50 Australian Books to Read Before You Die

We've seen Aussie lists before.

Australia's Top 100 Favourite Homegrown Reads

10 Aussie Books to Read Before You Die

And considered The Australian Canon

But here's another Aussie list hot off the Buzzfeeed presses this week! When too much fun is barely enough. Of course. Let's do it.

1. Jessica - Bryce Courtenay

2. Cloudstreet - Tim Winton (I'm perhaps the only person in history to give up halfway on Cloudstreet)

3. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay (see my review)

4. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

5. My Brilliant Career - Miles Franklin

6. Schindler's Ark  - Thomas Keneally

7. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas (see my review)

8. The Rabbits - John Marsden and Shaun Tan

9. Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetti (see my review)

10. Playing Beattie Bow - Ruth Park (see my review)

11. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - May Gibbs

12. Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden

13. The White Earth - Andrew McGahan

14. Seven Little Australians - Ethel Turner

15. Possum Magic - Mem Fox & Julie Vivas

16. Oscar and Lucinda - Peter Carey

17. Came Back to Show You I Could Fly - Robin Klein

18. Burial Rites - Hannah Kent

19. Dirt Music - Tim Winton

20. Carpentaria - Alexis Wright

21. Where the Forest Meets the Sea - Jeannie Baker

22. White Gardenia - Belinda Alexandra

23. So Much to Tell You - John Marsden

24. Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey

25. The Secret River - Kate Grenville

26. Puberty Blues - Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette

27. The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith - Thomas Keneally

28. An Imaginary Life - David Malouf

29. Two Weeks With the Queen - Morris Gleitzman

30. Eucalyptus - Murray Bail

31. Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan

32. Unreal! Paul Jennings

33. Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin

34. Candy - Luke Davies

35. Hating Alison Ashley - Robin Klein (see my review)

36. Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence- Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara

37. The Getting of Wisdom - Henry Handel Richardson

38. A Fortunate Life - A.B Facey

39. The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay

40. Ransom - David Malouf

41. Storm Boy - Colin Thiele

42. My Place - Sally Morgan

43. Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty (see my review)

44. The Burnt Stick - Anthony Hill and Mark Sofilas (see my review)

45. The Eleventh Hour - Graeme Base

46. On the Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta

47. The Harp in the South - Ruth Park

48. Stolen - Lucy Christopher

49. Voss - Patrick White

50. The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough


19.5/50. Guess I'm not ready to die just yet.

I love how any new list can have books you've never even heard of. I must confess to The Burnt Stick, Came Back to Show You I Could Fly and Stolen were completely new for me. As was So Much to Tell You, even though I thought I'd read much of John Marsden. Most of the rest are in my I Should Read That Sometime pile.

I'm most intrigued by The Burnt Stick, and picked up a copy at my library today.

4/4/14 Already at 20.5/50

June 2015 21.5/50

June 2017 23.5/50