A library technician by day and considered a master of dark, atmospheric fantasy in her writing, Alicia Jasinska is the author of the enchanting dark fairy tale, The Dark Tide.Join Alicia as she discusses her new novel The Midnight Girls – her standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other. In partnership with Sydney Writer's Festival 2022.

What makes a book a classic? The fact that it is beloved? That it has stood the test of time? That it is of a quality that makes it stand out? Like fairytales and folk tales before them, children’s classics are usually a mix of all of these things. Join Nisa and Antonia as they talk about some established and modern classics for children:      Chronicles of Narnia: the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. (Originally published) Geoffrey Bles, 1950. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. (Originally published) Reynal & Hitchcock, 1943 Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume. (Originally published) Bradbury Press, 1970 Hitler’s daughter by Jackie French. HarperCollins Publishers, 1999

Spanning the last years of primary and all the way up to early adulthood, young adult fiction has an appeal that knows few bounds. Back by popular demand, this is the third in our series of YA book chats. Join Nisa and Antonia as they discuss the following titles:   Listen Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Penguin Books, 2021   Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. Allen & Unwin, 2018   Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. Walker Books, 2021   The Selection by Kiera Cass. Harper Collins, 2012

Thrillers and crime fiction are genres of writing that fascinate the reader through the depiction of danger, of darkness, of suspense and anxiety that surrounds the criminal or crime-related events described in the story.   Join Nisa and Bryony as they discuss some books that fall neatly and not-so-neatly within the overlapping boundaries of these genres:   The Herd by Andrea Bartz, Ballantine Books, 2020   Keeper by Jessica More, Penguin, 2020   Your House Will Pay by Step Cha, Faber & Faber, 2019   The Animals of Lockwood Manor, Mantle, 2020

Fantasy Fiction Sitting under the umbrella of ‘speculative’ fiction, Fantasy Fiction pulls the reader into a universe made up of complex relationships, of magical beings, of fascinating creatures and of supernatural elements that are often based on or influenced by existing myths and mythology. Join Nisa and Rachel as they discussed two novels and two novellas in the genre:   The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart. Orbit, 2020 The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood. Tor, 2020 The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Tor, 2020 Order of the Pure Moon Reflected by Water by Zen Cho. Tor, 2020

YA books can be about love, loss, transitions, first experiences, school, future aspirations… anything experienced by young people. What makes YA literature unique is that the perspective is a teenage one. Back with more YA in 2021, join Nisa and Antonia for the first set of books they’d like to highlight:   On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Walker Books, 2019 A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Electric Monkey, 2019 Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. Hot Key Books, 2020 Welcome to the New World: Waking Up in Trump’s America by Jake Halpern and (illustrated by) Michael Sloan. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.   Craving some more YA chat? Checkout our other YA podcast here!

One of the greats of espionage fiction – John le Carre – passed away at the end of 2020. Join Nisa and Sandra as they take a quick tour through some of his books and focus on two titles in particular:     Our Kind of Traitor - John le Carre. Viking, 2010   The Night Manager - John le Carre. Hodder and Stoughton, 1993

One of the most popular fiction genres, mysteries take the reader on a journey that involves trying to solve a puzzle, finding clues, engaging in logical deduction, considering (and discarding) red herrings… the who, why and how of a crime that must be solved, an event that must be explained.   Join Nisa and Crystal as they discuss a mix of classics and new books in the genre: Death in the East - Abir Mukherjee. Penguin Random House, 2019 The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman. Viking Press, 2020 Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie. Collins Crime Club, 1934 and Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie and François Rivière. Harper, 2007 A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle. Beeton’s Christmas Annual Magazine, 1887

Horror Fiction seeks to thrill, to terrorise, to tap into the dark side of humanity. Sitting under the umbrella of ‘speculative’ fiction, Horror Fiction combines and contrasts the known with the unknown to induce a feeling of dread in the reader. Join Nisa and Rachel as they discuss a mix of classics and new books in the genre: Bird Box / Josh Malerman. Harper Voyager, 2014 and Malorie: a Bird box novel / Josh Malerman. Orion Fiction, 2020   The Southern Book Club's guide to slaying vampires / Grady Hendrix. Quirk Books, 2020   Carrie / Stephen King. New English Library, 1974   Frankenstein / Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones, 1818

Yan’s Recommended Reads! Are you wondering what to read next? Well, maybe this episode will give you some ideas. Happy Listening! Books mentioned in this podcast include: Death in Daylesford, a new Phryne Fisher mystery by Kerry Greenwood Earthly Delights Series by Kerry Greenwood What is life? Understanding Biology in Five Steps by Paul Nurse Phosphorescence: On Qwe, Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark by Julia Baird Neuroscience of Mindfulness: the Astonishing Science Behind How Everyday Hobbies Help You Relax by Stan Rodski -  The eAudiobook  & eBook editions of Neuroscience of Mindfulness is available to download from our BorrowBox Library