Who's your favourite Aussie author?

[Michelle]

I have been a Bryce courtenay for years- my first book of his was "The Power of One"- just amazing. The four Fires and Whitethorn also stood out for me. I adore Tim Winton- what an incredible writer. Kudos to Geraldine Brooks.

[Tui]

I'm a kiwi and my favourite Aussie author is Colin Thiele. I loved his "Storm Boy" and also his fishing story "Bue Fin" I'm generally against commercial fishing as I worry about its worldwide impact on our ocean environment but I loved this story for its adventure and its excellent handling of the whole "coming of age" deal. A wonderful read. I once read it to an intermediate age class of kids and they were enthralled.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Storm Boy
Blue Fin :)

[Tui]

Thanks Brenda. I didn't even have them on my shelf but have added them now, (with 5-star ratings.)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tui wrote: "Thanks Brenda. I didn't even have them on my shelf but have added them now, (with 5-star ratings.)"

I own Storm Boy, but don't think I've read Blue Fin!

[Gab]

Matthew Reilly ;)

[Sherri]

I'd have to say Garth Nix all because of his Old Kingdom trilogy :)

[Bookgeek_zah]

Melina Marchetta

[BlueSky]

Carmel, I absolutely adore YA fiction - it often produces the best books when I do a library raid. Thank you so much for the tip!

I've just finished Juliet Marillier's Wildwood Dancing which was delicious.
Have you read The Messenger, by Marcus Zusak? (called I am The Messenger in the US)

[Tui]

I saw the original post here is by a deleted member but in that post they mentioned Caroline MacDonald and worried that she might be a kiwi. She was born in NZ, like me, but I think she lived in Australia a lot. She is also one of my favourite YA authors. I've read her story "The Visitors" to classes of kids many times over and it's a winner. Also her "Elephant Rock" is a seriously good YA book.
I've only recently discovered that she died in 1997 and would have not been 40 yet. What a tragic loss.
Here are the books:
Visitors C.Macdonald Nz

Elephant Rock

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks for that Tui...I just uploaded as much information as I could find for both books, but can't find a blurb for Elephant Rock, or a cover pic for Visitors...you don't happen to have copies do you? World Cat also doesn't have that she has passed away.

[Tui]

I think I have both somewhere. Do you want me to scan them in ?

[Tui]

The blurb on the back of Elephant rock goes . . . .
"Twenty years ago when Mum was twelve, those waves were breaking against the very same rocks, and twenty years before that, and ..."
Part ghost-story, part thriller, this beautifully written novel is haunting in every sense.
Caroline Macdonald was awarded the 1984 Choysa Bursary for children's Writers and the Esther Glen Memorial Award. Her second novel, VISITORS, won the 1985 Children's Book of the Year Award.

Those awards are kiwi awards so that bit might not be relevant to your Aussie threads.

[Tui]

Here's the cover for visitors:
http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?hl=en&...

[Michael]

I've fix the cover for Visitors

[Tui]

I just tried to add the Visitors and Elephant Rock to my bookshelf but GR couldn't find either book. I thought I'd also submit them to the Exceptional books list.

[Mish]

Tui, Just click on the book that Knowledge Lost added it wil take you autmaticaly to it... and then you can add it to you bookshelf from there :)

[Tui]

I found it easily by following Knowldege Losts's link above. Don't know why the search didn't find it.I've added both books to my bookshelf and also added Visitors to the Exceptional Books shelf.

[Mish]

Excellent Tui :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Tui and KL...I just went to add the blurb to Elephant, and there's one there, but it's different to what you've written above?

[Tui]

Brenda It's probably just different editions. Take your pick - whatever you think suits.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Ok thanks Tui...I may as well leave it as it is then:)

[Rachel]

Very surprised not to see Joy Detman's name on everyone's list. She has a huge volume of work and creates superb characters who mainly live in country towns, my favorite of hers is Henry's Daughter.

[Mish]

Rachel wrote: "Very surprised not to see Joy Detman's name on everyone's list. She has a huge volume of work and creates superb characters who mainly live in country towns, my favorite of hers is Henry's Daughter."

Hi Rachel, Brenda is enquiring about books by Joy Dettman in this thread

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping her out. Maybe you could suggest books worth reading by Dettman and one’s to avoid.

I’m also curious as well :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Mish:)

[Mish]

You're Welcome :)

[Margaret]

For imagination and enduring interest, Mary Poppins' creator P.L. Travers is my pick. Another favourite is Colleen McCullough, for her masterpiece 'The Thorn Birds'.

[Fiona]

Tim Winton, mostly because of Cloudstreet, which I think is sublime.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Fiona wrote: "Tim Winton, mostly because of Cloudstreet, which I think is sublime."

He's an excellent author for sure Fiona! Have you checked out this thread? http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

[Emily]

Huh, I didn't know Mary Poppins was created by an Aussie... cool :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Emily wrote: "Huh, I didn't know Mary Poppins was created by an Aussie... cool :)"

Really Emily....who? I didn't know that either!!

[BlueSky]

Emily wrote: "Huh, I didn't know Mary Poppins was created by an Aussie... cool :)"

You could say that's rather Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ;o)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Bluesky wrote: "Emily wrote: "Huh, I didn't know Mary Poppins was created by an Aussie... cool :)"

You could say that's rather Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ;o)"

Oh you're quick Bluesky!!! lol

[Emily]

Margaret wrote: "For imagination and enduring interest, Mary Poppins' creator P.L. Travers is my pick..."

[Blue Eyed Vixen]

I read my first Colleen McCullough book this year and am keen to go grab another.

I have also been enjoying
Melina Marchetta and love that fact she has now branched out into fantasy sci-fi.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Blue Eyed Vixen wrote: "I read my first Colleen McCullough book this year and am keen to go grab another.

I have also been enjoying
Melina Marchetta and love that fact she has now branched out into fantasy sci-fi."

Which Colleen McCullough did you read Vix?

[Tony]

Hiya folks! Newbie here.
I'll second (or third?) the vote for Colleen McCullough - her Song of Troy is one of my favourite historical novels ever.

Favourite Aussie Author, though, has to go to:
Peter Allison!
Ever heard of him? Sydney lad who went to Africa, looking for a job working with animals. Got more than he bargained for, but survived - mostly by luck - and many years later, is now one of the top safari guides on the country! He's written three great books about his insane adventures on the job, the first being the best - it's called "Whatever You Do - Don't Run!"
I'll try to put a ink to it here...

Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide
It's hilarious, ridiculous, unbelievable... everything you could want in a travel book. Oh, and he gets hurt a lot too, which is always funny! :0)
Tony

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tony wrote: "Hiya folks! Newbie here.
I'll second (or third?) the vote for Colleen McCullough - her Song of Troy is one of my favourite historical novels ever.

Favourite Aussie Author, though, has to go to:
Pe..."

Thanks Tony, it looks a great book. And I, for one, had never heard of Peter Allison.

[Tony]

Yeah, he's really good! And his tales are hard to believe... he (Peter Allison) has just released a third book of his adventures, but I was a bit disappointed with it - you know how it sometimes feels like an author has run out of steam a little? Especially when they're writing about their own experiences... but the first two are awesome! (The second is called 'Dont Look Behind You!'). It's great because it's so different - I've read loads of travel books in this sort of genre, usually about some bloke wandering around a country and complaining about how much nicer it was ten years ago, but I've never read anything like these. If an African safari guide can't have experiences worth reading about, then who can?! :0)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tony wrote: "Yeah, he's really good! And his tales are hard to believe... he (Peter Allison) has just released a third book of his adventures, but I was a bit disappointed with it - you know how it sometimes fe..."

Yeah, I love David Attenborough's work, and it never seems to get 'old'!

[Tony]

I was watching the repeat of Frozen Planet last night on Gem... that dude (Sir D.A.) is my absolute, ultimate hero! And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. What an amazing life he's had, doing what he loved the whole time... and educating the world - can't be many people in developed countries who haven't seen or read at least something by him! Definitely what you Aussies would call 'a legend'!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tony wrote: "I was watching the repeat of Frozen Planet last night on Gem... that dude (Sir D.A.) is my absolute, ultimate hero! And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. What an amazing life he's had, doing what he ..."

He sure is a legend Tony! An amazing life, as you say:)

[Christopher Ruz]

I'll be on this list one day... *shakes fist*

Personally, I love the work of Tim Winton. He's a poet as much as a novelist, and his work just transports me.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Christopher wrote: "I'll be on this list one day... *shakes fist*

Personally, I love the work of Tim Winton. He's a poet as much as a novelist, and his work just transports me."

Have you seen his thread Christopher? http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

It's worth browsing through:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Any further thoughts on your favourite Aussie authors, maybe from our newbies?

[Zanesh]

Hard to go past Tim Winton...but how about Peter Carey? Or Peter Temple. Kate Grenville writes like an angel. So does David Malouf. So many writers, so little time...

Zanesh Catkin

[Bookgeek_zah]

I also like James Maloney and David Estes

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Zanesh wrote: "Hard to go past Tim Winton...but how about Peter Carey? Or Peter Temple. Kate Grenville writes like an angel. So does David Malouf. So many writers, so little time...

Zanesh Catkin"

Ha! So many books, so little time:) Great authors there Zanesh!

[Carol]

Brenda wrote: "Any further thoughts on your favourite Aussie authors, maybe from our newbies?"

My vote would still go to Colleen McCullough, and Thorn Birds is still my alltime favourite.

[Mish]

Carol wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Any further thoughts on your favourite Aussie authors, maybe from our newbies?"

My vote would still go to Colleen McCullough, and Thorn Birds is still my alltime favourite."

Agree...that is a lovely book and the TV series is just as good :) I can watch it over & over again.