Better Reading

How far would someone go to make two men pay? Disgraced journalist Xander McAuslan and his mate Lorenzo, a Vietnam veteran and former cave-dwelling survivalist, are back in Mole Creek, Tasmania. A few months ago they stumbled onto a Russian sleeper plot and killed the assassin sent to silence them. That assassin was the nephew of a powerful former KGB officer. Now a new killer has been sent to Tasmania with orders to make their deaths slow. Neither man knows she’s coming.

Three sisters disappear from a bridal shop at the foot of the pyramids. That’s where Tess Woods’ new novel, The Cairo Bridal Shop, begins. Tess joins Cheryl to talk about the very personal story behind the book, her Egyptian heritage, her beloved grandmother and the unexpected journey that took her from physiotherapy to bestselling author. The Cairo Bridal Shop is out now.

What’s the book about? A wildly funny new instalment in a series that asks what animals really think of us, and we’re completely on board with the chaos. Do you ever wonder what animals think about humans? Do they feel they could do a better job of running things? Would they ever try and take over? Duck, Mouse and Dog are alarmed that the adults in Redhill are being brainwashed by something called a podcast. To fight back, the animals might need to embrace some technology of their own.

Yumna Kassab joins Cheryl Akle to talk about the stories, memories and sense of place behind her new book. Yumna shares how growing up Lebanese-Australian in Parramatta shaped her writing, her unusual path from studying science and teaching to becoming an acclaimed author, and how a short story competition led to her first book, The House of Youssef. She also talks about her unique writing process and why she captures her ideas by hand in notebooks.

What are you reading right now, and what are you enjoying about it? Hate You to Love You, the newly released queer romance debut by wonderful Josh Hortinela. I’m only a few chapters in and already loving the nostalgia and all the 90s and early 2000s pop culture and rom com references. Also really enjoying the enemies to lovers, snarky banter between the two leads, Carlos and Elliot. What’s a book you’ve read recently that you immediately wanted to recommend to someone else?

We’re back with eight more Australian crime series we can’t stop recommending, from cosy sleuths to outback noir to full throttle thrillers. Here’s where to start with each. The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson Four tea ladies in 1960s Sydney become accidental sleuths after a murder in their building, and it’s every bit as charming as it sounds. We love how much warmth and wit Hampson brings to this cosy crime series, and Hazel, Betty and Irene are a genuine joy to spend time with, one cuppa at a time.

What’s the book about? Magical creatures, perilous trials and one unbelievable adventure in this new blockbuster fantasy series and we think it’s going to be huge. The moment you enter the Arbiter, your fate is sealed. If you spark, you fight. Twelve-year-old Elder Triss never expected to produce a spark so rare and so dangerous.

What’s the book about? A hilariously illustrated series for emerging readers and it’s exactly the kind of silly, cosy comfort we love handing to young cat lovers. Every day, Spud and Snowball lie in the sun and sleep. That’s the whole plan. Then a scary noise comes from under the bed, and the two cats are convinced it’s a monster. It turns out to be Chattercat, and life for Spud and Snowball is about to get a lot less restful.

Episode 1 of our brand-new podcast, Everyone Has a Story, is now out. In the first episode, Sivine Tabbouche talks to Cheryl about the extraordinary story of her mother, Amina, who raised 15 children, survived war and migration, and built a remarkable life in Australia.

The scene on the single lens of Anastasia’s infra-red monocular makes no sense. Two figures, bulky in thick, warm clothes, create a balletic tableau against the frosted backdrop of a field beside a cottage. Smoke from a solitary chimney oozes into the dawn half-light of northern Tasmania then lies like a blanket, too listless to fly away. Their breaths are dragon plumes in the chill morning air, their movements illogical.