NONFICTION
1 Go Hard or Go Home by Kiri Allan (Penguin Random House, $40)
Oho! Number 1 with a bullet in its first week in the shops, on the back of media appearances that have seen her revitalised, full of vim and vigour, one of the great what-ifs of Labour’s fortunes—she coulda been a contender, a leader, and saved Labour from these past few indifferent years of Hipkins. But she crashed and burned, and she sets out her story of what happened in her political memoir.
From my review: “You get a sense of her charisma in her book, of someone special, complicated, self-regarding, passionate, smart, at heart a GC with more life experience than most politicians.”
A free copy is up for grabs. To enter, email stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps GO KIRI by midnight on Sunday, August 16.
2 One Last Question, Prime Minister by Barry Soper (HarperCollins, $39.99)
3 A Bushman’s Book of Yarns by Sam Gibson (Allen & Unwin, $45)
Stumbling across giant red stags in Haast, trading venison for crayfish in Fiordland and other outdoor stories published with Father’s Day in mind.
4 The Valley by Asher Emanuel (Bridget Williams Books, $39.99)
5 Better Never Stops by Paul Wood (HarperCollins, $39.99)
6 Roadscapes by Derek Smith (David Bateman, $39.99)
One of the year’s best illustrated books, with photos of lots of vehicles in it such as Ngāwī bulldozers, Bedford buses, a Ducati 900, and a 1945 V8 pick-up truck, photographed around New Zealand, and published with Father’s Day in mind. Below: a Daihatsu in Oamaru.
7 Lessons on Living by Nigel Latta (HarperCollins, $39.99)
8 Become Unstoppable by Gilbert Enoka (Penguin Random House, $40)
9 A Place to Stand by Clare Ward (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
10 Facing Up to Our Future edited by Peter Davis (Dunmore Publishing, $35)
Anthology in which 21 thinkers think about issues such as the cost of living, fiscal sustainability, climate change, environmental decline and other crucial issues facing all New Zealanders.
FICTION
1 Murder and Mojitos (The Bookshop Detectives 3) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)
2 Dead Girl Gone (The Bookshop Detectives 1) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $28)
3 The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $15.99)
4 No Prisoners by Ellis Blake (Hachette, $37.99)
5 The Nowhere Boy by Anne Cleary (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
6 Every Lake by Adam Perry (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
In an excellent interview at Kete, the author of this debut thriller was asked why he set it in Central Otago, and he replied, “The lakes in and around Otago are incredibly cinematic, and the bustling tourist towns provide the perfect backdrop for the novel. In Every Lake, the holiday town of Tall Pines is imagined but I’ve taken imagery from Queenstown, Twizel, Wānaka, Tekapō and beyond to create a stunning lake with bright sunshine and long shadows. What I love about these lakefront towns is that the centres are bright and busy, but you don’t need to drive far to find an isolated bay or cove, which is exactly what my story needed.”
7 Tea and Cake and Death (The Bookshop Detectives 2) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $28)
8 All Her Lives by Ingrid Horrocks (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35)
9 Sorry Rock by Thalia Henry (Cloud Ink Press, $34.95)
In a fascinating interview on the Booklovers site, the author said, “The title is derived from the term sometimes used by tourists to describe rocks taken from Uluru and later returned out of remorse, often accompanied by letters of apology. Learning about these returns reminded me of similar occurrences in New Zealand. I was inspired to write a story that, at its heart, centres on a single rock, but is ultimately about a beachside family who have experienced loss, made mistakes, and are working towards healing.”
Asked about her research, she said, “I visited Alice Springs and Uluru, and consulted with Aboriginal readers who represent Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Anangu, the traditional custodians of Uluru and Kata Tjuta…I am looking forward to posting copies of the book to Australia. I have done my utmost to ensure the story is as respectful as it can be, particularly in its portrayal of Australia and its communities.”
10 Orchids and Camellias by Sophie Rogers (Flying Books Publishing, $36.99)
Historical novel about the newly widowed and pregnant Ginny Yang, who searches for a way to make a life for herself and her son.
