Suggested Readings 2022
Booktober Reading Lists
Team Picks: Sheryl Cootes
By on
Still Alive – Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System by Safdar Ahmed
Twelve Panels Press
Based on ten years of visiting Villawood detention center and working with those detained. A must-read.
Honey Bee by Craig Silvey
Allen & Unwin
A sensitive story of a young person coming to terms with their identity and the power of friendship and acceptance.
The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
Allen & Unwin
Debut novel from Gary about life on mission, identity and relationships. A heart-warming novel about Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is even if it scares him.
The Yield by Tara June Winch
Penguin
Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, the story across three generations of cultural dispossession and reclaiming of language, storytelling and identity.
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku Pan
Macmillan
Despite the realities and trauma of the holocaust, the ability to stay positive and live the best possible life. A very powerful story of positivity from an amazing man.
Tell Me Why by Archie Roach Simon & Schuster
Powerful autobiography from an Australian legend of the realities of the impact of removal as part of Stolen Generation. Story of great resilience and strength
The Choke by Sophie Laguna
Allen & Unwin
A brilliant haunting novel of a young child navigating the world of male power. Traumatic, haunting yet also uplifting. Set in the Murray River region.
Dark Emu & Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Magabala Books
A ‘new’ look at the complexities of Aboriginal technology and innovation prior to colonisation. Evidence was suppressed and/or ignored by settlers, explorers, etc. to cultivate the myth of an uncivilized people.
The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie (Youtube)
Harper Collins
The debut novel by Dinuka. A well-written crime novel that unfolds beautifully. Well-crafted characters. Dramatic and compelling
Devotion by Hannah Kent
Pan Macmillan
Set within an Old Lutheran community in a tiny village and accompanying persecutions prior to being granted safe passage to Australia. The poignant and heartbreaking story of the strength of love and friendship between two young girls. Beautiful prose.
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Team Picks: Christine Donoughe
By on
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
HarperCollins Publishers
This book is my childhood number one. I read it again and again. It inspired everything in me about what is beautiful about the imagination. And, how its magic makes the world beautiful no matter how little you have.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Penguin UK
I still don’t know exactly what it was that drew me to this book. I read it five times before I was twelve. I believe it had something to do with Jane’s self-determination as a woman in a world that found her valueless at every turn.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Random UK
There is nothing that Toni Morrison wrote that wasn’t delicious to me. Every line can be savored. The characters in the world of Beloved are so full, so...
Team Picks: Ally Burnham
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Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran
Ultimo Press
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens lures you in with whimsy and humour, and quickly takes you on a harrowing journey steeped in lingering love and memory of the Sri Lankan diaspora lived-experience in western Sydney.
Something Blue by Alex Sarkis
Ultimo Press
Something Blue is more than your average rom-com. With humorous and authentic dialogue, memorable Lebanese characters, all set against the backdrop of western Sydney, this book captures the millennial experience of seeking to rectify purposelessness, and the genuine fear of missing out on life’s opportunities, whether that be career, family or love.
Relic by Bronwyn Eley
Talem Press
Relic is for the YA fantasy...