December 2014

■ REVIEW: The Colonial Adventures of James Edward Fitzgerald
Kiwi history makes this a page-turner

NZ books, People

The subject of this biography is an important figure in the settlement of Canterbury. He was the province’s first superintendent, a politician, a watercolourist and founder of the Christchurch Press. He was ahead of his time with such forward thinking ideas as plans to help the famine sufferers in Ireland, ideas for successful colonization, and

■ REVIEW: The Colonial Adventures of James Edward Fitzgerald
Kiwi history makes this a page-turner Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug, Chronicles - Art and Design
Gorgeous book a journey in itself

Art

Weta Workshop extraordinaire, Daniel Falconer, has compiled this third book in The Hobbit Chronicles series and it is simply gorgeous. Beautiful to touch and to hold, it covers a myriad concept arts, design, illustrations, descriptions of set pieces and development etches of the second Hobbit film. As you open the book, you notice each page,

■ REVIEW: The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug, Chronicles - Art and Design
Gorgeous book a journey in itself Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Crossroad
Fascinating tale of underdog making good

People

Winning the Victoria Cross requires actions beyond what most normal men or women would ever consider undertaking. There was nothing in the young Mark Donaldson’s life to suggest he would become anything other than an Aussie larrikin. There was the drinking, surfing, snowboarding and a bit of trouble-making, along with a significant attitude, but nothing

■ REVIEW: The Crossroad
Fascinating tale of underdog making good Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Bones Never Lie
Old adversary returns in latest Bones book

Mysteries & thrillers

In this new Temperance “Tempe” Brennan novel from world-class forensic anthropologist and No 1 best-selling author Kathy Reichs, it appears that the blood-thirsty killer who escaped justice in 2004’s Monday Mourning is back. Anique Pomerleau kidnapped and murdered a string of girls in Canada but she managed to get away, eluding the cops and disappearing,

■ REVIEW: Bones Never Lie
Old adversary returns in latest Bones book Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Mrs Brown’s A-Y of Everything
The wisdom of Agnes in time for Christmas

Humour

Irish comedian Brendon O’Carroll has taken the world by storm as with his gender bending performances on our television and movie screens so it should come as no surprise that his alter-ego Agnes Brown is now ready to take her place on our bookshelves. O’Carroll is so believable as mammy extraordinaire Mrs Brown, that seeing

■ REVIEW: Mrs Brown’s A-Y of Everything
The wisdom of Agnes in time for Christmas Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Guinness World Records 2014
Another year of records still good value

General non-fiction

Someone has to be the best, the fastest, biggest, brightest, smallest or some other -est word, and the good folk at Guinness have made it their mission to bring us every single one of them. Proclaiming itself to be “officially amazing” (with those very words emblazoned across the front cover), this book is packed full

■ REVIEW: Guinness World Records 2014
Another year of records still good value Read Post »

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