AustLit

'Sixteen-year-old Sofie is a dreamer, an artist and a romantic. So when she goes on exchange to Paris, she is expecting magnificent adventures of the heart and mind. Yet France isn't what she imagined. It's cold and grey, and speaking another language is exhausting. Sofie's more homesick than lovesick.

'But then her host sister, Delphine, and fellow artist Olivier show her a different side of Paris, and Sofie starts to question her ideas of art, beauty and meaning. Of everything. There's truth in what her best friend, Crow, has been saying all along — the world is in crisis and people need to take notice. And when a catastrophe strikes close to home, Sofie realises she needs to act.

'But what can one girl do? Will Sofie be able to find the courage to fight for change?

'This One is Ours is a call to action for anyone who feels helpless about the state of society, as well as an ode to all the tiny beautifuls that make our world worth saving.' (Publication summary)

'A novel about growing up in a migrant Asian family with a mother who is suffering from mental illness, from the highly commended author of Freedom Swimmer.

'Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad's restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen.

'But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.

'A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family, and the surprising power of a good dumpling.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Introducing Rob Fitzgerald: thirteen years old and determined to impress the new girl at school, but it's a difficult task for a super-shy kid who is prone to panic attacks that include vomit, and genuine terror that can last all day. An anonymous texter is sending Rob challenges and they might just help. Or not.

'Beautifully moving and full of heart and humour, A Song Only I Can Hear is a delightful novel about dreaming big, being brave and marching to the beat of your own drum.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Finn, Kas and Willow have survived the winter of storms. Severe winds and cold have kept the Wilders at bay. Now that spring has come, everything has changed. They’re being hunted again, and they won’t be safe while Ramage wants their blood.

'But Finn and Kas made a promise to Rose - to find her baby and bring her back. And finding Hope means finding Ramage…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Second-hand bookshops are full of mysteries

'This is a love story.

'It's the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets, to words.

'It's the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.

'Now, she's back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal. She's looking for the future in the books people love, and the words that they leave behind.

'Sometimes you need the poets

'The new novel from the award-winning author of Graffiti Moon.' (Publication summary)