Southern connection in highly recommended poetry collection Christchurch based poet Gary Elford taught at three different schools on the Regent Street site now occupied by Aurora College, Invercargill, for 16 years, so many of you will know him. I thoroughly enjoyed…
Month: February 2015
■ REVIEW
A book worthy of its title
Chocolate Cake For Breakfast, by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin) Set in rural New Zealand, Chocolate Cake For Breakfast is an easy read that has a Bridget Jones feel about it. It’s about Helen McNeil, a vet from small-town New…
Columnist’s early life a fun read
The Chronicles of Narmo, by Caitlin Moran (Random House, RRP $20): First published by Corgi in 1992 and republished in January 2014, this delightful home-school romp was written by 16-year-old Caitlin Moran who is now an award-winning The Times critic,…
Excellent teen fiction from NZ author
Broken, by Elizabeth Pulford, illustrated by Angus Gomes (Walker Books): Zara is in a coma, immersed in a subconscious world where she has to come to terms both with the terrible accident that took her brother’s life and a traumatic…
Romance by the numbers
The Winter Sea, by Di Morrissey (Pan Macmillan Australia, RRP $35): I wouldn’t say Di Morrissey is a lazy author but The Winter Sea has a real paint-by-numbers feel to it. An everlasting love, a new love and a family secret…
Must-do list a surefire holiday boredom-buster
Explore New Zealand: 101 Must-Do’s for Kiwis, compiled by AA (Random House NZ, RRP $45): The school holidays are now all but over, with the young ‘uns heading back to class on Monday, so maybe it’s time to start some…
Help in a cute little package
The Happiness Trap Pocketbook, by Dr Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett (Exisle Publishing, RRP $25): A few years back, Dr Russ Harris came up with the novel concept of the happiness trap and told us all how to avoid it.…