Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Once again Fiona McArthur has her readers visiting the town of Lightning Ridge. This was also the setting for her book, The Opal Miner’s Daughter, number two in her Aussie Outback Medical Romance Series. Her latest book, The Lightning Ridge Ladies, is the fourteenth book in that series. As is her
Reviewed by Rod McLary In his Afterword [p127] to this novella, Colm Tóibín explains that A Long Winter was written twenty years ago and first appeared as a story in his collection Mothers and Sons published in 2006. The stories in the collection explore the nature of relationships between and mothers and their sons –
Reviewed by Ian Lipke One should be warned by the title and general appearance of the title On Wings of Blood that this book is not for the fainthearted. Until now I have steered clear of the blood-and-guts variety of fantasy novel. More accurately, I have avoided the fantasy genre almost entirely. On Wings of
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Windy Washing Day is a 210x210cm hardback picture book for ages 3-8 by Yvonne Low and Kate Talbot. This is a wonderfully funny story about a young child helping mum hang out the washing when the wind whips up and the clothes are blown off the line. Told in the first
Reviewed by Rod McLary Gus and the Burning Stones is the sequel to Gus and the Missing Boy [2024] and continues Gus’ search for his birth mother after discovering in the first book that he was adopted. With the help of his friends Kane and Shell, Gus was able to track down the details of
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Suzanne Do is not as well-known as her husband, Anh, but her book The Golden Sister promises much. The Do family live on the coast south of Sydney. The Golden Sister is a fast-paced mystery set in a small fictional NSW coastal town, exploring complex and dysfunctional family dynamics and the
Reviewed by Rod McLary The author of this new book – Alex Dook – describes it as ‘a simple story’ [author note] and, on its surface, it is exactly that. But when the reader begins the novel, it takes on a depth which pulls the reader into a nightmare of life and death. Gunpowder Creek
Reviewed by Rod McLary The crime genre is a broad church and there are a number of sub-genres from the hard-bitten police procedurals to outback noir to urban noir – all of which provide their own brand of tension, excitement and the thrill of the chase. So there is ample room for Senior Detective Antigone
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The brother and sister duo who have produced this hard covered children’s book are among several authors and illustrators who identify closely to First Nations culture. All of these books have been beautifully presented with colourful educational material for primary school age students. Victor Steffensen is an indigenous writer, musician, film
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke I Am Me is a hard-covered children’s picture-book produced by Mitch Tambo and illustrated by Caria Hoffenberg. In January 2026 this talented music artist will release an album of children’s music with the same title. First discovered on the finale of Australia’s Got Talent, this unique First Nations’ entertainer has provided
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke There are so many children’s authors and books that parents should have no trouble finding something to read to their young ones. Melbourne based children’s author, Evie Garland, has used her passion for all things festive to create her Christmas tree shaped board book. It is beautifully illustrated by Rachel Gyan,
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Domination is a story of how a tiny cult within the Roman empire came to be a powerful force in the space of a few centuries. Professor Alice Roberts is not the first and is unlikely to be the last to ponder this question: how did Christianity come to dominate the
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Giants do live in our world. A quick search of any encyclopedia will reveal the existence of people nine feet tall. If you consider a nearly 9-foot-tall human a giant, then yes, they certainly do. Robert Wadlow, the tallest person on record, grew to 8 feet, 11 inches (2.72 meters) before
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Gary Waldon, author of best seller Sort Your Sh!t Out, is back to help you Master the Art of Reinvention at a time when we need it the most. Life is always changing, but big changes like relationships, work, winning lotto, or even the rise of AI can disrupt everything, whether
Reviewed by Richard Tutin This entertaining book by Matt Murphy reminds me of the old wild west scene when a dishevelled prospector comes rushing in saying at the top of their lungs “Tha’s gold in them tha hills”. Murphy has set himself the task of identifying who exactly could rightfully be regarded as the one