2018-04-30 15:24
Author Tim HawkenToday I'm chatting with Australian author Tim Hawken, author of the Hellbound trilogy and If Kisses Cured Cancer, published today. Thanks for joining us Tim.Tell us about yo… Read More
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This is an Australian book blog containing book reviews, giveaways and author interviews.
2018-04-26 05:40
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *The Wonder Down Under - A user's guide to the vagina by medical students Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stokken Dahl sets out to educate and inform wome… Read More
2018-04-23 07:25
Thanks to those who entered my bee-autiful giveaway last week to win a copy of Honey Farm Dreaming by Anna Featherstone. Many of you wanted to win this one, and entries closed at midnight on… Read More
2018-04-19 10:55
I was so excited to finally get around to reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley this year, but I'm sad to say I didn't enjoy the book AT ALL! It largely came about thanks to a read-along hos… Read More
2018-04-16 05:50
RRP $19.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *With a premise ripped straight from the headlines, 2 year old Samantha Shipley goes missing from her hotel room one night while her parent… Read More
2018-04-13 05:11
RRP $32.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of the author *Today's giveaway is a memoir by Australian author and small farmer Anna Featherstone. Honey Farm Dreaming is a memoir about sustainability, small… Read More
2018-04-11 06:58
Thanks to those who entered my children’s book giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 copies of The Flying Optometrist by Joanne Anderton, illustrated by Karen Erasmus. Entries closed a… Read More
2018-04-09 01:57
Author Lauren ChaterIt gives me great pleasure to introduce Australian author Lauren Chater to Carpe Librum readers today. Lauren is the author of The Lace Weaver published with Si… Read More
2018-04-05 04:34
RRP $27.99 AUD* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Do you ever see a book cover and just 'know' it was designed for you? I'm in love with the cover - and title - of The Hoarder by Jess Kidd… Read More
2018-04-02 04:32
Author Charles PurcellToday I welcome Charles Purcell, former SMH journalist, freelance writer and author to tell us why Game of Thrones is more like real life than we know. Over t… Read More
2018-03-28 03:11
Published 1 April 2018, RRP $24.99* Copy courtesy of NLA Publishing *This children's picture book was inspired by a true story and chronicles the adventures of The Flying Optometrist as he t… Read More
2018-03-25 12:41
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter is a crime novel and despite being ninth in the Robert Hunter series, can easily be read as a stand alone. I'm ne… Read More
2018-03-21 06:39
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *In Sydney in the early 1900s, an astonishing number of babies were found abandoned and discarded in the waterways of Sydney. It's hard to imagine, but… Read More
2018-03-18 12:49
A book about a woman whose job it is to restore graves and bring forgotten and overgrown cemeteries back to life? Yes please! Oh, and she can also see ghosts? Hell yes! I give you The Restor… Read More
2018-03-14 13:31
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Pentridge Prison was a hulking and menacing structure of bluestone walls and guard towers and operated as a prison in Melbourne for 150 years. In 1997… Read More
2018-03-12 07:32
Thanks to everyone who entered my March Birthday Giveaway and left lovely comments with their entry to wish me a happy birthday. Entries closed at midnight last night, and I had fun rev… Read More
2018-03-09 06:46
Beauty In Thorns is the latest offering by one of my favourite Australian authors Kate Forsyth, renowned for her fairytale re-tellings. I went into this believing Beauty In Thorns was going… Read More
2018-03-05 03:13
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *I just disembarked from a hell of a turbulent thriller. The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton was a gripping read and a scary insight into what… Read More
2018-02-27 06:58
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Beginning in 1969 New York, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin is a family drama with an enticing premise: four siblings are told by a gypsy psychic th… Read More
2018-02-23 04:44
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Australian writer Jack Heath is an established YA author living in Canberra and Hangman is his first adult novel in my new favourite series fe… Read More
2018-02-20 04:22
* Copy courtesy of Audible *West Cork is a true crime podcast series investigating the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Ireland 20 years ago. Sophie was a French film producer and was… Read More
2018-02-18 04:44
Thanks to those who entered my giveaway to win a print copy of The Bookworm by Mitch Silver last week. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 16 February 2018 and the answer was ‘an old… Read More
2018-02-14 04:33
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *I was keen to read How We Eat with Our Eyes and Think with Our Stomachs - The Hidden Influences That Shape Your Eating Habits by Melanie Mühl and… Read More
2018-02-12 04:53
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *Some fast facts about The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn:- The book has been sold in 38 territories around the world- It's being adapted into a movie by… Read More
2018-02-08 02:32
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *For readers who have always wanted to try their hand at keeping a bullet journal, The Little Bullet Book - Be Gorgeously Organized by Dave Sinden… Read More
2018-02-06 13:23
RRP $25.95USD* Copy courtesy of Wunderkind PR & Pegasus Books *BlurbEurope, 1940: It’s late summer and Belgium has been overrun by the German army. Posing as a friar, a British ope… Read More
2018-02-04 13:41
The Secret History by Donna Tartt has been on my radar for years so I was happy to borrow a copy from a friend and find out for myself why it's on so many Top 100 lists.Published in the 1990… Read More
2018-01-31 05:38
* Copy courtesy of Murdoch Books *I can't draw. At all. So it shouldn't come as a shock that I've always admired those who can. In How to Draw Cute Stuff: Draw Anything and Everything in the… Read More
2018-01-29 05:48
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome is one of my favourite books of all time and even recalling it now makes me chuckle. Having read it back in 2011, I thought it was high time to explor… Read More
2018-01-21 08:01
Ruth Goodman is one of my favourite historians, and I've enjoyed watching her in the following documentary series: Tudor Monastery Farm, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, Wartime Farm and Full… Read More
2018-01-15 07:23
I'm excited to sign-up for the following three reading challenges this year.Aussie Author Challenge 20182018 Australian Women Writer's Challenge2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge_____… Read More
2018-01-11 02:54
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Australian writer Ben Mckelvey has done a great job telling the reader about the life of Cameron Baird, VC, MG in The Commando - The Life and Death of… Read More
2018-01-09 05:31
Here are my top 5 books of 2017, in the order I read them.1. Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession (Six Tudor Queens #2) by Alison WeirAlison Weir's unique take on the life of Anne Boleyn in … Read More
2018-01-07 02:50
In 2017 I participated in the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2017 hosted by Passages to the Past. To successfully complete their Renaissance Reader level I needed to read 10 hist… Read More
2018-01-05 04:04
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders was the buzz book of 2017 and now I understand why. It's essentially the story of President Abraham Lincoln's grief at the tragic passing of his son W… Read More
2018-01-03 01:28
* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *It's 1863 and Heloise Chancey is an amateur sleuth in London. An ex-courtesan with a penchant for investigation, Heloise puts her skills to work after at-ri… Read More
2017-12-31 04:53
This year I participated in two Australian reading challenges and completed both of them! Here are the details.__________________________________________________________________The Aussie Au… Read More
2017-12-29 02:04
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *The Museum of Broken Relationships - Modern Love in 203 Everyday Objects by Olinka Vistica is a collection of items donated by those hurt by love. Each… Read More
2017-12-22 04:14
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *I watch a tonne of cleaning and hoarding shows; you name it, I've probably watched at least one episode. (See below). So, when I learned there was a biogr… Read More
2017-12-20 06:14
Grace Harris with her copy ofNevermoor by Jessica TownsendCourtesy of Hachette AustraliaI’m pleased to welcome back a very special guest reviewer who’s no stranger to Carpe Libru… Read More
2017-12-18 04:37
Okay, I get it now. The fuss around Audrey Niffenegger that is. This is my first time reading Niffenegger and Her Fearful Symmetry has several of the elements I love in a novel: twins (not j… Read More
2017-12-13 04:43
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Jessica Townsend is the hottest debut Australian author at the moment and the writer of Nevermoor - The Trials of Morrigan Crow. Nevermoor is a fantasy… Read More
2017-12-11 04:44
Today is cause for some serious celebration. (Crowd goes wild!)I've finally surpassed 1,000,000 views here on Carpe Librum!From humble beginnings way back in 2005, and with a different name… Read More
2017-12-07 04:55
The Park Bench by Christophe Chaboute is a graphic novel about the day-to-day experiences of a park bench. It's a simple premise, but interestingly, there is no text used in the artwork at a… Read More
2017-12-05 04:23
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Rosamund Young is first and foremost a farmer and runs Kite's Nest Farm in the Cotswolds. She's been observing animal behaviour since 1980 and bega… Read More
2017-12-01 05:20
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Many readers worried Australian author Jane Harper couldn't top her award-winning debut novel The Dry, but I'm here to tell you she has! Force of… Read More
2017-11-29 06:09
Thanks to those who entered my blog tour giveaway to win a print copy of Illusion by Stephanie Elmas. Entries closed at midnight on Monday 27 November 2017 and the winner was drawn today. Co… Read More
2017-11-27 04:27
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Sleeping Beauties is a collaboration between father and son, and is written seamlessly. Stephen King and his son Owen have teamed up to explore what ha… Read More
2017-11-16 05:03
* Copy courtesy of NetGalley *After reading Richard Lloyd Parry's essay entitled Ghosts of the Tsunami in the London Review of Books, I instantly became obsessed with getting and readin… Read More
2017-11-12 15:14
* Copy courtesy of Endeavour Press *Today is the beginning of the Illusion blog tour thanks to Endeavour Press and to celebrate, I'm running a giveaway from 13 - 27 November. Up for gra… Read More
2017-11-10 03:42
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House UK *I don't typically read spy novels (in fact, if I see the word espionage in a blurb I usually run a mile) but Need to Know by Karen Cleveland is an… Read More
2017-11-08 05:33
* Copy and extract courtesy of Hachette Australia *Upside-Down Dogs by Serena Hodson is a collection of photographs depicting a variety of dogs - yep, you guessed it - upside down. A multitu… Read More
2017-11-06 05:38
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Seventh Circle - A former Australian soldier's extraordinary story of surviving seven years in Afghanistan's most notorious prison by Rob Langdon is… Read More
2017-11-02 06:45
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Last Hours by Minette Walters is an historical novel set in Develish, Dorsetshire in 1348 as the black death begins to spread throughout the countie… Read More
2017-10-30 13:53
Many of you know I have a thing for stationery, and love to send family and friends a card for birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. I think sending something in the mail in the form o… Read More
2017-10-30 03:50
Thanks to those who entered my giveaway last week to win a collection of 3 illustrated books from User Design valued at $44.00AUD. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 27 October and the luc… Read More
2017-10-26 07:11
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * Despite Sophie Hannah's success as an internationally bestselling crime writer with a bunch of books under her belt, Did You See Melody? is the first… Read More
2017-10-23 05:03
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Every Word Is A Bird We Teach To Sing - Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language is a collection of essays by Daniel Tammet. Daniel is an… Read More
2017-10-19 13:56
* Copies courtesy of User Design *Today's Friday Freebie giveaway is a collection of 3 illustrated books from User Design valued at $44.00AUD.The Journey of LarksThe Journey of Larks is play… Read More
2017-10-17 05:54
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *The Last Tudor is the story of the three Grey sisters, Jane, Katherine and Mary, cousins to Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Tudor. Beginning in 1550, the st… Read More
2017-10-15 06:00
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *I've been using a bullet journal for 3 years now and while I have the basics down pat, I'm always keen for ideas on how to beautify my journalling… Read More
2017-10-09 04:59
Thanks to those who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 3 print copies of literary thriller Soon by Australian author Lois Murphy. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 6 Octo… Read More
2017-10-05 06:18
* Copy courtesy of NetGalley & Penguin Random House UK *I loved The Martian by Andy Weir so much it made my Top 5 list for 2014. Since then, I've been looking forward to his next no… Read More
2017-09-29 05:02
RRP $29.95AUD* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *Today's giveaway is your chance to win 1 of 3 print copies of literary thriller Soon by Australian author Lois Murphy.BlurbAn almost deserted… Read More
2017-09-26 06:02
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *I loved reading The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin and was fascinated by the four tendencies she has outlined in her book. In no particular order th… Read More
2017-09-19 07:22
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *City of Crows by Chris Womersley is historical fiction (my favourite genre) and contains some of my favourite tropes in a novel: witchcraft and th… Read More
2017-09-14 06:02
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *A Column of Fire is the third in the Kingsbridge series, the first two of which have been instant 5 star reads for me. Just like The Pillars of th… Read More
2017-09-11 08:26
* Copy courtesy of Murdoch Books *For an unauthorised and unofficial biography, Chris Roberts has managed to assemble an informative and satisfactory biography of Beyonce here. Bound in… Read More
2017-08-29 15:00
Author Lee Cockburn has worked for Police Scotland for sixteen years and today she is joining me as part of the Clink Street Publishing Blogival to tell us how her experiences as a Police Se… Read More
2017-08-28 15:38
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson is a fantasy novel for middle grade readers about a 12 year old boy called Henry who discovers hidden cupboards in the walls of his attic bedroom.With the help o… Read More
2017-08-24 05:52
Today I'm excited to be interviewing Australian author and psychic medium Debbie Malone. In 2013, Debbie was Australian Psychic of the Year, and she continues to use her gift as a psychic, c… Read More
2017-08-22 07:45
Is handwriting analysis a science or not? Is it legit or is it bullshit? Many believe it's a pseudo science despite it being used to solve many crimes, but I wanted to decide for myself. Aft… Read More
2017-08-19 15:50
I'm participating in the Clink Street Publishing Blogival 2017 this month, and am pleased to share an extract by Giuseppe Cafiero from his book Gustave Flaubert: The Ambiguity of Imagination… Read More
2017-08-17 17:07
My site is undergoing a much needed facelift and it might take a little time to get things 'just right' so I thank you in advance for your patience.I'm also pretty excited to be launching my… Read More
2017-08-15 06:37
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *After I've Gone is the first Linda Green novel I've read and with an enticing premise, it easily surpassed all my expectations.Jess Mount finds out she… Read More
2017-08-09 14:38
I'm participating in the Clink Street Publishing Blogival 2017 this month, and am proud to introduce the following guest post by Joe Treasure. Joe says that after writing The Book of Ai… Read More
2017-08-08 06:32
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Tin Man by Sarah Winman is about the relationship between Ellis and Michael, and what happens when Ellis meets 'the one' in Annie. The first part of th… Read More
2017-08-03 13:01
I've been enjoying David Thorne's wacky sense of humour for years now, so I was really excited to receive an autographed copy of Wrap It In a Bit of Cheese Like You're Tricking the Dog for C… Read More
2017-07-28 07:20
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *It's been a long time since I've read a novel by John Grisham, but Camino Island was the perfect book to bring me back to his work. Starting with a fla… Read More
2017-07-26 03:23
* Copy courtesy of GoodReads Giveaway and Text Publishing *Elizabeth Kostova is the author of one of my favourite books of all time, The Historian. Despite releasing The Swan Thieves in 2010… Read More
2017-07-24 06:56
I know I'm late to the party but I just finished reading The Dry by Jane Harper and can honestly say it is worth the hype. Despite having a copy for 11 months (thanks to my GoodReads Me… Read More
2017-07-19 15:27
RRP $34.99 AUDPublished by Allen & UnwinIn today's guest post, Patti Miller, award-winning memoirist, nonfiction writer and author of Writing True Stories is going to explore whethe… Read More
2017-07-18 05:13
* Copy courtesy of Rockpool Publishing *Having read and enjoyed Clues From Beyond by Debbie Malone last month, I picked up Never Alone this month hoping to learn more about Debbie and her ps… Read More
2017-07-12 06:47
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *Farmageddon In Pictures - The True Cost of Cheap Meat - in bite-sized pieces is a confronting read with a very important message to consumers.Philip Lymbery sh… Read More
2017-07-10 05:23
Thanks to those who entered last week's giveaway to win a copy of Lovesick by Australian author Jean Flynn and shared their suggestions for how to cure lovesickness in the comments… Read More
2017-07-05 05:43
* Copy courtesy of GoodReads giveaway and Allen & Unwin *Forgotten by Nicole Trope is a fast-paced race against time to find baby Zach after his mum Malia left him asleep in the car whil… Read More
2017-06-29 15:18
RRP $29.99AUD* Copy courtesy of XOUM *Today's giveaway is a witty contemporary romance novel by debut Australian author Jean Flynn.BlurbBeth is an absolute wreck. She is certain that sh… Read More
2017-06-29 07:43
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger is an enjoyable crime/thriller novel - with one of the best covers this year - featuring two protagonists: Zoe and Claud… Read More
2017-06-22 07:33
* Copy courtesy of Rockpool Publishing *Australian author Debbie Malone is a psychic, clairvoyant and medium and was the 2013 Australian Psychic of the Year. She can receive visions from the… Read More
2017-06-20 05:32
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *In her introduction to Julie Goodwin's Essential Cookbook, Julie tells us this book is inspired by her wish to provide a collection of family reci… Read More
2017-06-18 08:25
My Top 5 favourite things about Prince Lestat by Anne Rice:My copy is signed by Anne Rice (wow!)The cover art is divine and contains everything I love in cover design.An appendix includes a… Read More
2017-06-15 16:02
Published byAllen & UnwinSee You In September by Charity Norman is a 'dazzling, gripping new novel about a young woman lured into the clutches of a doomsday cult'. Here's… Read More
2017-06-12 08:21
Thanks to those who entered my giveaway last week to win a hard copy of A Trace of Smoke (the first in the The Hannah Vogel series,) as well as the ebook version of The Hannah Vogel Box Set:… Read More
2017-06-08 07:39
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *I've always been interested in the life of Anne Boleyn (and her daughter Elizabeth I) and have read about her from the pens of several authors includin… Read More
2017-06-05 06:54
NLA PublishingCraig Wilcox is an Australian historian and author of Badge, Boot, Button - The Story of Australian Uniforms, a book I reviewed last month. Craig is based in Sydney a… Read More
2017-06-01 14:59
Today's Friday Freebie is also part of the Rebecca Cantrell blog tour. Enter below to win a hard copy of A Trace of Smoke (the first in the The Hannah Vogel series,) as well as the ebook ver… Read More
2017-05-30 06:27
* Copy courtesy of Bonnier Publishing *Nora Sand is a tough-going journalist based in London who collects vintage suitcases when she's not interviewing war criminals and covering internation… Read More
2017-05-24 15:09
* Copy courtesy of NetGalley and Storey Publishing *The Pumpkin Cookbook - 139 Nutritious Recipes for Year-Round Enjoyment by DeeDee Stovel is a gem for those who love pumpkin and those… Read More
2017-05-22 06:16
I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I've just read Past The Shallows by award winning Australian author Favel Parrett.Set in a small town on the coast of Tasmania, Harry and Miles l… Read More
2017-05-18 06:38
I've finally read a book by Virginia Woolf and it was a sheer joy. A Room Of One's Own is a novel length essay that was originally given as a series of lectures to women at Cambridge Univers… Read More
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