September 2015 - Books By George

■ REVIEWS: One-dish Dinners | Whole | The Caker
A tasty line-up of cookbooks

From the author of the quintessentially Kiwi Bach, Beach, Boat, Barbecue, comes a collection of recipes that are packed with flavour but won’t have you spending hours in the kitchen cleaning up. As you can probably gather from the title, all the recipes in Penny Oliver’s book need just one pot, pan, bowl, baking dish […]

■ REVIEWS: One-dish Dinners | Whole | The Caker
A tasty line-up of cookbooks Read Post »

■ REVIEWS: Wild About New Zealand | A Walk A Day
Exploring NZ at ground level

NZ books, Places

This comprehensive guide is based on the Natural History New Zealand-produced TV series of the same name, that was made to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the country’s first national park. As Kiwis, we are generally pretty proud of our whole “clean, green” image but I think most of us realise that image isn’t becoming

■ REVIEWS: Wild About New Zealand | A Walk A Day
Exploring NZ at ground level Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Flying Kiwis: A History of the OE
Great read captures Kiwi experience

General non-fiction, NZ books

Going on the big OE is something of a rite of passage for many young Kiwis, so it should come as no surprise that there is now a book looking at the history of this trend. This is the first detailed account of the uniquely Kiwi phenomenon: the extended overseas working holiday also known as

■ REVIEW: Flying Kiwis: A History of the OE
Great read captures Kiwi experience Read Post »

■ REVIEW: A King's Ransom
Well-researched look at medieval politics

General fiction

For his part in the third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart has won prestige, legendary status and, sadly, enemies within Christian Europe itself. As a result, his journey home becomes fraught with danger. Storms and pirates fade into insignificance when he is detained by Duke Leopold of Austria, a man with a grievance against Richard.

■ REVIEW: A King's Ransom
Well-researched look at medieval politics Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Catch
Shame on the high seas

General non-fiction

The tagline on this book is “How fishing companies reinvented slavery and plunder the oceans”, and that’s exactly what it’s about. Michael Field has done an outstanding job outlining the disgraceful state of conditions on foreign charter vessels fishing in New Zealand waters for New Zealand quota. The Catch is a fascinating, yet horrifying, expose

■ REVIEW: The Catch
Shame on the high seas Read Post »

On the bookshelves: October 2015

New releases

New releases coming in October. FICTION According to Yes, by Dawn French: The brilliant and hilarious new novel from chart-topping author and comedian Dawn French is out on October 23 (published by Michael Joseph, RRP $37). Manhattan’s Upper East Side has its own rigid code of behaviour. It’s a code strictly adhered to by the

On the bookshelves: October 2015 Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Edwin's Egg
Whimsical work a little gem

NZ books, Poetry

Former New Zealand Poet Laureate Cilla McQueen has produced a cute little collection of poetic novellas that will appeal to her existing fans and also provide a great introduction to her work for new fans. Originally one of the works McQueen undertook during her time as Poet Laureate, the project titled Serial was published on

■ REVIEW: Edwin's Egg
Whimsical work a little gem Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Nadia Lim's Good Food Cookbook
Tasty and healthy go hand-in-hand

Home & garden

Nadia Lim’s Good Food Cookbook is simple, easy and packed full of healthy and nutritious recipes to cater for everyone. As a dietician, you can trust Nadia to create the best option for the whole family, while still providing recipes that are quick and easy and don’t need hours spent on them to prepare a

■ REVIEW: Nadia Lim's Good Food Cookbook
Tasty and healthy go hand-in-hand Read Post »

Third book coming in YA cult story

Literary news

Fleur Beale’s powerful story of life inside a religious cult will have its third installment with the release of Being Magdalene this month. The first book in the young adult series, I am not Esther, was published 16 years ago and won the Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book. It has remained hugely popular and has

Third book coming in YA cult story Read Post »