In the Hands of Strangers: A New Zealand Childhood Stolen, by Beverly Wardle-Jackson (Penguin, RRP $38): When the State steps in to take over the care of a child when families are unable to, those children should be safe. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, and Beverly Wardle-Jackson’s story highlights just how badly things...
The Secret Life of James Cook, by Graeme Lay (HarperCollins, RRP $37): The premise for The Secret Life of James Cook sounds a bit naff. A fictionalised account of the famous navigator’s early life up to his first circumnavigation, based on letters to his patient wife . . . who actually destroyed the letters...
100 Things You Will Never Do, by Daniel Smith (Quercus, RRP $40): I refuse to set myself a bucket list and believe the phrase should be eradicated from our language, but must admit I did enjoy this trip through what many would see as the ultimate bucket list. Author Daniel Smith has compiled a...
New releases coming in July. FICTION China Rich Girlfriend, by Kevin Kwan: A funny tale of social climbing, lovesick bilionaires and art-world scandal. Published in July by Allen & Unwin (RRP $33), this is from the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians. The Festival of Insignificance, by Milan Kunder: The first novel in twelve...
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, by Chris Hadfield (Macmillan, RRP $37): Chris Hadfield is without doubt the world’s most well- known astronaut since the hey-day of the Moon landings and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He is the dude who made us all smile last year with his music video of David...
The Gods of Guilt, by Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin, RRP $37): This was my first encounter with the very popular “legal-thriller” genre and so I had no reference point against which to compare it. After reading The Gods of Guilt, I doubt that it will be my last encounter. The main character is...
Are Men Obsolete: You Decide, edited by Rudyard Griffiths (Ebury Press, RRP $20): This little book takes on the gender debate with four talented feminist writers and critics taking a crack at the argument both for and against those hairy creatures we share our lives with: Men. In centuries past, women have tended to...
Dolphins Down Under: Understanding the New Zealand Dolphin, by Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson (Otago University Press, RRP $30): Found only in New Zealand’s waters, Hector’s dolphins are both cute and fascinating. They are also – as the publisher points out – as “Kiwi as the kiwi but their numbers are under threat”. All too...
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