The Secret River - Kate Grenville

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

FINALLY! A meaty, complex book that is well-written. Although I'm starting to tire of books about the colonisation of Australia due to overexposure, this novel really is one the best fictional accounts of the subject.

The Secret River follows the story of William Thornhill - sentenced to the colony of NSW for theft. William's wife Sal accompanies him, and over time the family claims their own piece of land in the Hawkesbury. The bulk of the novel, however, explores Thornhill's interaction with the local Aboriginal tribe and the other white settlers. Indeed the power of this novel lies in the complexity of Thornhill's character and the nature of the relationships he forges. His ability to commit atrocities against the local inhabitants is described in a way which highlights the uncertainties of every settler's mind.

This is an engaging and powerful read which will linger with Australian readers long after - a lot of us can claim such characters as ancestors. Because of the infrequent use of dark language and the major themes of this book, it's best to be savoured by kids over 15. Adults will take much more from it.

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

Normally I don't enjoy reading books with an Indian narrator. There's both personal and stylistic reasons for this which I don't need to go into here.

The White Tiger however, featured a really engaging Indian narrator - "Servant, entrepreneur, philosopher, murderer". It also features a fast-moving, somewhat cynical plot ('Slumdog Millionaire-esque' style). It tells the story of how Munna raised himself out of the poverty and discrimination of his local Indian village and made something of himself (albeit in a non-recommendable way). It tells the stories of corrupt police and politicians, of the confusing modern interpretation of caste, of the relationship between India and the outside world.

It was, in short, more engaging than I had anticipated. It is also very cleverly crafted.

This novel gives the reader a general sense of what it means to live in India today - of the courage, determination and disrespect for ignorant cultural rituals that is necessary to break free of social and familial expectations. Better saved for older readers so they can appreciate Adiga's powerful use of understatements.

The Polysyllabic Spree - Nick Hornby

Recommended for ages 16-adult.

I wanted to talk about The Polysyllabic Spree not because it's a particularly great or interesting book but because I really like what Hornby has done. The Spree is essentially a month-by-month account of all the books he has bought and read. He rambles a little about each, and I skipped about half of the book because he was reading stuff that wasn't interesting to me.

BUT Hornby also provided me with some deep thinking points about how we choose what to read, how our reading appetites change depending on what's happening in our lives, and the process of writing itself. Of particular interest were his reflections about the current trend for writers to pare their works down, cut superfluous words etc which stands in stark contrast to the likes of Dickens or the Brontes.

So basically I'd recommend this book to older teens who are really into reading and writing, as well as to adults (particularly intellectuals who may have tackled some of Hornby's bigger works).

The Lolita Effect - M. Gigi Durham

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

The Lolita Effect is a critical commentary on the "media sexualization of young girls and what we can do about it". Although this is a bit of a hot-button issue right now, Durham uses such a wide range of familiar examples that you can't help but feel aghast at the manipulation and control the media has over all of us. To aid the reader's understanding of this big issue, The Lolita Effect is divided up into sections dealing with five big myths about girls and their sexuality. Each is well-substantiated and utilises current research in a convincing and thought-provoking way.

This book is a must-read for anyone raising girls, teaching girls, or even girls themselves when they are mature enough to start thinking about the construction of their identities.

Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

Wide Sargasso Sea is a book I have been trying to track down for ages. It tells the story of Antoinette Cosway, better recognised as Bertha in Jane Eyre. I really enjoy reading novels which give the backstory of minor characters in other books I've read, like Robin Klein's short story 'Bluebeard's Daughter', Rhys' interpretation left me a little underwhelmed.

For one, I have absolutely no knowledge or experience of the West Indies, which forms the setting for 90% of this book. I don't understand the race relations which the book draws upon, nor the reasons for Rochester's conquest of Antoinette. I understood that power relations were really important in this book, but couldn't get a grip on the specifics. And the multiple shifts in perspective just further confused me.

On saying all that, the language and imagery is magnificent, and thanks to her writing skill, Rhys is able to transform Bertha from the mad woman in the attic of Thornfield Hall into a tragic-heroine figure. It's an interesting shift in perception. Rochester comes off as being mean, heartless and unconscionable rather than being young and naiive as Bronte presents him. I liked that.

Although I couldn't really appreciate this novel, it is a quick read and it does challenge your existing ideas about Jane Eyre.

Recommended for people who enjoyed Jane Eyre and want to delve deeper into the plot. Best to leave it till you're 15 or 16 so you can understand some of Rhys' subtleties.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Ayn and her novel.

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

Not the most well-written story in the world, Atlas Shrugged makes up for its limited literary skill with some hard-hitting ideas about wealth and the nature of free industry. It's a basic story of love and intrigue on one hand, with a fiercely independent railway tycoon as the protagonist, but also a thought-provoking political volume. Although it drags on a bit (particularly the final chapters with John's big speech), this novel may just set you thinking about the ways society values people with intelligence and ambition. It's also an interesting celebration of working women. Indeed one reviewer calls it 'chic-lit for feminist libertarians'.

I listened to the audio version of the book (all 11 hours), and found the breaks between discs the optimum way to reflect on some of Rand's key statements. I reckon reading it would be quite full-on.

This book is intended for adults, but politically switched on young people (over 15) will find food for thought too.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

The Help was recommended to me recently because of Stockett's unique writing style. It paints a vivid picture of American life in the Deep South in the 1960's, where politics were all about black and white. Written in three voices, The Help explores the world of the Black hired help through three beautifully crafted characters. Aibileen is a wise old woman with plenty of years of domestic service under her belt. Her friend, Minny, is a brassy woman with an awful reputation for speaking her mind to her employers. And Skeeter is the young white woman who dared to try to help them, losing her love but gaining her parents respect through her struggle.

This book kept me riveted to my seat and occupied all my waking thoughts until I finished it. The complex plot was tightly constructed, and then fleshed out with realism and clarity. Stockett's characters are adorable and very believable. From the insidious Hilly, to the almost hateful Elizabeth, Stockett's characterisation will make you laugh and cry.

Recommended for kids over 15 years old because The Help deals with some pretty confronting aspects of human nature including racism, hatred, domestic violence, and miscarriage.

The Tennant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

This book has been on my 'must-read' list for ages now, and I finally got around to reading it at then end of last month. It's one of the Bronte classics, and is the last novel written by Anne who died when she was quite young.

The plot is told through the eyes of a young English gentleman who finds himself falling in love with his new neighbour - the supposedly widowed Mrs Helen Graham. The neighbours all gossip and speculate about the mysterious origins of her and her young son, and much of the book concerns itself with slowly revealing Mrs Graham's troubled past. Her diary, handed over to the narrator and thus to the reader at a critical point in the book, reveals the terrible truth of her position and her past.

Although it was considered a challenging and dangerous book for its time, the modern reader might wonder why Helen did not do more to help herself and her son. One Victorian critic went so far as to deem the novel "utterly unfit to be put into the hands of girls", but now we can read it as an early feminist novel. Its funny how attitudes to literature change over time!

This book is recommended for 15years-adults because of the heavy way it deals with the issues of alcoholism, infidelity and violence within a relationship.

PS. If you don't want to buy a copy, you can read this and many other classic books online at http://gutenberg.net.au/ (Project Gutenberg).

Into White Silence - Anthony Eaton

Recommended for ages15-18.

Every now and then you stumble across a really unusual story, one which plays with story conventions, or challenges you to think in new ways about something you thought you understood. "Into White Silence" is an extraordinary book for both those reasons. It has a haunting power to it, dragging you back time and time again by some mysterious quality.

On a narrative level, it tells the story of Lieutenant William Downes and his companions onboard the doomed vessel "Raven", as it heads south to explore Antarctica in 1922. Their tale is one of "tragic future, of ice, ambition and madness". Inasmuch this story is like any other tale of Antarctic adventure, but for one difference. The narrator who retells their story is not an omniscient (all-knowing) powerful narrator. It is in fact the author himself, simply retelling a story he happened to stumble across during a holiday in the 1990's. This very fact adds so much credibility to the story, that you will be left reeling with the profundity of Downes' final words.

Although marketed as a work of fiction, every part of you will want to believe this book. In terms of its believability, it outclasses the majority of other books I've read. In terms of readability, you will need to have an interest in historical fiction to enjoy Eaton's discussions of ship life, although the human stories within the book will move even the most stubborn reader.

Recommended for people who enjoy fiction which could very well be true, ages 15 and over. This is because younger readers would probably get bogged down in the historical detail. Also because Eaton's descriptions of madness and the violence of ambition could startle kids under 15.

Lirael - Garth Nix

Recommended for ages 15-18.

This is the second book in Nix's "Old Kingdom" trilogy. As far as second books go, it maintained the original plot and concerns in 'Sabriel' and introduced another level of characters. On the down side, it was quite lengthy and not as engaging as the first book. Based 14 years after the events of 'Sabriel', 'Lirael' focuses on two new characters - Lirael, a Daughter of the Clayr who lacks the visionary gift of Sight, and Sameth, son of Sabriel and Touchstone, and Prince of the Old Kingdom.

Lirael and Sameth unexpectedly find themselves thrown on a quest neither is prepared for. To succeed, they will need to shoulder new responsibilities and follow the advice of two unlikely Free Magic mentors - Mogget and the Disreputable Dog.

'Sabriel' was an amazing read when I first found it four years ago, but 'Lirael' fails to live up to the action and suspense of the first. The main characters in 'Sabriel' are effectively sidelined, and even the evil which threatens to wipe out all forms of life is hardly explored. Also, the cross-hatching method Nix uses to meld the stories of Lirael and Sam in the early part of the book is disjointed and rudimentary. I would much rather have followed Lirael without the annoyance of Sam.

On saying all of that, the book does to a certain extent what Tolkein does in The Two Towers - he slowly pushes the reader deeper and deeper into a fantastical world of prophecies, visions and unexplored realms. Throughout this book you get the feeling that Nix is gearing you up for a complex and engaging third book which will use all of the subtle clues you have been gathering throughout 'Sabriel' and 'Lirael'. I hope this is true!

Recommended for ages 15-18 because of some of the fantasy elements which deal with the world of Death might creep out younger readers.

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

Recommended for 15-18 year olds.

Brideshead Revisited is one of those delightul books which create an intoxicating picture of a certain time and place - in this case England in the 1920's. The narrator, a Mr Charles Ryder, gets swept up in the aristocratic Marchmain family while at university. Brideshead Revisited is the tale of his ongoing relationships with that family over the next 15 or so years.

Although it takes a a little while to fall into the rhythm of the story, once you have become accustomed to its slower, more reflective pace this book will not let you far out of its reach. Wonderfully descriptive, it evokes the mood of a time long ago.

A delight to read from start to finish, this book is most suitable for 15-18 year olds because younger readers simply won't appreciate its period charm. Also because some of the events and relationship melodrama are best suited to an older audience.

Tamar - Mal Peets

Recommended for 15-18 year olds.

Tamar is an engaging story of love and war, of tragedy and betrayal and of understanding who you are. The plot draws loosely on the Nazi occupation of Holland during World War Two, presenting a flashback story of two British secret agents who are parachuted into the country in the dead of night to become involved with local resistance groups. Spliced with this tale is the story of one of their granddaughters attempting to discover the real identity of her family and herself.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, because part of the power of this novel is in the way Peets twists, ties and then unravels the plot to reveal a deliciously unexpected ending.

Flashing between the 1940's and 1995, Peets establishes a believeable love story amidst the danger and suspense of the war. The narrative moves quickly, providing more and more clues for the reader to piece together. This is one book you will find hard to put down, because the more you read the bigger the picture seems, so the more you have to read to understand it all. It is a masterful puzzle which will leave you reeling at the end.

The foreign names of some of the characters may take you a while to get accustomed to, and the suspense in some parts may prove too much for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy fiction with a real historical feel, you can't go past this one.

Recommended for 15-18 year olds because of the war content and relationship dramas.