TOOWOOMBA'S TOP READS FOR 2018
These are the books our councillors, MPs, journalists and other public figures enjoyed reading this year
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
ALI DAVENPORT
THE 1961 classic is one of my favourite books of all time. The plot of the novel centres on the antihero Captain John Yossarian, stationed at an airstrip on a Mediterranean island in World War Two, and portrays his desperate attempts to stay alive.
It is an easy and enjoyable read. It’s got every character I’ve ever met in my life in that book, all the crazy, funny and good ones.
Lincoln’s Virtues William Lee Miller
DAVID JANETZKI MP
William Lee Miller’s ethical biography is described as an engaging telling of the story of Lincoln’s rise to power.
It’s a fresh look at Abraham Lincoln and how he married his ethical and moral values with political realities. It’s a brilliant book on a brilliant man.
Unbreakable - Jelena Dokic
MAYOR PAUL ANTONIO
This is a story of Jelena Dokic’s survival. How she survived as a refugee, twice. How she survived on the tennis court to become world number four. But, most importantly, how she survived her father, Damir Dokic, the tennis dad from hell.
Unbreakable is a book I really enjoyed. The book is about the journey of a young woman with enormous courage.
Dogfight - Fred Vogelstein
TREVOR WATTS MP
Dogfight is about the battle between two of the world’s most influential companies – Apple and Google.
It started with Google Maps and ended up in court. Along the way, we’ve enjoyed the fruits of their labour as they battled for supremacy.
Most of us have, or have had, an Apple or Google device. It’s interesting to know how it all began.
Nevermoor - Jessica Townsend
TANYA JARVIS, LIBRARY AND CULTURAL SERVICES ACTING MANAGER
Nevermoor is a unique and quirky fantasy in a completely original world with engaging characters, plot and magic that’s accessible to all ages.
I also love that it is written by a young Australian author, in one of my favourite genres – fantasy.
Bridge of Clay Markus Zusak
CARMEL STUART, TOOWOOMBA CITY LIBRARIAN
Markus Zusak is the author of my all-time favourite novel, The Book
Thief, so I was keen to sink my teeth into his latest. He does not disappoint.
Clay is the fourth of the five Dunbar boys; he is a quiet and secretive boy in search of greatness, as a cure for a painful and complex family start.
The Dunbar boys are a gaggle of bruised and battered brothers growing up without a mother and with an absent father - they are raising themselves in the wake of tragedy. This is a heartfelt novel spanning generations.
Boys Will Be Boys Clementine Ford
CARMEL STUART, TOOWOOMBA
CITY LIBRARIAN
As a mum of a beautiful son, now adult, I read this book with interest.
Australian author Clementine Ford’s first book Fight like a
Girl galvanised us to be careful with our subliminal messages to our daughters and sons, and this next non-fiction book is equally well researched and thought provoking.
It answers the question: how do we raise our sons?
Leonardo da Vinci Walter Isaacson
CR CAROL TAYLOR
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson writes a narrative that connects da Vinci’s art to his science.
I love history and (so far) this book is revealing a lot about this genius’ everyday life and the politics of the Roman Empire at that time.
The Martian Andy Weir
CR NANCY SOMMERFIELD
A fascinating read on one person’s capacity to survive alone on another planet.
The Daily Promise Domonique Bertolucci
CR JAMES O’SHEA
This book has an inspirational message on every page.
In 2018, I started each day by opening the book at a random page and it ensures my day starts in a positive and motivated manner.
My Little Acorns Peter Swannell AM
CR GEOFF MCDONALD
The future is not always obvious.
This is the story about a family who lived near London with the author then becoming USQ Vice Chancellor.
The books are available at the Empire Theatre where Peter was chair from 1999 to 2016.
Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton
CR MEGAN O’HARA SULLIVAN
My absolute stand-out novel this year was Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe.
It is about a boy who grows up in housing commission suburbs in Brisbane in the late 70s and early 80s. He comes from an incredibly dysfunctional family wracked by addiction, crime and poverty. Through it all, he and his brother love each other and hold onto the hope of loving their parents.
It is the true story of Dalton’s own life and his quest to become a journalist. His ability to see the detail and stimulate our senses is incredible. You can feel the heat of a Brisbane summer with your legs sticking to the vinyl seats of the car. You can smell the dirt under the house where you’re hiding to get away from the violence going on upstairs.
Perhaps because Dalton is a similar age but mostly because of his brilliant way of describing minute detail, I was transported back to the time when I too was 13 and setting out on life. He brought back memories of drinks like Tang and Tab, clothes such as Coca Cola pants and Dunlop Volleys.
Boy Swallows Universe was a page turner for me. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a book so much.
Homodeus Yuval Noah Harari
CR CHRIS TAIT
In this book Harari recounts the course of history while describing events and the individual human experience, along with ethical issues in relation to his historical survey. It’s a thought-provoking book about where mankind is heading.
The Queen’s Colonial - Peter Watt
MARY ANNE ELLIOTT, BOOK REVIEWER
Peter Watt’s latest book, The
Queen’s Colonial, is a colourful portrayal of colonial times.
Set in Australia, New Zealand, England and the Crimea, it’s little wonder that Watt’s characters come so vividly to life, with an absorbing plot.
His life experiences have included soldier, articled clerk, deckhand, builder’s labourer, real estate agent, private investigator, police sergeant and most recently, volunteer firefighter.
A master storyteller with many books to his name, this is the first of an intriguing new series which will, judging by this first book, appeal to his fans and attract new followers.
Hellbent - Gregg Hurwitz
SUSAN HARTLAND, AUTHOR
This is the third book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz and was released earlier this year.
It’s just as good as the previous two, full of action, danger and twists. But what sets this series apart is the character of Evan Smoak, an orphan raised as an off-the-books government assassin who breaks with the program and is seeking redemption.
There’s such vulnerability and depth to Evan; I was on his side from page one of the first book – that’s good writing.
Song of Achilles Madeline Miller
SUSAN HARTLAND
I finally got around to reading Madeline Miller’s Orange Prize-winning novel Song of Achilles. Such a beautiful book.
It’s a fascinating re-telling of the story of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, and a retelling of the Trojan War.
The writing is breathtakingly lovely. There were some wonderful understated moments that made me sob. Even now I can’t think about this book without feeling very sad.
Eggshell Skull - Bri Lee
TOBI LOFTUS, JOURNALIST
This memoir centres on the journey of the author, Bri Lee, a judges associate in the District Court of Queensland who has to sit through hundreds of hours of rape, sexual assault and child abuse trials as part of her job.
Lee and her judge went on circuit around regional Queensland, to areas such as Bundaberg, Warwick and Roma, where Lee witnessed the injustices complainants faced because of how old they were, what they were wearing, if the jury didn’t consider them the archetypal victim. Lee’s writing about this will leave you infuriated over how unfair it is. The book exposes the shortcomings of our legal system and how it regularly lets victims of sexual crimes down.
But it’s Lee’s writing about her own case where the book shines through. As a child in late primary school, Lee was sexually assaulted by a close friend of her older brother. Lee provides a fascinating account of taking a perpetrator to trial and masterfully provides a fascinating insight filled with tension and emotion into her mind during one of the darkest times in her life.
The 19th Bladesman - SJ Hartland
MEGHAN HARRIS, JOURNALIST
I read upwards of about 30 books a year, and they range from crime to fantasy. This year my favourite book was The 19th Bladesman by SJ Hartland.
It is a 600-plus page fantasy novel that I easily devoured in just over a day.
It’s a story that follows the lives of Kaell, Val Arques and Heath after a vengeful god escapes an ancient prison. The powerful characters along with the incredible world building made it one I couldn’t put down.
My Absolute Darling - Gabriel Tallent
TOBI LOFTUS
Turtle is a young 14-year-old who lives alone with her abusive father in a rural, coastal part of North California. Tallent paints the good characters in this disturbing novel beautifully, full of heart, soul, stamina and courage. Even the natural setting becomes a character. It’s a disturbing novel that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.