Inspired by the BBC’s Big Read, Mosman Library staff members chose their top 5 books of all time, books that stuck with them, books that they loved. The result is an amazingly varied list of books for all ages.



All titles are available through Mosman Library



What are your top 5? Add your list as a comment.





The Alchemist Paulo… Continue

Here's The Reader's Bill of Rights to help you make the most of that right:

Readers have:

The right to not read.
The right to skip pages.
The right to not finish.
The right to reread.
The right to read anything.
The right to escapism.
The right to read anywhere.
The right to browse.
The right to read out loud.
The right not to defend your tastes.

—Pennac, Daniel, Better Than Life, Coach House Press, 1996

The list below of taken from the BBC Big Book List (as voted on by the British public)

How many have you read? Post your tally below.



1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling

6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper… Continue

A very clever person on Twitter has started a book tweet described at 'Books edited to less than 140 letters'

Posts include the following: 'Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Crybaby abates her insecurities by traveling around the world. How nice for her. The End.'



Good for a giggle. Check it… Continue

The film adaptation of Jodi Piclout's My Sister's Keeper is due to hit Australian theatres on July 30 2009. But if you can't wait that long Jodi's web site has links, podcasts and trailers about this long awaited film.



My Sister's Keeper tells the story of Anna, a girl conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister. Now a teenager, Anna begins to question her moral obligations to… Continue

It seems no one is safe from the Twilight phenomena...even the guys!

All Things Considered (a radio program on National Public Radio in the States) has started a series called 'My Guilty Pleasure' where writers talk about 'books they've loved only secretly — until now.'

Brad Meltzer, the author of The Book of Lies, talks about his love of Twilight.

It's happened to all of us.



A friend says, 'Hey, have you read this?' and hands you a book. No, you haven't read it.



Or maybe you read some review in the paper and though, 'ooh, that sounds good'



So you get the book, happily take it home and start reading....



And you hate it. For whatever reason, the book just does not click with you. It could be the story, the characters, the plot, whatever. But you just can't read it.



Maybe you trudge… Continue

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An interesting library value calculator created by Denver Public Library.
I'm sure it's not exactly the same as it would be here in Australia, but it does make you think....
My value was $31.26.

Who says teens don't read?
The top 5 books this week in USA Today are all young adult novels.
Boy, Stephenie Meyer must be making mint!

The Centre for Youth Literature in Victoria has announced the winners of this year's 'Inky' awards. The Inkys are Australia's only teenage choice book award. Each year a panel of authors, young people and librarians narrow down the field to a longlist of 10 Australian books and 10 International books then the voting is thrown open to young people so they can choose the ultimate winners. This year the GOLDEN INKY 'Town' by James Roy, the SILVER INKY went to 'Before I Die' by Jenny Downham and… Continue