A Book to Discover: The Milliner of Bendigo

“My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…” That is not merely a good opening line. It is a warning. Natalie Heller Mills has built the life the internet cannot stop admiring. There is a charming farmhouse on a working ranch, a handsome cowboy husband, beautiful children and loaf after flawless loaf of homemade sourdough. Every corner appears artfully cluttered. Every moment looks wholesome, traditional and enviably real. It isn’t. Behind Natalie’s carefully cultivated life are nannies, producers and industrial-grade ovens. Her followers are not seeing a simpler way of living. They are watching a production. Then Natalie wakes one morning to find herself trapped inside a strange and horrifying version of that life. Her house, husband and children are all familiar, but something is terribly wrong. Is it a hoax, a reality show or a test from God? Natalie does not know. She knows only that this is not her perfect life, and she will do anything to escape it.

Take a little trip back to the simple joy of colouring. A World of Cozy Bookstores by Chrissy Lau invites you to explore beautiful bookshops from around the world, discover new reading spaces and lose yourself in the details. Colour slowly. Colour boldly. Embrace the wonky bits. There is no right way to do it, only your way. Relax, have fun and enjoy a quiet moment away from the noise. A cosy escape for book lovers, creative souls and anyone who remembers how good it felt to simply sit down and colour. Available now from Free by Nature.

There is something wonderfully comforting about a story set among farms, wide-open skies and the beautiful, sometimes demanding rhythms of rural life. A Farm in Golden Clouds by Leearna Shaw is a heartfelt rural romance filled with love, family, grief, resilience and second chances. Set in the small town of Kestrel Creek, the story follows Indi Carmichael, a widow, struggling farmer and self-help author who is doing everything she can to keep Manna Gum Farm afloat. With debt mounting, a book deadline looming and her son acting strangely, Indi has more than enough on her plate. Romance is certainly not part of the plan, even with her best friend determined to get her back into the dating world. Then there is Ben Whittam, a washed-up actor who has arrived in Kestrel Creek to film on location. Ben likes to keep his life carefully controlled, believing that if he can manage every detail, he can keep grief and uncertainty at bay. But with his anxious son struggling with nightmares and his career hanging in the balance, his carefully ordered world is beginning to unravel too. As Indi fights to save the farm and Ben tries to find his way through his own troubles, the two discover that life rarely follows the script we write for it. Leearna Shaw brings a genuine understanding of rural life to the story. Inspired by her own experiences living on a small farm in north-east Victoria, she captures the beauty, hard work, humour and emotional richness of life in a rural community. There are farms to save, runaway lambs to chase, family troubles to navigate and plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages. This is a lovely book for readers who enjoy Australian rural fiction, strong female characters, complicated families and romances that grow from real-life challenges. It is hopeful without pretending that life is always easy, and romantic without losing sight of the people and places at the heart of the story. As Maya Linnell says: “A sparkling debut, full of love and hope. I couldn’t put it down!” At 384 pages, A Farm in Golden Clouds is a beautiful choice for a quiet afternoon read or your next book club gathering. It is a story about holding on when things are difficult, letting people in and discovering that even in the middle of uncertainty, there may still be room for something wonderful. A Farm in Golden Clouds by Leearna Shaw is available now from Free by Nature.

We just finished This Is Why We Lied by the queen of thrillers, Karin Slaughter, and we are completely obsessed!  Set at the isolated McAlpine Lodge, this book delivers a classic, locked-room murder mystery with a signature Karin Slaughter edge. When a cold-blooded murder occurs during a stormy night, Will Trent and Sara Linton are forced into an investigation where literally everyone has a motive and a dark secret to hide.  The tension is razor-sharp, the pacing is relentless, and the twists left our jaws on the floor. If you love dark, psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the final page, this is an absolute must-read! 📚 Book Club Status: We are down to our very last copy on the website! Grab it before it's gone.

We're big fans of Haze by Sam Elliott. Sam Elliott is one of Australia's most compelling storytellers; a gifted interviewer and podcaster who brings the same sharp instinct for human truth to his fiction. Haze is the result: a thriller that gets under your skin and stays there, rooted in landscape and loss in a way that feels unmistakably, uncomfortably Australian. If you haven't read it yet, fix that.  

A one-of-a-kind handmade ceramic book stack mug with gold lustre, crafted in small batches in Queensland. The perfect companion for your next read.