NZ books - Books By George

■ REVIEW: The Secret Life of James Cook
Imagination fills gaps in story of James Cook

The premise for The Secret Life of James Cook sounds a bit naff. A fictionalised account of the famous navigator’s early life up to his first circumnavigation, based on letters to his patient wife . . . who actually destroyed the letters so no one ever knew the contents. Graeme Lay has recreated Cook’s life, […]

■ REVIEW: The Secret Life of James Cook
Imagination fills gaps in story of James Cook Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Dolphins Down Under
Seeing the value in NZ’s dolphins

NZ books

Found only in New Zealand’s waters, Hector’s dolphins are both cute and fascinating. They are also – as the publisher points out – as “Kiwi as the kiwi but their numbers are under threat”. All too often, we lose sight of what it is that makes our little corner of the world so appealing to

■ REVIEW: Dolphins Down Under
Seeing the value in NZ’s dolphins Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Unpacking the Kists
Tracing NZ’s tartan history

History, NZ books

Unpacking the Kists: The Scots in New Zealand is an informative study of the nature and effect of Scottish migration to New Zealand. The book by Brad Patterson, Tom Brooking and Jim McAloon covers myriad topics including where in Scotland the settlers came from and their distribution patterns in New Zealand, how Scottish settlers have

■ REVIEW: Unpacking the Kists
Tracing NZ’s tartan history Read Post »

■ REVIEW: One Hundred Summers
Celebrating the wonder of ‘show day’

General non-fiction, NZ books

In what is a deceptively compact little book, former Southland Times farming reporter John Cutt packed in a wealth of history and information that covers 100 years of the Winton A & P Association. Subtitled ‘‘celebrating the achievements of the Winton A&P Association’’, the book is also a celebration of the people who have contributed

■ REVIEW: One Hundred Summers
Celebrating the wonder of ‘show day’ Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Swaggers, Tinkers, Hawkers: Deep South Tales
Great piece of local history

NZ books

The launch of Jeannie Barnes’ long-awaited book on the swagmen of the south brought together a host of Southlanders – from those who contributed stories to the book to families of some who were the subjects. Ms Barnes has researched widely and well, drawing on many contacts built up over a lifetime here and has

■ REVIEW: Swaggers, Tinkers, Hawkers: Deep South Tales
Great piece of local history Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Night The Rat Stepped Out
Southern connection in highly recommended poetry collection

NZ books, Poetry

Christchurch based poet Gary Elford taught at three different schools on the Regent Street site now occupied by Aurora College, Invercargill, for 16 years, so many of you will know him. I thoroughly enjoyed this, his second poetry collection. The poems are evocative of the south. Several days since reading, these are the ones I remember

■ REVIEW: The Night The Rat Stepped Out
Southern connection in highly recommended poetry collection Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Chocolate Cake For Breakfast
Bridget Joes with a Kiwi feel … and chocolate

NZ books, Romance

Set in rural New Zealand, Chocolate Cake For Breakfast is an easy read that has a Bridget Jones feel about it. It’s about Helen McNeil, a vet from small-town New Zealand who has a love of cows. While escaping from a dull girl at a party who she did not want to talk to, she

■ REVIEW: Chocolate Cake For Breakfast
Bridget Joes with a Kiwi feel … and chocolate Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Broken
Excellent teen fiction from NZ author

NZ books, Younger readers

Zara is in a coma, immersed in a subconscious world where she has to come to terms both with the terrible accident that took her brother’s life and a traumatic event from her childhood. The first-person narrative is always Zara’s voice but the varying styles add interest to the story – we go deep inside

■ REVIEW: Broken
Excellent teen fiction from NZ author Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Explore New Zealand
Must-do list a surefire holiday boredom-buster

NZ books, Places

The school holidays are now all but over, with the young ‘uns heading back to class on Monday, so maybe it’s time to start some pro-active planning for the next break. And with that next break being the biggie for the year – the Christmas holidays – being prepared with some ideas for things to

■ REVIEW: Explore New Zealand
Must-do list a surefire holiday boredom-buster Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Lazy Days
Idealised reality a touch ‘homogenised’

Art, NZ books

English born artist Graham Young has put together a collection of his kiwi lifestyle works which is just fine. Nice. Pleasant. Any of the adjectives you can use to sum up something so inoffensive that doesn’t quite cross into being considered negative. Young’s showcase of a somewhat redundant skill idealises the dream of the Kiwi

■ REVIEW: Lazy Days
Idealised reality a touch ‘homogenised’ Read Post »