I don’t know about you, but Christmas feels like it’s coming round at breakneck speed in the Foster household. I’m also pretty distracted by the awful fires north of us at the moment, with various friends still unable to return to their homes as I write this, so my mind is only half on the festivities to come.

However, in case you’re still looking for a book to go in a Christmas stocking, I don’t want to let the opportunity go by to remind you of all of the writing riches to be found in my home state of Western Australia. If you love crime, David Whish-Wilson’s book True West is getting rave reviews, as did Dervla McTiernan’s The Scholar earlier in the year (or why not pre-order her new book, The Good Turn, and get in first next March!). If you love contemporary fiction, Rachael Johns’ Just One With is a terrific read, as is Tess Woods’ Love and other Battles. For the finest historical fiction try Natasha Lester’s The French Photographer (and she also has a new one, The Dior Secret, due early next year). For young adults there’s AJ Betts’s wonderful dystopian series Hive and Rogue, or Holden Sheppard’s Invisible Boys, which is definitely one of the stand-out books of the year for me.

For the kids, if you have a gem-lover like me, try Mark Greenwood’s Book of Stone. My marine-life-loving older daughter loved Kylie Howarth’s Fish Kid and the Lizard Ninja, and there’s James Foley’s Brobot and Toffle Towers books too.

I’ve hardly started, and I’ve missed out so many talented authors in this small list. We’re very lucky to have so many terrific writers in the state, so whether you live near or far, this Christmas please consider supporting these wonderful authors, or some of your own local authors and bookshops, as it all helps them to keep writing and selling these brilliant books, and they really do appreciate your support.