Natalie’s Top 5 Reads for 2016

At the start of 2016 I resolved to read more. I stopped listening to music and zoning out on public transport and decided I would always carry a book around in my handbag. Suffice it to say I achieved this resolution and this was largely thanks to receiving a number of free books from competitions and in exchange for honest reviews. Receiving books in this way encourages you to read a lot of different genres and titles from authors you may not otherwise have discovered. It’s been a fun experience and one I think I will continue in the years to come.

Australian musician Darren Hanlon once sang that he would be dead before he gets around to reading and finishing all of the books he’d like to. I share his sentiments. And while my pile of books to read never seems to diminish, I can at least say that 2016 has been an enjoyable one in which I completed more books than in previous years.

So without further ado, here is my list of my top 5 books for 2016. It’s an eclectic lot but they all rate a mention, as they’re worth a read!

1. Ah Well, Nobody’s Perfect – The Untold Stories by Molly Meldrum & Jeff Jenkins 

This book sees Australia’s national living treasure, Ian “Molly” Meldrum spinning yarns about his decades working as a music journalist, talent coordinator, TV host, DJ and record producer. An easy read about celebrities that is told by a natural born storyteller.

2. Darktown by Thomas Mullen

A gripping, police procedural based on the first group of African-American cops who worked in Atlanta in 1948, this is a complex tale about morality where murder proves to be far from black or white.

3. Promising Azra by Helen Thurloe

This novel is inspired by true events and tells the story of a forced marriage that was arranged for a gifted 16 year old girl named Azra. The result is a heart-wrenching and engrossing story about torn loyalties.

4. The Fence by Meredith Jaffé

 Meredith Jaffé’s debut novel is an urban drama set in Australia that has stuff in common with Christos Tsiolkas’s The Slap. This is a witty book about two feuding neighbours.

5. A Kiss from Mr. Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester

This is a sumptuous piece of historic fiction about a woman who aspires to be New York’s first female obstetrician. In order to realise her dream she must first become a member of the Ziegfeld Follies theatre revue on Broadway and what ensues is a classic love story.

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