australian culture and customs
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10 Aussie books to read before you die
The First Tuesday Book Club is a monthly television show on ABC TV where prominent writers, actors, journalists and others discuss a book which they invite all viewers to read the month before.
To celebrate The National Year of Reading, First Tuesday Book Club has compiled, with your help, an all-Australian reading list, the 10 Aussie books you must read before you die.
For all the challenges facing print it has been a great year for Australian book-lovers who’ve taken part in some 3700 separate Year of Reading events across the country, from small meetings in local libraries to the massive Reading Hour event which attracted thousands.
There is much to celebrate and much reading to be done.
Your votes have been streaming in all year, so here are the top 10 Aussie Books for 2012, as chosen by you.
- Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
- The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
- A Fortunate Life – A.B. Facey
- The Harp in the South – Ruth Park
- The Power of One – Bryce Courtenay
- Jasper Jones – Craig Silvey
- The Magic Pudding – Norman Lindsay
- The Slap – Christos Tsiolkas
- The Secret River – Kate Grenville
- Picnic at Hanging Rock – Joan Lindsay
Related articles
- 10 Australian books to read before you die – First Tuesday Book Club (booktopia.com.au)
australian culture and customs 
Great! Tim Winton is there on the list.
Rest in peace, Mr Bryce Courtenay.
Thank you.
This list was actually presented on the show, The First Tuesday Bookclub on ABC (or SBS?) and there was unanimous agreement that Tim Winton should be number one. There was not unanimity on the rest, however. It’s probably available to watch if you click on the link on the page.
SoundEagle could have already watched that episode . . . . it’s been so long ago.
Hi Helene, I would like to inform you that CloudStreet has been set to an opera by the retired Judge of the New South Wales Supreme Court and a serious composer George Palmer – See more at http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/review-cloudstreet-state-opera-south-australia