On the bookshelves: April 2017

New releases coming in April.

FICTION

The Accusation, by Bandi, translated by Deborah Smith: A major publishing event: the first fiction ever to be smuggled out of North Korea—a remarkable literary discovery and a searing indictment of political repression (Serpent’s Tail, RRP $33).

The Missing Pieces of Us, by Fleur McDonald: Sometimes you need to resolve the past before you can face the future (Allen & Unwin, RRP $33).

A Hundred Small Lessons, by Ashley Hay: A lyrical novel of two mothers from different generations and how their lives converge—from the bestselling author of The Railwayman’s Wife (Allen & Unwin, RRP $33).

Wonderful Feels Like This, by Sara Lövestam: A bestseller in Europe— a celebration of being a little bit odd, finding your people and the power of music across generations (Allen & Unwin, RRP $33).

The Doll Funeral, by Kate Hamer: A dark and glittering psychological thriller, from the author of the bestselling The Girl in the Red Coat (Faber, RRP $33).

Say Nothing, by Brad Parks: An emotionally charged, every-parent’s-worst-nightmare page-turner (Faber, RRP $33).

Breaking Ranks, by James McNeish: Three great stories of conscience and consequence, in the final work from New Zealand’s literary knight, the late Sir James McNeish (HarperCollins, RRP $35).

Death of a She Devil, by Fay Weldon: A modern twist on the battle of the sexes and the provocative sequel to literary lioness Fay Weldon’s most famous novel (House of Zeus, RRP $37).

Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies, by Jackie French: When the lives of four debutantes are interrupted by WW1, they emerge as women determined to change the world (HarperCollins, RRP $35).

The Midsummer Garden, by Kirsty Manning: From medieval France to contemporary Tasmania—an engaging novel of food, ambition and love 1487 (Allen & Unwin, RRP $33).

Domina, by LS Hilton: Judith Rashleigh returns in the stunning new thriller from the author of the #1 bestseller, Maestra (Zaffre, RRP $33).

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, by Denis Thériault: Bilodo has found a way to break the routine of his postal rounds—reading people’s mail. A passionate and elegant tale, comic and tragic, with a love story at its heart (OneWorld, RRP $23).

Fever Dream, by Samanta Schweblin: A nightmare come to life, a ghost story for the real world, a love story and a cautionary tale (OneWorld, RRP $23).

Carnivalesque, by Neil Jordan: When fourteen-year-old Andy visits a carnival, he finds himself inside the hall or mirrors, hypnotised by the many selves that stare back at him. One of those selves leaves the hall, but Andy is trapped inside. A dark, twisted tale of identity and metamorphosis; confinement and freedom; adolescence and the loss of innocence (Bloomsbury, RRP $27).

NON-FICTION

Nevertheless, by Alec Baldwin: One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir (HarperCollins, RRP $39).

Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingway’s Secret Adventures 1935-1961, by Nicholas Reynolds: The untold story of Nobel prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway’s secret life as a spy for both the Americans and the Soviets before and during World War 2 (HarperCollins, RRP $37).

Woman in the Wilderness, by Miriam Lancewood: A story of survival, love and self-discovery in New Zealand (Allen & Unwin, RRP $37).

Who I Am, by Charlotte Rampling with Christophe Bataille: The first and only autobiography of the beguiling star of the screen. Charlotte Rampling’s career has spanned popular entertainment and arthouse cinema, having starred in English, French and Italian films from 1966’s Georgy Girl to 2015’s 45 Years (Icon, RRP $28).

Castle of the Eagles, by Mark Felton: High above Florence, a prisoner-of-war camp held thirteen of the most senior British and Commonwealth officers (including two New Zealanders) captured during the campaign in North Africa. Against the odds, these middle-aged POWs drove a complex tunnel beneath the castle, and by March 1943 attempted an escape to neutral Switzerland (Icon, RRP $33).

Superfandom, by Zoe Fraade-Blanar and Aaron M. Glazer: An essential guide to the fan-fuelled future, Superfandom explores the explosion of modern fandom and its transformative impact on culture and business (Profile Books, RR $25).

Hitchcock, by Francois Truffaut: Based on the famous series of dialogues between Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock from the 1960s (Faber, RRP $45).

MasterChef Street Food of the World, by Genevieve Taylor: Collection of recipe contributions from MasterChef winners around the world and focuses on fresh and local ingredients and different cultures and cuisines (Absolute Press, RRP $45).

Junk Food Japan, by Scott Hallsworth: Addictive food from Kurobuta. The author was head chef at  Nobu in London and opened Nobu in Melbourne (Absolute Press, RRP $54).

The Amazing Mrs Livesey, by Freda Marnie Nicholls: The remarkable life of the notorious Ethel Livesey, a serial fraudster and confidence trickster who became a media sensation after she ran out on her society wedding in 1945 and was later arrested for obtained goods by false pretences (Allen & Unwin, RRP $25).

YOUNGER READERS

Perfect, by Cecelia Ahern: The thrilling, shocking and romantic sequel to the bestselling YA debut Flawed is finally here. When we embrace all our flaws, that’s when we can finally become perfect. For ages 13-plus (HarperCollins, RRP $23).

The Blue Cat, by Ursula Dubosarsky: From the multi-award-winning author of The Red Shoe comes a haunting story about a boy who can’t— or won’t—speak about his past in war-torn Europe, and his friendship with a young Australian girl. For ages 10-14 (Allen & Unwin, RRP $23).

Margo & Me, by Juno Dawson: A teenager living with her bullying grandmother finds life unbearable until she discovers Margot’s wartime diary. For ages 12-plus (Hotkey, RRP $19).

The Hogwarts Library Box Set, by J.K. Rowling: A collectable hardback boxed set from the world of Harry Potter containing new editions of Quidditch Through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (both in hardback for the first time) and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Bloomsbury, RRP $63).

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie #5: School Daze, by John Martin & illustrated by Scott Seegert: Join Zombie on a hilarious adventure as he tries to make it through the last few weeks before Summer Break. How much trouble can a 12-year-old Zombie get into? (Scholastic, RRP $11).

The Seven Signs #4: Killswitch, by Michael Adams: The fourth book in the seven-book series that features a single serialised storyline across seven instalments released in one year. The DARE Seven face danger from all sides: violent criminals are hunting them down, trigger-happy police suspect them of murder and The Signmaker keeps changing the rules of the game (Scholastic, RRP $16).

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