First Tuesday Book Club November 2025, with guest authors!

We hope you'll be there for our First Tuesday Book Club meeting for OCTOBER 2025

Tickets are $40 each and include entry, a welcome drink, and a selection of canapes served prior to the presentation. Plus, a FREE reading copy from our free book selection, as donated to us by our lovely publishers.

Part lament, part love letter, part practical no-nonsense guide, from the author of Afternoons in Ithaka and My Ikaria.

How a mother's wisdom and grace helped one family come to terms with her dementia.

In this compelling tribute to her mother, Spiri shares these gifts, along with some practical no-nonsense 'golden nuggets' on dealing with the challenges of diagnosis, living with dementia and coping with grief. Twelve Golden Gifts is a must-read for those looking after a declining loved one and for anyone who is moved by a beautiful - and funny - love story.

From beauty pageants to experiences of war, TELLING TIMES charts the lives of women and girls in the context of crucial events and political movements that have shaped the modern western world. Its ethical lens is trained on subjects as varied as education, migrant experience, domestic violence, the movie Titanic and the effects of contemporary technology. Acutely observed, and with a keen sense of social justice, TELLING TIMES takes readers from the 1950s into the new millennium, where the plight of asylum seekers and awareness of climate change begin to shape a sense of our future.

Carmel Macdonald Grahame’s short fiction, poetry, critical essays and reviews have appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Australia and Canada, including The Newcastle Poetry Prize Anthology, Westerly, Grieve, Quadrant and Liquid Amber Press anthologies. Her novel Personal Effects was published in 2014 by UWAP. Earlier versions won the Brenda Strathern and the Ellen Gudrun Kastan Awards. Other prizes and awards include the Katharine Susannah Prichard Foundation Award for short fiction, the Melbourne Poets Union Prize and the Patricia Hackett Prize for poetry. In 2022, Carmel was a judge for the ALS Gold Medal. She has edited volumes of poetry for the Melbourne Poets Union and other local poetry publications and was a presenter at the 2024 Australian Short Story Festival. In 2023, she published Angles (2023), a poetry collaboration with Karen Throssell.

Written with insight, compassion and humour, Anxious Hearts is a heart-filled exploration of love, mental health and the impossible standards we set for ourselves in an ever more demanding world.

If crushing anxiety and an all-consuming drive to succeed rule your life, can there still be room for love?

Guy Sigley is an author and occasional podcaster who lives in Melbourne with his wife and three children.

The North Pole has a secret
to each Christmas Eve's success.
She's strong and smart and magic ...
and she wears a bright red dress!

We all know about Santa Claus, but behind this jolly man is one VERY special woman. Deck the halls and be merry and bright for ... Mrs Claus!

Renee Price is a book lover extraordinaire. She loves books - all sizes, all types - and spends her days thinking about books, reading books, writing books and (sometimes/often) wishing she lived in a book. Through her business 'Read by Renee', her days are filled working as a storyteller, book reviewer, running book themed workshops and creating book themed instillations. Renee lives in sunny Ballarat and if you see her in the street, she will probably be whimsically wishing she was living in the magic faraway tree whilst wrangling children, life duties and a coffee. And maybe two dogs. One of Renee's favourite roles to play each year is 'Mrs Claus' and she is absolutely delighted to bring the story of Mrs Claus to life with her first picture book.

Alternating between 1961 and 1973, The Hollow Girl is the stunning new literary suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Silent Listener.

'The Hollow Girl is a haunting mystery, observed with moral clarity and a scalpel-sharp pen. Once again, Yeowart imbues a gripping crime narrative with literary sensibility, and the result is one of the best crime novels I've read in years.' JP POMARE, author of The Wrong Woman

Lyn Yeowart is a consulting writer and editor who lives on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. Her debut novel, The Silent Listener, won the 2022 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction, was a finalist in the UK People's Book Prize, and was shortlisted for three other national awards in Australia.

A raw account of remote area policing.

Backup is Three Hours Away is a genuine portrayal of policing, from the unpredictable and humorous moments, to heart-wrenching tragedy. Trigger's narrative transcends the typical law enforcement tale, revealing indomitable human spirit and resilience – a powerful and inspirational testament to the highs and lows of a career dedicated to service.

Tregellas delves into encounters with peril, unexpected twists, and heartbreaking moments, shedding light on the motivations that drive officers to willingly confront the unknown. Despite the physical and mental toll, his story is one of triumph, showcasing a resilient mindset honed through exhaustive training and the overcoming of life's challenges, including a brush with cancer.

True Stories of Love, Fate, and the Magic of Matchmaking

Brimming with humour, heart, and surprising wisdom, ‘Perfectly Matched’ offers real stories that will make you laugh, reflect, and maybe even rethink your approach to love.

‘Rachel Jayne masterfully draws out heartfelt honesty and intimate details, making these love stories an absolute delight.’

Dymocks Tooronga

• Email: dG9vcm9uZ2EgfCBkeW1vY2tzICEgY29tICEgYXU=
• Phone: (03) 9045 9845

There will be no door sales, so please secure your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Book with confidence, knowing that a full refund will be provided if we need to postpone or cancel the event for any reason. (Unless the event is cancelled, refund requests are only available until 24 hours before the event. Tickets are not transferable to later dates.)

Sign-in will start 6.15pm, for everyone to be seated by 7pm for the author presentations to start.

We look forward to seeing you at the Rivoli Cinemas.

Also check out other Arts events in Hawthorn, Literary Art events in Hawthorn, Festivals in Hawthorn.