Reading Ideas

In celebration of the annual NAIDOC Week and Indigenous Literacy Day, we have compiled a list featuring prize-winning and otherwise revered works by First Australians. You can find each text and more by searching the catalogue.

• Alexis Wright, The Swan Book
• Ali Cobby Eckermann, Ruby Moonlight
• Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod, Shake a Leg
• Bruce Pascoe, Fog a Dox
• Clare Atkins, Nona & Me
• Jane Harrison, Becoming Kirrali Lewis
• Jared Thomas, Calypso Summer
• Kim Scott, Taboo
• Melissa Lucaschenko, Mullumbimby
• Tara June Winch, The Yield
• Tony Birch, The White Girl
• Anita Heiss, Am I Black Enough for You?
• Anita Heiss, Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia
• Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu
• Doris Pilkington Garimara, Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence
• Henry Reynolds, Forgotten War
• Kevin Gilbert, Because a White Man'll Never Do It
• Marcia Langton, Welcome to Country
• Ruby Langford Ginibi, Don't Take Your Love to Town
• Stan Grant, Talking to My Country
• Sally Morgan, My Place
• Tyson Yunkaporta, Sand Talk

If you would like to see more literature written by Aboriginal Australians, we encourage you to suggest an item. 

Sometimes you just need a laugh. Explore these and many more comedic books by searching the catalogue

• Ali Wong, Dear Girls
• Darynda Jones, First Grave on the Right
• David Sedaris, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
• Enid Blyton, Five Forget Mother's Day
• Enid Blyton, Five Go Gluten Free
• Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
• Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project
• Jerry Seinfeld, Is This Anything?
• Jenny Offill, Weather
• Judith Lucy, Drink Smoke Pass Out
• Kitty Flanagan, 488 Rules For Life
• Mikey Robins, Reprehensible
• Samantha Irby, Wow, No Thank You
• Sophie Jenkins, A Random Act of Kindness
• Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens
• William McInnes, Fatherhood

Know any sidesplitting stories we don't have yet? Why not head over and suggest an item. 

Wollongong City Libraries is committed to providing a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment for everyone. To celebrate our diverse community, our staff have curated a list of favourite and lesser-known LGBTQIA+ texts. Each is available for borrowing in our catalogue.

• Alice Oseman, Heartstopper
• Brontez Purnell, 100 Boyfriends
• Casey McQuiston, Red, White and Royal Blue
• David Levithan, Every Day
• Dean Atta, The Black Flamingo
• Gaby Dunn, Bury the Lede
• Krystal Sutherland, House of Hollow
• Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
• Mariko Tamaki, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
• Ocean Vuong, On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous
• Rainbow Rowell, Carry On
• Robert Jr. Jones, The Prophets
• Sarah Gailey, Upright Women Wanted
• Sarah Waters, Tipping the Velvet
• Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow
• Carmen Maria Mochado, In the Dream House
• Daniel Lavery, Something That May Shock and Discredit You
• Hugh Ryan, When Brooklyn Was Queer
• Jeanette Winterson, Why be Happy When You Could be Normal
• John Paul Brammer, ¡Hola Papi!: How to come out in a Walmart parking lot and other life lessons
• Timothy Conigrave, Holding the Man

If there's a LGBTQIA+ work you think should be in our catalogue, suggest an item. 🏳️‍🌈

Grounded science, or quirky speculation? Peak behind the curtain and discover amazing things about the world we inhabit and beyond. Each text can be accessed via our catalogue.

• Alan Lightman, The Accidental Universe
• Christopher Paolini, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
• Cixin Liu, Hold Up the Sky
• Jo Marchant, The Human Cosmos
• Judy Mikovits, Plague of Corruption
• Kim Stanley Robinson, Red Mars
• Liz Hyder, The Gifts
• Patrick D. Nunn, Worlds in Shadow
• Simon Morden, The Red Planet
• Stephen Baxter, Obelisk

If there's a scintillating piece of science fact or fiction that you think should be in our catalogue, suggest an item. 🔬

Get your little one prepared for starting school with these great reads available via our catalogue.

• Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley, First Day
• Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley, Old Friends, New Friends
• Eric Hill, Spot goes to school: a lift-the-flap book
• Helene Hilton, Stuff to know when you start School
• Jane Godwin and Anna Walker, Starting School
• Jedda Robaard, Silly Lily and the First Day of Kindergarten
• Kate Berube, Mae's First Day of School
• Nic Naitanui and Fatima Anaya, Little Nic's Big Day
• P. Crumble and Dean Rankine, On the First Day of School
• Penny Matthews and Liz Anelli, Maddie's First Day
• Simon Philip and Ged Adamson, I have to start at school today
• Sue deGennaro, School Days
• Ted Prior, Grug Goes to School