Blackwattle Creek by Geoffrey McGeachin
It’s September 1957, two days before the VFL grand final, and Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin finally has some time off. But there’s no rest for this decent if damaged man, still trouble by his wartime experience as a bomber pilot and POW. A recently widowed friend asks a favour and he’s dropped into something much bigger than the bargained for. His pursuit of the truth leads him to Blackwattle Creek, once an asylum for the criminally insane and now home to even darker evils.
Published by Penguin

Night Beach by Kirsty Eager
Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that’s not rational and you’re becoming somebody you don’t recognize, and don’t respect, but you don’t care. And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing… He lives downstairs. Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane. But since Kane’s been back, he’s changed. There’s a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.
Published by Penguin

Poet’s Cottage by Josephine Pennicott
When Sadie inherits Poet’s Cottage in the Tasmanian fishing town of Pencubitt, she sets out to discover all she can about her notorious grandmother, Pearl Tatlow, a children’s writer who scandalised 1930s Tasmania with her behaviour. She was also violently murdered in the cellar of Poet’s Cottage and her killer never found. As Sadie and her daughter Betty work to uncover the truth, strange events begin to occur in the cottage. And as the terrible secret in the cellar threads its way into the present day, it reveals a truth more shocking than the decades-long rumours.
Published by Pan Macmillan

Echoes from a Distant Land by Frank Coates
Wangira is caught between the traditions of his Kikuyu tribe and the disturbing new ideas of the missionaries.When, as a young warrior, he saves the life of a wealthy American photographer, he is offered the chance of a new life far away in the white man’s world. Dana Northcote is a celebrated socialite, living the high life, but when Wangira uses her husband’s farm in the Kenyan highlands to hide some contraband, she embarks on a dangerous, passionate affair. Echoes from a Distant Land is a vivid evocation of a nation in turmoil, and a story of a love that dared to cross the divide.
Published by HarperCollins

Welcome to the Outback by Sue Williams
Sue Williams has long been fascinated by the Outback – its striking landscapes, the salt-of-the earth characters it breeds, its wonders and its weirdness. Now putting her bravest foot forward, Sue sets out to see our country as it really is, warts and all.  She accepts every new challenge that comes her way, including pregnancy-testing cows at a remote property, and joining a cattle drive across Queensland. It’s tough for a city slicker, but she won’t stop until she discovers what the ‘real’ Outback is all about.
Published by Penguin

Dancing to the Flute by Manisha Jolie Amin
Abandoned as a young child, Kalu, a cheeky street kid, has against all odds carved out a life for himself in rural India. Perched high in the branches of a banyan tree, Kalu chooses a leaf, rolls it tightly and, doing what he’s done for as long as he can remember, blows through it. His pure simple notes dance through the air attracting a travelling healer whose interest will change Kalu’s life forever, setting him on a path he would never have dreamed possible, testing self-belief and his friendships.
Published by Allen & Unwin

Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute by Maggie Groff
When a secretive American cult moves to the Gold Coast, freelance journalist Scout Davis’s investigative antennae start quivering. She sets out to expose the cult’s lunatic beliefs and bizarre practices, but when she learns the identity of a recent recruit, her quest becomes personal. And dangerous. Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute is frequently hilarious, always surprising, and delivered with a strong cast of charmingly eccentric characters.
Published by Pan Macmillan

Partners & Crime: The true stories of eight women and their lives with notorious men by Rochelle Jackson
What attracts some women to dangerous men?  It’s not always about the thrill of living on the edge and hooking up with bad boys – their motivations are more complex than that. Investigative journalist Rochelle Jackson asks eight women about their lives with their notorious partners. For first time, these women finally get the chance to tell their own stories. Surprising, intimate and at times confronting, Partners and Crime takes us behind the headlines and media hype to reveal what it is really like with men who are outside the law.
Published by Allen & Unwin

Under Southern Skies by Anne McCullagh Rennie
Cate Perry’s future couldn’t look brighter.  She’s learning about life on the land, and has just completed her first solo flight over the vast Northern Territory cattle station she calls home. And she’s falling in love – with the handsome, gentle Alf.  Then a tragic freak accident changes Cate’s life forever. Lyrical, passionate and heartwarming, Under Southern Skies is the uplifiting story of a young woman determined to make a life for herself in the sweeping Australian outback.
Published by Penguin Australia

The Light-Field: Triad of Being – Triad of Being Book Three by Traci Harding
A chance to change the future…or screw it up entirely! Ten years in Maladaan’s past, Taren Lennox seizes the opportunity to secure personal financing for the AMIE Proect and base the building on Frujia – away from Maladaan and is Secret Service. But when the MSS develop a weapon, from a patient of one of Taren’s inventions, that counts light – photon by photon- she begins to doubt her ability to keep her ever growing psychic army a secret.
Published by HarperCollins

The Spider Goddess by Tara Moss
It’s been two months since Pandora English left her small hometown to live with her mysterious great-aunt in a haunted mansion in Spektor – the fog-wreathed suburb of Manhattan that doesn’t appear on any map. With the help of Great-Aunt Celia and the handsome – but dead – Lieutenant Luke, Pandora is beginning to understand that she is heir to a gift from the Lucasta family – a gift that comes with frightening responsibility. And New York needs Pandora’s special gifts.
Published by Pan Macmillan

Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexandra
Golden Earrings is a powerful saga of family, love, honour and betrayal.  The story moves between two great cities: Barcelona in the lead up to the Civil War and Paris in the 1970s. It is the story of two women and the extremes to which they are willing to go for love.  It is a story of great passions- and great betrayals – where nothing is quite as it seems.
Published by HarperCollins

Watto by Shane Watson with Jimmy Thomson
It is March 2011 and Shane Watson is vice-captain of the Australian Test and one-day teams and has become an opening batsman of prodigious talent, a reflexive catcher at first slip and a bowler who rarely fails to take wickets. To many observers, he has become his nation’s most valuable player. Here is the compelling and inspiring account of his journey from great potential to deep despair and then personal triumph.
Published by Allen & Unwin

Saving Private Sarbi by Sandra Lee
Sarbi’s story, and those of the other brave Australian Army dogs in Afghanistan, will resonate with anyone who has known the unconditional love of man’s best friend, and understands the rewards of unbidden loyalty, trust and devotion.  It will appeal to all those who appreciate the selflessness of serving your country and the inherent dangers of putting your life on the line for others in a war zone. And it will strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the magical connection with a dog.
Published by Allen & Unwin

Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington
Violet Eden knows her life will never be as it was.  Phoenix, the exiled angel who betrayed her, is back and he’s willing to do anything to get what she has.With innocent lives at stake, Lincoln and Violet must work together, denying their soul-crushing desire for one another. Seemingly holding all the power, Phoenix is always one step ahead. And when he puts the pieces of the terrifying prophecy together, he realises exactly who he needs in order to open the gates to Hell.
Published by Hachette Australia

Empire Day by Diane Armstrong
Empire Day, 1948. A back street in Bondi is transformed as the fireworks of Cracker Night cast a magical glow over its humble cottages. But Australia as a whole is being transformed in this post war era. The ‘reffos’ have moved in, and their strange ways are threatening the comfortable world of salt-of-the-earth locals like Pop Wilson, deserted mum Kath and sharp-tongues Maude McNulty. But behind closed doors, Old as well as New Australians suffer secret heartaches.
Published by Fourth Estate

Where Spirits Dwell by Karina Machado
There are houses that are as seductive as lovers.  There are houses that draw us close and never let us go, there are houses that haunt us. And then there are the houses that are truly haunted, houses where spirits dwell. Are you ready to step inside? Where Spirits Dwell unearths the creaking, spine-chilling moments when ghosts appear in suburbia. There are stories in this book that will chill you, shock you and break your heart.
Published by Hachette Australia

The Broken Ones by Stephen M Irwin
The world has descended in chaos.  On the surface, everything looks the same – yet the unthinkable has happened.  The dead have risen… Everyone is haunted by a relative, friend, spouse or stranger and these spirits are unshakeable, silent and watching. Governments the world over fail to deal with the epidemic. Crime is rife and murders commonplace. But who is responsible: the ghosts or the people?
Published by Hachette Australia

Grim and Grimmer – The Calamitous Queen (book 4) by Ian Irvine
Emajicka is marching on Grimmery with an army of a million Fey. Can things possibly get worse?  Yes, they can, for Ike is all alone. Mellie has gone, attempting to pull off the perfect crime.  Lord Monty is at war with his reattached head.  The beautiful spite Mothooliel want so steal Ike’s eyeballs, and Grogire the firewyrm plans to kill him in the most disgusting way. Brace yourselves for a wild ride.

Published by Scholastic

Rudie Nudie by Emma Quay
A delightful celebration of those nudie moments between bath and bed time from award-winning author and illustrator Emma Quay.
Published by ABC Books

Tunnel Rats by Jimmy Thomson with Sandy MacGregor
They were young, they were Australian, they were Army engineers and they were the first allied soldiers to risk their lives in the darkness of the Vietcong tunnels of South Vietnam. Staring death squarely in the face every day. Off duty, it was a different story. The bad boys of 3 Field Troop were a boozing, brawling, bonking bunch of larrikins. Thrilling, inspiring and action packed, this is the true story of the unsung heroes of Australia’s war in Vietnam. Living up to their motor of ‘We Make and We Break’, they created the legend of the Tunnel Rats.

Published by Allen & Unwin

Armani Angels by Cate Kendall
Dynamic PR guru Gemma regularly rubs shoulders with Australia’s A-listers at glittering opening nights and exclusive launches she hosts. Away from her stellar career, life is much less glamorous. With a distant husband, an angry teenage son and a career that no longer satisfies her, Gemma needs a new direction. The choices she makes leave her faced with some big questions about her future and her family that will change her life forever.
Published by Random House

The Koala Bounces Back Text by Jimmy Thomson and illustrations by Eric Löbbecke
Karri the bouncing koala has a peaceful new home, until a gang of football-crazy cats move in. The moggies aren’t welcome, but they’ve nowhere else to live. Karri makes a deal with them. They’ll play football and if the cats win they get to stay. But Karri remembers - he doesn’t know the first thing about the game!
Published by Random House

Just One More Time by Mark Macleod and illustrations by Sue de Gennaro
With her pups on the way, Jessie the dog is full of surprises. But when her family think they’ve had the last of them, there’s just one more!
Published by ABC Books

Votive by Karen Brooks
Tallow is anything but a simple candlemaker and when she has everything taken from her, all she can do to survive is rely on the Maleovellis. Casting aside her disguise she becomes cold hearted Tarlo, female courtesan and the toast of those who would destroy her. But the intrigues of the Serenissian nobility are nothing against the larger forces moving within the world. And Tallow’s enemies have a hidden asset:  the one thing they know she cannot possibly resist.
Published by Random House

Tallow by Karen Brooks
On a mystical border called the Limen, a humble candlemaker rescues a child, whom he raises as his apprentice. Years pass and the child’s unusual talents are revealed with the gentle art of candlemaking slowly transforming into something far more sinister. Lingering in the shadows enemies watch and wait.  They hunger after the childs ancient magic and will do anything to control it.
Published by Random House

No Time For Fear by Paul de Gelder with Sue Williams
Paul de Gelder chased adventure wherever he could find it, from his wild ride as a hoodlum teen and his drug-and-alcohol fuelled stint working in a strip club to hauling his way up to the elite echelons of the defence forces.  But trouble hunted him down in the form of a brutal shark in February 2009. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as a daredevil navy clearance diver was flung into jeopardy. His inspiring story takes "never say die", to a whole new level.
Published by Penguin

Hocus Pocus Jellypoo Blues by Laura Milligan
Giant Gog and his string dog have mysteriously disappeared. Who could be wreaking havoc on magical Reindeer Island? Will Wizard Oldpopper, Lucy and Joe find the clues at the ice caves that can save the Island and their giant friend from the ghastly creature? It will take on almighty wizzle-pop to save the day. But will it be enough?
Published by Penguin

Watercolours by Adrienne Ferreira
11 year old Novi just wants to blend in – not easy when you have the most eccentric family in town. An obsessive artist with a habit of drawing the stories of the people around him and a secret conviction that the river murdered his grandfather. Young teacher Dom Best is new in town and must overcome his lack of confidence to support Novi’s talent. Watercolours is a poignant debut novel with a mystery at its heart, an unexpected love story and a surprising twist.
Published by Fourth Estate (an imprint of HarperCollins)

Little Vietnam by Nhut Huynh
Acclaimed Vietnamese-Australian chef Nhut Huynh shares his passion for the food that sustained his family during times of war and separation, and that remains a defining feature of Vietnam’s wonderfully rich culture.  He introduces traditional classics alongside the eclectic street-stall dishes he has collected on his many trips back to visits friends and family.
Published by Penguin/Lantern Imprint

Mezza Italiana by Zoë Boccabella
Zoë Boccabella couldn’t shake the unsettling sense of feeling ‘half-and-half’ – half Australian, mezza italiana – unable to fit fully into either culture, or merge the two. Years later she travels to the family’s ancestral village of Fossa in Abruzzo and discovers a place that is the stuff of fairytales. Beautifully written, sprinkled with recipes and laced with love, Mezza Italiana is an enchanting story about love, family, la dolce vita and finding your place in the world.
Published by ABC Books

Enticed by Jessica Shirvington
Violet Eden thought she knew all the secrets ….  She was wrong.  Violet is Grigori, part angel, part human.  Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengeance of exiled angels.Knowing who to trust is key but when Grigori reinforcements arrive it becomes clear everyone is hiding something.  The ony thing Violet does know …. Phoenix’s hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
Published by Hachette Australia

Grim and Grimmer – The Desperate Dwarf (book 3) by Ian Irvine
Mellie has stolen the unluckiest charm in Wychwold, Pook has an insane plan to rescue the Collected children, Nickl, Spleen and Tonsil are after Ike’s innards, and the Fey Queen , Emajicka, is coming to tear his worst nightmare out of him. Only Ike can save Grimmery now.  But first he has to win a contest with a lying, cheating scoundrel – the desperate dwarf, Con Glomyrt.
Published by Scholastic

Let’s Go Wild: Just for the Record by Sorrel Wilby & Illustrated by Michelle Pike
If you think the Olympics are fantastic, just wait till you read about the incredible achievements of the animal kingdom. In this world there are even prizes for coming dead last!  Did you know… Cheetahs can reach speeds of 100km/hr in just three seconds? That’s faster than a sports car accelerates!
Published by ABC Books

Let’s Go Wild: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner by Sorrel Wilby & Illustrated by Michelle Pike
A tummy-rumbling look at what’s on nature’s menu.  Learn all about the wacky things some animals eat and the extraordinary ways they find food to fill their bellies.  Did you know… Baby blue whales drink around 200 litres of milk every day?  An octobupus will eat is own legs in order to survive? The world’s largest rodent, the capybara, eats its own poo?  Gross!
Published by ABC Books

Let’s Go Wild: Skin Deep by Sorrel Wilby & Illustrated by Michelle Pike
In the animal kingdom, it’s what’s on the outside that counts! Discover everything there is to know about animals and their skin – how they use it to attract or repel, hide or stand out, and stay cool or warm.  Did you know… Catfish have more tastebuds on their skin than we do in our mouths? The golden poison arrow frog has enough in its skin to kill 20,000 mice?
Published by ABC Books

Softly Calls the Serengeti by Frank Coates
Fires light the sky over Kibera, East Africa’s largest slum - the prelude to bloody violence during Kenya’s presidential elections. Joshua Otieng is caught between brutal realities of life in a slum and his dream of a return to the glories of his ancestral past.  Mayasa is a woman he believes could share his dreams. Journalist Mark Riley is in Kenya to find a missing orphan and escape his past. On a journey to the Serengeti, they discover that danger lurks everywhere, with more to fear than just the wildlife …
Published by HarperCollins

Dance Until It Rains by Andrew Jobling
Learn life’s most important lessons from an ordinary person who had an extraordinary desire to change her circumstances. This is a book that will make you laugh and make you cry. Most importantly, it will help you find the motivation to create a better level of wellbeing and a happier life for yourself. Inspired by the life of Andrew Jobling’s mother, Sue, Dance Until It Rains reveals lessons that can help all to live a life of health, happiness and prosperity.
Published by Exisle Publishing

The Secret of the Lonely Isles by Joanne van Os
Jen’s world has been turned upside down by a family crisis, and then it gets worse. Just when it all seems too hard, along comes Ella, Jem’s great-aunt, who’s also a solo round-the-world sailor. What’s the mystery that Ella is chasing?  Why does Jem keep having strange and troubling dreams, and what could they mean?
And who is stalking them all?
Published by Random House Australia