AustLit

'Life is a thrilling adventure.

'Our children get only rare glimpses of the possibilities.

'To roam, to dare, to fail ... these are the rights of children.

'John Marsden, the award-winning, bestselling author of the Tomorrow series, has spent his life educating kids and teenagers. He is passionate about the need to prepare them in all ways for the demands of adulthood.

'As the founder and principal of two schools - Candlebark and Alice Miller - John has put his theories to the test and seen the empowering results of his methods.

'Take Risks is the compelling memoir of a revered author and educator, and a forthright discussion on teaching, parenting and society as a whole.' (Publication summary)

'When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter.

'But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity.

'At the end of the day, can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change?' (Publication summary)

'THE END IS HERE

'Jack West Jr has made it to the Supreme Labyrinth.

'Now he faces one last race-against multiple rivals, against time, against the collapse of the universe itself-a headlong race that will end at a throne inside the fabled labyrinth.

'AN IMPOSSIBLE MAZE

'But the road will be hard.

'For this is a maze like no other: a maze of mazes. Uncompromising and complex. Demanding and deadly.

'A CATACLYSMIC CONCLUSION

'It all comes down to this.

'For it ends here-now-in the most lethal and dangerous place Jack has encountered in all of his many adventures. And in the face of this indescribable peril, with everything on the line, there is only one thing he can do.

'Attempt the impossible. (Publication summary)

'From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister and The Mother-in-Law comes a new novel of family drama and long-buried secrets.

'The moment she laid eyes on Heather Wisher, Tully knew this woman was going to destroy their lives.

'Tully and Rachel are murderous when they discover their father has a new girlfriend. The fact that Heather is half his age isn't even the most shocking part. Stephen is still married to their mother, who is stricken with Alzheimer's Disease.

'Heather knows she has an uphill battle to win Tully and Rachel over - particularly while carrying the shameful secrets of her past. But, as it turns out, her soon-to-be stepdaughters have secrets of their own.

'The announcement of Stephen and Heather's engagement threatens to set off a family implosion, with old wounds and dark secrets finally being forced to the surface.

'A garage full of stolen goods. An old hot water bottle, stuffed with cash. A blood-soaked wedding. And that's only the beginning...' (Publication summary)

'Prussia, 1836

'Hanne Nussbaum is a child of nature — she would rather run wild in the forest than conform to the limitations of womanhood. In her village of Kay, Hanne is friendless and considered an oddity...until she meets Thea.

'Ocean, 1838

'The Nussbaums are Old Lutherans, bound by God's law and at odds with their King's order for reform. Forced to flee religious persecution the families of Kay board a crowded, disease-riddled ship bound for the new colony of South Australia. In the face of brutal hardship, the beauty of whale song enters Hanne's heart, along with the miracle of her love for Thea. Theirs is a bond that nothing can break.

'The whale passed. The music faded.

'South Australia, 1838

'A new start in an old land. God, society and nature itself decree Hanne and Thea cannot be together. But within the impossible ... is devotion.

'This long-awaited novel demonstrates Hannah Kent's sublime ability with language that creates an immersive, transformative experience for the reader. Devotion is a book to savour.' (Publication summary)

'It was a new level of loserdom, even for me

'When Rosie humiliates herself in front of the whole school at the swimming carnival, she vows she'll never step foot in the water again.

'Well, until Jake Owen, the best swimmer (and hottest boy) in her year says he will give her swimming lessons.

'Against all the voices in her head screaming that it's a bad idea, she takes him up on his offer.

'As the pair bond over failed freestyles and parental pressures, they learn more from each other than they ever could have anticipated.' (Publication summary)

'Anahita Rosalind Ghorban-Galaszczuk (yes, that really is her name but you can call her Ana) is discovering that life is absurd. As if dying of cancer at the age of 12.5 isn't bad enough, she still has to endure daily insults from her nemesis, Alyssa (Queen Mean) Anderson.

'Ana's on a wild rollercoaster of life and death, kindness and cruelty, ordinary and extraordinary.

'And she's got a few things to do before she exits. . .' (Publication summary)

'Rosa was never really trying to kill anyone, no matter what they said in court.

'But she's ended up in juvenile jail anyway, living her life through books and wondering why her best mate Asheeka disappeared.

'A page-turning novel about a complicated friendship; a road trip through NSW in a stolen car; the stories that define us; and two funny, sharp, adventurous young women who refuse to be held back any longer. (Publication summary)

'I had a body once before. I didn't always love it. I knew the skin as my limit, and there were times I longed to leave it. I knew better than to wish for this.

'This is the story of Yun. It's the story of Adam. Two young people. A familiar chase.

'But this is not a love story. It's a story of revenge, transformation, survival. Feel something, the body commands. Feel this. But it's a phantom . . . I go untouched.

'They want their body back.

'Who are we, if we lose hold of the body? What might we become?

'The Airways shifts between Sydney and Beijing, unsettling the boundaries of gender and power, consent and rage, self and other, and even life and death.

A powerful, inventive, and immersive novel from award-winning author Jennifer Mills.' (Publication summary)

'Two warriors. One wields the power of music, one the strength of her sword. Both face a grave threat in this enthralling historical fantasy.

'After a violent encounter with masked men and the sinister Crow Folk, Prince Aolu of Dalriada disappears without a trace, and his companion Galen is seriously injured.

'Liobhan and the Swan Island warriors seek answers to the prince's abduction. For Liobhan this mission is personal, as Galen is her beloved brother.

'While she and her team investigate, Liobhan's younger brother Brocc is in serious trouble. Brocc's secret attempt to communicate with the Crow Folk triggers a shocking incident, and sends him on a path which endangers the one he loves above all else.

'What brought the Crow Folk to Erin? And who plots to use them in an unscrupulous bid for power? As Liobhan and Brocc seek the truth, it becomes clear the two missions are connected - and an extraordinary mystery unfolds.

'With the safety of their loved ones in the balance, the risks they must take may cost them everything.'  (Publication summary)

'Evil is at play in a South African game reserve.

'A poacher vanishes into thin air, defying logic and baffling ace tracker Mia Greenaway.

'Meanwhile Captain Sannie van Rensburg, still reeling from a personal tragedy, is investigating the disappearance of two young girls who locals fear have been abducted for use in sinister traditional medicine practices.

But poachers are also employing witchcraft, paying healers for potions they believe will make them invisible and bulletproof.

When a tourist goes missing, Mia and Sannie must work together to confront their own demons and challenge everything they believe, and to follow a bloody trail that seems to vanish at every turn.'(Publication summary)

'For more than thirty years, Phillip Maisel has worked selflessly to record the harrowing stories of Holocaust survivors.

'Volunteering at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Phillip has listened tirelessly to their memories, preserved their voices and proven, time and time again, just how healing storytelling can be. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself - earning Phillip the nickname 'the Keeper of Miracles'.

'But, for Phillip, confronting and overcoming trauma is also personal. A Holocaust survivor himself, he, too, has unthinkable stories of triumph and tragedy, cruelty and hope.

'Published as Phillip turns 99, this deeply moving, healing and inspiring memoir shows us the cathartic power of storytelling and reminds us never to underestimate the impact of human kindness.'(Publication summary)

'To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

'"I refuse to be nothing"

'In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness

'In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family's eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family's clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

'When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

'After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.' (Publication summary)

'Bella Green is a Sunday-afternoon sex worker. Divorced dads, IT nerds, international students - she's here for the idiosyncrasies of human behaviour, for soothing the lonely. But really for the cash.

'From an entrepreneurial kid to a young woman trying to find herself (and desperate to stay out of call centres), Bella started sex work for the glamour and the taboo. Instead, she found her place in this surprisingly mundane and often entertaining industry, where the hierarchy is strict, the names are fake, and spare towels always come in handy.

'Taking us on a funny, candid, can't-look-away journey through brothels, strip clubs, peep shows and dominatrix dungeons, Happy Endings is a hilarious and compelling memoir from a bright and bold new Australian voice.' (Publication summary)

'A fun and exciting story of footy, family, friends and fair play from one of Australia's favourite rugby league players.

'Transitioning from a Meerkat to a Ram has been tough. Not all the Meerkats made the move, which means that the newly-formed Camden Rams Blue team is short four players. Playing a full game with only nine players isn't much fun for Teddy and his crew, so it's up to them to talent-spot some new players. So they cam defeat the big-noters from Camden Red.

'Based on James's own footy-playing childhood, Red vs Blue encourages kids to follow their dreams regardless of the obstacles in their way.

'James is a hugely popular NRL superstar and a fantastic role model for boys and girls. He completed his PE Teacher degree in 2016, and loves to mentor kids whenever he can.'  (Publication summary)