[rating:5] Anything Japanese is assuredly beautiful, especially when it comes to handmade. In Zakka Sewing, authors Laskey and Mori have come together to produce a truly gorgeous book that will inspire handmade aficionados, no matter where they live in the world. Zakka is a Japanese word meaning ‘household goods’ – everything from tea towels to baskets and totes. They are functional objects, sure, but they also don’t need to be immune … [Read more...]

[rating:4] Londoner Kaushal has made it her personal mission to seek out the best places, products and ideas to make homelife with children stylish, practical and beautiful. Part lifestyle, part interiors, part ideas and reflection book, Home is a hard cover tome that can be flicked through for inspiration, meandered through for entertainment, or used as an authentic guide to creating an ideal space for families. Beautifully photographed with … [Read more...]

[rating:5] Opening Greetings from Knit Café is like receiving a big, warm, woolly hug. Author Suzan Mischer first learned to knit when she was seven. Her grandmother gave her a long pair of needles and some bright pink scratchy wool and very soon, Mischer’s first knitted creation lay before her – a holey pink headband. It wasn’t until she had children of her own, and after leaving her role at CBS Television to stay home fulltime … [Read more...]

‘Self-help’ books are a dime a dozen on the shelves and probably always will be – not because us humans are a collective and consistently blathering mess, but because the human condition is one that inherently questions, perennially voyages inward, ceaselessly strives to understand the self. Of course, self-knowledge helps build confidence, direction and understanding that can vastly improve our lives and those of the people around us. … [Read more...]

[rating:4.5] One of the biggest steps a child takes is donning that backpack and heading off to school. It's not just academics each child needs to face - it's social skills and awareness, the ability to focus and delineate, accomplished physical and spatial skills, self-confidence and readiness to 'leave the nest', among many other factors. School-readiness is uniquely different as each child poised to embark on this life-changing … [Read more...]

[rating:5] It would be easy to turn green over a book celebrating a family's sojourn to Paris - plein de those glorious Parisian elements that make for such a life-changing experience. La vie en rose, indeed. It would also be easy to see such a book as something un petit peu self-indulgent or perhaps a tad alienating for the myriad families who can't afford a trip to a caravan park, let alone six years in one of the world's most desirable … [Read more...]

[rating:4] One of Australia’s most dedicated fashion columnists, Maggie Alderson adds to her tripage of style-themed books (Shoe Money, Handbag Heaven and Gravity Sucks, as well as six bestselling novels) with this latest instalment, appropriate entitled Style Notes. Packed with dry wit and head-nodding observations, Style Notes is like a collection of shopping, fashion and lifestyle annotations, jotted down as Alderson frequents boutiques, … [Read more...]

These books are two new additions in the sensational 'Fifty...' series published by the Conran Octopus in conjunction with London's Design Museum. The world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form from furniture to graphics, and architecture to industrial design, the Design Museum's mission is to celebrate, entertain and inform and is working to place design at the centre of contemporary culture. It demonstrates both the … [Read more...]

No, parents, this is not a book on how you can possibly infiltrate your teen's blank wall. That's a whole other kettle of fish. This one is for the boys and girls. Teen boys and girls, that is. Of course, teendom is probably the penultimate time for learning (next to toddlerdom) on that course that is Life, and although they'd probably never admit it, kids love to get a leg-up in whatever way they can. Yes, even through reading. In this … [Read more...]

[rating:4] When you think of a private investigator, you may picture a sweaty, overweight, balding man scouring the streets of a grimy Capital City with an instamatic, snapping telltale evidence in the twisted bedsheets of seedy motels. Think again. While Infidelity is certainly a book that will explode a myth or two, its author - Julia Hartley Moore - also explodes a few myths. This immaculately groomed, hard-working, entrepreneurial woman … [Read more...]

[rating:4] You don’t need to be a design lover to crave a beautiful space for your children for sleep and play, and this stunning new book by Susanna Salk certainly provides the inspiration to create something whimsical, functional and memorable. Room for Children is a drool-fest of children’s rooms – covering three room types – the nursery, the bedroom and work/play rooms. Essentially a showcase of top designers, including Kelly … [Read more...]

[rating:4] Vegetarians and vegans rejoice! After a sellout Melbourne edition, this pocket-sized book packs a powerful punch for vegos all over the nation - with over 150 reviews and listings of the best veg-friendly spots to grab some delicious nosh. Vegetarian food is not only healthy, the range, diversity and deliciousness on offer from establishments all over Australia is nothing short of extraordinary. For those who are strictly vegan, … [Read more...]