Escape with 25 book & movie recommendations from our Literary Captains

Reading or watching a movie is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in another world. Together with a range of students, including Book Club Members, we have collated a list of our favourite books and movies that you can read and watch as we all stay at home these holidays.

BOOKS

Take Three Girls

By Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood, Simmone Howell

This book follows the story of three girls in Year 10. It’s set in Melbourne, which we love because it makes it much more relatable AND you can support Australian female authors! We highly recommend this, as it depicts the life of a high-school teenager perfectly.

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is something you have to read before you turn 18. We cannot possibly describe how well written this book is. It follows the adventures of Liesel, in Germany in 1939, as she is forced to move to a foster family. So begins her love affair with books and words. I don’t want to spoil too much, but we highly recommend this book! It is also based on a true story, and there is a movie adaptation too.

The Bone Sparrow

By Zana Fraillon

The Bone Sparrow is about the lives of Australian Refugees. Most of us don’t consider what their life is like, and forget that we have refugees within Australia. In this confusing time, this is a great book to increase your understanding of our country, and be extremely grateful for the life we have.

Delirium Series

By Lauren Oliver

Follow Lena and Alex, two teens battling against the controlling government that believe love is a disease and forbids it from their community. This is a great story about finding your place in the world, and working out your story along the way.

Eleanor & Park

By Rainbow Rowell

This is an adorable book that examines how we can connect and bond with others. Eleanor is the new girl in town, and Park is the boy at the back of the bus. If you are looking for a new romance; this is it. Also, we would recommend anything by Rainbow Rowell, she writes great YA books.

INVICTUS

By Ryan Graudin

History, Time-Travel, Space, The Future, Romance … this book has it all! One of our favourite recent reads, this book is gripping, exciting and full of adventure! We highly recommend it if you like history, and even if you don’t, this is still a fantastic read.

Illuminae

By Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This beautiful story is mind-boggling and makes you question reality. The most amazing part is how the author portrays it all even though there is not a single word of “story” it’s told through hacked documents–including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more.

Children of Blood and Bone

By Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélies Reaper mother summoned forth souls. This book is beautiful, and takes you deep into a culture we're sure many of us have never experienced before. If you like magic and fantasy, then I recommend this.

This Mortal Coil

By Emily Suvada

When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine. We highly recommend it if you are interested in Science and Biology!

Satellite

By Nick Lake

Imagine you grew up in space. Where there is no up or down and everything floats. Where there is no gravity. For Leo, Libra and Orion this is their reality. So what happens when they go back to Earth, their home, the place they’ve never been? Through Leo’s eyes you can go to space and see the world as they do.

Four Dead Queens

By Astrid Scholte

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead. You may recall that the author of this book is a Toorak Collegian, and visited us last year for 2019 Book Week!

Arc of a Scythe

By Neal Shusterman

Unexpectedly these books are a very enjoyable sci-fi read for everyone. It has an interesting premise and makes you think about the future.Warcross Series

By Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game it's a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. We could not recommend this series more. The sci-fi and mystery nature of this story really hooks the reader into the character’s story and narrative.

One Of Us Is Lying

By Karen M.McManus

This is a series that is about 5 different students from high school walk into detention but only 4 come out alive. This series is so compelling and captivating with the big mystery: who is the murderer? What secret is the murderer trying to hide?