Read this next: New Releases
From a Queensland crime novel and a fresh look at Australian history to an intimate portrait of Diana and a beautiful book to share with the grandchildren, this week’s new reads cover suspense, identity, culture, family and belonging.
Helidon by Nikki Mottram
Child protection worker Dana Gibson returns in the third instalment of Nikki Mottram’s crime series, this time called to the scene of a fatal shooting at the Criterion Pub in the historic Queensland town of Helidon.
A bikie war has erupted and 17-year-old Savannah has been caught in the crossfire, leaving the community divided between her family’s commune on the edge of town and an outlaw motorcycle gang. As Savannah clings to life, Dana begins to uncover signs of police corruption running through the town. Then Maddie, the main witness to the shooting, disappears just as bushfires close in.
Combining a tense investigation with the complexities of child protection work and life in a small rural community, Helidon is an atmospheric Australian crime novel with plenty at stake.
The verdict: An absorbing choice for readers who enjoy Australian crime fiction, small-town secrets and investigations with a strong social conscience.
Girlhood, Translated by Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell
Words such as “trauma”, “toxic”, “ADHD” and “OCD” are now part of everyday conversation, particularly online, but what happens when girls and young women begin using psychiatric language to explain every difficult feeling or experience?
Psychiatrist Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell explores the rise of “therapy speak” and the growing communication gap between young women and their parents. Drawing on stories from her work with children, adolescents and adults, she considers why girls may turn to diagnostic labels to make themselves heard, and why responding with either alarm or dismissal can make matters worse.
This is not an argument against diagnosis or greater mental health awareness. Instead, it asks readers to look more closely at the language young women use, what may sit beneath it and how families can listen with greater understanding.
The verdict: A timely and thought-provoking read for parents, grandparents and anyone interested in how social media and mental health language are shaping young women’s lives.
Matthew Flinders by Shaun Micallef
Matthew Flinders charted Australia’s coastline and helped give the continent its name, but Shaun Micallef’s account makes it clear that the familiar heroic version is only part of the story.
With his characteristic wit, Micallef follows Flinders through a life marked by ambition, contradiction and more than a little absurdity. Here was an explorer inspired by Robinson Crusoe who later spent six years imprisoned on an island; a captain who preferred the company of his cat; and a man celebrated as a national figure despite aspects of his life that sit uneasily with modern readers.
Meticulously researched but never stuffy, the book uses Flinders’ adventures and shortcomings to examine the stories Australia tells about its past, who becomes a hero and what happens when a nation begins to reconsider an inherited legacy.
The verdict: A clever, irreverent history for readers who like to learn something new while being thoroughly entertained.
The Elders by Dan Bourchier
Journalist and broadcaster Dan Bourchier invites readers to listen to some of Australia’s most respected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders in this powerful collection of conversations about Country, language, kinship, culture and leadership.
Travelling from Warumungu Country to Larrakia Country and the Torres Strait, Bourchier shares the voices of Elders including Aunty Valda Napurrula Shannon Warntaparri, Uncle Ross Jakamarra Williams and Aunty Gail Mabo. Their stories hold memories of displacement and loss, but also strength, responsibility and hope for generations to come.
Rather than presenting history as something fixed in the past, The Elders shows how knowledge is carried, practised and passed on. It is an invitation to listen more carefully and to better understand the enduring relationship between people, culture and Country.
The verdict: An important and deeply considered collection that offers a valuable opportunity to listen to First Nations voices, knowledge and experiences.
Swan Song by Charles Spencer
Nearly 30 years after he delivered a memorable eulogy for Diana, Princess of Wales, Charles Spencer tells the story of his sister from the perspective of someone who knew her long before she became one of the most recognisable women in the world.
Spencer recalls an often difficult childhood in which he and Diana, the youngest of the Spencer children, relied heavily on one another. He writes about their family home, challenging boarding-school years, their parents’ divorce and the private jokes and confidences they shared before Diana’s marriage changed both their lives.
The book also follows Diana’s transformation into a global figure, her devotion to her sons and humanitarian work, the collapse of her marriage and the relentless media attention that preceded her death in August 1997. Personal rather than detached, Swan Song promises an intimate portrait shaped by love, memory and grief.
The verdict: Essential reading for Diana admirers and royal followers interested in a deeply personal account of her childhood, public life and relationship with her younger brother.
One for the Grandkids: You Belong by Liv Downing and Mel Matthews
For grandparents looking for a meaningful book to share with a little one, You Belong is a gentle celebration of connection, community and the natural world.
Written by psychologist and mindfulness educator Liv Downing and illustrated by artist Mel Matthews, the sturdy board book reminds children that they belong to the earth, the sea, their communities and one another. Its rounded corners and die-cut pages form a globe, making it appealing for little hands as well as lovely to read aloud.
The reassuring message and calming rhythm make it well suited to bedtime, a quiet moment during a busy day or a special visit with the grandchildren. It is also the kind of beautifully produced book families may want to keep and return to as children grow.
The verdict: A beautiful keepsake for grandparents to share with younger children, with a reassuring message about belonging, community and connection.
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