Ten Aussie novels to borrow from your local library this winter
Every community has a great library, where you can sit and watch the weather through giant glass walls or read the latest releases in cosy corners. It’s a place for everyone.
Mount Gambier has its quirky cave themed library overlooking the Cave Garden, Victor Harbor’s library is set amid wetlands, while the creaky-floored Semaphore Library has a charm dating way back to 1884.
If you’re planning on popping into your local library this winter, he’s some top Australian reads which should be on your ‘must borrow’ list.
The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman
Set in 1950s Sydney, Purman’s latest is a charming book about 50-year-old Martha and her role in the golden age of radio serial plays. The Nurses’ War, set in Europe in World War I, is also a compelling read. Purman is a South Australian and frequent library visitor.
The Book Binder of Jericho by Pip Williams
As the companion to the best-selling The Dictionary of Lost Words, Williams’ latest is set in Oxford in 1914. Twin sisters Peggy and Maude work as book binders, and their lives are impacted by the arrival of Belgian WWI refugees. Add in a dash of love, of course. Williams lives in the Adelaide Hills.
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
With a poetic turn of phrase, Lola in the Mirror is a big-hearted story about homelessness and hope. Set alongside the Brisbane River, a talented artist without a name wants to find out about her past after growing up on the run with her mother. Boy Swallows Universe is also a magical read.
The Rush by Michelle Prak
South Australian Prak is kicking goals internationally. The Rush has it all – it’s a thriller based in a country town and there are storms, floods and strangers. On a rainy country road, pub worker Quinn Durand stumbles across what she thinks is a body, which only adds to the intrigue. Like all good thrillers, there’s suspense and threats to characters abound. It’s a definite page turner.
Devotion by Hannah Kent
From Prussia to the Adelaide Hills, Devotion is a love story with a twist, and a sensory masterpiece set in the 1830s. Teenagers Hanne and Thea don’t really fit in, but their devotion to each other in a time of religious persecution gives them a sense of purpose and place across two continents. It follows Kent’s international best seller Burial Rites, which is also a must read.
Homecoming by Kate Morton
A specialist in historical fiction, the New York Times Best Selling Author sets her latest offering in the Adelaide Hills, spanning generations and continents. There’s a body found beside a creek in 1959, an unsolved murder mystery and family members protecting others from the truth. You might also like her other novels, including The House at Riverton – which isn’t set in our Riverton.
The Godmothers by Monica McInerney
Based in Dublin but proudly South Australian, McInerney’s The Godmothers is a winter warmer about love, lies and connections. Set in Australia, Scotland and Ireland, Eliza Miller grows up with a troubled young mother but two exceptional godmothers. After a tragic event separates them, she reconnects years later to find herself again, and who she ultimately is.
The Cancer Finishing School by Peter Goldsworthy
Minlaton-born Peter Goldsworthy has authored more than 30 works, including fiction and non-fiction, poetry and short story collections. His latest is a darkly-funny memoir on living with myeloid cancer, coming from the perspective of being a doctor as well as a writer. It’s an honest journey, weaving in tales of his patients as well. Anna Goldsworthy, his daughter, is also an accomplished author.
Caught in the Headlights by Tony Shillitoe
The boys-own adventure is set in rural South Australia. Saying no to drugs has its consequences for teen Adam and his mates, particularly when he starts a relationship with the sister of one of the drug pushers. The boys, of course, fight back. Very popular with teens, it’s a great read for adults too.
Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko
The Indigenous Australian author and Walkley Award winner spans generations from colonial Queensland in the 1850s until today, independence and relationships in Edenglassie – a regular on best-selling lists. Edenglassie is about two parallel love stories, set in early Brisbane when the indigenous population was larger than that of the white settlers, and moves to current times as a granddaughter cares for centenarian Granny Eddie.
