I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
Giulia Melucci (Macmillan, $34.99)
Book publicist and foodie Giulia Melucci has never had much luck with men until she captures the heart of Kit - a nice guy, who also turns out to be an alcoholic in denial. For the next 10 years, Melucci charts her romantic ups and downs - from the gorgeous but indifferent Ethan to over-the-hill hipster, Marcus, and Scottish writer/drifter Lachlan - in this charming memoir. Throughout it all, she shares her intriguingly titled recipes, like "Risotto With Intricately Layered Hearts", proving that when it comes to dating, if you can't have passion - you can always rely on pasta!

The Children's Book
A.S. Byatt (Chatto & Windus, $34.95)
The latest offering from the Booker Prize-winning author is a fairytale saga that opens in pre-WWI Britain. The story - complex, yet ultimately rewarding - blends realism and fantasy, and revolves around bohemian writer Olive Wellwood and her family. A fascinating insight into turn-of-the-century England and one of Byatt's best to date.

Breathing In Colour
Clare Jay (Piatkus, $22.99)
Dreamy backpacker Mia, 18, is "finding herself" in India when she suddenly disappears. Distraught, her mother, Alida, 37, dedicates herself to trying to find her. Meanwhile, the fact that Mia has synaesthesia, a condition causing sound to be tasted or a texture to be perceived as a colour, adds an intriguing and imaginative layer to this emotionally gripping novel.

The Selected Works Of T.S. Spivet
Reif Larsen (Harvill/Secker, $34.95)
T.S. Spivet isn't your average literary hero - and this is no ordinary book. When Spivet's insect illustrations are recognised by experts at a museum (who don't realise he's 12) and he is asked to speak there, Spivet embarks on a solo road trip. This book is as whimsical as the plot, with lots of diagrams, maps and notes.