The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah:

Set amongst the backdrop of World War 2 we follow two sisters as they navigate love,  hatred,  bravery and strength throughout times of extreme hardship.
When the Nazi’s invade France Vianne is forced to open her home to the enemy, her every move is watched and her family’s safety is at risk.

Isabelle is a rebellious teen searching for meaning in a war-torn time. As she jumps head first into the resistance she is determined to prove herself amongst the other men and women risking their lives to save others.

A truly beautiful read that will stay with you long after the book has been placed on the shelf.
If you love historical fiction similar to ‘The Book Thief’ or ‘The Bronze Horseman’ you must read this book! – Caitlyn

American Gods by Neil Gaiman:

Shadow has just gotten out of jail early, his wife has died, unknowingly this is the first of many strange, twisted and surprising occurrences that will befall Shadow. Both he and the reader are in for one hell of a journey.

Neil Gaiman’s imagination has created a complicated, detailed plot that is crammed with magic and marvel. A journey that goes on tangent after tangent, has many detailed flashbacks and segues a plenty. This character focused story has more than its fair share of detours.

It is a book about the gods of myth and legend, they may be threadbare and degenerate these days but still gods, still capable of inspiring terror and unquestioned allegiance. It is also about the “new” gods, gods of media and money, and while they are not my gods it sets the stage for all out war.

As the winner of the Bram Stoker, Hugo, Nebula, SFX and Locus awards in both horror and science fiction this book is hard to categorise, but here in Geelong it is nestled in with the other Sci fi/ fantasy greats like Jim Butcher, Raymond E. Feist, James S. A. Corey and my all time favourite Douglas Adams.

The devil is in the detail when it comes to “American Gods”; as a reader there is much more to find beneath the surface, you must find the magic for yourself, I know I did. – Kim

Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav:

After a short swim in the realm of fiction, Lang Leav is back with her 5th poetry collection and it’s one of her best. Mixing poetry and prose like an early Oscar Wilde collection, ‘Sea of Strangers’ explores love, loss and identity with grace and soul. As her career has gone on Leav has only gotten stronger, with her unique, loosely structured style lending itself perfectly as the framework for a beautiful melancholy, unique to the modern day. Best paired with a hot bath and a glass of wine, this collection is one that you’ll lose yourself in, time and time again. – Sam

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend:

Whenever things went wrong, it was Morrigan Crow they blamed. A tree knocked down in a storm? That would be Morrigan’s fault. Burnt your toast? That would be Morrigan! Toe infection? You guessed it, it was that Morrigan girl! However when a strange man saves her from an untimely demise, Morrigan is brought into a Wundrous land known as Nevermoor where there are gigantic cats that not only talk but are housekeepers and bedrooms that form themselves to what they believe you’d like.

Upon reading it I honestly could not believe that this is Jessica Townsend’s debut novel. The magical world she has created had me whisked off into a land of pure wonder.

With a Whovian meets Hogwartian meets Wonderland vibe, I greatly enjoyed taking that leap to “Step Boldly” into this magical tale and it truly had me laughing out loud in public areas. – Grace

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur:

Thought provoking and deeply mesmerising, Rupi Kaur’s ‘Milk & Honey’ engages a wide array of tough-to-tackle topics, journeying the experience of trauma and the long road into recovery. There were times when I found some sections to be quite confronting and had to set it aside for a moment, but Kaur’s poems have never failed to leave their mark and keep me coming back for more. Chronicling tales of love and hurt, abuse and empowerment – it is no surprise that this collection is just flying off the shelves. – Emily

How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie:

How To Win Friends And Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. Published in 1948, Carnegie’s work explores the daily interactions between people. Using his real life situations Carnegie demonstrates simple methods, which can help you resolve any social interaction – from daily dilemmas, to intense sales meetings. Carnegie book is the only book you will ever need. – Adrian