits cousin Kei to visit the grave of her hard-partying mother who died 12 years previously.

Each chapter is introduced with an item that Erika inherits from her, including a casket of Michiko’s cremated bones still uninterred in her daughter’s flat.

We see the unbearable horrors of war, deprivation and its desolate effect on love – but how retracing footsteps of forebears can help purge pain and let go.

Old Enough to Save the Planet

Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby

Kids nonfiction

Meet 12 real-life children from around the world – all passionate activists.

Aussie Shalise protects the ocean by clearing pollution from the shore; Indian Himangi campaigns against traffic pollution; Amy and Ella, sisters from the UK, are committed to eradicating single-use plastic through their charity Kids against Plastic; and Vincent from France created a community garden that reduces food waste.

They are illustrated in spectacular drawings in their classrooms, jungles and villages, and there are 10 steps as to how you can join the junior change-makers.

Castaway

Castaway by Robert Macklin

True story

Incredible tale of a 14-year-old French cabin boy, abandoned by his captain and crew following the floundering of the Saint Paul barque in fog during his watch, on the far north coast of Queensland in 1858.

Discovered by Aboriginals from the Uutaalnganu Night Island clan, Narcisse Pelletier is renamed Amglo and over 17 years becomes fluent in tribal language, fathers a son, Markuntha, then later marries another girl, Mitha, and fathers a daughter, Chachi.

But when he is “rescued” – captured – and returned to France after 17 years, the 31-year-old cannot readjust.

The Silent Wife

The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

Thriller

As this pacey thriller opens we’re in Atlanta, Georgia, where a woman on a dawn run is brutally attacked in

a wood, a hammer lodged in her skull.

It’s an arresting start to Slaughter’s 10th crime thriller with Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent, who comes together with another of the author’s top characters – from her ‘Grant County’ series – medical examiner Sara Linton.

He says there are links with the new woodland murder and the one he was accused of eight years before. If he’s right, the killer is still at large.

*Confessions of a Forty-Something

Confessions of a Forty-Something by Alexandra Potter

Romance

The pressures of hitting 40 in an Instagram-perfect world ring clangingly true in this uplifting romcom.

When her business, romance and California life fall apart, Nell Stevens heads back to London to start again, but everyone she knows has moved on.

Friends are married, rents are exorbitant and her life feels a total mess when compared to those around her. But then she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Cricket, an octogenarian widow who refuses to give in to grief.

Rest and Be Thankful

Rest and Be Thankful by Emma Glass

Lyrical

A timely novel about the shifting world of exhausted nurse Laura, who learns to love the early hours of the morning as it is the only daylight she will see for the next 12 hours.

Author Emma Glass is a paediatric nurse, and she displays a courage to stare deep into the unsettling reality of life. She tries to love London but London doesn’t love itself.

“I turn my head … and see her mother. She has one hand clawing at her eyes … A nurse is behind her, one hand on her shoulder, another ready to catch her. A position we have all been taught.”

The Art of Cake

The Art of Cake by Alice Oehr

Cookery

This colourful hardback from Melbourne artist Alice Oehr isn’t about baking cakes, it’s a homage to the most iconic creations from around the world.

Candy-coloured illustrations offer a nod to the artistry of the professional patissier, and the text explains the origins of each sweet treat and gives tips on baking.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly Book Club picks for July appeared first on Now To Love.

We dig through the crop of new and exciting tales from authors at home and abroad to recommend you the very best in reading material.

Each month we publish our pick of the best books to dive into, as well as our Great Reads – the best of the best!

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Keep on scrolling to see our top book picks for June.

Great Read for June:

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

Historical fiction

Before Catherine the Great, there was Catherine I, the all-powerful Russian Empress who was catapulted from serfdom to the highest position in the land.

Her story is shocking and in UK-based author Ellen Alpsten’s intoxicating hands it’s also a vicious, bloody, sexy romp.

This is fearless historical fiction with a sharp contemporary frisson which offers a thought-provoking vision of the brutal, knife-edge lot of women at the time.

The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben

Thriller

Naomi Pine is bullied at Sweet Water High, so when she disappears, fellow student Matthew Crimstein is concerned.

His godfather is a rather unconventional detective called Wilde who 30 years previously was found in the New Jersey backwoods with no idea how he got there.

His search uncovers unsavoury secrets that implicate a reality TV star, now presidential candidate, and soon we are knee-deep in gripping subplots.

The Innocent Reader by Debra Adelaide

Memoir

A volume that covers everything from childhood awe at her parents’ leather-bound Reader’s Digests to Adelaide’s recommendation that anxious children should try reading to a dog.

One day she was baton-passed a book by a stranger on a train. “It was deliberate, practised, as if he were a character out of an Alan Furst [spy] novel.” Furtively she slipped it into her bag: it was an Alan Furst.

Desire Lines by Felicity Volk

Romance

Can true love conquer all? This is the question at the heart of Australian author Felicity Volk’s deeply affecting debut novel, and the answer is complex and devastating.

Set over five decades from 1952 and told in alternating narratives, we piece together the stories of Paddy and Evie.

Paddy O’Connor’s childhood is shocking, and that underlying trauma contaminates everything in his adult life.

Evie is raised in secure middle-class Canberra and follows her passion to become a famous landscaper.

Go Be Kind by Leon Logothetis

Self-help

A simple but utterly irresistible manifesto for making the world a better place. Go and be kind to someone every day, “because basically kindness makes people feel less alone”.

Tell a stranger you like their shoes; make their day – the tiniest of compliments can change a lonely life.

And at the end a tear-out Dear Leon “I helped someone feel less lonely today postcard” to send to him in LA. He donates a book to a child in need for each he receives.

The Beautiful Mother by Katherine Scholes

Contemporary fiction

The magical journey of motherhood is explored in this story of love and adventure in remote Tanzania.

Tasmanian-based author Katherine Scholes was born in Tanzania and her acute connection with the country provides a layered frame for her tale as well as evocative descriptions which transport you to the waves of lush pink as the Rift Valley’s famous flamingos descend in mating season.

It is 1970 and Essie Lawrence is married to an archaeologist who is working in the shadow of the volcano where four-million-year-old footprints have been discovered…

The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning

Mystery

Meticulous research, stories with social importance, pioneering characters, and effortless flitting from one epoch and city to another underpin Kirsty Manning’s cut-above historical fiction novels.

Based on a true story, we begin with a courageous child honouring her jeweller father’s wish to save his work, hidden in their cellar. She sees her mother and brother to safety first, as flames devour the city.

Present day, and Boston gemologist Kate Kirby is hired by Luxury magazine to get the first glimpse of the restored “buried treasure”, which will uncover a personal history of self-sacrifice and secrets.

Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley

Cooking

Modern Palestinian-inspired cooking that tempts your tastebuds and brings Middle Eastern flavours to the home cook with 110 recipes.

Ottolenghi restaurant co-founder, the Jerusalem-born Sami Tamimi, collaborates with food writer Tara Wigley to take us through Bethlehem, Nablus, Haifa, Galilee, the West Bank and more, telling the stories behind the food.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly Book Club picks for June appeared first on Now To Love.

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Scroll on to see our top book picks for May!

Book of Longings – Great Read

Our Great Read for May:

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

Historical fiction

“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.” This is the arresting opening to Sue Monk Kidd’s new novel, an intriguing tale offering a feminist perspective on the life and times of Christ with a testament from an audacious new voice.

Ironically, inspiration for the novel came from a piece of fake news, “I was reading an article about a fragment of an ancient manuscript that referred to Jesus’ wife,” Sue tells The Weekly.

“The fragment later turned out to be a forgery, but that was irrelevant to the creative storm the article set off in me.

“It occurred to me that if this wife had really existed, she would be the most silenced woman in history.”

Redhead

Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Literary fiction

This tender love story is also about our need for meaningful connectedness, and while Micah Mortimer is an unusual protagonist, there is also an everyman quality to his woeful attitude to romantic attachments.

Micah is a creature of habit and maintains an organised life that fulfils his selfish needs. But Micah’s world is thrown off kilter when the son of his college girlfriend turns up, claiming Micah as his father.

Micah is shocked but it prompts a rethink of his past relationships, and for the first time he realises an alarming pattern. Will Micah ever be capable of real love?

The Salt Madonna by Catherine Noske

Literary fiction

Chesil is a remote fictional island off the coast of Western Australia, where creeping economic collapse and an exodus of young people have brought dark times.

Hannah’s childhood community is falling apart at the seams, the men out of work, children with no direction and an underbelly of violence threatening.

This is a powerful, evocative tale set against a rugged landscape watched over by ancient cypress trees.

Before the coffee gets cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Fantasy

Fumiko, 28, had bought a special outfit to meet boyfriend Goro. He wanted them to have a serious chat and she was sure he was going to propose. Instead, he tells her he’s emigrating from Japan to America.

Returning a week after her lover has gone, Fumiko discovers this is the famous Tokyo time-travelling cafe. It has the power to take you back to the past and she wants to go back one week.

The Lizard

The Lizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

Thriller

When his girlfriend, Ellie, dumps him, naive philosophy student Alistair Haston decides to follow her to Greece and try to win her back.

It’s a foolish plan which soon takes a very dark turn when he ends up in jail for murder.

A wicked, dramatic and dripping in the intensity of summer heat.

Where the Truth Lies

Where the Truth Lies by Karina Kilmore

Thriller

Journalist Kilmore brings a wealth of insider knowledge to this explosive crime thriller, set in Melbourne’s underbelly.

Down at the docklands the unions and big business are facing off, sparking the interest of investigative reporter Chrissie O’Brian who, in her new job at The Argus, is keen to make her mark.

But when one of her sources turns up dead, Chrissie becomes embroiled in a dangerous world.

Chanel’s Riviera

Chanel’s Riviera by Anne De Courcy

Biography

De Courcy whisks us off to the Riviera, circa 1930s, for the golden coastline and Coco Chanel.

Unlike the rich who flocked to Cannes and Nice, Coco followed the Fitzgeralds and Hemingways to the cheaper Riviera.

In 1938 the burning question at Coco’s was not what Germany was going to do next, but “would curtsey win over correctness?” when meeting the Duchess of Windsor.

Fourteen

Fourteen by Shannon Molloy

Memoir

Journalist Shannon Molloy’s memoir about his 14th year, a time of torment, self-loathing and near tragedy, is heartbreaking.

At an all-boys Catholic school in coastal Yeppoon, Shannon was always an outcast and soon became a victim of extreme violence.

Shannon’s bitter struggle is painfully recognisable and happening in playgrounds around the world. But he not only triumphs, he relives his past using his best weapon: beautiful words.

Shirley Sullivan

The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan by Lisa Ireland

Fiction

Lisa Ireland taps into the Shirley Sullivan in all of us in this charming study of a happy marriage struggling with the traumas of old age and illness.

Shirley and Frank have been together for 57 years and they are not ready to part. So Shirley hatches a plan to take Frank out of the Sunset Lodge nursing home and back to some of their favourite places.

The Foundling

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

Historical fiction

Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter at London’s Foundling Hospital, Bess is back to reclaim her child.

But Clara has already been picked up, by someone claiming to be Bess. From the author of The Familiars comes another compelling and powerful story with a pleasing feminist subtext set in Georgian times.

Code Name Helene

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Historical fiction

This thrilling story of danger and adventure is based on the life of real-life Aussie spy Nancy Wake (aka The White Mouse), who worked as a journalist in Paris before being recruited by the British for Special Operations.

It’s 1944 and Nancy – code name Hélène – parachutes into occupied France to help the Resistance.

Jumping back and forth in time we trace Nancy’s life before the war, in Paris, and witnessing the rise of Hitler.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Book Club picks for May 2020 appeared first on Now To Love.

Plus, we’d love to hear from our bookworm readers!

Join us on Instagram and let us know what you’re currently reading, as well as your all-time favourite reads. Share a photo of your favourite book on Instagram using the hashtag #WomensWeeklyBookClub.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

In the meantime, keep on scrolling to read our nine top book picks for April.

April Great Read: ‘Sheerwater’ by Leah Swann

Our April Great Read: Sheerwater by Leah Swann

The opening scene of this gripping domestic suspense thriller is heart stopping. Mum Ava is driving with her two young sons, Max and Teddy, and their dog, along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, when they literally see “a bolt from the blue”. It streaks across the sky ahead and quickly they realise a plane has crashed. Should she stop?

Early on we discover that Ava is fleeing her husband to start a new life in beachside Sheerwater, an area where others are also seeking refuge. Her sons love their dad, but something has set this family spiralling out of control.

This domestic drama stays with you, and is worth a second reading when you’ll spot the haunting clues that provide the framework for the plot.

‘Paris Savages’ by Katherine Johnson

Paris Savages by Katherine Johnson

There’s a horrific moment in this important novel – a testament to the treatment of First Australians which the author researched for six years – when Bonangera, one of three Aborigines who sailed to Europe to be displayed at shows, is subjected to a full body cast at one sitting.

Hilda Müller and her scientist father live on Fraser Island and agreed to take the three islanders to Europe to escape the massacre there and tell the Queen of their plight.

A tortuous tale brilliantly told.

Nothing New by Robyn Annear

In this delightful history of the joy of second-hand versus rampant consumerism, Robyn Annear channels her own family habits.

“My mum had no sisters, only girl cousins who were just her age and size, which pretty much ruled out hand-me-downs. “But Depression and war-time privation not withstanding, her mother contrived to keep her smartly dressed. Not being a needlewoman, Gran outfitted her little girl in quality second-hand from market stalls that promised their stock came from homes in the ‘better’ suburbs.”

Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell

Scottish bookseller Bythell’s The Diary of a Bookseller was a surprise bestseller, soon to be a TV series. In this fascintating peek through his shop window, we are taken on a history of ‘The Book Shop’ – the biggest second-hand bookshop in Scotland – where he records the number of daily customers, till total and even the weather. The curmudgeonly author loves to learn, especially from collectors of antique books.

“Most of what I know [about books] is imparted by customers, the very same whom my instinct is to discourage from talking!”

‘The Strawberry Thief’ by Joanne Harris.

The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris

It’s more than 20 years since the multi-million selling novel Chocolat from Harris was released, where seductive Rocher created scandal in Lansqeunet-sous-Tannes in France in the first book, when she opened a chocolaterie. Queues started forming straight away. But the local priest and his supporters were shocked by the customers’ indulgence for this “sinfully delicious” sweet treat and tried to run her out of town. But a rival confectioner has set up in the square, and disarray reigns again in this sequel.

Delayed Rays of a Star by Amanda Lee Koe

Three women’s journeys to stardom laid bare. Marlene Dietrich is nearly 90. The enigmatic actress is now bedridden, the long legs that put her on a pedestal have failed her. But a photographer has hired a forklift, and floating the platform up to the window of the recluse’s Paris apartment, points his telephoto lens.

Rewind to the 1928 Press Club Ball in Berlin, where Dietrich gatecrashes a photo call with Hollywood star Anna May, 23, and infamous Nazi propaganda dancer Leni Riefenstahl.

‘The Girl Who Reads on the Metro’ by Christine Feret-Fleury

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury

If it’s good, pass it on. Bookseller’s grand-daughter Juliette is not really cut out to be in real estate.

As she rides the Paris Metro to work, her nose is usually deep in a book, although of late she has been taking more interest in what her fellow travellers read – and what she can glean about them from each book’s title. There’s the moist-eyed woman who re-reads dog-eared romance novels and the man who studies tomes about insects.

One day, she gets off a stop early to take a walk in the Paris backstreets and falls upon a bookshop – its door held open by a book. Offended – why use a book to prop open a door? – the girl who loves the smell of books and rescues them from car boot sales goes inside…

‘Let’s Hope For The Best’ by Carolina Setterwall

Let’s Hope For The Best by Carolina Setterwall

Swedish (real-life) storytelling at its most stark from Setterwall, who based this book on events from her own life.

Carolina is in the music industry, while Aksel, the father of her three-month-old son Ivan, is in media. Carolina is nursing on the sofa when she receives a chilling email from Aksel: Subject: If I die. Message: “My computer password is ivan2014. There’s a detailed list in Documents/If I die. Let’s hope for the best!” She is angry – typical of her unsentimental boyfriend, who won’t even take paternity leave seriously.

It’s October 2014 and Carolina wakes up rested; Ivan only needed two feeds. “I tell him it’s time to go wake Daddy. Ivan (now eight months old) takes aim for your head, but I notice something is wrong…The way you’re lying is unusual. Crooked and bent, your face pressed against the pillow.”

This is the story of how life can change in a heartbeat.

‘Individual’ by Jessica Bellef

Individual by Jessica Bellef

The 15 quirky Australian interiors in this inspirational hard back book reveal the personalities of their owners but also offer great tips for your own home décor.

While new builds deliver cookie-cutter blandness, here individuality is championed and the results will make you cheer and reach for the paint pot.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Book Club picks for April 2020 appeared first on Now To Love.

Love getting trusted advice on ways to stay healthy and fit? Subscribe to Good Health & Wellbeing for your monthly dose of wellness advice.

Subscribe today on our special offer – pay just $30 every 6 issues. You’ll save up to 33% off the retail price!

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Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer are being treated at the same fertility clinic, and while they don’t face the same time pressure as the Ardens, the younger couple have their own problems.

Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle the same day that Grace goes in for her final, last-chance embryo transfer. Two weeks later, both women get their results.

A year on, angry and heartbroken, one of the women learns her embryo was implanted in the other’s uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple.

Who deserves to be the mother of this child, and what defines parenthood in our current age?

These ethical and legal questions permeate The Mothers, reflecting some of the real-life cases that sparked this book.

The seed for this novel was planted in our very own Women’s Weekly offices when feature writer Genevieve Gannon came across some rare but tragic cases of IVF lab mix-ups in America in the late 90s and 2000s.

Each story had different factors influencing the outcomes, but they always boiled down to the same question: who did the baby belong with?

“In one case, hopeful parents discovered they were carrying another couple’s baby while they were still pregnant and made the decision that they would hand him over as soon as he was born, but in another example the mix-up wasn’t revealed until the baby was 10 months old. The mother was ultimately forced to share custody of her son with strangers,” says Genevieve.

“There have been other cases where courts have ruled biological parents have no claim on the babies that carry their DNA. It’s all very complicated.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about the families caught up in these unimaginable scenarios.”

The Mothers has been optioned by Goalpost Television, a division of Goalpost Pictures whose credits include The Sapphires and Top End Wedding.

The Mothers available at Dymocks and on audio book at Audible.

The post IVF, swapped embryos and unimaginable heartbreak: Why The Mothers has made us question everything appeared first on Now To Love.

Fitness and finance goals are thrown out the window, and little thought is given to anything other than surviving the month’s social calendar.

With January signalling the start of a brand new decade, now is the perfect time to realign yourself with whatever it is that inspires you and get motivated. To help, we’ve rounded up a list of inspiring reads that will leave you feeling ready to take on the world.

Below, 11 beach-ready pick-me-ups to read now.

‘Your Own Kind of Girl’ by Clare Bowditch

Your Own Kind of Girl by Clare Bowditch, $24.95 at Dymocks

Equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, this new memoir by Australian actress and musician Clare Bowditch will leave you inspired. Bowditch shares brutally honest stories from her childhood and beyond that deal with issues of grief, acceptance, anxiety, weight and love – issues many will relate to. A motivational read you’ll want to share with all your friends after finishing.

A Real Girl’s Guide to Money: From Converse to Louboutins by Effie Zahos, $18 at Big-W

Make 2020 the year you get on top of your finances with this anything-but-boring guide to saving, wiping debt and investing. Forget feeling excluded and intimidated by money talk; this book by finance commentator Effie Zahos keeps things 100 per cent relatable (there’s a chapter called ‘I Earn $150K, Why Am I Still Broke?’) and will leave you feeling motivated to get money-savvy in the New Year.

Perspective by Ellyse Perry, $24 at Target

She has represented Australia in both cricket and football World Cups, and now Ellyse Perry can add another string to her bow: author. In this collection of essays, Perry looks back on her inspiring rise to the top, the people that helped her get there and the evolution of women in sports. A must-read for anyone wanting to kick goals in 2020.

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates, $27.35 at Angus & Robertson

As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the world’s largest private charitable organisation), Melinda Gates has helped to improve the lives of many in need. In this candid book, Gates shares stories from those she has met along the way, and with it, her greatest revelation: if you want to lift a society up, you must invest in women. Powerful and optimistic, the story looks at female empowerment and its link to the health of societies — and counts Barack Obama and Brené Brown as fans.

More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), by Elaine Welteroth, $27.80 at Angus & Robertson

If there was an antidote to The Devil Wears Prada, this would be it. Former Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth shares her story of climbing the ranks of the fashion and media world, unpacking lessons in race, identity and success along the way. Welteroth divulges the hardships involved with being a young boss and the only black woman in most meeting rooms, and leaves her readers feeling empowered to ask for exactly what they want. If you’re looking to take on big new things in 2020, add this to your reading pile.

The Power of Age: A Celebration of Life’s Second Act by Kelly Doust, $39.99 at Dymocks

Writer Kelly Doust approaches the topic of age from a refreshing and important angle, and celebrates the power that comes with growing older. With stories from fierce females including former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, designer Leona Edmiston and food legend Maggie Beer, it’s the perfect read for women who are not willing to sit back, but instead, ready to embrace their exciting future.

The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey, $24 at K-mart

As we enter a new decade, who better to turn to for help uncovering our purpose than Oprah? In this guide, the talk-show host encourages readers to activate the deepest vision of themselves, and to use it as framework for creating a life of success and significance. The book is divided into 10 chapters that act as steps in helping you recognise the important milestones along the road to self-discovery, and features personal stories and photos from Oprah. An uplifting beach read.

Smashed Avocado: How I Cracked the Property Market and You Can Too by Nicole Haddow, $23.35 at Angus & Robertson

Don’t think you’ll ever become a home owner? Neither did author and Melbourne-based journalist Nicole Haddow who, at 30, had no financial plan, an unstable income and credit-card debt. In her story, Haddow explains the steps she took to crack the property market (in just two years!) and how you can too. Money motivation, 101.

About A Girl by Rebekah Robertson, $34.99 at Dymocks

Rebekah Robertson shares her powerful story about raising her transgender child, Neighbours actress and transgender rights advocate Georgie Stone. When Georgie was in her early teens, the mother-daughter duo sought permission for Georgie to begin puberty-blocking medication, which led to the successful 2013 challenge to the family court’s jurisdiction on making early medical decisions for transgender youth. A thought-provoking read and a message of hope for those navigating similar a similar path, About A Girl is, above all, a celebration of family.

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews, $24 at K-mart

A follow-up to her critically acclaimed and bestselling memoir, ‘A Memoir of My Early Years’, Andrews’ latest book picks up from her arrival in Hollywood, and shares career highlights and lows with reflections on film experiences including Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Told with Julie Andrews‘ trademark charm and candour, the memoir makes an uplifting, heartbreaking and inspiring read.

Being Black ‘N Chicken, & Chips by Matt Okine, $23.95 at Booktopia

Comedian and creator of The Other Guy, Matt Okine, has released his debut novel; a coming-of-age tale that finds Okine reflecting on losing his mother to breast cancer at the age of 12. Whip-smart, heartfelt and refreshingly inappropriate, this beautifully told story will leave you in tears (of joy and sadness). A great read for anyone dealing with loss or looking for a good laugh.

The post The best, beach-ready motivational books on the shelves right now appeared first on Now To Love.

Time away from work and our usual frantic commitments means there is very little that can get between us and a great book at this time of year.

If you’re overwhelmed by the huge amount of choice on offer at the moment, we’ve done the hard work for you, scouring through the most popular books released this year (as well as the new releases for 2020) to compile this list of the best books to help you while away those lazy summer afternoons.

From the gripping behind-the-scenes look at The New York Times investigation that brought down Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, to Margaret Atwood’s juicy new update to her iconic novel The Handmaid’s Tale, we’ve got your reading covered this summer.

Keep on scrolling to find your next favourite book.

The Testaments

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

The most anticipated book of the year is Atwood’s sequel to her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, 34 years after the original.

And while it may not pack the same punch, this is racy addictive storytelling. Fifteen years have passed and Offred is out on her own. Through three narrators – brutal Aunt Lydia and Offred’s daughters Agnes and Nicole – we witness the advancement of Gilead via explosive testaments.

Tidelands

Tidelands by Philippa Gregory

Gregory moves away from the Tudors with a new series, set during the English civil war about ordinary people. Heroine Alinor’s greatest hope is to survive without falling into poverty.

She’s a herbalist whose abusive husband has disappeared, leaving her to fend for the family. Against a background of Oliver Cromwell dethroning King Charles I, this first instalment highlights the danger for women who speak out.

Good Girl Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

Haunting psychological thriller about two key cases for forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven. One a murder investigation, the second involving a vulnerable 15-year-old’s release from a children’s home.

The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

Jude, Wendy, Adele and Sylvie are in their 70s and have been friends for decades. When Sylvie dies, the others meet over a Christmas weekend to clean out her house. Funny and poignant all at once.

The Confession by Jessie Burton

An absorbing tale of love, motherhood, friendship and secrets, from the author of The Miniaturist, features a dual time frame flitting between 1980 and 2017.

Connie, an alluring novelist of some renown, meets 20-year-old Elise by chance on Hampstead Heath in London, igniting an unexpected relationship. It is Burton’s language as much as her plot that beguiles, and soon you are lost in both.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

This gripping study of sexual desire in the real lives of three women is the result of eight years of painstaking study by the author. In two cases she even moved to the towns where her protagonists live so she might better understand them.

It’s about power, pleasure and pain as an uncompromising window into the sexual desires of Maggie, Lina and Sloane opens up to the reader. Explicit, yes, but an engrossing read.

Ian McKellen: The Biography by Garry O’Connor

It’s hard to believe Sir Ian McKellen – aka Gandalf – is 80. He is still so spritely and passionate. In this intimate biography, though, you can see just how much the Shakespearean actor has fitted in – not just on stage and film, but in life.

This is about the man behind the actor, a definitive account told by biographer Garry O’Connor, who also directed Sir Ian in some of his early roles.

Book

Silver and Gold, The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell

Sir Norman Hartnell was the Queen’s go-to fashion designer when it mattered most. He made the royal’s wedding gown in 1947 when she was still Princess Elizabeth and her magnificent Coronation dress six years later.

Hartnell is best known for romantic evening wear shimmering with beads and embroidery, and in this re-released autobiography – first published in 1955 – he describes his extraordinary life.

Winging It by Emma Isaacs

Anyone who has ever been to a Business Chicks breakfast and listened to the likes of Nicole Kidman or Dame Quentin Bryce knows about the genius of Emma Isaacs. For the rest of us there is this book, in which the Aussie CEO and entrepreneur explains how she turned a dream into a job and all by believing in the power of kindness.

Emma, a mother of five, doesn’t have strategies for work/life balance, she just gets on with it. What has made her soar to the top is that she has the courage to leap into the unknown. In short, inspiration personified for us all.

The Mountbattens by Andrew Lownie

Based on over 100 interviews, Andrew Lownie’s controversial portrayal of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, 40 years after the anniversary of Lord Mountbatten’s assassination by the IRA, is quite an eye-opener.

Dickie was a surrogate father to Prince Charles as well as being the last Viceroy in India and Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia. His rich socialite wife Edwina had a magnetic charisma and enjoyed numerous affairs. Together they made a powerful glamorous partnership, able to manipulate the highest of British society.

Me Elton John, by Elton John

In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Sir Elton John reveals the truth about his crazy life, which is also the subject of the hit movie Rocketman. This really is Elton uncut, the story of a shy boy who spun out of control as a superstar.

Graces Mothers: Letters To Our Children

Georgie Abay, the former Australian Vogue deputy editor and founder of The Grace Tales, has pulled together this beautiful coffee table book, which would make a gorgeous gift for any mother. Featuring letters from 60 eminent women from Australia and around the world to their children, it’s a beautiful read that will make you want to call your own Mum and tell her how much you love her. Available from Bauer Books.

Condé Nast: The Man and his Empire by Susan Ronald

Magazine mogul Condé Nast turned Vogue into a fashion bible, polished Vanity Fair into an icon and adored the Jazz Age and wit of Dorothy Parker.

The Collaborator by Diane Armstrong

Holocaust survivor and Australian author Diane Armstrong’s first novel in 10 years is a turbulent tale of horror and romance, based on the true story of an unholy pact made between Hungarian journalist Rezsö Kasztner (Armstrong recreates him as Miklós Nagy in her story) and Nazi henchman Eichmann.

It saved the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews but ended up being famously scrutinised in an Israeli court in 1954. Meanwhile in Sydney in 2005, an Australian woman sets off on a journey to discover the truth about the man who saved her grandmother’s life.

Khaki Town by Judy Nunn

Set in 1942 in Townsville, Judy Nunn’s 15th novel is a compelling read based on a true story, a secret that has been hidden for 70 years. Singapore has fallen and Australia is in trouble, as American soldiers flood into Townsville to provide aid.

What follows unpicks the ugly racism of the era as the black GIs win some hearts and anger many others. It all reaches a peak in a field on the Ross River and US Congressman Lyndon Johnson is called in to investigate the horror of that night.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Evie Summers is an assistant at a film agency and is tasked with persuading the company’s biggest name – the arrogant Ezra Chester – to finish his rom-com script. If she can’t, Evie needn’t turn up for work anymore. But Ezra decides he won’t get back to his script unless Evie proves falling in love as they do in the movies is possible in real life.

So, Evie sets about trying to find love one rom-com plot at a time, from When Harry Met Sally to Notting Hill. Smart and laugh-out-loud funny.

The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades

This sequel to the excellent The Woolgrower’s Companion finds our feisty heroine Kate Dowd struggling to run her NSW sheep station Amiens, as the community bickers and gossips behind her back.

Estranged husband Jack wants her to sell the farm and with her wartime lover Luca back in town, he’s asking for a divorce and promises to protect Kate’s reputation … but for a price. Then a dry winter bushfire season threatens.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Five women from different backgrounds come together in a Kentucky town in the 1930s and form a travelling horseback library, which they take to the poor in remote communities.

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Jump aboard with favourite heroine Becky Brandon as she embraces Christmas shopping with gusto and encounters family chaos in the process.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

Inspired perhaps by The Handmaid’s Tale, Joanne Ramos’ chilling novel is set in a surrogacy farm in a luxury retreat in New York’s Hudson Valley, where pregnant women are trapped while they produce the perfect baby for someone else.

Dior by Alexandra Palmer

In 1947 Christian Dior rocked the fashion world with his new look, launching legacy silhouettes celebrating the female shape. Bathed in postwar optimism, the designer created stunning ready-to-wear lines which were sold around the world, as well as ground-breaking perfume and make-up lines. This exquisite hardback book, with photographs and sketches, examines a decade of Dior glamour until he died in 1957.

The Scentual Garden by Ken Druse

Growing for fragrance is at the heart of this visually vivid encyclopaedia of plants.Working with perfumers’ classifications, Ken Druse has 12 categories, from floral and fruity to balsamic and medicinal. He also explains how plants produce scent and how they communicate with each other.

Islands, Australian Geographic

From the Whitsundays and Norfolk in the east, to Kangaroo and Phillip in the south,Rottnest and Cocos in the west and Torres Strait and Fitzroy in the north, this is the ultimate guide to Australia’s islands.

For Valour: Australians Awarded the Victoria Cross by Craig Blanch & Aaron Pegram

The fascinating stories of 100 great Australians who have shown extreme bravery in battle.

Mrs Escobar My Life with Pablo by Victoria Eugenia Henao

Victoria Eugenia Henao met Pablo Escobar when she was 13 and ran away with him at 15. This is the first time she has spoken out about living with the drug lord, one of the wealthiest and most violent criminals in the world.

Despite his infidelity and abusive behaviour, she remained by his side until his death. An intriguing if disturbing account of the man behind the legend.

Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis Fox

In college Amaryllis Fox was recruited by the CIA and lying became her new normal. In her memoir she reveals the truth about a life which destroyed her marriage. As a mother her perspective has changed and she wants to “spill that most secret of secrets … we’re all pretending to be fierce because we’re all on fire with fear.”

She Said by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey

A testament to the power of dogged journalism. This is the untold story of how the Harvey Weinstein scandal was uncovered one celebrity at a time.

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

When newcomer Angelica Roux arrives at Amy Whey’s book club night, their lives take a sharp turn. Roux – as she prefers to be called – takes over the evening and initiates a seemingly innocuous game of ‘Never Have I Ever’, which turns out to be a rather dangerous take on Truth or Dare.

Now Roux is in control and as the plot unfolds, it’s clear she knows something serious the book club hostess has been hiding from the suburban neighbourhood.

Platform Seven by Louise Doughty

No-one understands the human psyche like thriller writer extraordinaire Louise Doughty, whose Apple Tree Yard had us all on the edge of our seats. Platform Seven is another triumph and tackles coercive control. It’s 4am on Platform Seven on a deserted railway station in England.

Thinking he is alone, a man edges towards the platform edge only to encounter Lisa Evans,who knows what he wants to do and intervenes. Both die. How did it come to this? The railway station and its staff hide a myriad of secrets.

Silver by Chris Hammer

Following his brilliant outback thriller Scrublands, author Chris Hammer is back with likeable journalist protagonist Martin Scarsden. This time Martin returns to his hometown of Port Silver to try to put the traumatic memories of his past behind him.

Girlfriend Mandy has inherited a house in the pretty town and both feel this could be the new start they desperately need. But then Martin discovers his best friend from back in the day has been murdered and it is Mandy who is the prime suspect. Hammer’s pacing is brilliant as the tension mounts, set against the well-etched Aussie landscape.

On The Chin by Alex McClintock

Even if you have no interest in boxing this book takes you by surprise. It’s a sport that oozes passion and pain. For many a ticket out of poverty, for the promoters a potential goldmine, for the spectators a combination of primal gladiator and technician.

Alex McClintock is a sports journalist and used his own progress through the amateur ranks to get under the skin of this controversial sport.

The Golden Era by Rod Laver with Larry Writer

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Australia was the world’s tennis superpower and our king was Rod Laver, whose two singles Grand Slams – winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and United States championships in a calendar year – have never been equalled.

This is Rod’s deeply personal account of those great years and includes interviews with Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, Margaret Court and more.

The Day The Lies Began by Kylie Kaden

Lies compound in this domestic drama which picks up pace halfway through. Two couples bound by friendship are trapped in a web of deceit that begins on the day of the Moon Festival.

Peace by Garry Disher

Constable Paul Hirschhausen is the lone cop in a sleepy town in the dusty Flinders Ranges, with little more action than local lads nicking a ute … until he’s called to the scene of a vicious crime.

The post The Australian Women’s Weekly’s guide to the best books to read this summer appeared first on Now To Love.

When Whittlesea Library announced on their Facebook page that they would be hosting a special Rainbow Storytime by Werribee drag queen Annie, they were forced to delete the post due to a barrage of hateful comments.

Scheduled to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT Day), the event is designed to celebrate diverse families, identity and embracing who you are, according to the library’s website.

But instead, the event has caused the opposite reaction, with critics calling it “horrible” and “sick and twisted”.

As well as nasty comments on the original post, there were over 700 homophobic and transphobic comments written on the ‘Political Posting Mumma‘ Facebook page.

“This is absolutely abhorrent. Children do not need to be read to by guys dressed as strange women. Children need to be loved and protected. Shame on this library. Shame on our government for not cracking down and protecting our vulnerable children,” posted one user.

“This is a disgrace. Our poor children,” commented another.

Trolls have also chosen to directly attack Annie, whose “nightclub” persona is Annie Depressant – a character described as “a drunk” and a “whore”.

However, Annie says Annie Depressant is not the character she performs during story time.

“There’s been a number of threats. I’m being accused of sexualising children… claims that I am a paedophile. These people don’t know me – they’ve never heard of me before. I have a working with children check,” Annie told the Star Observer.

“Part of me was bracing for negativity because it’s just the nature of doing something like this, but I didn’t expect the massive amount of negativity and backlash,” Annie said.

“I would like to remind them that I am a person, everything they are saying is being said about a real person and there is nothing inherently inappropriate about being a drag queen.”

Annie held a similar successful story time at Werribee Library earlier this year and hoped this next one would give the public “a chance to discover something they have never seen before”.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s public participation executive manager Lisa Dempster declined to comment on the library’s original deleted post or confirm if the event would still go ahead when contacted by the Leader.

But Annie has confirmed the event is still happening and will be held from 11am to 12pm this coming Friday.

The post Drag queen causes outrage at children’s story time appeared first on Now To Love.