It’s been twenty years since her mother was photographed, blood-soaked, outside the family home. A famous TV food personality, she fled the country. Since that time, the girl has grown up. She’s bought an apartment, learned her own cooking style, fallen in love. She lives a quiet life, working as a copywriter for a health insurance company. She’s found happiness, finally.

But strange things are in the air. Her easygoing boyfriend has started sleeping with men. Her mother is selling the infamous family home. And a glamorous, pregnant neighbour has moved into the apartment downstairs, calling into question everything the girl believes about her own desires.

Among conspiracies, dubious loyalties, and mercenary impulses, how do we work out who is worthy of our devotion and who is just a fan? Shirley charts a search for meaning in a world where the fracturing of ambitions – work and purpose, real estate and home, family and love – has left us uncertain how to recognise ourselves.

This is a riveting, horrifying and at times enraging look at how medicine has failed women throughout history to modern day. Drawing from old case reports and medical textbooks, Cowen illuminates the narratives around women’s bodies, women’s health, women’s needs & desires.

Popularised by the Dunbar Number, which suggests that our cognitive limit for maintaining stable social relationships is around 150 people, this book is a fascinating if highly cerebral and scientific take on friendship, trust, loneliness and social cohesion. Its academic exploration provides a practical guide  and homage to human connection for anyone looking to understand the nuances of friendship groups.

This is a thought provoking , engaging and vital book. It is structured around key themes such as cultural appropriation, the weaponization of victimhood, and the systemic inequalities that women of colour face. An essential exploration encouraging readers to confront the complexities of race and gender with its unflinching honesty challenging us to reflect on our own biases.

Promoted as a book to counteract self-sabotage, it actually covers many aspects of life including happiness, decluttering, denial, procrastination, finding inner peace, trusting yourself and so on. If you are an avid self help book reader it may feel like many well-worn concepts that have been repackaged into a booklet without chapters that speaks like the Tao Te Ching. While we may well be responsible for our own lives, the emphasis on personal responsibility could feel overwhelming or dismissive of the complex factors that contribute to mental health struggles, including the society we operate in.

This is a beautifully curated book. It provides a fascinating, captivating, striking and poignant visual exploration of identity and the complexities of gender expression through a collection of photographs from a clandestine retreat located in the Catskills in the 1960s and 1970s. The book offers a glimpse into a unique space where men could dress as women and explore their femininity in a supportive environment.

This a dense, well researched and thought-provoking book written in a pacy approachable and inquisitive way. The author makes a solidly built case that the universal components of human experience are not emotions, but changes on a continuum of arousal on the one hand, and pleasantness and unpleasantness on the other. Ultimately we are all creating our world from moment to moment.

This is a practical, realistic and very honest approach to relationships based on Matthew being devastated by his own divorce which he really didn’t see coming as he thought he was a ‘good guy’. With a strong emphasis on active listening and practicing gratitude for your partner to build emotional connection, this book has something that all relationships, married or not, can get some good take away messages and practises from.

Many people think you can get the gist of this book by reading Gemma’s article featured in Harper’s Bazaar in 2017, however, her follow up book to the article is well worth the read. There are many fantastic quotes to reflect on, but the biggest take away is making the invisible, visible. The domestic labour divide is visible and correctable, emotional labour, not so easily defined, until now. “Emotional labour is emotional management and life management combined. It is the unpaid, invisible work we do to keep those around us comfortable and happy.” If the well thumbed copy from the library is anything to go by, this book resonates!

This book invites us to question the way we have been taught to think of value. It is well researched and sheds a timely light on the hidden toll of emotional labour. It clearly articulates the gender bias and misogyny underlying what the author calls “extractive emotional capitalism.” The book investigates the roots of gender inequality but also provides answers to the concern.

This is a simple but very clear book that has aesthetically pleasing illustrations by the author, making the information easy to absorb and ensures that the content is not overwhelming. A great tool or resource for diagnosed or undiagnosed people with ADHD and for their friends and family to make sense of and understand their experience.

This short book is an engaging, rigorous and hard read about how the legal systems response fails rape survivors. The book chronicles some of the author’s clients’ experiences and calls for urgent system change, although does not provide any solutions.

Quentin Kenihan was a man like no other. Born with a rare condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta, he could and would literally break. This autobiography is equal parts tear jerker as he reveals the internal struggles he faced and laugh out loud funny as he takes you on a journey of jokes and nude events. The self referred “inspirational porn star” once discussed his sex life with non other than Jean-Claude Van Damme and is famously known for his nude interview on Big Brother uncut. Quentin’s passing in 2018 left a big gap in the disability advocacy space, but his legacy lives on. A heartwarming book. “ I started with nothing and yet I never backed down until I achieved what I wanted in life”

Discussing sex miseducation, the origins of insecure sexuality, attachment theory and more, Casey draws inspiration from her personal journey , academic research and community cultivated knowledge. Framed by anti-oppressive and trauma informed practise this book is an absolute must read.

A heartfelt, sincere, straightforward, and practical book that has started a global movement to end abuse. Written by a man for men, there is however, something in this book for everyone about healthy relationships with its honest depiction of healing being messy, raw, vulnerable and taking time.

This highly approachable book is empathetic, accessible and filled with real life scenarios. Its non-judgemental tone encourages readers to be open about approaching common fears and taboos surrounding sex. The relatable tone helps to explore and articulate sexual desires and boundaries, as well as understanding a partner’s needs.

This is an interactive, follow up book to Ask: Building Consent Culture. The workbook engages readers through exercises, reflections, discussions and prompts. With plenty of open, generous and vulnerable personal reflections from Kitty, this book is a wonderful resource in building a consent culture.

It’s not often a resource, so inclusive and informative comes about, but Talk soon. Talk often. truly has it all. A comprehensive guide on sexual and reproductive health for parents, carers, teachers, youth workers or anyone working with children and young people. This book (available to download free online) covers age and stage sexual and reproductive health information from birth through to early adulthood. Addressing topics such as: discussing sex and pregnancy, sexuality, relationships, sex and social media, pornography, contraception, consent and Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs). The resource provides practical ways to engage young people in sexual and reproductive health conversations, as well as providing links to additional resources and supports. A must for any “teen toolkit”.

Yarning Quiet Ways is a culturally safe adaptation of Talk soon. Talk often. It delivers the voice of Aboriginal Mum’s, Dad’s and carers when it comes to discussing sexual and reproductive health topics with children and young people. The resource addresses topics such as: being the boss of your body, changes to the body, saying “no”, safer sex, teenage pregnancy, protecting yourself online and healthy relationships. Offering practical tips and advice on how to yarn with young people about sexual and reproductive health in a culturally sensitive way, it is a fantastic community resource.