Level up your home: New interior design books

Gush over the stunningly curated homes from the world’s best designers, architects and influencers.  For the maximalists there’s wallpaper laden, textured, clashing-print wonderlands. Or if you’re after neutral, refined and chic there are inspiring homes from beachside shacks to country classics. Check out these recent reads for all your home and interiors inspiration!

Beachside modern / Li, Lauren
“Modern beachside style is more than shells and surfboards. Whether the inspiration comes from nautical themes, natural elements, winter moods or the charm of the Mediterranean, the priority is always comfort and tranquility. It doesn’t matter if you don’t live near the beach – the spirit can be captured anywhere.” (Catalogue)

 

Organized living : solutions and inspiration for your home / Gill, Shira
“Get inspired to level up your home organization with tips, worksheets, Q&As, and photos of the living spaces of twenty-five international home organizers, from the author of Minimalista.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Country homes in Australia. Volume II
“Take a journey with Country Style through the beautiful country homes that dot our landscapes, from an historic sandstone cottage to a classic Queenslander and everything in between.” (Catalogue)

 

 

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When once you have tasted flight: New fiction

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When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.

– Leonardo DaVinci

Welcome to this month’s selection of recently acquired fiction titles. To make this month’s choices we have employed a broad and panoramic approach, picking titles that convey the wide variety of subject matters, literary styles and approaches present in all our new intake books.

This month’s collection of titles includes a new historical fiction novel by Sara Ackerman called The uncharted flight of Olivia West, inspired by the Dole Air Race of 1927. This is a gripping story, based on true events, about a young pioneering aviator participating in the race. Literary legend Isabel Allende has released a new novel, called The wind knows my name. We have two highlights from Aotearoa, an outstanding collection of new short stories from the iconic Aotearoa author Patricia Grace, titled Bird child & other stories, and the much-anticipated debut novel from Olive Nuttall called Kitten. There’s also The Tearsmith by Erin Doom, which is currently being adapted into a Netflix series. To round things off in style, we have the Booker shortlisted and winner of the An Post Irish Book of the Year, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray.

Links to all these titles, and a few others, can be found below.

The uncharted flight of Olivia West / Ackerman, Sara
“This extraordinary novel, inspired by real events, tells the story of a female aviator who defies the odds to embark on a daring air race across the Pacific. 1927. Olivia “Livy” West is a fearless young pilot with a love of adventure. She yearns to cross oceans and travel the skies. When she learns of the Dole Air Race–a high-stakes contest to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai’i–she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last-ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that some will not survive.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Owls in folklore and fantasy: New science fiction and fantasy

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“Murder owls are extreme,” Jude said. “What’s more extreme than murder owls?”

Aimee Pokwatka, The parliament

Welcome to our latest selection of newly acquired fantasy and science fiction titles. There is a rich abundance of scintillating and gripping titles on offer this month, but the title that really caught our eye was The parliament by Aimee Pokwatka, a newly released fantasy novel about the deep original force of nature as especially expressed by owls. Indeed, the book has been described as The Birds meets The Princess Bride.

Owls have played an important part in myths, traditions and folklore across many cultures around the world, and continue to do so to this day. Owls feature in Mayan, Celtic and Zulu myths and stories to name just a few, and of course, closer to home, the ruru is a powerful figure in Māori myths and traditions. Mythic owls seem to come in many guises but are often linked to the mysterious spiritual realms and vary between being either good or bad omens and either benevolent creatures or more malevolent in nature.

It is perhaps their prominent role in many of the World’s mythologies that has led them to be such popular inclusions in many fictional works. Just a few of the most notable fictional Owls include Archimedes in The sword in the stone, Hedwig in the Harry Potter Series, and of course Owl in the Winnie the Pooh books. To this rich and noble fictional tradition, Aimee Pokwatka adds her own voice and story — have a read below and reserve your copy today!

Our other top picks in this month’s selection can be viewed below:

The parliament / Pokwatka, Aimee
“When tens of thousands of owls descend on her hometown library, rending and tearing at anyone foolish enough to step outside, Madigan Purdy, tasked with keeping her students safe, seeks inspiration from her favorite childhood book, The Silent Queen, to find a solution to their dilemma.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Faebound / El-Arifi, Saara
“Yeeran was born on the battlefield, has lived on the battlefield, and one day, she knows, she’ll die on the battlefield. As a warrior in the elven army, Yeeran has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future. When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, both sisters are forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the impossible: the fae court. The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world, torn among their loyalties to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Also available as an eBook – Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi.

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Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief – New detective and thriller titles

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Welcome to this month’s selection of newly acquired detective and thriller titles.

There is a plethora of diverse and thrilling titles  on offer this month, but the title that caught our eye was The best of Lupin: adventures of Arsène Lupin, gentleman-thief by Maurice Leblanc; a reprint of stories from the first half of the twentieth century.

The huge runaway success of A.C. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, and the complexity of the character he created, spawned a whole host of budding detectives from all sorts of backgrounds, all hoping to emulate the success of the master detective.

And this was true of  the French novelist Maurice Leblanc, who took a rather unique approach to his central character Arsène Lupin – making him not a detective, but a gentleman thief  in a similar vein to E. W. Hornung’s  A. J. Raffles character. Coincidentally, E.W. Hornung was the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The approach proved to be successful, with Arsène Lupin the gentleman thief going on to feature in 17 novels and 39 novellas .

The Holmes connections didn’t stop with the intellectual gentleman link or the E.W. Hornung connection. In one story, Lupin is introduced Sherlock Holmes – though for copyright reasons, his name was changed to Herlock Sholmès.

Our other top picks in this month’s selection can be viewed below.

The best of Lupin : adventures of Arsène Lupin, gentleman-thief / Leblanc, Maurice
“A collection of 22 short stories selected from the five collections of short stories about master criminal Arsene Lupin that Maurice Leblanc published in France a century ago. The English translations (some by George Morehead and some by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos) are now in the public domain. With a new introduction by mystery writer Martin Walker.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Travel through time and space: New science books

Come for a journey through the vast universe to galaxies and dimensions far, far away. Explore the limits of human knowledge this month with our brand-new scientific books. If keeping your feet firmly on the ground is more appealing, we also have books set here on Earth for you! Pick up one of these books to begin your next science expedition.

To infinity and beyond : a journey of cosmic discovery / Tyson, Neil deGrasse
“No one can make the mysteries of the universe more comprehensible and fun than Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book begins as we leave Earth, encountering new truths about our planet’s atmosphere, the nature of sunlight, and the many missions that have demystified our galactic neighbors. When we finally arrive in the blackness of outer space, Tyson takes on the spookiest phenomena of the cosmos: parallel worlds, black holes, time travel, and more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Deep sea : 10 things you should know : a deep dive into one of the most mysterious environments on our planet / Copley, Jon
“Uncover what lies at the deepest depths of our oceans… In ten brief and informative essays, Copley journeys to one of the most mysterious and fascinating environments on Earth, the deep sea. The Deep Sea: 10 things you should know is a brilliant guide to one of the most fascinating and curious places known to humankind.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Transient and strange : notes on the science of life / Greenfieldboyce, Nell
“An astonishing debut from the beloved NPR science correspondent: intimate essays about the intersection of science and everyday life. In this, her debut book, she delivers a wholly original collection of powerful, emotionally raw, and unforgettable personal essays that probe the places where science touches our lives most intimately. Transient and Strange captures the ache of ordinary life, offering resonant insights into both the world around us and the worlds within us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Beyond the surface: New personal development books

We are intricate beings, with complex emotions woven through a web of interconnected systems. This collection of books explores the vast tapestry of human experience, from navigating societal challenges to confronting personal grief. By celebrating our beautiful diversity and fostering connection within this complexity, we pave the path to true wellbeing and empowerment.

The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy / Romeo, Nick
“While many still preach outdated economic dogmas, a growing number are rejecting these myths and reshaping economies around ethical values. Journalist Nick Romeo explores innovative models being implemented globally, from purpose-driven companies to climate budgeting to worker ownership. He outlines an alternative economic system structured around equity, sustainability and accountability that could work for everyone.” (Adapted from catalogue)

Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture / Sole-Smith, Virginia
From a young age, kids internalize that being “fat” is bad and are pressured to pursue thinness by diet culture and weight-centric healthcare. ‘Fat Talk’ exposes how the war on “childhood obesity” has fuelled disordered eating and body hatred across all sizes. Drawing on research and personal accounts, the book argues to reclaim “fat” as not inherently unhealthy, stop trying to “prevent obesity,” and instead adopt a weight-inclusive approach that addresses societal fatphobia rather than viewing kids’ bodies as the problem. It provides an alternative framework for parenting around food and bodies.” (Adapted from catalogue)

How To Be: Life Lessons From The Early Greeks / Nicolson, Adam
“2,500 years ago, a few heroic individuals in small Mediterranean cities pioneered the beginnings of Western philosophy, casting off the dominance of god-kings and priests. Adam Nicolson takes readers on an expedition into these early innovative thinkers like Homer, Heraclitus, Xenophanes, Sappho and Pythagoras, who shaped ground-breaking ideas about the natural world, ethics, authenticity and the soul. Enhanced with visuals, it revisits the ancient philosophers’ fundamental questions about how to live and understand existence, shedding new light on the radical, investigative thought that formed the bedrock of Western philosophy.” (Adapted from catalogue)

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