Blog Archives

Making it and making it up, C K Stead

Posted on March 17, 2019 by NZ Books

Life as a Novel – A Biography of Maurice Shadbolt, Volume I, 1932-1973 Philip Temple David Ling, $45.00, ISBN 9781927305447 Recently, I have been writing an autobiography and consequently hunting out old letters. One I found, written to Kay from…

Tagged with: Autumn 2019, C K Stead, David Ling, Issue 125, Maurice Shadbolt, Philip Temple
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Review

Good (wo)men wanted Susan Budd

Posted on September 1, 1999 by NZ Books

Floating Lines Denis Baker David Ling, $24.95, ISBN 0908990685 Four Ways to be a Woman Sue Reidy Black Swan, $24.95, ISBN 0552996971 Denis Baker’s first collection of short stories and Sue Reidy’s second novel both examine the roles into…

Tagged with: Black Swan, David Ling, Denis Baker, Issue 47, Spring 1999, Sue Reidy, Susan Budd
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, Short stories

The pommie twit and the puppetmaster, Tom Brooking

Posted on June 13, 1999 by NZ Books

Hobson Governor of New Zealand 1840–42 Paul Moon David Ling, $49.95, ISBN 0 90899 054 5 To Be A Hero: A Biography of Sir George Grey, 1812–1898 Edmund Bohan HarperCollins, $49.95, ISBN 1 86950 279 5 It is hard to…

Tagged with: David Ling, Edmund Bohan, HarperCollins, Issue 38, Paul Moon, Tom Brooking
Posted in Biography, History, Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review

Public postures, private lives, Erik Olssen

Posted on March 16, 1999 by NZ Books

Waiting for the Revolution James Edwards David Ling, $24.95, ISBN 0 908990 51 0 Never a White Flag: The Memoirs of Jock Barnes ed Tom Bramble Victoria University Press, $29.95, ISBN 0 86374 344 5 When I was an undergraduate…

Tagged with: David Ling, Erik Olssen, Issue 37, James Edwards, Tom Bramble, Victoria University Press
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review

Familiar contours, Kim Worthington

Posted on December 12, 1997 by NZ Books

The Snowball Waltz Renée Penguin, $24.95, ISBN 0 140 26885 5 A Tale of Spite and Rancour Josie Mune Penguin, $24.95, ISBN 0 140 26714 X Gingerbread Husbands Barbara Else Godwit, $24.95, ISBN 1 86962 016 X Dreams of America…

Tagged with: Barbara Else, David Ling, Godwit, Josie Mune, Kim Worthington, Penguin Books, Renée, Tina Shaw
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review

At last, some mayhem, Howard Warner

Posted on March 4, 1997 by NZ Books

Mr Halliday and the Circus Master James McNeish David Ling, $19.95, ISBN 0 908990 38 3 The Opawa Affair Edmund Bohan Hazard Press, $19.95, ISBN 0 908790 61 9 Payday in Saudi Selwyn Carson Arrow, $17.95, ISBN 1 86941 285…

Tagged with: Arrow, David Ling, Edmund Bohan, Hazard Press, Howard Warner, Issue 27, James McNeish, Selwyn Carson, Winter 1997
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review

Ironies with wry detachment, Iain Sharp

Posted on December 17, 1995 by NZ Books

My Name is Paradiso James McNeish David Ling, $24.95 ISBN 0908990278 On the back cover of his seventh novel, there’s a head-and-shoulders photograph of James McNeish taken by his wife, Helen. The author has been caught midway through the process…

Tagged with: David Ling, Iain Sharp, Issue 21, James McNeish
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review