Claire Nicholls

Another coming-of-age book I noticed on the list, Limberlost by Robbie Arnott, one of my personal favourites.

And Jackie, who's right next to me, has voted for another kind of coming-of-age novel, My Brilliant Career by Stella Miles Franklin.

When did you read this, Jackie?

So it's fantastic to see these coming of age novels coming from all across Australian literary history.

Lots more coming, so I'll keep you guys posted.

There is a big appetite for fiction in the room.

Right at the top of the voting right now is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

That, of course, came out second in our top books of the 21st century vote last year.

What an absolute gem of a book.

Looking for Alabrandi, Going Strong.

We also have Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey.

Love that.

Of course, Boy Swallows Universe.

And, of course, Cloud Street, Someone's Written Here by the master, Tim Winton.

As a proud West Australian, I'm going to back that one up, gang.

OK, this is a left-field choice, Kate, but I think the most important book in my house growing up was in fact the Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cake book.

That is a book that we spent hours with turning the pages.

You could spend months choosing the cake of your dreams.

I'd like to say that I actually made the pool cake two weeks ago and it was very successful, so the book is still going strong for me.

Yes, well, Lily, it is a book where you take just a kind of basic cake and you decorate it in a wild and wacky way.