Much has been written about New Zealand’s attempts to find its place in the world as a fledgling nation and the role of rugby and war in creating a sense of nationalism in and around World War I. But a more important portion of our nation’s history has occurred post-World War II, and it’s this […]
■ REVIEW: Changing Times
Ordinary Kiwis tell our country’s story Read Post »
Successful artist Quinn lives with Marcus, who left his wife for her and subsequently lost contact with his young daughter as a result of that breakup. Quinn is busily preparing for an upcoming exhibition, but as the deadline for her exhibition approaches, Callum, a deep-sea diver with a love of the ocean, enters their lives. As
■ REVIEW: Reach
Another memorable effort from Kiwi author Read Post »
The second of a planned trio of books featuring the cute Little Truff, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. My parents had a Cav: he was decidedly dizzy and even in old age displayed the silliness of a young pup. In later life he lost an eye and their cat was delighted to discover the dog’s
■ REVIEW: Little Truff and the Siamese Cat
Sweet story with life lessons to boot Read Post »
Award-winning Mosgiel-based author, Ella West, was born in Invercargill and studied at the University of Otago. In her new thriller for younger readers, 14-year-old Viola has a genetic condition whereby the sun is dangerous, Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Viola’s “living”, therefore, is done at night. She lives on a farm inland from Ashburton and goes for walks
■ REVIEW: Night Vision
Excellent NZ fiction for teens Read Post »
(Reviewed with help from Seymour and Norman) Kiwis tend to fall into two categories when it comes to our furry, feathered and/or scaled friends: we are either pet-owners or poorly adjusted human beings who are incapable of forming real, meaningful relationships and doomed to a life of loneliness and social ineptitude. OK, perhaps that is
There’s no doubt that Prime Minister John Key is a polarising figure in New Zealand politics. There really seems to be no middle ground: people either love him or they hate him, which means it’s unlikely he’ll be one of our “forgotten PMs” like Bill Rowling or Jim Bolger – both of whom many Kiwis would
■ REVIEW: John Key: Portrait of a Prime Minister
Insight into NZ’s head honcho Read Post »
New Zealand pilots served in both the RNZAF and also the RAF during World War II, and this is an account of the heroic and often deadly role played by those Kiwi air crews during the final stages of that war. From the invasion of Europe in 1944 to the fall of Berlin in 1945,
■ REVIEW: Victory
High-flying Kiwis played important role in WW2 Read Post »
Martin Hawes is a man with a track record of writing sensible books on what to do with your money and with the current state of the economy, that is something most of us could benefit from. This is an updated and revised version of a book from eight years ago and the information included
■ REVIEW: Twenty Good Summers
Common sense money advice to baby boomers Read Post »
Christchurch-born author Paul Cleave has turned out another cracking read in the latest book in the private investigator Theodore Tate series. Tate is an ex-cop now working as a private investigator who is still haunted by his very first crime scene: a 10-year-old girl found raped and murdered in an abandoned slaughterhouse that had the
■ REVIEW: The Laughterhouse
NZ crime novel an edge-of-seat thriller Read Post »
Us Kiwis like being claiming firsts, and let’s be honest, there are plenty we can claim: first to scale Mt Everest, first to have to good sense to give women the vote, even first country to take home the Rugby Word Cup. Then there was the atom-splitting efforts of Ernest Rutherford and Invercargill’s own Burt
■ REVIEW: Great Kiwi Firsts
No second-guessing in book of firsts Read Post »
