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The 11 Australian books everyone should read now

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From an Australian classic by Peter Carey to an urgent call to arms on domestic violence, these are the books our authors are turning to right now.

Melissa Lucashenko recommends Born Into This

Melissa Lucashenko heralds Adam Thompson as a ‘powerful new voice in Australian literature’. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

My favourite fiction of 2021 is a compelling short story collection from Tasmanian Pakana man Adam Thompson . When I encountered him at a First Nations Writing conference in Canberra in 2018, I felt like I was meeting a long-lost writerly brother. I was attracted by his vision for sculpting his Country in story, and his seriousness about that project. When Born Into This was released this year, it did not disappoint. This is a powerful new voice in Australian literature, and one sorely needed. Thompson is wry, funny, tough and tender, all at once. His pages shine with his saltwater passions about and from a place you have never known before – Blakfella Tasmania. This collection is funny and furious, and straight from the horses mouth. Too deadly.

Melissa Lucashenko ’s latest book is Too Much Lip. She will be opening the SWF with Tara June Winch and Evelyn Arulen.

Meg Mason recommends Oscar and Lucinda

Meg Mason describes Oscar and Lucinda as ‘gripping and beautiful and tragic’. Credit: James Alcock

Perhaps it’s peculiar that, as an author now, I didn’t read for pleasure growing up. It wasn’t until I left school, and was finally free of set reading, that I ever picked up a book voluntarily. Feeling suddenly behind, I spent the first two years of my reading life – metaphorically speaking – on the Yorkshire Moors, the streets of Victorian London, in the stately homes of Hampshire. But, English classics dispensed with, I was brought “home” by Peter Carey. His 1988 Booker Prize-winning Oscar and Lucinda was the first novel I read that was – so strikingly to me then – set here. Instead of damp moors, here was our tinder-dry bush; instead of burbling streams, our snaking, brown creeks. Revisiting it recently, I found it as gripping and beautiful and tragic, as intrinsically familiar and perfectly written as I remember it being the first time, one of our very own classics.

Meg Mason ’s latest book is Sorrow and Bliss.

Sarah Krasnostein recommends The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen

Sarah Krasnostein says The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen ‘explores the elusive line between memoir and myth’.

I will read anything Krissy Kneen writes. I devoured her latest book, The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen: Travels with my Grandmother’s Ashes , which tells the story of how she set off on a quest with her beloved grandmother’s ashes and the intention of discovering where her family comes from. This is a book about how we are made and remade, it is about belonging and the presence of absence. Kneen’s writing moves with all the muscle of the human heart as she so dexterously explores the elusive line between memoir and myth that haunts us all in different ways.

Sarah Krasnostein ’s latest book is The Believer: Encounters with Love, Death and Faith .

Susan Johnson recommends Johnno

David Malouf’s Johnno was a revelation for Susan Johnson.

David Malouf’s first novel was a revelation to me. I read it when it was published, around the late 1970s, which happened to coincide with my own coming of age in Brisbane. Ostensibly a rite-of-passage novel about a young man’s emergence into his full self, told through his friendship with his temperamental opposite, the larger-than-life Dionysian character of Johnno, it’s a book about so many other things: what it means to be Australian, how we fit into a world in which great events always seem to be happening far off, and how we might re-make as poetry “poor, shabby, unromantic Brisbane.” Above all, it’s a profoundly moving work on the power of literature and the imagination, immortalising a city at a particular time in history, and telling the eternal human story of our conflicted desires, for home and elsewhere, for binding love and mythical, transforming freedom.

Susan Johnson ’s latest book is From Where I Fell. David Malouf will be giving the closing night address at SWF.

Anita Heiss recommends The Boy from the Mish and Songs that Sound Like Blood

Anita Heiss praises coming-of-age novel The Boy from the Mish for speaking to a young, queer, black audience.

Gary Lonesborough’ s debut novel, The Boy from the Mish , is an unputdownable, extraordinary coming-of-age story for young men, but also speaks to a broader audience who will relate to one of the many characters, settings and/or musical references. Following the protagonist Jackson and the exploration of his sexual identity, we experience him navigating his friendships and life on an Aboriginal mission, with humour and the passion of youth. Self-discovery and acceptance are key themes in Lonesborough’s novel, which sits well alongside Jared Thomas’ YA title Songs that Sound Like Blood , which is about Roxy May Redding, her crush on Ana and life for a small-town girl. Both Jackson’s and Roxy’s stories successfully speak to a young, queer, black audience who for a long time have not seen themselves on the page and would likely have felt invisible in Australian literature.

Anita Heiss’ latest book is Bila Yarrudhang-galang-dhuray (River of Dreams) .

Randa Abdel Fattah recommends The F Team

Randa Abdel-Fattah says The F Team sparkles in its details and particularities.

What I love most about The F Team is that Rawah Arja is such a keen and astute observer of teenage emotions and behaviours; a master of writing about young people’s vulnerabilities, social competencies and quirks with compassion and affection. It’s precisely in its details and particularities that this story sparkles. For example, “Walid, the ex-cop, who owned the tobacconist on the corner, where all the boys bought their cigarettes with their dodgy IDs”, is a case in point. To grow up Lebanese-Australian in Punchbowl in Western Sydney is a very specific, very distinctive milieu, which Rawah hilariously and lovingly brings to life with the kind of intensely evocative and intimate details of diasporic life that only an insider can do justice to.

Randa Abdel-Fattah ’s latest book Coming of Age in the War on Terror .

Krissy Kneen recommends The Animals in That Country

Krissy Kneen says The Animals in That Country will change the way you think about language. Credit: Paul Harris

At the beginning of the pandemic year, a book about a pandemic changed my writing life. The Animals in That Country is like nothing you have read before. Laura Jean McKay brings her poet’s eye to the subject of animal/human communication. The virus in this book (zoo-flu) allows the infected to hear the “voices” of animals. From the screaming of mice to the siren songs of whales, if we could actually understand animals, we might be shocked and horrified by what is said. McKay has done an amazing job of imagining the (mis)communications, the differences between the way humans and animals think and the possibilities of inter-species alliances, particularly between a jaded grandmother, Jean, and a dingo named Sue. This book will change the way you think about language and it might challenge your assumptions about the world around us and the species we share the planet with.

Krissy Kneen ’s latest book is The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen.

Debra Oswald recommends See What You Made Me Do

Debra Oswald praises Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do, as a true storyteller. Credit: Alex Vaughan

A book about power, control and domestic abuse, See What You Made Me Do is enraging and enthralling. Jess Hill’s writing is always bedded in compassion and respect for victims; nuanced without ever reducing the ferocious power of this examination of toxic relationship patterns and the systemic failures to protect women. Hill is a true storyteller – folding her rigorous research into precise and evocative prose that conjures up vivid scenes and kept me reading long into the night. I’m full of admiration and gratitude for this urgent and important book.

Debra Oswald ’s latest book is The Family Doctor.

Rick Morton recommends Black and Blue

Rick Morton says Veronica Gorrie’s Black and Blue ‘crackles with urgency’.

Veronica  Heritage Gorrie ’s book is the read for Australia now. Clearly, it speaks to a colonial system that has never atoned for its original hurt. And yes, this is a book about the blunt force of the police and justice system, which was never designed to account for the lives of First Peoples. It calls this for what it is: racism. Notably, however, Gorrie writes with a deadly precision and has developed the dry wit of a woman who has seen it all. She speaks, in this book, and it crackles with urgency. Honestly, I was left with a startling clarity after reading Black and Blue . This should be taught in schools, alongside the rest of our history.

Rick Morton’s latest book is the My Year of Living Recklessly.

Evelyn Araluen recommends Comfort Food

Evelyn Araluen says Comfort Food is ‘guided by a passionate voice and belly’.

I first encountered Ellen Van Neerven’s Comfort Food shortly after its publication in 2016, and must have now returned to it about a dozen times. It’s a soulful collection, guided by a passionate voice and belly. An award-winning Mununjali writer, Van Neerven’s rhythms and subtle invocations of country, culture, language, friend and family were astounding for me as an Aboriginal woman and baby-fresh poet. Re-reading it last year after the publication of Van Neerven’s second poetry collection, Throat , was a truly remarkable experience. Their voice has grown in complexity and sharpness, but at its core there is still the deep reverie of all things they know as holy, as needing to be protected and fought for. A lot of people will be reading Throat this year, as they should – it’s full of stunning poems. I hope those who haven’t yet read Comfort Food are inspired to pick up Van Neerven’s first collection and will treasure it as I continue to do.

Evelyn Araluen’s latest book is Drop Bear.

All of these authors are appearing at the 2021 Sydney Writers’ Festival, which runs from April 26 to May 2. For the full program, go to swf.org.au

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Australian literature: Book reviews

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Aussie Reviews  has online reviews of fiction, non-fiction, children's and young adult books.

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You can find many reader's blogs with reviews of classic and contemporary Australian literature. These will often have links to other Australian book blogs. Some of these include:

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These and other book review blogs have been archived by the National Library. You can search for more at  Trove

How do you find book reviews?

• Australian Book Review - The official journal of the National Book Council (Australia), and the Australian Book Review index . 
• Two books by Ken Gelder & Paul Salzman: The New Diversity : Australian Fiction 1970-88 and After the Celebration : Australian Fiction 1989-2007

Where can you find online book reviews?

You can find the following databases online by visiting our eResources portal and searching for the database under the Browse eResources tab.

AustLit provides authoritative information on creative and critical works of Australian literature and on more than 700,000 Australian authors and literary organisations. In the AustLit database, see the Anthology of Criticism, under the 'Reading' tab, for full-text articles about selected authors and their works.

Australian Book Review Online has a national scope and is committed to highlighting the full range of critical and creative writing from around Australia.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Williamson, Geordie,  The burning library : our great novelists lost and found . Melbourne : Text Publishing, 2012

The Burning Library  explores the lives and work of some of our greatest novelists. Alarmed by the increasingly marginal status of Australian literature in the academy, Williamson has set out to reintroduce us to those key writers whose works we may have forgotten or missed altogether. His focus is on fiction that gives pleasure, and he is ardent in defence of books that for whatever reason sit uneasily in the present moment.

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The Best Books of the Year: 2022

• December 19, 2022
• A.G. Slatter
• Allen and Unwin
• Benjamin Stevenson
• Bonnie Garmus
• Chris Flynn
• Echo Publishing
• Hachette Australia
• HarperCollins Australia
• Holden Sheppard
• Juno Dawson
• katherine j. chen
• Lars Mytting
• Penguin Australia
• Profile Books
• Shehan Karunatilka
• Simon and Schuster Australia
• Steven Rowley
• Sue Lynn Tan
• Text Publishing
• Titan Books
• Vanessa Len

2022 has been a great year for settling in with a good book and escaping the world outside. We’ve reached that part of the year where we all start agonising over our ‘lists’   –best albums, best films, and of course best books.  

We in the Books team have looked back over the year’s releases and compiled a list of our favourite reads; the books we think are the best. With books set across Norway, Sri Lankan, Australia and more, these are the books that have transported us, and helped us escape the everyday.  

It’s by no means an exhaustive list. But, here, in no particular order, are the thirteen books that caught our eye this year and stuck with us…

Here Be Leviathans – Chris Flynn

Simon: It’s been two years since Mammoth made our end of year list, and Chris Flynn is back. This time with his short story collection  Here Be Leviathans . It’s simply a joy of a collection; overflowing with imagination, humour and heart. Fresh from bringing mammoth skeletons to life, here Flynn treats us to stories narrated by grizzly bears, snarky artistic platypuses, as well as rundown motel rooms and plane seats. This collection will make you laugh, make you think, and maybe even cry – sometimes all in the same short story. At this point Flynn can pretty much take my money – I’m already looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next. (UQP Books)

Read our full review HERE | Buy a copy HERE

Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus

Emily: Bonnie Garmus ’ debut novel Lessons in Chemistry has dominated the bestseller lists this year. A genre-defying novel about sexism, feminism, love, science and cooking, the intrepid heroine, Elizabeth Zott, has charmed her way onto bookshelves the world over (and will also soon charm her way onto television screens in the guise of Brie Larsen.) This book made me laugh, it made me cry—it is a shining example of everything a book should be and for this reason it’s my number one book of the year! (Penguin Australia)

Buy a copy HERE

Only a Monster – Vanessa Len

Jess: I genuinely don’t understand how there is not more hype about this book! I knew as soon as I put it down that it was going to be my favourite book of the year and despite being open to everything that came my way, nothing else has piqued it. I LOVED this book so much. It was fast-paced and dark, with amazing characters and an awesome concept. I am still dying for the second book in the trilogy: Never a Hero . I am watching Len’s Instagram like a hawk for the release date! (Allen & Unwin)

Read our full review HERE  | Buy a copy HERE

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson

Jemimah: One of the most enjoyable books I read in 2022 was Benjamin Stevenson ‘s Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone . It’s an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit about a dysfunctional family stuck in an Australian ski resort. The action is narrated by Ernest, a member of said dysfunctional family, who is himself a writer of how-to guides on crime writing. The story is humorous and engaging, the mystery clever and well-constructed, and the characters highly flawed and quite endearing. An excellent and unique holiday read if you like mysteries, black comedies, and stories of dysfunctional families! (Penguin Australia)

The Guncle – Steven Rowley

Lyn: Steven Rowley ’s The Guncle is a great read; it’s funny, with loads of feel-good moments. It’s a novel that is full of charm, love, and quirky characters who are full of sass and heart. It made me laugh, smile and cry. From the rat race of Hollywood to the dripping sweat of Palm Springs, The Guncle will take you on an adventure that has unexpected moments. I look forward to watching the (eventual) movie! (Simon & Schuster Australia)

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida – Shehan Karunatilaka

Simon: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is the second novel from Sri Lankan rockstar author Shehan Karunatilaka . The novel, which won this year’s Booker Prize, is a darkly humorous satire set amongst the Sri Lankan civil war. Something of a metaphysical whodunit, I found this novel to be an utterly compelling (and educational) romp with a chaotic cast of characters. At times confronting and challenging, any novel with death squads and dismembered bodies is going to be, it is also full of humour, love and most importantly life. (Profile Books)

Joan – Katherine J. Chen

Emily: Katherine J. Chen ’s Joan , is a fictionalisation of the life of Joan of Arc. The book imagines much of the mythologised figure’s life in a way that gives her back some of her agency. It is a masterful novel, and comes endorsed by the late, great Hilary Mantel. This is a book for history lovers. It examines how people become symbols, and the danger of such an occurrence. It was truly delightful. (Hachette Australia)

Daughter of the Moon Goddess – Sue Lynn Tan

Jess: The only good thing about me taking all year to get around to reading this book is that I devoured it just in time for the sequel to come out. At the time of writing, I have literally just picked up Heart of the Sun Warrior  and am grateful to have only had to wait two weeks between finishing the first book and getting my ending. The worldbuilding is rich, the storytelling an incredible blend of what feels like traditional storytelling voice mixed with contemporary YA, and the covers are just *chefs kiss*. Do yourself a favour and go and read this awesome book. (Harper Collins Australia)

A Path of Thorns – A. G. Slatter

Jemimah: A favourite that is very on-brand for me: A.G. Slatter ‘s A Path of Thorns is a Gothic twisted fairytale about a governess with a dark past arriving at a creepy mansion to care for two children. Things are clearly not right – with the family, with the woods around the estate, with the governess herself – from the very first page. This is a twisting, captivating dark fairy tale, full of intrigue and intriguing characters. (Titan)

We Come With This Place – Debra Dank

Lyn: This book made me sit up, pay attention and absorb more of Australia’s past with a connection I hadn’t ever felt in a book before. I could feel Dank’s family’s pain and confusion as she was telling her stories of the Gudanji people. The book offers a real insight into our nation’s Indigenous culture, told through the memories of someone who was there. We Come With This Place  should be included on everyone’s reading list. (Echo Publishing)

The Reindeer Hunters – Lars Mytting

Simon: Lars Mytting ‘s  The Reindeer Hunters  is, for me, historical fiction at its very best. It manages to be epic in scope (historically and thematically), whilst also focusing on those crucial smaller details and the mundanity of everyday village life. I loved my return to the mountain village of Butangen; and can’t wait to get back there again for the third and final book the trilogy and see what the world has in store for the Heknes. Beautifully written, and expertly translated by Deborah Dawkins , The Reindeer Hunters weaves myth and history to create a compelling story that jumps off the page.(Hachette Australia)

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven – Juno Dawson

Jess: This book rocked! I just loved everything about it. A group of modern, middle-age witches, battling against dark prophecies as well as the patriarchy, racism, colonialism, ableism and everything that affects the modern world… this book made me so happy. It’s thoughtful and quirky and fun and terrifying all at once. And I loved how it presented so many different ways to be a woman without ever implying that any one way was better or worse than the others. It approached all its characters with compassion and understanding and god don’t we need more of that! (HarperCollins Australia)

The Brink – Holden Sheppard

Jemimah: The Brink  is one of the most impactful books I read this year. It’s an unflinching, tension-filled story of a group of teenagers on their school leavers trip to an uninhabited island off the coast of Western Australia. It is told from the points of view of three of the characters on the trip, all with their own burdens and secrets to bear. As the week progresses things progressively become more unhinged, with the group splintering for different reasons and the sense of danger growing to flash point. It’s an excellent thriller, enjoyable both for YA and adult audiences alike. (Text Publishing)

Read our full review HERE | Read our interview with author Holden Sheppard HERE | Buy a copy HERE

Thanks to Emily Paull, Jess Gately, Jemimah Brewster and Lyn Harder for their contributions to this list. 

Related Posts:

• The Best Books of The Year: 2021
• The Best Books of the Year: 2023
• The AU's Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Jan – Mar
• The AU's Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Apr – Jun
• The AU's Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Jul to Sep
• The AU's Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Oct to Dec

Simon Clark

Books Editor. An admirer of songs and reader of books. Simon has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature. All errant apostrophes are his own.

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The Echoes

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Highway 13 By Fiona McFarlane

Reviewed by Ellie Dean

I grew up in Canberra, only a few hours drive from Belanglo State Forest and Berrima. I might be too young to remember the backpacker murders as they were reported, or the conviction of Ivan Milat, but I’ve encountered the…

Highway 13

Fiona McFarlane

Woo Woo by Ella Baxter

Reviewed by Alison Huber

Melbourne writer and artist Ella Baxter’s New Animal (published in March 2021) remains for me one of the standout debuts of recent years. A dark, beautiful satire and a new way of thinking about the body in grief, this book…

Woo Woo

Ella Baxter

The Honeyeater by Jessie Tu

Reviewed by Rosalind McClintock

Jessie Tu’s debut, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing , was a runaway success during the difficult year for debut books that was 2020. It was shortlisted that year for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, and right…

The Honeyeater

Jade and emerald by michelle see-tho.

In 2023 I was one of three booksellers who helped judge the Penguin Literary Prize, along with Penguin publisher Meredith Curnow and senior editor Kathryn Knight. This $20,000 prize has been running since 2018 and is awarded to an unpublished…

Jade and Emerald

Michelle See-Tho

If You Go by Alice Robinson

Reviewed by Aurelia Orr

If You Go is a powerfully evocative new novel from Alice Robinson, winner of the 2019 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction for her novel The Glad Shout .

Esther awakens to find a breathing tube deep down her throat…

If You Go

Alice Robinson

The End and Everything Before It by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Reviewed by Jennifer Varela

The End and Everything Before It , Finegan Kruckemeyer’s debut novel, explores the intricate interplay between love, loss and the power of stories.

The novel unfolds with Emma witnessing her mother’s kayak disappearing among the Arctic icebergs, setting a haunting…

The End and Everything Before It

Finegan Kruckemeyer

A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle

Reviewed by Holly Mortlock

I finished reading A Language of Limbs in one sitting, barely moving between the couch and the kettle. It left an aftertaste of resilient joy and deep grief – which are some of my favourite feelings to linger in –…

A Language of Limbs

Dylin Hardcastle

Big Time by Jordan Prosser

In the dystopian, autocratic country of East Australia, the government controls all internet and media, borders have been closed, and a drug called ‘F’ proliferates – a drug that allegedly allows users to see into the future. Outside East Australia…

Big Time

Jordan Prosser

Imperial Harvest by Bruce Pascoe

Reviewed by Joe Murray

Bruce Pascoe’s Imperial Harvest begins with cruelty. The one-eyed, one-armed horseman Yen Se loses his wife and child to an inferno born from the Great Khan’s bloodthirsty ambition; Yen Se is to be the horse trainer for the Khan’s invasion…

Imperial Harvest

Bruce Pascoe

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Australian book reviews

Weekly reviews of new Australian books from Guardian Australia

1 August 2024

Supported by

If You Go by Alice Robinson review – what would you do with a second chance at life?

25 july 2024.

The Honeyeater by Jessie Tu review – this biting tale of backstabbing uber-egos will stay with you

18 july 2024.

The End and Everything Before It by Finegan Kruckemeyer review – a dreamy alternative to the world we live in

11 july 2024.

Big Time by Jordan Prosser review – a lush, drug-fuelled adventure in a future Australia

4 july 2024.

Shadows of Winter Robins by Louise Wolhuter review – a masterful mystery that keeps you guessing

27 june 2024.

Psykhe by Kate Forsyth review – a cosy escape into Greek myth

20 june 2024.

Imperial Harvest by Bruce Pascoe review – an epic tale of humanity, horror and hope

13 june 2024.

Hurdy Gurdy by Jenny Ackland review – a toothless abortion tale

6 june 2024.

Everything is Water by Simon Cleary review – one man’s pilgrimage along Brisbane River

30 may 2024.

Ghost Cities by Siang Lu review – a funny, fascinating critique of modern China

23 may 2024.

Peripathetic by Cher Tan review – essays on punk, work and the internet are incredibly good fun

16 may 2024.

Only the Astronauts by Ceridwen Dovey review – playful and deeply moving close encounters

Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran review – a damning indictment of Australia’s refugee policy

Excitable Boy by Dominic Gordon review – punchy tales of masculinity, sex and violence

25 april 2024.

The Pyramid of Needs by Ernest Price review – a wickedly funny take on wellness

18 april 2024.

Thunderhead by Miranda Darling review – pacy Sydney thriller hits a superficial note

11 april 2024.

The Work by Bri Lee review – satirical art world romp tries to tick too many boxes

4 april 2024.

How to Knit a Human by Anna Jacobson review – a remarkable memoir of psychosis

10 august 2023.

The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall review – a genre-defying epic

3 august 2023.

West Girls by Laura Elizabeth Woollett review – sexism, schoolgirls and supermodels

• Australian books
• Autobiography and memoir

100 Must-Read Australian Books

Jen Sherman

Jen is an urban and cultural geographer who did a PhD on public libraries and reading. As a researcher, her interests are focused on libraries, reading, book retailing and the book industry more broadly. As a reader, she reads a lot of crime fiction, non-fiction, and chicklit. And board books. All the board books. You can also find her writing about books for children and babies at babylibrarians.com . Instagram: shittyhousewife / babylibrarians Twitter: @jennnigan

View All posts by Jen Sherman

Beaches, sunshine, and all sorts of creatures that will kill you if given half the chance. This is typically what people imagine when they think ‘Australia’ and technically they wouldn’t be wrong. We do have a lot of beaches. A lot of sun. And quite a large number of poisonous and venomous creatures that will kill you if you aren’t careful. But there’s a lot more to this dry, large continent-island-country than that.

There are already a lot of lists out there about Australian classics you should read, or great Australian novels, or the most popular books in Australia. What I’ve tried to do with this list is to think of this as a curriculum on Australia: if you were to take a crash course and wanted to learn everything about the country, what would you read? I’ve included bestsellers and classics, books by Australians, about Australia, and/or set in Australia. There are books about indigenous Australians, history, politics, geography, sport, society, and culture. There are literary award winners but also lighter books. And there are also some of my most favourite and treasured books from when I was a kid, because what good is a list like this without some nostalgia?

Welcome to the sunburnt country, and happy reading!

Non-fiction

Indigenous Australia

Heiss is a writer, social commentator, and activist who has written a range of books. Am I Black Enough for You? is her memoir where she “gives a first-hand account of her experiences as a woman with an Aboriginal mother and Austrian father, and explains the development of her activist consciousness.”

A collection of Aboriginal writing that covers two centuries and both fiction and non-fiction.

“A classic released in 1973, Because A White Man’ll Never Do It attacks the British colonisation of Australia. Land theft, human rights abuse, slavery, inequality, paternalism and theft of land are all charges levelled at the new arrivals.”

A memoir revealing the experiences of being part of the Stolen Generation.

“Chatwin describes a trip to Australia which he has taken for the express purpose of researching Aboriginal song and its connections to nomadic travel. Discussions with Australians, many of them Indigenous Australians, yield insights into Outback culture, Aboriginal culture and religion, and the Aboriginal land rights movement.”

“In The Tyranny of Distance , an Australian classic that has been continuously in print since 1967, Geoffrey Blainey describes how distance and isolation have been central to Australia’s history and in shaping its national identity, and will continue to form its future.”

A condensed version of Keneally’s three volume series on the history of Australia: “It is the story of the original Australians and European occupation of their land through the convict era to pastoralists, bushrangers and gold seekers, working men, pioneering women, the rifts wrought by World War I, the rise of hard-nosed radicals from the Left and the Right, the social upheavals of the Great Crash and World War II, the Menzies era, the nation changing period of post-war migration and Australia’s engagement with Asia.”

Technically this is two books – volumes 1 and 2. For a lighter take on Australian history: “In this hilarious history, David Hunt tells the real story of Australia’s past from megafauna to Macquarie … the cock-ups and curiosities, the forgotten eccentrics and Eureka moments that have made us who we are.”

An account of the colonisation of Australia and its convict history.

Social and cultural commentary

“When it was first published in 1964 The Lucky Country caused a sensation. Horne took Australian society to task for its philistinism, provincialism and dependence. The book was a wake-up call to an unimaginative nation, an indictment of a country mired in mediocrity and manacled to its past.”

Published in 2017, this is a more current account of Australian society today and where it’s heading. Huntley is a social researcher and in this book she answers questions such as “Why do we fear asylum seekers? Why are women still underpaid and overworked? Why do we over-parent? Why do we worry even though we are lucky?

By BBC correspondent Nick Bryant, this is an outsider’s view on the ‘the lucky country’: “The author argues that Australia needs to discard the outdated language used to describe itself, to push back against Lucky Country thinking, to celebrate how the cultural creep has replaced the cultural cringe and to stop negatively typecasting itself.”

Using oral history interviews with Australians born between 1920 and 1989, this book paints a portrait of what life is like in Australia.

This book is about the rampant consumerism that’s prevalent in modern society. “It tracks how much Australians overwork, the growing mountains of stuff we throw out, the drugs we take to ‘self-medicate’ and the real meaning of ‘choice’.”

A collection of short non-fiction by an Australian novelist, journalist, and screenwriter: “Spanning fifteen years of work, Everywhere I Look is a book full of unexpected moments, sudden shafts of light, piercing intuition, flashes of anger and incidental humour. It takes us from backstage at the ballet to the trial of a woman for the murder of her newborn baby. It moves effortlessly from the significance of moving house to the pleasure of re-reading Pride and Prejudice .”

Travel and geography

Bryson is one of my favourite writers, and this book is probably my favourite of his. A warm, funny, and wonderful look at my home country from an outsider’s perspective.

A travel book that isn’t so much about Australia but by an Australian. This is the first of Thacker’s travel books, and it documents his time as a tour leader through Europe. I’m including this because the gap year, the backpacking trip through Europe, and the overseas holidays are such a large part of Australian culture, and this is a hilarious look at the European bus tour from the other side.  

“Starting with his forebears’ battle to drive back nature and eke a living from the land, Don Watson explores the bush as it was and as it now is: the triumphs and the ruination, the commonplace and the bizarre, the stories we like to tell about ourselves and the national character, and those we don’t. A milestone work of memoir, travel writing and history, The Bush takes us on a profoundly revelatory and entertaining journey through the Australian landscape and character.”

“A cult classic with an ever-growing audience, Tracks is the brilliantly written and frequently hilarious account of a young woman’s odyssey through the deserts of Australia, with no one but her dog and four camels as companions. Davidson emerges as a heroine who combines extraordinary courage with exquisite sensitivity.”

First Dog on the Moon  is a satirical political cartoon. Irreverent, hilarious, and beautifully captures the political issues of the day.

Julia Gillard was Australia’s first female Prime Minister, and this is her political memoir. “Published in 2014, My Story reflects on various personal aspects of her life and career, including her own analysis of the people and key players of the Rudd-Gillard Governments (2007–2013)”

Paul Keating was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, and Watson was his speechwriter. This book is an “’inside’ account of politics and a profound and extraordinarily frank study of the most intriguing and visionary politician in Australia’s modern history.”

Immigration, refugees, and multiculturalism

Ien Ang is a renowned cultural researcher and this is a more academic book that looks at questions of identity in an era of globalisation. This book isn’t strictly just about Australia but the issues it examines are profoundly relevant to many immigrant Australians.

Deng Adut was a child soldier and refugee from South Sudan. He came to Australia as a refugee, learnt English, and graduated from Western Sydney University. He is now working as a lawyer in Western Sydney and also spends time helping Syrian refugees. His story is truly inspirational and a reminder of where compassion and hope can take us.

Biography of Yassmin Abdel-Magied: “2015 Queensland Young Australian of the Year, Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a mechanical engineer, social advocate, writer and petrol head. She advocates for the empowerment of youth, women and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.”

Similar to The Happiest Refugee , Where the Sea Takes Us also portrays the experiences of a Vietnamese family moving to Australia for peace and greater opportunities: “Kim traces his parents’ precarious lives, from their poor villages in central and southern Vietnam, through relative affluence in Saigon, to their harrowing experiences after the American withdrawal and the fall of Saigon in 1975, which led them to a new life in Australia.”

“Raised in a desperately poor village during the height of China’s Cultural Revolution, Li Cunxin’s childhood revolved around the commune, his family and Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book. Until, that is, Madame Mao’s cultural delegates came in search of young peasants to study ballet at the academy in Beijing and he was thrust into a completely unfamiliar world. When a trip to Texas as part of a rare cultural exchange opened his eyes to life and love beyond China’s borders, he defected to the United States in an extraordinary and dramatic tale of Cold War intrigue. Told in his own distinctive voice, this is Li’s inspirational story of how he came to be Mao’s last dancer, and one of the world’s greatest ballet dancers.”

“A true story of cultural clash and hedonism gone awry as a good girl from a conservative Chinese-Australian family becomes a Shanghai showgirl.”

“In Not Quite Australian , award-winning journalist Peter Mares draws on case studies, interviews and personal stories to investigate the complex realities of this new era of temporary migration. Mares considers such issues as the expansion of the 457 work visa, the unique experience of New Zealand migrants, the internationalisation of Australia’s education system and our highly politicised asylum-seeker policies to draw conclusions about our nation’s changing landscape.”

“A powerful, funny, and at times devastating memoir about growing up black in white middle-class Australia.”

I’ve been reading Lorraine Elliott’s blog for years , and her book is a  memoir about food, blogging, and full of recipes. 

“Through meat pies and lamingtons, Symons tells the history of Australia gastronomically. He challenges myths such as that Australia is ‘too young’ for a national cuisine, and that immigration caused the restaurant boom.”

“Professor Barbara Santich describes how, from earliest colonial days, Australian cooks have improvised and invented, transforming and ‘Australianising’ foods and recipes from other countries, along the way laying the foundations of a distinctive food culture.”

Cricket is our national sport. Well, one of them. A wonderful game that can go for five days and include tea breaks, it is an integral part of the Australian summer. “ The Captains tells the colourful story of how Australian cricket has evolved since its earliest days, how the captain has influenced or stood apart from that evolution, and how the captaincy itself has changed over time.”

Cathy Freeman is one of Australia’s best-loved athletes, and this is her autobiography. She traces her story from her childhood in Queensland to her athletic career including world titles and medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Another autobiography by a great Australian athlete. Thorpe “has won a record-holding 11 World Championship titles and ten Commonwealth Games gold medals. He has broken 22 world records and won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals. Having been under the spotlight since he was a young teenager, he retired from competitive swimming in 2006, but after five years he mounted a comeback for London 2012.”

Design and architecture

“Driving down a dirt track one day photographer, stylist and adventurer Kara Rosenlund came across a beautiful but dilapidated farmhouse. Its lonely, worn loveliness kindled a passion in Kara to photograph and celebrate Australia’s authentic, intriguing rural homes and the people who live in them.”

“ The Forever House celebrates twenty-three such dwellings through the intimate stories of the families and architects who created them. Spanning over forty years, from the fifties to the eighties, The Forever House is a roll call of the work of Australia’s most acclaimed architects – from Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler to Glenn Murcutt and Peter Stutchbury. Interiors are authentic, left almost untouched, and offer a true voyeuristic glimpse into the lives of families who in many cases have lived there for decades.”

QF32 was a Qantas flight that almost ended in disaster. This book is partly a memoir, and partly a recount of that flight. “Tracing Richard’s life and career up until that fateful flight, QF32 shows exactly what goes into the making of a top-level airline pilot, and the extraordinary skills and training needed to keep us safe in the air.”

Qantas is Australia’s national airline, and in recent years has come under criticism by staff and the public for various management decisions. This book is a history of the airline. A good read for those interested in Qantas and/or aviation.

Dr Karl is one of Australia’s best known scientists, who has written multiple popular science books and is a regular commentator on radio and TV. This is his latest book and in it he “transcends history and space in his unstoppable quest to unearth scientific truths: from the theories of time travel, movie audiences emitting chemicals, an exploration of the spleen and red-blood cells to Bitcoin, dirty data, immortal jellyfish and how hot tea cools you down.”

Novelist Kate Grenville turns to non-fiction in this book. “Like perhaps a quarter of the population, Grenville reacts badly to the artificial fragrances around us: other people’s perfumes, and all those scented cosmetics, cleaning products and air fresheners. On a book tour in 2015, dogged by ill health, she started wondering: what’s in fragrance? Who tests it for safety? What does it do to people? This book is based on careful research into the science of scent and the power of the fragrance industry.”

An amusing, accessible read about our immune system, Ben-Barak “explores the immune system and what keeps it running, how germs are destroyed, and why we develop immunities to certain disease-causing agents. He also examines the role of antibiotics and vaccines, and looks at what the future holds for our collective chances of not being dead.”

Ivan Milat, known as the Backpacker Murderer, is probably one of the more famous serial killers in recent Australian history, murdering seven young backpackers in a NSW forest in the early 1990s. This book “tells the story of Ivan Milat, convicted of the serial backpacker murders in the Belanglo State Forest. Describes his childhood and his relationship with his large family, particularly with his brothers.”

The murder of Anita Cobby in 1986 shocked and appalled the nation. She was a young nurse, walking home from the train station after work one night, when she was assaulted and murdered. Julia Sheppard was a journalist assigned to the case and the book is a well-researched account of the crime and aftermath.

Historical fiction

A historical novel that won the 2001 Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, this tells the story of Australia’s most famous (and infamous) bushranger: “The legendary Ned Kelly speaks for himself, scribbling his narrative on errant scraps of paper in semiliterate but magically descriptive prose as he flees from the police. To his pursuers, Kelly is nothing but a monstrous criminal, a thief and a murderer. To his own people, the lowly class of ordinary Australians, the bushranger is a hero, defying the authority of the English to direct their lives. Indentured by his bootlegger mother to a famous horse thief (who was also her lover), Ned saw his first prison cell at 15 and by the age of 26 had become the most wanted man in the wild colony of Victoria, taking over whole towns and defying the law until he was finally captured and hanged.”

“In 1806 William Thornhill, an illiterate English bargeman and a man of quick temper but deep compassion, steals a load of wood and, as a part of his lenient sentence, is deported, along with his beloved wife, Sal, to the New South Wales colony in what would become Australia. The Secret River is the tale of William and Sal’s deep love for their small, exotic corner of the new world, and William’s gradual realization that if he wants to make a home for his family, he must forcibly take the land from the people who came before him.”

“A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829.”

“Bobby Wabalanginy never learned fear, not until he was pretty well a grown man. Sure, he grew up doing the Dead Man Dance, but with him it was a dance of life, a lively dance for people to do together… Told through the eyes of black and white, young and old, this is a story about a fledgling Western Australian community in the early 1800s known as the ‘friendly frontier’”.

“In 1900, a class of young women from an exclusive private school go on an excursion to the isolated Hanging Rock, deep in the Australian bush. The excursion ends in tragedy when three girls and a teacher mysteriously vanish after climbing the rock. Only one girl returns, with no memory of what has become of the others.”

“A 2008 historical fiction novel by Geraldine Brooks. The story focuses on imagined events surrounding protagonist and real historical past of the still extant Sarajevo Haggadah, one of the oldest surviving Jewish illuminated texts.”

Literary fiction (note: some of these could be in the historical fiction category. Book categories are hard.)

“First published in 1901, this Australian classic is the candid tale of the aspirations and frustrations of sixteen-year-old Sybylla Melvin, a headstrong country girl constrained by middle-class social arrangements, especially the pressure to marry.”

Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2014. A novel of the cruelty of war, tenuousness of life and the impossibility of love.

Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award (Australia’s premier literary prize), “ The Swan Book is set in the future, with Aboriginals still living under the Intervention in the north, in an environment fundamentally altered by climate change.”

“A story of homecoming, this absorbing novel opens with a young, city-based lawyer setting out on her first visit to ancestral country.” Home won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards, the David Unaipon Award in 2002, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel in the south-east Asian/South Pacific region in 2005.

“Questions of Travel charts two very different lives. Laura travels the world before returning to Sydney, where she works for a publisher of travel guides. Ravi dreams of being a tourist until he is driven from Sri Lanka by devastating events. Around these two superbly drawn characters, a double narrative assembles an enthralling array of people, places and stories – from Theo, whose life plays out in the long shadow of the past, to Hana, an Ethiopian woman determined to reinvent herself in Australia.”

Before Liane Moriarty’s Truly Madly Guilty and Big Little Lies , there was The Slap . “At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own. This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the event.”

“1926. Tom Sherbourne is a young lighthouse keeper on a remote island off Western Australia. The only inhabitants of Janus Rock, he and his wife Isabel live a quiet life, cocooned from the rest of the world. Then one April morning a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a crying infant and the path of the couple’s lives hits an unthinkable crossroads. Only years later do they discover the devastating consequences of the decision they made that day as the baby’s real story unfolds.”

“ All That I Am is Australian novelist Anna Funder’s first fictional work. It follows characters affected by the Nazi regime in pre-war Germany and Britain.”

Courtenay is probably best known for The Power of One , but this one is my favourite Courtenay novel. “Jessica is based on the inspiring true story of a young girl’s fight for justice against tremendous odds.”

An Australian classic. “Amid the brothels, grog shops and run-down boarding houses of inner-city Surry Hills, money is scarce and life is not easy. Crammed together within the thin walls of Twelve-and-a-Half Plymouth Street are the Darcy family- Mumma, loving and softhearted; Hughie, her drunken husband; pipe-smoking Grandma; Roie, suffering torments over her bitter-sweet first love; while her younger sister Dolour learns about life the hard way.”

“Cloudstreet is Tim Winton’s sprawling, comic epic about luck and love, fortitude and forgiveness, and the magic of the everyday.”

Joint winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards in 2016 and the fiction category Winner of the 2016 Stella Prize. “Two women awaken from a drugged sleep to find themselves imprisoned in an abandoned property in the middle of a desert in a story of two friends, sisterly love and courage – a gripping, starkly imaginative exploration of contemporary misogyny and corporate control, and of what it means to hunt and be hunted.”

Described as the Australian To Kill A Mockingbird. “Late on a hot summer night in the tail end of 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress.”

“From his prison cell, Jasper Dean tells the unlikely story of his scheming father Martin, his crazy Uncle Terry and how the three of them upset – mostly unintentionally – an entire continent. Incorporating death, parenting (good and bad kinds), one labyrinth, first love, a handbook for criminals, a scheme to make everyone rich and an explosive suggestion box.”

“David and Jack Meredith grow up in a patriotic suburban Melbourne household during the First World War, and go on to lead lives that could not be more different. through the story of the two brothers, George Johnston created an enduring exploration of two Australian myths: that of the man who loses his soul as he gains worldly success, and that of the tough, honest Aussie battler, whose greatest ambition is to serve his country during the war.”

“ Roanna Gonsalves’ short stories unearth the aspirations, ambivalence and guilt laced through the lives of 21st century immigrants, steering through clashes of cultures, trials of faith, and squalls of racism. Sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes playful, they cut to the truth of what it means to be a modern outsider.”

“Set in Mumbai, Adiga’s story of two cricketing brothers, divided by success and failure, holds up a mirror to the shattered dreams of a nation.”

Somewhat lighter reads

This is a short story collection that draws on the life experiences of the author and tells the story of what it’s like to be an Indian immigrant in Australia: “The author is a woman of Indian origin who has lived in this country for over thirty years. The book attempts to present a snapshot of life in Australia with its unique challenges, joys and opportunities. Some issues covered include diet, relationships, parenting, attitudes to ageing and dual identity. The protagonist in each story is an Indian born woman facing a clash of cultures, values and beliefs. She is joined on this journey by family, friends and neighbours.”

Nicola Moriarty is the little sister of Liane and Jaclyn Moriarty, and this is her first novel (she has since written a few others). I loved this book. It made me cry a lot. “Free-Falling by Nicola Moriarty is a beguiling tragic-romantic comedy – of heartbreak and heroism, grief and ghostly dreams…”

“An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.”

Liane Moriarty’s first novel – I read this one when it first came out and have since read and loved everything she’s written. “Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow them. But apart, each is dealing with her own share of ups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage, and Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, holds out hope for lasting love. In this wise, witty, and hilarious novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their tumultuous thirty-third year as they deal with sibling rivalry and secrets, revelations and relationships, unfaithful husbands and unthinkable decisions, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a trio.”

Thrilling, stressful, the kind of book you read in an afternoon. “At a remote ice station in Antarctica, a team of US scientists has found something buried deep within a 100-million-year-old layer of ice. Something made of metal. In a land without boundaries, there are no rules. Every country would kill for this prize. A team of crack United States marines is sent to the station to secure the discovery. Their leader – Lieutenant Shane Schofield, call-sign: SCARECROW. They are a tight unit, tough and fearless. They would follow their leader into hell. They just did…”

“Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars, The Alphabet Sisters. As adults they haven’t spoken for years, ever since Bett’s finance left her for another sister. Now Lola, their larger-than-life grandmother, summons them home for her 80th birthday extravaganza and a surprise announcement – she wants them to revive their singing careers and stage a musical she has written. Rehearsals get underway, and family secrets begin to be shared and revealed. But just as the rifts begin to close, the Alphabet Sisters face a test they never imagined.”

Fantastic novel with a lot of laugh out loud moments. “Royally dumped by her boyfriend, Isabelle finds herself suddenly single in Sydney, but seeks solace in her arty job, eccentric friends and a series of romantic adventures that may or may not lead to true love and a happy ending.”

83. Campaign Ruby by Jessica Rudd

“With its light touch and deft comic instincts, Campaign Ruby is a delightful combination of fashion, faux pas, falling for the wrong man and the unexpected fun of federal politics.” Jessica Rudd is also the daughter of Kevin Rudd, Australia’s Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, and in 2013.

“Lucy Muir is leaving her husband. It’s complicated. They’re joint owners and chefs at one of the best restaurants in town, so making a clean break is tough. But, let’s face it, a woman can only take so much cheating, recipe stealing and lack of good grace. Despondently driving around the back streets of Woolloomooloo one night, Lucy happens upon an old, empty terrace that was once the city’s hottest restaurant: Fortune. One minute she’s peering through grimy windows into an abandoned space, the next she’s planning a pop-up bistro. When Lucy fires up Fortune’s old kitchen she discovers a little red recipe book that belonged to the former chef, the infamous Frankie Summers. As she cries over the ingredients for Frankie’s French Onion Soup, she imagines what Fortune was like in its heyday. A surprising, smart, charming novel that shows every day brings with it a second chance.”

The first in the Jack Irish crime fiction series. “When Jack receives a puzzling message from a jailed ex-client he’s too deep in misery over Fitzroy’s latest loss to take much notice. Next thing Jack knows, the ex-client’s dead and he’s been drawn into a life-threatening investigation involving high-level corruption, dark sexual secrets, shonky property deals, and murder. With hitmen after him, shady ex-policemen at every turn, and the body count rising, Jack needs to find out what’s going on—and fast.”

“It is 2001 and as the world charges into the new Millennium, a century-old dream is about to be realised in the Red Centre of Australia: the completion of the mighty Ghan railway, a long-lived vision to create the ‘backbone of the continent’, a line that will finally link Adelaide with the Top End. But construction of the final leg between Alice Springs and Darwin will not be without its complications, for much of the desert it will cross is Aboriginal land. Hired as a negotiator, Jessica Manning must walk a delicate line to reassure the Elders their sacred sites will be protected.”

“In 1962 Cindy drops out of college to impulsively marry an Australian grazier, moving from the glamorous world of Palm Springs, California, to an isolated sheep station on the sweeping plains of the Riverina in New South Wales. Cindy’s new life at Kingsley Downs station is not what she’d imagined as she is flung into a strange and challenging world. Natural disasters and the caprices of the wool industry shape her destiny and though she tries hard to fit in, she finds she is always the outsider. Adjusting to her new life, Cindy discovers that her new family comes with secrets and a mystery that haunts them all.”

“The CCTV footage shows a young woman pushing through the hospital doors. She walks into the nursery, picks up a baby and places her carefully in a shopping bag. She walks out to the car park, towards an old Ford Corolla. For a moment, she holds the child gently against her breast and, with her eyes closed, she smells her. Then she clips the baby into the car, gets in and drives off. This is where the footage ends. What happens next will leave a mother devastated, and a little boy adrift in a world he will never understand.”

Children’s/YA (note: this list is roughly in age order, from youngest to oldest)

This looks like a picture book but is probably best understood by adults. “Fifteen intriguing illustrated stories about the mysteries that lurk below the surface of suburban life. Shaun Tan reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight.”

“A classic Australian children’s novel by Ethel Turner. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father Captain Woolcot, and flighty stepmother Esther.”

Selby is the only talking dog in Australia, and perhaps even the world. He taught himself how to talk by watching TV, and it’s his greatest mission to keep this a secret from his owners, the Trifles. Selby’s Secret is the first in the Selby series, and the adventures of Selby are charming and delightful.

Colin Thiele is one of Australia’s best-loved children’s authors, and this is my favourite book of his. “When Jodie Carpenter won the Greenvale Junior Jumping Chapionships there were tears of happiness in her eyes. She was not to know that she was about to be struck down by a crippling disease, and the hurdles ahead would be more challenging than those she had evercome.”

A great novel depicting a far more exciting childhood than mine: “Elizabeth Honey’s first, best-selling junior adventure story, about a gang of kids who expose a money-laundering scam. Here’s 11-year-old Henni’s original version of what her gang did when The Phonies moved into their street and started to spoil everything! It’s fast and funny and you never know what’s going to happen next.”

I love the whole Penny Pollard series. “Penny Pollard hates: old people, Annette Smurton (who has her own horse), wearing dresses, and doing homework. On a school excursion she meets someone just as rebellious as herself: Mrs Edith Bettany (nearly) eighty-one years old and a new friend for Penny. This is Penny’s diary.”

“Two Weeks with the Queen is a 1990 novel by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It focuses on a boy named Colin Mudford, who is sent to live with relatives in England, while his brother is being treated for cancer.”

“Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the “Joy of the Envelope,” a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else. But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter…”

“It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meagre existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.”

A book that was studied by almost every Year 12 student in NSW of a certain generation and heralded as a modern classic. “Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen and in her final year at a wealthy girls’ school. This is the year she meets her father, the year she falls in love, the year she searches for Alibrandi and finds the real truth about her family – and the identity she has been searching for.”

“Welcome to my world. I’m Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens.

It’s hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group. Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bum’s up position at lunchtime and you know you’re in for a tough time at school.”

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Monday 5 August 2024

Review: cora seen and heard.

Her dad Hank, a renovating fanatic, buys a run-down theatre in Tasmania, so they leave their home in Ipswich. Her mum, a therapist with her own radio program, is initially not thrilled with the idea.

Cora sees an opportunity to renovate herself in a place with new people. No more tripping over words when she speaks. Cora 2.0 will be born.

The theatre they find, has been neglected for years and is unlivable. But Hank is excited with this new venture and its unlimited possibilities.

Dressing Room One becomes Cora’s, and her sister Bekah’s bedroom.

Friday 2 August 2024

Review: dung beetle on a roll.

Did you know that like bees, there's a hierarchy in the dung beetle community? 

Dung Beetle on a Roll is written and illustrated by Sandra Servergnini . It's a narrative non-fiction exploration of the dung beetle world.

It explains what dung is and why dung beetles love it. Detailed, realistic illustrations help expose some of the minutiae of life as a dung beetle, from rollers to tunnellers to dwellers.

Thursday 1 August 2024

Review: the opal dinosaur.

With thoughtful reverence to the passing of time and acknowledgment of the evolution of humanity, new picture book team, Yvonne Mes and Syliva Morris, introduce young readers to the fascinating realm of Palaeontology and beyond. 

Wednesday 31 July 2024

Review: sunshine on vinegar street.

Twelve-year-old Freya must farewell her home in Eltham. 

Dad has taken a job in Broome and Mum has accepted a manager’s job in a café in Abbotsford, at the base of their apartment block. 

Their new home is on the eleventh floor opposite Little Audrey, the Skipping Girl Vinegar sign.

And Freya has a fear of lifts!

The apartment is dreary and infested with mice. This problem introduces Ashok, the handyman/caretaker of the building, who plays an important role later in the story.

Tuesday 30 July 2024

Review: penny draws a class trip.

New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard delivers us yet another page-turning, quip-wielding, laugh-inducing series of events and mishaps that propel 11-year-old Penny and her friends into their school trip and beyond. 

As with the previous books, Penny’s writing style is a doodle-diary of letters and pictures to her beloved dog Cosmo. The line drawings that accompany her words ensure that every page is visually dynamic and easy to move through, for both skilled and reluctant readers.

In this adventure, Penny and her classmates are whizzing off on a bus for a weekend school trip to New York. 

There, they will meet and workshop with famous author Billy J Plumberry, who also just-so-happens to be the namesake of their school.

Monday 29 July 2024

Reading to baby.

It’s a story that celebrates many things. At its heart, it illuminates the wonder of reading through repetition and layering of words, along with magical worlds and light-filled pictures.

We follow Dora from her birth right up until she has learned to read for herself.

When Dora was born, her brothers were very excited.

‘I’m going to cuddle her,’ said Alex.

‘I’m going to rock her to sleep,’ said Liam.

‘I’m going to make her laugh,’ said Bruno.

‘I’m going to read to her,’ said Peter.

Review: Ships In The Field 10th Anniversary Edition

This is the essence of this beautiful picture book by renowned collaborators, Susanne Gervay and Anna Pignataro ; a subtle yet powerful ode to the past and what ties us together in the present.

Friday 26 July 2024

Junior review: the majorly awkward bff dramas of lottie brooks.

It’s the beginning of a new year and everything in Lottie Brooks’ life seems to be going unusually well: Daniel as her boyfriend, the ‘Fun Police’ (Lottie’s Parents) becoming less anti-fun, and The Queens of Eight Green are better than ever. 

Thursday 25 July 2024

Meet the illustrator: mirelle ortega.

Wednesday 24 July 2024

Review: ferris.

Uncle Ted has moved into the basement to draw the history of the world and father believes that there is a racoon in the attic.

Pinky, Ferris’ six-year-old sister is determined to become an outlaw.

Ferris knows that she wants to hold Billy Jackson’s hand forever .

Kate DiCamillo sets out with no rules. The beauty of her singular style is that she can mention something, then drop it to write about something else, and return to the previous issue without losing a beat.

Tuesday 23 July 2024

Review: forbidden journal of rufus rumble #1: worst space crew ever.

Stamped on the front with shiny gold bits that emphatically state ‘Must Not Be Talked About,’ this book - with its hand-written feel and engaging line drawings - will definitely be talked about.

Rufus Rumble lives more than a hundred years in the future, and this alone is enough to pique reader interest and intrigue.  Also, Rufus has a ticket to SPACE. And if that’s not enough, he’s also on a quest to find his mother who simply vanished one morning, leaving Rufus to live with his grumpy old Grandad.

12 Curly Questions with author Sarah Luke

Monday 22 July 2024

Guest post: sandra bennett on researching an adventure story.

Adventure series writer, Sandra Bennett , visits today to highlight the importance of setting in stories. Learn how she is inspired to research her settings to create authenticity.

The first part of that research is deciding where to set the story. Many authors begin with an idea of a character, but for this series, it has always been about the location.

Right from the beginning, many years ago when I was in Bali, I knew I wanted to write an adventure story set on this exotic island. 

Friday 19 July 2024

Review: the book star.

Written by Bec Nanayakkara and illustrated by Joanna Bartel , The Book Star is a story which will resonate with many children and parents. 

Grace has lots of books about her favourite subject, space. She can tell you all about planets, stars, and the solar system. She'd love to travel into space, too.

When it's time for Book Week, and everyone is asked to come to the school party dressed as something bookish, Grace is inspired.

Thursday 18 July 2024

Junior review: two sides to every murder.

From two teenage girls' point of views, the novel Two Sides to Every Murder is impossible to put down, utilising alternating timelines between 2008 and the present day; it contains plot twists around every corner that keep you hooked.

In 2008 at Camp Lost Lake, two adults were murdered and one disappeared. Reagan’s mother, Lori Knight is deemed guilty of the murders, leaving her with the name ‘The Witch of Lost Lake’ due to the mask she wore whilst murdering her victims with a notorious bow and arrow. 

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• Editor: Peter Rose
• Editor: Helen Daniel
• Editor: Rosemary Sorensen
• Editor: Louise Adler
• Editor: Kerryn Goldsworthy
• Editor: John McLaren
• Editors: Max Harris , Rosemary Wighton .
• Editors: Max Harris , Geoffrey Dutton , Rosemary Wighton .
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Abstract history archive description.

The Australian Book Review ( ABR ) was established in 1961 to provide a forum for the review of new Australian books. Editors, Max Harris and Geoffrey Dutton, planned to 'notice' or review every new Australian book, but this desire proved difficult to realise due to a rising number of books and the difficulty of defining what an Australian book was. Nevertheless, ABR employed a range of reviewers to provide general readers with authoritative assessments of important books. These reviewers included Frank Kellaway , Olaf Ruhen , Vale Lindsay, Tom Shapcott , Brian Dibble , Bruce Beaver and Don Watson .

Rosemary Wighton became co-editor in 1962 after acting as associate editor for a short time. She and Harris remained co-editors of ABR until 1973 when the magazine ceased operation after finding it increasingly difficult to meet production costs. An attempt was made by the newly formed National Book Council (NBC) to buy ABR , but, due to legal technicalities, this was not possible at that time. In 1978, John McLaren convinced the NBC to revive ABR and the magazine was adopted as the official organ of the NBC.

John McLaren was appointed editor, proceeding in a manner similar to the first series by attempting to review all Australian books; but he also faced problems of space and definition. In 1986 Kerryn Goldsworthy replaced McLaren as editor, and introduced a stronger concentration on women's issues. Louise Adler followed Goldsworthy as editor in 1988 and attempted to provoke debate by commissioning controversial reviews, but her term concluded within twelve months. Rosemary Sorenson was appointed editor in 1989, bringing a lighter tone and a desire to attract a new readership with younger writers. Sorenson was assisted by major sponsorship from Telecom, allowing her to fund a series of essays. While ABR had always published features on various topics, the sponsorship gave the essays a more significant place. The essay feature has continued with similar sponsorship from the National Library of Australia and La Trobe University.

Helen Daniel edited ABR from 1994 until her death in 2000. She lifted the profile of the magazine by organising several series of public forums and encouraged new writers with competitions for fiction and reviewing. During this time, the NBC wound down its operations after a significant proportion of its government funding was withdrawn. This had an immediate effect on the stability of ABR , forcing the magazine to separate from its parent body and publish independently.

Peter Rose was appointed editor in January 2001 and has since expanded the scope of ABR by actively commissioning poetry and fiction. Rose also developed a sponsorship scheme to support the work of ABR . In 2002 La Trobe University became the Chief Sponsor of ABR , with the National Library of Australia as its National Sponsor. Three years later Flinders University became another key sponsor and in 2007 the wealth management group Ord Minnett took on the role of exclusive corporate sponsor.

• RANGE: 1961-1974; 1978-
• FREQUENCY: Monthly, (1961-Apr. 1971); Quarterly (June 1971-Nov. 1973); Monthly (June 1978- 1993); 10 issues per annum (1994- )
• SIZE: 36cm (1961-1971); 32cm (1972-1973); 27cm (1978-1985); 26cm (1986- ); between 20-64 pages
• PRICE: one shilling and ninepence (1961-1963); two shillings and sixpence (1963-1964); three shillings (1965); thirty-five cents (1966-1967); forty-five cents (1967-1969); fifty cents (1969-1971); $1.50 (1971-1974); $2 (1978-1982) $2.50 (1983); $3 (1984-1987); $3.50 (1987- 1988); $3.95 (1988-1989); $4.95 (1989-1997); $5.95 (1997- 2000); $6.55 (2000- )

Publication Details of Only Known Version Earliest 2 Known Versions of

• Publisher: National Book Council
• Publisher: Association for the Promotion of Australian Literature
• Publisher: Australian Book Review, Inc.
• Publisher: ABR Publications

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'When I began work on  A Maker of Books , I had no idea that Alec Bolton had succeeded ‘Peter Pica’ (the publisher and bookseller Andrew Fabinyi) as a pseudonymous critic of Australian book design and production for  Australian Book Review . He called himself ‘Martin Em’. I had set out to explore in detail Alec’s achievement as a letterpress printer of distinction at his private Brindabella Press, and also his long career in Australian publishing, but this was an unexpected discovery. The clue was a letter from Alec to John McLaren, the then editor of  ABR , which I found in a completely unrelated file in the Alec Bolton papers at the National Library of Australia. When I looked at Martin Em’s ‘BookShapes’ columns, published between 1978 and 1982, Alec’s distinctive voice was quite apparent.' (Introduction) 

'After a summer of bushfires across the nation and phenomenal loss and destruction, Australia – like the rest of world – now faces a health crisis of fearsome scope. As we go to press (earlier than planned because of present uncertainties), the scale of the threat, unprecedented in our times, is becoming stark.' (Introduction)

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Asus Zenbook S 16 review

Are we entering the x86 endgame.

Tom's Guide Verdict

Not all Copilot+ PCs are the same, and the Asus Zenbook S 16 proves that. AMD Ryzen AI 9 beats Snapdragon X Elite and Apple silicon in some areas like graphics and app compatibility, and the delicious design paired with stellar ergonomics make this a solid laptop. But it's high heat and lower power efficiency make a strong case for Arm being the real future of Windows laptops — not x86.

Gorgeous OLED display

Strix Point is a graphical powerhouse

Amazing keyboard and touchpad

No pesky Arm compatibility issues

x86 brings lower stamina than Arm

General performance falls behind Snapdragon

The long wait for Copilot+ features begins

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

• Cheat Sheet
• What I liked
• What I didn’t like

Copilot+ PCs are about to enter their confusing era with the Asus Zenbook S 16, as we welcome x86 to the party — bringing its own set of pros and cons that I’ll go into.

To talk about what’s going on here, the first of these new laptops packing Snapdragon X Elite rely on Arm processing. This is a mobile-first chip architecture that breaks down complex tasks into the barebones instructions and completes a single one with every tick of that processor’s clock cycle (otherwise known as Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC). 

And with this choice, you get key benefits that are important to laptop users like striking that fine balance between maximizing power and giving you a nice, long battery life (as can be seen in the battery behemoth that is the HP Omnibook X ).

Meanwhile, at Computex 2024 , we learnt more about what Intel and AMD is bringing to the mix in terms of its x86 chipsets — the architecture used for Windows PCs for over 30 years that uses Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) to tackle every part of a task equally. It’s done the job well over those three decades, but has historically been the source behind a lot of Windows laptop battery life woes.

It made me nervous-excited in the build up to actually being able to test a laptop with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (what a name), and some of my nervousness has been proven right. While the Zenbook S16 is certainly improved in the battery life department when compared with other x86 laptops, it still falls behind Arm-based systems. Not only that, but we uncovered slower general performance and disk loading speeds too.

Which leaves me feeling really conflicted, because I do like the Zenbook S16 — its OLED display is a feast for the eyes, keyboard and touchpad ergonomics are on point, it is very graphically capable, you won’t run into any Arm-based app compatibility issues, and I absolutely adore the ceraluminum finish and premium aesthetic.

However, while it does indeed outperform the M3 MacBook Air, the nitty gritty of the results give off the vibe that this laptop is being slightly held back by the past. It makes you really think about whether it's time for Microsoft to fully turn into Arm processing for itself and other laptop makers. And I know that sort of incendiary statement brings a tonne of work for developers turning their apps and games to Arm or relying on the Prism emulation layer.

But as the Copilot+ PC world starts to get a little more confusing, this can all be boiled down to one question you need to ask yourself: do you want compatibility comfort at the expense of worry-free battery life, or sit through the transition of several Windows apps to Arm and embrace a more perfect balance between power and stamina with a Snapdragon system?

And the more I think about it, the more I’m realizing that there may only be one correct answer here…

Asus Zenbook S 16: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a premium laptop — starting the next wave of Copilot+ PCs with AMD Strix Point CPU power.
• Who is it for? This one is for people looking for a big screen laptop that perfectly balances great performance with stellar battery life.
• How much does it cost? You can pick one up for $1,399 .
• What do we like? The laptop design and the OLED screen is gorgeous, I love the feel of the keyboard and touchpad, AMD has managed to outperform the MacBook Air in general performance and Snapdragon X Elite in the graphics department, and with x86, you won’t be running into any pesky compatibility issues that you do with Windows Arm laptops.
• What don’t we like? But while x86 gives with one hand, it takes away with the other in the form of reduced battery life, and a longer wait time for all those Copilot+ PC features. On top of that, general performance in our benchmarks does fall behind the Snapdragon X Elite.

Asus Zenbook S 16: Specs

Asus Zenbook S 16: What I liked

This is our first step into AMD’s Strix Point, so let’s get to the (ahem) point. Yes, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a powerhouse in plenty of areas that puts the M3 MacBook Air on notice. Not only that, but Asus’ attention to the aesthetics and ergonomics makes this rather nice to use.

Really really ridiculously good-looking

Asus struck gold with its design refresh involving these clean lines and utilitarian branding, and the Zenbook S 16 continues this trend with a gorgeously sophisticated notebook. It all starts with that ceraluminum finish (PR-speak for a ceramic/aluminum composite), which gives the lid an incredible textured finish that feels great to the touch and eliminates any fingerprints.

It’s also impressively thin and light for a 16-inch laptop, though the MacBook Air does pip it in thinness and the Surface Laptop 7 edges below in weight.

Then you open it up, and you’re greeted by a mouthwatering OLED screen (more on that later) alongside a fantastic keyboard/touchpad combination. In some ways, the touchpad reminds me of the Huawei MateBook X Pro — giving you controls over the brightness, volume and video scrubbing along the edges of it along with a smooth multi-touch surface.

Meanwhile, the keyboard is nicely spaced out with plenty of comfortable travel on each individual key. Put simply, you’ll really enjoy getting stuff done on here.

Tasty, tasty OLED

I was recently an OLED convert, and the Zenbook S 16 continues my love affair with the panel technology — a flash flood of accurate color for all your productivity and entertainment purposes. While LCD continues to pip it in terms of brightness, I’d happily give up a little bit of that in favor of this vividity.

In terms of that accuracy, the MacBook Air’s Liquid Retina panel does come close enough that you won’t really tell the difference in the sRGB gamut. But its in things like watching super colorful shows or making the most of that deep contrast ratio where the S 16 really comes into its own.

High horsepower (in some areas)

So let’s dabble with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in here. With 12 cores and 24 threads clocked at up to 5.1 GHz, it is capable of handily defeating the M3 MacBook Air and even comes close to taking on M3 Pro. When compared to Snapdragon X Elite, the picture is a little bit mixed, but we’re entering an era where Windows laptops are becoming more capable of taking on Apple silicon.

Where it does beat Snapdragon, however, is in three key areas:

• Graphics performance — that Radeon integrated GPU handily defeats Adreno
• AI performance — 50 Trillion Operations Per second (TOPs) on the NPU compared to X Elite’s 45 TOPs
• App compatibility — x86 has been supported for decades, so every Windows app will work unlike its Arm counterpart

Of course, these 3DMark results may be skewed slightly by the fact that they rely on x86 architecture, which means the Surface Laptop 7’s Snapdragon X Elite will have to run it through Prism translation. However, this is a realistic representation given the job of rebuilding a lot of apps to make the most of Arm is well underway and will take a while to finish. So a compromise in performance is expected.

Asus Zenbook S 16: What I didn’t like

A complicated picture is being painted by the new AMD chips here. On one hand, they are indeed more powerful in certain areas. But it’s almost as if the Zenbook S 16 is being slightly hamstrung from really competing with the Arm likes of Snapdragon X Elite and Apple silicon.

The battery life just can’t hang

If we were in a world where all Windows laptops were x86 and Microsoft’s Arm efforts were still a bit of a joke, I would be here telling you how the battery life has improved over the likes of Intel Core Ultra (which it has).

But we’re not. We’re in a new era where Windows 11 systems are capable of outlasting MacBooks, so it’s time to alter expectations:

As you can see, the not-so-power-efficient nature of x86 means it falls behind its competition by at least a couple of hours.

Plus, in what seems to be a symptom of most Copilot+ PCs we’ve tested, while thermal management has improved over last generation chips, they do still get noticeably hotter than Apple’s notebooks.

General performance slips a little too

As you saw from the performance charts up above, the margins between AMD and Qualcomm are fine, but there is a difference here in Geekbench scores, SSD transfer speeds and the way it handles transcoding video.

In practice, these won’t be the biggest dips in performance in real world use. I experienced extremely little slowdown under intense multitasking pressure. But the numbers don’t lie, and with both the Arm Surface Laptop 7 and x86 Zenbook S 16 coming in at near-identical prices, you are getting a slightly better price-to-performance ratio when it comes to tackling multi-core tasks and loading up big files.

Asus Zenbook S 16: Verdict

Copilot+ PCs are entering their confusing era, as not every chip will give you the same experience you’d expect from reading our current crop of reviews.

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is, in many ways, a good laptop. The OLED display is a spectacle encased in that beautiful ceraluminum shell with a top notch keyboard and touchpad. Not only that, but sticking to x86 gives you no issues with app compatibility while Windows developers scramble to create Arm versions.

However, you can’t stop the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Strix Point plays second fiddle to Snapdragon X Elite. I mean there are some areas where it reigns supreme, such as integrated graphics and AI processing with that larger NPU.

But the Arm variant of Copilot+ PCs strikes a better balance between performance and power efficiency — something that I would pick even though running into some apps that just don’t work yet can be frustrating.

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.

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Alliance Française French Film Festival 2024

The Alliance Française French Film Festival, the world’s largest showcase of French cinema outside of France, returns in 2024 for its thirty-fifth edition, with its usual eclectic mix of films from arthouse to mainstream cinema. Francophiles and cinephiles alike can see films from a range of genres, including drama, romantic comedy, social comedy, thriller, and historical biopic – from renowned directors like Marcel Carné and Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, to newcomers like Marie Amachoukeli. This year’s festival features the usual big names in French cinema – Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Daniel Auteuil, Laure Calamy, and Mathieu Almaric – alongside some excellent début performances. Here are some of the highlights.

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Independent bookshop owners hopeful Booktopia's collapse will help boost business

Every morning, Jo Canham starts her day by quietly carrying her bookshop's A-frame sign to the middle of Port Fairy, a little seaside town in regional Victoria. 

Two tall rainbow flags are then installed out the front of her tan brick bookshop before she returns inside to the converted masonic hall's warmth.

She has enjoyed the same routine for nearly 20 years.

She did it before Booktopia's dramatic collapse in early July and has continued to do it every morning since. 

Ms Canham says she doesn't pay too much attention to the online bookselling behemoths.

"Big warehouses like Booktopia tend to make my skin crawl," she says with a laugh. 

"I'm not sad about its demise. It felt to me like a form of torture for the authors who were invited to Booktopia's warehouses to sign hundreds and hundreds of books at a time. 

"To me that had no heart at all."

Love it or loathe it, the bookselling industry was rocked when Booktopia collapsed with reported debts of around $60 million.

Rather than a death knell for the industry broadly, Ms Canham hopes the collapse will be a reminder for readers of the value of their local haunt.

"I'm really hoping it wakes people up to support the little book shops who are supporting the local authors and [for] everyone to sort of support their own community, " she says.

"We don't need warehouses and we don't need CEOs." 

'Far from a dying breed'

The COVID pandemic gave booksellers a much-needed boost.

It prompted Booktopia to expand its operations exponentially, purchasing robots to pick, pack, and send a package every 3.9 seconds at peak production.

Things have quietened down substantially post-pandemic. 

The head of Australian Booksellers Association, Robbie Egan, says industry-wide sales dropped by just 2 per cent last financial year, something he likened to a win amid skyrocketing living costs.

Mr Egan says rumours of the industry's demise had been greatly exaggerated. 

"You see something that big crash and burn and you think, 'Well, books are f**ked,' but we're not," he says. 

Mr Egan says the trope of bookstores constantly being on the brink of closing down could not be more wrong.

"I think brick-and-mortar independent bookshops will get more customers out of this," he says.

"You never want to see a large operator go out of business like that because a lot of people are affected, a lot of people lose jobs, and Australian writing and publishing is affected.

"But the industry generally, in independent bookstores, is pretty resilient."

Not for the money

As resilient as it may be, the industry is not financially rewarding.

In the picturesque Gippsland town of Lakes Entrance, Elaine Medhurst runs her own books and games store. 

Like Ms Canham, she has spent decades in the bookselling business out of love.

"You don't open a bookstore expecting to become a millionaire," Ms Medhurst says. 

She remains practical about the industry and says those who previously shopped online with Booktopia would likely find another website. 

However, there is still a core group that continues to visit her shop.

"We still have a huge amount of people who just want to walk into a bookstore, open the door, and take a big sniff and smell the books," she says.

"You do it because you love it."

Back in Port Fairy, that love continues to drive Jo Canham. 

She plans to continue popping out her A-frame and re-arranging books daily, as well as pushing new authors to the tourists and locals that flock to her rainbow shopfront. 

However, it doesn't mean she is without a care.

"I can't say I'm not concerned about the future of books and writing," she says. 

"Readers are torn between so many distractions at the moment and even I find myself distracted a lot more than I should be."

Lately, that distraction has been in the form of the Port Fairy Literary Weekend, a festival Ms Canham created to share her love for literature beyond her bookshop doors. 

Perhaps it is that passion that will keep the front door of her old masonic hall open for years to come.

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• Book Publishing Industry
• Books (Literature)
• Lakes Entrance
• Online Shopping
• Small Business