CSU Summer reading guide (updated!)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Library’s summer reading guide. Here it is! The names of staff and students who contributed (many contributers were anonymous) to this list are included at the end of each entry. All the recommendations can be viewed in the comments section here. Check the Library catalogue for location details.

Enjoy!

• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie (novel) – Jan
• Searching for the Secret River by Kate Grenville (memoir)
• Out of my comfort zone by Steve Waugh – Brian (memoir, cricket)
• 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith (also available on CD)
• Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change by Tim Flannery
• Molvania: a land untouched by modern dentistry by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch (humour)
• Twilight of love – travels with Turgenev by Robert Dessaix – Paul, Kerryn (memoir, Russia, travel)
• Bleak House by Charles Dickens (also available on DVD) – Bev, Kerryn + others
• The bedside book of birds: An Avian Miscellany by Graeme Gibson
• Uno’s garden by Graeme Base (gorgeous picture book)
• Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (‘science’ fiction)
• The Lighthouse by P D James (atmospheric crime novel)
• The Secret River by Kate Grenville – repeatedly nominated (award winner – fiction)
• The boy in striped pyjamas by John Boyne – repeatedly nominated
• A long, long way by Sebastian Barry – Maryann (moving novel about a soldier’s experience of WWI)
• March by Geraldine Brooks (award winner – powerful novel which tells the story of the father in Little Women)
• Discworld series by Terry Prachett – Jan M (science fiction)
• History of Love by Nicole Krauss – Julia (shortlisted for Orange prize for literature)
• Old Filth by Jane Gardam – Julia (fiction)
• Saving Fish from Drowning – Amy Tan – Lisa
• How to be French by Margaret Ambrose – Sheryl (comic Australian memoir about learning French)
• Best Australian essays 2005 – Sheryl
• Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard – Kerryn (An almost perfect novel” – The New York Times)
• Bad faith: a forgotten history of family and fatherland by Carmen Callil – Kerryn (history)
• One good turn: a jolly murder mystery by Kate Atkinson
• Everyman’s rules for scientific living by Carrie Tiffany – Kerryn (wonderful Australian novel set in the Wimmera)
• Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky – Lynn Gorman, Kerryn (superb, heartbreaking French novel)
• A man’s got to have a hobby by William McInnes – Will (comic Australian memoir)
• Postwar: a history of Europe since 1945 by Tony Judt – Kaz
• The historian by Elizabeth Kostova – John, Mick (mystery novel)
• The March by E L Doctorow – David, Kerryn (award winner – stunning novel of the American Civil war)
• The Garden book by Brian Castro (Australian novel)
• The first casualty by Ben Elton – Stephen (novel about WWI)
• Sight unseen by Robert Goddard – Jackie (pacy thriller)
• The virgin’s lover by Philippa Gregory – Jackie (historical novel)
• Summer at Mount Hope by Rosalie Ham – Jackie (Australian novel – romance, humour and much more)
• The painted kiss by Elizabeth Hickey – Jackie (historical fiction)
• Sixty lights by Gail Jones – David (Australian novel which moves between Australia, Bombay and England, very good)
• Blood from a stone by Donna Leon – Paula (crime novel set in Venice full of mouthwatering food)
• The sea by John Banville – Terry (2005 Booker Prize winner)
• The book thief by Markus Zusak – Leanne, Sue + others (Australian novel set in WWII)
• Carpentaria by Alexis Wright – Robyn (on order) (Australian novel)
• An Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung – Robyn (on order)
• The No. 1 ladies’ detective agency series by Alexander McCall Smith – Ian Goulter
• Alice in Wonderland – Leonora (classic that everyone should at least read once)
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet – Heidi (historical novel)
• Into the whirly wind: stories of ’first year out’ teaching edited by Linda Harrison (about CSU students) – Pauleen
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (on order) (science fiction)
• The Tomorrow Series of books by John Marsden – Steve (very popular thriller/ adventure series – Australian)
• Blackberry wine by Joanne Harris (on order) (novel)
• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle – Rod
• Last Days of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo – Lisa (on order)
• The god of small things by Arundhati Roy – Meghan (award winner, superb)
• Farewell my ovaries by Wendy Harmer – Kate (Australian comic novel)
• The devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger – Kate
• We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver – Jane B. (award winner, fiction)
• North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – Clare, Kerryn (also available on DVD)
• Little, big by John Crowley – Maryann (fantasy novel)
• A Tale of love and darkness by Amos Oz – Maryann (memoir)
• The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald – Maryann (2005 Miles Frankin literature winner)
• Dirt Music by Tim Winton – Karen (also available on CD) (award winner, Australian fiction)
• True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey – Karen (also available on CD)
• Holy Cow: an Indian Adventure by Sarah McDonald – Karen (also available on CD)
• Inheritance of loss by Kiran Desai – Pam (2005 Booker Prize winner)
• Inhaling the Mahatma by Christopher Kremmer – Pam, Kerryn (travel & memoir)
• The great war for civilisation: the conquest of the Middle East by Robert Fisk – Pam
• Hungry tide by Amitav Ghosh – Pam (novel set in Bengal – very good)
• Eleven on top by Janet Evanovich – Pam (comic crime novel)
• Theft: a love story by Peter Carey – Mary
• Memoir by John McGahern’s – Frank (on order)
• The man who smiled by Henning Mankell (gritty crime novel set in Sweden)
• Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin (one of the best crime writers)
• Cross bones by Kathy Reichs – Susan (forensic crime novel)
• La Trobe: the making of a governor by Dianne Reilly Drury – Behn
• Asbestos House: the secret history of James Hardie Industries by Gideon Haigh – Behn
• Creme de la phlegm: unforgettable Australian reviews by Angela Bennie -Trish
• Why Europe will run the 21st Century by Mark Leonard – Adrian
• The memory of running by Ron McLarty – Hedy (novel)
• Absurdistan – by Eric Campbell – Jenny (memoir of an Australilan foreign correspondent
• Head over heels by Sam and Jenny Bailey (a true story of love and adversity)
• Tete-a-tete: biography of Simone de Beauvois and Jean-Paul Satre by Hazel Rowley
• The second coming of Lucy Hatch Marsha Moyer – Justine
• On Rue Tatin by Susan Loomis (memoir about food and buying a house in France)
• Salvation Creek: an unexpected life by Sue Duncan (memoir about death and sea change)
• The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon – Jeanette (wonderful novel)
• A suitable boy by Vikram Seth – Meghan C. (great novel)
• Promise me by Harlan Coben – Bill (thriller)
• The innocent by Harlan Coben – Bill (thriller)
• Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers – Janet (classic crime novel)
• The Visitor by Jane R Goodall (very good crime novel set in Oxford)
• Madras on rainy days by Samina Ali (atmospheric novel about arranged marriage set in India)
• The Devil’s feather by Minette Walters – Cecilia (terrifyingly good)
• Medusa by Michael Dibdin – Cecilia (wonderful crime novel set in Italy)
• Entombed by Linda Fairstein – Cecilia (frightening)
• Keep me close by Clare Francis – Cecilia (nailbiting thriller)
• A death divided by Clare Francis – Cecilia (great page turner)
• Best Australian science fiction writing edited by Rob Gerrand
• The last family in England by Matt Haig – Pauline G (very funny novel)
• The broken book by Susan Johnson –Pauline G (Australian novel described by The Australian as ‘fiercely beautiful’)
• Silent parts by John Charalambous – Sallyanne (intriguing novel about a missing soldier in WWI)
• The Murrumbidgee kid by Peter Yeldham (Australian novel)
• It’s all good by Andrew Daddo (comic memoir about motorbikes and friendship)
• Mark Twain: a life by Ron Powers – Nic (great biography)
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – Nic (deservedly a classic)
• A thinking reed by Barry Jones – Thomas (biography)
• Ten thousand acres: a love story by Patrice Newell – Thomas (about Newell’s farm near Scone, gorgeous photos)
• Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver – Thomas
• Jillaroo by Rachael Treasure – Kylie (romance set in rural Australia)
• Thousand days in Venice: an unexpected romance by Marlena de Blasi – Kylie (true romance set in beautiful Venice)