The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 0733641172
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description
It's 1982 in Australia. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is a box office hit and Paul Hogan is on the TV. In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves. From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life. After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself. Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle. In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms. Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day. 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'A delightful novel about the power of female friendship' Sunday Age 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean.' - JOANNA NELL Praise for Sophie Green's THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB 'Tender, intimate, heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly **Includes BONUS extract from Sophie Green's new novel, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House**

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0751578223
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
The perfect summer read from the internationally bestselling author. If you loved The Lido, you won't want to miss The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle . . . 'Heart-warming' Hello 'Wonderfully atmospheric' Sunday Mirror 'A heart-warming tale' Woman & Home (Best Escapist Reads) 'The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle will have you laughing and crying' Yours In a seaside suburb on Australia's golden coast, four women head to the water to swim every day . . . Housewife Theresa wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves. From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, it is the one constant in her new life. Elaine takes to the sea having recently moved from England, while Leanne is twenty-five years old and only has herself to rely on. In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak, they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. Most of all, they will cherish their newfound friendship, each and every day. Praise for Sophie Green, author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle: 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' Joanna Nell, author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village 'Brimming with atmosphere and warmth, this gorgeous book completely carried me away. I absolutely loved it' Jenny Ashcroft

Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 073364614X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 403

Book Description
From the author of beloved Top Ten bestsellers The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club and The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle comes a delightful new novel about friendship, love and finding yourself. Far North Queensland, 1993: At 74, former cane farmer Grace Maud is feeling her age, and her isolation, and thinks the best of life may be behind her. Elsewhere in town, high school teacher Patricia has given up on her dreams of travel and adventure and has moved back home to look after her ageing parents, while cafe owner Dorothy is struggling to accept that she may never have the baby she and her husband so desperately want. Each woman has an unspoken need: reconnection. And that's how they find themselves at Orange Blossom House, surrounded by perfumed rainforest, being cajoled and encouraged by their yoga teacher, the lively Sandrine. Together, they will find courage and strength - and discover that life has much more to offer than they ever expected. Set amid the lush beauty of tropical Queensland, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House is a heartwarming story of friendship and family, of chances missed and taken, and the eternal power of love. Praise for Sophie Green: 'Sophie Green has established herself as a leading writer of warm-hearted tales about female friendship and second chances' Canberra Weekly 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL 'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0751570397
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 418

Book Description
'This gorgeous book completely carried me away' Jenny Ashcroft, author of Island in the East 'The perfect novel to curl up with on a cosy night in' Hello 'An absolute gem of a novel' Better Reading Australia You are warmly invited to join the Fairvale Ladies book club . . . 1978. Life in Australia's vast Northern Territory isn't always easy. Telephones are not yet common, and the treacherous seasons make even travelling to the next town a struggle. But Sybil Baxter is finding a way to connect . . . Bringing together her daughter-in-law Kate, who is finding it hard to adjust to married life, and her old friend Rita, often far away working hard for the Flying Doctors, Sybil starts a book club. Joined by Sallyanne, a mother of three with a trouble marriage, and Della, who moved to the country looking for adventure, they come together to bond over their favourite stories. But as life throws up challenges to each of its members, the club might just provide these five women with what they need more than anything: a friendship capable of overcoming any distance and weathering all seasons. _________________ Join other readers in discovering the joy of the Fairvale Ladies . . . 'A book showing more kindness between its pages than any I have read before' NetGalley Reviewer 'A warm hearted, generous book . . . it was a pleasure and a comfort to come back to the characters each night' Virginia McGregor, author of Before I Was Yours 'I didn't want this story to end and would happily spend time in this world each day' Amazon Reviewer 'The story is timeless, the characters realistic and descriptions of the landscape breathtaking' Amazon Reviewer 'Heartwarming and fulfilling' Australian Women's Weekly 'Wonderfully atmospheric' Sunday Mirror __________________ Perfect for readers of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, The Sunday Lunch Club and The Lido.

The Other Side of Beautiful

Author: Kim Lock
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 1867214911
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 267

Book Description
What happens when fate says 'go'? Lost & Found meets The Rosie Project in a stunning break-out novel where a vulnerable misfit is forced to re-engage with the world, despite her best efforts. Meet Mercy Blain, whose house has just burnt down. Unfortunately for Mercy, this goes beyond the disaster it would be for most people: she hasn't been outside that house for two years. Flung out into the world she's been studiously ignoring, Mercy goes to the only place she can: her not-quite-ex-husband Eugene's house. But it turns out she can't stay there either. And so begins Mercy's unwilling journey. After the chance purchase of a cult classic campervan (read tiny, old and smelly), with the company of her sausage dog, Wasabi, and a mysterious box of cremated remains, Mercy heads north from Adelaide to Darwin. On the road, through badly timed breakdowns, gregarious troupes of grey nomads, and run-ins with a rogue adversary, Mercy's carefully constructed walls start crumbling. But what was Mercy hiding from in her house? And why is Eugene desperate to have her back in the city? They say you can't run forever... Exquisite, tender and wry, this is a break-out novel about facing anxiety and embracing life from an extraordinary new talent. PRAISE: 'Tender, funny and quietly profound, The Other Side of Beautiful is a breath of fresh air.' - The Sunday Times 'A colourful, engaging story of escape and road-trip adventure ... also compellingly cinematic and features an endearing narrator-heroine with plenty of meaty real-world troubles.' - Sydney Morning Herald 'An engaging story about second chances and a life changing road trip ... a heart-warming story.' - Canberra Weekly magazine 'Mercy Blain is a character you find yourself cheering on. Kim Lock mixes the transformative journey of Alice Hart with the quirkiness of Eleanor Oliphant in this story about embracing life, even when it threatens to overwhelm you' - Tricia Stringer, bestselling author of The Family Inheritance 'Mercy Blain is an unforgettable character who will capture your heart from the first pages and hold it through until the end. Her madcap journey towards forgiveness - of herself and others - is moving and funny and all other good things that will make you want to keep reading and make you sad when your time with Mercy comes to an end.' - Sophie Green, bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Home and Away

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 0733635636
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
WORLD PREMIERE. The Braxton family face their biggest challenge yet in this thrilling story featuring never-before-seen material inspired by the one-off Presto special episode Home and Away: An Eye for An Eye. Contains Exclusive Scenes Not Shown on TV. Ricky is left devastated after her beautiful baby boy, Casey, is abducted in a calculated act of revenge by Brax?s foe, Gunno. In a race against time, Heath, Ash and Kyle frantically search for Casey while Bianca, Ricky and Phoebe frantically try to save ransom money. But as the clock ticks, a shocking revelation about Brax threatens to turn upside down the life that Ricky has built for herself. What does this mean for her rekindled romance with the gorgeous, reliable Nate? Incredibly moving and dramatic, Home and Away: An Eye for An Eye takes you into the hearts and minds of the Braxton family and your favourite characters in the tight-knit community of Summer Bay. It will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Mindful Money

Author: Canna Campbell
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia
ISBN: 0143794337
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
We’re always promising ourselves that we are going to get on top of our finances – finally pay down debt, start that investment portfolio, pay attention to our superannuation. But then life gets in the way. As we juggle the commitments and responsibilities in our busy lives, good money habits can quickly fade away. Canna Campbell is an experienced financial planner, and also a mother, partner and entrepreneur. She understands the challenge of trying to maintain balance and motivation when you’re time-poor, and she’s used this experience to develop an inspirational and effective approach to personal finance management. She shows you how to look at your finances with holistic and powerful mindfulness, easily incorporating her step-by-step advice into your daily habits and routines. From new banking rituals and money mindsets to growing passive income through shares and property, she will help you shed the excess and embrace what you really love, value, use and appreciate – including your necessary luxuries. Canna leads by example, sharing her personal tips and tricks for building, managing and protecting your money. No matter what you earn or what level of knowledge you have, Mindful Money will help you to see that financial independence is achievable. ‘Canna Campbell offers a glamorous vision of a life of minimalism and saving ... Not spending feels more like a creative challenge connected to a sense of purpose, rather than deprivation.’ New York Times

Skinny Legs and All

Author: Tom Robbins
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553897934
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 434

Book Description
An Arab and a Jew open a restaurant together across the street from the United Nations.... It sounds like the beginning of an ethnic joke, but it's the axis around which spins this gutsy, fun-loving, and alarmingly provocative novel, in which a bean can philosophizes, a dessert spoon mystifies, a young waitress takes on the New York art world, and a rowdy redneck welder discovers the lost god of Palestine--while the illusions that obscure humanity's view of the true universe fall away, one by one, like Salome's veils. Skinny Legs and All deals with today's most sensitive issues: race, politics, marriage, art, religion, money, and lust. It weaves lyrically through what some call the "end days" of our planet. Refusing to avert its gaze from the horrors of the apocalypse, it also refuses to let the alleged end of the world spoil its mood. And its mood is defiantly upbeat. In the gloriously inventive Tom Robbins style, here are characters, phrases, stories, and ideas that dance together on the page, wild and sexy, like Salome herself. Or was it Jezebel?

Sigh, Gone

Author: Phuc Tran
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN: 1250194725
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature. In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents. Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the ‘80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.

Your Inner Fish

Author: Neil Shubin
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307377164
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
The paleontologist and professor of anatomy who co-discovered Tiktaalik, the “fish with hands,” tells a “compelling scientific adventure story that will change forever how you understand what it means to be human” (Oliver Sacks). By examining fossils and DNA, he shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our heads are organized like long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genomes look and function like those of worms and bacteria. Your Inner Fish makes us look at ourselves and our world in an illuminating new light. This is science writing at its finest—enlightening, accessible and told with irresistible enthusiasm.