Our dozen Top Aussie Reads of 2016
This year I’ve had the opportunity to read 24 titles by Aussie Authors and there will certainly be more in December. But I’ve decided to share my favourites before Christmas this year in the hope that some of the lesser known gems find their way onto wish lists and holiday reading piles.
So without further adieu, in countdown style, here are my dozen
Top Aussie Reads of 2016
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#12 The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion
Just in case you’re under any illusions, this novel is decidedly different than those that have come before from this author (the international bestselling The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect) — it is not a romantic comedy, and it does contain explicit adult content. The Best of Adam Sharp is a compelling drama about love, life and choices, infused with Simsion’s trademark wit and poignancy. Read our full review…
#11 The Rarest Thing by Deborah O’Brien
Do not for one minute read this novel’s subtitle ‘A High Country Love Story’ and write it off as your typical commercial rural romance. Deborah O’Brien plumbed great depths in her outwardly light-hearted novel The Trivia Man, and now has crafted something truly special in this novel. If that I read The Rarest Thing in a single day is not sufficient endorsement, I highly recommend you give yourself the opportunity to be moved and uplifted by this story of living rather than simply existing. Read our full review…
#10 The Wisdom Tree, a collection of 5 novellas by Nick Earls
It is a mystery to me why prior to the publication of Nick Earls’ The Wisdom Tree I’d not got around to reading any of this local and prolific author’s earlier titles, and something I intend to rectify based on the strength of this collection. Readers will connect with some stories more than others, but what is common to all is Nick Earls’ poised and nuanced prose. And, the references to Australian pop culture peppered throughout were a real treat. Read our full review…
#9 Five Ways to Be Famous Now by Maurilia Meehan
I am both in awe of and just a tiny bit concerned for the clever mind from which this deliciously dark and twisted tale was born. At only 190 pages (with large font) Maurilia Meehan’s 5 Way to be Famous Now is a small literary serving that packs a real punch… a fantastically irreverent and highly amusing web of deceit, that’s well worth unravelling. Read our full review…
#8 Ghost Girls by Cath Ferla
Quality fiction can entertain us or challenge us, the characters can take us on an emotional journey we may not otherwise experience or the story’s setting or subject matter will cause us to give greater consideration to our own opinions and actions… but rare is it that a ‘thriller’ will achieve all of these things. Ghost Girls is a novel with impact — an important story told in a powerful way. Read our full review…
#7 The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
Heather Rose’s wonderful languorous prose and omnipotent narrative are best engaged with while open to quiet contemplation. Readers are taken on a moving journey witnessing the transformation of her characters. The message that reverberates throughout is for there to exist great sadness or loss there must also be great love to be experienced, celebrated or admired. Just like any art form, not everyone will connect with The Museum of Modern Love, but it left a lasting impression on me. Read our full review…
#6 That Devil’s Madness by Dominique Wilson
Having admired the moving storyline in Dominique Wilson’s 2014 novel The Yellow Papers, I was looking forward to seeing what weighty subject matter she would tackle next. This, her venture into the tumultuous history of her birth place Algeria, surpassed my expectations…. A story that is both intimate and epic, That Devil’s Madness is a powerful and compelling novel from a very talented Australian author. Read our full review…
#5 Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty (Sean Duffy Series)
Okay, so I know this one was actually released in 2015 but I enjoyed it in 2016. In The Morning I’ll Be Gone was one of my Best Books of 2015 and in this next outing McKinty once again displays his inimitable skill at switching from light-hearted banter to life-altering (and deeply moving) moments — crafting a compelling crime mystery and web of conspiracies that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages, or as in my case, listening to this audiobook superbly narrated by Gerard Doyle, into the wee hours. Read our full review…
#4 The End of Seeing by Christy Collins
This novella is searingly poignant, quietly profound and countless more superlatives. But such effusive praise sits in stark contrast to the sparing yet artful prose that has evoked it. The End of Seeing is a must read, but not an easy one. Deeply affecting, this narrative speaks to the wounded beauty of people and society — where there is great loss, one can also find survival and its myriad choices. Read our full review…
#3 Black Teeth by Zane Lovitt
Zane Lovitt’s debut novel, the literary crime thriller The Midnight Promise was one of my Best Books of 2014, so I could not wait to dive into his much anticipated second novel. Truly impressive is the depth of characterisation Lovitt achieves in leading man Jason Ginaff (an expert in the use of aliases, a socially isolated chameleon). And the complexity and originality of the plot, first class. In Black Teeth Zane Lovitt has crafted another bona fide page turner worthy of much rumination. Read our full review…
#2 We Ate The Road Like Vultures by Lynnette Lounsbury
This novel is so many kinds of wonderful. I was mesmerised from the very first line. Lounsbury’s characters are luminous… an addictive mix of farce and philosophy, caring for people but not for their egos. And the endearing narrator on this wild ride is Lulu — a bookish soul wise beyond her years trapped in the body of a feisty late teen. We Ate The Road Like Vultures is strikingly original, intelligent and beautiful in its celebration of living. A cult classic in the making. Read our full review…
#1 Black Rock White City by A S Patric
Yes, this title won the 2016 Miles Franklin Award, but I’d already rated it a 5 star read before that. Read in a single day, Black Rock White City exceeded my already high expectations from this author. Stunning in its complexity and powerful use of symbolism, Patric hones in on resilience and beauty amidst bleakness. His exploration of the nuance of language and its usage, in celebration of beauty and capacity to both connect and marginalise is haunting. Black Rock White City defies typical genre categorisation, and perhaps this is the mark of a truly great novel… with the intensity and suspense of a psychological thriller, the lyricism and universality of great literature, and the grittiness and brutality of a crime novel. Deeply affecting novel… I cannot recommend more highly. Read our full review…
Are any of these titles on your Christmas wishlist?
In the comments below, share with us some of your favourite Aussie Reads during 2016.
While you’re here, you might also like to check out our Top 10 International Reads of 2016 and sign-up for our Aussie Author Challenge 2017.
