2021-02-11 04:40
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *INTROImagine coming home and finding a note sewn to the dress you just bought, with the words: 'they take the girls'. That's the basic premise of The Dead Line… Read More
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This is an Australian book blog containing book reviews, giveaways and author interviews.
2021-02-08 06:29
* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *Taylor Bridges is back! We first met Park Ranger Taylor Bridges in Tasmania in The Crossing, then caught up with him in Gippsland Victoria in The Falls, and… Read More
2021-02-06 05:59
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *If you're thinking this is going to be a book about two couples who throw their keys into a bowl and swap partners, you'd be wrong. The Swap by Robyn… Read More
2021-02-05 02:47
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia *Deborah Rodriguez is the author of international bestsellers like The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, and to celebrate the release of her late… Read More
2021-02-02 03:49
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Some of you might not know this, but one of my side hustles is providing job hunting and job application assistance in the form of resumes, cover lett… Read More
2021-02-01 03:44
Thanks to all those who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 copies of A Plum Job by Cenarth Fox. No one was fooled by the Sherlock Holmes misdirect, and correctly identified Edith Pi… Read More
2021-01-28 04:57
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *INTROYou might recall Neil Béchervaise's review of Fair Warning by Michael Connelly back in September 2020. Today he's back to share his thoughts… Read More
2021-01-27 04:23
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *My Best Friend's Murder is the debut novel by Australian author Polly Phillips. Bec and Izzy are best friends but at the beginning of the book, Izzy'… Read More
2021-01-26 04:29
Thanks to all those who entered my giveaway last week to win a signed copy of Dead Regular by Harry Colfer. All entrants correctly identified the main character's occupation as a paramedic… Read More
2021-01-25 04:26
I wish I'd read Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell last year. It would definitely have ended up on my Top 5 Books of 2020 list.Hamnet is an historical fiction novel about the death of Shakespeare's… Read More
2021-01-22 04:09
* Copies courtesy of the author *A Plum Job by Australian author Cenarth Fox is the first in his WWII series of books, and this week the author is giving away two paperback copies to lucky C… Read More
2021-01-21 04:14
Australian author Nick GaddI recently had the pleasure of reading Death of a Typographer by fellow Melbournian and Aussie writer Nick Gadd last month. Nick kindly agreed to let me grill him… Read More
2021-01-19 04:14
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *The African Lookbook - A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women is a sampling of the photographs author Catherine E. McKinley has managed to collect… Read More
2021-01-18 06:12
PostSecret began in 2004 when Frank Warren asked members of the public to anonymously contribute a secret to a community art project. The secret could be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire or… Read More
2021-01-15 03:43
* Copy courtesy of the Author *Paramedics are incredible people and Australians are lucky to have such a reliable ambulance service in our states and territories. Brisbane paramedic Harry Co… Read More
2021-01-13 04:38
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *IntroToday guest reviewer Neil Béchervaise shares his thoughts on Letters From Berlin by Australian author Tania Blanchard, an 'unforgettable… Read More
2021-01-12 04:37
It's great to start the year with a clean slate of reading challenges and the giddy anticipation of another awesome year of reading ahead. Today I'm signing up for the following year lo… Read More
2021-01-11 04:19
I had a little difficulty coming up with this list of my favourite books for 2020. In the past I've been proud of the fact that my Top 5 lists have included a combination of review titles, c… Read More
2021-01-07 04:53
This was so much fun! Death of a Typographer is a geeky font lover's crime novel written by talented Australian author Nick Gadd and is unlike anything I've read before. Set in Melbourne, ou… Read More
2021-01-05 04:26
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications * IntroBeowulf is an epic poem that is approximately 1,000 years old. Written in Old English, it has been translated many times, with varying interpret… Read More
2021-01-03 04:30
The final two reading challenge wrap ups for 2020 are the 2020 Australian Women Writer's Challenge and the 2020 Aussie Author Challenge. I successfully completed both challenges, as you'll s… Read More
2020-12-31 00:52
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin is one of my all time favourite non fiction books and it changed my way of thinking and introduced me to a framework I still refer to every day.So when… Read More
2020-12-30 02:54
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * I love planning and organising and I believe I do a pretty good job organising my life, tasks and all the associated admin that comes along with it. W… Read More
2020-12-29 05:16
I saw Shelleyrae from Book'd Out celebrate her Life in Books for 2020 and it was a lot of fun so I thought I'd take on her challenge. The idea is to select a book you've read in 2020 wh… Read More
2020-12-28 13:41
I'm a little behind on my reading challenge wrap ups, but I've been reading up a storm this year. In this wrap up, I'm going to check back in on the following four reading challenges I parti… Read More
2020-12-24 03:06
Last Christmas I was lucky enough to receive a glorious hardcover of Underland by Robert Macfarlane from a family member for Christmas. I picked it up for Non Fiction November this year and… Read More
2020-12-21 06:15
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *The Binding by Bridget Collins was a reading highlight in 2019 and I loved it so much it made my Top 5 Books of 2019 list. As soon as I learned a new book… Read More
2020-12-18 06:24
* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *IntroA Testament of Character is the tenth book in the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries by Australian author Sulari Gentill. Set in the 1930s, Rowland Sinclair is… Read More
2020-12-16 12:18
IntroDuring lockdown this year, I'm proud to announce I was busy editing a non-fiction manuscript for a writer and actor in the UK. Simon Walter's book Gen - Z Kickstart Your Future is now f… Read More
2020-12-14 04:26
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *Do you sleep well? I love talking about sleep and it's been a few months since I last read a book about one of my favourite non fiction topics. It was great ti… Read More
2020-12-09 04:45
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Guess who's back? Timothy Blake is back in Hideout, the third novel in this fantastically gritty and bloody crime series written by Australian author Ja… Read More
2020-12-03 03:57
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory is the second book in the historical fiction Fairmile series and picks up 21 years after the end of Tidelands. I was e… Read More
2020-11-27 06:26
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I recently mentioned Australian author Christos Tsiolkas in my review of Northside, however despite how much respect I have for the author and how much… Read More
2020-11-23 04:06
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I'm so confused by this book, I hardly know where to begin. Regular readers at Carpe Librum will know I enjoy reading a variety of non-fiction titles an… Read More
2020-11-20 05:06
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Warren Kirk is an Australian photographer living in Melbourne and Northside - A time and place is the first collection of his I've read. In it, he use… Read More
2020-11-18 05:22
Published September 2020RRP $32.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Sam Watson's voice captured my heart immediately and wouldn't let go. All I knew about Honeybee going in was the p… Read More
2020-11-16 04:49
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Kim Hughes GC is a bomb disposal expert in the British Army and received the George Cross for his gallantry during the Afghanistan conflict. Operatio… Read More
2020-11-12 04:32
Published by MacmillanRRP 44.99 AUDBrandon Stanton is the photographer behind the well known Humans of New York (HONY) series of photographs with accompanying interviews. His popular se… Read More
2020-11-11 02:02
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * With one of the most attractive cover designs of the year, A Girl Made of Air is the debut novel by Nydia Hetherington. Beginning as an interview… Read More
2020-11-09 11:58
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Kiwi duo of Rick Furphy and Geoff Rissole are back and this time they're giving readers Sh*t Moments in New Zealand Sport.Here Furphy and Rissole co… Read More
2020-11-06 05:20
Published July 2020* Copy courtesy of Allen and Unwin *I'm throwing to guest reviewer Neil Béchervaise to close out the week with his glowing review of Finding Eadie by popular Austra… Read More
2020-11-04 05:31
I received this gorgeous copy of The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry for Christmas last year and decided now was the perfect time to read it.This historical fiction novel begins in London 1893… Read More
2020-10-30 14:14
Published by Allen & UnwinI'm back as promised with the second half of the Allen & Unwin blog tour to celebrate the launch of Trust by Chris Hammer this month.Today I'm sharing… Read More
2020-10-30 04:23
I had a great reading month for Non Fiction November in 2019 and I'm planning on participating again this year. Hosted by A Book Olive, you only need to read 1 non fiction book to participat… Read More
2020-10-28 04:46
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Guest reviewer Neil Béchervaise is back to share his thoughts on The Abstainer by Ian McGuire; an historical fiction novel set in 1860s Britai… Read More
2020-10-26 07:43
I TRUST you all enjoyed entering my giveaway to win a copy of Trust by Chris Hammer last week. Thanks to everyone who entered and identified the main character of the series to be journalist… Read More
2020-10-23 04:51
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Sue Butler is a lexicographer and some of you might remember my review of The Aitch Factor - Adventures in Australian English back in 20… Read More
2020-10-21 05:38
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *Did you know that stripes and horizontal lines like those in venetian blinds can trigger migraines? Me neither, it's fascinating isn't it?I started listening t… Read More
2020-10-19 04:41
It seems friendship is a popular topic, so thanks to all those who entered my giveaway to win a copy of How To Break Up With Friends by Dr Hannah Korrel. One entrant believed this book was '… Read More
2020-10-16 03:51
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Trust by Chris Hammer is the third book in the Martin Scarsden series and I'm proud to be part of the online blog tour for the release. I'll be posting… Read More
2020-10-14 05:34
It's October and Melbourne is still in lockdown, however I'm pleased to welcome Michael Kitto to the blog in the continuation of my Bloggernomicon series of interviews. Michael's blog is cal… Read More
2020-10-12 04:30
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Circus *Today I'm proud to introduce another guest review from Neil Béchervaise. Today he's reviewing Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan.BlurbAna and C… Read More
2020-10-09 03:21
Published October 2020RRP $24.99AUD* Copy courtesy of Ventura Press *Today I'm giving away a copy of How To Break Up With Friends - From Friendsh*t to Friendsplit by Australian Neuropsycholo… Read More
2020-10-06 05:09
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Australian author Jane Harper has become a household name in the crime fiction genre. Bursting onto the scene with rural sensation The Dry, she fo… Read More
2020-10-01 05:43
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *When I heard Ken Follett was writing a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, I couldn't believe it. The Kingsbridge books are such a terrific and i… Read More
2020-09-29 05:34
Gretchen McCulloch is an internet linguist, how cool is that?In Because Internet - Understanding the New Rules of Language, Gretchen McCulloch observes just how fast internet language has ch… Read More
Review: The Bushfire Book - How To Be Aware And Prepare By Polly Marsden, Illustrated By Chris Nixon
2020-09-23 07:05
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Bushfires are a real threat in Australia and I was excited to see the recent release of a children's book to educate young kids about the dangers. The… Read More
2020-09-21 05:16
Published by Allen & UnwinRRP $32.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *My TBR keeps growing and I'm sure you can all relate. This week fellow booklover Neil Béchervaise rev… Read More
2020-09-18 05:59
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia * One by One by Ruth Ware is one of my most anticipated titles of 2020, after The Turn of the Key was a five star read last year and instant… Read More
2020-09-15 02:48
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia * I don't usually like books set in space. As a consequence, I rarely read books set in space. In fact, I can think of only three books set in… Read More
2020-09-12 05:33
I've been lucid dreaming for years. If you don't know what it means, basically lucid dreaming is when you become aware that you're dreaming. Sometimes during a lucid dream, the dreamer has t… Read More
2020-09-08 05:49
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * Post-mortem photography has always fascinated me. Popular in the Victorian era, grieving family members sometimes had photos taken of their loved ones… Read More
2020-09-05 06:05
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *Fellow neighbour, bibliophile and retired academic Neil Béchervaise is back for another guest post. We've been in Stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne for… Read More
2020-09-02 05:55
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *After deciding she doesn't want to live anymore, Nora Seed finds herself in the midnight library of the title. Here, she meets a librarian who explains… Read More
2020-08-30 05:26
Thanks to those who entered my children's book giveaway last week to win a limited edition of Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram. Entries closed at midnig… Read More
2020-08-27 06:20
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins Australia * DS Cormac Reilly is back after his last outing in The Scholar. Still in Ireland, it's now 2015 and he and Peter Fisher are part of a skeleton cr… Read More
2020-08-25 05:45
I've been enjoying David Thorne's sense of humour and reading his books for years now. See my reviews of his previous books below:- The Internet Is A Playground - 5 stars- I'll Go… Read More
2020-08-23 06:37
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Dr Xanthe Mallett is back after Cold Case Investigations with a look at solved criminal cases where there is reasonable doubt attached. Dr Mallett… Read More
2020-08-21 05:35
It's Friday freebie time and today we're celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram. This delightful bedtime story is for chil… Read More
2020-08-17 05:30
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Written In Blood by Chris Carter is the next in the Robert Hunter series, and just like the others, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone.In this outing… Read More
2020-08-13 07:49
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan * Written by Australian Kathleen Jennings, Flyaway is a novella full of stories within stories, delivered in a shroud of myth, legend, folklore and superstit… Read More
2020-08-11 05:44
This might be the most popular giveaway on Carpe Librum ever! It would seem more readers than ever were keen to enter this bookish giveaway for the chance to win a copy of The Sister's Gift… Read More
2020-08-09 07:27
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan * Australian Belinda Davidson is a psychic, an empath, and a medium and has been working as a professional intuitive and spiritual coach and mentor for more… Read More
2020-08-06 06:24
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *You Don't Know Me by Sara Foster is a great Australian mystery thriller. Alice and Noah each have a troubled past but when they meet in Thailand, the… Read More
2020-08-04 05:09
Published 4 August 2020 Penguin Random House Australia RRP $32.99AUDTo celebrate today's publication of The Sister's Gift by Barbara Hannay, I'm running a giveaway thanks to P… Read More
2020-07-31 07:33
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Katheryn Howard - The Tainted Queen is the fifth novel in the Six Tudor Queens series by British historian Alison Weir. I've been following the series… Read More
2020-07-24 05:35
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury * Amy Whey and her best friend Charlotte are hosting book club at Amy's house when newcomer Roux arrives unannounced and bringing trouble in her wake. Magnetic… Read More
2020-07-22 04:46
My latest foray into listening to non fiction via audiobook is This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay. Recommended by my friend Andrea and narrated by the autho… Read More
2020-07-16 04:15
This was my first time reading Jane Austen and if it wasn't for the buddy read organised and hosted by Theresa Smith, who knows when I would have made time to read Pride and Prejudice. What… Read More
2020-07-14 05:52
* Copy courtesy of Atlas Productions * Aussie author and Carpe Librum favourite B. Michael Radburn is back with Subterranean; a story about a woman on the run after leaving an abusive r… Read More
2020-07-10 05:27
Author Kayte NunnToday I have great pleasure in welcoming Australian author Kayte Nunn to Carpe Librum. Kayte has written The Botanist's Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durran… Read More
2020-07-08 05:45
* Copy Courtesy of Harper Collins * I'm not a good cook and neither is my husband, so you won't often see me reviewing cookbooks. But there's something special about the down to earth approa… Read More
2020-07-06 05:41
Published by Allen & Unwin 6 July 2020* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Hodgepodge: How to Make a Pet Monster by Lili Wilkinson is a children's book for readers aged 7-10. Illustrate… Read More
2020-07-01 05:51
Just like that and we're in the second half of 2020! Can you believe it? This time last year I asked some of my favourite reviewers to share their 2019 Mid Year Favourites and it was so much… Read More
2020-06-26 07:28
* Courtesy of Hachette Australia *The Silk House is an historical fiction novel by Australian author Kayte Nunn with a gothic mystery at its heart that unfolds in dual narratives. In the pre… Read More
2020-06-23 05:25
* Copy Courtesy of Text Publishing * The opening few chapters of The Rain Heron by Australian author Robbie Arnott are absolutely sublime. A seamless blend of fable and fairytale, the reader… Read More
2020-06-17 07:50
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Debra Adelaide is an Australian author and editor of more than 16 books and an Associate Professor in Creative Writing. It's fair to say she knows… Read More
2020-06-12 07:44
Published by Allen & UnwinRRP $29.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * Where the Dead Go by Sarah Bailey is the third book in the Gemma Woodstock series by this talented Australi… Read More
2020-06-10 05:54
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *I love a spooky mansion, crumbling manor, run down estate - or in this case museum - in dire need of a revamp, restructure or makeover. Buildings wit… Read More
2020-06-02 05:37
When I started reading The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, I was full of expectation and excited at the prospect of participating in another buddy read. Almost immediately I was drawn in b… Read More
2020-05-29 05:39
Published by Allen & UnwinMarch 2020 RRP $29.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * I haven't had a five star read for two months but thankfully the spell was broken when I picked… Read More
2020-05-27 04:48
We've been in lockdown for many weeks now but some of us are still reading, reviewing and blogging despite the chaos going on in the world at the moment. Today I'm pleased to welcome Ashleig… Read More
2020-05-25 06:16
* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *Set in Victoria's Yarra Valley, Torched by Australian author Kimberley Starr is essentially about the relationship between Phoebe and her son Caleb. Phoebe… Read More
2020-05-22 05:38
A fellow reviewer recently pointed out that I read a lot of books on death and I suppose I do. Sleep and death - the eternal sleep - are two topics I've always been interested in but explori… Read More
2020-05-19 05:01
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing *I'm a huge fan of Lucy Worsley. She's an historian, TV presenter and Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces and I've watched almost all of her docu… Read More
2020-05-15 06:18
I reviewed Silver by Chris Hammer back in October 2019, however in the recent lockdown I've been lending some books to my neighbour and fellow bibliophile, retired academic Neil Bechervaise… Read More
2020-05-13 06:06
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing * Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders is an historical fiction cozy crime mystery. Now that's a mouthful! Set in 185… Read More
2020-05-11 00:23
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * If It Bleeds is the latest release by Stephen King and is a collection of four short stories, which include:Mr Harrigan's PhoneThe Life of ChuckIf It… Read More
2020-05-06 05:49
Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin begins when eleven year old Marcus is sent to live with his eccentric Great Aunt in South Carolina after the death of his mother. Aunt Charlotte is a reclusive a… Read More
2020-04-29 04:53
* Copy courtesy of University of Queensland Press *Mammoth by Australian author Chris Flynn is like nothing I've ever read before, or likely to read again for that matter. Our narrator is a… Read More
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