Libraries and City Museum will be closed King's Birthday Public Holiday, Monday 8 June 2026 and will re-open Tuesday 9 June 2026.

Reserve now

The Crossroads

Summary:

Marybeth Pickett gets the call she has always dreaded: her husband Joe is unconscious after being shot in the head.

He was found slumped behind the wheel of his pickup at a crossroads linking the ranches of three powerful families. Each have reasons to want the Wyoming Game Warden dead, but with no witnesses, no one knows who pulled the trigger.

As Joe clings to life, Marybeth keeps watch while their daughters – Sheridan, Lucy, and April – play the role their father cannot, investigating each family to expose long-held grudges and reveal the truth.

But the sisters must be careful – because if this was a warning, what might the attackers do to the people Joe loves most?

Reserve now

The Shadow Step

Summary:

It's Detective Miller's deadliest dance...

The Shadow Step: One taken simultaneously by a pair of dancers facing the same direction, one of them behind and slightly shifted leftwards ('in the shadow')

Typically, such a step perfectly demonstrates synchronized elegance. It showcases a couple in near telepathic harmony with one another. It does not normally end with someone stone-dead in a lake.

DS Declan Miller is a magnet for strange cases, but how can he catch a killer when the man confessing to the crime is clearly innocent? Things rapidly escalate when the murder that isn't really a murder at all attracts the unwanted attention of a drugs Queenpin, a deranged ex-squaddie and a lovesick gangland enforcer. Then a student is kidnapped...

Throw in a wobbly dog, a pair of ceramic leopards and the distracting smell from a local biscuit factory, and - if he wants to save a young man's life - Miller has little choice but to waltz all the way into the shadows.

Reserve now

The Nowhere Boy

Summary:

A child disappears in broad daylight-and no one sees a thing.

Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, vanishes from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When he returns, the car is empty. His son has vanished without a trace.

Apple Man's mother, Fae, gets the call that shatters her life. Enraged with her ex, Scott and drowning in her own guilt, she is pulled back into Scott's orbit as police launch a desperate search across a wild coastline and dense pine forest. With every hour that passes, the case tightens around them-and the question no parent can bear to answer grows louder: what if he's never coming back?

Far from the search, a grieving woman convinces herself she's been given a second chance. Tessa has lost three babies and the future she believed was hers. When she encounters a small, abandoned boy, she sees not a crime, but a miracle she cannot surrender. As the hunt intensifies, her fragile fantasy of motherhood begins to unravel.

As the pressure continues to mount, everyone involved is forced to confront the same terrifying question: when love becomes possession, how far is too far?

Reserve now

Icarus 17

Summary:

Lachlan Kite should have left fieldwork behind by now.

As director of covert intelligence agency Box 88, he’s at the apex of his espionage career. But when Martha Raine – a woman he hasn’t seen in twenty years – begs for his help, Kite finds himself back in the game, racing to avert disaster.

Kite must find Martha’s son, Max, who vanished in Athens with his girlfriend, Yasmine. But the couple aren’t just missing, they’re running for their lives. Two rival agencies are hunting them, both with orders to kill on sight.

Max and Yasmine are carrying a dizzying secret, one which could pull apart the foundations of the Middle East for a generation. If Kite fails to save them, the costs – both personal and professional – will be catastrophic.

Reserve now

The Kingpin

Summary:

Two brothers. One empire. A city ready to fall.

‘We can do what no one’s ever done before. We can become gods in a game built for the devil.’

Idris Khan is no longer the man he used to be. How can he be? Murder changes people – and it has changed him. Once a respected pharmacist, Idris now walks a fine line between survival and destruction. He craves something normal in a world gone to hell – but then Zidane, his estranged brother, walks through the door. Freshly released from prison, Zidane’s presence is radioactive. Truths are laid bare. New alliances are formed. And Zidane has an offer for Idris that could blow his whole world apart: he wants them to take over the entire drug trafficking network in Leeds and Bradford, and rule together.

Now, Idris has a choice to make. Leave Leeds forever, or become the very thing he’s always feared … The Kingpin.

Reserve now

Every Time She Wakes

Summary:

When careers counsellor Suze and her family are evacuated from their home during a bushfire emergency, she suddenly realises they're being kidnapped. The van crashes and Suze thinks it's the end.

But she wakes up two weeks back in time. No one else remembers the terror that came before. Is it all in her own mind?

Then it happens again. And again.

With every loop, her world twists into a new version of itself. Suze must discover why it's happening and who is behind the kidnappings. She's running out of time to save her family and wake up in a world she recognises.

Reserve now

The Damned

Summary:

Retired assassin Logan Booth is ready to settle down – but Jacinta Murphy, the President of the United States, has other ideas. Paranoid he will expose her past mistakes, the President triggers a chain of events that drive Logan to Colombia and into the middle of a new war.  

After colliding with the wrong cartel, Logan finds himself on the run across the mountainous Colombian countryside. His only chance of survival lies with Alice Mason, an unlikely friend and confidant. Desperate to keep her out of harm’s way, Logan refuses to call on her for aid. But what if she turns up unbidden? How is he supposed to stop her running headfirst into danger when he’s barely keeping himself alive?

Reserve now

The Secrets We Hide

Summary:

Welcome back to North Falls -- a small town with big secrets.

The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery family, and what goes on behind closed doors.

Then one afternoon gunshots ring out. Allison Vickery is found murdered in her own kitchen, her teenage daughter bleeding and left for dead.

Everyone thinks they know what happened. But they're wrong. The truth is more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.

Secrets are everywhere in this small town. And it's up to Detective Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth ...

Reserve now

Neighbourhood Watch

Summary:

Priyanka Pal, a former psychologist turned homicide detective, is disturbed when her investigation uncovers corruption close to home. Forced to confront the abuses of powerful men – the very reason she left psychology – Priyanka’s faith in the justice system falters. 

Emma Bloom is sophisticated, intelligent, and seems to have it all together. But her prickly, estranged sister, Margot, knows the truth. Their attempts at reconciliation spiral into crisis with the death of Emma’s abusive husband, The Pope.

As secrets unravel and Priyanka’s investigation cuts close to home, the sisters risk losing what fragile family ties they have left, and Priyanka’s career is on the edge. None of them will ever feel the same way about themselves (or their neighbours) again. 

P.S. Mind the cat.

Reserve now

Mire

Summary:

The cloth that was over his head and tied tightly around his neck smelled like the army disposal store he'd been to with his father. Lying on the floor of the van, hands tied behind his back, he closed his eyes and breathed in the kerosene-like scent of the sack, and wished he was back there again. Back with his father on a Sunday afternoon ...

They say your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. For Dan Milligan it isn't his life ... it's memories of his dad.

Dan has spent his whole life chasing something. Fast cars, leggy blondes, the rush of making a lot of money and the cocaine high to celebrate. But as the stock market plummets in 1987, his world comes crashing down.

A new life on the South Coast isn't too bad. Mowing lawns is good, honest work. Most days. But other days, he tells himself he'll get back in the game. He'll get his head together, get his mojo back and master the market again. He just needs some luck. Then one day ... his luck changes. And suddenly he has a choice.

Dan has no idea what he could unleash on his life, himself and his family. Or how far he will go to find a way back.

Reserve now

The Diamonds of Tilly Devine

Summary:

1931. The height of the Depression, Sydney, New South Wales

They were diamonds: beautiful, sparkling and irresistible.

Nice girls do not accept employment from infamous Tilly Devine, the brothel owner with jewels on her fingers and a pistol in her handbag. All of Sydney knows her as the queen of crime, ruling an empire of bootleg whisky and gambling clubs, and rumour has it she's quick to pull the trigger on anyone who crosses her - including her husband.

Yet, destitute after her mother's death, Constance McKie realises she has three choices: starve, jump over The Gap, or enter a life no respectable girl would dare consider. When Tilly Devine offers her a role as one of her 'diamonds', Connie finds that perhaps she's not the girl she thought she was.

A diamond's role is complex, demanding, usually glamorous and entirely secret, and kept far away from Tilly's world of gang wars, bribery and blackmail. But when murder is suspected in the mansion that becomes her home, Connie soon learns that it's not only diamonds that are tougher than steel.

Reserve now

Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon

Summary:

Four women. Four loves. Four life-changing stories. At a little salon by the sea - on the windblown coast of 1980s Australia - four women will learn to embrace love and life in all their beautiful and bittersweet forms.

Lost love: Trudy, 57, owns the Seaside Salon in the sun-soaked Central Coast town of Terrigal. She loves her job, her clients and her Princess Di cuts, but since Laurie died, life hasn't been the same.

Love on the rocks: Anna, 42, brings her mother to the Seaside Salon every Monday morning but never gets her own hair done - she doesn't have time for vanity. But when Anna kicks her husband Gary out, will she rediscover the joys of caring for herself, starting with highlights?

Unrequited love: Hairdresser Evie, 33, has never had much luck with men. Then new hire Sam joins the salon - he's handsome and kind, and he and Evie hit it off immediately. But is their relationship all that it seems?

First love: Apprentice Josie, 19, is determined to make her own way in the world, especially when she meets sweet surfer and mechanic Brett, who she can't quite believe is silly over her. How long can she keep him a secret from her overprotective parents?

Reserve now

Green City Wars

Summary:

In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals.

In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers - artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals' number one rule: 'Do Not Bother the Humans'. Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.

Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they're willing to kill for his secrets.

Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way - and shatters their fragile world.

Reserve now

Billie King

Summary:

1918: Australia's last bushranger, Dulcie James, holds up Anna King's falling-down farmhouse. There's a scrawny unloved infant on the floor, Anna seems more furious than frightened, and it's the bushranger who's left shaken. And the next day, Anna disappears.

Twelve years later, Anna's daughter, Billie King, is a girl ready to explode. With a missing mother, the rent in arrears and her alcoholic father's gambling debts to cover, she has no time for school. But when child services threaten to remove Billie from her father, she must decide between continuing her search for her missing mother and keeping what's left of her family together. If she fails to hold onto her father, she'll be taken away and placed in a children's home, but if she doesn't find her missing mother, who will?

Reserve now

The Importance of Being Delia

Summary:

Pleasing other people is hell. Pleasing herself is a revolution.

The gorgeous, cosy new family drama from the bestselling author of The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison

Will curiosity kill the cat-sitter?

For more than thirty years, Delia Watson was the silent engine behind her husband Charlie's glittering music career - the perfect wife, the reliable rock. Now retired, she is ready for leisure. The universe, however, has other plans.

Trapped cat-sitting a loathsome feline in the deceptive calm of Pretty Point, Delia's patience snaps when a cryptic letter arrives from a stranger. Charlie claims ignorance, but Delia knows he is lying.

Finally, she is done playing nice.

Aided by the formidable ladies of the bridge club, Delia uncovers a sordid mystery lurking beneath the suburb's superficial charms. With a missing moggy, a furious husband, and a mother-in-law threatening police action, Delia faces a tangle of greed, ambition and betrayal where even the dead have stories to tell.

It is time for the silent partner to make some noise.

Reserve now

The Changeling

Summary:

On her fourteenth birthday, Caiti NicNeven discovers her true mother is the queen of the Sidhe, the faery folk who dwell beneath Scotland's hollow hills. Bound by ancient grievance, the faery queen demands Caiti become the instrument of her revenge against the mortal crown stolen a thousand years before.

Drawing on a dangerous magic she barely understands, Caiti flees. She finds refuge at the treacherous court of Mary, Queen of Scots. As fear and religious fervour grip the country, Mary is pressured into passing an Anti-Witchcraft Act, placing every woman - and every whispered spell - in peril.

Watching from the shadows, the faery queen tightens her hold. When Caiti falls in love with Robbie, the son of a local laird, her mother strikes, cursing him to dance himself to death beneath the faery moon.

To save the man she loves, Caiti must cross into the faery realm and confront the mother who would destroy her - and claim a wild, dangerous magic of her own.

Reserve now

When Sparks Fly

Summary:

After a very public breakup, a summer at her family's lake house is exactly what heiress Rachel Henderson needs.

But after setting her mother's expensive curtains on fire, Rachel is saved by a very handsome fireman. Too bad he's also the grumpiest guy she's ever met.

Rachel keeps running into the fireman around the lake, and when she breaks through his tetchy fa ade, she finds herself totally falling for him. And it seems he feels the same.

But as summer draws to a close, Rachel must decide- Will she head back to the city, or stay by the lake forever.

Reserve now

Weddings

Summary:

Marie-Aurelie, cherished yet untitled, embraces a life outside conventional matrimony, igniting a legacy of profound choices for her descendants.

Dominique, longing to eclipse her mother's shadow, finds herself caught up in love's hidden tangles, leading her children down diverging paths. Her eldest breaks free from an oppressive betrothal. Her son clings to stability in a turbulent marriage. Her youngest defies tradition but ultimately discovers her own version of happiness.

When the past and future collide, these women must decide whether they keep to tradition or forge new paths. To marry or not, because their decisions will affect the future of all of those close to them.

City Library

Author Talk: Bradley Dryburgh

Thursday 30 July 2026 | 6:00pm

Price: $5

City Library

Chapter Chat!

Thursday, 20 August 2026 | 4:00pm

Price: FREE

City Library

In Conversation with Liane Moriarty

Tuesday, 1 September 2026 | 6:00pm

Price: $10

Latest news

Get your New Library Card today!

We’re upgrading our Library Membership Cards to ensure they work seamlessly with our latest technology. This upgrade also helps us keep your details up to date so you can enjoy the new features and have a smooth, convenient access to all our services.

Explore our digital programs

Did you know your library has a range of online programs, tutorials and resources ready for you to explore any time, day or night? There’s something for everyone in our Digital Programs Hub. Browse the range and learn something new today.

Logging into the Catalogue

These simple steps will get you started;

🖱️ Click on Log in 👤 (located at the top right hand-side of your screen)
💳 Enter your library membership barcode number
🔑 Enter your password (your birthday & month – 4-digits) e.g. if your birthday is 1 July you would enter 0107

As a part of our new system upgrade, your password has been reset. After you’ve first logged in, you can change and update your password if you wish.
 
If you need more help, please contact any of our libraries! 

Latest news

Stocard is moving to the Klarna!

If you haven’t heard the news… Stocard is moving to the Klarna app – so here’s what you need to know!

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Pearl

I Wrote My Own Eulogy

Recommended by
Matthew
Digital Librarian

When a regular guy named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s surprisingly intelligent cat, Princess Donut, are forced to compete for survival, the result is a thrilling and hilarious adventure. This series is a perfect pick for readers who love fast-paced action, clever world-building, and a heavy dose of dark humour.

Dinniman masterfully blends the LitRPG genre with sharp satire, creating a story that is both a loving parody and a standout example of its kind. With its creative monsters, high-stakes challenges, and the unforgettable duo of a cynical man and his regal feline companion, this book offers a unique reading experience.

A must-read for anyone seeking a fun, unpredictable story that breaks all the rules.

Recommended by
Michael
Team Leader Library Resources

If you were a fan of his novel Bird Box, then I think you’ll enjoy Pearl. It’s a unique horror story that takes an unusual idea (a vengeful pig with mind control abilities) and turns it into something genuinely creepy.

The atmosphere is tense throughout, and those uneasy vibes stayed with me long after I finished the book. While the story gets a little surreal at times, it’s an original and memorable read that I’d recommend to those who enjoy a good horror read!

Recommended by
Maddi
Library Trainee

A moving story that makes you grateful for the life that you are living and puts your life into perspective.

Bradley’s story is one of resilience, adversity, love, family, friendship and the importance of staying on top of your health.

He is the epitome of inspiration, openly talking about life expectancy, his challenges living with Cystic Fibrosis and the times in which he was faced with death.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was amazed by the strength Bradley possessed when faced with his various health and physical challenges.

Must reads

'Inked' by Karen Wasson

Recommended by
Georgina
Children’s and Youth Librarian

One of my favourite recent reads is Inked, a CBCA 2026 Book of the Year shortlist title in the Younger Readers category. What I enjoyed most about this graphic novel is its accessible humour. The story follows Sid, a shy young artist, and Otto, a loud and dramatic talking octopus, whose unlikely friendship leads to plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
 
The humour is clever and engaging without being complicated, making it appealing to a wide range of readers. Combined with the vibrant illustrations and heartfelt themes of friendship, belonging and self-acceptance, Inked is a fun and memorable read that I would happily recommend to children and families.

1,085

New items

54,085

Items borrowed

$1,281,814

Community money saved by borrowing from the library

Most popular

Fiona McIntosh

Blood Pact

Mel Robbins

The Let Them Theory

Secret Link

Shellharbour City Libraries partnered with Warrigal Care to deliver Bee Connected, an intergenerational program aimed at forming meaningful connections between young people and seniors in the community through songs, games, reading, and crafts. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with UOW on a range of Paint Shellharbour REaD initiatives. Paint Shellharbour REaD is part of the Paint the Town REaD network, dedicated to promoting early childhood literacy. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with The Man Walk to deliver the Tall Tales program. This program aims to make connections with local, social, hobby and information organisations who appeal to male audiences and bring them into our library programs space. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Smith Family to promote early childhood literacy through the Paint Shellharbour REaD initiative. Paint Shellharbour REaD organises reading days and kids events throughout the year dedicated to fostering a love of reading. 

QBD

Shellharbour City Libraries have worked with QBD Shellharbour as the preferred bookseller at all of our Author Talk events. 

The Good Things Foundation are a future-focused digital inclusion leaders, advocating, partnering, educating and innovating to ensure no one is left behind in the digital world. The Good Things Foundation have partnered with Shellharbour City Libraries to facilitate Digital Skills sessions from Sptember 2025.

Shellharbour City Libraries collaborates with Paint the Gong REaD in conjunction with the Paint the Town REaD network. This partnership promotes early childhood literacy across the Illawarra through multiple reading events and activities. 

Shellharbour City Libraries has partnered with NSW Health to facilitate Independent Living Skills sessions aimed at teaching foster children health and wellbeing skills, in collaboration with the William Campbell Foundation.

The Multicultural Communities Council Illawarra attends Warilla library to utilise the 2528 community room. This is used for exercise and light physio sessions with senior community members.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Living Connected to offer drop-in Tech Help sessions to our customers at Warilla, Albion Park and City Libraries. These short one-on-one sessions are designed to assist customers in their digital skills development. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partnered with Legal Aid NSW to bring free community talks across our branches discussing a range of legal topics and how people can access help and resources as a part of the Libraries Law Week celebration.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Kiama Community College to deliver Tech Savvy Seniors sessions at our libraries. Tech Savvy Seniors is a NSW Government and Telstra partnership coordinated by the State Library of NSW. The program aims to teach seniors digital skills and knowledge.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Junior Einsteins to deliver Bee Connected, an intergenerational program aimed at forming meaningful connections between young people and seniors in the community through songs, games, reading, and crafts. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Judi Sandilands-Cincotta to bring Ollie and Shiko the therapy dogs to a range of children’s and youth programs. These programs aim to promote positive mental health and social connection.

The Sewing Collective is a vibrant and inclusive community hub where sewists of all levels come together to create. The Sewing Collective facilitates several sewing programs at City Library every month.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with HARS to deliver the Tall Tales program. This program aims to make connections with local social, hobby and information organisations who appeal to male audiences and bring them into our library program space. 

Shellharbour City Libraries organises Sensory Experiences with Greenacres Disability Services at Warilla Library.

Barrmarrany is an Aboriginal family-owned business based in the Illawarra region of the lands of the Dharawal people. They offer programs and workshops to various people and services seeking authentic and unique Indigenous experiences, including educational programs, cultural performances and authentic Indigenous experiences.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Ed U Play to facilitate programs and activities that bring young people together. These programs support social and emotional wellbeing amongst youth. The libraries support the Girls Only Project which aims to provide young women with knowledge of and access to positive activities in their own communities. Ed U Play are funded by the Communities for Children Program.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Bunnings to deliver free monthly Craft Workshops at City Library. In these sessions, experts from Bunnings teach our customers a range of crafting skills. These workshops include, Kokedama Balls, Painting Art Canvas and much more!

Afford provides disability services and community connection for people living with disability. Afford in partnership with Shellharbour City Libraries runs monthly craft sessions for disability groups, covering a range of craft themes.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Barnardos to promote early childhood literacy through the Paint Shellharbour REaD initiative. Paint Shellharbour REaD organises reading days and kids events throughout the year dedicated to fostering a love of reading.

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Aruma Disability Services to deliver Library Links. Library Links is a program that aims to invite disability services groups into their local branches to utilise craft and puzzle kits as well as getting to know our collections. Aruma is the first group at the Warilla branch and comes monthly to utilise space, kits and collections with their joined organisation library card.

Shellharbour City Libraries partnered with Warrigal Care to deliver Bee Connected, an intergenerational program aimed at forming meaningful connections between young people and seniors in the community through songs, games, reading and crafts. 

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with the William Campbell Foundation to deliver the Independent Living Skills Program. This program involves teaching foster children integral health and wellbeing skills and knowledge. Additionally, the City Library hosts WCF’s fortnightly Homework Club.

Sydney Writers Festival

Every year, Shellharbour City Libraries partners with the Sydney Writers Festival to deliver author panel livestreams and local events as part of the festival’s Live and Local programming. 

Paint the town read

Shellharbour City Libraries leads Paint Shellharbour REaD, which is part of the Paint the Town REaD network. This initiative aims to promote early childhood literacy by connecting local early childhood education stakeholders and providers and collaborating with them to deliver reading events and activities. 

Little Zaks Bee connected

Shellharbour City Libraries partnered with Little Zaks Academy to deliver Bee Connected, an intergenerational program aimed at forming meaningful connections between young people and seniors in the community through songs, games, reading and crafts. 

Frasers Property

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Frasers Property Australia to deliver Toddler Tales, a weekly childhood reading program, at The Waterfront Shell Cove. The libraries have also partnered with Frasers Property Australia to deliver a term of Tech Savvy Seniors at Shell Cove.

Frasers Property

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Frasers Property Australia to deliver Toddler Tales, a weekly childhood reading program, at The Waterfront Shell Cove. The libraries have also partnered with Frasers Property Australia to deliver a term of Tech Savvy Seniors at Shell Cove.

Paint Shellharbour REaD

Shellharbour City Libraries partners with Big Fat Smile to deliver Transition to School programs to prepare pre-schoolers for their move into primary school. Big Fat Smile is also a part of the Paint Shellharbour REaD initiative, which organises events that promote early childhood literacy.