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Three Heads Are Better Than One (or Two): Aussie YA We Love or Hope to Love

10/2/2012

13 Comments

 
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The trickle of Australian YA flowing into the US is slowly becoming more of a steady flow, and this excites us to no end. Some of our favorite authors are Australian and the quality, for one reason or another, seems to be more consistent down under. Today, we're going to talk a bit about some of our favorite Aussie YA books and others that we hope to read soon. We've tried to separate them out a bit as all three of us are die hards for a few of these authors. (I think we hid our super enthusiasm rather well, though) Because our Wall of Short YA  Books was a success, we've been putting together another Wall of Books, but this time for Aussie YA. Get ready to peruse that later this week. For now, let's read about myyy preeeeccccciouuuus...

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It's a widely known fact, at least in my living room, that I think Australians write the best slice of life stories in the  young adult section. The only negative about them is that they are so hard to find over here. Two of the four pictured to the left I read on book tours, one I read from the library, and it is killing me softly that I don't own them yet.  (The only one I own is Finding Cassie Crazy, so go ahead and buy me the other three, okay?) I feel like I've written so many odes to Australian YA authors because each one is better than the next. When Shirley Marr, Australian author of Fury and Preloved, did a guest post for us on her Preloved blog tour, she made mention of several other writers. I was familiar with many of them but others, not so much, and it's really only been in the past two or three years that I've noticed Aussie YA becoming more popular in the US. Do you know what this means? BACKLOG, people. There are hundreds of previously published Australian YA books that are just begging for me (us!) to read them.  For example, after I read Bill Condon's A Straight Line to My Heart and Fiona Wood's Six Impossible Things, I became determined to read everything else those two authors have written. (have I done it yet? No, stop hassling me.) Both of those two novels had more realistic crushes/romances (no insta-love), and while they didn't have much in the way of plot, the books didn't need it. They take place in a small bubble and the characters hold the story together. This seems to be common in Aussie YA--concentration on character rather than action. Or perhaps I just gravitate towards that section of books. A perfect example of this is Stolen, by Lucy Christopher. 

In Stolen, a teenage girl is kidnapped by a slightly older young man who keeps her hostage in the Australian outback. There are basically only two characters in the book and the tension comes from the girl's internal struggle and her relationship with her captor. (Listen to this audiobook. It's divine.) Another recommendation if you love character is A Little Wanting Song (or Chasing Charlie Duskin) by Cath Crowley. Both that and her later book Graffiti Moon are must-reads if you ask me. I'm still looking forward to plowing through her Gracie Faltrain series which is, according to Maggie from Young Adult Anonymous, just wonderful. 

I've had a shelf dedicated to Aussie YA on Goodreads for a few years now, mostly due to a group whose members tour books to each other and also due to  my own personal Aussie bookpusher, Nomes. (see her list of favorites here.)  A while back, I became Goodreads friends with a self-published Aussie author, Andrea K. Höst, who writes YA fantasy and science fiction novels. I had so much fun reading her sci-fi novel Stray and I'm currently reading her post-apoc book, And All the Stars. (which she wrote after another reviewer and I commented that we'd love to see her tackle the genre. *takes a bow*) But it seems like every time I knock an Aussie book out, four more show up on my radar. For example, I need to read something and/or more by so many authors: Sonya Hartnett, Vikki Wakefield, Rebecca Sparrow, Craig Silvey, Gabrielle Williams, Steven Herrick, Randa Abdul-Fattah, Brigid Lowry, David Metzenthen, Penny Tangey, Justine Larbalestier and cue my brain exploding. The "worst" Aussie YA book I've ever read was a 3-3.5/5. Seriously, what's in the water down there? 
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Where my knowledge runs into a drought is when Aussie YA moves into genre fiction, which is kind of surprising because I love fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, etc. lit when it is done well. The books above are just a few I intend to read due to great reviews and recommendations. I'm currently listening to Sabriel (narrated by Tim Curry!), one of my sister's favorites, and loving it. I own Obernewtyn, Burn Bright, and The Bridge, but I need to get my paws on Shadows. If any of these books are as good as the contemporaries I love, then I have a lot to look forward to. 

*I feel that I must mention that my favorite Aussie YA books, The Piper's Son, Holier Than Thou and Raw Blue are left out of my section. However, if you have sense at all you will go read them immediately. That is all.
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I was afraid that I wouldn’t have too much to say for this post – I don’t consider myself an expert on Australian young adult literature by any means.  But then I went looking through a few lists and realized I am familiar with a few more than I thought I was!  I’m still no expert (and my to-read list is significantly longer than my favorites list), but I feel like I have a few respectable offerings here.  I know that I owe most of that familiarity to my fellow bloggers and reading friends, so thank you!

First things first – I don’t think any of us can write about this topic without first mentioning Melina Marchetta.  Tatiana and I are hard at work* on a joint review for Quintana of Charyn which we will hopefully be posting sometime next week.  For me, Melina Marchetta is the queen of Aussie YA and I have to agree with one fabulous audience member at the Books of Wonder event I recently attended who called her a “goddess.”  Goddess indeed!  You can read all about our love for her books here.
However, today I’d like to talk about some of the authors that I don’t mention quite as often as The Goddess.  One of my absolute favorite Australian young adult authors right now is Laura Buzo.  Each of her books – Good Oil (also releasing in the U.S. as Love and Other Perishable Items) and Holier Than Thou – has made me feel like I’m reading my own journal.  Her stories are understated and subtle, but for me, they pack an intense emotional punch.  She also writes a “Catie ending” (the kind of ending that’s not really an ending at all) like a BOSS.
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I also have to mention Kirsty Eagar.  I’ve only read two of her books – Raw Blue and Night Beach, and while I had some minor issues with both of them, I feel like she is an author to watch.  It’s so evident to me that she pours her heart and soul into her writing.  Everything that I’ve read from her feels emotionally bare and honest (raw, even – hee hee).  Raw Blue and Night Beach are absolutely worth reading, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This is terribly sad, but I did not realize that Garth Nix, author of one of my favorite fantasy series (Sabriel – home to one of the greatest talking cats of all time) is from Australia.  I’ve always meant to read his The Keys to the Kingdom series and I have his latest book, A Confusion of Princes, waiting for me.

Are we even legally allowed to post this without mentioning Markus Zusak?  Well anyway – there, I just did.  His Printz award winning novel The Book Thief should pretty much be required for any list featuring Australian YA.  I am also a huge fan of Margo Lanagan, Allison Goodman, and Cath Crowley but I will let Tatiana and Flannery give them all the credit they deserve.
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As far as the ones I want to read but haven’t, there are quite a few:
  • Tatiana has been urging me to read Pink by Lili Wilkinson for a long time.  I have it, I want to read it, and I have no idea what’s holding me back.  
  • I also just received Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield in the mail from a dear friend and I can’t wait to dive into that one.  
  • Every time I read a review of This is Shyness by Leanne Hall I become more and more intrigued.  I am not sure if I'm going to love it or hate it (which is odd for me - after reading so many books I usually have pretty good guess).  
  • I have a million (give or take one or two) friends who love the Tomorrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden.  I’ve read the first one and I liked it.  I have no idea what’s preventing from reading the rest.
  • I've never read any reviews for Michael Pryor's Blaze of Glory, but every time I see it on a list the cover hooks me right away.  This one has been on my to-read list for almost two years!
I have too many books to read.

*If by "hard at work" you mean speculating about possible sexy times between Lucian and Phaedra.
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Seeing that I am going last writing on the topic of our favorite Australian authors, there is not that much left for me to add. Catie and Flannery have done a great job of speaking fondly about the best of the best in Aussie YA. So not to repeat them too much, I am skipping gushing over my most beloved Aussie writer - Melina Marchetta (this is a no-brainer, we've made our dedication known a long time ago) and will talk in detail about a few other authors that were mentioned, but only briefly, by my co-bloggers.
Alison Goodman. What I admire about Alison Goodman is not only her ability to write highly readable and entertaining books, but also her versatility as an author. Fantasy, science fiction, futuristic thrillers, now historical paranormal - it seems, she can do it all.

About Eon and Eona I've talked before. These books are by far my favorite Asian-inspired YA fantasies. (Stand back, Stormdancer, I am still bitter about the undeserved hype surrounding you.)

Singing the Dogstar Blues is just such a tremendously fun time-travel science fiction! I will forever lament the fact that this book never became a series. There is not nearly enough SF for teens (and adults as well) of such a great non-angsty, non-romance quality.

Killing the Rabbit is Goodman's only adult novel so far. Check it out if you are into gruesome and occasionally gross crime dramas.
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I look forward to reading Alison's upcoming (2014 in Australia, long wait!) supernatural/historical series set in the early 1800s.

Jaclyn Moriarty. Moriarty has one of the oddest writing styles I've ever come across. That's why it's often hard to recommend her books to other readers. What's just the right amount of weird for one person is unbearable for another. Same with humor. Moriarty's sense of humor and even her stories are most peculiar and, I'll be honest, I don't always "get" them. In that respect, her epistolary Ashbury/Brookfield books were a total win for me, whereas The Spell Book of Listen Taylor - a total bust. I hope her new A Corner of White will fall into the first category, because when Jaclyn's books are good, they are very good - deep and gut-wrenching. Once you get past and embrace all the oddness and bizarreness.
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Margo Lanagan. Margo Lanagan is a literary heavy weight in my eyes, and objectively speaking, too - those Printz awards are not given for nothing.

I can't say Margo's works delight me or make me love them and reread them over and over again, swooning (like, let's say, Melina Marchetta's books do). But her stories reach very dark, deep, secret parts of my heart and mind, they challenge me. More often than not Lanagan's stories terrify me, gross me out, at the same time astonishing me with the technical finesse of their language and style. Lanagan's is the language all the darkest fairy tales, horror stories and myths should be written in.

I am glad I still have her Yellowcake and The Brides of Rollrock Island to read left. Margo Lanagan is definitely a special kind of writer.
Who are your favorite Australian authors? What are your favorite Aussie YA books?  Have we missed any of them?
13 Comments
Jasprit link
10/2/2012 08:19:14 pm

Oh gosh where do I even begin, the amount of awesome books slowly trickling in makes me want to pack my bags and move there just for the books. All time favourite books of mine include The Piper's Son, On the Jellicoe Road, Graffiti Moon Good Oil and Raw Blue. I was lucky enough to get copies of Eagar's and Buzo's latest books which I was running around flailing my arms in the air as soon as I got them. I actually went into my bookstore the other day and saw Marchetta's On the Jellicoe Road on the shelf and had this big smile on my face, as my library doesn't even stock her books. I'm hoping this will eventually lead to more of her books being available here.

My Aussie to read list also seems to be getting rapidly larger! I can't wait to get my hands on Shadows by Paula Weston, Eon by Alison Goodman, both books by Vikki Wakefield, Alaska by Sue Saliba, The Gorgon in the Gully, This is Shyness and Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson! I'm sure there's many more but my comment will probably turn into a full blown novella!

Thanks for sharing this awesome post ladies! And adding another 10 or so great Aussie recommendations to my pile! :)

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Maja
10/2/2012 10:27:44 pm

A few days ago I realized that Jaclyn Moriarty's books were all published in the UK and, since I remember how much Nomes loves them, I requested them all for review. After seeing all this love, I'm even more glad I already have them on the way.
Shadows is another one I really want to read soon. Lisa liked it a lot, and Mandee did too, so that's good enough for me.

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Bonnie Regan link
10/3/2012 12:55:31 am

Oh my gosh guys, as if I didn't have enough on my to read list already! I'm loving the idea of doing a Wall of Books for Aussie YA.. I got so many awesome ones from the Short YA Books. I so loved Graffiti Moon but I still need to try A Little Wanting Song. The few Aussie books I have read I've loved but it's too hard to get them, it's a shame.
Alright, I'm inspired. I'm making an Aussie shelf on Goodreads too.

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Linda W
10/3/2012 02:52:49 am

Oh I so loved these posts!! I've been enjoying the Australian authors whose books have come to the States. Markus Zusak, Melina Marchetta, Cath Crowley, Garth Nix, and Jaclyn Moriarty are definite favorites. I've been recommending their books to everyone I know. I'm glad to be introduced to authors.

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Chris @ csorensenwrite link
10/3/2012 06:38:05 am

Perfect post! Nice to get outside the box and see what's out there across the blue.

Flannery - 'The Bridge' looks awesome - just added it to my 'to-read' list on GR.

Catie - 'Tomorrow, When the War Began', fantastic title that I'll have to look into. And you are right, the cover for 'Blaze of Glory' is very eye-popping and has read me all over it.

Tatiana - I am officially hooked on 'Singing the Dogstar Blues', time travel and a harmonica...I'm in!!!

Thanks for all the hard work (as usual) ladies and keeping us informed.

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Keertana link
10/3/2012 08:57:29 am

I LOVE YOU THREE! Seriously, I do. I was just despairing the other day because I had read practically all the aussie books on my TBR Shelf, but now I have plentyy of recommendations for the upcoming year, so a HUGE thank you to you three wonderful ladies! :)

Flannery: I have to agree with you - there seriously is something up with the water down there! I love both of Cath Crowley's novels, although Graffiti Moon is by far my favorite, and I'm so excited to see what she releases next year. Six Impossible Things, A Straight Line to My Heart, Stolen, Burn Bright, Jasper Jones, Sabriel, and a couple of others are all on my list of books I neeeed to read, but I've added Finding Cassie Crazy and All the Stars to my list because they look fabulous, so thanks for those recommendations! :) You DO need to get your hands on Shadows by the way - I loved that! :D

Catie: I hope you like This is Shyness! I loooved it and I adored the sequel even more, but it's not for everyone. It's very strange and atmospheric, but its true value lies far beneath the surface, so its the type of book you need to reflect upon for a loong time to truly appreciate. I'll be stalking you even more than I usually do on GoodReads to see what you think of it! ;) I'm reading Night Beach at the moment and loving the writing, as I did with Raw Blue, but I do need to get starting on Garth Nix's books, not to mention Vikki Wakefield. I read one Lili Wilkinson novel, A Pocketful of Eyes, and LOVED it, so I'll be adding Pink to my shelves at once! I actually haven't heard of John Marsden or Michael Pryor at ALL, so thanks for alerting me to those two! I love the sound of their books, so I'll have to find them somewhere in the US now too! ;)

Tatiana: I read Goodman's Eon and instantly fell in love with it, so I'm planning on reading Eona before the end of the year for sure. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed her other two novels as well though, so I'll have to check those out too it looks like! I only read Moriarty's A Spell Book of Listen Taylor and wrote her off, but perhaps I should give her other books a try. If you liked them, I'm sure I will too. Margo Lanagan, on the other hand, is an author I am so skeptical and scared to read, but I am determined to read Brides of Rollrock Island soon. From what Catie and Heidi have said about it, I know it's just too good to pass up and I'll be checking out her other novels as well!

Once again, thanks for such a wonderful post and such fabulous recommendations, ladies! I can't wait to get started on all this new aussie goodness! :D

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Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
10/7/2012 03:32:27 am

Keertana, I didn't like "A Spell Book of Listen Taylor" AT ALL. But while I think Moriarty's Ashbury books are just as odd, especially in the beginning, they are much more satisfying in the end. Hopefully, they will work for you too.

Lanagan is definitely not for everyone, but her books are worth trying for sure. Just thinking of her "Tender Morsels" and some short stories gives me shivers.

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Belle link
10/3/2012 09:30:15 pm

I have to say I'm kinda proud and inspired to see so many awesome Aussie authors slowly becoming successful overseas. Embarassingly, I haven't read a lot of these books - I have quite a few and haven't gotten around to it yet. I really need to get to them soon.

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Christina (A Reader of Fictions) link
10/4/2012 11:17:35 pm

Oh man, I needed 20 more books on my tbr pile, right? Haha, these all look SO GOOD.

If I were going to read one Margo Lanagan book, which would you recommend?

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
10/5/2012 12:25:32 pm

Christina - I would definitely recommend starting with her 2012 release, The Brides of Rollrock Island. Hope you like it!

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Reynje
10/7/2012 07:14:09 pm

Love this post :) Your recommendations are fabulous!

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VeganYANerds link
10/8/2012 05:44:50 pm

Love this post, it's so awesome to know that Aussie books are so popular overseas (I think you guys have read more Aussie YA than some Aussie YA readers!)

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Nomes
10/9/2012 10:55:11 am

oh, tatiana, i love what you wrote about jaclyn moriarty. i truly can't wait to see what you think of 'a corner of white'. it is so different from all her previous work, perhaps a little slow at the beginning, but so utterly completely brilliant i felt totally in awe upon finishing.

i wish it were easier to chat on here. i had so much to say as i read each sentence and now that i have got to commenting i have forgotten it all.

sonya hartnett is a genius and i dont even know which book to rec first as she is so different in all them (in style, tone, voice, topic, etc). but i would be curoius as to who would like her, her books are not typically YA at all. maybe trying 'sleeping dogs' which tends to blow ppl away. it is bleak though (and incest-theme-y,)

rebecca sparrow is A LOT of fun. but i never thought to rec her to anyone as i just thought it was my kind of humour and no one else would care for it, lol. so when maggie found her and loved it i was so surprised and also excited. i think of her writing as similar to the book 'psych major syndrome'

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