2019-05-29 05:26
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *I can't believe this is the first time I've read any Wendy James. The Accusation by popular Australian author Wendy James was domestic noir meets psycholog… Read More
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Carpe Librum Blog
carpelibrum.net
This is an Australian book blog containing book reviews, giveaways and author interviews.
2019-05-27 05:46
Albinism is a rare genetic condition where pigment fails to form in a person's skin, hair and eyes. Those with albinism suffer from poor vision and sensitivity to the sun, often developing s… Read More
2019-05-24 04:25
RRP $32.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Into the Night is the second in the Gemma Woodstock crime series by Australian author Sarah Bailey. I was really hoping Gemma wo… Read More
2019-05-21 12:17
* Copy courtesy of Walker Books Australia *Small Spaces was published in April 2018 and this debut novel by Australian author Sarah Epstein created quite a stir when it hit the shelves. A yo… Read More
2019-05-17 05:27
Allen & Unwin RRP $24.99 AUDAvailable in May 2019I love stationery as well as sending and receiving snail mail or happy mail. Anything that makes you happy to receive it is happy mail.Li… Read More
2019-05-14 05:46
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Anna of Kleve - Queen of Secrets is another brilliant addition to the Six Tudor Queens series by historian Alison Weir. This is the fourth historical f… Read More
2019-05-10 06:24
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *A psychological thriller set in a research laboratory? Featuring two highly successful and ambitious women? I'm in!Kit and Diane were best friends… Read More
2019-05-07 06:28
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Australian author Richard Anderson is a farmer from NSW and his experience of life on the land really shines through in his second rural crime novel B… Read More
2019-05-03 06:10
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *I don't read many short story collections. However, when an advance copy of Chris Womersley's first collection of short stories arrived bringing p… Read More
2019-04-30 05:50
Set in Smithson NSW at the height of summer, a young teacher by the name of Rosalind Ryan has been found dead. Rosalind is a popular teacher at the school, and has been killed after the succ… Read More
2019-04-27 04:01
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *As the cover suggests, Under The Midnight Sky by Australian author Anna Romer is a dark mystery novel set in Australian bushland.Abby lives in a smal… Read More
2019-04-24 06:05
Thanks to the young at heart who entered my children’s book giveaway last week. Up for grabs were 2 copies of Dig, Dump, Roll by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock thanks to W… Read More
2019-04-21 06:54
I haven't been this impressed by an author's imagination and world building since reading my first Harry Potter. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor is a Young Adult fantasy novel and not wh… Read More
2019-04-17 06:23
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Children's Books *Australian author and illustrator Ben Sanders lives in Ballarat, Victoria and is best known for being the artist who designed all of the charact… Read More
2019-04-15 05:40
RRP $39.99 AUDPublished April 2019* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Time for another thriller and this month I read Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson. Hen and husband Lloyd move into… Read More
2019-04-12 02:39
RRP $24.99 AUD, Age range 2+Walker Books AustraliaWin 1 of 2 copies of children's picture book Dig, Dump, Roll by Sally Sutton, Illustrated by Brian Lovelock in this week's giveaway. Please… Read More
2019-04-10 06:49
RRP $22.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *In a further attempt to clear out my toppling unsolicited TBR pile, I finally picked up Treasure Palaces edited by Maggie Fergusson last m… Read More
2019-04-08 04:16
* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Australia *Irish born Australian author Dervla McTiernan is the bestselling author of The Ruin. Released last year, The Ruin was wildly successful and in fac… Read More
2019-04-02 05:03
Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and to everyone who helped me celebrate by entering my Bumper Birthday Stack Giveaway 2019 last week. Looking at the stats (approximately 100 entries)… Read More
2019-03-30 04:14
I'm not very handy in the kitchen, but love using my slow cooker to prepare easy meals that produce leftovers for the following night. Having zero talent in the kitchen, the title of The Eas… Read More
2019-03-27 07:00
* Copy courtesy of NetGalley *The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths is a gothic cozy murder mystery with literary leanings and I really enjoyed it.The story is told from the perspective of… Read More
2019-03-25 04:24
Australian author Jack Heath(Photo credit: Ben Appleton)Jack Heath lives in Canberra and is the bestselling author of more than 27 acclaimed fiction titles for middle‐grade and YA read… Read More
2019-03-21 04:42
It’s my birthday in March and other than deciding I’m going to start reading Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor, I’m also excited to bring you another bumper birthday stac… Read More
2019-03-19 04:53
Thanks to those who entered last week’s giveaway to win a copy of travel memoir Apple Island Wife - Slow Living in Tasmania by Fiona Stocker. During the giveaway the book hit #1 in Tra… Read More
2019-03-18 04:25
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *I'm embarrassed to say I received this book for review back in 2015 and it's languished on my unsolicited TBR pile since then. In an effort to get th… Read More
2019-03-13 05:07
The Binding by Bridget Collins is one of my most anticipated reads for 2019 and it didn't disappoint. Collins has created a world where books are forbidden and the profession of bookbinder i… Read More
2019-03-08 03:36
Today's Friday Freebie is travel memoir Apple Island Wife - Slow Living in Tasmania by Fiona Stocker. Please enter below for your chance to win. Open internationally and entries close S… Read More
2019-03-06 02:43
Thanks to everyone who entered last week’s 'handy' giveaway to win a pair of cashmere writing gloves from Literary Book Gifts valued at $52USD. This was a popular giveaway and the top… Read More
2019-03-04 05:05
RRP $29.99AUDPublished 4 March 2019Allen & Unwin* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I have exciting news to share, I've been mentioned in the praise section of Hunter by Jack Heat… Read More
2019-03-01 04:27
After reading Claude & Camille - A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell, I've decided Monet was a detestable fellow and a sponge on all who knew him. There, I've said it!Reading a fictiona… Read More
2019-02-26 04:30
Australian author James Phelps takes a look at some of the most violent and notorious female prisoners behind bars in Green Is The New Black: Inside Australia's Hardest Women's Jails.Phelps… Read More
2019-02-22 04:04
I've teamed up with Literary Book Gifts to bring you the first Carpe Librum giveaway for 2019. While it's summer in Australia, the northern hemisphere has experienced a record breaking winte… Read More
2019-02-21 07:12
RRP $29.99AUDPublished in October 2018Allen & Unwin* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Our main character Caroline, is reeling after a messy break up with her husband. His controlling… Read More
2019-02-15 05:39
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *I've been enjoying cross stitch for many years now and while it will always remain secondary to my passion for books and reading, it's an activity I th… Read More
2019-02-13 13:27
Valentine's Day is here and to get you in the mood Global English Editing has compiled this epic literary map showcasing the most romantic books from around the world.Although I don't r… Read More
2019-02-08 12:35
RRP $29.99 AUDPublished 4 February 2019* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Familiars by Stacey Halls is an historical fiction tale featuring Fleetwood Shuttleworth in the time of the P… Read More
2019-02-04 07:29
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Many of you will remember that The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma was one of my favourite books in 2015 and I couldn't stop talking about it. It was shor… Read More
2019-01-31 04:41
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *The Au Pair by Emma Rous is the perfect blend of atmospheric tension, mystery, twins, dark family secrets and folklore surrounding a large family estat… Read More
2019-01-21 02:19
RRP $29.99 AUDPublished October 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Miniatures always inspire awe and wonder and Simon Garfield has turned his sharp focus on the world of miniatures in… Read More
2019-01-15 05:37
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *When I learned Dead Heat by Australian author Peter Cotton was set in and around Jervis Bay and an AFP Detective would be liaising with a senior… Read More
2019-01-11 06:40
RRP $24.99 AUDPublished October 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *2,024 QI Facts To Stop You In Your Tracks by John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller is the seventh and final book… Read More
2019-01-09 03:27
I had a terrific year of reading last year and nailed all of my reading challenges in 2018 so I'm excited to sign-up for the same three reading challenges in 2019: Aussie Author Challenge 20… Read More
2019-01-07 05:10
2018 was an excellent reading year for me and I read a new personal best of 72 books, 20 of which I gave 5 stars. This made the selection of my Top 5 Books of 2018 quite difficult, but with… Read More
2019-01-03 04:38
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *Set in 1549, Tombland by C.J. Sansom is the 7th in the Matthew Shardlake series of historical fiction novels but can easily be read as a standalone. Shardla… Read More
2018-12-31 05:31
I listened to the audio book of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them read by Eddie Redmayne in the car on the way to Sydney for Christmas this year. The book is nothing like the movie of… Read More
2018-12-31 04:03
I successfully completed the Renaissance Reader level of the 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge this year hosted by Passages to the Past. Last year I barely scraped it in, but this ye… Read More
2018-12-30 03:30
It's been a record breaking reading year for me and I've completed all three of my reading challenges. Two of them are Australian, so I thought I'd wrap them both up together here.2018 Austr… Read More
2018-12-19 13:17
* Copy courtesy of NetGalley *Book Love by Debbie Tung is a graphic novel containing comics depicting everything there is to love about books. Rather than a linear story, this is a collectio… Read More
2018-12-13 06:49
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *Legend has it that if the ravens at the Tower of London should ever leave, the Tower will crumble into dust and great harm will befall the kingdom. It is t… Read More
2018-12-06 06:11
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *Ross Hunter, Investigative Journalist learns there may be absolute proof of the existence of God and decides to investigate. Under serious threat from sever… Read More
2018-12-04 04:51
RRP $24.99 AUDPublished by Allen & Unwin* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Roll the dice. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. I love playing board games and It's All A Game - A Short… Read More
2018-11-29 05:24
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *I'd give this 6 stars if I could, and with 4 reading weeks left in the year, I'm also fairly certain The Corset by Laura Purcell is going to be my No 1. favour… Read More
2018-11-26 06:30
RRP $22.99 AUDPublished by Allen & Unwin October 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *New Zealand has a special place in my heart, but Sh*t Towns of New Zealand contains some real l… Read More
2018-11-22 05:58
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Set in legendary Castle Rock, Elevation is a great little novella about resident Scott Carey. Scott seems to be losing weight on the scales but his bod… Read More
2018-11-19 05:29
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *It's very possible The Lost Man is my new favourite novel by Australian bestselling author Jane Harper. Set on a huge cattle station in outback Qu… Read More
2018-11-14 05:16
* Copy courtesy of Rockpool Publishing *As the subtitle of Stalked - The Human Target by Rachel Cassidy indicates, this book contains Stories of people pursued by stalkers and the devastatin… Read More
2018-11-12 06:58
RRP $29.99Published October 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *An historical fiction novel set in Prague with a supernatural element, Melmoth by Sarah Perry held so much promise for m… Read More
2018-11-10 11:58
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia *Reading Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield was like sitting at the foot of a legendary storyteller on a wild and stormy night. I was in… Read More
2018-11-08 03:40
Author, Sandy MackenSandy Macken is the author of Paramedic - One Woman's 20 Years on the Front Line and she joins me today to chat about her memoir, her career as a paramedic and her r… Read More
2018-11-05 07:24
Well Read Cookies by Lauren ChaterPublished by Simon & Schuster AustraliaRRP AU$24.99Photography © Lauren Chater* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Lauren Chater is an Australi… Read More
2018-11-01 04:20
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *This book has everything: a setting in the publishing industry, ageing and eccentric authors, bestselling authors, publishing personalities, editing and pr… Read More
2018-10-28 12:42
* Copy courtesy of Rockpool Publishing * I was thoroughly gripped reading Sandy Macken's memoir Paramedic and read it in a single day. This is a first for me and a testament to Sandy's engag… Read More
2018-10-15 10:23
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Bridge of Clay by bestselling author Markus Zusak finally hit the shelves this month and was easily the most highly anticipated book on my radar t… Read More
2018-10-08 13:08
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory is number #15 in The Plantagenet and Tudor novels series, but just like the others in the series, it too can be read as a stand alone.Set in the mid to la… Read More
2018-09-30 22:05
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Longlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, Normal People by Sally Rooney is a book about the relationship between Connell and Marianne. Told in a writing… Read More
2018-09-23 20:51
It's taken a while, but I've finally read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. This is a moving young adult novel and I was instantly caught up in it thanks to Conor's voice.Thirteen year old Co… Read More
2018-09-16 06:22
RRP $29.99AUDPublished July 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier is an engaging crime thriller and I enjoyed it. The story starts with Geo going to jai… Read More
2018-09-13 14:58
I read The Long and Winding Way to the Top by Andrew P Street in ebook format borrowed from the library and it contains Fifty (or so) Songs That Made Australia.Presented chronologically from… Read More
2018-09-12 06:44
RRP $32.99 AUDPublished 12 September 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Clockmaker's Daughter is the hotly anticipated historical fiction novel from Kate Morton published today. T… Read More
2018-09-10 08:12
Thanks to all those who entered last week’s giveaway to win a copy of The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale thanks to Simon & Schuster. All entrants correctly identified The Art of War a… Read More
2018-09-05 05:29
I discovered this little gem of a book on one of the shelves in the free little library I started in my apartment building. The library has been successfully running for 12 months now and th… Read More
2018-09-02 07:03
* Copy courtesy of Rockpool Publishing *Always With You is Australian psychic medium Debbie Malone's third book and contains stories from her life and work as a medium. She includes readings… Read More
2018-08-30 14:41
RRP $29.99Simon & SchusterToday's Friday Freebie is debut thriller novel The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale thanks to Simon & Schuster. Please enter below for your chance to w… Read More
2018-08-29 06:10
* Copy courtesy of Affirm Press *The Nowhere Child is a terrific debut by Australian author Christian White. Sammy Went was abducted from her home in Kentucky 28 years ago. Kim is living in… Read More
2018-08-25 08:54
This week was a fantastic week for giveaways here at Carpe Librum, with a flurry of entries for Scrublands by Chris Hammer and The Hunter by David Cohen. It's always a pleasure to support bo… Read More
2018-08-25 06:33
* Copy courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group & Netgalley *I'm not too good in the kitchen, but I've always loved to lick the bowl or an electric beater on the rare occasions I do bake. In… Read More
2018-08-22 04:27
RRP $32.99 AUDAllen & UnwinScrublands by Chris Hammer is the No. 1 bestselling book in Australia at the moment, and I reviewed it last week giving it 5 stars. Now's your chance to win a… Read More
2018-08-20 05:58
RRP $32.99Available now* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Adam Hills is such a familiar face on Australian TV that I don't think I'd ever considered just how successful his career has be… Read More
2018-08-16 14:36
RRP $27.99 AUDPublished August 2018* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *This short story collection by Australian author David Cohen is "humorous and delicious, and just slightly off beat, in… Read More
2018-08-15 07:14
RRP $32.99Published August 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Scrublands by Chris Hammer is the real buzz book of the moment and I'm happy to report it's worth all of the hype. Scrubl… Read More
2018-08-12 08:01
RRP $29.99 AUDPublished 24 April 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * Klester Cavalcanti is a top investigative journalist in Brazil and The Name of Death is the result of more than se… Read More
2018-08-07 06:13
RRP $29.99 AUDPublished 24 April 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I can totally understand why The Yellow House by Australian author Emily O'Grady won The Australian/Vogel's Literar… Read More
2018-08-01 06:44
* Copy courtesy of Ventura Press *Science fiction meets historical fiction in A Superior Spectre by debut Australian author Angela Meyer.In the near future Jeff is dying from an un-named med… Read More
2018-07-31 12:15
I'm beyond excited to announce that I'm one of the bloggers for the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival this year. It was such a thrill to be asked to write about my top 5 reads for the MWF18, a… Read More
2018-07-27 07:26
RRP $29.99Published June 2017* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Published a year ago now, Lies by TM Logan was a brilliant psychological thriller and I ripped through it. Joe is happily m… Read More
2018-07-23 08:22
I can't tell you how much I loved this book. I wasn't sure it was for me, but I'm soooo glad I picked up Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I know I'm late to the party; thi… Read More
2018-07-18 06:04
RRP $22.99 AUDPublished 27 June 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Australian entertainer, broadcaster, historian and recipient of the Order of Australia Medal in 2016, Jim Haynes has… Read More
2018-07-12 07:46
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell is the perfect historical fiction novel and I just loved it! Replete with crumbling mansion/estate that has seen b… Read More
2018-07-06 05:40
RRP $17.99AUDPublished 24 April 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *All 1,342 facts in this book come from the BBC show QI and it was a very enlightening, informative and entertaining… Read More
2018-07-03 07:40
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse is an epic tale of a family in mid 1500s France set against the backdrop of the civil unrest between the Cathol… Read More
2018-06-28 06:43
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *I have a casual interest in the human body (two months ago I reviewed The Wonder Down Under) and when I learned there was a book about the personal, cultu… Read More
2018-06-26 05:39
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Children's Books * This children's picture book by Shaun Tan is about Cicada, who is employed in an office as a data entry clerk and is under-appreciated and bull… Read More
2018-06-21 06:19
Published 1 March 2018, RRP $32.99AUDImprint: Race Point Publishing* Copy courtesy of Murdoch Books *I love tattoos and while I only have one, I've been considering the acquisition of anothe… Read More
2018-06-18 08:05
* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Australia *Ache by Eliza Henry-Jones is an Australian novel that accurately depicts the dialogue and country lifestyle in a small town in a way that often re… Read More
2018-06-12 06:48
Australian author Ged GillmoreToday, I have the pleasure of welcoming Australian author Ged Gillmore to Carpe Librum. Ged is the author of the Bill Murdoch Mystery crime series. Welcome… Read More
2018-06-06 08:05
RRP $24.99 AUDPublished 12 March 2018* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I have a new author crush and it's Annie Spence, the librarian and author behind Dear Fahrenheit 451 - A Librarian'… Read More
2018-06-02 10:45
I love to wrap gifts and presents at Christmas but I wouldn't say I was terribly good at it. I love paper and stationery, gift tags, washi tape and ribbon, and never fail to drool over the w… Read More
2018-05-28 06:27
* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers *Book of Colours is an historical fiction novel by Australian author Robyn Cadwallader and is set in London's Paternoster Row in the 1320s. A nobl… Read More
2018-05-23 06:33
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin is about A.J. Fikry who owns and lives above a bookshop on an island. Containing ample references to books and authors, this has been a favo… Read More
2018-05-21 05:49
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *It's been a while since I've read a good gothic ghost story and The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell is just what I needed.The historical novel opens with El… Read More
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