Author P J O’Rourke has a knack for making hilarious observations on life, as shown by his earlier bestsellers, so I was expecting big things from his latest offering. Unfortunately, I was just a wee bit disappointed. Don’t get we wrong, The Baby Boom is still a pretty decent read, it just doesn’t live up […]
Satire fails to fire Read Post »
New releases coming in November and December. FICTION Taking My Mother to the Opera – Diane Brown’s Memoir in Verse: From Otago University Press, a personal memoir in verse. Out in November, RRP $30. Playing with Fire, by Tess Gerritsen: Julia doesn’t understand what is happening to her daughter, but she thinks she knows what’s causing it.
On the bookshelves: Nov-Dec 2015 Read Post »
The critically acclaimed “short books on big subjects” have moved from the digital world to print. BWB Texts were launched in March last year and although the series was initially released in digital format, the publisher is now making selected books available in paperback form. In Thorndon, Wellington and Home: My Katherine Mansfield Project,
Short and to the point Read Post »
For a generation of young Kiwis, Starship hospital has always been there: the place the the very young and very sick can rely on to provide care for both its patients and their families. However, some of us who are a tad older remember a time when we didn’t have a national children’s hospital in
Celebrating Starship’s first 21 years Read Post »
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
A tasty line-up of cookbooks Read Post »
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
Exploring NZ at ground level Read Post »
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
Great read captures Kiwi experience Read Post »
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 »
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
Whimsical work a little gem Read Post »
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 »
