Great reads for the long weekend

Short stories by Margaret Atwood, a thriller from a Booker Prize winner, and an interrogation of our cultural obsession with true crime are among our favourite new books.

In this month's edition of the ABC Book Club, journey with some of Australia's favourite contemporary authors through the storms, sunshine and everything in between.

Being single means disadvantages when it comes to mortgages, superannuation, home ownership, retirement and more. Donna Ward calls it the 'singlehood penalty'.

A landmark book makes the case for why the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a profoundly spiritual document. Contributor Stan Grant explains why.

Many would like to believe they could spot a scam a mile away, but none of us are immune to scammers' psychological tricks – not even psychologists.

Filmed in lutruwita/Tasmania, Country is as much of a protagonist of Alone Australia as the competitors themselves. And not everyone is working to conquer her.

The promise of nuclear fusion is clean, limitless energy for all. But why do start-up entrepreneurs think they can solve a problem that's perplexed scientists for decades?

It's time to rethink the spices in your pantry. The long trade in clove and nutmeg led to colonisation, but long before the Europeans arrived, it helped define the language, culture, religion and geography of Indonesia.

Remember carp herpes? It was meant to rid our waterways of the "disgusting, mud-sucking creatures". So what happened?

Many Short & Curly listeners tell us they secretly swear behind their parents' backs. So what's wrong with swearing anyway? Aren't they just harmless words?