3 books...

in admiration of the human spirit

you can't put down

to spark your sense of wonder

unlike any other

to make you laugh...when you probably shouldn't

to warm your winter

to keep you on the edge of your seat

that will break your heart

to suck you into their world

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3 tales in admiration of the human spirit

	Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom Reserve	It drew tears even though I was on the tram. Public be damned - this makes you cry no matter who is around.
	A home at the end of the world Michael Cunningham Reserve	A must-read for anyone who feels like they don't fit in. Cunningham's writing is so amazing, you find yourself re-reading parts and thinking, 'How did he do that?'
	Eleven Mark Watson Reserve	Highly entertaining, great dialogue and sympathetic characters. Perfect for a long plane trip or a rainy Sunday afternoon. Almost made me believe in Karma.

3 thrilling reads you can't put down

	Vlad: the last confession C C Humphreys Reserve	With not a vampire in sight this extremely bloodthirsty title places a human face on the Dracula of myth and the horror genre.
	Little stranger Sarah Waters Reserve	Gothic, Edwardian psychological ghost story that scared me so silly I had to insist my partner come to bed before I would turn out the light and go to sleep. Creepy, repressed and claustrophobic.
	The outliers Malcolm Caldwell Reserve	It's a book you want to re-read sometimes just for enjoyment. I found it lively, provocative, insightful and fun.

3 books to spark your sense of wonder

	MacRobertsonland Jill Robertson Reserve	A rollicking fun read! Jill Robertson's telling of the story of Melbourne's own Willy Wonka is fast-paced, colourful and transporting.
	Dog boy Eva Hornung Reserve	I couldn’t put it down. For a short while it made me believe I could communicate more effectively with my own dog. I could not!
	The shallows: what the internet is doing to our brains Nicholas Carr Reserve	Opened my eyes to the extent to which the Internet has penetrated our lives and thought processes in a very short time. Also shocked me into realising there is skill involved in reading a book from cover to cover and made me fearful of losing this skill in a digital age!

3 books unlike any other you may have read

	2666 Roberto Bolano Reserve	This book left me speechless. When anyone asked me what I thought of the book, words like ‘amazing’ ‘wonderful’ ‘beautiful’ ‘tragic’ ‘epic’ all came out of my mouth, but when asked 'why?' or 'how so?' I realized no words can really do this book justice. Just read it.
	Screwtop Thompson Magnus Mills Reserve	Mills' stories are just as black as his novels. Nobody else can be so eloquent about pointlessness.
	Choke Chuck Palahniuk Reserve	This is the only book that has made me laugh out loud. I just found it hilarious and irreverent. I love the opening line. “If you’re going to read this, don’t bother.”

3 stories to make you laugh...when you probably shouldn't

	Going bovine Libba Bray Reserve	The funniest book about a teenager dying of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease that you'll ever read. No, really.
	Skippy dies Paul Murray Reserve	This book was recommended to me and I would never have read it otherwise, judging from the cover. This book gave me the warm fuzzies. It’s so full of life, humour and pathos.
	Role models John Waters Reserve	Hilarious, irreverent and controversial but also heartfelt and touching. Waters' tributes to the real-life characters who have inspired him is guaranteed to entertain, wickedly.

3 warming winter reads

	At home: a short history of private life Bill Bryson Reserve	Made me realise there is history in everything - especially in the mundane objects I use everyday! Provided me with more interesting snippets of history and trivia than an entire Bachelor of Arts Degree.
	Mary Ann in Autumn Armistead Maupin Reserve	This was just like catching up with old friends. I used to want to be Mary Ann; now I'm not so sure. Made me feel like reading the series all over again.
	The Fry chronicles Stephen Fry Reserve	I know he's a busy man, but one of my fantasies is that Stephen Fry would sit at the end of my bed and read to me every night. He'd have to move the cat, though.

3 books to keep you on the edge of your seat

	Child 44 Tom Rob Smith Reserve	A thriller about a serial killer. What makes it stand out from hundreds of others is the setting - 1953 Soviet Union, a time and place when, officially, crime doesn't exist, which makes it tricky for the cop who is looking for the killer. Fascinating, thrilling and sinister.
	Operation Napoleon Arnaldur Indridason Reserve	I felt as if I was reading WIKILEAKS as I ploughed through this fictional account of Icelander civilians opposing the very dirty tricks of American secret services.
	Stasiland Anna Funder Reserve	A rarity - a non fiction book that can't be put down. It is about the Stasi, the secret service in the former East Germany. This might sound dry but it is absolutely compelling. Also very scary, occasionally funny, and often very sad.

3 stories that will break your heart

	Syd Barrett: a very irregular head Rob Chapman Reserve	A sensitive, well-researched portrait that dispels a lot of the myths around Syd and provides an insight into what the less sensational truth might have been. Needless to say, it's heartbreaking in parts, but also full of amusing and uplifting anecdotes.
	Paula: a memoir Isabel Allende Reserve	While sadness frames this memoir, the core of it pulses with life and faith. Beautifully written, with moments that will make you pause with admiration, this book is startling and powerful.
	If nobody speaks of remarkable things Jon McGregor Reserve	Beautiful, poetic writing with incredible attention to detail and of human experience. The climactic point was such a surprise I cried on the spot. Tragic. Loving. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable.

3 books that suck you into their world and make you reconsider your own

	Jasper Jones Craig Silvey Reserve	I felt the mood of the country town where whispers became inside screams. I travelled with Charlie on his journey through puberty, his highs, lows, and his relationship with his parents, and the secrets that are held by people living in the town. I absolutely loved this book!
	Water for elephants Sara Gruen Reserve	Amazing and interesting, but ultimately sad. Makes me glad I never did run away to join the circus.
	Room: a novel Emma Donoghue Reserve	Made me appreciate my own personal space. My childhood. My life.

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