Picks of 2011 - Natalie

That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott

Kim Scott is a brilliant writer who weaves together Australia’s past, present, histories and myths in the captivating story of Bobby, a Noongar boy, who struggles to find his place and identity in Australia during settlement. That Deadman Dance is the best and most important book I have read all year – no wonder it won the Miles Franklin Award.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

I read this book in one sitting, so in all honesty, I couldn’t put it down. The Sense of An Ending is a wonderful meditation on the subjectivity of memory and truth while at the same time being an enthralling mystery that keeps you guessing until the final page (and beyond). Barnes uses the first person narration perfectly to illustrate how unreliable our understanding of the world around us is – what and who do we really know?

The Sons of Clovis: Ern Malley, Adoré Floupette and a secret history of Australian Poetry by David Brooks

David Brooks is an Australian poet, writer and scholar whose various guises fuse together beautifully in his latest book. Sons of Clovis is more than a new account of the fictitious Australian poet Ern Malley, it is a intricately crafted and thought-provoking exploration of poetry and the nature of literary hoaxes themselves. If you love the detail of language and the connections in life between people, times, ideas and events then you will love this book.