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Talk Your Way Out Of Trouble
As a criminal defence lawyer, Jahan Kalantar has helped people in their most desperate hour, from hardened jailbirds to accidental offenders, disadvantaged delinquents to undeserving scapegoats.
Along the way, Jahan has learned that it's not always the smartest person in the room who wins the day. There are other, more important skills: like being able to ask for help, stick to your values, listen without judgement, know when to be sceptical, and apologise like you mean it.
In Talk Your Way Out of Trouble, Jahan shares his insights through laugh-out-loud funny stories of his own triumphs and blunders, as well as those of his clients. Full of humour and heart, this is an insider's look at how the law really works - and why its lessons are vital for everyone, in and out of the courtroom.

Hear Me Roar
Despite what Erna's colleagues seemed to think, the females of the animal world were far from weak and demure. Elephant matriarchs led their herds; female bonobos revelled in sexual exploration; emu mothers abandoned their chicks to the care of their fathers. Her colleagues wouldn't dare tell a female tiger that hunting was a 'male's job' - why were they so intent on limiting Erna?
In this insightful and delightful book, Erna blends memoir and pop science to tell a fiercely female story. She recounts a life spent caring for animals in a fast transforming industry, and dives into scientific evidence and evolutionary history to debunk the myths that once held her back.

There Must Be More
In 2021, Kellie Finlayson, with a three-month-old daughter, found herself staring down the barrel of a terminal diagnosis: Stage 4 bowel cancer. She was 25.
Incredibly, Kellie is still fighting several years on, and not only for her life. She was horrified to discover that this disease is Australia's second-highest cancer killer and-shockingly-the highest for 25- to 45-year-olds. Hardwired to help people, Kellie boldly determined to change those statistics. Since then, she has become a defier of odds and a passionate advocate for broader health awareness.
While being the Number 1 supporter of her husband, AFL player Jeremy Finlayson, and of their daughter, Sophia, Kellie has also become an ambassador of the Jodi Lee Foundation and face of the 'Trust Your Gut' campaign, a co-host of the Sh!t Talkers podcast and now an author, courageously unveiling her story. She is on a mission.
There Must be More is a book about being dealt a devasting blow, being knocked down and yet getting back up again. This is Kellie's searingly honest, endearingly vulnerable, sometimes cheeky and always hopeful story of love and struggle from the frontlines of her fight for life.
Filled with revelations for those who haven't been touched by the illness and compassion for those who have, this book is the life-affirming gift of hope that everybody needs.

Always Home, Always Homesick
In a land of ethereal beauty, within a culture soaked in myth, a young woman discovers the story that will change her life.
In 2003, seventeen-year-old Australian exchange student Hannah Kent arrives at Keflavík Airport in the middle of the Icelandic winter.
That night she sleeps off her jet lag and bewilderment in the National Archives of Iceland, unaware that, years later, she will return to the same building to write Burial Rites, the haunting story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman executed in Iceland. The novel will go on to launch the author's stellar literary career and capture the hearts of readers across the globe.
Always Home, Always Homesick is Hannah Kent's exquisite love letter to a land that has forged a nation of storytellers, her ode to the transcendent power of creativity, and her invitation to us all to join her in the realms of mystery, spirit and wonder.

Meadow’s Law
In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of smothering her four young children to death, one by one. Medical experts told her trial that they had never come across a family like hers, where three or more infants had died from natural causes. Extracts from diaries she had written were judged to be virtual admissions of guilt, and Folbigg was sentenced to 40 years in jail. But did she do it?
This is a gripping and meticulously researched account of one of Australia's most infamous criminal cases, written by investigative journalist Quentin McDermott, whose groundbreaking work with ABC's Australian Story helped trigger a push by scientists to uncover the genetic cause of two of the children's deaths. It is also the story of how dedicated teams of lawyers, friends and supporters fought to achieve Kathleen Folbigg's eventual pardon, release and acquittal after 20 years behind bars.

The Anxious Generation
A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood - and all human relationships - from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author
Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces - communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around the world.
In The Anxious Generation, Haidt shows how, between 2010 and 2015, childhood and adolescence got rewired. As teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, time online soared, including time spent comparing oneself to a vast pool of others. Time engaging face-to-face with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health.
But this is not just a story about technology; this profound shift took place against a backdrop of declining childhood freedom and free-play, as parents over-supervised every aspect of their children's lives offline, depriving them of the experiences they most need to become strong and self-governing adults.
In this book, Haidt makes a compelling argument that the loss of play-based childhood and its replacement with a phone-based childhood that is not suitable for human development is the source of increased mental distress among teenagers. The Anxious Generation delves into the latest psychological and biological research to show the four fundamental ways in which a phone-based childhood disrupts development - sleep deprivation, social deprivation, cognitive fragmentation and addiction. Haidt offers separate in-depth analyses of what has happened to girls, and what has happened to boys, offering practical advice for parents, schools, governments, and teens themselves. Drawing on ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research, this eye-opening book is a life raft and a powerful call-to-arms.

Easy Air Fryer
Air fryers save you time and money. Now discover just how delicious air frying can really be, with Jamie . . .
Whether you're new to air frying or an expert, Jamie Oliver's here to help you take your gadget to the next level - enter Easy Air Fryer.
The result of months of experimentation, this is the first book to show you just how delicious and versatile air frying can be. Whether prepping ahead or cooking to order, Jamie will have you making meals people won't believe were created in the air fryer.
Chapters include Quick Fixes, New Classics, Big Up the Veg, Super Salads, A Little Bit Fancy, Cute Canapes, Get Your Bake On and Proper Puds.
Full of hacks, inspiration and new ideas, Jamie's Easy Air Fryer will have you cooking easy, tasty, nutritious food time and again.

Great Coastal Walks Australia
Great Coastal Walks Australia showcases the best coastal tracks in each state to explore on foot. It features a range of unique locations to take in Australia's most spectacular coastal scenery, from Sydney's iconic beaches to remote wilderness destinations. Journey with Australia's best bushwalking writers as they explore Victoria's Shipwreck Coast, the Whitsundays, South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, Tasmania's Bay of Fires and the iconic Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia. Selected by Great Walks Australia magazine's editor Brent McKean, for each walk there are tips for exploring the standout spots, their history and must-see features. The stunning colour images will inspire you to start planning your next trek.






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New Library System is here!
Exciting news… our new Innovative Library System has arrived at Shellharbour City Libraries and there’s lots to celebrate!

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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!
Recommended by
Annie
Library Assistant
True Crime is not my usual genre of reading, however this story captured me when it was aired on the news back in 2020.
Russell Hill and Carol Clay both aged in their 70’s had an altercation while camping in the Victorian High Country and lost their lives.
A step by step description of the police investigation and eventually the arrest and prosecution of the Jetstar Pilot, Greg Lynn.
This is a must read if you are into Australian True crime stories and love to see how the police worked from start to finish of a case.
A great read and gripping from start to finish.
Recommended by
Michael
Team Leader Library Resources
As a 90’s pop music superfan, I found it fascinating to read about the former S Club 7 stars personal struggles behind the spotlight. Facing the Music is Hannah’s raw and inspiring journey to fame, filled with heartbreak and eventually finding her voice again.
It’s very honest, emotional and empowering – this is a story you didn’t know you needed.
Recommended by
Rebecca
Branch Supervisor
A Language of Limbs- Dylin Hardcastle One of Australia’s up and coming new authors, Dylin Hardcastle, writes beautifully poetically in A Language of Limbs. Despite centring around some harrowing occurrences (xenophobia and the AIDS crisis), it is so full of love and light and life. This is a book for those who feel things deeply, for those who don’t fit the mould, and those who love life and community.
A Language of Limbs explores two parallel stories (“limbs”) as they try to navigate the tumult that is the late teens/ early twenties in 1980’s Sydney. This expansive book feels like a hot Sydney day and is a great one to add to your TBR list. Added bonus- the audio book is excellent and available on Borrow Box!
Must reads
'A Study in Drowning' by Ava Reid
Recommended by
Sienna
Programs Officer
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid follows Effy Sayre, an architecture student who is selected to redesign the home of her favourite writer after his death. Leaving the comfort of a prestigious university, she travels to Saltney, a town on the verge of collapsing into the ocean below, and full of superstitious townsfolk who fear the night and the sea despite their reliance on both.
As Effy and her academic rival, Preston, begin delving deeper into the house and the life of Emrys Myrddin, she realises Hiraeth Manor isn’t what she expected.
A Study in Drowning is haunting, with themes of gothic fiction, mystery, and dark fairy tale elements, it’s the perfect Winter read.
This book is a combination of Donna Tartt’s ‘The Secret History’, Neil Gaiman’s ‘Coraline’ and Maggie Stiefvater’s ‘The Raven Cycle.’
I recommend pairing it with Madame Grey tea and a slice of hummingbird cake.
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