Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten authors whose books I own the most of

My first Top Ten Tuesday (which is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish) :)

I always love seeing these posts roll by in my feed and am jumping in today with some pics from my shelves. This was fun to count up how many books I own by certain authors ~ major advantage to long time publishing faves :) All counted up from my shelves ~ not including any ebooks or audiobooks that I own.

First up you should know:

• I don't buy many books -- I am a very happy library addict. 
• I love scrounging around op shops and second hand books stores to find any fave books I need to possess ;)
• I am pretty ruthless with my collection -- I only keep my faves on my shelves and donate/giveaway any other books that accumulate (most recently had a huge clean out when moving house in May ~ I removed over 120 books from my collection then)
• I currently have about 40 books out on loan ~ so I couldn't include them when I went scrounging around my shelves (so my count could be out, haha)

1. John Marsden ~ 14 books

Mostly comprised by the brilliant Tomorrow, When the War Began series. I love Ellie and the gang so much. I finally completed my collection more than ten years after reading them when Coles put them on clearance for $2 (love a bargain!). 

2. Elizabeth Scott ~ 11 books

Elizabeth Scott is one of my all time fave comfort reads. I adore her and am so pleased to own almost her entire catalogue (I'm missing Living Dead Girl ~ which was startling and impressive yet I know I will never reread). My faves of hers are: Stealing Heaven, Miracle and Perfect You

3. Jaclyn Moriarty ~ 10 books

My favourite author! I own all her books to date. These books have all been read at least twice and will be read so many more times. My fave of hers is usually which ever one I happen to be reading ~ too hard to pick. Seriously. (Although I recommend Finding Cassie Carzy if you've yet to try her out)

4. Melina Marchetta ~ 8 books

I love Melina Marchetta. Her books have pride of place on my shelves. I find it hard to pick a fave as it's like  trying to pick your favourite child ~ but I am very happy to have two copies of the gorgeous on The Jellicoe Road ~ stunning, most brilliant book. 

5. Sonya Hartnett ~ 7 books

Sonya Hartnett is a long time fave of mine since I first read Sleeping Dogs when I was 14. Some of these copies have been hard won ~ out of print and gleefully snatched up like hidden treasure from hours spent scrounging around second hand books shops. There are still a few more of hers I would love to own! I read Wilful Blue about 5 times during year 11 and 12. I felt it was some kind of personal manifesto, haha (although it is objectively one of her weaker titles). She is amazing. 

6. Liane Moriarty ~ 6 books

I have all 6 of Liane's gorgeous books (Also I love how she is right next to her sister Nicola Moriarty on my shelves). I personally prefer the cute little trade paperbacks for sizing but am happy to have her latest three in first edition release :) My faves of hers are Three Wishes and the Husband's Secret ! but all of them are brilliant. 

After this I have a massive tie for authors whom I own FOUR books of:

Sherryl Jordan ~ New Zealand author whom I most nostalgically love and adore. My fave of hers is Winter of Fire.
Lisa Schroeder ~ love her verse novels <3
Sara Zarr 
C K Kelly Martin ~ I also have a bonus book on my kindle. Can't wait for her upcoming release!
Cath Crowley ~ Still collecting ~ I have one more Gracie Faltrain book to find and bring home (and hanging out for The Howling Boy)
Kasie West ~ I am fast feeling the same way about Kasie West that I feel about Elizabeth Scott. My fave of hers is The Distance Between Us.
Laurie Halse Anderson
Sarah Ockler ~ I know this number will grow the more Ockler writes.
Sarah Dessen ~ I was sure I had more but must've lost some along the way...

Which author do you own the most books of? 

Do you collect books or pass them on?

(This post would be entirely different if it was authors whom I have read the most books of... So many authors I used to burn through at the library)

Five Things and HEY

1. BEST NEWS EVER yesterday:

Oh, man, I didn't even know about this book until yesterday and I am already aching/dying/desperate to get my hands on it. No idea what it is about, but it is by Nicola Moriarty (!) and the cover and title are gorgeous. Due out early 2013

2. Meet my local second hand book shop:

Totally feel like you are in an episode of Hoarders walking around there. Three rooms, many aisles, decked out like this.

Bonus: the kids love going there (who wouldn't?).

Look what I found! This is the 1995 edition of the very famous and well loved Sleeping Dogs

Totally fluked seeing this book! (was right on the top of a random stack). This is the first Sonya Hartnett I read, back when I was 15 (!). So cool to finally have my own copy. Any other Sonya Hartnett fans out there? She is AMAZING.

3. On Monday, I met Aussie author Toni Jordan at Caloundra Library.

She is one of my favourite (and I know many others) writers of (smart) romantic comedy. Her debut, Addition, is SUCH a favourite book of mine. I've loaned it to so many friends and read it 2.5 times myself (we all know which parts the .5 were, haha). It's PERFECT crossover, with our 19 year old protagonist and the gorgeous and sexy 19 year old Irish boy (my gosh. sexytimes.) and I love that the protag has OCD (one of my fave topics in fiction) and this time presented in such a fun (but heartfelt) way (gosh, enough with these parenthesis already!)

Speaking of Addition: it is available worldwide. Translated into, like, 17 languages. Multiple reprints and soon to be a movie. I love it so. MAJOR RECOMMENDATION from me.

ANYWAY. I took my copy to get signed ... [cue drum roll] and upon reaching Toni, flipped it open and found she had already signed it. CLASSIC. Back in 'Sydney '98' She signed it again for me anyway, and, I just have to add, my inscription is WAY better :)

I am too private to share actual inscriptions. Sorry if this tiny pic drives you crazy!
Side note: I love this cover for it ;)

Also, Toni Jordan talked for an hour and she is SO funny and eloquent and I took mad-girl notes and loved it. Also took my husband. he liked it, too, especially the bit where we (Toni and audience) joked about OCD (not to be disrespectful, etc). I completely didn't dob myself in, but who doesn't have some kind of OCD issues? (well, apart from my husband...) 

One thing Toni shared that I liked: she calls her first draft her 'heart draft' and her second draft her 'brain draft'. Meaning the first time it's all about getting into the characters and the story and feeling it, and the second time through it's making it work: research, tension, shaping the story. Beautiful.

4. Been doing a lot of bush-walking, this place just at the top of my street.

Maggie, of Young Adults Anonymous, pointed out that one of my pics is like the US cover of Jasper Jones. Sweet.

5. I've really been sucking at reading.

I have PILES of half read books on my bedside, bookshelves and half done books on my kindle. I return books to my library, 3/4s read. It's becoming my new thing :/ Most are actually really good. I am just finding that if it is not EXACTLY my kind of perfect book, I lose interest. If I am not sucked in with that unputdownable feeling, it gets put down and I have no urge to pick it up again.

It's actually really frustrating...

Plus YOU GUYS it's school holidays! Best feeling ever. I love having the kids home and sleeping in, and my parents are driving up so I'll get to feel all tourist-y alongside them.

It feels so good to make this random post and say hi to you all!

x Nomes

Aussie YA: older main characters (Kirsty Eagar Week)

One of the things I LOVED about Kirsty Eagar's Raw Blue is that the characters are older than the average YA book. Carly is 19, graduated high school and dropped out of uni. Ryan (gosh-I-love-him) is 27.

As an older reader of YA I am drawn to the older end of the YA spectrum. I am a huge advocate for an emerging New Adult market (which YA publishers are traditionally not keen on)

In my cosy bubble of readerly-writerly friends (who have mostly finished high school) I see the same craving for coming-of-age stories that feature out-of-school-aged characters.

The YA scene has always had it's own little groove going on down here in Australia and, surprisingly, it is not at all hard to find Aussie YA books that slice right into the New Adult market.

Today ~ I am featuring just a handful of Aussie YA novels which feature older protagonists and are riding the older YA vibe. These are [only] contemporary YA (often YA fantasy and other genres have an older vibe anyway, due to being set in entirely different worlds)

I hope you can find a good Aussie YA recommendations in here :)

[all links go to goodreads for more info]

Good Oil. While Amelia (sweet, fiesty, yearning Amelia) is only 15, Chris is a gorgeous 21 year old. Half the book is in his POV ~ and it's brilliant ~ some 21 year old male angst, he yearns for different things, has a past teen-perspective and brilliantly captures those days of wanting more of the world and feeling at odds with how to get there.

This is in my top fave YA books of all time

Finding Grace by Allyssa Brugman. Oh how I truly love this gorgeous book. Rachel has graduated high school, is working, left home and starting uni. It's a quirky, mesmerising and unexpectedly emotional read about one girl facing the beginning of life out in the real world.

One of my long time favourite reads

When You Wake and find Me Gone by Maureen McCarthy
Kit is 20 years old, loving uni until she has an unexpected trip to Ireland... So much fun, travelling to Ireland and there's some awesome IRA conflict and a (cute) Irish boy.

 I devoured this the first time I read it <3 ~ and was stoked to find a copy at my second hand book shop a few years ago. Planning a re-read [soon]

[Maureen McCarthy also has other books which easily slide into an older YA scene]

Fireflies by Jonathan Harlen
I love this book. Funny and sexy (!) and a little bit crazy. Brilliant male POV set in Sydney ~ John Berryman has left school, writes radio comedy and irreverently pursues Johanna ~ daughter of the American Ambaddassor.


 It is also one of my all-time faves. I am crazily nostalgic for it.

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
When I first heard of this stand-alone companion novel to Saving Francesca I was insanely excited. Visiting the gang but 5 years in the future? Where they are all 21? = Perfection. I LOVE this idea. And of course, half the story here also belongs to Georgie (in her 40's). While The Piper's Son does not see to fall into the constraints of traditional YA it is booming in the YA market down here (nominated for many YA awards)

Another book contending for a spot in my top ten all-time faves :)

I am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Haha, this book is truly funny and exceptionally noteworthy. Ed and his gang of mates are all finished school and in various states of uni/work/hanging out-ness. Perfectly captures that feeling of being "out in the real world" and still trying to figure out what you're meant to be doing in it.

This book also has one of my fave first chapters. Ever. [I also loan my copy out to non-YA-reading adults all the time.]

Circles of Stone by Pamela Rushby
Lea (20 years old) takes a year break from university to back-pack with friends. While in Scotland, she is at the discovery of a 2000 year old body in a peat bog O.o. I LOVE bog stories, and this one is not all-the-way contemporary as their is a time travelly-vibe going on. Still ~ made of win.

The Byron Journals by Daniel DuCrou
Matthew and his mates are in their first year out of high school ~ partying at Byron Bay in a gap year scenario. This is one fantastically absorbing and beautifully written book featuring off-beat music, girls, drugs and it cracks open a world much bigger than high school.

Occasionally this was too edgy for me (in terms of sexual content, druggy-drugs) but it perfectly captured experimentation and getting caught up in something much bigger than yourself. The tension built brilliantly as well.

Give it a go if you love alternative funky beach-y music-y books, with a wild background ~ and don't mind mature (!) content. I personally am a fan of the whole gap-year scene :)

Black Painted Fingernails by Steven Herrick
Black Painted Fingernails made it through to the 2011 Gold inky's shortlist (announced yesterday). It's 2 main characters are well out of school, one a teacher in training and the other a hitchhiker finding her way. It also features the POV of the parents splattered throughout the pages. It's firmly in the new adult category.

It is not my favourite Herrick but it was still a very funky, insightful road tripping book.

Something in the World Called Love by Sue Saliba
This is a gorgeous and gentle unconventionally written book (no capital letters, interesting punctuation) that is set in Melbourne ~ Esma has moved to begin her first year at uni and is flatting with new friends ...

Poetic and unusual, I took me a little to get into it, but by then end I truly appreciated it.

Broken Glass by Adrian Stirling
Danny is 21 and the return of an old high school mate in their small country town stirs up memories from a sinister high school event. It is a highly emotive and evocative book, creating a setting for Aussie country towns similar to what Lucy Christopher did for our desert in 'Stolen'

It's gritty and tense and powerfully written, I really enjoyed this debut.

Suburban Freak Show by Julia Lawrinson
Jay is in her first year of uni ~ an not everything is going according to plan. This book is cynical and deliciously quirky in parts.

[More on Julia below]

Julia Lawrinson also wrote 'The Push' another YA novel featuring older protags (in their 20's and above) set in the 50's ~ the girls in this book are working, talking marriage, sexing it up and figuring out life in their own way.

Julia Lawrinson is a fantastic YA author with such strong cross-over appeal. Highly recommended.

I cannot have a post about older Aussie YA without mentioning  Sonya Hartnett (link to all the books I have read by her). Her YA books really defy genre-casting (they excel in the YA section, but are really for all ages). I could profile nearly her entire catalogue here but have selected three books that fit the contemporary mold the best with characters out of high school.

'All My Dangerous Friends' is a first year at uni book. Wilful Blue is set at an artists retreat (one of my long-time faves) and 'The Devil Latch' is more thriller-vibe ~ Kitten (our male protag) is early twenties, gorgeous and a smidgen mesmerising (in a sinister way). 

So ~ once I got started I realised I really could think of a lot more out-of-school-age Aussie YA protags. Especially if I decided to widen the parameters to protags who are nearly 18 but have left school ~ such as the awesome No Worries by Bill Condon (high school drop-out, working story, very good) or the dual narrative Halfway To Good  by Kirsten Murphy which has the POV of a first year out teacher, and the POV of her student in his final year of high school (LOVE Kirsten Murphy).

I think traditionally (gauging from the abundance of New Adult-type books that have been published over the years) Australian publishers run with all kinds of books for young adults and the age of the protagonist is of less concern to the actual story being told. I have LOVED growing up reading some of these books as a teen ~ reading about characters at uni or n their early twenties, written for teenagers. It perfectly bridges the gap between YA and the adult market.

I hope you've liked me chatting up some of my fave older Aussie YA books

Have you read any of these?

Got any recommendations (books I haven't mentioned)?

Would you like to see more YA books in the New Adult age bracket?

Also ~ don't forget to enter for your chance to win RAW BLUE by Kirsty Eagar ~ one of my all-time fave Aussie YA books featuring 19 year old Carly and 26 year old Ryan <3


* of course, this is not an exhaustive list, only books I have personally read that immediately came to mind.

CBCA Book of the Year Awards announced (2011)

Sonya Hartnett wins Book of the Year at the CBCA* Awards for 'The Midnight Zoo' Children's Book Council of Australia excerpt from my review of 'The Midnight Zoo':

What I mainly have to say about this book is it is simply astonishing, utterly gorgeous and deeply moving. It was a truly sensory experience, being transported to another time and place. [...] Hartnett's spectacular use of magical realism adds a new dimension in taking the story to somewhere truly gasp-worthy. I felt an ache and tremendous satisfaction at the end. It's life-affirming and a tear-jerker and achingly hopeful and a simply brilliant story to spend your time with.

The prestigious Children's Book Council of Australia Awards were announced this morning (LOVE these awards. Completely). I was very much so looking forward to the announcement this morning (and have been discussing it with my local librarians ;)

LOVED The Midnight Zoo: Read my full review (you know, if you're interested)

The Young Adult short-list looked like this:

Older Readers Short List 2011
Author	Title	Publisher
Crowley, Cath	Graffiti Moon	Pan Macmillan Australia
Hartnett, Sonya	The Midnight Zoo	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Horniman, Joanne	About a Girl	Allen & Unwin
MacLeod, Doug	The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Marchetta, Melina	The Piper’s Son	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Wood, Fiona	Six Impossible Things	Pan Macmillan Australia
These books are for mature readers

I have only read 4 books from the above list and ALL FOUR of them are BELOVED books of mine 

(I gave all four of these books 5 stars, all four are on my exclusive absolute favourites list <3).

HUGE congratulations to Sonya Hartnett and also to all those on the short-list (and notables).

Aussie YA is a genre producing such extraodinarily brilliant books. It really is a genre full of exceptional talent and incredible books. 

Have you read The Midnight Zoo?

(or plan to?)

Have you read any of the short-list?

And what would be your pick?

The Midnight Zoo is available internationally, with a different cover

International covers = gorgeous

Book blurb: Two gypsy boys are fleeing through a war-ravaged country-side during the night carrying a secret bundle. The boys stumble across a town that has been reduced to smoking rubble, and a zoo that is still intact. When the boys take shelter in the zoo, they discover a menagerie of talking animals. Both the boys and the animals tell their tales and their desire for freedom.  

Like The Silver Donkey and The Ghost’s Child, this is another beautiful fable-like tale that will move you to tears. It’s a story that will appeal to all ages-as with any fi ne book that merges history with fantasy, adults will enjoy reading this as much as children.

Like The Silver Donkey and The Ghost’s Child, this is another beautiful fable-like tale that will move you to tears. It’s a story that will appeal to all ages-as with any fi ne book that merges history with fantasy, adults will enjoy reading this as much as children.

To see the CBCA 2011 notables (full of awesome Aussie YA recs) check out my previous blog post <3

I apologise for bloggers formatting. Which, is slightly out of control and entirely irksome. Ugh.

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett

Under cover of darkness, two brothers cross a war-ravaged countryside carrying a secret bundle. One night they stumble across a deserted town reduced to smouldering ruins. But at the end of a blackened street they find a small green miracle: a zoo filled with animals in need of hope.

A moving and ageless fable about war, and freedom.


It wasn't until I saw Sonya Hartnett's The Midnight Zoo made the 2011 CBCA short list that I realised I'd never reviewed her beautiful beautiful book on inkcrush.


I often find it hard to review books that startle me with their brilliance. It's as if my own use of the English language can not conjour up anything eloquent enough to match the beauty of the book.


I have been a long time fan of Sonya Hartnett. I have vivid memories of the first time I read her work (Sleeping Dogs ~ I was 14 and reading that book stirred something deep deep inside me & the reading of it is a favourite reading memory of mine). 


I am not entirely sure why she has been labelled YA. Her work really does transcend all ages and genres. I am pleased that her books are easily in reach of teens (who will find magic in her books) but I also think her work will resound with all humans in general ;) 


I have mentioned on here before  how much I ADORE Sonya Hartnett. In fact, she is my most top-read author (according to goodreads ~ alongside John Marsden) having read 14 of her books. I love her so much I find it hard to choose a favourite book of hers but can happily say that The Midnight Zoo carved a new little spot for itself up among my top faves of hers.


The Midnight Zoo is set during WW11, but it doesn't feel like it is particular to that time. The use of magical realism, a fable-like style and the story being told from the POV of two young boys lends the whole tale to an enchanting other-worldy era.


I always prefer to steal into Hartnett's books completely blind ~ with no sense of where she might be taking me (for that reason I don't want to hint much at plot). 


What I mainly have to say about this book is it is simply astonishing, utterly gorgeous and deeply moving. It was a truly sensory experience, being transported to another time and place.


 I felt such a tenderness and protectiveness towards Andrej and Tomas (gosh, they were brave and daring and scared and perfectly endearing). I was so rooting for them and invested in them, they scampered right into my heart and set up camp there :)


The animals in the zoo are absolutely charming and mystifying. They can talk to the boys and they all have their own shining personalities and stories to tell. This aspect of the book was handled with such eloquent ease and finesse I was just astounded. 


The other thing I loved about this book is it is completely unpredictable. Knowing Hartnett's other work, I wanted to hope for a happy ending but knew it wasn't guaranteed. Also ~ her spectacular use of magical realism adds a new dimension in taking the story to somewhere truly gasp-worthy. I felt an ache and tremendous satisfaction at the end. 


It's life-affirming and a tear-jerker and achingly hopeful and a simply brilliant story to spend your time with.


It could easily be studied in high school because it is full of gorgeousness and themes and I am sure each re-read (I will re-read this for sure) will show new layers of meaning and depth.


THE MIDNIGHT ZOO has been short-listed alongside some of my other favourite favourite books  for the CBCA Book of the year for older readers (2010). It is available internationally. It is on my favourites shelf at home and I absolutely completely love it.


The Midnight Zoo @ goodreads
Sonya Hartnett @ Penguin Australia
Sonya Hartnett @ Wikipedia ~ with a mountain of awards and nominations alongside her bibliography. Also: she wrote her first novel when she was 13 and it was published when she was 15. A true prodigy :D

international cover

2010 CBCA shortlists have been announced (& Notables)

I ADORE the Children's Book Council of Australia and have ferociously followed them and their recommendations since I was a youngster :)

The awards celebrate the brilliance of Aussie talent and writers and many of my all time fave Aussie YA books were once shortlisted with the CBCA.

And TODAY the shortlists were announced ~ on inkcrush I am only going to post from the Older Readers category but you can check their site for all the other Aussie categories and age groups.

On to the list... a HUGE CONGRATS to all authors who have been nominated!

Older Readers Short List 2011
Author	Title	Publisher
Crowley, Cath	Graffiti Moon	Pan Macmillan Australia
Hartnett, Sonya	The Midnight Zoo	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Horniman, Joanne	About a Girl	Allen & Unwin
MacLeod, Doug	The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Marchetta, Melina	The Piper’s Son	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Wood, Fiona	Six Impossible Things	Pan Macmillan Australia
These books are for mature readers

I have only read 4 books from the above list and ALL FOUR of them are BELOVED books of mine.

The six nominated books were narrowed down from the older readers catagory featuring 32 outstanding Australian young adult titles on their Notable Titles list.

Pretty much one of the coolest things about this list is that *most* Aussie libraries automatically add these titles to their catalogues. Including mine ~ so I'll have access to a whole new awesome batch of Aussie YA. If you're in Australia and have not checked in with your local libraries catalogue you really should check it out :)

Here's the notables list straight from the site

Author	Title	Publisher
Abdel-Fattah, Randa	Noah’s Law	Pan Macmillan Australia
Bavati, Robyn	Dancing in the Dark	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Blain, Georgia	Dark Water	Random House Australia
Braxton-Smith, Ananda	Merrow	Black Dog Books
Bursztynski, Sue	Wolfborn	Woolshed Press, Random House Australia
Burton, Rebecca	Beyond Evie	Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Publisher
Buzo, Laura	Good Oil	Allen & Unwin
Cooper, Michelle	The FitzOsbornes in Exile	Random House Australia
Cornish, DM	Monster Blood Tattoo Book 3: Factotum	Omnibus Books, Scholastic Books AustraliaCrowl
Crowley, Cath	Graffiti Moon	Pan Macmillan Australia
Eaton, Anthony	Daywards	University of Queensland Press
Fitzpatrick, Deb	90 Packets of Instant Noodles	Freemantle Press
Flanagan, John	Ranger’s Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja	Random House Australia
French, Jackie	Oracle	Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Publishers
French, Jackie	A Waltz for Matilda	Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Publishers
Gardner, Scot	Happy as Larry	Allen & Unwin
Golds, Cassandra	The Three Loves of Persimmon	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Hall, Leanne	This is Shyness	The Text Publishing Company
Hartnett, Sonya	The Midnight Zoo	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Hawke, Rosanne	Marrying Ameera	Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Publishers
Herrick, Steven	Slice: Juicy Moments from my Impossible Life!	Woolshed Press, Random House Australia
Hilton, Nette	The Innocents	Woolshed Press, Random House Australia
Horniman, Joanne	About a Girl	Allen & Unwin
MacLeod, Doug	The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Marchetta, Melina	The Piper’s Son	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Matthews, Penny	A Girl Like Me	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Murray, Kirsty	India Dark	Allen & Unwin
Plüss, Nicole	Scout	Penguin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Pryor, Michael	The Laws of Magic: Moment of Truth	Random House Australia
Roy, James	Anonymity Jones	Woolshed Press, Random House Australia
Westerfeld, Scott Ill. Keith Thompson	Behemoth	Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Wood, Fiona	Six Impossible Things	Pan Macmillan Australia

I have only read 12 of the above titles (out of 23) and am really looking forward to checking out a bunch of ones I haven't yet read.

What favourites of your made it on here?

Which books on here haven't you read that you're really wanting to?

(I was thrilled to see both SLICE and GOOD OIL on there ~ two other recent faves of mine)

Five all-time Favourite Aussie YA Authors

I posted about my favourite Aussie YA reads of 2010...


As for my all-time favourite Aussie books from former years?

I guess I rave on a bit on my Aussie YA page

But five LONG TIME favourite authors that I simply ADORE, who IMPACTED me and I always revisit are:

Jaclyn Moriarty is my favourite (in as much as you can choose favourites). She's whimsical and beautiful and hilarious and unexpected and curling up with one of her books has always always guaranteed me the very best of times. She's my comfort read. She's masterful and completely unique. Her books feature true teen characters ~ you feel like a teen again reading them, and you also see how much she thinks teens are just completely awesome.

I love her so. She also has the most beautiful website ~ so much fun to hang out at

Also, her sister, Liane Moriarty, is so stunning as well. I love her novels ~ adult fiction :) She's well worth reading if you are a fan of Jaclyn.

Sonya Hartnett when I was 14 - me, wide-eyed and blown away in a way that I didn't realise books could do to me. She spoke to me all through my teen years and I have a special kind of reverence for her. Her latest book, Butterfly, is particularly stunning.

Sonya is lyrical and literary and sometimes her stories waft right out of contemporary grounding into an other-wordly feel (The Ghost Child). Her subject matter can be dark but it's done so poignantly. She's a story-teller and a player of words ~ stretching them into positions and uses that others haven't put them in before. She's metaphorical and ache-y and sometimes her worlds are harsh. Always they are astonishing and memorable.

Steven Herrick. He writes in verse (except for his latest, 'Slice') ~ he is, I think, a staple and truly one of our greatest writers for teens. Always outstanding and powerful and just BRILLIANT to read. He captures characters and places with such an authenticity and so succinctly. His prose has this rhythm and poignancy ~ absolutely addictive. His stories linger and are well worth re-reading and re-reading.

John Marsden. Ah, well, he's John Marsden. His books really did something for Australian teens and Aussie YA in general. Lots of my non-reader friends devoured his books and still talk about them. He completely gets teens and writes for them. he is a huge advocate of teenagers ~ they are smart and strong and layered and can put adults to shame. 

His books are the unputdownable sort with characters that linger. Despite how long ago some of them came out they are still just as brilliant today.

Melina Marchetta When 'Looking for Alibrandi' came out it just captured me and my friends. It felt so Australian and full of energy and life. Her characters are unforgettable, fun and flawed and feisty and her prose just shines. Her books are funny and sad and completely brilliant. Each book she produces goes from strength to strength. Her books have always meant a lot to me :)

Along with the books of the five authors above, two personal fave books that get me nostalgic just seeing their spines on my shelf:

• Kirsten Murphy's Raincheck on Timbucktu
• Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry. I spent a whole week whimsically decorating my year 12 folder with the quirky graphics from this book. My mates and I all took turns reading it. I re-read it again this year and it's like me being a teenager again when I open it and read it. I feel 16 and back in my teenage bedroom.

There are so many more Aussie books I could highlight - and I do try to update my Aussie YA page - which is just a list of books I ADORE really, some from my teen years that just changed me and others that are more recent that make me feel good, that strike a chord in me. Some challenge me and others are pure good time comfort-reads.

I read all of these five as a teen (okay, so maybe not Jaclyn - I was 20 when Celia was published..:)

Who are your long-time favourite authors?

* I only pictured some of their books. Because I'm tired and lazy :)

In case you're interested...

Regarding Steven Herrick I really recommend him, hey.

He should be in any decent Aussie public library :) If you're interested you can purchase books directly from him, cheaper than the bookshops, signed and with free postage! A HUGE thanks to my sister who stalked my blog, read my Aussie YA wishlist and sent me a signed (To Nomes) edition of his newest book, Slice. Completely unexpected ~ and my boys were excited because it came from Katoomba, which is about their favourite place on earth :)

As for international readers. He is available through The Book Depository. One book 'Kissing Annabel' - is actually a compilation of two books: 'Love, Ghosts, and Nose Hair' and 'A Place like Home' which is such an ideal bargain - two for the price of one! Here's his website

Also, his books have won a stack or impressive awards.