100 NZ Pop Culture Stories, by Mitchell Hawes with introduction by Rhys Darby (Random House, RRP $26.99): We might not have the rich cultural traditions of some of the older countries out there but that doesn’t mean we don’t have…
Category: NZ books
Trade Me in print
Trade Me: The Inside Story, by Michael “MOD” O’Donnell, foreword by Sam Morgan (Phantom House Books, RRP $39.99): Given the number of Kiwis who visit our No 1 auction site on a daily basis, it’s no surprise this book has…
Does Dubai live up to the hype?
Hello Dubai, by Joe Bennett (Simon & Schuster, RRP $40): He’s a busy bloke Joe Bennett, managing to churn out a great newspaper column each and every week, punctuated by some of the quirkiest travel writing you could hope to…
When the cat’s away …
Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation and GPS Technology, by Caroline Paul, illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton (Bloomsbury, RRP $29) Author Caroline Paul has drawn on the real-life experience of having her moggy companion Tibula, also known as Tibby, go…
Huge losses on Western Front remembered
The Western Front Diaries, by Jonathan King (Simon & Schuster, RRP $40): When we think of Anzacs and war, for most of us our minds immediately go to Gallipoli but the Western Front campaign also had a huge impact for…
Appeal for all age groups
Zero Hour, by Leon Davidson (Text Publishing, RRP $25): Leon Davidson is one of those rare authors who can write good non-fiction for young adults that makes history both real and engaging. His first book, Scarecrow Army, was about the…
Kiwi colloquialisms distract
Containment, by Vanda Symon (Penguin, RRP $28): There’s no doubting Dunedin-based author Vanda Symon’s talent as a writer and I certainly enjoyed most of this book, the third to feature stroppy chick/newbie detective Sam Shepherd. However, I don’t know that…
Record of a generation
Poppy Boys By Lynley Dear (Craig Print) Steven Spielberg’s epic World War II movie Saving Private Ryan was one of those gut-wrenching stories that stayed with you long after you walked out of the theatre. The tale of the search…
A New Zealand passion
Zephyrs and Zodiacs, by Tim Chadwick (HarperCollins, RRP $29.99): We really do have a passion for Zephyrs and Zodiacs in New Zealand and I doubt there are many of us who haven’t either owned one or had parents who owned…
Awesome value and in time for Christmas
The World’s Fastest Indian, by Roger Donaldson (Random House NZ, RRP $55) He’s a Kiwi icon and a good southern bloke but there are probably a lot of us who still don’t know as much about Burt Munro as we…