Susi
 
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green is a novel that can be enjoyed by young adults and by older readers. I loved the concept - imaginary friends are real, until their "imaginer" no longer needs them enough to believe in them. Budo is 8 year old autistic Max's imaginary friend. Max is very bright with a good imagination, so Budo is more developed than some other imaginary friends (some have no feet, or are pretty blurry around the edges; Budo can go through doors, but doesn't sleep, so he has had a lot of learning time while Max sleeps) and the pair embark on a scary adventure together when things go awry for Max.

Zen under Fire by New Zealand human rights lawyer Marianne Elliott is about her time working in Herat for the UN. Her very personal tale of what it is like to work in such situations makes compelling reading, both for the in-depth understanding of the situation in Afghanistan and the personal toll it takes on aid workers there. I found it fascinating, informative and disturbing.

Capital by John Lanchester is a novel set in Pepys Road in London in 2008. Lanchester tells the stories of several of the home owners in the street in the post-crash world; Roger, who is hoping his annual bonus might reach the 1 million pound mark this year (he has, after all, an expensive wife, nannies, country house and foreign holidays to pay for out of his exorbitant, but not quite sufficient, salary); Freddy, emerging teenage football sensation fresh off the plane from a two roomed shack in Senegal; Petunia, born and bred and now dying in Pepys Road, the family of Pakistani shop keepers... With an engaging cast of characters Lanchester points a condemning finger at modern society.


 
Tim
 
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson, is a wild ramble through North Korea, following Jun Do (John Doe?) from orphan to military trainee; from manning a listening post on a fishing boat to being an intelligence officer’s aide and finally as a virtual reincarnation of one of the country’s greatest heroes. Given how much I know about North Korea, I have little sense of where reality ends and fiction begins but, nonetheless, this is a fine, really well written book, which I think would hold great appeal for Murakami fans.
 
I’m halfway through Canada by Richard Ford. Events of great moment, such as having your parents resort to bank-robbery, happen with such a lack of bombast that they appear almost normal despite the waves they create. Richard Ford writes beautifully, deftly describing ordinary lives tilted off course with devastating effect and all the while his pen never raises its voice. This is a wonderful book.
 
 
Peter
 
I was putting out new books and generally browsing when on impulse I picked up The Woman Who Swallowed Her Cat and Other Gruesome Medical Cases by Dr Rob Myers, a Canadian GP. This is a series of short stories about the rather bizarre things that people have got up to with sometimes fatal results. Not something I would ordinarily read, but after reading the first story I was hooked and took it home to finish.
 
While I was reading the above, Patrick Gale's new book A Perfectly Good Man was sitting by my bed waiting to be read. Perhaps the wait made it even more delicious! If you have read Notes From an Exhibition, you won't be disappointed with this latest book from Mr. Gale. A definite recommendation.
 
 
Stella
 
Look at Me by Jennifer Egan is brilliant. If you liked A Visit from the Goon Squad, you'll definitely like this, and if the Goon Squad left you feeling a bit overwhelmed, try this one which is the more accessible of the two. Central to the story are the lives of the two Charlottes; Charlotte Swenson, model, who has suffered a major car crash leaving her unrecognisible and with eighty titanium screws in her face; and Charlotte, aged 16, plain and unappealing, who embarks on a reckless discovery of herself. Pulled into this story are a string of interconnected characters - Z, the terrorist sleeper; Irene, the academic pretending to be a journalist; Ellen, the childhood friend; and Moose, the academic that lost the plot; to mention just a few. Egan draws all these strings together to write a clever satire concentrated on the theme of identity. Initially published in 2001, the novel was spookily prophetic - think pre-9/11, pre-reality TV and the web as we know it. Look at Me is The Listener Book Club title for April.
 
Chris Cleave is a accomplished writer and his latest book, Gold, is a story of a battle to win. Centred on two cyclists that are competing at Olympic level, this is a gripping read. The characters of Zoe and Kate are strongly drawn, and you can't help but get caught up in their world, their dilemmas and their commitments to each other and their respective family and friends. Sitting alongside their Olympic dreams, is the real battle for Sophie (Kate's daughter) to overcome cancer. As the story unfolds, a more complicated picture emerges of the relationship between these riders. At times, I felt that the story became a little cloying and that the plot was too convenient, but overall this is a gripping and emotional read. If you haven't read his earlier book, The Other Hand, seek it out.
 
If you're looking for something a little irreverent, look no further than Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. This book is a scream. While it won't change the world, it will entertain you and the character of the unhinged Bernadette, stuck in suburban America, will resonate for those stuck in any suburb where mediocrity and fitting-in are the order of the day. The first part of the novel is more slapstick that anything else, but as the story progresses, Bernadette's life is far more complex and compelling than you would have imagined.
 
The Scent of Apples by Jacquie McRae is the story of Libby, a teenager coming to grips with the death of her grandfather. When Libby is sent to boarding school, she meets the free-spirited Charlie and a friendship develops that enables Libby to come to terms with her own grief and to build new relationships with her family. In McRae's debut novel, she addresses some big issues, adolescent anxiety, depression and self-harm and does this with sensitivity and humour. The Scent of Apples has been selected by the Munich-based International Youth Library as part of their annual White Ravens 2012 (outstanding international books for children and young adults)
 
 
Lucy
 
The Innocent  by Taylor Stevens. Androgynous anti-hero Vanessa Michael Munroe is back, this time with serious mental issues. Munroe is tasked with rescuing the daughter of her best friend, held captive by a South American cult for 8 years, but her own personal demons threaten the op at every turn. Taylor Stevens' first book, The Informationist, hooked me on her intriguing main character, and her 2nd is just as addictive. For Jack Reacher and Lisbeth Salander fans.

Inflight Science by Brian Clegg. If you've ever sat in an airport departure lounge and wondered how planes manage to stay in the air, or looked down from your seat and tried to figure out where you are, then this book is for you. Clegg explains the mysteries of air travel, from the x-ray machines at check in, to how the vacuum in the toilet works, to the topography of the Earth below. It's also full of interesting experiments, some of which you can do from your seat in cattle class. Take this book with you on your next flight; it'll be better than the movie!

Gathering of the Lost by Helen Lowe is part two in the Wall of Night series. Gathering of the Lost is darker and more mature than Heir of Night, and there are a couple of fantastic plot twists to keep you thinking. A great fantasy series by a Kiwi author, for all ages.
 
 
Maclean
 
The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler
Aaron lost his wife in an accident... or did he? So begins the latest from an author with a talent for inhabiting the skin of a character in an insightful, real way.  I confess to owning every novel she's written!  If you enjoy this, try Digging to America or Morgan's Passing.
 
Dancing to the Flute by Manisha Jolie Amin
I have always loved a good Indian novel. If you’ve wondered where to start, Dancing to the Flute is a lovely lead-in to the rich and fatalistic world of India. This is the story of a beggar called Kalu, whose leaf-blowing music catches the ear of a travelling healer. The harsh life he knows is changed forever with this meeting, as are the lives of all those around whom he lives. A gently told tale with India’s usual mix of hope and tragedy woven together with music. Other Indian favourites: Amitav Ghosh - The Hungry Tide, Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance and novels by Anita Desai: all lavish in description and full of changing fortunes and Indian culture.
 
The Fine Colour of Rust by P.A.O’Reilly
This is a tale straight from the backblocks beyond Melbourne, and you can taste the dry, hot air on every page. Shortlisted for the Orange and Commonwealth Writer’s prizes, it is a deceptively simple and funny tale of a single mother beset with money troubles and Gunapan’s small-town bureaucracy. Loretta dreams of a better life, but battles instead the gritty realities of school closures, impending developers and bullying children with the support of Norm the Junk Man and her other colourful mates. Evocative and visual.


The Day She Cradled Me
Sasha de Bazin
First-time author de Bazin has chosen to shed a new perspective on the tale of baby farmer and hanged convicted murderess Minnie Dean. Her extensive research included Minnie’s own writings in the last of her days, all of which give the novel a gravitas that carries the fictional nature of the book well. It is tempting to wonder how this case would be tried in today’s world. Minnie Dean is a folklore anti-heroine in the consciousness of many Southlanders, and De Bazin has given new food for thought on how that came to be. An enlightening read, enhanced by hearing her being interviewed by P&B’s own Stella at the Nelson Library for NZ Book Month recently.
 
 
Tiana, 12
Guest Child Reviewer
 
Talina in the Tower is a brilliant book. It is very descriptive and really interesting. When you start reading, you just don’t want to stop. Michelle Lovric is a great author as she always sets the scene, and her writing has that mesmerising way of making you feel like you just want to jump into the story. The book was set in late 1866 and 1867. Michelle has shown this very well, the way it is set and how the  characters behave and think makes you really think about today and how the World is now. All the characters are amazing, especially Talina - she is very brave and always makes me laugh. She definitely deserves the title ‘the terror of the neighbourhood’. Talina in the Tower is a good choice of book to read if you’re into books about magic and fantasy, and even if you’re not - it might just get you into it. After reading this, I will definitely be looking for more of Michelle's books.
 
Our thanks to Hachette NZ for the review copy of Talina in the Tower.
 
 
Sara Houston, 14
Guest Child Reviewer
 
Fever by Dee Shulman
 
A fearless Roman gladiator is nearly killed in the arena. A 21st century computer genius is his long lost love. This book is about Seth and Eva. About the fever that keeps them together and how it tears them apart. I really liked this book because it was about the love that Seth and Eva shared and it proved that love is worth fighting for. The fast pace and the endless twists and turns keeps you spell bound form the moment you pick it up. It showed both Seth and Eva’s perspective on the hardship and loss that they both suffer. But it also shows an undying love for each other even when they don’t know it. I recommend this book to 13-15 year old girls.
 
Our thanks to Penguin NZ for the review copy of Fever.

Susi
 
Gold is Chris Cleave's new novel, due out in June 2012. There was an unseemly scuffle when the advance proof copy arrived in the shop, and I won! It is excellent. Tim grabbed it next and loved it too, and Peter took it away on holiday and will report when he gets back.

For a good holiday thriller Charles Cummings' The Trinity Six is great. Set in the present with its roots in the Cold War, Sam Geddes uncovers more than he anticipates as he researches the sixth man, unknown member of the Cambridge spy ring. Shades of Le Carre - I loved it.

Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet is great novel for young adults - and older ones too. It is a coming of age novel set during the Cold War and the events leading up the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Just the thing if you are studying year 12 History). Starting with Clem's claustrophobic childhood in Norfolk and his youthful love for the wealthy landowner's daughter the story is told in flashbacks from his later life as a designer in New York. Fine story-telling.

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean is the story of Dora, unhappy and suffering from unrequited love. Her beloved grandmother is dying so she returns home and finds herself running her grandmother's vintage clothing store. This is a light hearted love story.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Simon Mawer is fab - now I have to read his earlier novel, The Glass Room, which I understand is just as good. The Girl who Fell from the Sky is the story of a British woman dropped into occupied France during WWII to help the resistance. Gripping.

Patrick Gale (he of Notes from an Exhibition) has a new novel due out in March 2012. It is a stunner. We'll let you know when it arrives in the shop. A Perfectly Good Man tells the story of Barnaby Johnson, priest in a small village in coastal Cornwall, his family and parishioners. The story has stuck in my mind for days.

Breakdown is another wonderful crime novel from Sara Paretsky featuring VI Warshawski. Just the thing for a lazy weekend.


 
Tim
 
In A Perfectly Good Man, Patrick Gale has, at long last, produced a worthy successor to Notes from an Exhibition. All of the emotional impact is there and the structure is impeccable.

I’m in the middle of The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey, it is rather fine. He manages to be clever and accessible at the same time, which is no mean feat.

Stella pointed me in the direction of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. The author is well-named; this western is laugh-out-loud funny. The brothers are headed for disaster from the beginning, and the understated portrayal of their ongoing failure is an absolute joy to read.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was unfamiliar territory for me. It is a near-future thriller-within-a-thriller with the main action taking place in a prolonged computer game and it is really gripping! I enjoyed it a lot

Reamde. Neal Stephenson. It’s deeply strange that I should read two gaming thrillers in a row, never having read one before! I’ve always liked Neal Stephenson and this huge brick of a book was my relaxing reading over Christmas – I loved it. 

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin is his second Malcolm Fox novel, in which the police investigate the police. He’s such a good writer!
 
 
Peter
 
On holiday – expect lots from him next month.
 
 
Stella
 
1Q84 is Murakami at his best. Very much in the vein of Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, we are transported to a different world and, in this case, a different time. Murakami plays with time and parallel dimensions in his very own heady way. I was transported to a place that was hard to come back from (I keep checking for two moons in the sky!) The characters are beguiling; and you feel their confusion and determination keenly. Like much of Murakami's work you have to go with it - you'll come through it a little altered.
 
The Forrests is a new work from Emily Perkins, due out in March 2012. Dysfunctional family life is given a jolt with Perkins' novel. The Forrests, particularly the close relationship between the sisters, Dorothy and Evelyn, will hook you. While the story is chronological, a cradle to the grave encounter, the writer's handling of time is unusual; the story leaps in an almost lurching manner from event to event. This technique is extraordinarily successful, creating suspense and a feeling of unease which neatly fits this family's secrets, longings, and misfortunes.
 
With the film, The Hunger Games, out shortly, I thought it was about time I found out what all the fuss was about. This is addictive teen reading. When Katniss volunteers herself, to save her little sister, as the female representative for her district in the Hunger Games - a deadly competition for survival, her world is altered forever. I loved the character of Katniss -  stubborn, courageous, clever and sometimes oblivious. This series has all the right ingredients to keep you reading; danger, betrayal, loyalty and love. I'm ready to read no.2, Catching Fire.
 
The Day She Cradled Me by Sacha De Bazin is a novel about the infamous Minnie Dean due out in March.  Told predominately from the viewpoint of Dean, De Bazin captures Minnie's contradictory behavior and tries to give explanation to her actions. Through other characters, particularly the reverend, the feel of the times, the fascination with the baby farmer, questions about society's mores and the disturbing neglect of children, are revealed. This is a well researched and sensitively written story about a piece of NZ history that continues to intrigue. Sacha will talk about her book at the Elma Turner Library as part of our New Zealand Book Month events programme.
 
 
Lucy
 
Lately I've been immersed in George R.R Martin's epic fantasy series Song of Ice and Fire as I was determined to read the first book Game of Thrones before I saw the new mini series. The series is huge (currently five books in six parts with another two to come), spanning an intricately woven fantasy world of knights and kings, dragons and the undead, fallen priests and incestuous siblings and is totally engrossing. I'm up to book three, part two and I still haven't seen the show.

Simon Sebag Montefiore's newest book, Jerusalem chronicles the bloody history of the city, from prehistoric times until the 1960s. If you can keep all the players straight (the index in the back helps!), the book is very readable and a fascinating glimpse into this most revered of cities.


 
Jan
 
I've just had the thrill of discovering an author previously unknown to me and thoroughly enjoying two of his novels.  The author is Simon Mawer, introduced to me by a friend who loaned me The Glass Room, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2008.  The story is woven around a real house, built of steel, glass, onyx and ebony in 1930 Czechoslovakia and imagines the lives of those who lived in it and were forced to leave as it passed from Czech to Nazi to Soviet and finally back to the Czech State.  A wonderful story.  Mawer's new novel, his first since The Glass Room, is The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, a gripping adventure story set against the turmoil of the Second World War.  Marian Sutro is recruited by the SOE and parachuted into occupied France.  In a fascinating blend of fact and fiction this unputdownable book explores death and betrayal,deception, revelation and love. We at Page & Blackmore are lucky enough to have an advance reading copy - it will be on sale in NZ in May 2012. 

In a quieter vein I also enjoyed Death Comes to Pemberley by P D James.  A quite witty interpretation as to what might have happened to the Pride and Prejudice family in the years following the marriage of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy.
 
Now for something completely different - the book every parent needs! 1000 Things to Make and Do by Fiona Watt.  Over a bookselling life of more years than I care to remember, I have never seen a more comprehensive, attractive, inspirational book.  Try making superheroes, paper monsters, fingerprinted people, 3-D streets, penguins on the ice, a spooky forest - well you get the idea. Anyone of any age will get ideas from this wonderful book and all for only $35.00 
 
 
Maclean
 
Information is Beautiful
David McCandless
I bought this book for my fact-obsessed son, and became obsessed with it too!  It is a visual representation of an eclectic mix of facts - from the comparative study of dictators' wives to hangover cures from around the world, or from the differing meanings of colours in world cultures to the world's most popular internet search terms.  In colourful graphs and diagrams, this is a fun way to learn something new.... and unexpected!
 
Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders
Gyles Brandreth
This is the second of Brandreth's ongoing series, which I have found can be safely read out of order.  He is a well experienced writer, which is how he manages to create murder mysteries in Wilde's world with an uncannily plausible feel.  Better than an Oscar biography, these light but rich tales build an evocative story of 1880's London, and have you laughing often with direct Wilde quotes.  I intend to read them all, spread out like little treats between other books.  Try one!
 
A Discovery of Witches
Deborah Harkness
If you've ever been tempted to try a vampire novel but not known where to start... this is the first of a trilogy being written by historian Harkness, which draws you into the life of an Oxford scholar and witch in denial, Diana Bishop.  When she finds an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library with huge magical significance, her life is taken over by otherworldly people and events, and she becomes drawn to the irresistably strange vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Surprisingly involving and enjoyable read. 
 
 
Juliane
 
I read White Heat by M.J.McGrath and really enjoyed the vivid way she described life in the Arctic. I wouldn't recommend it as a thriller, because her action scenes were a little muddled and the thriller-part of the plot not overly clever. But her beautiful, gripping portraits of Inuit people and their lives are crystal clear, sharp and witty and made the book a worthwhile read nevertheless. "Up here, it was all about ice. Locals often said that the difference between Inuit and southerners was that southerners thought of ice as frozen water, whereas the Inuit knew that water was merely melted ice."

After this I fell in love with The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. It's a fascinating, incredibly dense, book with exquisite language and a gripping double-twisted plot, with the author weaving two parallel strands of storytelling into a very atmospheric tale. Set in Provence and peopled in the present day with a couple of very different age and unknown pasts, which catch up painfully with them while they try to settle into a comfortable life on a farm in much need of renovation. Woven through this and getting more and more entangled in it is the fateful story of three siblings, growing up at said farm at the turn of the last century. One of them a blind perfume maker, set for fame in Paris in her adult years; the other a psychopath with a cruelly twisted mind; and last not least the youngest sister, waiting away her life after events unfolded beyond her own influence. This book is full of scents, colours, doom and hope. It contains mystery, the possibility of a ghost or two, and brings alive the routines in the South of France so beautifully, that it could almost replace a real holiday in the magical Luberon itself.
 
 
Jessie

I recently discovered John Green, and have just read his latest The Fault In Our Stars. John Green is brilliant if you are tired of reading cliche young adult fiction. His plots don't involve vampires or post-apocalyptic action like most other teen fiction these days, but Green's writing is enough to make his novels unputdownable. His characters are funny and intelligent; he gives teenagers more credit than most other adult, teenage fiction authors. As soon as I finished this I wanted to go back to page 1 and read it again! (Another that I recommend by him is Paper Towns).
 
 
Felix
 
Guest Child Reviewer
 
Wildwood by Colin Meloy is a book about a girl called Prue whose baby brother is stolen by crows. She sets out on a dangerous mission to save him, with help from her friend Curtis. No sooner than they enter Wildwood they are caught by a vicious band of coyotes. Prue escapes and with the help of the Avians (birds), the woodland creatures, and the Bandits who live in the forest, she continues on her mission. I enjoyed reading this book because it was exciting, there were great illustrations (by Carson Ellis), and it was well written. I couldn't put it down. It would appeal to 9-12 yr olds.
- Felix, 11 
 
 

Events
 
After a couple of successful sessions last year with book groups, we are excited about launching the following initiative for book groups.
Book Chats for Book Groups
Book Chats are available for book groups (max. number 8). We can talk to your group about Independent bookselling, what's hot and new, our recommendations, or a combination of these subjects. You choose what you want us to speak about. Bookings essential. Contact Stella for further details.
 
Guest child/teen reviewer
We're including a guest spot in our monthly e-newsletter for a child or teenager to review a book.
This month we have Felix talking about Wildwood. If you would like to be a guest reviewer, send in your name and a contact email to the bookshop and we will pop you in the draw. We will provide you with a book to review (and keep!), and are looking for children 7-17 years.

Susi
 
The Philosopher and the Wolf by Mark Rowlands has been around for quite some time, but I've only just got around to reading it - it is just great!  Rowlands was a Philosophy lecturer at a University in USA when he bought a wolf cub. The book tells the story of their 11 years together along with the philosophical ideas that grew out of the relationship between man and wolf.

Donna Leon's new Brunetti novel is, as always, a delight. Unearthing corruption and evil Brunetti takes us on a wonderful tour of the Venetian's Venice. (Beastly Things, due out in April 2012)

Like Briony I loved The Fault in our Stars by John Green.

William Boyd's new novel, Waiting for Sunrise starts in 1913 in Vienna. An actor, Lysander Rief is spending time in Vienna to visit a psychoanalyst; he becomes embroiled in a relationship with another patient which ends with his hurried departure for London. Back in London things become mysteriously entwined as Lysander finds himself plunged into wartime intelligence. What is the truth, what the deception? Who is protecting who? A very subtle thriller.
 
 
Lucy
 
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. At a small liberal arts college in the American Midwest, five people's lives are changed forever when a thrown baseball goes disastrously off target. The characters are sweet and sympathetic without being annoying and it has a very 1950's vibe to it. An American novel in the style of Annie Proulx and Jonathan Franzen, without quite so much angst.

The Red House by Mark Haddon. The author of the wonderful The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is back with a new novel due out in May. The story follows two estranged siblings and their dysfunctional families on holiday after the death of their Mother. Over the course of the week all their hidden skeletons come out of the closet and relationships are sorely tested. I enjoyed this book because although it's a quick and easy read, it has a lot of depth and the points of view change without warning.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. I didn't think I'd get through this book as I'm not really a literary fiction reader but it was a very satisfying read. I especially liked the character of severe manic depressive biologist Leonard (and his battles with lithium) and I think the author describes the extremes of the disease very well. Certainly doesn't deserve all the bad reviews it has received.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green. Budo is an imaginary friend who only exists to autistic 8 year old Max. But Budo is self aware and afraid of dying when Max stops believing in him. When disaster strikes Max, Budo is the only one who can help him and at the same time, helps Max to help himself. A deep and intricate novel, for fans of Room. Great for reading while breastfeeding at 3am!
 
Tim
 
I've been absent for the last three weeks doing a guitar making course at The Centre for Fine Woodworking and of the many guitar making books that I've read over the past several years the one that I've returned to time and time again, particularly while doing the course, is Guitar Making: Tradition and Technology by William Cumpiano & Jonathan Natelson. It is an excellent how-to manual and will benefit anyone making a guitar, irrespective of the assembly method chosen. 
 
Donna Leon's latest Brunetti novel, Beastly Things, is due soon. Although ostensibly a crime novel this, like the rest of the series, is also part social commentary and part Italian culinary dream. This time Commissario Brunetti's investigation leads him to (almost) re-consider eating meat!
 
I'm in the middle of Waiting For Sunrise by William Boyd and I'm struck yet again by the way he never writes the same book twice. He's the writer's version of a character actor and, as such, is able to give life to a multiplicity of different styles of novel. This time we see him in Venice and London in the early twentieth century exploring psychoanalysis and spying.
 
 
Peter

Sweet As: Journeys in a New Zealand Summer by Garth Cartwright. The author is an Aucklander who has been living in London for the last 20 years. He has decided to return home and visit his family and travel NZ and see how it has changed over that time. It is a more political journey, than Joe Bennett's book Land of Two Halves and is perhaps worth reading for that reason alone. Apart from the South Island only taking up the last third of the book and Nelson being unkindly treated I enjoyed this read.

Wonder by RJ Palacio. This is a wonderful read about a boy who is severely facially disfigured. He is homeschooled by his mother, but eventually has to go to school. It is a wonderfully written and deeply moving story of his initial year at school, of the
bullying he is subjected to, and of the courageous kids that stand by him. A good book for teachers and student nurses according to one of our regular customers.
 
Gods of the Stones by Peter Riordan, another New Zealand traveller, who this time follows the journey of H V Morton who in turn followed the travels of Saint Peter. The author starts his trip in Egypt through Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey through to Greece. This is an enlightening and great read which I thoroughly enjoyed. His thoughts on some of the countries that he visited were especially interesting and there was only one country that he didn't like, which I found surprising. If you are thinking of travelling in this region it is worth reading.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson. I would like to say, that I read this book before it was chosen for the Listener Book Club book. I wasn't surprised that it was chosen as it was full of suspense. A woman who has had a head injury can't remember anything from one day to the next. She forgets everything at night while sleeping and so following a suggestion from a 'friendly' psychiatrist she starts to keep a diary. How does she remember each day that she has a diary, who is this person who rings her each day and can she trust him, why is her husband pleased about the diary?

Cadel Evans: Close to Flying and Cadel Evans: The Long road to Paris. Since his amazing win in the Tour de France, and my interest and participation in the sport of cycling, I wanted to find out about this amazing man. (It is said that he is the first "clean" winner of the Tour in the last 20 years) The first book is a semi-autobiography and tells us about his growing up in outback Australia through to Le Tour of 2010. A good read that would have been improved with better editing. The second book is an attractive book with a lot of gorgeous photos and text and includes his 2011 triumph. This book would make an excellent gift for the cyclist enthusiast in your family.

Gold by Chris Cleave (Forthcoming, June 2012). Fans of Mr. Cleave who loved his book The Other Hand won't be disappointed by his new book. It just so happens that it has a cycling theme; but this did not influence my enjoyment of reading this!

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb. For the lovers of fantasy this is the third book in the Rain Wild Chronicle . It continues the story of the immature and under developed dragons and their arrival at the fabled dragon city of Kelsingra. For those of you out there who have enjoyed the Christopher Paolini books I think these are better.
 
 
Maclean
 
Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt. This is vintage Byatt; a wealth of lush language and obscure tales.  In order to link together the retelling of this Norse saga of the end of the world, Byatt tells the story through the life of a young child in WW II England.  She has been evacuated to the countryside where she waits with her mother for the return of her fighter pilot father, which she increasingly doubts will happen.  Their story is a backdrop to the vivid and strange Norse myths.  Typically well researched and a rich vein of curious words in a time where language can feel starved, it is an interesting read.
 
The Cloud Collector's Handbook by Gavin Pretor-Pinney is for anyone who loves to cloud gaze and wants to extend beyond cumuli-nimbus and cirri-stratus forms. They will love this perfect little book.  Pocket size and well illustrated, it lays out a myriad of cloud occurrences, and a point system as an incentive to collect sightings of each one.  With witty tongue-in-cheek descriptions and lovely turns of phrase ('Clouds are like expressions on the face of the sky') it would be a great gift or a fun self-indulgence.
 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Young Adult fiction harbours a surprising number of absorbing and unusual books which adults can also enjoy.  With many adult authors turning to YA writing, it is worth exploring.  Ransom Riggs has collected a motley group of old photographs gathered by others from garage sales and dumps, and linked them into a thrilling tale.  Set mostly in WWII Wales, we follow the travel of 16 year old Jacob, searching for clues to the mysterious death of his grandfather in modern times, and mysteriously carried back in time when he visits the old home which his grandfather had often described.  This time travel keeps the story constantly interesting, and the photographs throughout are strange and compelling additions to the story.  Try The Apothecary too - and catch the YA bug!


 
Jan
 
Among the plethora of books that are marking the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago next month, Titanic Lives: Migrants and Millionaires, Conmen and Crew by Richard Davenport-Hines is an outstanding story.  The author brings to life the people on board the doomed ship - the owners and builders, crew and passengers of all nationalities and classes - and the iceberg.  I found it totally absorbing and extremely moving.
 
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead is a harrowing book, telling the story of 230 French women of the resistance who were sent by the Gestapo to Auschwitz in 1943.  Only 49 of them survived to come home. The author interviewed the six women who were still alive when she began the book and also spoke to children and families of some of the others.  It is an incredibly powerful book, which I found quite difficult to read, but the spirit and strength of the women's friendship and support for each other kept me going.
 
 
Stella
 
First up this month, I had to finish The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins – they are super addictive. Catching Fire and Mockingjay are both just as enjoyable as the first in the series. The film is out soon – some very excited teens were telling me 23^rd March. For fans we have a lovely hardback slip-cased edition of The Hunger Games.

After having my Hunger Games fix, I was ready to move on to something a bit more cerebral. I’ve had Pure by Andrew Miller on my list of reading since it won the Costa Prize for Fiction. This is an excellent read.The story is set in 1785 Paris where a young man, an engineer, is charged with the destruction of a cemetery. This is an historical novel with great atmosphere and psychological depths.

Wonder by R.J.Palacio is a moving and heart-warming must-read for everyone; pitched at the 10+ age group, it’s also a book for grown-ups. A compelling story and a lesson in empathy. I passed it on to my son who stayed up late reading it.

I’m also reading a couple of classics – I’ve been dipping into Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility (check out the flipback edition – these little books, with the surprisingly readable font, are perfect for trampers, walkers and commuters as they fit in your pocket) and I’ve just started Robin Hyde’s The Godwits Fly. Both are examples of wonderful writing and story-telling. 


Guest Teen Reviewer

Briony
 
The Fault in our Stars by John Green. This is the best novel I've read in ages. It tells the story of Hazel and Augustus, teen cancer suffers, with humour and wit, but without self-pity.  Hazel has, from her first diagnosis, been aware her illness was terminal. At Cancer Kids Support Group she meets Augustus whose diagnosis is a whole lot more promising, though he has lost one leg to cancer. Their relationship is funny, clever and heartbreaking.

Susi
 
I have been having a dip back into some old books - some re-reads and some that for some reason I didn't get around to reading when they first came out.

The Plumb Trilogy by Maurice Gee is stunning! Why didn't I read this years ago? Plumb is one of New Zealand's most acclaimed novels for good reasons. The character of Plumb is wonderfully drawn and over the course of the three novels there unfolds a superb picture of New Zealand society and history. I worked my way through the three novels in the trilogy without a pause, lost to the world. Unfortunately Meg and Sole Survivor, the last two books, are currently unavailable (come on Penguin!).
Incidentally, Maurice Gee received a standing ovation at the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival last week. Bravo!

After reading William Boyd's new novel I then had to re-read Restless, published in 2006. Ruth Gilmartin's mother slowly unravels her real secret past and Ruth has to readjust her understanding of her mother. This is great thriller writing.

Like Tim, I have just read an advance copy of The Apartment, by Greg Baxter. This is a superb little novel where nothing much happens, but the quiet unravelling of the main character's past and the exploration of the frozen northern city create something much more than the sum of the parts.

I've just finished reading Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Ranulph Fiennes, which is a fascinating précis of English history after 1066 from the viewpoint of Fiennes whose ancestors invaded England alongside William the Conqueror. The Fiennes family seems to have had a major role to play throughout the next millenium as close advisors, friends or foes of the English royal family and government.


 
Tim
 
I’ve inadvertently committed the cardinal sin of reading books which aren’t yet available, but they will be here soon, honest!
 
The absolute standout is The Apartment by Greg Baxter. It is a first novel which describes one day in a European city as a man and his new-found friend search for an apartment to rent, with his complex history as the back-story.  This is a wonderful novel which brought Ian McEwan (with less drama) to mind, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It won’t be here until July but do come in then, so that I can press a copy into your hand!
 
John Banville’s Ancient Light is an engaging (not a word I normally associate with John Banville) novel in which the protagonist, as a teenager, falls in love with his best friend’s mother. Later, as the ageing actor looks back, this first relationship assumes life-defining proportions.
 
 
 
Stella
 
I've been immersed in the political deceits, the jealousies and blood of Tudor England. Hilary Mantel's Bring up the Bodies is, as expected, gripping. The sequel to Wolf Hall (you really need to start here), covers the period of Anne Boleyn, her influence in court and her downfall as seen through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. In Bring up the Bodies, Mantel further adds to the ruthlessly complex character of Cromwell as he toys with the English aristocracy, keeps Henry happy, seeks revenge for past insults and enriches his own coffers.
 
Adding to my Jennifer Egan collection I recently purchased Emerald City and Other Stories. This short story collection, recently republished on the back of success with A Visit from the Goon Squad, has several stand outs (Why China?, One Piece and Letter to Josephine). The stories of self-discovery and revelation are edgy, sometimes despairing and often quietly humourous. 
 
Folding Techniques for Designers by Paul Jackson is an intriguing book about folding paper into 3-dimension form. The introductory text by Jackson offers an insight into his philosophy and process. The instructions are clearly illustrated with photographs and diagrams. This is a book for anyone working in 3D and will extend your understanding and practice of form.
 
I was recently given a beautiful book. The quality of the paper, the printing, typography and production, along with the quality of the text and the illustrations is a clear reminder why the physical book is a wonderful item. Self-Portrait of an Other by Cees Nooteboom and Max Neumann, published by Seagull Books, is stunning. Dutch novelist Nooteboom has written the text, described as prose poetry, in response to a series of drawings by Berlin-based artist Neumann. Both beautiful and frightening, the text and images disturb and fascinate.
 
 
 
Lucy
 
The Redbreast - Jo Nesbo. This is one of Nesbo's earliest novels featuring the fantastic character Harry Hole. The story jumps between Oslo on the eve of the millennium and the Eastern Front during the siege of Leningrad, and a hospital in Vienna, later in the war. As usual with Nesbo the writing is tight, the plot lines intriguing and Hole his usual down in the dumps, morose, alcoholic self. 

When Night Didn't Come - Poly Bernatene. Discover where the moon and the stars go during the day, and what happens when the sun goes down. This book has no words, but is georgeously illustrated in the style of Shaun Tan and Tim Burton. A favourite of my husband and our daughter to "read" together.

Wonder - RJ Palacio. Another book that crosses age barriers, I loved this simple but multilayered story of a young boy with massive facial deformities who must face school and the world after being homeschooled by his over protective Mother. The interactions between Auggie and his family and friends feel very real, as does Auggie himself. A really beautiful story.
 
 
Maclean
 
Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku is a refreshingly positive take on the future of global technological progress over the next 100 years.  Kaku interviewed over 300 scientists at the head of their fields to create a vision of the future.  I have enjoyed Kaku for a number of years; his documentaries are engaging and accessible as is this book.  The topics covered include medical diagnosis, manifesting or altering solid objects, space travel and personal wealth.  For a fascinating glimpse of what's to come, this should carry a spoiler alert!!
 
The Truth by Michael Palin is his second novel, yet to be released. I enjoyed his first, Hemingway's Chair (now out of print), and this is another with his trademark mix of wit and worldliness.  Keith Mabbut has had a chequered journalistic career, with an early attempt to champion causes which effectively dissuaded publishers' interest in his later work.  He is offered the chance to write a biography of famously enigmatic environmental activist Hamish Melville, and is plunged into the shadowy world of large corporate investors, displaced native tribes and life in rural India.  This book uncovers many failings: altruists swayed by power and money, agents working with secret agendas, refugees swindling money with hard-luck stories.  Palin's stamp is clear: he carries the story with his experience of these less-than-shining realities and the wry sense of humour and hope that still can win through.
 
 
Jan
 
All That I Am is the first novel by Anna Funder, whose previous book was the award-winning Stasiland.  This is a compelling work of 'faction'  - the main characters are a tight-knit group of four people who fled Nazi Germany in 1933 to find refuge in England - Dora Fabian, her lover, playwright Ernst Toller, her cousin Ruth and Ruth's husband Hans. Their intentions were to alert the British Government to what was going on in their homeland, but too often their message was ignored and their presence almost resented.  This is a complex, beautifully written story - a murder mystery, spy thriller, a story of love, loyalty and betrayal. I became so interested in the characters that I googled them and found that there was quite a network of German refugees (not necessarily Jewish) in England in the early 1930's, trying desperately to alert the authorities to what was really happening.  After the war, Ruth emigrated to Australia, where Anna Funder met her living in a rest home and has used aspects of her life as a basis for this profound novel.
 
Various Pets Alive and Dead is Marina Lewycka's latest comic novel.  Set in the time of the latest global meltdown, it follows the career of Serge, who is earning large sums of money wheeling and dealing in London, while pretending to his parents that he is studying for a Ph.D. at Cambridge University.  Doro and Marcus, his parents, brought him and his two sisters up in a commune in the late 1960's, and would consider his lifestyle a betrayal of their ideals.  I really enjoyed the irony and humour and twists in the plot.
 
The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan asks the awful question - what would you be prepared to do to save your own life at the expense of others?  The survivors of a 1914 explosion at sea which has sunk their ocean liner are forced to face this question when they realise that their lifeboat is overloaded and could sink at any moment. The author uses the character of Grace, a young woman who married a rich banker just before the start of the voyage, as the narrator, and the moral dilemmas are seen through her eyes. 
 
 
 
Brittany (aged 14)
Guest Teen Reviewer

Starters by Lissa Price
Starters is a thrilling, fast-paced novel set in an eerie dystopian future. Due to biological warfare, everyone between the ages of 20 and 60 has been wiped out, leaving thousands of unclaimed minors living on the streets whilst rich 'Enders' run the population. The story follows 16 year old Callie Woodland, who makes a last-ditch effort to save her very ill brother and signs up for Prime Destinations, or 'the body bank.' Old Enders use the body bank to relive their teenage years through Starters bodies. However, Callie's renter has very different plans for her.... Overall I found Lissa Prices' debut novel thoroughly enjoyable, with echoes of popular books such as The Hunger Games, The Host and Uglies. It had an exciting, suspenseful plot line and I am really looking forward to the next installment in the series, Enders. I would recommend this book to anyone, of any age, as I think it is a fantastic read that anybody would enjoy.


C.C.K
Guest Child Reviewer
 
Did you know that until about 300 years ago there was a bird in Madagascar that was 3 meters tall? Did you know that dwarf elephants used to live in Sicily? Did you know that when the dodo went extinct a kind of tree started to die out because it needed a dodo to eat its seeds? When I read Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals [by Hélène Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt (Gecko, 2012)] I found out about lots of animals I didn’t know about, and about where they lived and why they died out. The book is full of good illustrations, and all sorts of information carefully pieced together. Funny cartoons give more information about animals that died out long ago and also not long ago. The Chinese river dolphin became extinct in 2007 and many other animals, like gorillas and African elephants, are endangered. Extinction is often caused by humans or by the way humans change the environment where animals live. We need to take more care.

For easier reading or to print please click here to download our newsletter as a PDF document.

For easier reading or to print please click here to download our newsletter in PDF format.

Susi

Whilst on holiday I

For easier reading or to print please click here to download our newsletter as a PDF document.

Susi

The Sentry is the latest Pike and Cole story from Robert Crais. Fast paced American crime writing, this is excellent.

T

Susi

In the Sea there are Crocodiles is a wonderful book. It is written by Fabio Geda, an Italian author, and it tells the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afghan refugee who was taken into Pakistan by his mother when he was about 10 years old, where she abandoned him to make his own way in the world with the advice not to use drugs, or weapons and don't steal. She returned to Afghanistan to care for her younger children, and over the course of the next five years Enaiatollah made his way to Italy. This is due out in July.

Two Wings of a Nightingale by Jill Worrell is a great travel narrative. The author (a Kiwi) travels around Iran. Like many people I know nothing of Iran and found her insights fascinating.  She travels with an Iranian friend who is a tour guide and they explore the culture, the architecture, the history and religion, and her passion for the country and its people shines through.

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai is another great novel, due out in August. Lucy is a young librarian in small town America, captivated by a very enthusiastic young reader, Ian, who she advises about what to read until his deeply religious parents start to control what he is reading, and send him to classes with an anti-gay celebrity Pastor because they fear he is gay. It makes me think about all the children't books I haven't read, and now wonder how I'll find time to fit them in.

The big rave for me this month is State of Wonder, the new book by Ann Patchett (she of Bel Canto fame) - it is due out in July and is absolutely stunningly wonderful. Set in the Amazonian jungle you can feel the heat, the insects and the overwhelming density of the jungle. The main character is sent to the Amazon to check up on the progress of research being done for a drug company, the head researcher seems to be making ridiculously slow progress and is very unwilling to communicate with her employers.

Tim

Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen is yet more Scandinavian crime, Danish in this instance. It is more Jo Nesbo than Steig Larsson and it was thoroughly gripping with a really unusual twist. I’m half way through There but for the by Ali Smith. It’s very good and Stella tells me the best is yet to come.

Peter

Do No Harm by Carol Topolski is a pyschological thriller involving a prominent and respected gynaecologist who has a mysterious friend. Set in a large London hospital, the author introduces you chapter by chapter to the other players in the story, apart from the mysterious friend. A recommended read for those cold nights in front of the 'air curtain' or curled up in bed.

A Man of Parts by David Lodge is a novel based on the life of H.G. Wells. It is apparently based on fact and if what I've read is so then H.G. Wells certainly lead an interesting and passionate life. The book is peopled with real life characters and there is even a New Zealand connection with William Pember Reeves. A Man of parts was absorbing and after reading it I will no longer think of HG in the same way ever again!

Stella

I've just finished reading an advance copy of Ali Smith's new novel, There but for the. It's brilliant. I like Ali Smith's writing at the best of times, but this one surpasses her last novel, The Accidental, which I thought was clever and intriguing. There but for the is the compelling story of a man who locks himself in a stranger's spare room. Through several voices, the richest of these being the 10yr-old Brooke, a tale unfolds. Smith's writing is excellent, the pace perfect, it's sardonically funny and revealing. The best novel I've read this year!

From the new to the not so new; author W.G.Sebald. I've known of his writing for several years, but hadn't quite got around to reading any of his work. Austerlitz is a stunning book, hauntingly beautiful. Austerlitz is a personal history, portrayed through the conversation between two characters who meet sporadically. What unfolds is the history of 20th century Europe, with all its' splendor and destruction. Sebald's work crosses the boundaries of fiction and memoir. The book is in the style of a memoir complete with photographs. It's definitely fiction. If there are allusions to Sebald's own life you never know; what is true or real is obscured. Intelligent, superb writing.

Lucy

The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee. I've just finished this, the first book in a new trilogy by a local Nelson author and it's excellent! It has all the elements of being an awesome fantasy series and a great female main character. I'm planning on reading Emily's back catalogue next, Thief with no Shadow and The Laurentine Spy.

I picked up James Frey's new book The Final Testament of the Holy Bible with a bit of trepidation, a little worried that the controversial author's bark might have been bigger than his bite, but the book is actual a fantastic read. The premise is intriguing; the Messiah is re-born and living in New York City, having multiple sexual encounters and playing video games. His story is told in books, from the points of view of the people the Messiah encounters and Frey is brilliant at bringing to life the varied story tellers. I especially liked the hard bitten young mother/prostitute the Messiah falls in love with. This book isn't for the prudish and may offend some sensibilities, but is well worth a read.

I've just started Son of Heaven by David Wingrove, book one in a 20 book series (!) and I'm intrigued to see where it's going. Set in post apocalyptic rural England in the year 2065, the populace is reduced to scavenging what little technology is left and waiting for the end, when the country is taken over by China. I always go in for "what if" stories and this one is proving to be a page turner.

Jan

I've been lucky enough to read a proof copy of Owen Marshall's forthcoming historical novel The Larnachs which will be in the shop in June.  Marshall takes the few known facts about the third marriage of William Larnach to his much younger wife, Conny, and weaves a fascinating story about the probable love affair between her and Larnach's youngest son, Dougie.  I realised again what a superb writer Owen Marshall is and how well he understands human nature.

Reading on the Farm: Victorian Fiction and the Colonial World by Lydia Wevers intrigued my by its title, but I expected it to be a rather scholarly, worthy book.  Well it is both those things, but it is an absolute joy to read.  The library at Brancepeth station in the Wairarapa was donated to Victoria University, where it sits in its original glass cases.  In the course of researching it, Lydia Wevers discovered the clerk and librarian, John Vaughan Miller, a learned man who had emigrated to New Zealand and bought land at Kaiteriteri which he lost through bankruptcy and the demon drink.  A real Dickensian character! His family moved to Nelson where they remained, while he was forced to look for work, which was difficult to find in the depression of the 1890's.  He ended up at Brancepeth and kept an incredibly gossipy literate diary, lots of indiscreet letters, and petulant newspaper articles, which form the basis of some of the most interesting descriptions in the book.  I feel as though I've been immersed in Victorian colonial life this month, as both of my reads cover the same period and both writers really bring it to life.

Briony

Between Shades of Gray is set during Stalin’s era and is about a family who are taken from their home and sent to Siberia. It had me stuck reading for days and is a really good historical novel for young adults.

Susi
 
I've just finished Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears. Telling the story of two generations of a farming and horse riding family in Australia this novel is a love story, a tragedy, and a hymn of praise to the horse. It is set in hard farming country in the north of NSW and tells of the high-jumping competitions prior to the Second World War. The harshness of the lives of the Nancarrow family, their love and knowledge of farming and horses and the tragedies that befall them makes for a powerful novel.

Ed King is the new novel by David Guterson (best known for Snow Falling on Cedars). The tale begins with Walter's unfortunate affair with his 16 year old au pair and the rest of the book unfolds the dramatic outcome. I really don't want to give the story away here, but it is a retelling of a Greek myth in a modern setting. It casts a very ugly slant on the Western World's current preoccupation with wealth, power and beauty.

Linda Ohlson's new novel The Kindness of your Nature is a beautifully told story of Marion Flint's friendship with a small boy she finds lying, face down, on the beach near her home on the west coast of the North Island. As she pieces together his story she reveals her own tragic past and begins the healing process.


Tim
 
James Lee Burke’s Feast Day of Fools features Hackberry Holland, protagonist of Rain Gods. Burke writes with a sort of lyrical fury and since Tin Roof Blowdown, which followed the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, he really doesn’t pull any punches. Not for the faint-hearted.
 
I’ve just finished 1Q84 books one, two and three by Haruki Murakami. It’s spooky and fascinating and I’m finding it really hard to move on, I’m living in an alternative Murakami world. At 950 pages it isn’t a slight work and I have the feeling that he may have dispensed with the services of an editor but, nonetheless, I’d happily have read on and on and…

 
Peter
 
Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera
A stunning novel about a shameful episode in NZ's past, brilliantly written by an author at the height of his powers. The story of Parihaka is rich and powerful and needs to be told and this novel has captured its essence. It made me squirm at the brutality and ignorance of the actions of those responsible for this shameful period of New Zealand's history. An enlightening and marvellous read.

Here Comes Trouble : Stories From My Life by Michael Moore
No, not our Mike Moore, but that American who wrote the books Stupid White Men and Dude, Where's My Country and made the film Bowling for Columbine, amongst others.This book tells of his life in a series of excerpts, some of which are hilarious and some disturbing. From the time he was a young boy, Michael Moore was always ready to go and support the underdog and show up the ridiculous and absurd and in doing so making himself some enemies. An entertaining read and a fascinating character.
 
 
Stella
 
Rachel Bush's new collection of poetry, Nice Pretty Things, is a delight. As I sat and read these poems, I was transported to place and person. Rachel evokes the hospital ward, the old folks' home, the ordinariness of life, the family and friendship with clarity and insight. Small details evoke feelings that are meaningful and true; her ability and skill as a poet enables her to create a sense of place and feeling that seems to lift off the page without effort. The poems in this collection are quietly witty, contemplative and cleverly layered with anger, frustration and love.
We will be launching Rachel's book on Monday 14th November. (See details below).
 
The True Story of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond is a post-apocalyptic novel about a boy called Billy Dean who has been 'protected' (locked away) from the world. As he emerges from his room, a tale of destruction is revealed. Almond cleverly uses language - " I wos a secrit shy and tungtied emptyheded thing. I am the won that glares into your harts and that prowls inside yor deepest dremes" - to create an unsettling atmosphere. Through Billy Dean's sideways perspective we are led into a world which is both sinister and beautiful. This is a novel that would appeal to older teens, to those who liked the Ness' Knife of Never letting Go and to fans of Hoban's Riddley Walker. 
 
Wonderstruck is beautiful. A sensitive story told in words and pictures, it is a mystery, a tale of loss and a story of hope.  What are Ben, a boy in rural America in 1977 and Rose, a girl in New York 1927, searching for? The answer will surprise you. This is a book that both children and parents will enjoy and remember. The writing is evocative. The drawings are magical.
 
 
Lucy
 
I'm enjoying a gifted copy of Wendyl Nissen's new book - Mother's Little Helper - the old-fashioned guide to raising your baby chemical free. The Green Goddess has produced an in depth collection of helpful hints and tips including knitting your own newborn beanies (my baby to be already has two courtesy of Grandma), how to avoid using baby wipes by making your own, pregnancy nutrition and even advice on getting your partner to help out! Would make a great present for expecting or new parents.

The Coming of the Whirlpool by Andrew McGahan is the first in the new young adult fantasy series, The Ship Kings. I enjoyed it because it is a bit different to a lot of the YA fantasy series that I read in that is has a nautical theme. McGahan has also created an interesting hierarchical culture where the main protagonist's society is subservient to another culture after being beaten in a war. Dow Amber is a fantastic main character and I look forward to the sequel.

For lovers of supernatural romance, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is a lush new addition to the genre. Set in Prague, the story follows tattooed art student Karou as she tries to balance her life in the human world with regular visits to her foster Father and his friends in the underworld. Things get harder for Karou when the doors to underworld are destroyed and she is trapped on Earth. While trying to find a way to her Father, she meets hunky angel warrior Akiva who has been waging war with her underworld for thousands of years. If angels, demons, sprites and magic are your thing, this is a pretty awesome read.

 
Emily
 
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
I absolutely LOVED this book. Couldn't put it down. It's set in post-WWII London, with a fish-out-of-water heroine, Janie, who's been transplanted (against her will) from sunny California. Not only does she have to contend with grim weather, school uniforms, food rationing, and bomb craters, but also a missing apothecary, Soviet spies, and an ancient pharmacopoeia filled with magical recipes. Fortunately she has the help of the apothecary's son, Benjamin, and young Cockney thief, Pip. A wonderfully imaginative and fast-paced story. I wished it had been twice as long and was really sorry when it ended. Janie is 14, but this book would be fine for ages 10+. It's long on adventure, but short on violence. (And it has fabulous illustrations too.)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Another young adult book, but very different from The Apothecary! This book is aimed at older teens (15+) and is much darker, although equally imaginative. The story is set in the present day, but keeps slipping into a time loop in 1940’s Britain. The 'peculiar' children of the title all possess unusual gifts and inhabit a strange reality that consists of one day (with bombing raid) that is constantly repeated. The book is filled with photographs of the characters that are odd and intriguing and (in some cases) slightly disturbing!

Smut by Alan Bennet
Two novellas by Bennett that are quirky and -- as it says on the cover -- unseemly! Yes, there is sex in each tale, and no, it's not run-of-the-mill happily-married sex. There's voyeurism, numerous affairs, and even blackmail. In the first tale, The Greening of Mrs Donaldson, I particularly enjoyed the main character's job as a demonstrator at the local medical school (i.e. she spends her days feigning various ailments -- lots of scope for humour there!), but of the two stories, my favourite was a second one, The Shielding of Mrs Forbes, because I loved the blackmailer's comeuppance. These tales are short and amusing reads.

 
Jan
  
Fantastica: The World of Leo Bensemann by Peter Simpson
I have been immersed in this book since hearing the author giving his spellbinding talk at the Festival.  I have always admired the little I had seen of Bensemann's work and intended to see the retrospective exhibition which was so unfortunately derailed by the February Christchurch earthquake. This book would have accompanied the exhibition, but it stands on its own as a wonderfully detailed view of Bensemann's life and times. The book itself is a work of art - the reproductions of the paintings and drawings are superb, it has a stunning jacket and the front board cover is decorated with a dragon from the original 'Fantastica'.  It is published by Auckland University Press and best of all, printed in Wellington!  If it is a book you want, buy it now, as I understand there are very few copies left and there is not going to be a reprint.
 
Sweet As by Garth Cartwright
This book is subtitled ’Journeys in a New Zealand Summer' and that would be a wonderful time to read it.  Cartwright returned to New Zealand after an absence of 20 years as a music, travel and arts writer based in London and started a journey through NZ using State Highway 1.  When I picked up this book to read I thought I'd just skim through it - there have been a lot of books like this, haven't there?- but by the bottom of the first page I was hooked.  This is a very funny, sometimes sad, but always astute look at our country as it seems to someone returning after so long.
 
 
Beverly
 
That Woman , as Wallis Simpson was dubbed by the Queen Mother, is the title of this new well-researched book. The author had access to the Duchess of Windsor’s recently released letters and is able to shed new light on the turbulent events of the time.

Susi
 
I had the privilege of hearing Atka Reid and Hana Schofield speak at the Readers and Writer's festival at the weekend. Their book, Goodbye Sarajevo, tells the stories of their lives during the siege of Sarajevo.  Atka aged 21, was caring for 5 of her younger siblings in Sarajevo with little food, a 6km trek to fetch water and no electricity, while her younger sister Hana (aged 12) was evacuated with her 15 year old sister on one of the last UN evacuation buses to leave the city. Hana had to cope with life as a refugee, far away from all that was familiar and the constant fear for her family at home. The horror of the the war in Bosnia and the family's story are told with honesty but without seeking sympathy.  It has helped me understand what happened in the former Yugoslavia politically, and what the consequences were for the people who lived there. This is exceptionally good.
 
The Life by Malcolm Knox is an amazing novel. It is the story of former surfing champion Dennis Keith, now an overweight and paranoid obsessive/compulsive, living with his mother in her retirement village. His surfing life turned sour when fame and drugs robbed him of all he valued. The stories he thought he had buried are reawakened with the sudden appearance of a journalist who seems hell-bent of finding out about the elusive surfing legend. This is not an easy read, but it is certainly worth the effort.
 
Some years ago I read, and loved, and have recommended countless times, Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. Just released is her new novel for young adults, All these Things I've Done. This is the first book of a trilogy. It is set in 2083 in New York, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find and water carefully rationed. Anya Ballantyne is 16 and the daughter of a murdered chocolate mafia boss. Suddenly from looking after her siblings and aging grandmother and going to school, Anya finds herself in deep trouble. Great teenage fiction! I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
 
Tim

The Life, by Malcolm Knox, has been on the pile by the bed for a while. I finished it a few days ago and it is an absolute gem, one of the best books I've read this year. Tim Winton loved it and, if you've read Breath, it is just about essential reading. Please don't miss this brilliant portrayal of a life lived dangerously in the heyday of Australian surfing.

Pigeon English is written in the voice of a young Ghanaian boy living with his mother and sister in the ‘safety’ of a London tower block while they wait for his father to arrive from Ghana. The writing captures the concerns and emotions of a eleven-year-old living in a foreign environment in a way that could trick you into thinking that the narrative were simple – it isn’t. This powerful novel is transparently based on the real-life story of ten-year-old Damilola Taylor.

Peter
 
The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje. I am ashamed to say that this is the first book I've read of Mr Ondaatje's and it would appear that I have been missing out on some real treats. Wonderfully written and an enjoyable read. To be recommended.

New Zealand in the Twentieth Century: The Nation, the People by Paul Moon. This is a comprehensive history of New Zealand, from the Boer War and the death of Prime Minister "Dick" Seddon to Te Papa and Helen Clark. I found it interesting to read about the last half of the 20th Century from an historical point of view as I have lived through it! Of course you don't realise at the time, that some of the goings on in your country are significant events until well after the event. An enlightening perspective on our modern history.
 
Stella
 
Over the last few weeks I've been working my way through the six titles on the Booker Man shortlist. I'm half way; so in order of reading my conclusions so far. 
 
I thoroughly enjoyed The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. This is western meets disaster (- actually I reckon most westerns are melancholic melodrama); a story of violence and delightful understatements. It made me think of Coen brothers' film True Grit. 
 
Second up was Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch. I nearly gave up on this one. If you can slog through the first half (way too many adjectives and some clumsy writing) the second half is more compelling. (in fact, I wonder if this part was written first as a novella and the rest is just padding). I was never quite convinced by this seafaring tale.
 
I've just finished The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. Excellent. This is a delight to read. When I started reading this novel, I didn't care what it was about the writing was so good. But you don't just have to read this for the writing alone, as the plot is compelling and the story unfolds skillfully. If this doesn't win I'll be surprised, and I haven't even read the next three yet - they will have to be exceptional to beat this.
 
I've also reading a little ahead and thinking about good presents for the festive season. Here are two to look out for in the next month.
 
The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufmann is a delightful modern fable. A story you can sit down and read in a sitting, it will stay with you.  The simple plot, a robber who charges into a bank does not take money but instead steals a precious object of sentimental value from each of those in the room. As the consequences of his actions play out, layers of human emotion and relationships unpeel. I loved this - its perfectly formed, slightly eerie and altogether charming. And it's coming out as a gorgeous little gift edition hardback.
 
The Genius in my Basement by Alexander Masters is an intriguing biography about Simon Phillips Norton, a famous mathematician and a public transport obsessive. Simon lives in the basement below Alex, is his landlord, and I think at the conclusion of this book, his friend, despite comments like “I don't like your books, Alex" and “Your representation of me as interesting is inaccurate".Masters tells Simon's story with compassion, wit, honesty and sometimes frustration.
 
Lucy
 
I've been fortunate enough to read some absolutely wonderful books this month.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin is possibly the best crime novel I've ever read. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (which refers to the double "S" in Mississippi) is at heart a story of a childhood friendship torn apart by two vicious crimes, secrets, false assumptions, racism, poverty and prejudice, set in the deep backwoods of the South. This isn't your typical crime novel, and it had me totally hooked from the first page.

The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting with the Angels Who Have Returned with My Memories: Glorious, Rufus, Gertrude Stein, Splendor, Hortensia, Agnes of God, The Gladyses, & Babe: A Memoir by Alice Walker. A long title for a wonderful little book. Anyone who has chickens will empathise with the author as she raises her "girls" on her rural California property. Walker writes them letters from India while visiting the Dalai Lama, talks about her forays into vegetarianism, and reminisces back to a time in her childhood when chickens and their eggs were a vital part of her family's survival. I loved this book, it's sweet and funny and passionate.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a total must read. Hard to classify (when do books become part of the fantasy genre?), The Night Circus has some of the most amazingly lovable characters, right alongside some of the most despicable and nasty. The imagery Morgenstern conjures is unlike anything else.

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris – John Baxter. If you've never been to Paris and are pining to go, don't read this book because you'll take out a second mortgage and sell your kids on trademe to walk in the author's footsteps around this most amazing of cities. Baxter has compiled a series of short essays, mostly to do with his literary guided tours of the city, name dropping Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and Picasso while also talking food, wine, the best bars and embarrassing stories about his French in laws. A very readable cross between an upmarket travel guide and a humorous memoir.

Matterhorn - Karl Marlantes. I read this a few weeks ago, but it's stuck with me in the way that gut wrenching books always do. A semi-autobiographical story of a young Marine Lieutenant dropped into Vietnam at the height of the war. Told in a blunt and uncompromising fashion, Matterhorn is a gripping read from start to finish. I'm looking foward to reading Marlantes new, non fiction work What it's like to go to War, which has just come into the shop.
 
Emily

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Last month one of the Italian team members came into the shop for books by Paulo Coelho. He asked whether I'd read The Alchemist, and when I confessed I hadn't he said that I had to read it. He said someone had given it to him as a gift and it had taken him seven years to pick it up and read it. 'Read it,' he said. 'It will change your life.' So I unearthed the copy someone had given me four years ago and read it. I can't say it changed my life, but it was beautifully written and I loved the Spanish, Moorish, and Egyptian settings.

Wild Mary by Patrick Marnham

I've just finished the biography of British author Mary Wesley. It was fascinating. Everyone is unique, but Mary Wesley was more unique than most! I'm now keen to re-read her novels -- not just my favourites (The Camomile Lawn, Harnessing Peacocks, and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew), but others like Jumping The Queue, about a widow who wants to commit suicide, written when Mary Wesley was a widow who wanted to commit suicide.
 
Jan
 
Ill Fares the Land by historian Tony Judt, whose previous book Postwar: a history of Europe since 1945 won many awards,  is a passionate look at the world, contrasting the way we live now with the world we have lost.  It addresses some of the issues raised in The Spirit Level about the consequences of inequality in societies obsessed with personal wealth and argues that there is something profoundly wrong with the way we live today.  Sadly, Judt died of motor neurone disease just before the book was published.  I found it a thought-provoking book.
 
The Hut Builder by Laurence Fearnley finally made it to the top of my book stack beside the bed. What a marvellous story - an ingenious blend of fact and fiction, told by Boden Black, a Kiwi lad in the 1940's, who discovers the joy to be found in the mountains when he helps to build a hut on the slopes of Mt Cook.  Well that's the bare bones of the story, and in Boden the author has created a memorable character that I really felt I knew.  Another unforgettable character is Walter, who shares  with Boden the story of his war years imprisoned as a conscientous objector, when the two of them are in an ice cave waiting out a storm.  Don't miss Laurence Fearnley speaking at the granary Festival Cafe Saturday 15 October at 3.30 pm.
   
Beverly
 
The Year of Magical Thinking was a wonderful, if sad, book. Joan Didion is a very good writer. I’ve just read The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje which is excellent and has a special resonance for me because I’ve sailed on The Oronsay too! I’ve just started That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson by Anne Sebba and it looks like it will be good, not just the same old story trotted out again.
  
Juliane
 
I got totally absorbed in Blue Monday by Nicci French last month. It's a riveting read about a couple of unsolved child abduction cases some 20 years apart, and this fabulous author team sure comes up with enough surprises and clever twists to keep the reader glued to the pages. Even more than the fabulous plot, I fell in love with their very real characters and the beautiful scenes of London in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I couldn't have wished for a better escape from my wintry cold, very rainy, very dreary West Coast weekend - following Frieda and her insomnia through the crisp, dark hours in the never sleeping metropolis! It was the first time I've read a book by the very famous Nicci French - but certainly not the last.

After this I devoured The Murder Stone by Louise Penny. Although all her Chief Inspector Gamache novels work by the same recip, French-Canadian setting, the calm and very level-headed Gamache and his team, quirky village characters and country folks, not too grisly murder case and not too evil murderer (if such makes sense) - I do like, how she manages to throw a little surprise into each of her novels, something different, something surprising. This time she did so with the creation of the unlikely Bean,  an independent, totally quirky, utterly likeable child that does not jump or ever lift both feet off the ground and follows its own secret agenda to happiness.  Very smooth, enjoyable, rainy-day crime fiction - best to be read next to the fireplace with a cup of tea and a stack of Nanaimo bars of course.
 
Mark

The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming
 All about the fictional possibility of a sixth man in the famous Cambridge spy ring of the cold war.  Fast moving, suspenseful, and intriguing in a sort of James Bondy sort of way with a rather quick and somewhat disappointing ending. I was however gripped to that end so I'd recommend it for the hammock.

Susi
 
The new Chet & Bernie story, The Dog Who Knew Too Much, by Spencer Quinn is another delightful, laugh-out-loud crime story narrated by Chet, the dog. This series is fun, clever and original and this new title will appear in the next few months. Just the thing for a little light relief.

The Street Sweeper, by Elliot Perlman, is a novel linking the black civil rights movement in the US and the fate of the Jews in Nazi Germany. It tells the 21st century stories of Lamont Williams, recently released from prison, and historian Adam Zignelik whose career and personal life are falling apart, and the story of the elderly holocaust survivor, Mr Mandelbrot who befriends Lamont in the hospital where he works.  Harrowing, engrossing and very, very good this is set to be one of the great novels of the year.

Irma Voth by acclaimed Canadian novelist Miriam Toews is a story of love, longing and family secrets in a Mennonite family. 19 year old Irma's reclusive life is turned upside-down when a film crew move in to make a movie about the strict religious community in which she lives.  


Tim
 
Asa Larsson's (no relation) Until thy Wrath be Past is yet another Scandinavian crime novel but this time the writing is very good, the characters are excellent and the story moves beyond what we’ve come to expect from the genre. I’m really glad I didn’t pass this one by.
 
I think we (P&B) have all read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It is exceptionally good and will appeal to all those who loved The TimeTraveller’s Wife, which, in my opinion, it betters. I’m going to buy the hardback.
 
I’m reading Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and trying to take it very slowly. I’m a serious fan and I almost don’t like to start a new novel because I don’t want it to end. Luckily this one is a doorstop in three books, to be published, in true Murakami style, in two volumes everywhere other than Australasia – we get it in one huge volume. I’m half way through book 2 and it is wonderful. Fans will not be disappointed and I’ll be buying another hardback.
 
 
Peter
 
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This book is fabulous. Read it read it (is there a frog in here? – Tim). This is something completely different and wonderful.  Having read it, we promptly ordered a large number for the shop so that when it arrives you can all partake in the delightful sensation of reading this book.

I have read other books this month but I haven't felt that they were good enough to review and inflict them upon you all. It is such a waste when you read uninspiring and unsatisfactory books.
 
 
Stella
 
The most beautiful small and brilliant book that I've come across lately is Animalinside by Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai and German artist Max Neumann. This collaboration between writer and artist is a stunning, 14 images with accompanying text. Both the language and artwork are thought provoking and intriguing. If you are interested in literature that is genre-defying and sparks with inventiveness this is a book for you.
 
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a story that will captivate you. With the opening line "The circus arrives without warning", you are instantly drawn in to a world of magic that is both fascinating and dangerous where a love story like no other evolves and unravels.
 
In the novel, The Submission, Amy Waldman investigates the uncomfortable territory of post-9/11 America. A decade on, a competition to decide who shall design the memorial at Ground Zero is under way. When the winner's name, Mohammed Khan, is drawn from the envelope chaos erupts. This is a politically charged and emotional story where tempers flare on all sides and a divided nation is reflected back, sometimes brutally on the story's characters.
 
My Name is Mina and I Love the Night by David Almond is a beautifully written story for children and young teens. Mina is coping with feeling like a misfit as she deals with her life since her father's death. Almond is a fantastic writer who doesn’t shirk difficult subjects and creates stories which are sensitive, mysterious and believable. His latest book, The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean, touted as his first book for adults, is due out soon.
 
 
Lucy
 
Flash and Bones - Kathy Reichs. After a departure from her normal style in her last book, Reichs is back to her best in this one. Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan is back in North Carolina, encountering her usual array of decomposing bodies, creepy bad guys and NASCAR racing rednecks. A fun read with interesting science thrown in too.

The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore. The Sequel to last year’s bestselling I am Number Four, The Power of Six picks up immediately after the battle at the school, following Four, Six and Sam in their race to escape police and stay ahead of the evil Mogadorians. It also focusses on Number Seven, living in a Spanish convent, frustrated that she can't help Four and Six on their flight. While this doesn't pack the punch the first book did, it's a very solid sequel.

I had to fight Tim and Peter for it but I did get to read The Affair, Lee Child's new Jack Reacher novel. The Affair takes place in 1997, before Jack has left the army. I loved the little hints of things in this book that become commonplace for Jack in the "later" books. Out later on this month!!


 
Emily
 
I've just re-read Conrad's Fate and The Pinhoe Egg - and am lamenting the fact that Diana Wynne Jones died this year. She was a stellar writer and her young adult Chrestomanci series of magic and parallel worlds is absolutely brilliant.
Conrad's Fate is the fabulous tale of young Conrad Tesdinic, who finds himself plunged into a bewildering, magical adventure involving parallel worlds and a missing enchantress while working as a footman at Stallery Castle. The Pinhoe Egg is a slightly darker, but equally complex and entertaining tale of magic and secrets and English villages. Both books are later additions to the Chrestomanci series and may be read as stand-alones or as part of the series. They are full of Jones' trademark imagination and quirkiness. She was an incomparable writer and I shall be re-reading my copies until they fall to pieces!
 
 
Jan
 
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a magical fantasy set in the late 19th century in our world and a parallel world in which the circus of the title only appears at night.  The author has created a totally believable world in which the love story of the two main characters, magicians Celia and Marco is played out.  I loved this imaginative story and wanted to be really transported to the circus.
There will be a lot of hype about this book, all of it well-deserved.
 
The Elizabethans by A N Wilson.  My favourite historian has written another wonderful single volume history - a worthy successor, as it were, to The Victorians and After the Victorians.  He brings the convoluted story of the Elizabethan age brilliantly to life with his wit and incisive depictions of the main characters.
 
Agent ZigZag by Ben MacIntyre.  Stranded on the West Coast recently without a book I found a copy of this story, left by a previous patron in an archetypal Coast pub - the Buck's Head Tavern in Taylorville.  First published in 2007, I can't understand how I missed it then, but if you're looking for a book where truth is stranger than fiction I recommend it highly.  The story of Eddie Chapman a small time English crook who became a double agent in World War 2 is absolutely unputdownable.
 
 
 
Beverly
 
Four Seasons With a Grumpy Goat by Carol Altman follows a well-trodden path as the author and her partner drop out of high-powered city life to live on a hobby farm in Tasmania. Strangely enough they find themselves ill-prepared and the path to knowledge makes for entertaining reading.
 
 
Juliane
 
I’ve been hooked on my German audiobooks on the MP3 player all month again, but also managed to read A Man You Can Bank On by Derek Hansen.
I totally loved it! It's a marvellous read, set in the Australian outback, and peopled with truly crazy, incredible and (mostly) loveable country folk. To add some zest and action to it all, Hansen has thrown in a few cops from the big city (Sydney), some rather unsuccessful robbers and a couple of really scary and horrible assassins. All this together with a plot full of surprises and u-turns makes for a really colourful, fast paced, enjoyable read! After reading A Man You Can Bank On the Australian outback will never be the same! And I'm totally in awe over Derek Hansen's talents as a writer - considering that he is also the author of Sole Survivor (which made it onto my Top10 Desert Island reads list) and Remember Me (which never managed to get me interested at all), Derek Hansen must be one of the most versatile writers I've ever come across. Can't wait for his next book!