ANZLL Books You Must Read

Inspired by the Books You Must Read Before You Die phenomenon, ANZ LitLovers is developing its own Must Read list of Australian and New Zealand titles. 

ANZLL is a ‘broad church’ of well-read people with diverse tastes in reading – so our recommendations represent a range of tastes too. They range from ‘a jolly good read’ and ‘couldn’t put it down’ to challenging books that take some time and effort to read.  They include classics which are as fresh today as the day they were written – and those that have not stood the test of time quite so well but remain an interesting window on Australian writing of the past.  There are titles loved by nearly all of us – and those whose merits or otherwise provoked lively discussion!

Links in the list are to Lisa’s reviews  - just one opinion and not to be taken as authoritative - but a search on Wikipedia will lead to more information about almost all of these authors, thanks to a wonderful team of contributors who are building a comprehensive online resource about Australian and New Zealand authors and their work.

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all” –Henry David Thoreau

Nominations so far include the titles below.  NZ titles are in italics.

LITERARY FICTION (including short stories)

  1. The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
  2. Serpent Dust by Debra Adelaide
  3. The Long hot Summer by Barbara Anderson
  4. Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson 
  5. Drylands by Thea Astley
  6. The Kindness Cup by Thea Astley
  7. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail
  8. The Pages by Murray Bail
  9. Bush Studies by Barbara Baynton
  10. Robbery Under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood
  11. The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd
  12. March by Geraldine Brooks
  13. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
  14. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
  15. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
  16. His Illegal Self by Peter Carey
  17. Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
  18. The Art of the Engine Driver by Steven Carroll
  19. Prints in the Valley by Robert Carter
  20. In a Fishbone Church by Catherine Chidgey
  21. For the Term of his Natural Life by Marcus Clarke
  22. Slow Man by J.M.Coetzee (yes, we’re claiming books he’s written since becoming an Australian citizen)
  23. Elizabeth Costello by J.M.Coetzee
  24. The Pillow Fight by Matthew Condon
  25. The Trout Opera by Matthew Condon
  26. Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook
  27. Come in Spinner by Dymphna Cusack and Florence James
  28. No Barrier by Eleanor Dark
  29. Night Letters by Robert Dessaix
  30. Running Backwards Over Sand by Stephanie Dowrick
  31. Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff
  32. Keep Him My Country by Mary Durack
  33. The Company by Arabella Edge
  34. Oracles and Miracles by Stevan Eldred-Grigg
  35. The Seal Woman by Beverly Farmer
  36. Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan
  37. The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan
  38. Gould’s Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
  39. Wanting by Richard Flanagan
  40. Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame
  41. My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
  42. Such is Life by Joseph Furphy
  43. Cosmo Cosmolino by Helen Garner
  44. The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner
  45. The Spare Room by Helen Garner
  46. Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee
  47. Plumb by Maurice Gee
  48. Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy
  49. Three Dog Night by Peter Goldsworthy
  50. Potiki by Patricia Grace
  51. Lillian’s Story by Kate Grenville
  52. The Secret River by Kate Grenville
  53. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
  54. The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
  55. Love Without Hope by Rodney Hall
  56. The Last Love Story by Rodney Hall
  57. Spider Cup by Marion Halligan
  58. Dissection by Jacinta Halloran
  59. The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham
  60. Power without Glory by Frank Hardy
  61. Of a Boy by Sonya Hartnett
  62. The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
  63. The Evening of the Holiday by Shirley Hazzard
  64. The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
  65. Capricornia by Xavier Herbert
  66. Orpheus Lost by Janette Turner Hospital
  67. The Bone People by Keri Hulme
  68. All the Godwits by Robin Hyde
  69. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimeara
  70. Napoleon’s Double by Antoni Jach
  71. Slow Water by Annemarie Jagose
  72. My Brother Jack by George Johnson
  73. The Shag Incident by Stephanie Johnson
  74. An Innocent Gentleman by Elizabeth Jolley
  75. The Newspaper of Claremont St by Elizabeth Jolley
  76. The Well by Elizabeth Jolley
  77. The Book of Fame by Lloyd Jones
  78. Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones
  79. The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally
  80. Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
  81. The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy
  82. The Captive Wife by Fiona Kidman
  83. The Book of Secrets by Fiona Kidman
  84. The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox
  85. Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
  86.  Highways to a War by Christopher Koch
  87. While the Billy Boils by Henry Lawson
  88. The Pea Pickers by Eve Langley
  89. Vertigo by Amanda Lohrey
  90. Gilgamesh by Joan London
  91. The Good Parents by Joan London
  92. My Crowded Solitude by Jack McLaren
  93. Fly Away Peter by David Malouf
  94. Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
  95. The Great World by David Malouf
  96. The Conversations at Curlew Creek by David Malouf
  97. In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield
  98. Harlequin Rex by Owen Marshall
  99. Loving Daughters by Olga Masters
  100. Amy’s Children by Olga Masters 
  101. Conditions of Faith by Alex Miller
  102. Landscape of Farewell by Alex Miller
  103. The Orchard by Drusilla Modjeska
  104. Man Alone by John Mulgan
  105. Barley Patch by Gerald Murnane
  106. Inland by Gerald Murnane
  107. The Plains, by Gerald Murnane
  108. Tamarisk Row by Gerald Murnane
  109. Death of a Whaler by Nerida Newton
  110. The Lambing Flat by Nerida Newton
  111. The Shiralee by D’Arcy Niland
  112. Ice by Louis Nowra
  113. The Harp in the South by Ruth Park
  114. Swords and Crowns and Rings by Ruth Park
  115. Not Her Real Name by Emily Perkins
  116. Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman
  117. Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman
  118. Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre
  119. Coonardoo by Katherine Sussanah Pritchard
  120. The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney by Henry Handel Richardson
  121. The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson
  122. Maurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardson
  123. On Our Selection by Steele Rudd
  124. Benang by Kim Scott
  125. Glory days by Rosie Scott
  126. Season of the Jew by Maurice Shadbolt
  127. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
  128. The Far Country by Nevil Shute
  129. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
  130. In the Wet by Nevil Shute
  131. The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead
  132. The Little Hotel by Christina Stead
  133. Seven Poor Men of Sydney by Christina Stead
  134. Jonah by Louis Stone
  135. Ride on Stranger by Kylie Tennant
  136. Fugitive Blue by Claire Thomas
  137. Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living by Carrie Tiffany
  138. A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
  139. The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
  140. Dangerous Desires by Peter Wells
  141. A Fringe of Leaves by Patrick White
  142. The Aunt’s Story by Patrick White
  143. The Solid Mandala by Patrick White
  144. The Tree of Man by Patrick White
  145. Voss by Patrick White
  146. Breath by Tim Winton
  147. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
  148. Dirt Music by Tim Winton
  149. Isobel on her Way to the Corner Shop by Amy Witting
  150. The Children by Charlotte Wood
  151. The Submerged Cathedral by Charlotte Wood
  152. Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
  153. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

NON FICTION

  1. The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander
  2. Bearbrass by Robyn Annear
  3. The Fiftieth Gate by Mark Raphael Baker
  4. The Tyranny of Distance by Geoffrey Blainey
  5. Plenty by Gay Bilson
  6. Foreign Correspondence by Geraldine Brooks
  7. Dancing with Strangers by Inga Clendinnen
  8. Mermaid Singing by Charmian Clift
  9. Peel Me a Lotus by Charmian Clift
  10. The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
  11. First Lady by Kay Cottee
  12. Journey from Venice by Ruth Cracknell
  13. Chifley by David Day
  14. Curtin by David Day
  15. A Fortunate Life by A B Facey
  16. An Angel at my Table by Janet Frame
  17. To the Is-Land by Janet Frame
  18. Stasiland by Anna Funder
  19. Romulus My Father by Raimond Gaita
  20. Joe Cinque’s Consolation by Helen Garner
  21. An Awkward Truth by Peter Grose
  22. 1788 by David Hill
  23. The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper
  24. The Lucky Country by Donald Horne
  25. The Great Shame by Thomas Keneally
  26. Te Puea by Michael King
  27. The History of New Zealand by Michael King
  28. Other Halves by Sue McCauley
  29. On Experience, by David Malouf
  30. Stravinsky’s Lunch by Drusilla Modjeska
  31. My Place by Sally Morgan
  32. The Dig Tree by Sarah Murgatoyd
  33. The Boyds by Brenda Niall
  34. Flavours of Melbourne by Charmaine O’Brien
  35. The Place For a Village by Gary Presland
  36. This Whispering in Our Hearts by Henry Reynolds
  37. Stella Miles Franklin, a Biography, by Jill Roe
  38. Snake Cradle by Roberta Sykes
  39. The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift by Nadia Wheatley

 DRAMA AND POETRY

  1. Glide Time, Market Forces by Roger Hall
  2. Poems by Michael Leunig
  3. My Country by Dorothea Mackellar
  4. Foreskin’s Lament by Greg McGee
  5. Fire in the Snow by Douglas Stewart
  6. Don’s Party by David Williamson

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS

  1. Mr Archimedes’ Bath by Pamela Allen
  2. Share Said the Rooster by Pamela Allen
  3. Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
  4. Sebastian Lives in a Hat by Kerry Argent
  5. Belonging by Jeannie Baker
  6. Enigma by Graeme Base
  7. Reggie Queen Of The Street by Margaret Barbalet
  8. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley
  9. Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blabey
  10. A Nice Walk in the Jungle by Nan Bodsworth
  11. Where does Thursday Go? by Janeen Brian
  12. Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley
  13. Snap! Went Chester by Tania Cox
  14. Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd
  15. Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear by Matt Dray
  16. Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan
  17. There’s a Hippopotamus on my Roof Eating Cake by Hazel Edwards
  18. Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair by Lee Fox
  19. Possum Magic by Mem Fox
  20. Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
  21. Amy and Louis by Libby Gleeson
  22. Leaf by Bob Graham
  23. Let’s Get a Pup by Bob GrahamEmily Culpepper by Roland Harvey
  24. The Friends of
  25. Two Summers by John Heffernan
  26. Poetry to the Rescue by Steven Herrick
  27. Horrible Harriet by Leigh Hobbs
  28. Old Tom’s Holiday by Leigh Hobbs
  29. Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat by Stephen Michael King
  30. Mutt Dog by Stephen Michael King
  31. Too Loud Lily by Sofie Laguna
  32. Eight by Lyn Lee
  33. Emily and the Dragon by Lyn Lee
  34. Are We There Yet? A Journey Round Australia by Alison Lester
  35. Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy
  36. A Summery Saturday Morning by Margaret Mahy
  37. Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle by Glenda Millard 
  38. Refugees by David Miller
  39. Annie’s Chair by Deborah Niland
  40. Baby Bilby, Where Do You Sleep? by Narelle Oliver
  41. The Very Blue Thingamajig by Narelle Oliver
  42. Lizzie Nonsense by Jan Ormerod
  43. The Long Red Scarf by Margaret Power
  44. Irving the Magician by Tohby Riddle
  45. The Great Escape from City Zoo by Tohby Riddle
  46. The Lorax by Dr Seuss
  47. The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan
  48. Aranea: A story about a spider by Jenny Wagner
  49. The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek by Jenny Wagner
  50. Kisses for Daddy by Frances Watts
  51. Looking for Crabs by Bruce Whatley
  52. Little White Dogs Can’t Jump by Bruce Whatley
  53. My Place by Nadia Wheatley
  54. Chatterbox by Margaret Wild
  55. Creatures in the Beard by Margaret Wild
  56. Little Humpty by Margaret Wild
  57. Lucy Goosey by Margaret Wild
  58. Seven More Sleeps by Margaret Wild
  59. The Midnight Gang by Margaret Wild
  60. The Pocket Dogs by Margaret Wild

 CHILDREN’S NOVELS (These are mostly for older 10+ readers but not Young Adult )

  1. TruckDogs: a novel in four bites by Graeme Base
  2. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs
  3. Do-Wrong Ron by Steven Herrick
  4. Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp by Odo Hirsch
  5. The Naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Millard
  6. Sabriel by Garth Nix
  7. The Muddle-Headed Wombat by Ruth Park
  8. Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park
  9. Lily Quench and the Dragon of Ashby by Natalie Prior
  10. The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rondo
  11. Billy Mack’s War by James Roy
  12. Ash Road by Ivan Southall
  13. Hill’s End by Ivan Southall
  14. To the Wild Sky by Ivan Southall
  15. Stella by the Sea by Ruth Starke
  16. Midnite by Randolph Stow
  17. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
  18. Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson
  19. An Older Kind of Magic by Patricia Wrightson
  20. The Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson

Nominations from non-members are welcome, but fiction nominations must conform to our definition of Australian Literature (see the About page).
Please use the comment form below.

This page was last updated 2.11.09

Responses

  1. I’d love to nominate. It looks good so far. About the first book I though of was Voss, but it’s there. I think it’s Nevil Shute isn’t it? And I’m not sure I’d go with two of his, much as I loved him and read every single one of his books when I was a teen. IF I were going to nominate two of his though it would be A town like Alice and On the beach. I’m glad to see Tirra Lirra by the River there.

    But, enough of that. There has to be Thea Astley. She won 4 (FOUR!!) Miles Franklin Awards and no-one ever thinks of her. Why is that? Anyhow, I think Drylands is a must. I also think her The kindness cup is wonderful.

    Then there’s Elizabeth Jolley. Like Astley she has a wonderful body of work and it is hard to choose, but perhaps for a starter The well would be good, though my personal favourite of what I’ve read to date is The newspaper of Claremont St.

    And, while I’m on Australian women writers, I’ll add:
    Loving daughters, by Olga Masters
    The pea pickers, by Eve Langley
    Ride on stranger, by Kylie Tennant

    There are so many. How many do you plan to come up with. Not 1001 I presume?

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 2:35 pm

  2. Thanks for the tip about Nevil Shute, it’s so long since I’ve read him I didn’t notice the mis-spelling. I read everything that I could find by him too! (It’s the Blyton Syndrome *chuckle*).
    I only thought of developing this list today, and so we haven’t yet had the conversation about how many to have on the list and what the criteria for inclusion should be ….
    1001 would be absurd, since that would imply very little reading time for international literature – and all of us at ANZ LitLovers like that as well. But can an Australian call herself well-read if she has read very little OzLit? I don’t think so, and I think we should be asserting the place of Australian literature in the marketplace, the universities and schools and in any other forums that we can…
    How many is a difficult question indeed. 10% of what an average LitLover reads per year, multiplied by an average lifetime of reading years? 20%? 50%? It’s going to be an interesting discussion, eh?
    So will the criteria. Should we include children’s books? Should we limit it to one book for each author? How would we choose which one? What’s the definition of literary fiction anyway?
    At the moment I’m just adding all the nominations as they come in *chuckle*

    By: Lisa Hill on January 31, 2009
    at 3:12 pm

  3. Oh, and Helen Garner of course: The children’s Bach. If we are also doing non-fiction, and I notice there is Facey up there, I’d add Joe Cinque’s consolation. But where to stop…

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 3:23 pm

  4. Oh dear, yes, Facey did sneak in, didn’t he, and he’s not literary fiction. But A Fortunate Life is definitely a Must-Read. This is trickier than I thought!

    By: Lisa Hill on January 31, 2009
    at 3:30 pm

  5. It IS tricky…because we could then get into histories…You could do categories: literary fiction and nonfiction. I think children’s literature should be included. And, I just thought of another: My brilliant career, by Miles Franklin!

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 3:45 pm

  6. Should we include non-fiction? If so, you can’t go past A Journey from Venice by Ruth Cracknell. This book details the story of Ruth and her husband, on holiday in Venice, when he is diagnosed with a fatal illness. Ruth’s journey home with her husband and his death is told with an openness that will touch you all.

    Also, how can we nominate 1000 must read books without paying tribute to a wonderful playwright like David Williamson? I have notice that in other lists Shakespeare’s plays have been nominated. Don’s party by Williamson also deserves recognition.

    By: Helen on January 31, 2009
    at 4:15 pm

  7. Indeed yes, Helen. Williamson has written some wonderful plays…

    By: Lisa Hill on January 31, 2009
    at 4:34 pm

  8. I think Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria should be here. Also, if we are talking plays there’s Douglas Stewart’s Fire in the snow. As he was born in NZ he is truly representative of this list! (PS I agree Lisa that an Australian can’t be called well read if she hasn’t read a goodly representation of Aus Lit).

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 5:14 pm

  9. I think you’d better vote, Sue! See the poll on the sidebar …

    By: Lisa Hill on January 31, 2009
    at 5:19 pm

  10. Thanks I didn’t see that. I voted YES but have some qualms about it. What is iconic? Is Manning Clark’s History of Australia, Donald Horne’s The lucky country, Geoffrey Blainey’s The tyranny of distance? Still, if we are listing what a well read Aussie should read then some of these works need to be here.

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 5:25 pm

  11. When I started this (a hasty impulse on a hot day when sitting in front of the computer was a cool thing to do LOL) I was thinking only of novels because I have been asked a number of times to recommend ‘great Aussie novels’ by overseas friends. I felt that any list we developed would be a good one because the collective wisdom of our very widely read and discerning group would mean it would be comprehensive.
    I still think I’d rather leave a non-fiction list to someone else or some other time because ANZLL is a group focussed on literary fiction – but the N/Fs suggested so far do deserve to be widely read, and I admit I’d hate to take off A Fortunate Life,
    Perhaps when we decide how many to have on the list, the issue will take care of itself.

    By: Lisa Hill on January 31, 2009
    at 5:50 pm

  12. I’m inclined to agree with you. I think the easiest thing would be to stick with fiction and make no exceptions, really.

    By: Sue on January 31, 2009
    at 10:15 pm

  13. FYI To the Is-Land by Janet Frame is not a novel – it’s her first volume of memoir so belongs in the non-fiction list (should you decide to include non-fiction!)

    By: PC on February 1, 2009
    at 6:25 pm

  14. Thank you, ChookHouse from NZ!

    By: Lisa Hill on February 2, 2009
    at 6:47 pm

  15. Ah, it’s looking good – and you’ve alphabetised it too. Good ON you!

    By: Sue on February 2, 2009
    at 8:30 pm

  16. What a fantastic idea. Thank you for taking the time to list these. I can see myself being a frequent visitor to this page. I am shamefully poorly read in this area – but no time like the present to begin!

    By: Tracey on June 18, 2009
    at 4:37 am

  17. Christina Stead, The Man Who Loved Children deserves a place on this list.

    By: Marnie Brennan on June 22, 2009
    at 8:13 am

  18. Yes, indeed, Marnie, and I have added it, feeling somewhat embarrassed by its omission! A couple of us in ANZLL are planning to read this over the summer holidays as a small group read. I recently read my first Stead, The Little Hotel, (see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/the-little-hotel-by-christina-stead/) and thought it was brilliant writing, so I am looking forward to The Man Who Loved Children. I also have Hazel Rowley’s biography of Stead on my TBR, so it was just an accidental omission, I assure you!
    Lisa

    By: Lisa Hill on June 22, 2009
    at 12:19 pm

  19. Robert Carter, Prints in the valley
    Beverley Farmer, The seal woman

    By: lesleysutherland on September 7, 2009
    at 10:18 pm

  20. Christina Stead, Seven poor men of Sydney

    By: lesleysutherland on September 7, 2009
    at 10:19 pm

  21. Thanks for these suggestions, Lesley. I think I’ve read The Seal Woman, but not the other two. Is Robert Carter a contemporary novelist?
    Lisa

    By: Lisa Hill on September 7, 2009
    at 10:25 pm


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