Top Ten Books Set in Australia

1. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. This book beautifully encapsulates so much of Australian culture and what it's like to grow up in this country. It also has the most exciting description of a game of cricket ever. Like, it's actually exciting.

2. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. Two teens explore Melbourne over one night. I want to go there so bad (yes, I've never been and I know, it's terrible).

3. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. The isolated rural setting of On the Jellicoe Road is as beautiful as it is haunting. Pretty much all of Melina Marchetta's contemporary novels could go on this list, the Australian setting is so central to all of them.

4. The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams. A roadtrip with a difference. It made me want to see Australia this way. Minus the surprise in the boot.

5. And All The Stars by Andrea K. Host. I haven't come across too many (read: any) sci-fi stories set in Australia so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. 

6. Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey. This is an iconic Aussie book, putting a spotlight on the darker side of surfie culture.

7. I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington. This book showcases a variety of Australian settings and the main character, Med, is the epitome of an Aussie battler. 

8. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. An Australian classic, this atmospheric and eerie tale explores the tension between European settlers and the harsh landscape.

9. Cinnamon Rain by Emma Cameron. This verse novel tells an Australian story that's not often told - teens who leave school before year 12. That's it. But it's also so much more. 

10. Preloved by Shirley Marr. Aside from the 80s reference, ghostliness and general awesomeness, I love that the main character in this book has Asian heritage and highlights what it's like to grow up in a migrant family.


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.