#October Reading List – Australian non-fiction
- Some of the most memorable non-fiction books
- …that I read were by Australian authors.
- So if you are looking for some books for #NonFicNov25
- …have a look at these selections.
- Does anyone have any Aussie non-fiction suggestions?
READ:…all of these books were excellent NF!
- Bulldozed – Niki Savva
- Toxic – R. Flanagan
- Red Zone – P. Hartcher
- Hazelwood – T. Doig
- City On Fire: The Fight For Hong Kong – A. Dapiran
- The Altar Boys – S. Smith
- After the Count – Stephanie Convery
- Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing – Ashleigh Wilson
- Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell – Milligan, L.
- Atomic Thunder – E. Tynan
- The Palestine Laboratory – A. Loewenstein
My October Reading list:
- The Chairman’s Lounge – Joe Aston – REVIEW
- Mean Streak – Rick Morton – REVIEW
- Nuked – Andrew Fowler – REVIEW
- Slick: Australia’s Toxic Relationship with Big Oil – Royce Kurmelovs REVIEW
- The Holy and the Broken – I. Fletcher – REVIEW
- The Winter Road – K. Holden – REVIEW
- Bunker in Kiev – John Lyons – REVIEW
- Meadow’s Law – Quentin McDermott – REVIEW
- Great Game On: Contest for Central Asia – Geoff Raby – REVIEW
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NancyElin.blog 
The Cassandra Pybus book was fascinating and I would highly recommend also read her bio about Truganini, which is what led her to research and write A Very Secret Trade (reviews for both on my blog).
Deep Water: the world in the ocean by James Bradley was one of my fav non-fiction reads of 2024. And if you were following The Voice Referendum, then Always Was Always Will Be by Thomas Mayo is a heartfelt, honest assessment of what happened.
If you’d like to tackle a classic non-fiction then 1788 by Watkin Tench might appeal – it is his first hand account of the early years of colonisation in NSW.
Thanks for highlight Australian non-fiction on your blog again :-)
I see you have many of the 2025 Political Book of the Year shortlist ready to go
Brona, thanks for ALL your recommendations….and am looking forward to reading them. Yes, Aus Pol Book of the Year is one of my favourites and read many of them in the past for #AusReadingMonth! You’re not hosting AUSReMonth anymore but I still keep up the “Aussie Spirit” :)
Bravo! I look forward to hearing what you think of this years batch.
Hear are five I’ve recently added to my ‘want-to-read’ list, less erudite than you tend to favour but they caught my eye.
Annette Kellerman, Australian Mermaid by Grantlee Kieza;
Walking Sydney by Belinda Castles;
I’m Your Peri-Godmother by Shelly Horton;
Cult Bride by Liz Cameron;
Fathering by Alistair Thomson
Thanks so much for your suggestions…I will investigate them all! At the moment I’m reading about Qantas Airlines….”The Chairman’s Lounge ‘ – Joe Aston...it is very good so far!
As requested…
Public Enemies by Mark Dapin
Radio Girl by David Duffy
Women to the Front by Heather Sheard
Going Under by Sonia Henry
The All of It: A Bogan Rhapsody by Cadance Bell
Scrubbed by Nikki Stamp
Australia’s Great Depression by Jean Beaumont
Sheilas by Eliza Reilly
The Torrent by Amanda Gearing
Australia Gospel by Blaine Lech
Bee Miles by Rose Ellis
With My Little Eye by Sandra Hogan
The Wasp and the Orchid by Danielle Clode
Unbreakable Threads by Emma Adams
Our Vietnam Nurses by Annabelle Brayley
Adding ”The Chairman’s Lounge ‘ to my list!
Jinjer, I just read 25 % of The Chairman’s Lounge…..and I must say I’m disappointed. It is too detailed with all sorts numbers ($$) and takes 3-4chapters to just tell us Qantas used the COVID situation to just $$ for layoffs …as a subsidy for the company and that Qantas saw Covid as an opportunity to “de-unionize” the baggage handlers buy outsourcing their jobs. Of course this was all litigated in the NEXT 3-4 chapters. In short, I don’t know if you’ll find the book interesting from th get-go. I’m skimming these boring chapter….and determined to finish there book by hook or by crook. I just wanted to update you!
Noted!!! Those chapters definitely sound boring A. F.
Jinjer…I kept reading and around 33% the book explodes. Don’t giver up! The writer becomes more revealing in ..his own feelings.. and just rips into the CEO Alan Joyce Qantas (2008-2023). Stay tuned…review shortly!
Thanks do much….I’ve found your recommendation on the comment on my blog. I’ll have a lot of Aussie NF reading to do…will continue with these books well into 2026!
Good luck ith your plan!
I read this gorgeous nonfiction book about birds, a lot of it was on Australia: A Brush With Birds: Paintings and Stories from the Wild, by Richard Weatherly Published in 2020 by Hardie Grant
Thanks for the suggestion…I’ll take a look!
These do look interesting. However, reading six nonfiction books in a year is a stretch goal for me. Happy reading!
Each reader has their own favourite genre….non-ficition is one of mine!
Thanks for you comment.
Yes I do have recommendations. Robyn Davidson.
Desert Places: Was just ok for me. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Definitely better than Karma Gone Bad: How I Learned to Love Mangos, Bollywood, and Water Buffalo. At least Robyn has common sense and only whines and complains some of the time instead of constantly. At least she gets down with the people.
Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback – I think I read this book by Robyn also, but I can’t remember and I didn’t do a review on GR so I’m downloading it from the library to see if it jogs anything in my memory.
Wonderful Aussie reading suggestions, thanks Jinjer! I still miss #AusReadingMonth so I created my own! The Qantas book is VERY good…lots of investigative journalism into the decline of the airline and “juicy” corporate gossip, you’ll love it!
I miss #AusReadingMonth too, but then I found #AussieAugust so now August is my month to read Australian Lit!
Okay, #AussieAugust…thanks for the tip!
Wow, that’s an impressive list. Thanks for sharing!
Aussie non-fiction…is a great way to learn more about what is going in Australia. I’ve list of “Australian writers” on my side bar on the blog…some wonderful book in all genres. Thanks for your comment!