There are plenty of books out there with photographs of our beautiful country but photographer Barney Brewster wants to highlight the often overlooked beauty of moonlight rather than sunlight. Night Visions offers a fresh and rarely seen perspective on the New Zealand landscape, with a gorgeous collection of night photos. I’ve seen many images of […]
Beauty of moonlight Read Post »
Joe Bennett is one of those columnists who always manages to improve my mood: if I’m having a rough morning, I always feel better having read his latest offering in the paper on a Wednesday morning. And if I’m already having a pretty splendiferous morning, his weekly column makes it even better. No matter what
Waking up to Joe Bennett Read Post »
It’s refreshing to find a book aimed at younger readers that doesn’t focus on either girls and horses or teens and vampires. Little Britain star David Walliams has followed up on his earlier successful children’s books with this latest offering, Gangsta Granny. This hilarious story of old age features plenty of adventure and the lesson
Fun tale of a geriatric delinquent Read Post »
This latest book in the “Women’s Murder Club” series is the usual fast-paced thriller you expect from James Patterson, a man who must surely be the most prolific writer on the market today. The story kicks off with an unexpected but very welcome arrival for Detective Lindsay Boxer before moving on to the reason we
Not his best but still very readable Read Post »
More than two years after the devastating September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes that left Christchurch in ruins, this book takes a look at the recovery and reorganisation of our garden city. We all watched in shock after the quakes, particularly the deadly 2011 aftershock, as the city tried to pick up the pieces: we
Christchurch returning to its vibrant best Read Post »
2012 was a big year for the Queen. She celebrated her 86th birthday in April and at a time in her life when most of us would be looking forward to a cup of tea and a nice lie down, Queen Elizabeth is still busily attending public functions, giving speeches and generally being regal. Aside from
A busy year for QEII Read Post »
Alan Duff has produced another powerful novel in Frederick’s Coat, a story of crime, violence and family. Duff is know for his compelling and gritty writing, and this book is as moving as the critically acclaimed Once Were Warriors. On his release from prison, Johno Ryan vows that he will never go back there again
Violence and redemption in recommended read Read Post »
Here’s the perfect gift for the Jack Reacher fan in your life: a book of life lessons from the man himself. Reacher, the star of Lee Child’s awesome series of thrillers, is a tough dude who is built like the proverbial brick dunny and in the habit of kicking ass and taking names. And
How-to from the man who can do anything Read Post »
I stumbled across the dark mind of author Richard Montanari via The Skin Gods, his fifth novel. Since then I’ve enjoyed the next five, with each one a little more disturbing than the last. In the latest Byrne and Balzano novel, The Killing Room, the detectives are called to a gruesome crime scene, where an
Classic Montanari will make your spine tingle Read Post »
While the likes of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series is getting better and better, I feel Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series is about ready for retirement. The front cover was suitably moody, the back cover was full of tense descriptions and drama about a “gripping, thrilling tour- de-force” and I had enjoyed the earlier books
Red Mist fails to deliver Read Post »
