By Jessica Anscombe
Fiction
Set in Paris in 1939 and the present–day French Riviera this moving novel, by Natasha Lester, will be perfect for historical–fiction lovers. The Riviera House $32.99, Hachette Australia, www.hachette.com.au
Peter “The Plum” Lum is an ex–NRL player who’s given doctor’s orders to change his lifestyle, and fast. Plum, by actor, director and writer Brendan Cowell, is a powerful story exploring modern masculinity. $32.99, HarperCollins, www.harpercollins.com.au
For the thrill seekers! I Shot the Devil, by Ruth McIver, is a suspense–filled story of murder and home truths. $32.99, Hachette Australia, www.hachette.com.au
In Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr shares the narratives of characters from three timelines, Constantinople in 1453, Idaho in 2020 and an unknown date in the future, all linked by an ancient text, to weave a story of human connection.
$32.99, HarperCollins, www.harpercollins.com.au
Once Burnt Twice Shy, by Karly Lane, is a rural drama, with a nod to the Rural Fire Service. Samantha is house sitting on her parents’ farm when bushfires break out. The novel is about rebuilding, second chances, discovering old flames and the meaning of home. $29.99, Allen & Unwin, www.allenandunwin.com
Non-Fiction
For the festive season and beyond,
Matt Preston’s World of Flavour is filled with favourites with a twist and includes the history behind the dishes for interesting stories to entertain guests. $39.99, Penguin Random House, www.penguin.com.au
Our lives are signposted by major events. In Twelve Summers, actor and writer Adam Zwar recalls his most memorable moments, woven into the backdrop of Australia’s unforgettable cricket matches. $32.99, Hachette Australia, www.hachette.com.au
Astronomy enthusiasts will love learning about stars and planets in our galaxy and beyond…in The Universe, by Andrew Cohen, with a foreword by Professor Brian Cox. $39.99, HarperCollins, www.harpercollins.com.au
She’s been part of our media landscape for years, now read Lisa Wilkinson’s autobiography It Wasn’t Meant to be Like This, and discover what life has been like behind the camera for one of Australia’s most well–known personalities. $45, HarperCollins, www.harpercollins.com.au
Know someone starting a veggie patch? In Homegrown, River Cottage host Paul West shares the tips they’ll need for planting, growing and maintaining their kitchen garden all year round. $44.99, Pan Macmillan Australia, www.panmacmillan.com.au
Children’s Books
Celebrate with everyone’s favourite heelers and read along with all the poolside action in Bluey: Christmas Swim $16.99, Penguin Random House, www.penguin.com.au
Marcie is having a tough Christmas until she’s given a magic wishing stone. With the help of a black cat named George, she sees that perhaps dreams really can come true. Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat $19.99, Penguin Random House,
www.penguin.com.au
A gentle and inspiring story, The Curiosities, by Zana Fraillon, demonstrates diversity and the comfort and acceptance that we are not all the same. $26.99, Hachette Australia, www.hachette.com.au
A story of growing up on a farm with horses and animals, surrounded by beautiful bush. The Road to Goonong, by David Cox. $15.99, Allen & Unwin, www.allenandunwin.com
In The Toys’ Christmas, favourite toys journey to see Santa to tell him what their human besties would like to find under the tree. $24.99, Allen & Unwin, www.allenandunwin.com
Jessica Anscombe is a librarian and writer living on the Central Coast. She has a passion for literature and writes fiction and non–fiction. Jessica was the winner of the Wyong Writers’ 2021 Short Story Competition and her winning story is to be published in an upcoming anthology. She has also been longlisted for the Furious Fiction prize and you can read her short stories here www.jessicaanscombe.com/category/fiction/short–stories/ and follow her on instagram at www.instagram.com/jessicaanscombe/