Solo, by William Boyd (Random House, RRP $38): For the James Bond fans out there, the news that William Boyd was planning to pen a followup Bond novel was probably pretty exciting and, for the most part, he has delivered…
Month: October 2014
Bookmarks: short non-fiction reviews
A roundup of short general non-fiction reviews: My Gentle Barn, by Ellie Laks (Penguin, RRP $28): This is non fiction at its best. Ellie Laks runs a rescue mission for animals near Los Angeles and this is the story of her early…
A little something to cure what ails you
Pills & Potions At the Cotter Medical History Trust, by Claire Le Couteur (Otago University Press, RRP $25): This little book offers a fascinating trip down the memory lane of pills, potions and, in some cases I am sure, snake-oil…
Surprisingly fresh murder mystery
The Girl Next Door, by Ruth Rendell (Hutchinson, RRP $37): As is probably obvious from this blog, I read a lot, and a lot of the books I read are crime novels. It seems like Ruth Rendell has been around…
Trio of books look at NZ’s architectural heritage
New Zealand’s Lost Heritage, by Richard Wolfe (Hew Holland Publishers, RRP $50): The preservation of our historic buildings is often a topic of debate in this country, with passionate arguments for (it’s our history) and against (usually the cost). We…
Ordinary Kiwis tell our country’s story
Changing Times: New Zealand Since 1945, by Jenny Carlyon and Diana Morrow (Auckland University Press $45): Much has been written about New Zealand’s attempts to find its place in the world as a fledgling nation and the role of rugby…
Confusing but interesting tale
The Silver Gaucho, by Jackie Ballantyne (The Doby Press): This is an almost local novel with part of the story set in Dunedin and Central Otago. It follows the adventures of Lockie Steele as she travels to Argentina in search…
Heroine out for revenge in edge-of-seat series finale
Assassin, by Tara Moss (HarperCollins, RRP $27): In the final thriller in the Mak Vanderwall series by former model Tara Moss, the focus is on revenge and survival. When ex-model turned private investigator and forensic psychologist Mak Vanderwall goes missing…