Aussie book tag

Tomorrow, the 26th of January, is Australia Day: a holiday (kind of similar to Fourth of July, I think) in which we commemorate the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet on Australian shores and, as a result, the country's establishment.

It is a bit controversial, though. It's known as Survival Day by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and allies, and there has been a significant push in recent years to change the date due to the callous treatment that Indigenous Australians endured at the hands of British colonists.

However, while it's important to remember the more negative aspects of our history and acknowledge the suffering of Australia's First Peoples, at its heart, Australia Day is a celebration of everything great about being Australian and the country we are fortunate enough to call home. 

And one thing that definitely deserves to be celebrated is Australian literature! I was looking for inspiration for an Australia-themed book post when I stumbled upon the aptly named Aussie Book Tag so, of course, I decided to hop on board! 

(Except I had to make it a bit harder for myself so I've only included books written by Australian authors!) 

The Aussie Book Tag was created by Julia @ Picnic Reads and Ngoc @ Happy Comes First and I viewed it on Caz @ Little Book Owl's YouTube channel. Unfortunately, the original post no longer seems to exist.

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KOALA: a character you want to cuddle all day long

Ardent, the Royal Dog, from Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

Not only is Ardent an adorable and energetic young dog (I imagined him as a one- or two-year-old Golden Retriever) but he also TALKS!

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VEGEMITE: a book you  love  hate that everyone else  hates  loves

Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

Although I personally love vegemite, I know lots of Aussies who don't so I decided to switch this prompt up a bit. David Malouf is a hugely respected, award-winning Australian author and Remembering Babylon is actually a Man Booker Prize Nominee (1993) but I had to read it for school and absolutely HATED it.

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SOCCEROOS: favourite fictional squad

The Herons from the Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan

Would this be a post about #LoveOzYA books without mentioning at least one by John Flanagan? No, it would not. I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Herons are #squadgoals.

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SOUTHERN CROSS: most recent 5-star read

After the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson

I think this was my most recent 5-star #LoveOzYA read? But either way, the Australian outback is the perfect setting for an end-of-the-world dystopian story and this one ticked all my boxes!

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PATRIOTISM: favourite book by an author from your country

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

This probably comes as no surprise given it was my absolute favourite book of 2018, but don't get me wrong, this question was tricky. How am I supposed to choose just a single favourite book by an Australian author? Previously, I probably would have said either Ranger's Apprentice or the Tomorrow series, but now Jay's Nevernight officially takes the cake.

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ECHIDNA: a book you like to look at, but physically hurts to read

Songlines by Carolyn Denman

Sigh. This cover is gorgeous but unfortunately the insides do not match. The combination of the hate-to-love and destined-to-be-together tropes was cringy at best and physically painful at worst. 

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NED KELLY: a book that is really grim, but an iconic must-read

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Flanagan

The absolute grimmest. But for sure one of the most iconic #LoveOzYA stories ever written. In fact, the Tomorrow series really paved the way for the young adult genre in Australia.

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GREAT BARRIER REEF: a book that had you gaping in awe

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Okay, maybe I wasn't quite gaping, but I was definitely in awe of the sheer beauty of both Cath Crowley's writing and the narrative she weaves. As the cover proclaims, Words in Deep Blue is a love story, but not just in the conventional sense: it's also an ode to books themselves.

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PAVLOVA: a light and fluffy book you can't help but love

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

This book is fun, fabulous, and packed full of diversity! Although it deals with some contemporary issues, it's still a light and entertaining read and I loved it!

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MILO: a genre/author you reach for to help get you out of a reading slump

John Flanagan

I'm sorry, I have to mention John Flanagan again. Actually, you know what, I'm not sorry! His stories never fail to pull me out of a reading slump! Particularly the original Ranger's Apprentice series.

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If you are Australian or live in Australia, do you celebrate Australia Day? Or does your country have a similar national holiday? Let's chat! And if you've done the Aussie Book Tag, leave me a link to your post so I can see what books you highlighted! 

Niamh, xo.