I finally remembered to watch The First Tuesday Book Club on the ABC at the end of last year and enjoyed the episode which covered the top 10 Aussie books to read before you die – as voted by the audience. I’ve been meaning to check the full list and see how I’ve gone so far. 10/50. Pretty appalling. And, it was brought to my attention by Anita Heiss on Twitter that this is the National Year of Reading. She is challenging herself to read a book a week for the year. Her list of 52 books by Aboriginal, Torres Straight and other female Australian writers is further down. Even more appallingly, I’ve only read 2 of them. But apparently, several of these are children’s books, so it may be easier to get through them. Oh, and I’m not making it a challenge to myself to get through all of them this year – but hopefully some of them!
Cloudstreet – Tim WintonThe Book Thief – Markus Zusak- A Fortunate Life – A.B. Facey
The Harp in the South – Ruth ParkThe Power of One – Bryce Courtenay- Jasper Jones – Craig Silvey
The Magic Pudding – Norman LindsayThe Slap – Christos Tsiolkas- The Secret River – Kate Grenville
- Picnic at Hanging Rock – Joan Lindsay
- Seven Little Australians – Ethel Turner
My Brother Jack – George Johnston- My Brilliant Career – Miles Franklin
True History of the Kelly Gang – Peter Carey- Eucalyptus – Murray Bail
- Power Without Glory – Frank Hardy
- The Broken Shore – Peter Temple
- Monkey Grip – Helen Garner
The Riders – Tim Winton- The Tree of Man – Patrick White
- The Fatal Shore – Robert Hughes
Unreliable Memoirs – Clive James- The Tall Man – Chloe Hooper
- The Man Who Loved Children – Christina Stead
- The Dressmaker – Rosalie Ham
- The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney – Henry Handel Richardson
- The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith – Thomas Keneally
- Capricornia – Xavier Herbert
- Wake in Fright – Kenneth Cooke
- Ransom – David Malouf
- The Year of Living Dangerously – C.J. Koch
- The First Stone – Helen Garner
- Gallipoli – Alan Moorehead
- Maestro – Peter Goldsworthy
- The Monkey’s Mask – Dorothy Porter
- Wanting – Richard Flanagan
- Come In Spinner – Dymphna Cusack & Florence James
- Grand Days – Frank Moorhouse
- 1788 – Watkin Tench
- It’s Raining in Mango – Thea Astley
- Riders in the Chariot – Patrick White
- Carpentaria – Alexis Wright
- The Tyranny of Distance – Geoffrey Blainey
- That Deadman Dance – Kim Scott
- For Love Alone – Christina Stead
- An Intruder’s Guide to East Arnhem Land – Andrew McMillan
- The Life – Malcolm Knox
- The Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony – Hal Porter
- Here’s Luck – Lennie Lower
- Visitants – Randolph Stow
The list by Anita Heiss
1. THE BOUNDARY, by Nicole Watson.
2. JUST KIDS, by Patti Smith
2. STELLA MAKES GOOD, by Lisa Heidke
4. SOUTHERLY – A HANDFUL OF SAND: words to the frontline ed by Ali Cobby Eckermann and Lionel Fogarty
5. UBBY’S UNDERDOGS: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon, by Brenton E McKenna
6. NJUNJUL THE SUN, by Boori Monty Pryor and Meme McDonald
7. VIOLIN LESSONS, by Arnold Zable
8. UNPOLISHED GEM, by Alice Pung
9. THE GRUMPY LIGHTHOUSE, by Terrizita Corpus and Maggie Prewett
10. THE MARK OF THE WARGAL, Lorna Little and Janice Lyndon
11. FLY TRAP, by Boori Monty Pryor and Meme McDonald
12. JUST THE SKIN YOU’RE LIVIN’ IN, by Gayle Kennedy and Ross Carnsew
13. JALI BOY, by Ricky Macourt
14. THE CHAINSAW FILE, by Bruce Pascoe
15. JINDAH MURRAY WIND DANCER, by Fiona Wirrer-George Oochunyung
16. DINGO’S TREE, by Gladys Milroy and Jill Milroy
17. MAMANG, by Kim Scott, Iris Woods and the Wirlomin Noongar Language & Stories Project
18. NOONGAR MAMBATA BAKITJ, Kim Scott, Lomas Roberts and the Wirlomin Noongar Language & Stories Project
19. SEA HEARTS, by Margo Lanagan
20. THE FAMILY LAW, by Benjamin Law
21. FALL GIRL, by Toni Jordan
22. LIFE IN SEVEN MISTAKES, by Susan Johnson
23. ANIMAL PEOPLE, Charlotte Woods
24. AFTER THE FALL, Kylie Ladd
25. GRACE BESIDE ME, Sue McPherson
26. MY 100 LOVERS, Susan Johnson
27. MARNGROOK: THE LONG AGO STORY OF AUSSIE RULES, By Titta Secombe / Illustrated by Grace Fielding
28: VULLAH VUNNAH NAH: http://anitaheissblog.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/review-vullah-vunnah-nah-gunditjmara.html
29: RUBY MOONLIGHT by Ali Cobby Eckermann
30. MY HOME IN BROOME, Tamzyne Richardson and Bronwyn Houston.
31. MAZING GRACE, by Dylan Coleman
32. YOU’LL BE SORRY WHEN I’M DEAD, Marieke Hardy
33. ONE LONG THREAD, Belinda Jeffrey
34. THE MARY SMOKE BOYS, Patrick Holland
35. DEADLY READERS series, Magabala Books
36. HOT LIKE FIRE, Sherrice Thomas
37. From Little Things Big Things Grow / Solid Rock / Black Fella WhiteFella / My Island Home – published by One Day Hill
38. FANTOME ISLAND, by Kathy Gibson and Jack Bell
39. JUST LIKE THAT AND OTHER POEMS, by Charmaine Papertalk-Green
40. Micky O – Determination. Hard Work. And a Little Bit of Magic. by Michael O’Loughlinwith Jim Main
41. LOOKING FOR BULLIN BULLIN by Brenda Saunders
42. TWO GREEKS, by John Charalambous
43. THE ONLY CONSTANT, by Robyne Young
44. FISHING FOR TIGERS by Emily Macguire
45. COURTING SAMIRA by Amal Awad
46. INDIGO SOLVES THE PUZZLE, by Wendy Fitzgerald and Sophie Norsa
47. BEIJING TAI TAI, Tania McCartney
48. TWO MATES, by Melanie Prewett / Illustrated by Maggie Prewett
49. BUBBAY: A CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE, by Josie Wowalla and illustrated by Fern Martins
50. THE SUGARBAG, Written by Nola Turner-Jensen / Illustrated by Dub Leffler
51. SOLID ROCK, Puli Kunpunka (Sacred Ground), by Shane Howard. Pitjantjatjara translation by Ruby James and Trevor Adamson. Illustrated by kids from Mutitjulu, Kaltukatjara and Imanpa with paintings by Peter Hudson
52. FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW: the story of an East Timorese Primary School
Great lists Marg. I read so much non fiction, so many blogs and ‘stuff’ online but I have realised that the good stuff ( where the real jewels are) often gets left till those momenst just before I fall asleep. So 2013 is the year of Fiction – reading it and writing it! I have the Helen Garner books you need and also a great book called ‘So Many Books – So Little Time’ which is a woman’s journey through her list. Happy reading.
I know what you mean! I’ll have to catch up and do some book swapping!