Our schools and libraries liaison Ann Le Lievre shares what’s in her ‘To Be Read’ pile for the start of 2016.

Last year I kept a list of all the books I read, and it came in handy as the months progressed. These books could easily have tumbled into the back of my memory, however the list meant I could reconnect with them at a moment’s notice. This year I’m going to go one step further: I’m going to make a list of books I’m looking forward to reading, the ones I can’t wait to get my hands on, and –this is the important part – this list will be annotated. I’ll include notes about where and how I heard of the book so that down the track I’ll be able to pinpoint exactly why I got so excited.

For example, one book is The Outrun by Amy Liptrot (due March). Neither the author nor the title give anything away however the focus of this new release is on one of my favourite subjects – nature and landscape. It’s also set in the Orkneys, a part of the world I would love to visit. And, to top it off, it’s autobiographical, and I always enjoy connecting with an author’s personal upheavals. Anna Pavord’s name also jumps out at me from my list of forthcoming titles. She’s the author of many exquisite books on gardens and gardening and her Landskipping: Places, Ploughmen and Places (due in February) entices me with its whimsical title and gorgeous cover.

My list is growing steadily. Another highlight will be a biography of Randolph Stow by Suzanne Falkiner, Mick: a Life of Randolph Stow (March). My interest in Stow was resurrected early last year by Gabrielle Carey’s wonderful Moving Among Strangers: Randolph Stow and my Family. This acute observation of family connections went on to be named a joint winner of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non Fiction.

In fiction, forthcoming titles by two luminous Australian writers have caught my eye: a collection of short stories by David Brooks in Napoleon’s Roads (February), and a novel by Josephine Rowe A Loving Faithful Animal (March). Another standout is a novel with a Tasmanian connection (Tasmania is my perennial favourite place to go): Wildlight by Robyn Mundy (March).