May 2014

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four Horses
African saga a welcome improvement

After the last, very bad, African saga I read, I decided that I would read no more about that troubled continent, first met through Wilbur Smith and followed up with Bryce Courtney. The fact that this story is about real life was not an extra draw card; you can distance yourself from the experiences of […]

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four Horses
African saga a welcome improvement Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Quake Dogs
Four-legged survival stories celebrated

NZ books

This sweetly addictive book features the heart-warming stories of Christchurch dogs. After the devastating Canterbury quakes, we heard the many stories of survival and loss that came out of the city. But beyond those tales of human suffering and/or joy, there were also stories of the city’s dogs. For they suffered alongside their human counterparts,

■ REVIEW: Quake Dogs
Four-legged survival stories celebrated Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Ghosts of Parihaka
David Hair keeps myth, legend ticking

NZ books

Ghosts of Parihaka is the fifth book in the six-book Aotearoa series and keeps the story of myth and legend ticking along at a great pace. Matiu Douglas is able to slip between modern New Zealand and the parallel ghost world of Aotearoa. One of his friends is now a ghost, his enemies have stolen

■ REVIEW: Ghosts of Parihaka
David Hair keeps myth, legend ticking Read Post »

■ REVIEW: An Indescribable Beauty
European take on young NZ

General non-fiction, NZ books

A century and a half ago, a young German man set sail on a four-month journey on the Swedish ship the Equator to begin a new life in New Zealand. Friedrich Krull arrived in New Zealand as the country was heading for the New Zealand wars. Krull was keen to experience the traditional Maori way

■ REVIEW: An Indescribable Beauty
European take on young NZ Read Post »

■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key
50 shades of political humour

Humour, NZ books, People

Whatever your politics, you’ll find it hard not to have a giggle at a few of the offerings in this little book. Columnist-author-publisher Paul Little has added captions to a selection of photographs of Prime Minister John Key as he goes about his daily duties as leader of our patch of paradise. Some of them

■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key
50 shades of political humour Read Post »

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four HorsesAfrican saga a welcome improvement

■ REVIEW: Quake DogsFour-legged survival stories celebrated

■ REVIEW: Ghosts of ParihakaDavid Hair keeps myth, legend ticking

■ REVIEW: An Indescribable BeautyEuropean take on young NZ

■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key50 shades of political humour

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four Horses
African saga a welcome improvement

■ REVIEW: Quake Dogs
Four-legged survival stories celebrated

■ REVIEW: Ghosts of Parihaka
David Hair keeps myth, legend ticking

■ REVIEW: An Indescribable Beauty
European take on young NZ

■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key
50 shades of political humour