In response to the lack of Australian authors in the recent New York Times' 100 Best Books of the 21st Century we were inspired to put together our own list of the best Australian literature of the 21 century.

We reached out to members of the Australian literary community, from writers to publishers and our own passionate booksellers, asking them to nominate their favourite Australian books, published since 2000. Those votes led to our list of the 30 Best Australian books of the 21st century.

Now we want to share some of our favourite the books that just missed out on the top 30. We've called this 'the best of the rest' – a collection of incredible Australian books that are beloved and fiercely advocated for by their readers.

Hospital by Sanya Rushdi, translated by Arunava Sinha

'Hospital by Sanya Rushdi, felt to me as if it transcended authorship. What was this startling truth I was reading? The truth of a dream. Deceptively simple, the tale itself felt like the surface of a deep pool, holding mystery, terror, beauty and hope.'

– Sofie Laguna, author

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Deep Time Dreaming by Billy Griffiths

'In Deep Time Dreaming, Billy Griffiths, in the most exquisite inclusive language, leads us on a journey of considering and discovering ancient Australia. It is a genuinely life-changing book, influencing how you think about the land on which you work and live.'

– Meredith Curnow, publisher

Night Games: Sex, Power and Sport by Anna Krien

'An excoriating, nuanced and clear-eyed account of the intersections of sport, power and gender, Night Games cuts to the heart of Australian identity and masculinity. Anna Krien's remarkable book remains as urgent today as it was on publication in 2013.'

– Veronica Sullivan, Head of Programming at the Wheeler Centre

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

'A groundbreaking picture book that conveys poignant social issues without words. It takes the reader on a journey of interpretation, giving extra resonance as our own individual responses to the visuals are brought to the conversation.'

– Penny Evershed, publisher

Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright

'Alexis Wright has exploded what it means to write literature on this continent. Praiseworthy is an epic – like The Aeneid, like Don Quixote, like Ulysses - for the ages.'

– Astrid Edwards, literary critic

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This Is How by M.J. Hyland

'Of all the books on my list, This Is How is the one I return to most. M.J. Hyland writes with rare insight into the nature of young men, portraying how the small moments of our lives can sometimes lead to tragedy.'

– Mark Brandi, author

'This is How by M.J. Hyland is a beautifully written, moving novel that's psychologically incisive and deeply unsettling. Its tense atmosphere recalls The Stranger by Camus. I loved it.'

– Baz Ozturk, bookseller

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

'The Bone Sparrow is an important, exceptionally crafted and beautifully written novel. The unique voice of the young protagonist carries the reader through a heartrending tale of the lengths and risks people are forced to take to make their voices heard, as well as the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope. This is one of those rare books that while written for children, is equally as powerful for adult readers – this is a book which deserves to be read by all.'

– Lydia Robbins, bookseller

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright

'I've never read anything like it. Carpentaria is bold, ambitious, magical.'

– Keiran Rogers, in publishing

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz

'A Fraction of the Whole is the unputdownable, eccentric, hilarious, heartbreaking story of Martin Dean telling the story of his failure filled (with the best of intentions) life to his son Jasper. It's an entertaining indictment of the modern world.'

– Lou Ryan, bookseller

Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch

'I remember the first time I read Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch and feeling like something had shifted or clunked into place inside me. Winch's language – the way she wields it, cutting and caressing, and the rhythm of her storytelling, how alive her characters and landscapes are – are breathtaking.'

– Kate Mildenhall, bookseller

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Killing for Country: A Family Story by David Marr

'Killing for Country is a passionate, ugly, confronting, necessary book for Australians. Bloody, difficult and deeply personal – every page is evidence that reconciliation will necessitate a clear eyed reckoning with how this country became what it is. Utterly compelling.'

– Colin Batrouney, author

Ruby Moonlight by Ali Cobby Eckermann

'This book gave me brittle bones, every sentence is so visceral and the story so palpable. There’s a reason she won the world’s richest prize for writers, the Windham Campbell – a genius.'

– Danielle Binks, author

Preservation by Jock Serong

'Preservation is one of the most outstanding Australian historical novels of the 21st Century. Jock takes a true story and allows his imagination to fill events with extraordinary characters and a ripping narrative with climax, suspense and intrigue. His depiction of early colonial life, the pushing out of First Nations communities, and the struggle to survive in a harsh land is evocative and compelling. I have read this book twice and it was even better the second time because I could immerse myself in the descriptions of land and people rather than racing on to see whodunnit.'

– Corrie Perkins, writer & editor

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Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain

'Georgia Blain's Between a Wolf and a Dog delicately conveys life's indeterminacy over the course of a rainy day in Sydney. It's a quietly nuanced but realistic story of how difficult it is to accept change while still yearning for meaningful connection. A recurrent theme that permeates the entire book and has an impact on the characters and their interactions is fidelity in all of its manifestations. Blain examines this fidelity or faithfulness in regard to promises one could make to oneself, familial ties, and personal integrity in addition to romantic connections. Her charm, Her gestures are astonishing.'

– J Amelie Cantrell, bookseller

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The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

'Charlotte Wood won the Stella Prize in 2016 for this genre-defying book. It was compared endlessly with The Handmaid's Tale, and like Atwood's novel, almost ten years later it seems eerily prescient. A bracing, extraordinary read about a group of of women being held prisoner in the remains of a remote sheep farm, The Natural Way of Things seems even more timely today, with escalating men's violence and the erosion of women's rights across Australia and the world.'

– Lian Hingee, bookseller

Ransom by David Malouf

'The prose in Ransom is magnificent. At times I felt like time stood still while reading this story which explored themes of war, power, fatherhood, and men. A timeless tale, needed more than ever to better understand the men who continue to wreak havoc and suffering in nations such as Croatia and Palestine. Malouf is a poet, his language a gentle but insistent exploration of what drives the human condition.'

– Suzy Wilson, bookseller & founder of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

'Anything that Geraldine Brooks writes could and should appear on this list. Her historical fiction novels can have all the usual adjectives applied – sweeping, moving, compelling – but People of the Book is a masterpiece. If you love books and you love reading about the history of books, then you must read this next.'

– Simone Roberts, in publishing

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See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill

'See What You Made Me Do is compulsive, courageous and game-changing. It will be looked at for years to come as an essential classic in Australian writing.'

– Phoebe Wynne, in publisher

Crisis Zone by Simon Hanselmann

'I don't think anyone else captured the absurdities of the the Covid-19 Pandemic the way Simon Hanselmann did with Crisis Zone, a soap opera of depravity that was posted on instagram, with astounding speed and skill, to entertain the masses during bizarre and bleak times.'

– Kim Gruschow, bookseller