Thursday, November 25, 2010

Spotlight on International Fiction: Australia

Our next international stop is Australia! Check out some of these titles which take place "down under", from mysteries to historical fiction to travelogues.

The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas
At a festive barbecue in a Melbourne suburb a man slaps the child of another couple, triggering a court case and a variety of confrontations within the lives of the the families and friends present.

Rifling Paradise - Jem Poster
Moving to Australia, naturalist Charles Redbourne finds his life changing dramatically when he meets the artistic daughter of his host and embarks on an expedition to the Blue Mountains.

Carpentaria - a novel - Alexis Wright
A tale inspired by the plight of the Australian Aborigines follows a clash between a powerful family, tribe leaders, and mobsters in a sparsely populated northern Queensland town, a conflict marked by the machinations of a religious zealot, a murderous politician, and an activist.

Seven Mile Beach - Tom Gilling
It was just a harmless lie -- to say he was driving Danny Grogan's car when it was caught speeding down the Sydney streets on New Year's Eve -- and Danny's father, a billionaire real estate tycoon, had promised to make it worth his while. But when former reporter Nick Carmody stands up in court, it becomes clear that he doesn't know what he's admitting to -- until it's too late.

Wallaby Track - Aaron Fletcher
Vowing to use his doctoring skills to help other settlers survive in the beloved outback territory of his forebears, Stephen Brendell meets Deirdre Kerrick, a courageous young woman determined to preserve her family's destiny.


In armchair travel:

In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
Travel writer and humorist author takes readers on a tour of the land Down Under that goes far beyond packaged-tour routes.

Keep Australia on your Left: a true story of an attempt to circumnavigate Australia by kayak - Eric Stiller
Narrates the journey of two men circumventing Australia by means of a two-man kayak, describing their dangerous encounters with strong currents, rough surf, crocodiles, and sharks.

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