Great Australian Reads

Feliz Home loves to celebrate the heart of all that is creative – and what’s more hearty than the written word? Much to the testament of our product range we’re all about creating a lifestyle, and the Aussie way of life is a unique lifestyle that must be celebrated! Well, it has been.

Here are our top six recommendations on books that will induce that feel good Aussie nostalgia and pride in this vast, giving, multicultural, lucky country.

This best-seller was turned into a TV mini-series, but there’s nothing quite like turning the pages on this wonderful recount of life in Western Australia. Albert B. Facey was a private during World War II and nothing less than an Aussie hero! His autobiography launched him to local celebrity status and in true-blue humble spirit he claimed to have never known what ‘all of the fuss was about’. Come on Albert! You’re the fuss, mate!

If you’re looking for a bloody good laugh at the expense of Aussie culture then look no further. They’re A Weird Mob is a real side-tickler about the Aussie way of life covering everything from tradies to that infamous slang. This book sold over 130,000 copies in its first year and once you’ve pick it up, you’ll have no worries seeing why.

Surely every Aussie knows Ruth Park’s famous work? If not, The Harp in the South is the best place to start. Set in Surry Hills, Sydney which was inner city slum at the time, this novel draws a deep contrast between Sydney now and 70 years ago – we think you’ll be extremely surprised.

The reviews on Cloud Street are a solid mix between ‘this was hilarious’ and ‘this was too sad’. Guess which ones were left by Aussies? Sorrow and joy, love and forgiveness. You can find it all in this tale that follows some spritely Aussie lives over the course of 20 years. It’s been classed as one of the best works of Australian literature EVER. You’ll have to check it out.

The Slap puts a real focus into Australia’s multicultural society. It’s based on the views of 8 different individuals surrounding one event – a slap at a BBQ. Award-winning (unsurprisingly, Australia has some of the most talented creatives in the world) Christos Tsiolkas was praised across Australia and the USA for this piece. This book is a gentle reminder of Australia’s firm stances and beliefs.

A recent release, 2014’s Big Little Lies took the world by storm. Soon to be an Australian classic, this New York Times Best Seller is set in beautiful Sydney. A tale of love, friendship and true Australian spirit, this book about the little lies we tell ourselves in order to get by reveals how they soon become big problems.

You can pick up any one of these books and fall easily into the Australian cities that their set. From fun Aussie slang that the rest of the world can’t quite ‘get’ through to unique struggles and nostalgia for those scorching Summer days and simpler school times – if any of these books aren’t on your ‘read it’ list, they should be.