The Extraordinaires #1: The Extinction Gambit by Michael Pryor

We are very lucky in our area to have so many terrific writers of books for children.  One of them is Michael Pryor who embarks on a new series called The Extraordinaires.  Book 1, The Extinction Gambit comes out in December, and to celebrate we are helping Michael launch his new book at the Northcote Library at 4pm on Wednesday December 7th.  Bookings can be made online at Darebinlibraries, on by phone on 1300 655 355.  We will there selling the new book and Michael will be able to sign it for you.

The book is an adventure set in London in 1908.  The two main characters are Kingsley a young man who wants to be a magician.  His off sider is Evadne, an albino juggler who is extremely smart and has some surprising skills.   It’s a rollicking tale which goes into the underworld and Kingsley and Evadne meet a range of characters, some bad, some good, but all of them with a tale to tell.  It’s terrific, and can given to both boys and girls 11 up.   Highly recommended.  Paperback, $18.95

Angels of Vengeance

$32.95

When an inexplicable wave of energy killed most people in the USA and parts of Canada, wars erupted, borders vanished, and the powerful lost their grip on power.  The reluctant, new U.S. president struggles to make momentous decisions in Seattle and a madman encourages rebellion in Texas while three women are fighting their own battles for survival, justice, and revenge.

Echelon assassin Caitlin Monroe moves quietly through a South American jungle. Her target: a prisoner of a lawless dictator in Uruguay. To free the prisoner, Caitlin will kill anyone who gets in her way. And then she will get the truth about how Al Banna, her target for years, escaped a secret detention center in French Guadeloupe to strike a fatal blow in New York City.

Sofia Peiraro is a teenage girl who witnessed firsthand the murder of her family and the mayhem of Texas under the rule of General Mad Jack Blackstone. Sofia might have  built a new life with her father if a vicious murder hadn’t set her on another course altogether: back to Texas, even to Blackstone himself.

Lady Julianne Balwyn is a British-born aristocrat turned smuggler. Shopping in the most fashionable neighborhood of Darwin, Australia, now a fantastic neo-urban frontier, Jules has a pistol holstered in the small of her lovely back. She is playing the most dangerous game of all: waiting for the person who is hunting her to show his face-so she can kill him first.

Three women in three corners of a world plunged into electrifying chaos. Nation-states struggling for their survival. Immigrants struggling for new lives. John Birmingham’s astounding new novel-the conclusion to the series begun in Without Warning and After America is an intense adventure that races from the halls of power to shattered streets to gleaming new cities, as the world tries to regain control.

Highly recommended

BOM! Went the bear

Fairfield’s own Nicki Greenberg has a new picture book coming out in December.  It is a fun, noisy story for pre-schoolers.  Nicki will be launching the book at a special story time session at the Northcote Library, 32 Separation St Northcote at 10.30 am on Tuesday 6th December. Come along with your toddler and join the fun.  We will be there selling the book, and Nicki will be able to sign it for you.  The book is a hardback for $20.

Sound of Gravity

$32.95

Joe Simpson is well known in book circles for his epic true story of adventure, disaster, mateship and survival; Touching the Void, which was made into a thrilling movie.

Now he’s turned his hand to fiction but has stayed with what he knows best.

The Sound of Gravity is an atmospheric story, similar in some ways to the true life story of Touching the Void. The book opens with the main character climbing in cold places with his girlfried, fighting gravity all the way.

The author describes the cold, the ice, the storms, the dangers and the loneliness of mountain climbing. He’s obviously writing from first hand experience.  The main character, Patrick suffers terribly for his passion.  He suffers loss, hardship, storms, torment and pain.  As the story unfolds we’re introduced to some of the many kinds of people you find in high places!

The book is written in parts, separated in time but connected throughout.

Highly recommended

Sally Rippin author visit

Sally Rippin, author of the hugely popular Billie B Brown books will be at the shop on Saturday 26th November between 11am and 12 noon.  She will be talking to customer and signing books.  Come on down and get your books signed.  They will make terrific gifts for a little girl.

Inheritance: the final chapter is finally here!!!

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini,

PB $29.95

 

The final book of Paolini’s hit Inheritance series is finally here and fans will not be disappointed!

Join Eragon and his dragon, Saphira on their quest to topple the evil king, Galbatorix and cheer them on in the epic final fight.

Inheritance is another high fantasy novel that captures the hearts of it’s readers and creates such a wonderfully elaborate world.

 

 

If the completion of Harry Potter has left you with a fantasy book void then make a start on the Inheritance cycle today!

 

 

#1 Eragon

#2 Eldest

#3 Brisingr

***All $19.95 in paperback

 

 

Helicopters have Landed!!

As a great gift for kids of all ages we now have some Radio Controlled Helicopters.

We have two models; both are 3 Channel RC meaning that they can be controlled up/down, forward and left/right.

One model is smaller and retails for $29.95 and the other is slightly larger for $39.95.

Both are made of light weight metal and are very robust.  They are intended for indoor use.

AND ALSO

EDUCATIONAL KITS AND SOLAR TOYS

Once again we have a range of interesting and informative kits for youngsters to enjoy at Christmas and in the holidays.

The kits include Transformer Robots, Boats, Planes and Science Discovery on various topics

Solar kits introduce users to the possibilities of solar power and you get the chance to put it together yourself, learning as you go.

Priced from $9.95

Our Darebin Parklands

Darebin Parklands: Escaping the Claws of the Machine

Did you know the Darebin Parklands used to be a quarry, blasting out bluestone?  Or that as recent as the late 1970s it was a municipal tip?  As residents of the inner north, this coffee table book about the history of our largest suburban green sprawl is a must for our book collection.  It is beautifully presented and filled with photos and illustrations of the area from early settlement to today.  

 Darebin Parklands started out as farmland back in the late 1800′s, comprising of vineyards and orchards of pears, quince, and plums.  It had many guises over the years, but it wasnt until the land had been almost destroyed as landfill and a tip that the local community banded together to save it from industrial developers.  The Darebin Parklands Association was formed and they had the vision and determination to turn the area into the gorgeous green area today that we all know, love, and visit.  They acknowledge the original indigenous owners, having implemented spiritual healing sites throughout the many trails and sites strewn through the parklands, which have a natural bush feel and not a manicured “English garden” feel.

This book includes a foreword by former Australian of the Year, Professor Tim Flannery.  He reminds us that community action can always save the environment from the “claws of the machine”. A very informative and interesting local book.

Darebin Parklands: Escaping the Claws of the Machine

by Sarah Mirams

rrp $40

We have Cabin Fever!

 

For all you Wimpy Kid fans out there, the wait is finally over! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney is now in stock. This is the sixth in the much-loved series following the ups and downs in the life of the hapless Greg Heffley. In this installment Greg is stuck inside with his family for the holidays due to a blizzard, which is bad enough, really. But even worse is the fact that when he can finally emerge, he’ll have to face up to accusations that he has damaged school property. Poor Greg! If you haven’t discovered this hilarious cartoon-filled series yet, you’ve got some catching up to do! Paperback, $14.95

Magnifique France, Bennett-style…

If the restaurant Vue de Monde is beyond your means, then indulge in chef Shannon Bennett’s follow-up to his hugely successful Paris and New York food and travel guides, Shannon Bennett’s France.  This beautifully photographed hardback book is a compact guide to Shannon and his pals’ favourite restaurants, bistros, brasseries and hotels in France.  Be warned, this is “fine dining” at its highest, and does not include street creperie stalls or market foods!

Traveling throughout regional France, the guide is also interspersed with Shannon’s favourite French recipes (accompanied by mouth-watering photographs), hotel guides, and even a list of the 75 best French films!

No French guide would be complete without a section on wine, and this volume includes a sommelier’s tips on choosing the best French wines.

A gorgeous Christmas gift or one to add to your own collection, Shannon Bennett’s France is in store now!

rrp $45 in hardback