The Best of Aussie YA (5) Musty Pages

The Best of Aussie YA - Mini Series

some of the featured books...

About the mini series & best of Aussie YA current give-away

in case you missed it:

 1 - Tye from The Book Gryffin

2 - Steph from My Girl Friday

3 - Jess from The Tales Compendium

4 Nic from Irresistible Reads

Wahoo - how excited am I to introduce you to Vee? Some of you may know Vee as inkspatters at AW :)


Vee is a Sydney teenager who just finished high school and she blogs about YA books @ Musty Pages. 


BUT she also blogs @ her writing blog Ramblings of a Writer. AND her HUGE news is her edgy contemp YA thriller is going to be published in 2012. I know, right? She is a particularly amazing shade of brilliance and I respect her bookish and writerly opinions oh-so-much. 


1. The Aussie YA scene is so strong at the moment - with so many BRILLIANT titles that came out this year. What tops your list of favourite Aussie YA reads this year?

Ooh, there are so many great ones! Graffiti Moon, Raw Blue, Six and Beatle Meets Destiny are probably at the top of my list.

2. What books from previous years are on your all-time favourite Aussie YA list?

Every single book written by Melina Marchetta, of course, but Jellicoe Road is probably my favourite. Other than that, I adore Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and The Messenger, Kirsten Murphy's Raincheck on Timbuktu and Judith Clarke's One Whole and Perfect Day.

3. Any lesser known Aussie YA books/authors you adore?

Yeah! I think Kirsten Murphy is really underrated, her books are awesome. I also really love Kirsty Murray, and Lisa Shannahan's My Big Birkett is an amazing read, that I haven't heard many others rave about. 

4. What upcoming titles are you hanging out for?

Anna and the French Kiss, based on your review! I'm also looking forward to the big releases -- Across the Universe, and Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers, which has it's Aussie release next year, I think.

 Quick 5: Choose the book you'd recommend to someone in the mood for:

• A tear jerker:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Awesome male: POV Swerve by Phillip Gwynne.
• Quirky and hilarious: Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
• A story that lingers: On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
• A book that you can't put down: Fury by Shirley Marr

Thanks thanks thanks to Vee for these awesome recommendations (so thrilled with her answers as I've read EVERY SINGLE book she mentioned and I adore them as well). 

As a bonus - here is a blurb about Vee's own upcoming book:

untitled dark, edgy YA thriller about a girl named Ella, who is desperate to understand what could have driven her best friend Amy to jump off a roof to her death. Even worse, Ella can’t remember a thing about the time leading up to the event—and gradually she starts to suspect that those around her know more about that night than they are letting on. Was Amy’s death really a suicide? Or did something more sinister happen…something her best friends are desperate to keep her from ever finding out?

This is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat psychological mystery, and will keep you guessing right up until the end. North American rights were acquired by Marilyn Brigham at Marshall Cavendish, for a Fall 2012 release.

The Best of Aussie YA (4) Irresistible Reads

The Best of Aussie YA - Mini Series

some of the featured books...

About the mini series & best of Aussie YA current give-away

in case you missed it:

 1 - Tye from The Book Gryffin

2 - Steph from My Girl Friday

3 - Jess from The Tales Compendium

Today I get to introduce to you the lovely lovely Nic from Irresistible Reads. She's a Brissie girl who has a new-ish blog that's already making an impression - she's fun and generous and gorgeous - another grown-up lover of YA books (yay for adults in the YA scene!). She also is the founder of the brand new Aussie YA Book Challenge - yay! (more about that on here later - you can check it out through the link for now though :)

1. The Aussie YA scene is so strong at the moment - with so many BRILLIANT titles that came out this year. What tops your list of favourite Aussie YA reads this year?

So hard but Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar is at the top of my list.  To me this story feels so uniquely Australian.  It feels like home to me.

2. What books from previous years are on your all-time favourite Aussie YA list?

 On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta because of its incredible plot.  Saving Francesa also by Marchetta because of the unforgettable bunch of characters that I feel in love with.

3. Any lesser known Aussie YA books/authors you adore?

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell and Raincheck on Timbuktu.  Both realistic and funny coming of age stories.

4. What upcoming titles are you hanging out for?

Nic:  I know Kirsty Eagar is working on a new book a gothic supernatural theme and I can't wait.  Also Fiona Wood is working on another contemporary fiction.

Quick 5: Choose the book you'd recommend to someone in the mood for:

A tear jerker - The Piper's Son

Awesome male POV - The Piper's Son

Quirky and hilarious - Six Impossible Things

A story that lingers - On the Jellicoe Road

A book that you can't put down - Beatle Meets Destiny

And I would like to add an honourable mention to Good Oil and Graffiti Moon both have a lot of heart and humour.

Thanks Nic! (who pretty much went ahead and listed half of my favourite Aussie reads this year...my fave Aussie reads this year is coming up soon...)

And thank you guys for all your brilliant and generous comments in this series. I am thrilled that you're all digging the Aussie YA stuff (sorry to be drowning you in it lately... :)

x Nomes

The Best of Aussie YA (3) The Tales Compendium

The Best of Aussie YA - Mini Series

some of the featured books...

About the mini series & best of Aussie YA current give-away

in case you missed it: 1 - Tye from The Book Gryffin

2 - Steph from My Girl Friday

I am so excited to have Jess from The Tales Compendium on inkcrush - wahoo! 

I was so stoked when I found her blog - not only do I love her style, but we share some of the same absolute favourite books (like Tomorrow When the War Began and Guitar Highway Rose - which I completely ADORE - and our love for the whimsically brilliant Jaclyn Moriarty)

1. The Aussie YA scene is so strong at the moment - with so many BRILLIANT titles that came out this year. What tops your list of favourite Aussie YA reads this year?

My absolute favourite book of the year was Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. I just couldn't put it down and it reminded me alot of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (another favourite) but for art-minded people and of course, it was set in Australia! I will definitely be re-reading it again soon. Honourable mentions go to Swerve by Phillip Gwynne and Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood.

2. What books from previous years are on your all-time favourite Aussie YA list?

The Tomorrow series by John Marsden (1993) will always be a favourite, as well as Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (2000) and Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry (1997). I read both Feeling Sorry for Celia and Guitar Highway Rose the year they were each released and am still re-reading them more than ten years later.

3. Any lesser known Aussie YA books/authors you adore?

Kate McCaffrey is a Western Australian author who writes amazing stories addressing very real problems for teens: Destroying Avalon (bullying), In Ecstasy (drugs) and Beautiful Monster (eating disorders).

Quick 5: Choose the book you'd recommend to someone in the mood for:

A tear jerker - Letters to Leonardo by Dee White

Awesome male POV - Swerve by Phillip Gwynne

Quirky and hilarious - Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

A story that lingers - Grace by Morris Gleitzman

A book that you can't put down - Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Thank you thank you Jess :)

Isn't she the best? Check out her blog, all the way from Perth Australia 

The Best of Aussie YA (2) My Girl Friday

The Best of Aussie YA - Mini Series

some of the featured books...

About the mini series & best of Aussie YA current give-away

in case you missed it: 1 - Tye from The Book Gryffin

Say hey to Steph from My Girl Friday. Have you checked out her happening little corner on the web yet? It has such a unique vibe and always always quality content. A Melbourne girl who has a thing for zombies and fashion and good films and books :)


1. The Aussie YA scene is so strong at the moment - with so many BRILLIANT titles that came out this year. What tops your list of favourite Aussie YA reads this year?
This is such a tough question as so many amazing Australia YA titles were published this year! I've carefully narrowed it down to a top 3: Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley, Six Impossible Things - Fiona Wood and This is Shyness - Leanne Hall.

2. What books from previous years are on your all-time favourite Aussie YA list?
 Oh yay, I can aspread the love around so more! Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta (my favourite MM novel), Pink - Lili Wilkinson, Beatle Meets Destiny - Gabrielle Williams. I also absolutely adore Hollywood Ending - (John Belushi is Dead in the US)which though isn't set in Australia, is written by Kathy Charles, an Australian author. I'm also kind of a huge Kathy Charles fangirl (and  was thrilled to bits to hear that the the film rights for Hollywood Ending have been sold!). 

3. Any lesser known Aussie YA books/authors you adore?
The Good Daughter - Amra Pajalic was a book I don't remember seeing much of during it's initial release, but after hearing Amra speak at the Melbourne Writers Festival, I had to track down a copy and adored it. I also loved Finding Freia Lockhart - Aimee Said, which is a lovely debut YA novel (and hopefully there are more books to come from Aimee!)

4. What upcoming titles are you hanging out for? 
Ohh, after such an excellent 2010, I'm really excited to see what the New Year brings in Aussie YA! I'm looking forward to The Bridge - Jane Higgins - (the 2010 Winner of the Text Prize)


Quick 5: Choose the book you'd recommend to someone in the mood for:

A tear jerker - Not a traditional tearjerker, but I kept crying throughout The Piper's Son - Melina Marchetta

Awesome male POV - Six Impossible Things - Fiona Wood or Slice - Steve Herrick

Quirky and hilarious - Loving Richard Feynman - Penny Tangey

A story that lingers - Fury - Shirley Marr

A book that you can't put down - Stolen - Lucy Christopher

Thanks My Girl Friday ~ you have the coolest taste!

Don't forgot to swing around to her blog and say hi!

She's also currently running TWO international give-aways 

(closes by the 11th of December so scramble over!

Give-away one                                    And Give-away Two