Aussie Readers discussion
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Top five Aussie Books
That's hard Booklover! Some of my favourites are the old classics that I read as a child and growing up. Here are my five in no particular order and I may come back and change this as I think of other books!A Little Bush Maid by Mary Grant Bruce
I loved this book as a child. I was brought up in the city and reading stories of a young girl living in the bush was magical. It's a little like an Australian version of Anne of Green Gables.
For the Term of His Natural Life
I read this in school and it had an enormous effect on me. The injustice of Rufus Dawe's conviction, his life as a convict and his tragic love for Sylvia. It is such a powerful novel. I can't comprehend what life must have been like back then.
Remembering Babylon: A Novel
I could put pretty much any of David Malouf's novels in this list. I love the way he writes. A modern author, but he knows how to spin a great 'yarn' in the tradition of the greatest Australian storytellers. I especially love the themes of belonging and identity and being a 'fish out of water' that form the basis of several of his books.
The Power of One
Fighting against injustice, racism and oppression have always been issues that have felt enormously important to me. This book is one of the best fictional stories told of the triumph of the human spirit. I love it and have reread it many times.
Best of Banjo Patterson: Favourite Poems Illustrated with Engravings: An Illustrated Collection
I love those old bush ballads! Who doesn't feel stirred by that famous first verse,
"There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray."
Dark Country- Bronwyn Parry
The Household Guide to Dying-Debra Adelaide
Border Watch- Helene Young
The Book of love- Phillipa Fioretti
The Showgirl and the Brumby- Lucy Lehmann
The Household Guide to Dying-Debra Adelaide
Border Watch- Helene Young
The Book of love- Phillipa Fioretti
The Showgirl and the Brumby- Lucy Lehmann
Mod
Breath-Tim Winton
The Power of One-Bryce Courtenay
Angel Puss-Colleen McCullough
Never tell me Never-Janine Shepherd
A Little Bush Maid - Mary Grant BruceThe Silver Brumby - Elyne Mitchell
A Fortunate Life - A. B. Facey
All The Rivers Run - Nancy Cato
The Timeless Land - Eleanor Dark
Actually, I loved the whole Billabong series, and the whole Silver Brumby series but if I listed them all here it would be a lot more than five favorites.
My top 5 Australian reads are (in no particular order):True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
The Penguin Collection of Short Stories by Henry Lawson
Grace by Robert Drew
I haven't made a post in here yet, I am still dithering... Do I list 5 books that I think will impress people (I am so pretentious)? ... Do I list the ones that made me think the most? Do I list the ones I simply enjoyed reading... Maybe I need several lists.
Mod
The truth is Brenda, I am not very good at picking favourites of any kind. I'm a I like everything kind of girl. :)
If I have to pick thenAutumn Castle by Kim Wilkins
Hills End by Ivan Southall
Giants of the Frost by Kim Wilkins
Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough
Maisy May by Naomi Kramer
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "I haven't made a post in here yet, I am still dithering... Do I list 5 books that I think will impress people (I am so pretentious)? ... Do I list the ones that made me think the most? Do I list t..."How about one of each? That is, the top one that will impress us, and the top one that you thought about for a long time after, and the top one that made you laugh, and the top one that you think we should read....
Great idea Cheryl. I'll start working on my list. :D
This list may change.
POWER WITHOUT GLORY - fantastic look at the struggle of a bright young man, what he is prepared to do to be successful, what it costs him. I read this quite a few years ago (more than 20 years) it is the sort of book that stays in your mind.
Ice Station - This was a fun fast paced, action pact thrill ride (lacks the predictability of The Da Vinci Code) . :D
The Slap - not the sort of book you recommend to people, I read it quite recently. It's the sort of book that makes you think about things. It's a great book for discussion.
The Museum of Mary Child a beautiful young adult (I gave it to my daughter when she was 12), an unusual thought provoking story.
ruins of gorlan - the whole Rangers Apprentice series. They got my son back into reading. I read them as well.
POWER WITHOUT GLORY - fantastic look at the struggle of a bright young man, what he is prepared to do to be successful, what it costs him. I read this quite a few years ago (more than 20 years) it is the sort of book that stays in your mind.
Ice Station - This was a fun fast paced, action pact thrill ride (lacks the predictability of The Da Vinci Code) . :D
The Slap - not the sort of book you recommend to people, I read it quite recently. It's the sort of book that makes you think about things. It's a great book for discussion.
The Museum of Mary Child a beautiful young adult (I gave it to my daughter when she was 12), an unusual thought provoking story.
ruins of gorlan - the whole Rangers Apprentice series. They got my son back into reading. I read them as well.
Thanks for the links and the annotations - I'm getting some ideas - so far I've enjoyed almost every Australian book I've gotten recommended by y'all!
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Ice Station - This was a fun fast paced, action pact thrill ride (lacks the predictability of The Da Vinci Code)..."I toyed with putting Ice Station in too Gail. That was a great action adventure story!
Mandy wrote: "I toyed with putting Ice Station in too Gail. That was ..."
I don't think it is going to win any literary awards. :D
I don't think it is going to win any literary awards. :D
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "I don't think it is going to win any literary awards. :D"Who cares really when it's a good story!!;P
I cant contribute to this thread as there are too many and too many genres. Do you think we could have similar but genre based ... egtop five aussie comedies
top five aussie action/adventure
top five aussie paranormal
top five aussie children's book
I might find it a challenge to find five for some genres, but it would be interesting.
What ever takes your fancy Dee-Ann.
... oh and this is for purely for my benefit as I need to buy someone a xmas present who likes to cook...top five aussie cookbooks
Creat a thread! I'm sure we'll get a lot of response to help with the christmas shopping. :)
Dee-Ann wrote: "... oh and this is for purely for my benefit as I need to buy someone a xmas present who likes to cook...top five aussie cookbooks"
There are also the Goodreads Listopia Lists Dee-Ann. Perhaps that could be another avenue to take. We already have ones for best Aussie YA, best Aussie Children's, Best Aussie Scifi, Best Aussie Travel, Best Aussie Literature and many more. There are links to these lists here and here.
It is very easy to start your own list. Click here to create a list. Perhaps you could start one for best Aussie Cookbooks, put the link in a this discussion thread and invite people to vote?
Stephanie wrote: "I'm not hugely well-read when it comes to cook..."Thanks for the link Stephanie. I've started a Top Aussie Cookbooks listopia list on Goodreads. I put the books from The Age list and another one of mine. Check it out and add your favourites and votes.
Select the tab 'Add books to this list and make sure you click on the word 'search' in the line add books from: my books or search. Don't click on the ''search my books' button because it will only show books that you already have on your personal shelf.
I'm starting another thread for cookbooks so please go to this thread if you want to make suggestions to Dee-Ann: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Thanks for the hints ... I should have remembered those 'best' threads ... I am losing my memory. And thanks for the new list on cookbooks.
I'll post some of my fav's when I get a chance Dee-Ann
Dirt Music by Tim WintonEverything I Knew by Peter Goldsworthy
The Submerged Cathedral by Charlotte Wood
The Multiple Effects of Rainshadow by Thea Astley
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
Year of Wonders - Geraldine BrooksPeople of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Fatal Storm - The Inside Story of the Tragic Sydney to Hobart Race by Rob Mundle
Weapons of Choice - John Birmingham
but I'd also like to mention two others:- "The Wings of Leo Spencer" by Jerome Parisse and "Does My Head Look Big in This?" by Randa Abdel-Fattah. These last two deserve a mention because the former is a book for all ages, and the latter should be required reading in all our schools, particularly first year high school.
Michelle wrote: "People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak..."
I have to fit these both somehow into my summer reading challenge
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak..."
I have to fit these both somehow into my summer reading challenge
Mod
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak..."
I have to fit these both somehow into my summer reading challenge"
Everyone should read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. We read it for book club, and it is amazingly awesome!!!! I now have the next one, The Messenger, to read..it's in my Summer Challenge list....:)
This is really difficult for me because I love everything...even the books I don't like, I love :D So I am going to wing it.....
(the whole series)
I wonder if I am the only person to not love The Book Thief? I tried it several times over a couple of years but could never go more than a few chapters ...On the other hand, I absolutley lost myself in "I Am the Messenger" aka "The Messenger". I loved it's quirky characters.
I'm let you know when I read it. Is this the book you mean? I Am the Messenger
**trudging over to my TBR to add it to the list**
**trudging over to my TBR to add it to the list**
That's the one, Gail :) It is published under one name in the US and another in Aus - but I can never remember which is which.
To list my top five favourite Aussie books (of all time? ... what about children's books, poetry and non-fiction?) oh dear, this is such a difficult task, there is so much to choose from, so many genres, but hey, these are the titles that sprang immediately to mind ... :)))Bail, M. Eucalyptus: A Novel
Facey, A. B.A Fortunate Life
Grenville, K. The Secret River
Malouf, David. An Imaginary Life
White, Patrick. The Tree of Man
I am surprised to see that I have one read one of the books that have been posted to this site as the 5 favourites for the year - there are are a lot of Aussie books out there. This was a hard list to put together too and there are a few other books that could be interchanged.1. On the Jellicoe Road - This one kept me thinking even after I had finished it. I have enjoyed all of Melina's books too.
2. The Waddi Tree
3. White Gardenia - I have enjoyed all of Belinda's books
4. Moon Sworn - I have enjoyed every book in this series and it's a pity this was a last of Riley Jensen.
5. The Mayne Inheritance - this was a great read too, my ancestors arrived in Brisbane around the same time Patrick Mayne did so that had me thinking as I listened to this well told tale.
Mod
My top 5 would have to be:
1. The Book Thief
2. Beyond Fear
3. Shattered Sky
4. The Power of One
5. The Thorn Birds
I may get kicked out of the group for this; but I don't think I've even read 5 Australian books :-S
Mod
You know it's funny you say that...I bet you have, and not realized they were Aussie authors...I know I'm often not aware of it:)
Ive definitely read 5+. but not all of them were magnificent. My absolute favorite is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Mod
My absolute favorite is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak"
He's definitely up there Jess:)
Mod
And he's an Aussie too:) and not hard on the eye either;D lol
You can go through my goodreads list and find any book that isn't marked as on the Australian shelf ;)
I agree. The Book Thiefis my all time favourite as well.Here are some of my others
Obernewtyn
Red Queen
Jasper Jones
The Slap
Mod
I see 4 on there for a start... Tomorrow, When the War Began, The Dead Of Night, Evil Genius and Me and Mr. Booker ;D
That's the four already shelved as Australian
I couldn't think of Anything initially apart from YA like Looking for Alibrandi and Tomorrow when the war began but I just remembered one of my all time favourite reads, The Crocodile Club by Kaz Cooke. Just hilariously funny!
It's always hard for mt to think of 'top books' so these are ones I've enjoyed overal but mighten be classified as my top 5.
Mod
My top 5 favourite Aussie books at the moment would have to be:
The Mistake by Wendy James
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
Shattered Sky by Helene Young
Come Back to Me by Sara Foster
Empty Chairs: Much more than a story about child abuse by Stacey Danson
I've read so many great Aussie books recently but here are top 5 at the momentPast the Shallows by Favel Parrett
The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
The Family Law by Benjamin Law
Come Back to Meby Sara Foster
Me and Mr. Booker by Cory Taylor
Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Vengeance (other topics)The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (other topics)
A Little Bush Maid (other topics)
Diary of a Wombat (other topics)
Tomorrow, When the War Began (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ian Walkley (other topics)Jaye Ford (other topics)
Bronwyn Parry (other topics)
Helene Young (other topics)
Craig Silvey (other topics)
More...
This can also be a good place to find new and exciting Australian books.