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Bio
Gurrumul: His life and music, by Robert Hillman
Biography genre. Read this if you like Indigenous Australian bios, Aboriginal music. This is a glimpse into the life of legendary Australian singer, Gurrumul. It describes life in the music scene in Sydney and Australia from 1982 through to the 2000s, from the Enmore Theatre to the Jubilee Stage in London. It describes in detail some of his big concerts as well as how he linked up with ARIA Hall of Fame band Yothu Yindi. It also describes the life experience of an Aboriginal man in a country that was slowly growing more aware of the need to be more respectful of their heritage but still on a journey that had a long way to go. The language of the book is easy to access and the photography is stunning, telling its own story through imagery. |
Beyond the Wand: The magic and mayhem of growing up a wizard, by Tom Felton
Biography genre. Read this if you like Harry Potter books and movies, bios, cheek. A fun first half, full of anecdotes from on and off the set of the Harry Potter films, giving insight into Tom's cheek and relationships with fellow actors and friends. The second half sheds light on Tom's experience with substance abuse and addresses important stigmas around seeking help with mental health and rehabilitation. |
Contemporary
Tiger daughter, by Rebecca Lim
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like family, cultural and friendship stories. Feeling empowered and in awe of a teenager rising strong. Relatable and brave writing. Insight into Chinese culture, a story of what migrant life may be like. Glimpse of oppression and discrimination, a window into lived experience that might not be too far from home. A celebration of friendship, courage and connection. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
They both die at the end, by Adam Silvera
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like realistic-ish dystopian, coming of age, relationship stories. In a world where you get a phone call telling you that you'll die that day... How would you spend your last 24 hours? Who would you see? Would you spend the day in fear or live courageously and take life by the horns? A heart-achy story of two teenage boys figuring out life, love and themselves on their last day to live. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
The surprising power of a good dumpling, by Wai Chim
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like contemporary stories that touch on cultural differences, family and mental wellbeing. Set in Inner West Sydney, cleverly depicted layers of second-generation migrant Chinese culture from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old. Through exploring family relationships and drama, first love and school life, Wai Chim provides commentary on microagression, conflicing views of authority, and insight into the complexity of family life. You'll want to visit a good dumpling shop after this read! Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
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Runt, by Craig Silvey
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like the Easter Show, Roald Dahl, comedy and dogs. Many have likened Craig Silvey's Jasper Jones to an Australian To Kill a Mockingbird. I liken his 2022 novel, Runt, to an Australian Roald Dahl story! This is a charming and uplifting story of a young fixer-upperer and her loyal dog Runt as they dive into the world of competitive dog shows. A perfect read for Stage 3- but an enjoyable read for all. |
Malibu rising, by Taylor Jenkins Reid Contemporary genre. Read this if you like family drama, relationships, celebrity stories, America-in-the-80s. Malibu. Surfing. A rags to riches story crossed with rocky family dynamics, and a dash of 'Welcome to the 1980s'. Explosive secrets, sibling love and rivalry, adulterous partners, broken trust, unmet promises... The glamour and grime of new beginnings: What a page turner. |
The museum of broken things, by Lauren Draper
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like high school stories, friendship and family drama, stories about loss and love. Lauren Draper somehow tells the story of a teenage girl caught in the grief of losing one of her best friends in a heart-warming, gentle and warm way. Twists, turns, new and old relationships, learning how to move forward and celebrate the past. So much to love, and fall into each other's character journey, this was a perfect weekend read. |
The other side of tomorrow by Hayley Lawrence
Contemporary genre. Read this if you like John Green, self-discovery and growth, family and relationship stories. Some things you don't choose. A fast-paced and breathtaking storyline that left me in tears. Young love, sea changes, a family filled with both sadness and love, and a story where cancer takes both reader and characters for a wake-up-and-live-your-life-to-the-fullest rollercoaster. High school drama meets existential wonderings. |
The little wave by Pip Harry Contemporary genre. Read this if you like easy to read, verse novels, unlikely friendships and stories set in Australia. Set out in versed poetry from the view of 3 children in Year 5 with very different upbringings. The easy to read format only enhanced the richness of the text and highlighted some big themes for little people. Yes, I cried. It was beautiful and wholesome. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Dystopian
Our missing hearts, by Celese Ng
Dystopian genre. Read this if you like modern dystopian, family and cultural stories. Power play and injustice explored in a dystopian, anti-Chinese world. Interesting voice created through present-tense third person narration. Ideas challenged: Art as a medium for connecting, communicating. How voices get silenced, who gets to decide? Is it worth leaving loved ones behind to save them? What if standing up for what's right means losing everything you have? |
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
Dystopian genre. Read this if you like dystopian, coming-of-age, tech-futuristic, friendship dramas. We don't normally talk openly about ugly and fat, pretty and skinny- but this dystopian world opens this conversation up. After the initial discomfort, I was sucked into the suspenseful mess of secrets, truth, distorted realities, them-vs-us, pretties-vs-uglies, first love, friendship... and followed the story of a nearly sixteen-year-old as she comes to terms with the brokenness of her world, and learns what she needs to choose between. |
Fantasy
Before the coffee gets cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Fantasy genre. Read this if you like time travel, stories set in Japan. A quirky collection of short stories set in an old Japanese cafe. Regretful time-travelling customers, the consistency of the case staff and the snippets of life's moments remind the reader that love, family, connection and truth surpass time and place. The fantasy-ish realm feels both familiar and foreign, and makes you thing hard about how you value the ones you love. Say the things, show up for them, don't live in regret. |
The night circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Fantasy genre. Read this if you like love stories, fiction set in olden times, magic. This book is set out in such an interesting and enchanting way. There are little preludes between most chapters and the book has a clever way of inserting YOU, the reader, into the story. Set in the 1800s and 1900s, this is a story about magic but ultimately it's about love. The premise was so exciting and the characters were so intriguing. The book starts with the black and white tents of Le Cirque des Reves, a circus that arrives without warning and will have you thinking of it long after you've finished reading. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Warriors- The New Prophecy series: Midnight (book 1), by Erin Hunter
Fantasy genre. Read this if you like fantasy, cats, adventure, Wings of Fire. Four cats are chosen to fulfill an enemy's prophecy: darkness, air, water and sky will shake the forest to its roots. Now these cats will need the courage and strength of Starclan to save the clans. Be sure to read The Prophesies Begin series first, starting with Into the Wild. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Eldest, by Christopher Paolini
Fantasy genre. Read this if you liked Eragon, you have already read the first book, why stop now? Welcome back to the second book in the series by Christopher Paolini. This story continues following our fan favourite farm boy, Eragon, who now looks to take his dragon riding to the next level. After just saving the rebels from the devastating dark forces of King Galbatroix and his evil Empire, Eragon must now travel across the country in search of elves so he can enhance his magic and swordsmanship skills as a dragon rider. But little does he know, his recent victory trails with further chaos that follows him at every turn. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini
Fantasy genre. Read this if you liked Eragon and Eldest If you are reading this, it is because you needed more. More magic. More dragons. And MORE adventure. Following our hero Eragon and his dragon Saphira, we find ourselves on the run for our lives as the forces of evil pursue and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices that may lead to unbelievable sacrifices. Don't let the size of this book turn you away. Journey ON! Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini
Fantasy genre. Read this if you liked Eragon, Eldest and Inheritance THE CONCLUSION WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. After a story of adventure, magic, battles, elves and dwarves, the real battle lies ahead, and the time has come for Eragon to confront the mighty Galbatroix, but will the months of training he has endured be enough to defeat him? Will Eragon be able to save Alagaesia? Find out and complete this fantastic end to what has been an incredible series to read. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien
Fantasy genre. Read this if you like The Lord of the Rings movies and books. If you start this book, you are in for an ADVENTURE! This is my favourite book of all time. The Hobbit follows the story of a simple Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who loves nothing more that relaxing in his home. But before he knows it, he finds himself running out the front door to steal back gold from a fire-breathing dragon. Pick up this book and enter into a tale you will come to love. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis
Fantasy genre. Read this if you like adventure, journey and a tad of magic. The Chronicles of Narnia is a seven-novel fantasy series, which follows the story of children having adventures in the magical land of Narnia. Throughout their stories they meet amazing magical and talking creatures and participate in battles and quests, always under the watchful eye and guidance of Aslan the lion. Narnia is one of my favourite book series and once I started, I never put it down. I cannot recommend this series more. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Historical
Cilka's journey, by Heather Morris Historical genre. Read this if you like historical fiction, Holocaust stories, tales of survival, grit and overcoming adversity. I couldn't not read it, after being so taken with the Tattooist of Auschwitz. This was no different- although it was much more 'historical fiction' in nature, as it was based on the true story of Cilka Klein, it gripped me from beginning to end. The horrors and inhumanity of the Holocaust, and prisoner of war camps ceaselessly broke my heart, but somehow their tale of survival, loyalty, determination and hope shone through Heather Morris' writing. Again, 10/10 would recommend. Maybe even 20/10. |
Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Historical genre. Read this if you like rock music, music history, the 1970s. The rise to fame and the surprise breakup of the (ficitional) rock superstars, Daisy Jones and the Six, during the classic era of hard living, rule-breaking rock and roll. The book captures the colour and energy of the 1970s music scene, and the darker side of fame as the characters deal with the impact on their personal lives. |
The wearing of the green, by Clair Saxby Historical genre. Read this if you like learning about early days of Melbourne and Australia's colonisation. A young Irish girl is transported to Australia. She has hopes for a better life but finds life as a servant, a struggle. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
The tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris
Historical genre. Read this if you like historical fiction, war and Holocaust stories. I put off reading this book for well over five years... I wasn't sure how I felt about Holocaust and war stories, but as soon as I started, I couldn't put it down. Stunning, incredibly moving, confronting- Heather Morris carefully tells the true story of Lale Sokolov, who survived his time at Auschwitz as the tattooist at the concentration camp. While the story speaks of the brutality and horror of those years, the beauty of the book is that somehow, in the midst of the pain, there unfolds a celebration of love, persistence, selflessness and purpose. 100% would recommend. |
The usual rules, by Joyce Maynard
Historical genre. Read this if you like contemporary historical fiction, or if you're interested in September 11. I never knew historical fiction like this existed- to me, 9-11 isn't yet 'old' enough to be history... My curiosity seeing a 9-11 sticker on the spine got the better of me, and I found myself tangled in the insanely, hugely confusing web of loss, love, brokenness, newness, courage, devastation and transformation that a 13-year-old's world becomes when her mother dies in the fateful Twin Towers terrorist attack in 2001. Real, raw, sorrowful, hopeful. |
Romance
Completely normal (and other lies), by Biffy James
Romance genre. Read this if you like teen romance, drama, family and friendship stories, love and grief. Loved the cover art. Loved the simplicity of the blurb: "Love has rules. So does grief. Stella Wilde is about to break them all..." The characters in this book were relatable, I was thrown into a mess of love, friendship (who's really your friend, who's trying hard to be noticed by who) and it was Mean Girls version 2.0 but with a beautiful exploration of what it's like to lose people you love. I especially liked how the author normalised therapy and how there's no 'one way' to do life, and how everyone has their baggage, no matter how perfect life might look from the outside. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Where you left us, by Rhiannon Wilde
Romance genre. Read this if you like sibling drama, teen romance, family secrets, gothic-style settings. Two sisters. Polar opposites. A big dramatic family. Mysterious happenings. Falling in and out of love. Figuring out friendships. Searching for self, searching for truth, searching for answers, finding yourself and finding connection. A fast-paced and vivid story, get into the minds and hearts of the two sisters as they figure life out. Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
Sci-fi
An absolutely remarkable thing, by Hank Green Read this if you like techy sci-fi, dystopian, social commentary, social media. What a shocker! Once you get over the weirdness of being an artsy 20-something-year-old (who is quite annoying, in my opinion) New Yorker, you'll roll with the punches and be hooked. A techy-A.I.-political pundits-drama-filled novel that ends in a crazy cliffhanger. Didn't think I'd care for alien stories but somehow I'm 1000000% sure I'll be reading the sequel. |
Thriller
What we all saw, by Mike Lucas
Thriller genre. Read this if you like thrillers, supernatural, mystery, haunting, suspense Disclaimer: I didn't finish this book. In fact, I couldn't finish this book. Put plainly, it was just too scary for me. It was a page-turner, but I was getting spooked out, so I stopped. Don't get me wrong though- give it a go to see what you think! Here's a bit of the blurb. It gives me chills... Witches only exist in stories. Everyone knows that. But what if the stories are real? Four friends. Four truths. One Nightmare. Maybe you're a bit of a braver soul than me, and are drawn to this sort of thing- if so, give this CBCA shortlisted book a go. Just don't tell me about it! Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
One of us is lying, by Karen McManus
Thriller genre. Read this if you like thrillers, high school stories, twists and turns, relationships. Detention. Death. Cheating. Lies. Secrets. Frenemies. Blogs. Take your normal tropes: the Brain, Beauty, Criminal, Athlete and Outcast, and throw them into a murder investigation. The title prescribes the reader's role: to try to figure out who the liar is. Page-turning thriller, explores how social media and gossip can make and break friendships (and lives). How far do these teenagers go to protect themselves, each other, and the secrets they are hiding? Content warning: Drugs, death, mental (un)health Borrow on the Inaburra eLibrary |
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