On the bookshelves: May 2016

New releases coming in May.

FICTION

Penguin Award-winning Classics: Penguin Random House is celebrating past winners of the New Zealand book awards with a special selection of Penguin’s most highly awarded classic New Zealand fiction is being re-released, repackaged in beautiful collectible hardbacks. Written by leading writers Patricia Grace, CK Stead, Maurice Gee, Fiona Farrell, Lloyd Jones and Vincent O’Sullivan, the Penguin Award-winning Classics offer a range of top titles and the jacket of each title features artwork by Kiwi artist Lianne Edwards, using vintage postage stamps (Penguin, RRP $30 each).

The Last Mile, by David Baldacci: The second thrilling title in the Amos Decker crime series, following Memory Man (Macmillan, RRP $38).

A French Wedding, by Hannah Tunnicliffe: A novel filled with love, lies, fights, friendship and feasts, which reads like a love triangle between The Big Chill, Chocolat and Les Petits Mouchoirs (“Little White Lies”) that the publisher  says become your favourite ensemble cast love story (Macmillan, RRP $38).

Gate of Lilacs: A Verse Commentary on Proust, and Collected Poems, both by Clive James: Gates of Lilacs (Picador, RRP $30)  is a result of the author’s love and engagement with Proust’s eternal masterpiece. Collected Poems (Picador, RRP $45) is a collection  looking back over his extraordinarily rich life.

The Emperor’s Revenge, by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison: Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon face their toughest challenge yet when a violent bank heist during the Monaco Grand Prix decimates the Corporation’s accounts (Michael Joseph, RRP $37).

Little Boy Blue, by M. J, Arlidge: The fifth DI Helen Grace novel (Michael Joseph, RRP $37).

The 5th Wave: The Last Star (Book 3), by Rick Yancey: Following the major motion picture release starring Chloe Grace Moretz, the heart-stopping finale to the bestselling 5th Wave series (Puffin, RRP $24).

NON-FICTION

Burt Munro: The Lost Interviews, by Neill Birss: Back in the 1960s when Neill Birss was a young reporter he asked Burt Munro to do a series of interviews. Birss away and the interviews were lost until they resurfaced recently (Penguin, RRP $35).

Never Give Up, by Ian Winson with Steve Kilgallon: The inspirational story of Watercare engineer Ian Winson, who lost both legs in an explosion and has had to reinvent himself (Penguin, RRP $38).

Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts, by Susan Cain: The highly anticipated follow-up to the sensational bestseller Quiet (Michael Joseph, RRP $37).

Gather, by Tim Read: Recipes with an emphasis on generosity, freshness and ease of preparation from the latest MasterChef NZ winner (Allen & Unwin, RRP $50).

The First Six Weeks, by Midwife Cath: How to set up habits in the first six weeks of your baby’s life that will create long-term, lifelong benefits (Allen & Unwin, RRP $33).

One Child, by Mei Fong: The story of China’s most radical experiment by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who spent over a decade reporting in Asia, most notably as China correspondent for The Wall Street Journal (Bloomsbury, RRP $32).

Beyond Belief, by Hugh Mackay: A look at one of the biggest topics of our time: the declining role of religion in our society (Macmillan, RRP $38).

Killing Time: An Innocent Man Locked Up In Dubai’s Most Notorious Prison, by Karl Williams: The story of the year-long nightmare of three friends who were falsely accused of drug dealing in Dubai (Macmillan, RRP $35).

YOUNGER READERS

gorillas in our midstGorillas in Our Midst, by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones:  This quirky and beautifully illustrated hardcover is perfect for comic book fans or anyone with a sense of humour (Scholastic, RRP $30).

The Bad Guys Episode 3: The Furball Strikes Back, by Aaron Blabey: The third book in the hilarious series from multi-award-winning picture book creator Aaron Blabey (Scholastic).

Dragon Knight #5: Joust! by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Donovan Bixley: The fifth book in the Dragon Knight series by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley (Scholastic).

Nightfall, by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski: On Marin’s island, sunrise only comes every twenty-eight years. Be sure not to get left in the dark. An eerie thriller for ages 12-17 (Hotkey, RRP $19).

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle, by Rick Riordan: The first book in a breathtaking new series from Percy Jackson creator, Rick Riordan (Puffin, RRP $26).

Jacky Ha-Ha, by James Patterson: The prolific Patterson introduces his hilarious new heroine, Jacky Ha-Ha, a class clown who makes people laugh with her so they can’t laugh at her (Young Arrow, RRP $20).

Ruined, by Amy Tintera: The first in a new trilogy of outstanding YA fantasy from the author of Reboot, ideal for fans of Sarah J Maas. For ages 12-plus (Allen & Unwin, RRP $19).

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