Recommendation for a novel set in Australia, please. Thank you
Recommendation for a novel set in Australia, please. Thank you
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Recommendation for a novel set in Australia, please. Thank you
The Thornbirds
@Toni loved The Thorn Birds
The best.
Oh, we have so many amazing writers here in Australia! What sort of novels do you like – thrillers, rural romances etc?
Love Kate Morton!!
Literary fiction. Like Carey, Malouf, Grenville. Loved My Brilliant Career, by Miles Franklin.
Rosie project, all of Lianne Moriarty, the Dress maker (there are 2 with that title but I don’t remember the author)
Good historical please
@Carolyn The Narrow Road to the Deep North. An incredible, amazing book!
@Ellie That was such a great book! Hard to read, because of the subject matter, but I’ll never forget it.
@Denise Wasnt it! Awful subject matter, but he took you right into it, you were there!
@Ellie
Or Rural
The Dry by Jane Harper
https://www.amazon.com/Town-Like-Alice-Vintage-International-ebook/dp/B0036894N2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539732889&sr=8-1&keywords=a+town+like+alice
Big little lies surprised me
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
The forgotten garden by Kate Morton
My brilliant career, Rabbit Proof Fence, Picnic at Hanging Rock
Brilliant Career is such a good read!
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Mutant Message Down Under.
The Light Between Oceans
@Katie Enjoyed the movie
The thornbirds
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Yes, The Thornbirds!
@Anne Loved it
Yes the first book that came to my mind! Great recommendation
The Dry by Jane Harper ?
My Brilliant Career
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
A Town Like Alice
Thornbirds
????
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington
@Stephanie Rabbit Proof Fence for sure. Although Markus Zusak wrote a fantastic book in ‘The Book Thief’ but I believe it was set in Germany.
That’s correct. He is an Australian author. I wasn’t thinking.
@Stephanie I do highly recommend the book though!
@Stephanie I’ve seen the movie Rabbit Proof Fence, very good.
Crimes of the Father by Keneally
Jane Harper!
Scrublands
Thorn Birds
The Thornbirds … oldie but goodie!
This is one of my favorite books EVER!!!
Nonfiction— The Road from Coorain.
Four Fires – Bryce Courteney
Not a novel, but I loved Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country. Very funny.
I reread it every time I go to AU. My only complaint is that he didn’t do much in Perth, where my son lives, except walk around and get a sunburn!?
I laughed till I cried at that book.
Power of One by Bryce Courteney
So good!! Why did I think that one was set in South Africa? Might have to revisit it.
The Power of One was my gateway book. The Australia trilogy are the best books I have ever read. Bryce Courtenay was (he passed several years ago) was an amazing author.
Maybe it is South Africa – I had planned to suggest Wilber Smith who is Australian, but apparently none of his books are set there. Did not investigate Bryce.
@Christa Courtenay mastered London, SA and Australia. The trilogy is an emotional and sensory roller coaster. Think Dickens meets Tolstoy meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
yes…I’ve read some of his books. The Power of One and Four Fires. Both excellent.
@Nikki Wilbur Smith is South African?
Wow – guess you see what you want to see – I saw Australian – when I did my search. And when I did it again, suddenly not Australian. Sorry I messed up!
@Christa One of my favorite Bryce Courtney books and yes set in SA.
@Theresa thanks for the recommendations. I’ll have to check it out.
The Thorn Birds.
On the beach
Dry by Jane Harper
What genre?
@Krista historical fiction
Big Little Lies, A Light Between Oceans
A tv series set in Australia is “A Place to Call Home”.
One of my favorite shows!
Great actors, and the setting is beautiful.
Cozy mystery series by Kerry Greenwood, the Phrynne Fisher series. I think ‘Cocaine Blues’ is the first book. Set in Melbourne in the ” 1920’s
Please please please please please follow up on this suggestion. Bryce Courtenay The Australia trilogy. The best books I have ever read. Ever.
I have most of Bryce’s books but remind me on The Australia Trilogy which is first??? I started reading him with his book that I loved The Power of One.
@Ruth The Potato Factory is first, then Tommo and Hawk, last is Song of Solomon. I was so sad to say goodbye to the characters.
@Theresa – I think I have them all will just have to check the size of the print. We have made quite a few trips to Australia so I am always on the lookout for good stories on the country.
I don’t think I could ever go now. Courtenay painted rugged wild Australia for me and I don’t want to ruin it ? If you have them, the time commitment is huge! But so very worth it!
The Thornbirds
Oh yes!!!!!
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Liane Moriarty x
The Secret River by Kate Grenville (historical fiction)
A Town Called Alice by Nevil Shute
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
“Masterpiece Theatre” adapted “A Town Called Alice” back in the Eighties. Wonderful, and featured the gorgeous Bryan Brown.
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Hello from the Gillespies
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin, Songlines by Bruce Chatwin.
Loved Career! Have started Song Lines.
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
The Thornbirds
The dry and the light between oceans
Seven Little Australians, An Isolated Incident, Salt Creek, The Light Between Oceans
@Elaine Seven Little Australians is wonderful, I loved it!
So was the Light Between Oceans, for that matter!
Hello from the Gillespies was an interesting book about family that’s set in Australia! It’s by Monica McInerney
Two If By Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard — a strange, magical family story set in contemporary Australia. Bonus: horses!
The Dry by Harper
Stolen, A Letter to my Captor. Jellicoe Road. Days Like This.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute – gives you an idea of what life was life in the Outback after WWII. One of my absolute favorite books
Mine, too!!
All Liane Moriarty’s books are in Australia (but you wouldn’t know it, really).
It is somewhat noticeable to me, being from Canada. The seasons are switched and there are some other peculiarities.
yeah, you can tell, but there’s not a whole lot for description of scenery (other than being by the ocean and such). Great books tho.
Christmas in summer…
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
Big Little Lies
The Dressmaker. The movie is good too with Kate Winslet!
A Town Like Alice by Neville Schute…shoot, people already said this o e!
My first thought, too!!
And somebody also probably said The Thorn Birds. Seconded!
I also loved Mutant Message by Marlo Morgan when it came out. Also, I very much know New Zealand isn’t Australia, but I love The Bone People by Keri Hume.
@Bron Reading The Bone People now. Agree, love it.
If you like Young Adult fiction, then anything by John Marsden. He is best known for his series “Tomorrow When the War Began,” about a group of Australian teenagers engaging in guerrilla warfare to recapture their homeland after it is invaded and taken over by a never named country. Great series. Action adventure, which is not my usual thing, but great plot and character development, and moves fast.
Yes! Read this series!
Ooo! Ellie! Of course _you_ love the books! ?
@Elizabeth Lol shes such an awesome protagonist ????
She is wonderful. And I’m amazed a male author could write so well from a young woman’s perspective.
I didn’t, Ellie! Thank you so much for sharing that. It is wonderful!
Have you read Marsden’s books other than the Tomorrow series? Letters From the Inside broke my heart. So powerful. So disturbing.
Elizabeth Lilly I think I read just about every one when I was a teenager. I’m now 38 lol. Letters From the Inside was amazing, the ending just about broke my heart! I think my fave was The Great Gatenby, because it was hilarious! I think Dear Miffy went over my head, it was so dark. Really should re-read now. So Much To Tell You was the first one I ever read, and I loved it. I also really enjoyed the one by the other girl in her dorm, was it Lisa? I cant remember what that one was called.
Are you an Aussie? I’m a Merican.
@Elizabeth Yep, I am! So glad Americans read John Marsden!
Did you read The Thorn Birds?
Yes, loved it
I’ll start with The Thorn Birds
The Slap was interesting – and then there’s an Australian and American miniseries adaptation and I found it fascinating the things that were changed in the American one.
I also really like Oscar and Lucinda.
Cloudstreet
Thorn Birds
The Dry.
Light between oceans.
Thornwood House was pretty good. Thorn Birds was fabulous.
The dressmaker…
I met the author of it last week. She was lovely
Eucalyptus by Murray Bail.
Crimson Lake by Candace Fox
All of Candace’s Fox’s books are great.
How about New Zealand instead? Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge. Older novel that inspired me to put NZ & Mt St Michel on my bucket list.
Jane Harper – The Dry, and Force of Nature. Her new book is coming out: The Lost Man
Kerry Greenwood – writes the Phryne Fisher series
Gary Disher is excellent
A Town Called @Alice.
Thorn Birds
Anything by Janet Frame. or the phrynie fisher mysteries.
Isn’t Frame a New Zealand writer?
Oh, Shame on me. Yes. you are right. ?
@Terri I thought so. The only book of hers I’ve read is Angel at My Table. What others have you read?
Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda: marvelous. ?
The Dry by Jane Harper, Cairo by Chris Womesley
April Fool’s Day by Bryce Courteney, non-fiction?On The Beach by Nevil Shute.
I loved April fools day
Kate Grenville’s The Secret River and The Lieutenant; The Untold by Courtney Collins (called The Burial in AU)
gonna check these out thanks
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Thorn Birds
Red Dog
And Blue Dog!! Both lovely stories ?
Bryce Courtenay- the potato factory and Jessica and Matthew flinders cat
Rabbit proof fence
River of Gold
There is a long list of titles, I will go check them. My love’s son has just yesterday moved to Australia for three years and I want to get to know the country. Thanks for the topic, Carolyn!
My only son moved to AU in 2003. My only granddaughters live there, too. ?Haven’t seen them in five years+. I’ve been there about six times, they’ve been here once. I’ve been unable to travel for a few years due to health issues, but I’m hoping to be able to go again soon.
Four Fires, Bryce Courtenay.
Anything by Tim Winton
A town called Alice
both the book and the movie were great
All of Liane Moriarty’s books ?
The inaugural meeting of the fairvale ladies book club
Breath.
Or as Amanda mentioned above, anything by Tim Winton. He’s a wordsmith from a whole other dimension.
Also try The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted. Robert Hillman
The Pearl Sister- Lucinda Riley. Historical novel set in Aus
This is a series can you read The Pearl Sister as a stand alone?
@Ruth yes
An oldie but goodie – On the Beach by Nevil Shute
Jessica, Bryce Courtenay
Love Jessica
The Three Miss Allens by Victoria Purman
The Better Son, Katherine Johnson
Jessica by Bryce Courtney is a must read, one of my most memorable past reads.
I like Bryce’s books and loved Jessica…
If you like mysteries:
https://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/Australia.html
The secret daughter
Who is the author on this one? Looked it up on Amazon and seemed about India?
The true history of the Kelly gang
The Dry, Big Little Lies, the Other Daughter
The Thornbirds
I so loved the thorn birds. Maybe my most favourite. Anyone know more books like this that I might enjoy
walkabout
????
A Town Called Alice. Really good.
Tim Winton is one of my favourites x
A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute
Wow! Thank you all. I’m saving this thread so that I can work my way through all these great recommendations. You guys are the best!
The Road From Coorain.
Great book but not a novel. I love this book and just re-read it this year along with her follow up memoir.
The Dead Heart, by Douglas Kennedy.
I’m reading Peter Walsh’s “Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight” right now. I don’t think that’s what you meant, but I thought it was a funny coincidence! ?
@Stacy HaHa. Peter is Australian?
All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld. It’s set in a past/present format so the present is in Scotland (I think?), but the past is around Australia. A beautiful, heart wrenching book you won’t be able to put down
Bryce courtney
(1) Walkabout by James Vance Marshall
(2) Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman
(3) Flame Tip by Karenlee Thompson (short story collection)
The Fatal Shore – Robert Hughes, and by Peter Carey — the True History of the Kelly Gang & A Long Way Home
The Dry and Force of Nature by Jane Harper.
The Thorn Birds
Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman.
Big little lies and the light between oceans ?
The Shepherd’s Hut by TIm WInton
Thorn Birds. It’s an oldie but goodie
The Thorn Birds
Half of this book is in Australia: A Town Like Alice–an absolutely wonderful book; also, it’s a WWII story, often very hard to read about what happened to these people, but it’s also a love story and quite well done. Takes place in Thailand, England, and Australia. I did enjoy The Thorn Birds, but I like A Town Like Alice more. Fun fact: Bryan Brown is in both movies based on these 2 books.
Love old Bryan!
True History of the Kelly Gang, Peter Carey
Wow, A Town Like Alice!…that stirs up the cobwebs in the brain. I remember that, series (now that I googled it). I think it was really good. I haven’t run across the book.
It totally floored me. I haven’t read the book, though.
I read it recently and loved it!
It’s a good read. I didn’t remember much about the series, but read the book this year.
Judy Nunn – most of her books
A light between oceans
The potato factory trilogy
The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham and The Songlines. Very different books, but both good reads.
songlines was a bit of a mind-expander for me! i was having series of tiny strokes,and i think that book helped create some new and better linkages, i read it over and over then. ?
@Marnia so pleased you found a little healing in the book
I enjoyed The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. It was written in 1977 so it’s been out a while and they made a mini series about the book but not quite as involved as the book which is quite lengthy.
I love this book as well! I’ve read it a dozen times! ?❤️
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347698.The_Secret_River. An absolute beauty. I loved it.
Jasper Jones – I have just finished it Fiona and it is an Australian To Kill a mocking bird also Jesica by Bryce Courtney- it is a perfect depiction of living in the outback and a very strong woman to boot ?