A stunning and important novel which covers important topics such as race, class and abuse of power in an exclusive secondary school in Melbourne, Australia.

Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers.

Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, can Lucy stay true to herself as she finds her way in this new world of privilege and opportunity?

Faced with the pressures of fitting in Lucy must reconcile ideas about culture, self and attitude to carve out her identity in this hostile environment.

'Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing' Amy Tan

'In a novel filled with strong visual images, Pung draws a sharp contrast between authenticity and deception, integrity and manipulation. Against the vividly painted backdrops of two very different communities, she traces Lucy's struggle to form a new identity without compromising the values she holds closest to her heart' Publisher's Weekly

'A candid and powerful exploration of family, culture and class... it is those of us who take our fortune and privilege for granted that I wish would read this powerful book' Readings Monthly

'Pung's forceful writing reveals the diverse and often difficult lives of her immigrant compatriots too often hidden away from us by masks of discretion' The Age

'Biting yet compassionate' Australian Book Review

'Funny, horrifying, and sharp as a serpent's fangs' John Marsden

'Part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies, and part Special Topics on Calamity Physics, this well-observed and unsentimental novel taps into what is primal within privileged adolescent girls' The Bulletin of the Centre of Children's Books

We live in a society where, for whatever reason, genius tends to be unacknowledged, denied, ignored or even (usually for 'politically correct' reasons) actively persecuted. For the past four hundred years, geniuses have been common to all the major humanities and sciences, art, literature, medicine, law, politics, the military and religion - yet today they have almost disappeared.

A genius combines extremely high intelligence with an unworldly, intuitive personality. Geniuses will seldom fit into normal society; they will seldom want to. Nor should they, since it is their unusual and socially-difficult nature which drives geniuses to come up with original ideas, make breakthrough discoveries or solve unyielding problems by intuitive insight.

But modern society has been hit by a genius famine. There are ever fewer geniuses and modern society has become actively hostile to those we still have. The Genius Famine explores the nature of genius, why the genius famine has happened, how it threatens civilization and what we can and should do to overcome it.

'Clever, funny, ingenious and endearing' Lissa Evans
'The most audacious plot ever... gritty, engrossing and great fun' Beth Morrey
'A great story, fast, dramatic, funny, full of the sounds and smells of Elizabethan London' Andy Hamilton

Murder Most Foul is a dark, witty and fast-paced novel, from one of Britain's best-loved screenwriters.

It's 1593, Elizabeth I is Queen and everyone is terrified of the worst outbreak of plague in a generation. Shakespeare has only written six plays and is lagging behind his friend Christopher Marlowe, London's leading playwright.

When Marlowe is stabbed to death in mysterious circumstances, rumours abound - but the one that won't go away is that Shakespeare did it to remove his greatest rival. Will is determined to clear his name, and teams up with his old flame, Marlowe's sister Ann, who has plenty of secrets of her own.

In their search to solve the crime, Will and Ann uncover a dark world of treachery, murder, and corruption - which in turn provides Shakespeare with scenes and characters which will appear in his greatest plays.

'An ingenious, funny and erudite thriller' John O'Farrell
'Funny, thrilling and full of wonderful easter eggs for Shakespearean theatre fans... a treat from start to finish' David Greig

For 150 years researchers offered no archaeological insights into the daily lives of prehistoric women and underestimated their role in society. In fact, these women became imprisoned by clichés. Prehistoric man hunted, went on adventures, invented, created and drew, whereas the role of prehistoric women was limited to educating children and carrying out domestic chores. That's all there was to say about it, or almost.

Over the past fifteen years a new generation of researchers - many of whom are women - have shaken up this model. By establishing groundbreaking analysis protocols and defining new excavation methods, these scientists are finally able to make the invisible visible. It is thanks to their tenacity that the essential and even prestigious role of prehistoric women is emerging. For the first time ever these ancient women are being resurrected before our very eyes, shedding light on a new theory of our origins!

'Mysterious deaths, an intuitive octopus, and colourful characters in a Devonshire seaside town, make this an unmissable read' Tamar Hodes

'Utterly addictive from the first page' Jonathan Whitelaw

Diana Parks is a beautician with a temper, and she's not the only member of Ottersea WI who's had enough of bullies and slimeballs. When the body of lecherous landlord, Raj Sumal, washes up on the beach, it's up to Detectives Jim Paddon and Grace Brown to solve the mystery. They start to suspect Raj's wife, Sukhi, who likes walking on the cliffs.

Meanwhile, at Ottersea Oceanworld, Jane the Octopus hears people's secrets and understands everything during a sweltering summer of strange deaths, new friendships, and a whole lot of ice cream.

'A perfect summer read' Christie Hickman
'Whimsical and amusing' Faith Martin
'Wickedly subversive, sneakily funny, and then surprisingly moving' Carole Burns
'As deliciously satisfying as a 99 cone, this is your new favourite summer read' M.H. Eccleston
'A brilliantly witty mash-up of modern manners, seaside farce and a little casual murder' Philip Hoare

I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.

The Republic, a pioneering work of political philosophy, is a dialogue that does not feature Plato directly as at the heart is Socrates - his teacher. Even though the conversations between Socrates and Athenians as well as foreigners take place thousands of years ago, the questions Plato addresses in the volume are far from archaic. Should men and women have equal rights? Should rulers be responsible for the well-being of their citizens and the healthcare system in general? Is it ever acceptable to lie, especially if it is a so-called 'noble lie'? And of course, how far can we stretch social mobility? Although many of Plato's ideas are utopian and will be regarded as immensely positive aspirations by contemporary society, some conclusions drawn by the thinker might arouse our questioning or even disdain. In particular, Plato argues that censorship can underpin the citizens' goodness and orderly life of the whole community - an affirmation that is unlikely to be embraced by modern-day democracies.

Because the philosopher prefers to construct an imaginary city in order to regard his ideas, his political ruminations can be read with a pragmatic mind but also for its artistic richness and literary thrill as Plato does not shy away from metaphors and allegories. The text is one of the most studied and referenced after the Bible and akin to the Holy text it does not have to be read in a single sitting but rather carefully revised and meditated upon to grasp its nuances and their applicability to our modern lives. It is an insight into the history of human civilization and the functionings of an individual within society - the read that is likely to be worthwhile for an advanced bibliophile and casual reader alike.

The Hero Classics series:
Meditations
The Prophet
A Room of One's Own
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
The Art of War
The Life of Charlotte Bronte
The Republic
The Prince
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Finding the battered body of a young boy was not unusual in Bloody Mary's cruel England. However, the stabbed tongue, a false seal and strange letter implicate Princess Elizabeth, threatening to bring down the Tudor Dynasty.

Doctor John Dee and his secret apprentice, Margaretta, using his brilliant mind and her strange abilities, embark on a perilous journey to solve this brutal murder. Before their work can really begin, another body is found.

As Dee and Margaretta delve deeper into their investigation, they uncover a web of deceit, political intrigue and treachery that threatens to engulf them both. When more bodies are discovered and arrests are made, time is running out. With rumours of witchcraft and treason swirling around them, can they untangle the mystery before it's too late?

'Engaging and compelling' Mark Ellis
'A rollicking tale with just the right pinches of sex and humour' Shots Magazine
'The beginning of a wonderfully different Tudor crime fiction series' Alis Hawkins
'A wonderful debut' Jules Swain
'Absolutely spellbinding... alive with atmosphere and realism' Chris Lloyd
'Entertaining and immersive' Historical Novel Society

His wife is dead.

His beloved daughter has been lost to a dangerous cult.

And now time is running out to rebuild their relationship. Haunted by his failings as a son, a husband and, most of all, as a father, he is desperate to try and make things right before it's too late.

Told through fragments of memory The Absolutes captures the essence of hope in the face of loss as one man struggles to come to terms with his past.

1979. Jackie Chadwick is 17 and living in a supported bedsit. She's still close to her foster parents and friends with (aka unofficial minder for) Amanda, their irresponsible daughter, but she's enjoying her independence - until a fire leaves her temporarily homeless. Jackie's dad, widower and recovering alcoholic Dave, has just been released from prison and sees this as his chance to make amends. He offers her his spare room - but can their relationship survive him going back on the booze and the arrival of his gin-loving lady friend and her errant son? As things go from bad to worse, Jackie has to decide how many chances you give someone who keeps letting you down.

Bittersweet and funny, Home Bird draws on Fran Hill's own experiences as a teenager in foster care.

'Deliciously nostalgic, brilliantly funny' Frances Quinn
'I loved Home Bird. Fran drew me in to that world' Jane Ions
'A jewel of a book. Fran Hill can do what other authors spend a lifetime trying to achieve: disarm you in a sentence' Deborah Jenkins
'The story is ultimately upbeat... the lightness of touch has real depth' Anthony Ferner
'Like a perfectly risen souffle made with dangerously volatile ingredients, Jackie's story of dashed hopes, disappointment, optimism and resilience gripped me from the first line and wouldn't let me go' Ruth Leigh

I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.

The English solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to a castle in the Carpathian Mountains to see the Transylvanian noble, Count Dracula. At first, Harker is intrigued by the eccentric count, but as more mysterious and terrifying events occur, he realizes he's now a prisoner in the castle. When Dracula leaves Harker behind and travels to England, Harker's beloved fiancé Meena and her friend Lucy Westenra are put in grave danger, and a group of adversaries, led by the vampire hunter Abraham van Helsing, must do whatever it takes to stop Dracula.

Featuring one of the most famous vampires in literature, Dracula is considered a masterpiece of the horror genre.

Emma did not go to war looking for love, but Adam is unlike any other. Under the secret shadow of trauma, Emma decides to leave Iraq and joins Adam to settle in Colorado. But isolation and fear find her, once again, when Adam is re-deployed. Torn between a deep fear for Adam's safety and a desire to be back there herself, Emma copes by throwing herself into a new role mentoring an Iraqi refugee family. But when Adam comes home, he brings the conflict back with him. Emma had considered the possibility that her husband might not come home from war. She had not considered that he might return a stranger.

Goodin beautifully poses the notion that maybe life isn't defined as fact or fiction, perhaps it can include truth, lies, and everything in between.

Meg is growing up in a lovely world of food-filled fantasy; where her first tooth was so sharp her mother used her as a can opener and eating too many apples once left her spitting pips. Then, age five, she is thoroughly humiliated in front of the other children at school and turns her back on the world of fiction, deciding to let logic, and science rule her everyday thoughts and deeds.

Years later, Meg's mother falls ill, and with the pressing of her boyfriend Mark, she struggles to deal with the situation in an orderly fashion, while her mother remains cocooned in her obsession with cookery, refusing to face up to her illness.

Slowly as their relationship develops, Meg uncovers the truth about her childhood and is now faced with a humbling decision: to live in a cold harsh reality or envelop herself in a wonderful world of imagination.

'A beautifully quirky gem of a novel' Laissez Faire

'[A] quirky and touching tale' Woman's Weekly

Inspired by true stories, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura's prearranged marriage secures her family's status in their traditional Japanese community. However, Naoko has fallen for an American sailor and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it's learned Naoko carries the sailor's child, she's cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.

America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation. Setting out to learn the truth, Tori's journey leads her to a remote seaside village in Japan where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.

'Cinematic, deeply moving, and beautifully written' Carol Mason
'An elegant testament to the tenacity of hope' Kelli Estes
'Shines a light on a dark chapter of Japanese history' Booklist
'Lush and masterful' Karen Dionne
'Moving and cinematic' Toronto Star
'One I am sure many book clubs will immensely enjoy' New Books Magazine

A strange virus is sweeping the globe. Humans have become allergic to one another. Standing next to somebody could be a death sentence. A kiss could be fatal. Angela is a woman trying to get by in this bewildering new world. Though she still lives with her husband and children, they lead separate lives. Confined to their rooms, they communicate via computers and phones. In some ways, very little has changed. That is, until she spots a mysterious stranger walking through town without even a face mask for protection. A man, it seems, immune to this disease. A man it might just be safe to touch.

All authors want to sell as many copies of their books as possible. They also want to raise their literary profile as high as possible. There are more new routes to publication and also for sales and marketing than ever before. But where does the author start in such a competitive market?

This book sets out clearly the promotional tools available and advises which paths are likely to sell the highest number of copies and which will help to establish the writer's name as a published author.

It takes careful planning and know-how, but there is nobody better to promote a book than its author. The opportunities are out there and this guide will provide the information required.