Recommended by Ross Tarlinton.

The apparent serenity of parish life in Pendeen and Morvah is disturbed when 20-year-old Lenny Barnes takes his own life in the presence of Father Barnaby Thomas, the charismatic, indefatigable local priest, whose enduring service has made him a popular member of his Cornish community.

Though Lenny′s death is publicly mourned, the tragedy continues to wound those closest to him, and its reverberations seem to threaten a fissure between the Parish and its inhabitants. And yet Lenny′s death is simply Pendeen and Morvah′s most visible misfortune: beneath the surface of the parish newsletter, in the life of Barnaby′s wife Dorothy, in that of his son Jim, in that of their neighbours Modest Carlsson and Nuala Barnes, and in particular in the life of Father Barnaby himself, lies vast, inarticulate sadness.

In what is more an echo-chamber than a sequel, Patrick Gale returns us to the landscape of ′Notes from an Exhibition′, unfurling the complex web of a Cornish community with an empathy that touches clairvoyance and a sure eye for significant mundanity. ′Good People′ is the faithful register of a community′s fortunes, its gentle malignance, and one priest′s struggle to live virtuously.

Available in BLRC: F GAL

The papacy is the greatest and longest-lasting institution in the history of the West. In Upon This Rock, Paul Collins describes the evolution of the office of the papacy over the past two millennia, from St. Peter to Pope John Paul II. Other recent histories of the papacy treat it as a political or social phenomenon. Upon This Rock, on the other hand, examines the links between the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, the interpretations of his teachings by the Apostles, and the changes and developments in the nature and understanding of the papal office under successive bishops of Rome. The role and powers of the holders of the papal office have been redefined many times over the centuries. Paul Collins discusses in detail the attitudes, influences and teachings of each of the Popes and sets them in a historical and cultural context, offering an illuminating account of developments and changes in Catholic teaching, theology and liturgy.

Available in BLRC: NF 262 COL

In November 2010, Ross Garnaut was commissioned by the Australian Government to provide an independent update to his 2008 Climate Change Review. Professor Garnaut’s book, The Garnaut Review 2011: Australia in the Global Response to Climate Change, is the final report of the update.

Available in BLRC: NF 363.73874 GAR

This year has seen unprecedented scrutiny of Rupert Murdoch’s empire in Britain. But what about in Australia, where he owns 70 per cent of the press? In Bad News, Robert Manne investigates Murdoch’s lead political voice here, the Australian newspaper, and how it shapes debate.

Since 2002, under the editorship of Chris Mitchell, the Australian has come to see itself as judge, jury and would-be executioner of leaders and policies. Is this a dangerous case of power without responsibility? In a series of devastating case studies, Manne examines the paper’s campaigns against the Rudd government and more recently the Greens, its climate change coverage and its ruthless pursuit of its enemies and critics. Manne also considers the standards of the paper and its influence more generally. This brilliant essay is part deep analysis and part vivid portrait of what happens when a newspaper goes rogue.

Available in BLRC: NF 070.4 MAN

For the first time in history, humans sit unchallenged at the top of the food chain. As we encroach on the wild and a vast wave of extinctions gathers force, how has our relationship with animals changed?

In this dazzling essay, Anna Krien investigates the world we have made and the complexity of the choices we face. From pets to the live cattle trade, from apex predators to scientific experiments, Krien shows how we should – and do – treat our fellow creatures. As she delves deeper, she finds that animals can trigger primal emotions in us, which we are often unwilling to acknowledge. This is a clear-eyed meditation on humanity and animality, us and them, that brings out the importance of animals in an unforgettable way.

Shortlisted for the 2012 John Button Prize.

Available in BLRC: 179.3 KRI