Blog Archives

The challenge of being, Tatjana Schaefer

The Falconer’s Daughter N K Ashworth RSVP, $25.00 ISBN 9780987658760 Being Magdalene Fleur Beale Random House, $20.00 ISBN 9781775537670 It almost goes without saying that novels for the young adult or teen reader are about the quest for personal identity.…
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Posted in Literature, Review, Young adults

Consecrated ground, Ian Lochhead

Historic Churches: A Guide to Over 60 Early New Zealand Churches Linda Burgess (Robert Burgess photographer) Random House, $50.00, ISBN 9781775537335 Worship: A History of New Zealand Church Design Bill McKay (Jane Ussher photographer) Godwit, $85.00, ISBN 9781775538363 One of…
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Posted in Architecture, Non-fiction, Review

Distance and familiarity, Lucy Prestidge 

To the Is-Land Janet Frame Random House, $30.00, ISBN 9781869411305 The first volume of Janet Frame’s autobiography was initially a bit daunting to me. Not only because it’s the work of one of New Zealand’s most celebrated writers, but because…
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Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, YA Reviewers, Young adults

Reading, writing and arithmetic, Barbara Else

Speed of Light Joy Cowley Gecko Press, $20.00, ISBN 9781877579936 Teddy One-Eye: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear Gavin Bishop Random House, $35.00, ISBN 9781775537274 The ACB with Honora Lee Kate De Goldi (drawings by Gregory O’Brien) Longacre, $25.00, ISBN…
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Posted in Children, Fiction, Literature, Review

Boys’ own adventures, Tina Shaw

Singing Home the Whale Mandy Hager Random House, $20.00, ISBN 9781775536574 Magic and Makutu David Hair HarperCollins, $25.00, ISBN 9781869509330 If these two titles are anything to go by, New Zealand young adult fiction is in good shape. These are…
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Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, Young adults

Dark places, Margie Michael

The Children’s Pond Tina Shaw Pointer Press, $30.00, ISBN 9780473274023 The Faceless  Vanda Symon Penguin Books, $30.00, ISBN 9780143567202 I am Rebecca Fleur Beale Random House, $20.00, ISBN 9781775535492 These books form a disparate collection apparently linked only by the…
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Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review

Good business, Nick Lewis

Boundless Greg Hopkinson Mountford Media, $30.00, ISBN 9780473260736 ecoman Malcolm Rands Random House, $40.00, ISBN 9781775535034 Boundless and ecoman chronicle the journeys of two of New Zealand’s most colourful and successful entrepreneurs, Greg Hopkinson (founder of pet store Animates) and…
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Posted in Memoir, Non-fiction, Review

Rhyming pleasures, Linda Burgess

Over the Hill to Greytown Tania Atkinson (Viv Walker illus) Wai Art Press, $20.00, ISBN 9780473252526 Bruiser and the Big Snow Gavin Bishop Random House, $21.00, ISBN 9781775534860 Toucan Can Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis Gecko Press, $20.00, ISBN 9781877467547…
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Posted in Children, Literature, Review

Moral force, John Campbell

The Mighty Totara: The Life and Times of Norman Kirk David Grant Random House, $50.00, ISBN 9781775535799 I was 10 when Norman Kirk died. It was the first death I had ever registered. When the news came through, my parents…
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Posted in Biography, History, Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review

The best kept secret, Stuart Baker

From Earth’s End: The Best of New Zealand Comics Adrian Kinnaird Random House, $60.00, ISBN 9781869799953 I’ve read comics since I was very young. I travelled into history with Asterix and to the moon with Tintin. But it wasn’t until…
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Posted in Art, Graphic novel, Non-fiction, Review
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