BOOK CLUB HAPPY AND OTHER RIDICULOUS ASPIRATIONS

WHAT’S HOT ON THE SHELVES RIGHT NOW

THE MYSTERY WOMAN BELINDA ALEXANDRA HARPERCOLLINS, RRP $33

Well-dressed Rebecca Wood steps off a train from Sydney to start afresh as postmistress in remote Shipwreck Bay. It’s 1950s Australia and small-town gossips are rife in speculating why glamorous and single Rebecca has left the big city for the smelly confines of a whaling town. And they are right to some degree, because there is a secret scandal she is trying to keep under wraps. But as bold Rebecca does her best to stay out of the limelight, she attracts the attention of some needy, nice, nasty and downright evil characters. What ensues is a fast, personal and intriguing tale of shocks, doubts, trust and mysterious deaths. It might be a backwater, but Shipwreck Bay has plenty happening, especially behind closed doors. Some readers may find a hint of The Dressmaker in glam and feisty Rebecca’s arrival in a 1950s small town, but this novel certainly takes a more sinister path.

CARINA BRUCE

VERDICT: Ideal holiday reading

Turia Pitt PENGUIN/RANDOM HOUSE, $35

You don’t have to be a fan of so-called “selfhelp books’’ to be a fan of the way NSW author Turia Pitt handles her life. Critically injured in a bushfire while running an ultra-marathon in 2011, Pitt survived, thrived, and has gone on to build a career as a motivational speaker, author and philanthropist – and an inspiration to millions. In her latest book, Pitt gives tips and tools for living our best life. Whether it’s in relationships, business or sport achievement, she spells out ways to set goals, and achieve them. Pitt isn’t a professional, and doesn’t claim to be one. This book is her take on how to be happy, and she relies on other people’s studies and research to back up the things she’s found work in her life. Written in cheerful, accessible language, aimed at digital natives, this book reminds us we don’t have to be perfect.

ELLEN WHINNETT VERDICT: Inspirational

THE ANARCHY William Dalrymple, BLOOMSBURY, RRP, $22.99

This is in no way a spoiler, but the final line of this book, subtitled The Relentless Rise of the East India Company, reads: “Four Hundred and twenty years after its founding, the story of the East India Company has never been more current.” That is because this book tracks the amazing measures this multi-national company, founded in London under the reign of Elizabeth I, went to in order to ensure huge profits, no matter the consequences for the countries they traded with. This included having its own standing army and navy and the complete lack of conscience in using its huge fighting force to impose its will. In this book, the noted historian William Dalrymple has built on his previous books about India to tell a story of a greed — with the backing of successive British governments — that astounds. It is a relevant cautionary tale, even though modern corporations are more likely to hire armies of lawyers rather than soldiers and sailors.

BARRY REYNOLDS VERDICT: Trading in excess

EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT BENJAMIN STEVENSON PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, RRP $33

Can suicide be a murder weapon? It’s a great hook and one that will have you turning pages until the very end of this suspense novel by Sydney author and comedian Ben Stevenson. But there is also a grab bag of other themes woven throughout this thriller including the relationship between twins (Stevenson is a twin), euthanasia, bullying, cyber abuse, grief and bulimia. The story is set within the cutthroat world of prime-time television but the glitz and glamour quickly fade to reveal a dark underside as we follow the aftermath of a very public suicide. Investigator and blogger Jack Quick, who Stevenson introduced in his debut novel, Greenlight, has a sharp and cutting sense of humour which the author dollops out in perfect measure. The tension is immediate from page one and builds along two compelling storylines; the death of the TV star and the refusal by his twin brother to accept it and the relationship between Quick and his own terminally ill brother.

KARINA KILMORE

VERDICT: Multi-layered thriller