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5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
From memory to money: eight new books to add to your reading list
Jaclyn Crupi. Murdock Books. $34.99. Want to know how to create a garden that attracts Australian wildlife? Jaclyn Crupi has lived it. She converted a tennis court into a netted orchard and vegetable plot, grows flowering plants to attract pollinators and tends to a large garden of natives. Her ideas for the backyard "habitat hero" are practical, cost-effective and sustainable. With charming illustrations by Claire Mosley, plus bird, bee and butterfly photo galleries to help identify your garden's visitors, detailed planting plans for all types of plots and tips from experts like Gardening Australia's Hannah Moloney, this book educates and inspires with down-to-earth advice for creating biodiversity. David Day. HarperCollins. $49.99. Some of Bob Hawke's ashes are in the Melbourne General Cemetery, where a headstone reads: "He loved Australians and they loved him back". And it's true, they did. Hawke was a political phenomenon whose popularity made him Labor's longest-serving prime minister, but he was also an Olympic-level narcissist, a hard drinker and an unapologetic womaniser. Despite these shortcomings, he ran one of the most effective governments of the 20th century. This is a companion to Day's earlier book, Young Hawke. It covers the era from 1979, when Hawke secured preselection for the seat of Wills, until his death in 2019. Ciara Greene & Gillian Murphy. Princeton University Press. $49.99. What is memory? Is it a video of events in chronological order we can rewind and watch, or a computer that allows us to access unchanged recollections at will? It is neither, the psychologists who have written this fascinating book explain as they show that memory is both flexible and fallible, meaning "no two visits to Memory Lane are ever quite the same". Happily, there's a reason why we can remember the capital of France but struggle to recall what we ate last night. The trick is to embrace the imperfections and to remember that forgetting can be important too. Emily Stewart. ABC Books. $34.99. Finance reporter "Sensible Emily" Stewart busts down the budget barriers in this book packed with hints and tips on getting finances into order. Setting achievable financial goals can be daunting, particularly if you're just starting out, and the world of money is only getting more complex. One thing is certain, however. The sooner you begin, the better off you will be. Chapters dedicated to topics such as destroying debt, breaking down bills, buying a home, sorting out super and decoding the sharemarket are interspersed with real-life examples of how everyday Aussies are making the most of their dollars and sense. Tanya Scott. Allen & Unwin. $32.99. Physician Tanya Scott says she has learned more from her patients than from any textbook - not just about physical and mental health, but about "humanity, resilience and the absurdity of life". What she has observed up close of contradictory human behaviour she threads through her debut novel, a tightly coiled crime thriller about Luke Harris, a uni student working as an in-home carer, who is trying to put his dysfunctional upbringing and troubled teenage years behind him. When he's drawn back into the orbit of the Melbourne underworld figure who once ruled his criminal past, how will he fight for his future? A L Booth. Ventura Press. $32.99. When Jack O'Rourke returns from the Western Front, the weary and battle-scarred soldier learns he has been bequeathed Booroomba, a rural property near Eden on the NSW Far South Coast. The old man Jack saved from drowning in Sydney Harbour days before he went off to war has been murdered and left his property to his likable young rescuer. When Jack arrives to claim his inheritance, the locals are suspicious. As he investigates the death of his benefactor, dark and dangerous secrets are revealed. Alison Booth's eighth novel, her first foray into crime, is an evocative and engaging historical whodunnit. Jess McGeachin. Lothlain books. $29.99. In the first of four "Find Me" books, author-illustrator Jess McGeachin leads young readers on a gentle tour of coastlines around the world, exploring the landscapes (from muddy mangroves to rocky shores to sandy dunes) and explaining the fascinating creatures that call these diverse habitats home (from birds and crustaceans to fish and dugongs). Noting the impact that humans and the planet's changing climate are having on these fragile environments, McGeachin's hand-painted watercolours sadly include a discarded plastic bottle. "Take rubbish with you if it's safe," is perhaps this book's most important message for youngsters making their own footprints in the sand. Daniel Silva. HarperCollins. $34.99. Israeli master spy and brilliant artist Gabriel Allon is leading a quiet life in Venice and restoring one of the city's most important paintings when he spots the body of a woman in the lagoon. The trail leads to the Vatican and the mysterious theft of a painting that could be a priceless Leonardo in disguise. Allon's two careers are once again combined and the action moves at typical Silva pace as Allon and his old mate Luigi Donati (also known as the Pope), battle enemies outside and inside the Vatican, including a crooked cardinal who has cooked the books. Jaclyn Crupi. Murdock Books. $34.99. Want to know how to create a garden that attracts Australian wildlife? Jaclyn Crupi has lived it. She converted a tennis court into a netted orchard and vegetable plot, grows flowering plants to attract pollinators and tends to a large garden of natives. Her ideas for the backyard "habitat hero" are practical, cost-effective and sustainable. With charming illustrations by Claire Mosley, plus bird, bee and butterfly photo galleries to help identify your garden's visitors, detailed planting plans for all types of plots and tips from experts like Gardening Australia's Hannah Moloney, this book educates and inspires with down-to-earth advice for creating biodiversity. David Day. HarperCollins. $49.99. Some of Bob Hawke's ashes are in the Melbourne General Cemetery, where a headstone reads: "He loved Australians and they loved him back". And it's true, they did. Hawke was a political phenomenon whose popularity made him Labor's longest-serving prime minister, but he was also an Olympic-level narcissist, a hard drinker and an unapologetic womaniser. Despite these shortcomings, he ran one of the most effective governments of the 20th century. This is a companion to Day's earlier book, Young Hawke. It covers the era from 1979, when Hawke secured preselection for the seat of Wills, until his death in 2019. Ciara Greene & Gillian Murphy. Princeton University Press. $49.99. What is memory? Is it a video of events in chronological order we can rewind and watch, or a computer that allows us to access unchanged recollections at will? It is neither, the psychologists who have written this fascinating book explain as they show that memory is both flexible and fallible, meaning "no two visits to Memory Lane are ever quite the same". Happily, there's a reason why we can remember the capital of France but struggle to recall what we ate last night. The trick is to embrace the imperfections and to remember that forgetting can be important too. Emily Stewart. ABC Books. $34.99. Finance reporter "Sensible Emily" Stewart busts down the budget barriers in this book packed with hints and tips on getting finances into order. Setting achievable financial goals can be daunting, particularly if you're just starting out, and the world of money is only getting more complex. One thing is certain, however. The sooner you begin, the better off you will be. Chapters dedicated to topics such as destroying debt, breaking down bills, buying a home, sorting out super and decoding the sharemarket are interspersed with real-life examples of how everyday Aussies are making the most of their dollars and sense. Tanya Scott. Allen & Unwin. $32.99. Physician Tanya Scott says she has learned more from her patients than from any textbook - not just about physical and mental health, but about "humanity, resilience and the absurdity of life". What she has observed up close of contradictory human behaviour she threads through her debut novel, a tightly coiled crime thriller about Luke Harris, a uni student working as an in-home carer, who is trying to put his dysfunctional upbringing and troubled teenage years behind him. When he's drawn back into the orbit of the Melbourne underworld figure who once ruled his criminal past, how will he fight for his future? A L Booth. Ventura Press. $32.99. When Jack O'Rourke returns from the Western Front, the weary and battle-scarred soldier learns he has been bequeathed Booroomba, a rural property near Eden on the NSW Far South Coast. The old man Jack saved from drowning in Sydney Harbour days before he went off to war has been murdered and left his property to his likable young rescuer. When Jack arrives to claim his inheritance, the locals are suspicious. As he investigates the death of his benefactor, dark and dangerous secrets are revealed. Alison Booth's eighth novel, her first foray into crime, is an evocative and engaging historical whodunnit. Jess McGeachin. Lothlain books. $29.99. In the first of four "Find Me" books, author-illustrator Jess McGeachin leads young readers on a gentle tour of coastlines around the world, exploring the landscapes (from muddy mangroves to rocky shores to sandy dunes) and explaining the fascinating creatures that call these diverse habitats home (from birds and crustaceans to fish and dugongs). Noting the impact that humans and the planet's changing climate are having on these fragile environments, McGeachin's hand-painted watercolours sadly include a discarded plastic bottle. "Take rubbish with you if it's safe," is perhaps this book's most important message for youngsters making their own footprints in the sand. Daniel Silva. HarperCollins. $34.99. Israeli master spy and brilliant artist Gabriel Allon is leading a quiet life in Venice and restoring one of the city's most important paintings when he spots the body of a woman in the lagoon. The trail leads to the Vatican and the mysterious theft of a painting that could be a priceless Leonardo in disguise. Allon's two careers are once again combined and the action moves at typical Silva pace as Allon and his old mate Luigi Donati (also known as the Pope), battle enemies outside and inside the Vatican, including a crooked cardinal who has cooked the books. Jaclyn Crupi. Murdock Books. $34.99. Want to know how to create a garden that attracts Australian wildlife? Jaclyn Crupi has lived it. She converted a tennis court into a netted orchard and vegetable plot, grows flowering plants to attract pollinators and tends to a large garden of natives. Her ideas for the backyard "habitat hero" are practical, cost-effective and sustainable. With charming illustrations by Claire Mosley, plus bird, bee and butterfly photo galleries to help identify your garden's visitors, detailed planting plans for all types of plots and tips from experts like Gardening Australia's Hannah Moloney, this book educates and inspires with down-to-earth advice for creating biodiversity. David Day. HarperCollins. $49.99. Some of Bob Hawke's ashes are in the Melbourne General Cemetery, where a headstone reads: "He loved Australians and they loved him back". And it's true, they did. Hawke was a political phenomenon whose popularity made him Labor's longest-serving prime minister, but he was also an Olympic-level narcissist, a hard drinker and an unapologetic womaniser. Despite these shortcomings, he ran one of the most effective governments of the 20th century. This is a companion to Day's earlier book, Young Hawke. It covers the era from 1979, when Hawke secured preselection for the seat of Wills, until his death in 2019. Ciara Greene & Gillian Murphy. Princeton University Press. $49.99. What is memory? Is it a video of events in chronological order we can rewind and watch, or a computer that allows us to access unchanged recollections at will? It is neither, the psychologists who have written this fascinating book explain as they show that memory is both flexible and fallible, meaning "no two visits to Memory Lane are ever quite the same". Happily, there's a reason why we can remember the capital of France but struggle to recall what we ate last night. The trick is to embrace the imperfections and to remember that forgetting can be important too. Emily Stewart. ABC Books. $34.99. Finance reporter "Sensible Emily" Stewart busts down the budget barriers in this book packed with hints and tips on getting finances into order. Setting achievable financial goals can be daunting, particularly if you're just starting out, and the world of money is only getting more complex. One thing is certain, however. The sooner you begin, the better off you will be. Chapters dedicated to topics such as destroying debt, breaking down bills, buying a home, sorting out super and decoding the sharemarket are interspersed with real-life examples of how everyday Aussies are making the most of their dollars and sense. Tanya Scott. Allen & Unwin. $32.99. Physician Tanya Scott says she has learned more from her patients than from any textbook - not just about physical and mental health, but about "humanity, resilience and the absurdity of life". What she has observed up close of contradictory human behaviour she threads through her debut novel, a tightly coiled crime thriller about Luke Harris, a uni student working as an in-home carer, who is trying to put his dysfunctional upbringing and troubled teenage years behind him. When he's drawn back into the orbit of the Melbourne underworld figure who once ruled his criminal past, how will he fight for his future? A L Booth. Ventura Press. $32.99. When Jack O'Rourke returns from the Western Front, the weary and battle-scarred soldier learns he has been bequeathed Booroomba, a rural property near Eden on the NSW Far South Coast. The old man Jack saved from drowning in Sydney Harbour days before he went off to war has been murdered and left his property to his likable young rescuer. When Jack arrives to claim his inheritance, the locals are suspicious. As he investigates the death of his benefactor, dark and dangerous secrets are revealed. Alison Booth's eighth novel, her first foray into crime, is an evocative and engaging historical whodunnit. Jess McGeachin. Lothlain books. $29.99. In the first of four "Find Me" books, author-illustrator Jess McGeachin leads young readers on a gentle tour of coastlines around the world, exploring the landscapes (from muddy mangroves to rocky shores to sandy dunes) and explaining the fascinating creatures that call these diverse habitats home (from birds and crustaceans to fish and dugongs). Noting the impact that humans and the planet's changing climate are having on these fragile environments, McGeachin's hand-painted watercolours sadly include a discarded plastic bottle. "Take rubbish with you if it's safe," is perhaps this book's most important message for youngsters making their own footprints in the sand. Daniel Silva. HarperCollins. $34.99. Israeli master spy and brilliant artist Gabriel Allon is leading a quiet life in Venice and restoring one of the city's most important paintings when he spots the body of a woman in the lagoon. The trail leads to the Vatican and the mysterious theft of a painting that could be a priceless Leonardo in disguise. Allon's two careers are once again combined and the action moves at typical Silva pace as Allon and his old mate Luigi Donati (also known as the Pope), battle enemies outside and inside the Vatican, including a crooked cardinal who has cooked the books. Jaclyn Crupi. Murdock Books. $34.99. Want to know how to create a garden that attracts Australian wildlife? Jaclyn Crupi has lived it. She converted a tennis court into a netted orchard and vegetable plot, grows flowering plants to attract pollinators and tends to a large garden of natives. Her ideas for the backyard "habitat hero" are practical, cost-effective and sustainable. With charming illustrations by Claire Mosley, plus bird, bee and butterfly photo galleries to help identify your garden's visitors, detailed planting plans for all types of plots and tips from experts like Gardening Australia's Hannah Moloney, this book educates and inspires with down-to-earth advice for creating biodiversity. David Day. HarperCollins. $49.99. Some of Bob Hawke's ashes are in the Melbourne General Cemetery, where a headstone reads: "He loved Australians and they loved him back". And it's true, they did. Hawke was a political phenomenon whose popularity made him Labor's longest-serving prime minister, but he was also an Olympic-level narcissist, a hard drinker and an unapologetic womaniser. Despite these shortcomings, he ran one of the most effective governments of the 20th century. This is a companion to Day's earlier book, Young Hawke. It covers the era from 1979, when Hawke secured preselection for the seat of Wills, until his death in 2019. Ciara Greene & Gillian Murphy. Princeton University Press. $49.99. What is memory? Is it a video of events in chronological order we can rewind and watch, or a computer that allows us to access unchanged recollections at will? It is neither, the psychologists who have written this fascinating book explain as they show that memory is both flexible and fallible, meaning "no two visits to Memory Lane are ever quite the same". Happily, there's a reason why we can remember the capital of France but struggle to recall what we ate last night. The trick is to embrace the imperfections and to remember that forgetting can be important too. Emily Stewart. ABC Books. $34.99. Finance reporter "Sensible Emily" Stewart busts down the budget barriers in this book packed with hints and tips on getting finances into order. Setting achievable financial goals can be daunting, particularly if you're just starting out, and the world of money is only getting more complex. One thing is certain, however. The sooner you begin, the better off you will be. Chapters dedicated to topics such as destroying debt, breaking down bills, buying a home, sorting out super and decoding the sharemarket are interspersed with real-life examples of how everyday Aussies are making the most of their dollars and sense. Tanya Scott. Allen & Unwin. $32.99. Physician Tanya Scott says she has learned more from her patients than from any textbook - not just about physical and mental health, but about "humanity, resilience and the absurdity of life". What she has observed up close of contradictory human behaviour she threads through her debut novel, a tightly coiled crime thriller about Luke Harris, a uni student working as an in-home carer, who is trying to put his dysfunctional upbringing and troubled teenage years behind him. When he's drawn back into the orbit of the Melbourne underworld figure who once ruled his criminal past, how will he fight for his future? A L Booth. Ventura Press. $32.99. When Jack O'Rourke returns from the Western Front, the weary and battle-scarred soldier learns he has been bequeathed Booroomba, a rural property near Eden on the NSW Far South Coast. The old man Jack saved from drowning in Sydney Harbour days before he went off to war has been murdered and left his property to his likable young rescuer. When Jack arrives to claim his inheritance, the locals are suspicious. As he investigates the death of his benefactor, dark and dangerous secrets are revealed. Alison Booth's eighth novel, her first foray into crime, is an evocative and engaging historical whodunnit. Jess McGeachin. Lothlain books. $29.99. In the first of four "Find Me" books, author-illustrator Jess McGeachin leads young readers on a gentle tour of coastlines around the world, exploring the landscapes (from muddy mangroves to rocky shores to sandy dunes) and explaining the fascinating creatures that call these diverse habitats home (from birds and crustaceans to fish and dugongs). Noting the impact that humans and the planet's changing climate are having on these fragile environments, McGeachin's hand-painted watercolours sadly include a discarded plastic bottle. "Take rubbish with you if it's safe," is perhaps this book's most important message for youngsters making their own footprints in the sand. Daniel Silva. HarperCollins. $34.99. Israeli master spy and brilliant artist Gabriel Allon is leading a quiet life in Venice and restoring one of the city's most important paintings when he spots the body of a woman in the lagoon. The trail leads to the Vatican and the mysterious theft of a painting that could be a priceless Leonardo in disguise. Allon's two careers are once again combined and the action moves at typical Silva pace as Allon and his old mate Luigi Donati (also known as the Pope), battle enemies outside and inside the Vatican, including a crooked cardinal who has cooked the books.
ABC News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Five winter jobs to do in the garden
Do you think there's not much to do in the edible garden over winter? I used to feel the same, but I've come to love this quieter season. As growth in my veggie patch slows to a crawl, it's the perfect time to tackle slower, behind-the-scenes jobs that make a big difference come spring. Here are five jobs I'm prioritising this season for my backyard permaculture patch, within the temperate climate zone of Tarntanya/Adelaide. You can check your zone using Gardening Australia's online map, which also provides month-by-month planting guides for your area. Weeds inevitably pop up after winter rains, but instead of waging war on them, I work with them. Many common weeds are nutrient-rich and can be pulled up to feed my compost, or even myself. Stinging nettle, for example, is my favourite winter weed. I love to: I also use strategies to help naturally suppress weeds. I've created natural barriers on garden paths using thick layers of overlapping cardboard (sourced free from local businesses), topped with about 4cm of bark mulch. This blocks sunlight and smothers weeds. In other spots, I grow edible groundcovers such as marjoram, thyme, nasturtiums and warrigal greens for a living mulch barrier. Winter is prime pruning time in my garden. Within my mini food forest, deciduous fruit trees such as an apple, pear, nectarine and cherry drop their leaves, so it's easy to see their structure and give them a good clip-back. Pruning now encourages better fruiting come summer and makes harvesting easier too. It's a great time to try grafting, where you join different plant varieties onto the same rootstock. In my small garden, I'm hoping to add more pear varieties to my existing tree this winter. I also keep an eye out for self-seeded herb, flower or veggie seedlings that pop up in paths or garden beds. Rather than tossing them all in the compost, I'll pot a few up to share with friends and neighbours via my urban honesty stall — a lovely way to spread the winter abundance around. After all that pruning, I have plenty of material to feed my compost system. A quick spin through my small mulcher turns bulky branches into small pieces that break down more quickly. Then, to help build the heap more quickly, I do a bit of urban foraging. I collect spent coffee grounds from a local cafe for nitrogen and gather the last of any fallen autumn leaves from nearby deciduous street trees for carbon. Layered together, the two help keep my compost balanced. As the weather cools, compost can slow down, so I give mine a turn once or twice in winter to keep it active. I use a spiral compost turner rather than a shovel — it's quicker and easier on my back. All this helps ensure plentiful homemade compost to use when spring planting rolls around. The cooler months are ideal for recharging soil, ready for the big warm-season harvests ahead. I refresh the no-dig layers in my veggie beds with alternating additions of carbon and nitrogen, such as compost, straw, activated biochar, manure and organic fertiliser. From mid-winter onwards, I start thinking about warm-weather plantings and start seeds indoors to get a jump on spring planting, especially heat-loving plants such as tomatoes and capsicums. I don't have any fancy seed-raising gear, so I start seeds in pots indoors where it's warmer. Once they sprout, I shift them to a sunny north-facing kitchen windowsill. After a few weeks, once they've formed their true leaves, I move the pots outside daily to help them adjust — a process called "hardening off". The slower pace of winter gardening offers a chance to step back and consider what worked, what didn't and what might need tweaking for next season — a great way to practically apply the permaculture principle "apply self-regulation and accept feedback". I pay particular attention to anything I grew but didn't eat much of, or any giant harvests that overwhelmed me, meaning food went to waste. This helps me understand what I should plant less of or simply stop growing. Continually tweaking my plant list to prioritise food I actually like helps me to eat from my garden more consistently. By focusing on these simple winter jobs, I set myself up for a garden that gradually grows healthier and more abundant next season. Koren Helbig is a sustainable city living educator who practices permaculture and grows organic food in the backyard of her small urban Tarntanya (Adelaide) home.
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Gardening Australia: S36 Episode 18 Winter: Escape to the Tropics & Native Colour
Gardening Australia NEW EPISODE Lifestyle Feel-Good Inspiring Watch Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger Inspiring, entertaining and full of practical advice, join Costa Georgiadis and the team as they unearth gardening ideas, meet avid gardeners and look at some of the most inspiring gardens from across the country.
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Gardening Australia: S36 Episode 16 Winter: Melbourne Flower & Garden Show Special
Gardening Australia NEW EPISODE Lifestyle Feel-Good Inspiring Watch Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger Inspiring, entertaining and full of practical advice, join Costa Georgiadis and the team as they unearth gardening ideas, meet avid gardeners and look at some of the most inspiring gardens from across the country.
ABC News
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- ABC News
Gardening Australia: Trailer
Gardening Australia Lifestyle Feel-Good Inspiring Watch Trailer Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger Inspiring, entertaining and full of practical advice, join Costa Georgiadis and the team as they unearth gardening ideas, meet avid gardeners and look at some of the most inspiring gardens from across the country.
