{"title":"The Connection Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003eA collection of favourites from our social posts and journal - explore the stories, products, and ideas we've shared, reviewed, or connected with online.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eDiscover us on facebook \u0026amp; instagram\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e@tawabooksandpost\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"023c72a6-e952-11eb-e2fd-55866d051880","title":"A Māori Word a Day","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn incredibly simple, fun and practical Māori dictionary for all New Zealanders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Māori Word a Day offers an easy, instant and motivating entry into the Māori language. Through its 365 Māori words, you will learn the following- - English translations - Word category, notes and background information - Sample sentences, in both te reo Māori and English.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExploring the most common, modern and contemporary words in use today, A Māori Word a Day is the perfect way to kickstart your te reo journey!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHemi Kelly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDictionaries\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 384 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 183mm W: 154mm Spine: 29mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 400 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41889555251350,"sku":"9780143772132","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-06-24T123534-229.jpg?v=1656031123"},{"product_id":"fly-wild-swans-my-mother-myself-and-china","title":"Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExtract from Chris Reed's review, www.nzbooklovers.co.nz; \"Courageous and deeply human, Fly, Wild Swans is both a moving continuation of a family saga and an essential meditation on China’s past and present. It confirms Chang’s place as one of the chronicler of her generation, offering readers not only history and memoir but also an act of witness.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/fly-wild-swans-by-jung-chang\" title=\"Click here to visit full review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.nzbooklovers.co.nz to read the full review, click here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRowena (Bookseller) read Sarah Lang's article \"Still Flying\" in the Listener, 27 September 25, about Jung Chang.  An interesting article and was finished with this quote \"I have called this book \u003c\/strong\u003eFly, Wild Swans\u003cstrong\u003e as a tribute to my mother.  She has given me wings so I can take to the sky and be free.  It is so much thanks to her that today I live freely and write freely.\"  For Rowena, another book to add to the read wish list. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTHE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO WILD SWANS, THE MULTI-MILLION COPY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SENSATION\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Painful. Astonishing. Honest. Profoundly revealing as a portrait both of a family and of the deeper traumas that lie at the heart of modern China' RORY STEWART\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJung Chang's Wild Swans was a book that defined a generation, an epic personal history of Jung, her mother and grandmother - 'three daughters of China'. The book opens in 1909 with her grandmother's birth - and foot-binding - when China was under the last emperor, moving through Mao Zedong's rule, especially the Cultural Revolution during which Jung's parents were subjected to horrendous ordeals because of their courage. It finishes in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping officially ended the Mao era and started the 'reforms'. Jung, at that propitious juncture, became one of the first Chinese to leave Communist China for the West.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly half a century on, China has risen from a decrepit and isolated state to a global power, the challenger to the United States' dominant position in the world. Through those decades, Jung's life has been intimately entwined with her native land. Her experiences dealing with the regime in those years were rich and revealing - especially so because all her books were (and are) banned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFly, Wild Swans is the follow-up to Wild Swans and brings the story of Jung's family - along with that of China - up to date. The book is in many ways Jung's love letter to her mother. It is inevitably also about her grandmother and father, both of whom died tragically in the Cultural Revolution but are often recalled in this book. In fact, the past is never far away in Jung's subsequent life. It has shaped her, and moulded the present China, and what's more, it promises to herald the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChina is now at another watershed moment with the era of Chairman Xi Jinping greatly affecting the lives of Jung and her mother. Fly, Wild Swans is Jung's heartfelt response to that experience, and a book filled with drama, love, curiosity and incredible history - both personal and global. Ultimately uplifting, told in Jung's clear, honest and compelling voice, it is memoir writing at its best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJung Chang\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e was born in Yibin, Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. She was a red guard briefly at the age of fourteen and then worked as a peasant, a 'barefoot doctor', a steelworker, and an electrician before becoming an English language student and, later, an assistant lecturer at Sichuan University. She left China for Britain in 1978 and was subsequently awarded a scholarship by York University, where she obtained a PhD in linguistics in 1982 - the first person from the People's Republic of China to receive a doctorate from a British university. She is the author of the best-selling Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, and, along with her husband Jon Halliday, of the biography, Mao: The Unknown Story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 15 million copies, in addition to millions in pirated editions and computer downloads in mainland China where both books are banned. Among the many awards she has won are the UK Writers' Guild Best Non-Fiction (1992) and Book of the Year UK (1993).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 336 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm Spine: 21mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 460 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45649024581782,"sku":"9780008661076","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/jacket---2025-09-24T161836-905.jpg?v=1758687896"},{"product_id":"omnibird-an-avian-investigators-handbook","title":"Omnibird: An Avian Investigator's Handbook","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2025 Storylines Notable Book Award winner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStorylines Notable Non-fiction (age range from 3 years to 18 years)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.storylines.org.nz\/awards\/storylines-notable-book-awards\/storylines-notable-book-lists-2025\/\" title=\"Click here to visit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.storylines.org.nz, Storylines Notable Book Award 2025\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Kirkus Starred Review\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\"A truly stellar work that will delight bird enthusiasts while converting the ambivalent into eager avian investigators.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkusreviews.com\/book-reviews\/giselle-clarkson\/omnibird\/\" title=\"www.kirkusreviews.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit www.kirkusreviews.com and read the full Starred Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHave you seen a bird today? Probably, unless you're reading this in bed. Did you notice what was really interesting about that the bird? Investigating a bird is like solving a puzzle. To gather all the pieces, you look for clues: meet the omnibird.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn omnibird shares the basics of all birdlife: it was born from an egg, has feathers, two legs, a beak and gizzard, perhaps a premium feature like spurs or a curuncle. Knowing the omnibird gives you a case file of information to investigate any bird. You'll be expert at finding extraordinary things around you, just by looking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOmnibird investigates 18 common birds from habitats around the world-eagles, owls and seabirds, starlings, ducks and swans. Explore the incredible internal structure of bird bones, learn what a gizzard stone is for, find the fascinating in bird calls, bird poop, feathers, and flight patterns. Now you're an omnibird expert, you'll look at every bird in new ways every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiselle Clarkson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 8 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback, 96 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 295mm W: 257mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GECKO PRESS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45682498666646,"sku":"9798765670514","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/Omnibirdfc.jpg?v=1759262645"},{"product_id":"feathers-of-aotearoa-an-illustrated-journal","title":"Feathers of Aotearoa: An illustrated journal","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRowena read an interesting interview with Niels by Joanna Davis, Your Weekend, The Post newspaper. Loved the quote \"I'm just a messenger, helping people stop in their tracks and look more closely.  Things we overlook in nature can be hugely interesting and variable.\" 4th October 2025 - \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thepost.co.nz\/your-weekend\" title=\"ThePost YourWeekend\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit www.thepost.co.nz\/your-weekend\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this illustrated nature journal, Niels Meyer-Westfeld explores the feathers of Aotearoa’s native birds, from the long wing feathers of an albatross that enable it to soar endlessly over the oceans, to the tiny, insulating feathers of a penguin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeathers are one of nature’s most remarkable evolutionary developments, an ingenious solution to the countless environmental challenges that birds face. This exquisitely illustrated book, that combines artwork with compelling insights, will reveal a largely unknown aspect of the avian world, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in our unique bird life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNiels Meyer-Westfeld\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Arts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback, 200 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 260mm W: 260mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"POTTON \u0026 BURTON","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45697387856022,"sku":"9781988550770","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/large_feathers-600px-wide-72dpi.jpg?v=1759701251"},{"product_id":"lessons-on-living-finding-your-way-through-lifes-ups-and-downs-from-the-respected-new-zealand-psychologist-and-bestselling-author","title":"Lessons on Living: Finding Your Way Through Life's Ups and Downs from the respected New Zealand psychologist and bestselling author","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAndrea Molloy from nzbooklovers.co.nz wrote \"Nigel’s writing has always been witty and demystifying and Lessons on Living is his most personal yet. He turns clinical insight onto his own crisis, which frames the book, and uses his trademark humour to keep it light, without losing depth.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/lessons-on-living-finding-your-way-through-life-s-ups-and-downs-by-nigel-latta\" title=\"www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eTo read the full review visit www.nzbooklovers.co.nz, click here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBestselling author Nigel Latta's simple psychological toolkit for life's ups and downs. What do you do when you're told you only have months to live?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you're Nigel Latta, first, you're going to eat a lot of ice cream. And then you're going to assemble a mental toolbox to deal with every conceivable conundrum the world could throw at you (the small ones and the big ones).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter three decades working as a clinical psychologist, Nigel has found there are just three principles you need to deal with life's ups and downs. Whether you want to be a better parent, build an empire or get through some tough times, these easy-to-carry principles will help you to do that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsider this book a guide to how to respond in any situation, drive your own bus, and do it all with resilience, joy and attention to what matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNigel Latta\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 235mm W: 155mm Spine: 24mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 384 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45701997658262,"sku":"9781775542933","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/jacket--2_c188fd98-17d8-4968-8d8c-a65cc8271a1a.jpg?v=1759795835"},{"product_id":"wild-wellington-nga-taonga-taiao-2026-calendar","title":"Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao 2026 Calendar","description":"\u003cp\u003eTe Upoko-o-te-Ika Wellington has an amazing variety of landscapes and seascapes that are home to an impressive range of wildlife. This calendar accompanies\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eby Michael Szabo, a handy and informative illustrated guide that highlights over 30 of the best wild and urban places to discover and explore the region’s natural diversity, from the south coast to Kapiti.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether out tramping, at home or on the water, this calendar provides monthly highlights of what to see where and when for locals and visitors, keen and casual wildlife watchers, or for anyone curious about their own back yard. The book has more details and highlights, developed with input from Te Papa’s expert Natural History curators and Mātauranga Māori about the region and its wildlife from mana whenua. Experience everything from native birds to seals, dolphins and orca in the harbour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee the recovery of precious native species in action, the region’s special flowering plants and the oldest native trees, as well as the conservation efforts that ensure that our local wildlife survives and flourishes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e215 x 305 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TE PAPA PRESS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45704163754134,"sku":"767062069696","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/Wild_Wellington_2026_Calendar_01_1080x_f12a305c-f801-41e0-8906-80892b400e5f.jpg?v=1759822931"},{"product_id":"yesterday-when-i-was-young","title":"Yesterday When I Was Young","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/afternoons\/audio\/2019007396\/high-notes-suzanne-lynch-on-60-years-in-the-music-industry\" title=\"www.rnz.co.nz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick here to visit www.rnz.co.nz interview with Suzanne Lynch.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e  A wonderful interview by Jese, afternoons, 7 October 2025 and Suzanne sang too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Listener, 4th October 2025, Rowena read, an interesting article about Suzanne's 60 years in the music industry. The article called \"And your bird can sing\" by Russell Baillie.  Rowena choose this quote \"Like her book is to read, she's good fun to talk to. Especially when you focus on her years outside New Zealand, a period that also saw her singing with Irish crooner Val Doonican to millions on British television, and with R'n'B great Luther Vandross.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/the-listener\/\" title=\"www.listener.co.nz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.listener.co.nz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuzanne was only 14 years old when she and her sister Judy Donaldson were discovered in 1965, and so began one of New Zealand’s most enduring and stellar singing careers — first as the blonde half of sisterly duo The Chicks; then as a backing singer to international stars like Cat Stevens and Sandie Shaw; a solo performer for several decades; and eventually back to being part of a group, The Lady Killers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn mid-60s New Zealand, the emergence of the singing, dancing sisters The Chicks — with their matching outfits, stylish hairdos and catchy pop songs — was a breath of fresh air. They soon became household names as regular guests on the TV show C’mon, appearing alongside the likes of Ray Colombus and Peter Sinclair, before Suzanne launched her solo career on Happen Inn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew New Zealand artists can match Suzanne’s remarkable longevity. Still performing to sell-out audiences today, this national treasure has finally acquiesced to the many requests that she write her life story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYesterday When I Was Young\u003c\/em\u003e is a richly nostalgic journey through a life in music — packed with never-before-seen photos, and the wit and warmth of a true pop diva who’s far from ready to hang up her microphone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuzanne Lynch, Karyn Hay\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback H: 254mm W: 170mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DAVID BATEMAN LTD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45704180039830,"sku":"9781776891443","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/large_suzanne_lynch.jpg?v=1759823989"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.tawabooksandpost.co.nz\/collections\/the-connection-collection.oembed","provider":"Tawa Books \u0026 Post","version":"1.0","type":"link"}