Get Reading! is Australia's largest annual celebration of books and reading. (Previously called Books Alive)
In 2010 Get Reading! runs from 25 August to 30 September, and encourages all Australians to GET LOST, GET FRESH, GET HOOKED, GET REAL and GET COMFY with a book. (taken from site)
A Guide of 50 Books You Can't Put Down offers a range of books across all genres to suit all tastes with the one criteria: you will not be disappointed. Bring it on I say!
An independent panel of highly regarded booksellers, publishers, authors, literary agents, library representatives and critics, all book lovers, select the 50 titles from a long list of around 250 books.
The best thing about it is - most libraries participate (adding all 50 titles to their catalogue) and bigger department stores carry a lot of the titles (meaning 40% off RRP - yay I'm scoring my own sacred copy of Beatle Meets Destiny!)
While books are by international authors - Australian titles dominate the guide. The Govt invests $2 million each year in the campaign.
So - this years guide was finally launched today - and here's the YA titles that made it in (I've added links to goodreads if you're interested in the synopsis) - and highlighted my favourites. Oh - and added some adult picks from the guide :)
2010
- Japser Jones Craig Silvey
- Loathing Lola William Kostakis (a fun read)
- Marked Pc & Kristin cast
- Halo Alexandra Adornetto (by teen Aussie author. Anyone read it? What;s the verdict? Angels scare me, haha).
- Alone James Phelan
- Beatle Meets Destiny - Gabrielle Williams. My review. My verdict: Read. This. Book. Asap. Brilliance.
- Everything Beautiful - Simmone Howell. Scarily awesome. You wont forget Riley after meeting her. She's one rocking girl in one wild story :)
Adult Picks:
Truth - Peter Temple (winner of the Miles Franklin)
Under the Dome - Steven King
Here's the YA picks from some previous years:
2009
- The Host - Stephenie Meyer
- Finnikin of the Rock - Melina Marchetta
- Brisingr - Christopher Paolini
- Eagle day - Robert Muchamore (I loved his Cherubs series - anyone else read them?)
- Somebody's crying - Maureen McCarthy (I'm a fan of Maureen -but didnt make it past 50 pages. FAIL: I put it down! haha)
My Fave Adult Picks:
- The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell (One of my fave reads of last year. have since read all her other books. Recommend!)
- The Road - Cormac McCarthy
2008
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Obernewtyn - Isobelle Carmody
- The Keys to the Kingdom Book Six - Garth Nix
- Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
Fave Adult Picks:
- The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (haunting epic)
- Addition by Toni Jordan (sexy and off-beat) and the cover of spooning toothbrushes? <3
Fave MG: Nim's Island - Wendy Orr
Also: Graeme base
2007
- Will - Maria Boyd (This book is awesome. male POV and very very funny and cool. <3 )
- While I Live (The Ellie Chronicles) John Marsden
- Rose By Any Other Name - Maureen MacCarthy
- Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier (Anyone read this? I've heard it's very good. I often pick it up @ my library and consider it :)
Adult Picks:
- The Thirteenth Tale - Dianne Setterfeld
- Marley and Me - John Grogan
MG: Zac Power - Poison Island - H I Larry (my boys collect these books & love them to death)
I love National campaigns like this - and this week is Book Week so off to the library on the weekend with the kids to do some epic Lego challenges (based around books) Plus, I'll be bringing home the CBCA winning title and honour books - whoo hoo!
And, I didnt think much of the cover when I saw it online but it the flesh it's really rocking - LOVE - it's actually really shiny and bold and daring and captivating. Hmm, I can tell some of you don't believe me :) (the old me didnt believe that either)
xx
Bah, I have so many books to read!
ReplyDeleteAnd who cares about the cover when you have Mockingjay *SQUEE* I'm still waiting for mine, and still going mad.
LOL @ cover - i know. and i'm 100 pages in and about to climb into bed and probably read it through the night (I'm a fan of reading through the squeaky hours of the night)
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a copy soon from somewhere...
thinking of you xx
- oh, and i hope you dont stumble across any spoilers :(
Jasper Jones looks good, and I'll check out Beatle Meets Destiny. I haven't been impressed at all by the House of Night series though. Never made it past the first book to be honest, just wiki-ed the other books in the series. And bah, I still haven't got a copy of Mockingjay yet. I'm getting the same cover as you (the Australian/UK covers are often the same aren't they?)
ReplyDeleteHow have you been able to put Mockingjay down! I could not stop!! I wad through to the wee hours with aching eyes, the iPad is not the ideal reading tool.
ReplyDeleteLove the book list and Esme Lennox *squee* I LOVE that book and never meet anyone else who adored it too :-)
@ Liz - I know - I'm not even interested to pick up House of Night for free from the library. not really my thing :)
ReplyDeleteBeatle Meets Destiny = one of my fave books ever <3
@ Alexa - slight confession - I left it unattended while I put the kids in bed and now my husbands reading it. so, yeah, shouldve bought two copies. he'll be asleep soon though (it's 11:30pm here) and I'll read it through the night.
And yay for loving Esme Lennox1 Talk about a book I couldnt put down! I still think about it and have made a few friends read it - they loved it too. have you read any of her others?
x
OOHH! As if I needed more books to add to my pile of 'to be read' :)
ReplyDeletewow-- i've finally whittled down my TBR pile... and now it's going to be crazy long again!
ReplyDeleteoh, and check out my contest-- it's international
http://katharineowens.blogspot.com/2010/08/books-i-love-contest.html
Great list!
ReplyDeleteand, I WANT MY COPY OF MOCKINGJAY NOW!
These all look like good titles, although I have to say that I'm surprised Brisingr made it that one year. I read his first one and it was sooo boring. I hope he got better as the series went along. I think it's great that your husband reads the same books you do. Mine surprised me this weekend by suggesting that I buy a certain book - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He actually said he might read it. I guess that means I have to buy it now.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with Mockingjay. Mine still won't be here for a couple days. I went the cheap route and pre-ordered and got free shipping so it'll be a while yet.
Yeah, I've read Halo!!! :D
ReplyDeleteDid you end up liking Beautiful Creatures? When I read BC, I thought it was kind of slow and a LOT could have been cut...Halo was like that. There could have been a lot more build up to the climax and for the first 250 pages I thought some of the characters were kind of flat...BUT, it did get better and I did end up enjoying it! Just my verdict, :)
And yay that you finally got Mockingjay! :)
I'm going to check out some of the books on this list...looks great! :)
Emma :)
Interesting... is this associated with Book Week, by any chance?
ReplyDeleteRos has read 'Halo' and said it was AMAZING! Angels can be a bit freaky, but I do like angel books. Give it a try, at least it's Australian AND written by a teen! :)
Yay for Mockingjay! I finally got a copy, but I'm making myself wait till I finish some reviews to start it. It's killing me.