Books We Love

How to be Second Best

The Waiter

The Van Apfel Girls are Gone

The Hunting Party

The Underground Railroad

The Corset

One Hundred Years of Dirt

Convenience Store Woman

Louisiana’s Way Home

The Clever Guts Diet

Nine Perfect Strangers

Pages & Co Tilly and the Book Wanderers

The Storm Keeper’s Island

Cyril and Pat

The Mulberry Tree

Nowhere Child

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Shreya loves her Amma — loves the life they live

Shreya loves her Amma — loves the life they live at home, the colours of Amma’s sari and what it means to her, the smells from Amma’s kitchen. But when they go out into the world together,
people stare. Shreya shrinks at the whispers, and asks Amma, “will you always wear a Sari?”

Then, one day, Shreya gets lost in a crowd. She can’t see Amma anywhere - it’s all long socks and trousers and skirts. Until suddenly she sees and glint of sunshine, a sparkle of warm silk catching her eye…

‘Amma’s Sari’ is a gorgeous new picture book by Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira celebrating culture, memory, and individuality.

#ammassari #sandhyaparappukkaran #michellepereira #hardiegrant #brightlight #newpicturebooks #picturebooks #thebookbird #thebookbirdgeelong #geelongbookshop #geelongsmallbusiness

Here are some badass Australian sheilas that shoul

Here are some badass Australian sheilas that should be printed on our money. Here are the spies, bushrangers, aviators, witches, and activists you didn’t learn about in school. Here, as Eliza Reilly so bluntly puts it, are the feral and feisty women from history, such as Mary Ann Bugg, a bold Worimi woman, who was one of the few female First Nations bushrangers; and Annette Kellerman, swimmer-slash-mermaid; and Rosaleen Norton, an artist, journalist and philosopher who insisted on going by the name ‘Thorn’.

The profiles on each sheila are broken up by chapters explaining phenomena relevant to the times, like a tongue-in-cheek guide on ‘how to ride side saddle’ in which Mary Ann Bugg’s horse is described as a ‘hairy four-legged land dolphin’ and a ‘minimalist zebra.’ That really made us hoot! Along the way, Reilly also helpfully defines some key historical terms readers may or may not be familiar with. Like… ‘goon sack’ (‘maybe the most brilliant Australian invention since shoeys’) and ‘crown’ (‘a big shiny hat that makes all the other hats feel insecure’).

This book is SO much fun and will have you learnin’ and laughin’ at the same time.

This volume, covering the history of philosophy fr

This volume, covering the history of philosophy from 2500BCE to the present day, begins with a page about burning. ‘Books,’ it begins, ‘are surprisingly hard to burn… but this does not stop people from trying.’ Why would we want to open with such a long and troubling history - the history of book burning - in a work on the brightest and most enduring philosophical manuscripts from across the globe? Because books are incendiary. Books are powerful, they can change the world, and sometimes they are subject to censorship and hatred. From this explosive beginning, we travel to Greece and Rome, China, Egypt, Germany, England, America and Japan, and across thousands of years, discovering some of the most influential and challenging ideas as recorded on paper. Learn about ‘The Guide for the Perplexed’ from fifteenth century Yemen, and ‘The Consolation of Philosophy’ from fifteenth century France, and the Qu’ran from late ninth century Tunisia. There are also plenty of images of these texts that survive to pour over, which makes ‘The Philosopher’s Library’ even more special.

Many of you will be aware of this story from the n

Many of you will be aware of this story from the news coverage over the last four years. In September 2018, British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert was arrested in Tehran airport and charged with espionage by the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Despite the unsubstantiated charges and sham trial, Moore-Gilbert was sentenced to a decade behind bars. She spent much of the next few years in solitary confinement in appalling conditions in Evin prison, and then, later, was transferred to the desert prison Qarchak. Communicating covertly with fellow prisoners through secret notes and air vents, teaching herself Farsi to get by, and maintaining hope against all odds were the only glimmers of light during an extremely dark time. Thanks to her persistence and the international media attention shining a spotlight on her case, Kylie Moore-Gilbert was released in 2020 after a three-way prisoner exchange. In this memoir, Moore-Gilbert gives us a breathtaking account of her experience, as well as clear-eyed opinions on international diplomacy and global politics. New in non-fiction from Ultimo Press.

Most of the time, it’s just Dad and Lucy. They m

Most of the time, it’s just Dad and Lucy. They move around a lot – to new towns, new caravan parks, new schools. It’s hard for Lucy every time they move because she is a shy girl and has to make friends all over again, not knowing how long they will be there. But there is also Snail. Lucy found Snail at a caravan park when she was looking for treasures. Snail is perfect, and sometimes Lucy wishes she also had a protective shell she could curl up into when the world becomes too much. This new town is nice, though. Mei-hui, who owns the van park, is kind and the teacher at school is generous and gentle, and Lucy is making friends. This time, can Lucy convince Dad to stay put?

This sweet, lilting verse novel from Kathryn Apel is such a welcome addition to our growing collection of verse novels, which are proving more and more popular among our young readers. Storytelling and language at its finest, we highly recommend ‘What Snail Knows’ to readers aged five to nine.

Book Bird Josh read and loved ‘The Candy House’ by Jennifer Egan. He says, ‘The characters from A Visit from the Goon Squad are older now but they’re no closer to certainty or enlightenment. Somewhere between an experimental novel and a collection of interlinked stories, The Candy House predicts a thrilling and frightening future where technology rules and privacy is a thing of the past. You don’t need to read its predecessor to enjoy this one but it will certainly add a rich layer to the already captivating tapestry in Egan’s work.’

Ruth Shaw opened Two Wee Bookshops in a remote par

Ruth Shaw opened Two Wee Bookshops in a remote part of New Zealand at the age of 70 as a fun retirement hobby. The bookshops are, appropriately, on the corner of ‘Home Street’, and with their bright coloured tables and banners and a chalk sign saying ‘OPEN, PLEASE RING THE BELL LOUDLY’, they indeed act as a beacon and haven to all passersby. In this memoir, Ruth Shaw tells her own story - filled with love and pain and adventure - as well as the stories of those who enter her wee bookshops. LikeTibor, who popped into the shop one day and stayed for a month, living in the hut on Ruth’s property and helping sell books. Or Jana, the young German woman in need of comfort after the end of a relationship. Or what about Lily, a long way from Poland and terribly homesick and in need of conversation.

We can fully attest to the magic of bookshops: the way they attract and hold people. The way booksellers like Ruth bring something special to the trade of slinging stories. This is a memoir for the readers and wanderers, and indeed anyone intending to visit Ruth’s little corner of New Zealand in the near future!

🖊 ON THE BLOG 🖊

Melina reviews ‘Wayward’ by Dana Spiotta. Melina says, ‘Spiotta is known for her subversive fiction. Her latest work is no exception: set during the aftermath of Trump’s ascension to power, the novel reels in shock at the decaying state of the world - while also finding moments of quiet compassion. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Down and Joan Didion.’

Read the full review on our blog. Link in bio!

#thebookbird #thebookbirdgeelong #bookreviews #bookswelove #danaspiotta #waywardbook #newreleasefiction @viragopress

HUGE congratulations to Evelyn Araluen and @uqpboo

HUGE congratulations to Evelyn Araluen and @uqpbooks for winning the 2022 Stella Prize this week!

We all loved ‘Dropbear’ here at The Book Bird and are thrilled to see poetry take out this major Australian literary prize. Evelyn’s acceptance speech is well worth a listen, and can be found on the @thestellaprize page.

We now have plenty of copies of ‘Dropbear’ in stock - online and in store.

#evelynaraluen #dropbear #stellaprize #stellaprize2022 #uqp #universityofqueenslandpress #australianpoetry #firstnationswriting #indigenouswriting #thebookbird #thebookbirdgeelong #indiebookshops #geelongbookshop #smallbusinessgeelong

Broadcaster Indira Naidoo has always been one of t

Broadcaster Indira Naidoo has always been one of three sisters: her, Dreamcatcher, and Stargirl. Naidoo is the eldest, the leader, of the inseparable trio whose globetrotting childhoods meant they were their own best friends. Then one day, in their adulthood, Stargirl walks into the garden and ends her life. The grief is like a white hot pain in Naidoo’s life. It leaves her unmoored, unable to understand life without one of her three. In the depths of her grief, Naidoo discovers a fig tree overlooking Sydney Harbour. She goes to it to sit, to think. A connection builds between the two. With the help of a posse of urban guides, Naidoo begins to discover how nature (from urban green pockets to sprawling forests) can heal heartbreak and calm an anxious mind.

This book would sit so comfortably next to titles like ‘H is for Hawk’ and ‘Phosphorescence’. It’s a hand held out to anyone who needs help to get back on their feet after loss.

Freya Blackwood is the illustrator behind many Aus

Freya Blackwood is the illustrator behind many Australian picture books from some of our favourite writers. Her website describes her career illustrating heart-tingling, tear-jerking, happy-making books in her (slightly cobwebby) garden shed for nearly 20 years. She has also written some of the books she’s illustrated, such as ‘The Great Rabbit Chase’ in 2016. Her latest picture book, however, is told entirely through the illustrations: it’s a book without words, but FULL of heart and story.

‘The Boy and the Elephant’ is about a very shy little person who loves the forest next to his house. The forest takes on all sorts of shapes, kind of like cloud watching, but instead of clouds it’s the trees that become giant animals like giraffes and elephants. When the boy’s forest is marked for demolition to make way for new houses, he takes it upon himself to save his beloved trees and animal companions.
A gentle story that demands to be told slowly, pages that ask to be poured over, ‘The Boy and the Elephant’ is about nature, friendship, and the power of determination and has been shortlisted in the CBCA’s Picture Book of the year category. Our money is on this one to win. It’s that special.
FYI - pop a tissue in your pocket prior to reading.

We are super excited to alert you to TWO new books

We are super excited to alert you to TWO new books by our favourite feel-wildly-happy authors, Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane. Yay!

Beth O’Leary is the gentle soul behind books such as ‘The Road Trip’, ‘The Switch’, and ‘The Flat Share’ (and, if you’ve ever seen one of Beth’s online book events, you’ll know she is indeed truly lovely). Now she brings us ‘The No Show,’ in which a man called Joseph Carter manages to stand up three different women on three different dates, all on the same day. Why? How dare he? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out…

Mhairi McFarlane is genuinely one of the funniest writers of contemporary fiction we’ve ever read. Her previous novels ‘Last Night’ and ‘If I Never Met You’ had us in stitches - she is an absolute gun at capturing character and dialogue, and this is where her writing really shines. Enter: ‘Mad About You’. In it, we meet Harriet, who is running away from everything. And so is Cal. When these two strangers end up in a seemingly dreamy house-share scenario, it will take everything they have to face their pasts and find reasons to stay where they are.

Two new cosy reads for Easter from two life-affirming writers!

Hannah Kent is a master of historical fiction. Man

Hannah Kent is a master of historical fiction. Many readers are familiar with her previous novels ‘Burial Rites’ and ‘The Good People’ and are just as enthusiastic about her latest book, ‘Devotion’.

This is a incredible work of queer historical fiction: a tender, surprising, visceral love story set in the mid-nineteenth century in a world of strict religious laws and customs, and an intolerance for love between women. Hanne is a wild girl who would much rather spend time in the forest than in society. She is considered something of a misfit, an oddball, hardly seen and rarely understood. Until she meets Thea.

Escaping religious persecution, Hanne and Thea’s family board a ship bound for the colony of South Australia. Amid the squalor and disease and hardship, love takes hold. But at that time and in that place, under the watchful eye of God, the women know they cannot be together. And yet… they are devoted.

#devotion #hannahkent #historicalfiction #queerfiction #auslit #ozlit #australianauthors #thebookbird #thebookbirdgeelong #smallbusinessgeelong

We’ve had many devotees to Anthony Horowitz’s

We’ve had many devotees to Anthony Horowitz’s ‘Alex Rider’ teen spy series through our doors over the years, and we know those same readers are going to love this book by Logan Macx, ‘Swift and Hawk,’ the first installment of a new action-packed series.

Two teen experts in computing, coding, and AI are thrust into a world of explosives and spies when their families go missing. A heart-stopping rescue mission ensues, as our heroes weave and duck and tunnel their way across London. This is one for kids who LOVE their tech, and kids who want a sophisticated thriller.

‘Swift and Hawk’ is new in middle grade fiction and young adult, and highly recommended by us!

It's that time of year folks! We've got easter boo

It's that time of year folks! We've got easter books coming out of our ears. Books for wee ones, medium sized ones and even fully grown adults because, lets be honest, you're never too old for a picture book!
Get your skates on though - they never last long.