gedge

I'm currently reading and enjoying by Aussie authors:

Five Months in a Leaky Boat: Ben Kozel

The Wrong Way Home: Peter Moore

Would also recommend:
Three Men in a Raft: Ben Kozel

Touching the Void: Joe Simpson
He's not an Aussie, but it's bldy good. The films alright too.

topcat

Excellent thread, I've hardly read anything austrlian since arriving but at least I know now who to look out for.

I have to say that Brisbane city libraries are pretty good. You join one and are automatically a member of all of them so can return your books to any one you fancy.

Each individual library doesn't have that many books but you can order a book from another library (costs about 50cents). There does seem to be a fairly high natural turnover in my local one. And you can borrow magazines(!), CDs, DVDs etc.

Only downside is that most close at 3pm on a Saturday though the city one is also open on a sunday.

MeganEkno

Brilliant book - it's called My Place

tiredwithtwins

just thought id send this one back to the top!

to all the expats bookworms - I got hold of 'the fatal shore' by robert hughes online at whsmith reduced to 6.99, and it was delivered free to the store in town (so no p&p!) will be sat with a bottle of wine and me specs on tonight!!

any newbies with any recommendations?

sue

Hels

One Aussie book that I remember reading that had me crying with laughter was a book called

He died with a felafel in his hand

Author was: John Birmingham

Its a book going through a young mans experiences in share accomodation.

I was literally crying with laughter....

Hels

Centurix

Peter Goldsworthy: Kiss
John A Scott: What I Have Written

Both regulars of the Adelaide writers festival. Well worth reading. 'What I Have Written' was adapted into a screenplay, you can rent it at any decent video store...

Pollyana

Others by him are "The Tasmanian Babes Fiasco" and a new one called "Dopeland" - an intimate look at the Aussie dope scene - screamingly fun, perhaps I should post this on the drugs thread?

Hels

It might be a good idea!! Especially for all those that think Oz is Utopia

I will have to look out for those other books when I get home...Will look forward to reading them

Hels

Pollyana

Tas Babes is similar to Felafel, very funny. The Dopeland one is allegedly all true - he goes all round Oz testing dope plants, and meeting dopeheads - proves theres a lot of it out here. His descriptions of some of the characters he meets are sooo good

Hels

I might even see if I cant get it over here so I have it to read on the trip home!! The last time I travelled home I read 3 of the saddest, but inspirational books I think I have ever read. Have you read "A boy called It"??

anya4oz

Sounds fascinating - a bit like an Aussie Michael Moore! Will look out for them.

BTW, courtesy MarkMyWords, I am now the proud owner of a copy of 'The Potato Factory', which I am saving to read on the long plane journey in a few weeks .

It looks great; many thanks for the recommendation - I will post a review!

Anya.

anya4oz

Thanks for bumping it up, Sue! For me, it serves as a haven of intelligent discussion among like-minded people (a great contrast to so much of the boring cr*p flying round many of the other threads ).

BTW, can anyone recommend an Oz version of, say, 'Granta Magazine' or 'The London Review of Books' or 'The Times Literary Supplement'? Reading reviews of new books is almost (but not quite) as good as reading the books!

Cheers
Anya.

PS - the shippers reckon I have 85 boxes of books! Blimey! Is this a record???
:scared:

Sandy.l

Just to follow on from this, I got a great copy of 'The Singing Line' on ebay for £2 inc postage and I have to say that this is a fantastic book! I'm about halfway through it and absolutely love it!!!

I also got hold of a copy of Rabbit Proof Fence DVD and I'm going to watch it tomorrow night, with a good drop of Aussie Red to accompany it!!

Really, get the book it's superb!

Sandy

HiddenPaw

This is a great thread - I haven't read it before now. There's a couple of books mentioned here that I thought were excellent - The Singing Line & Into the Blue. (I'm the sort of person who puts a book away if not captivated within the first 30 pages - I'm looking forward to trying some of those mentioned here.) I have The Dig Tree but haven't started reading it yet.

HAs anyone read Germaine Greer's 'Whitefella Jump Up'? Philip Knightley did a review of this book in Friday's Independent. I know she gets a lot of bad press...just wondered if anyone has read it?

Badge

Robert Barratt writes a series of books about a character called Les. He is a personable, ex bouncer, QLDer, rugby league player, who likes good food and wine, who gets in to all sorts of adventures with his mates, he's got the gift of the gab, staying just within the law and invariably gets the girl(s).

I loved it because his character thinks just like me*. Scary!!? When I came to write my book on my first year in Australia I drew on some of his writing style.

;-)

Except I am not an ex nightclub bouncer* and I don't get in too many punchups these days...(!?)

BM