They probably put those pamphlets inside every book in the free book bin. Next time you are walking past you could do the world a favour and pick out all the pamphlets and throw them in the trash.

The peach-coloured cover is so hideous. It looks like clip-art, and so you'd expect a poor quality book. Fortunately my local library has the multicoloured version instead.

I have only read Cloud Atlas and Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I liked both a lot, so would be open to reading more books by David Mitchell. Would you reccomend Ghostwritten as the next one to read?

Highest rated are Project Hail Mary and Lord of the Rings tied at 4.52 stars. No suprise as I know they are popular and beloved.

Lowest rated is Pamela by Samuel Richardson at 2.78 stars. Classics are often low-rated because people find them slow and wordy. This one has the additional issue that the "happy ending" involves the girl marrying the guy who has repeatedly attempted to rape her.

One goal of mine is to use the library more often this year. Also I want to read some books from countries that I've never read books from before. I've got some planned from Cuba, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Syria.

It is interesting that several comments here are talking about the main character as being trans, but I thought Cal is intersex not trans. I had wondered if an intersex person reading this book would find it accurate and relatable, or actually find it offensive (especially since it is implied that Cal being intersex is a direct result of incest).

Since having a child I'm less keen to read apocalyptic or dystopian books. Also I'm far more bothered by harm befalling fictional babies or kids.

If no one else has mentioned it yet, then I suggest The River Between by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.

That's a cool achievement! You must be an Aussie too. Would you believe I have never read any Tim Winton book yet. Out of the 3 lists, which books would you reccomend I bump to the front of my want-to-read list?

Eventually I would like to read all winners of the Miles Franklin Award, Booker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I look at the Orange Prize and Stella Prize too. But I've barely scratched the surface so far. It might take a lifetime to read them all. I figure that any book that is shortlisted for one of those awards has got to be better than average, and that the winners will definitely be worth reading even if they are not my cup of tea.

I enjoyed Almost Like A Whale by Steve Jones. It is a retelling of On The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, updated with modern science. It is a fun and easy read. However since it was published in 1999 the science is probably out of date now.

This year I read and loved After Story by Larissa Behrendt. It referenced many other books, and in particular had a description of Orlando by Virginia Woolf that made me buy and read that book soon after.

Thanks for this. I was intrigued when I heard about the Ursula K Le Guin Prize, but I haven't read any of the nominees yet. Your reviews were interesting. I already had House Of Rust on my want-to-read list, and now I've added After The Dragons.