It’s never a bad time to get stuck into a good book! Find a comfy chair, brew a coffee, and enjoy these Australian reads, all available as eBooks.
The Dry by Jane Harper. A NYT best-seller, mystery/thriller set in outback Oz.
Breath by Tim Winton. A fictional tale of adolescence set in Western Australia.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. A romantic comedy about a genetics professor looking for love.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. A true story taking place in the vast landscape of Iceland.
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton. A story of brotherhood, true love, family, and the most unlikely of friendships set in Brisbane.
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. Classic historical fiction set at the turn of the century.
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. Masterful family saga set in Perth, WA.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Now a major TV series, read the original book set in Sydney.
The Ladies in Black by Madeleine St John. Also a major movie, turn back the clock to the height of 1950's department store fashion.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland. A moving novel about untold stories.
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. A travelogue book about Australia.
A Children’s Book of Aboriginal Stories (open access download).
Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories (read online).
Reads for NAIDOC week
Forgotten War – Henry Reynolds: Delving into why it is more controversial to talk about the frontier war now than it was 100 years ago, this powerful book makes it clear that there can be no reconciliation in Australia without acknowledging the wars fought on its own soil.
Australia Day – Stan Grant: In this book, Stan Grant talks about our country, about who we are as a nation, about the indigenous struggle for belonging and identity in Australia, and what it means to be Australian.
Talking to My Country – Stan Grant: This book talks to every Australian about their country - what it is, and what it could be. It is not just about race, or about indigenous people but all of us, our shared identity.
Dark Emu – Bruce Pascoe: Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the ‘hunter-gatherer’ tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession.
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia – Anita Heiss: A collection of short stories that showcases many diverse voices, experiences, and stories in order to answer the question: “What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia?”
Not just black and white – Lesley Williams: Respected Murri Elder Lesley Williams’ story is a frank and moving testimony to the injustices and discrimination faced by Indigenous Australians forced to live as ‘inmates’ in government and church-run ‘settlements’ in the middle of the last century.
Welcome to Country: A Travel Guide to Indigenous Australia – Marcia Langton: Welcome to Country is a curated guidebook to Indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. Author Professor Marcia Langton offers fascinating insights into Indigenous languages and customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, and cultural awareness and etiquette for visitors.
Terra nullius – Claire G. Coleman: This is not Australia as we know it. This is not the Australia of our history. This TERRA NULLIUS is something new, but all too familiar. This is an incredible debut from a striking new Australian Aboriginal voice.
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