Daniel Seaton. La Trobe University Press. $36.
Historian and Commonwealth War Graves Commission researcher Daniel Seaton examines how six key World War II correspondents helped shape Australia's collective memory of the conflict. Rather than viewing the likes of poet Kenneth Slessor, novelist George Johnston and journalist Chester Wilmot in isolation, Seaton analyses them as an interconnected network bound by shared ambition and the Anzac legend. Heavily influenced by Australia's official World War I correspondent Charles Bean, these men - alongside frontline creators Damien Parer, George Silk and Osmar White - brought real, dangerous battlefield experiences to the public. Seaton highlights their lasting national legacy, mirroring the spirit behind the War Correspondents Memorial at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Vanessa Fuchs. Pantera Press. $36.99.
With a background in environmental science and journalism, Vanessa Fuchs has turned her Branch Out podcast for the Botanic Gardens of Sydney into this book exploring the surprising complexity of the plant kingdom. Striving to combat "plant blindness" - the tendency many of us have to view flora merely as a passive backdrop - her book blends history, science and even true crime to highlight their ecological significance. There are some bizarre stories too, including ant-zombifying fungi and pollen that has helped solve murder cases. It's a fascinating showcase of plants as the planet's dynamic problem-solvers, feeding human innovations, sustaining global ecosystems and shaping the future of our survival.
Dr Norman Swan. Hachette. $34.99.
ABC health correspondent Dr Norman Swan has synthesised the growing body of neuroscience research for this guide for keeping your brain functioning more effectively as you get older. While cognitive decline and brain ageing are a source of anxiety for many, they are preventable rather than inevitable, Swan argues. And actively building brain resilience involves more than diet, exercise and genetics. He profiles global "cognitive super-agers" in their 90s and 100s who maintain extraordinary mental sharpness. Aiming to transform how adults navigate their later decades, Swan offers practical insights on topics like retirement timing - useful for those in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
Noel Crombie & Michael Dwyer. Allen & Unwin. $59.99.
Co-authored by band member Noel Crombie and veteran music journalist Michael Dwyer, this book documents the distinctive pop-rock group that reshaped Australasian music. Originating from 1970s New Zealand art school culture, Split Enz rejected conventional rock iconography for surreal theatre. Crombie - the group's percussionist, spoon soloist and visual architect - designed their iconic angular suits, hand-painted faces and geometric album covers. Dwyer draws on 40 years of music journalism to compile rare photographs, costume designs, memorabilia and interviews spanning every era. The book details the Split Enz journey from cult status to global success with their 1980 album True Colours, providing an insider look at their uncompromising visual and musical legacy.
Bridie Jabour. HarperCollins. $34.99.
Bridie Jabour tells a sharp and wryly funny story about bad mothers, problematic families, forgiveness and growing up. Crimson's life has been shaped by her magnetic, clever, self-absorbed mother. When she was nine, Crimson's mother Villy fell in love, leaving her marriage and children behind. Now, Crimson is about to turn 29 and is single-parenting her three-year-old son when Villy inconveniently and dramatically declares she is dying - and she does. Crimson and her brother Marty are tasked with fulfilling her last wish: escorting their mother's body back to England. But they are unprepared for the melodramatic and eccentric family that awaits them.
Joshua Hortinela. Atria Books. $24.99.
Once a hopeless romantic who believed in the power of the rom-com, Carlos Reyes is now having a quarter-life crisis. When the journalist is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - touring with a blockbuster author to write the tell-all piece her fans have been dying for - Carlos wants to jump at the chance. But the author's publicist just so happens to be Elliot Simpson - arrogant, insufferable and the man who broke his heart. If Carlos takes the job, he'll be stuck with Elliot for weeks. Debut author Joshua Hortinela explores yearning and second-chance romance set against the backdrops of Sydney, Dublin, Edinburgh and London.
Sally Rippin. Pan Australia. $18.99.
This sprightly supernatural adventure for readers aged eight and up follows 10-year-old Lottie Baker, her distractible father Bill and her dog Pog as they meet Martha May Claringbold, a runaway ghost who moves into Lottie's room. Martha tries reuniting Lottie with her estranged mother, creating chaos when Bill introduces a new girlfriend. Former Australian Children's Laureate Sally Rippin, who has authored more than 100 books for children, crafts a heartfelt story about blended families. Rippin incorporates neurodivergent representation and reading challenges, creating an engaging story that balances ghostly fun with empathetic guidance for children navigating complex family dynamics and new parental figures.
Garth Nix. Allen & Unwin. $34.99.
Fantasy author Garth Nix delivers his first science-fiction novel for adults. It's an epic, worldbuilding saga set three centuries into the future. Amid a war between Earth and Mars, humanity relies on strange, sentient mountain ranges called Massifs to colonise space. The plot follows Parnell Shi-Sawahla and the renegade crew of the spaceship Sassafras as they break protocol to investigate the true motives of these godlike alien entities. Nix draws on five years he spent in the Australian Army Reserve to help craft realistic military dynamics. The 24th-century narrative blends high-stakes space adventure with intriguing interstellar mystery.
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