As in previous years, these are the books I really liked and admired during 2019. They are books that I read this year, not necessarily published this year. The contenders are ANZ authors only. If you read this blog regularly you know that I also read international authors and translations too, but for this list, well, there are plenty of other sources singing the praises of books published elsewhere. All links go to my reviews.
Fiction Longlist
I read 76 works of fiction from Australia and New Zealand this year. As in previous years, I’ve longlisted the books that I rated 4-stars at Goodreads, if I felt a surge of pleasure remembering them when I looked at their covers at Goodreads See What You Read in 2019. (NB I reserve five stars for a work of genius such as James Joyce’s Ulysses). Because I went to NZ for the Auckland Writers Festival this year, I read more Kiwi fiction than usual so I’ve made separate long and shortlists for them.
Australian Longlist
- Field of Poppies, by Carmel Bird
- The White Girl, by Tony Birch
- The Year of the Beast (Glenroy Series), by Steven Carroll
- The War Artist, by Simon Cleary
- Book Review: Rosa: Memories With Licence by Ros Collins
- Troppo, by Madelaine Dickie
- Blood Kin, by Ceridwen Dovey
- In the Garden of the Fugitives, by Ceridwen Dovey
- Water Under the Bridge, by Sumner Locke Elliott
- Bodies of Men, by Nigel Featherstone
- Invented Lives, by Andrea Goldsmith
- Modern Interiors, by Andrea Goldsmith
- Minotaur, by Peter Goldsworthy
- Stone Girl, by Eleni Hale
- The Valley, by Steve Hawke
- Paris Savages, by Katherine Johnson
- Avenue of Eternal Peace, by Nicholas Jose
- Little Stones, by Elizabeth Kuiper
- Coach Fitz, by Tom Lee
- The Flight of Birds, by Joshua Lobb
- Black is the New White, by Nakkiah Lui
- The Trespassers, by Meg Mundell
- A Season on Earth, by Gerald Murnane
- Into the Fire, by Sonia Orchard
- There Was Still Love, by Favel Parrett
- Maybe the Horse Will Talk, by Elliot Perlman
- The Drover’s Wife, the legend of Molly Johnson, by Leah Purcell
- The Glad Shout, by Alice Robinson
- The Returns, by Philip Salom
- Hare’s Fur, by Trevor Shearston
- Dinner with the Dissidents, by John Tesarsch
- Wolfe Island, by Lucy Treloar
- The Yield, by Tara June Winch
- Daughter of Bad Times, by Rohan Wilson
- The Weekend, by Charlotte Wood
New Zealand longlist
- The New Animals, by Pip Adam
- The Naturalist, by Thom Conroy
- Beneath Pale Water, by Thalia Henry
- The Cage, by Lloyd Jones
- This Mortal Boy, by Fiona Kidman
- The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke, by Tina Makereti
- Pearly Gates, by Owen Marshall
- A Sister in My House, by Linda Olsson
- All This by Chance, by Vincent O’Sullivan
- A Mistake, by Carl Shuker
Non Fiction Longlist including Life Stories (I’ve read a lot more NF this year, but only two of those were from NZ and neither made the longlist, so these are all Australian.)
- Nothing New, A History of Second-Hand, by Robyn Annear
- Bright Swallow, by Vivian Bi
- From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting, by Judith Brett
- The Grass Library, by David Brooks
- Our Mob Served, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories of war and defending Australia, edited by Allison Cadzow and Mary Anne Jebb
- Accidental Feminists, by Jane Caro
- Growing Up African in Australia, edited by Maxine Beneba Clarke, Ahmed Yussuf and Magan Magan
- Blooms and Brushstrokes, A Floral History of Australian Art, by Penelope Curtin and Tansy Curtin
- The Dismissal Dossier, by Jenny Hocking
- Beyond Words, a Year with Kenneth Cook, by Jacqueline Kent
- Through Ice and Fire, by Sarah Laverick
- The Dead Still Cry Out, the Story of a Combat Cameraman, by Helen Lewis
- Bigger or Better? Australia’s Population Debate, by Ian Lowe
- On Fairness, by Sally McManus (Little Books on Big Ideas)
- The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela, by Sisonke Msimang
- We Are Here, Stories of Home, Place and Belonging, edited by Meg Mundell
- Penny Wong, Passion and Principle, by Margaret Simons
- Trigger Warnings, Political Correctness and the Rise of the Right, by Jeff Sparrow
- Storytime, Growing Up with Books, by Jane Sullivan
- Hearing Maud, by Jessica White
The shortlists
I could never be a literary prize judge: I hate whittling lists down to some manageable number and casting out some really beaut books in the process. And what does it really mean to be ‘in’ at number 10 and ‘out’ at number 11? All it means in some cases is that I prefer novels to short stories…or that I’d rather read about history and politics than memoir and travel.
Best ANZ LitLovers Australian Fiction Books of 2019
- Field of Poppies, by Carmel Bird
- The War Artist, by Simon Cleary
- Book Review: Rosa: Memories With Licence by Ros Collins
- In the Garden of the Fugitives, by Ceridwen Dovey
- Invented Lives, by Andrea Goldsmith
- Stone Girl, by Eleni Hale
- Paris Savages, by Katherine Johnson
- The Trespassers, by Meg Mundell
- A Season on Earth, by Gerald Murnane
- Maybe the Horse Will Talk, by Elliot Perlman
- The Returns, by Philip Salom
- Hare’s Fur, by Trevor Shearston
- Dinner with the Dissidents, by John Tesarsch
- Wolfe Island, by Lucy Treloar
- The Weekend, by Charlotte Wood
-
- 2019
Best ANZ LitLovers New Zealand Fiction Books of 2019
- The New Animals, by Pip Adam
- The Naturalist, by Thom Conroy
- The Cage, by Lloyd Jones
- This Mortal Boy, by Fiona Kidman
- All This by Chance, by Vincent O’Sullivan
Best ANZ LitLovers Non Fiction Books of 2019
- From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting, by Judith Brett
- The Grass Library, by David Brooks
- Our Mob Served, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories of war and defending Australia, edited by Allison Cadzow and Mary Anne Jebb
- Accidental Feminists, by Jane Caro
- Growing Up African in Australia, edited by Maxine Beneba Clarke, Ahmed Yussuf and Magan Magan
- The Dead Still Cry Out, the Story of a Combat Cameraman, by Helen Lewis
- The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela, by Sisonke Msimang
- Penny Wong, Passion and Principle, by Margaret Simons
- Trigger Warnings, Political Correctness and the Rise of the Right, by Jeff Sparrow
- Storytime, Growing Up with Books, by Jane Sullivan
-
- 2019
And finally…
The ANZ LitLovers Book of the Year is…
*drum roll*
A beautiful, gentle book that — without a trace of sentimentality — reminds us that contrary to everything we read and hear in the media, there are good and kindly people in the world.
As the blurb so rightly says: Hare’s Fur offers an exquisite story of grief, kindness, art, and the transformation that can grow from the seeds of trust.
This novel deserves more attention than it’s had: don’t let it slip under your radar. My review is here.
Hare’s Fur by Trevor Shearston. 
Over to you
Your thoughts on my choices? What was your best book of the year?
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
I don’t know how you do it! Have a happy Christmas and a happy reading year ahead. All the best. Jan
Sent from my iPhone
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By: Jan dickinson on December 24, 2019
at 5:25 pm
Thank you, Jan:)
(You know it’s because I don’t do anything else except read, don’t you?!)
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 5:29 pm
Wow… so many intriguing books named here that I haven’t read. I’ll be saving these lists to my phone and using them as reference points for inspiration when I’m perusing the shelves of my local library and/or local indie bookshop over the next year. Thanks for all you do in promoting and championing ANZ lit, Lisa, and hope you have a fab Christmas and New Year. If you’re around next week, perhaps we could meet up for a coffee in your neck of the woods…
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By: kimbofo on December 24, 2019
at 5:46 pm
Oh, that would be lovely:) if the weather is nice, we could have lunch in The Lower Belvedere:)
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 5:49 pm
I’ll drop you an email after xmas.
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By: kimbofo on December 24, 2019
at 6:09 pm
And you’ve got my phone number?
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 6:11 pm
Enticing lists! I have only read some of your Australian fiction titles, none of the non-fiction or New Zealand ones. I’ve been meaning to read Hare’s Fur ever since I read your review.
I love how you long listed and then short listed!
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on December 24, 2019
at 5:46 pm
LOL It’s the only way I can whittle them down, I have to be ruthless with myself.
Which just goes to show you could read nothing but OzLit, eh?
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 5:51 pm
You certainly could!
I suppose I did a similar thing when choosing my lists, I just whittled down in a word document before posting the final lists.
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on December 24, 2019
at 5:58 pm
You are much more disciplined than I am!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 6:12 pm
Lisa – I am so honoured to be listed here. Thank you for reading my book – and naturally it pleases me very much that you really enjoyed it. It takes me breath away that you read so many books AND then you have the energy and skill to comment on them in such a frank and lively manner. Do you have servants to do the dishes and feed the dog? Have a splendid holiday, and a joyful and productive year in 2020.
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By: carmelbird on December 24, 2019
at 5:49 pm
Thank you Carmel, I don’t think that anything I do could be as demanding as actually writing a novel, and I don’t know how you do that, time after time producing such original and inspiring books!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 5:52 pm
A wonderful list, Lisa … well done. I’ve read none, I think, of your Aussie fiction shortlist, though I will be reading Carmel Bird’s and Charlotte Wood’s in the first couple of months of next year.
I’ve read a couple of the non-fiction ones.
My reports will be coming in a week!
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By: whisperinggums on December 24, 2019
at 6:02 pm
LOL That way all the lucky people who get book vouchers will have a great time choosing from all our respective lists:)
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 6:13 pm
Our reading lists – or my reading and your longlist – have crossed over by just three books – The Weekend, Hearing Maud, and A Season on Earth. It’s a good thing I enjoy reading your reviews whether or not I’ve read the book. All the best for 2020!
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By: wadholloway on December 24, 2019
at 6:08 pm
BTW Just re-checking your post so that I can add the URL here https://theaustralianlegend.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/seasons-greetings-2019/, I saw your reminder about AWW… I got myself all excited today when I found a Ruth Park novel called Missus in the Sandringham Street Library (which is usually full of dross). But alas it’s well outside AWW Gen 3. It’s from 1985.
Will you be doing a Gen 4?
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 6:16 pm
I’ll probably do Gen 4, but not next year (2021), which will be Gen3, part 2 1939-1960 ish, which is definitely Ruth Park’s era. I have one too Cusack’s Say no to Death, which I think is about returned soldiers.
I’m treating Gen 3 in 2 parts because it lasted so long, from 1919 into the 1960s. All that brown cardigan, white picket fence stuff that we were so glad to see the end of.
Gen 4 is the baby boomers, and some slightly older writers like Astley, Keneally, Ireland and I guess, Murnane. The sexual revolution, women’s lib, european migrants, and so on.
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By: wadholloway on December 24, 2019
at 7:43 pm
This is what I have lined up: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1758411-lisa?shelf=aww3
Are they all within AWW 3?
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 8:39 pm
Yes, definitely. A impressive list. I have Jungfrau in mind too, but I might see what else I have on my shelves.
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By: wadholloway on December 24, 2019
at 8:49 pm
LOL Impressive intentions, but you know how easily distracted I can be!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 9:55 am
I have read and reviewed Missus on my blog. As you probably know it’s the last of the Harp in the South trilogy – last written but first chronologically in terms of the story.
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By: whisperinggums on December 24, 2019
at 10:19 pm
Yes, it’s a prequel, the love story of Hughie and Mumma, so I’ll be interested to see how Park writes what was for her, then (born in 1917), historical fiction, whereas the other two were within living memory.
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 10:01 am
Not to mention growing up in NZ. She only came to Oz when she married Niland during the War (I think)
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By: wadholloway on December 25, 2019
at 10:08 am
Yes, I will need to refresh my memory of her bio!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 10:42 am
I’m sure You’ll like it.
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By: whisperinggums on December 25, 2019
at 4:22 pm
Hi Lisa, so many more books to read! I don’t know if I should be thankful, my TBR list continues to grow. All the best for Christmas and the New year. Looking forward to reading your reviews next year.
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By: Meg on December 24, 2019
at 6:58 pm
Thanks, Meg, I hope you have a great festive season, and thank you for all the times you’ve commented here, it really is appreciated:)
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 6:59 pm
You are a legend Lisa. I so enjoy reading your reviews and have a similar passion for Australian Literature which has been a bonus these last couple of years since discovering your blog. I too am in awe at your commitment and the books you give your attention are always worthy of exploring. Many good wishes for 2020.f
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By: Fay Kennedy on December 24, 2019
at 7:17 pm
Thank you Fay, it’s a great pleasure to do what I do when I get to chat with other booklovers like you. I hope you enjoy the festive season!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 24, 2019
at 7:19 pm
Thanks for the lists, Lisa. What a fascinating bunch of books, though I’ve only read a few of them. I’ll definitely check out Hare’s Fur — I hadn’t even heard of it!! I hope you have a wonderful and restful break. See you on the other side of new year.
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By: robyncadwallader on December 24, 2019
at 9:49 pm
Best wishes for the festive season to you too, Robyn, enjoy the break!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 9:58 am
I have only read one book on your list – Wolfe Island, which I also loved. I’ve spent most of the year reading from my shelves so no new fiction apart from audiobooks. I’m going to save your list to my phone so I can reference it like Kim mentioned
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By: sharkell on December 24, 2019
at 11:50 pm
Ha, tackling the TBR! #Musing Shall I make that one of my NY Resolutions? (You know, the kind you break by the end of the first week of the new year…)
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 10:04 am
Nothing like starting off the Year with good intentions even if you don’t intend to keep them 😏. Merry Christmas to you and yours Lisa
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By: sharkell on December 25, 2019
at 12:02 pm
LOL You know me so well!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 3:07 pm
Thanks for all the inspiring posts, Lisa. Have a great Christmas and a happy 2020
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By: Tredynas Days on December 25, 2019
at 9:37 am
Thanks to you too, Simon, I have learned so many interesting things about books and history from your blog, it’s one of my favourites:) Best wishes to you and all the family!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 10:06 am
Some of these books I’ve read, some are already on my list, and a couple more will be added. Thank you.
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By: Jennifer on December 25, 2019
at 3:46 pm
Happy reading in 2020!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 25, 2019
at 5:55 pm
[…] 2019 ANZLitLovers Australian and New Zealand Best Books of the Year – Over at ANZ LitLovers LitBlog, Lisa Hill shares “the books [she] really liked and admired during 2019” but “not necessarily published this year.” All “contenders are ANZ authors only.” […]
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By: #Winding Up the Week #101 – Book Jotter on December 29, 2019
at 6:25 am
Beautiful post, Lisa! I was looking forward to it! I’m so happy that Eliot Perlman’s book made it into the shortlist! I want to read that! I want to read Hare’s Fur too! Thanks so much for sharing your favourites list!
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By: Vishy on December 31, 2019
at 6:16 am
Lots to look for, thanks! I will say, blogs where most of the reviews are c.2019 books definitely get very beautiful photos. Cover designers are killing it nowadays!
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By: Simon T on January 2, 2020
at 11:44 pm