{"title":"Young Adult Books read \u0026 reviewed","description":"\u003cp\u003eCheck out these reviews....\u003cbr\u003esome are written by our team \u0026amp; local community\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea","title":"The House in the Cerulean Sea","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBookseller pick on Libro.fm as an audio read\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/libro.fm\/tawabooksandpost\" title=\"www.libro.fm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit Tawa Books and Post at Libro.fm\u003c\/a\u003e - see how you can support us while listening.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead by Rowena (Bookseller); This book took my breath away, a heart warming story about finding acceptance, belonging \u0026amp; change.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTold in a wonderfully charming polite way, you can still hear all the unspoken (sometimes spoken) traits of been human.  However,  the loudest by far is love \u0026amp; what it can conquer.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMy 18 year old nephew also read it and agreed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA charming and enjoyable fantasy. Would definitely read again and recommend to others.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.commonsensemedia.org\/book-reviews\/the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea\" title=\"Click to visit commonsemedia.org reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.commonsensemedia.org\u003c\/a\u003e wrote \"Beautifully written tale of magic and transformation.\" 5 out of 5 stars and recommended 14+ years.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/45047384-the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea?ac=1\u0026amp;from_search=true\u0026amp;qid=hqkpmqK4i8\u0026amp;rank=1\" title=\"Click to visit the goodreads.com reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.goodreads.com\u003c\/a\u003e community nominated the book 2020 Readers Favourite Fantasy and as at 25 July 25, 4.38 out of 5 stars with 866,925 ratings.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn uplifting, heartwarming tale that's become a New York Times, USA Today and Washington Post bestseller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe expected nothing. But they gave him everything . . . Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he's spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages. Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if they could bring on the end of days. But their guardian, charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. As Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose between duty and his dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place - and realizing that family could be yours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Likely to cause heart-swelling' - The Washington Post\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFantasy, Romance, Narrative theme: Identity \/ belonging, Narrative theme: Love and relationships\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTJ Klune\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e400 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 130mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40596224770198,"sku":"9781529087949","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/b143d9fb85945559bb6c92e61e8b5331780292f0.jpg?v=1629954341"},{"product_id":"yours-cheerfully","title":"Yours Cheerfully: Adult fiction reviewed","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Karen (retired Bookseller); \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSet in 1941 wartime London, Emmeline Lake is working for a Womens Friend magazine embarking on the challenging roll of a young advice columnist.  In her work she meets women working in the factories servicing the war effort.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA tribute to the strength of woman, friendships, humour and love in extraordinary times.  A wonderfully heart warning story.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClearance Price, limited stock\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird comes a sequel, Yours Cheerfully. An inspirational, funny and uplifting story of courage at the height of World War Two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon, September 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Editor, Henrietta Bird, from Woman's Friend magazine, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake as she takes on the challenge of becoming a young wartime advice columnist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eHer relationship with boyfriend Charles is blossoming, while Emmy's best friend Bunty, is still reeling from the very worst of the Blitz, but bravely looking to the future. Together, the friends are determined to Make a Go of It. When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain's women's magazines to help recruit desperately needed female workers to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to step up and help. But when she and Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the very real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma between doing her duty, and standing by her friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 18 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAJ Pearce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e352 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm Spine: 28mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 434 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PICADOR","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40596228374678,"sku":"9781509853953","price":20.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9f5c064eb84c2f548b3d3cdaa93b55c8d1055dc9.jpg?v=1629954420"},{"product_id":"astonishing-future-of-alex-nobody","title":"The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody: Jnr Fiction reviewed","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead and reviewed by Jan (Local School Librarian); \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlex doesn’t think she’s anything special...in fact...completely normal. But why do crowds of people appear to be watching her go about her life? And who is the mysterious boy Jasper, who turns up at school one day and befriends her? All these questions and much much more will be answered if you read this book.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fascinating story about what could happen if you interfere with the past and know what might happen to you in the future. Highly recommended\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e_____________________________________________________________________________________________\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eHave you ever thought what it might be like if you were famous in the future? A brilliant adventure for fans of Ross Welford - a story about friendship, courage and embracing our talents even when they make us stand out.\u003cbr\u003eOn the day Alex was born, crowds surrounded the hospital. On her first day of school, people spied from the gates. And recently, strangers came to watch her perform in her school play ... as the llama.\u003cbr\u003eBut why? Alex has always been a nobody.\u003cbr\u003eThen a mysterious boy named Jasper starts at school and he alone seems to know the answer. But before he can tell Alex, he disappears ... into the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eCan Alex brave traveling into the future to discover what's happened to him and to unravel the secret of her own astonishing destiny ... before time runs out?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A wonderful time-travelling adventure with more twists and turns than the hands of a clock on a helter-skelter. Alex and Jasper are a fantastic dynamic duo, and the book has genuine friendship and warmth at the heart of a timey-wimey mystery. I loved it.' \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerforming Arts\/Time Travel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate Gilby Smith\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 124mm W: 192mm Spine: 18mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 246 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Orion Children's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40613127422102,"sku":"9781510108370","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/b202af05f6d5a67034a2818e0d9c746003915ea5.jpg?v=1630019080"},{"product_id":"charlie-tangaroa-the-creature-from-the-sea","title":"Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea: Jnr Fiction reviewed","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJan (school Librarian) reviewed Aug 21\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is absolutely my new favourite book to recommend to children! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eDuring a beach clean-up, Charlie and his brother Robbie find a mysterious creature from the sea, called a mermaid, or a ponaturi. She seems to trust Charlie and even more strangely, he can understand her speaking when no-one else can. Following the discovery of the ponaturi, Charlie and his family and the other residents in Tologa Bay get caught in the middle of a savage fight between the ancient Māori gods Tane and Tangaroa; flaring up because of changes happening in the Bay that will disturb the natural environment.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis was an action-packed book with an authentic New Zealand feel to it which engrossed me from start to finish. I enjoyed the Te reo Māori and Te Ao Māori effortlessly woven into the story. Having a Koro intent on passing on his knowledge to Charlie, as well as an American girl (Jenny) as characters was a clever way for the author to explain the characteristics and legends that connect to the ancient Māori gods. It was like nothing I’ve ever read before - I’m hoping for a sequel!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom a National Library Blog about reading aloud \"Charlie and his brother discover a ponaturi (mermaid) on the beach and get involved in a stormy battle between the Māori gods Tane and Tangaroa over pollution in the ocean and discover Charlie’s special skills in the process. Full of action, emotion, stories of mythology and family. Reading age 9 to 12 years.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/natlib.govt.nz\/blog\/posts\/read-alouds-for-juniors-and-seniors\" title=\"National Library NZ Blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit natlib.govt.nz\/blog\/posts\/read-alouds-for-juniors-and-seniors\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e____________________________________________________________________________________________\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSUPREME WINNER, The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult, 2021\u003cbr\u003eWINNER, Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult, 2021.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a beach clean-up, thirteen-year-old one-legged Charlie and his half-brother, Robbie, find a ponaturi – a mermaid – washed up on a beach. An ancient grudge between the Māori gods Tāne and Tangaroa has flared up because a port being built in the bay is degrading the ocean and creatures are fleeing the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis has reignited anger between the gods, which breaks out in storms, earthquakes and huge seas. The human world and realm of the gods are thrown into chaos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ponaturi believes Charlie is the only one who can stop the destruction because his stump is a sign that he straddles both worlds. So begins Charlie’s journey to find a way to reunite the gods, realise the power in the ancient songs his grandfather taught him, and discover why he was the one for the task.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNZ Children Books Awards website wrote\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Charlie Tangaroa is not defined by his disability, he is not defined by his place in the world, he defines himself through his family. This is a book that has so many themes that resonate in today’s culture. Disability, whanaungatanga, Charlie’s whakapapa, the environment – all are all dealt with a sure hand, and a gentle heart. Charlie’s fractured family is reflected in the warring brothers, and we are taken along at pace, with assured handling, and although so many issues are raised, they are never shoved in the reader’s face – rather they are presented as they are, as just another step in Charlie’s journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a uniquely New Zealand story, and one in which so many of us can see ourselves.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Māori language edition is \u003cem\u003eTiare Tangaroa me te Taipō Moana\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eT K Roxborogh (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is an award-winning author of more than thirty published works, both fiction and non-fiction. Her publication Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea won the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction and the supreme Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award at the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. She teaches English and has been a writing mentor and judge for short stories and for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 224 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 138mm W: 210mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HUIA PUBLISHERS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40631977476246,"sku":"9781775503972","price":25.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9781775503972.jpg?v=1630277198"},{"product_id":"to-italy-with-love","title":"To Italy, With Love; Contemporary Fiction reviewed","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed Rowena (Team member) \u0026amp; Karen (retired Bookseller); We enjoyed To Italy with Love, a wonderful escape into Italian village life, discover the voices of Sarah-Jane, a young English woman heart broken \u0026amp; trying to reset her life and Assunta, a middle aged Italian woman working too hard in her trattoria.  We both totally agree, a lovely uplifting novel that will have you wishing Italy wasn't so far away in reality.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e__________________________________________________________________________________________________\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSet in idyllic, small-town Italy, the new gorgeously uplifting novel from international bestseller Nicky Pellegrino\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove happens when you least expect it...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eAssunta has given up on love. She might run her little trattoria in the most romantic mountain town in Italy, but love just seems to have passed her by.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eSarah-Jane is finished with love. She's buying an old convertible and driving around Italy this summer - it's the perfect way to forget all about her hot celebrity ex-boyfriend!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eBut when Sarah-Jane's car breaks down in Montenello, she has to stay longer than she intended. And the trouble is, love is everywhere...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A novel about the joy of learning to live again. It also made me very hungry!' JOJO MOYES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFiction: general and literary, Romance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNicky Pellegrino\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e368 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 300 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40878559854742,"sku":"9781869714406","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9781869714406.jpg?v=1633118382"},{"product_id":"saffron-swirls-cardamom-dust","title":"Saffron Swirls \u0026 Cardamom Dust","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; review by Dana (Team member)-  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaffron Swirls \u0026amp; Cardamom Dust is a cookbook must.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAshia Ismail-Singer has created a beautiful collection of recipes filled with sugar, spice, and of course everything NICE!  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecipes for any occasion from comfort baking to elaborate treats, quick and simple to more complex.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI made the Chai spiced cake with pineapple cream cheese frosting and was a winner with the workmates! also I used Trade Aid Chai tea from our store.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e_____________________________________________________________________________________________\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor of My Indian Kitchen, Ashia Ismail-Singer is back with a collection of spice-infused desserts and baking, delivering homemade delights for all to share.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eWith her characteristic creative flair and drawing inspiration from culinary traditions across the world, Ashia's recipes are impossible to resist and guaranteed to impress. Dishing up sweet treats that zing with cardamon and permeate the air with orange blossom, this divine cookbook is guaranteed to take your baking to that next level with the greatest of ease. Western classics are reinvented with a spicy twist and sit alongside Ashia's unique takes on Eastern staples such as baklava, lassi and halva. There are elaborate treats to perfect your dinner party and show-stopping celebration cakes to make those special occasions even more memorable. Try the chai masala ice pops for a refreshing take on summer, or the pistachio and almond cake for a mid-winter indulgence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eAccording to Ashia, we all need a little sweetness sprinkled with a touch of spice. It's the perfect flavour balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCookery \/ food and drink\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA. Ismail-Singer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e192 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 280mm W: 110mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DAVID BATEMAN LTD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41058987245718,"sku":"9781988538846","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9781988538846.jpg?v=1636276553"},{"product_id":"shes-a-killer","title":"She's a Killer","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Rowena (Team member); I enjoyed Kirsten's new novel, set in Wellington with main character Alice and her imaginary friend, Simp - nagivating the climate crisis, in a mainly avoidance, somewhat curious mind set until she is dragged into the fight by a high spirited, dangerous teenager - an excellant mix of human relationships \u0026amp; emotions.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe world's climate is in crisis and New Zealand is being divided and reshaped by privileged immigrant wealthugees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThirty-something Alice has a near-genius IQ and lives at home with her mother with whom she communicates by Morse code. Alice's imaginary friend, Simp, has shown up, with a running commentary on her failings. 'I mean, can you even calculate the square root of 762 anymore?' The last time Simp was here was when Alice was seven, on the night a fire burned down the family home. Now Simp seems to be plotting something.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eWhen Alice meets a wealthugee named Pablo, she thinks she's found a way out of her dull existence. But then she meets Pablo's teenage daughter, Erika an actual genius full of terrifying ambition. She's a Killer is the story of a brilliant and stubborn slacker who is drawn into radical action. It's about what happens when we refuse to face our most demanding problems, told by a woman who is a strange and calculating force of chaos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirsten McDougall's\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e previous novels are Tess (2017), longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award, and The Invisible Rider (2012). Her stories and nonfiction have appeared in Landfall, Sport and Tell You What: Great New Zealand Non-fiction 2016, and her story 'Walking Day' won the 2021 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Competition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eShe was the recipient of the 2013 Creative New Zealand Louis Johnson New Writer's Bursary, and a Michael King Writers Centre residency in 2019. She lives in Wellington.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Victoria University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41059000778902,"sku":"9781776564309","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9781776564309.jpg?v=1636277327"},{"product_id":"788272e0-323a-42c3-b9a4-f879a6e303cb","title":"The Wolf Wilder","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Jan (Local School Librarian); \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI enjoy how brave and adventurous the characters in Katherine Rundell's books always are. This book has a fairytale feel to it, but be warned - there are some pretty gorey parts in it!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe story is about a girl, Feo, who lives with her mother in deepest, coldest Russia. They are ‘wolf wilders'; people who take in wolves who have been domesticated by the Russian nobility and then abandoned. They teach the wolves to live in the wild again. When Feo's mother is kidnapped by a cruel overlord, Feo sets out with the wolves on what seems like an impossible journey, to save her mother's life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e________________________________________________________________________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA story of friendship, hope and sweeping adventure in the snowy wilds of Russia, this is a modern classic from the bestselling, Costa Award-winning author of The Explorer, Katherine Rundell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eFeodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eWhen the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdventure, Nature\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 9 to 12 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKatherine Rundell\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e272 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 198mm W: 129mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 260 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Childrens Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41261063209110,"sku":"9781526605511","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/978a9e803fb3ba2997cd4f6905b472cf0a03c9ed.jpg?v=1640677065"},{"product_id":"to-the-sea","title":"To the Sea","description":"\u003cp\u003eKeep a secret. Tell a lie. Protect the family. At all costs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eA compulsively readable suspense thriller from Ngaio Marsh Award shortlisted author, Nikki Crutchley, which will keep you guessing and reading up until late into the night. Iluka has been the only home that 18-year-old Ana has ever known. The beautiful wild pine plantation overlooking the Pacific Ocean where her grandfather builds furniture, her aunt runs an artists' retreat and her uncle tends the land, is paradise, a private idyll safe from the outside world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eBut the place holds a violent secret and when a stranger arrives, Ana will need to make a choice: to protect everything - and everyone - she holds dear or tell the truth and destroy it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eAn atmospheric, suspenseful, dark and twisty thriller in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Paula Hawkins, Anna Downes and JP Pomare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e'An enthralling thriller, as beautiful and deadly as an ocean storm ... Crutchley achieves a perfect balance as she draws the reader into an eerie world filled with secrets, lies and twisted love.' Rose Carlyle, The Girl in the Mirror\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e'Many things make this thriller stand out ... Crutchley's meticulous writing and propulsive storytelling give the book a strange power' North and South\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThriller \/ suspense fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Family life fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNikki Crutchley\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e320 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 235mm W: 154mm Spine: 25mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 390 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41424430596246,"sku":"9781460760437","price":20.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/9781460760437.jpg?v=1644225947"},{"product_id":"what-snail-knows","title":"What Snail Knows ; Jnr Fiction Reviewed","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeam Review, Rowena; \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis was a lovely simple story with so much heart from the verse to the illustrations. The wonderful theme of helping others - whether at school, at home, in the community or our planet.  Spoken though the eyes of a child torn between her loyally to her father \u0026amp; her need to be part of a community.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR NOTABLE 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cbca.org.au\/notables-2023\" title=\"CBCA Notables 2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit Children's Book Council Australia Notables 2023\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eA moving story about a shy girl coming out of her shell with a little help from her pet snail. Lucy and Dad move a lot, so it's hard to make friends. Lucy's glad she has Snail, the perfect pet for a lonely girl. If only she had her own shell to hide in every time she started at a new school. But this place is different. She likes her teacher, Miss Darling. She likes her classmates, especially Tahnee. She even likes Mei-hui's van park, where she lives with Dad and Snail. This place feels like home. But can she convince her dad to stay?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of Bully on the Bus comes this moving story about making friends and finding where you belong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren’s \/ Teenage: Personal and social topics, Children’s \/ Teenage fiction and true stories, Children’s \/ Teenage poetry - anthologies - annuals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKathryn Apel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e224 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 129mm Spine: 17mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 226 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Queensland Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41529007833238,"sku":"9780702265464","price":17.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket--1_b8cf5267-fc2e-4136-8b4a-de80c3504feb.jpg?v=1646708590"},{"product_id":"harbouring","title":"Harbouring","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/saturday\/audio\/2018837599\/jenny-pattrick-bringing-new-zealand-history-to-life-through-storytelling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" title=\"RNZ Interview Jenny Pattrick April 22\"\u003eClick here to visit Jenny's RNZ Nine to Noon Interview\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Karen (Retired Bookseller); One of the many delights for me, while reading Harbouring was it's setting -  Wellington \u0026amp; the wider region.  The three main characters, a couple escaping poverty in Wales for the promise of a better life and a \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eMāori\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e wahine who has been enslaved after her \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eKāpiti\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e tribe \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eMuaūpoko\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e was invaded by the migrating \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eNgāti Toa - t\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eheir lives shaken \u0026amp; shaped by major historical events.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith many more characters, some fictional, others known and well researched, combined with descriptions of the time and place, gives a vivid \u0026amp; fascinating insight of life in 1840s Wellington. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA distant land, a new life, an escape from the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIt is 1839 and Huw Pengellin is desperate to find a better life for his family than the one he ekes out in Wales. His wife, Martha, is fully aware just how foolhardy Huw's schemes can be, but she is keen to escape the foundry slums, as well as Huw's brother Gareth, with his hot eyes and roving hands. Might Colonel Wakefield's plans to take settlers to the distant shores of New Zealand offer a solution?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eOn the other side of the world, watching the new arrivals, is Hineroa, who is also desperate to find a better life. Will she be a slave for ever, will she ever be reunited with her people, and will the ships that keep sailing into the bay bring further trouble? Change is underway, not just for these characters but also for the crescent of beach, thick bush and steep hills that are about to become the bustling settlement of Wellington.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eHistorical fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eTrade paperback (UK)  304pp  h234mm  x  w155mm  x s23mm  378g \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RANDOM HOUSE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41629667786902,"sku":"9780143776673","price":37.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-04-06T120044-925.jpg?v=1649203648"},{"product_id":"masher","title":"Masher","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e2023 Finalist Junior Fiction Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbookawards.nz\/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults\/2023-awards\/shortlist\/\" title=\"2023 Shortlist NZ Book Award Children \u0026amp; Young Adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit nzbookawards.nz 2023 Shortlist NZ Book Award Children \u0026amp; Young Adults\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Rowena (Bookseller); I really enjoyed Masher, it's storyline is wonderful with a warm happy ending and the pace is great.  My favourite part, the talent show, was for me where the story really takes off.  A recommended read.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/interview-fifi-colston-talks-about-masher\" title=\"NZ Booklovers Interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to read an interview with Fifi Colston on Masher at nzbooklovers.co.nz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat would you do if you accidentally created a barking-mad glove puppet, with sharp teeth, a fierce attitude and an unpredictable mouth?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA boy and a fast-talking terrier glove puppet form a hilarious double act in this warm and funny illustrated novel for readers eight years and older.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eTwelve-year-old Freddie Foxworthy just wants to do arts and crafts. He finds them a lot easier to deal with than his peers, and far more rewarding. His latest project is to create the perfect glove puppet from papier-mache. But when ashes from his metalhead neighbour's deceased bull terrier get into the mix, he finds he has accidentally made a growling puppet with an unpredictable mouth!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eFreddie has an overload of mysteries to solve - who is to blame for the late Masher's death?  Was Masher responsible for the disappearance a neighbourhood cat? And, most of all, is Masher actually for real? Surely Freddie couldn't be causing all this chaos himself?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eMasher is acclaimed author, illustrator and arts-and-crafts guru Fifi Colston's warm and funny novel about animal companions, imaginary friends, perceived enemies, and finding your happy place. No dogs or papier-mache were harmed in the making of this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 8 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFifi Colston\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e224 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 198mm W: 129mm Spine: 24mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 200 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PUFFIN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41754339541142,"sku":"9780143775683","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket--32_e59697fe-c0d2-4dcb-a854-ead9f6452816.jpg?v=1652228371"},{"product_id":"a-gentle-radical-the-life-of-jeanette-fitzsimons","title":"A Gentle Radical: The Life of Jeanette Fitzsimons","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller); A Gentle Radical is an absorbing and fascinating biography of a hugely influential New Zealander.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeanette Fitsimons was elected as a member of Parliament from 1996 to 2010 and co-leader of the Green Party for 14 years.  With strong believe in improving environmental outcomes, scientific knowledge, courage and personal sacrifice.  Jeanette battled her way foreward in the two major party pariament of the time.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSadly Jeanette died suddenly in 2020 aged 75 years - This biography provides a window into her extrodinary life and legacy.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeanette Fitzsimons was a visionary, a pioneer and a radical. This is the story of someone who battles National and Labour's lock on parliament and had the courage to challenge political sacred cows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and a member of parliament from 1996 to 2010.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHighly regarded by all, she was the first (and, until recently, the only) Green MP to win an electorate seat. She died very suddenly and unexpectedly in 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFitzsimons is a unique figure in our political history yet someone whose personal story is still unknown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow did a girl from a conservative rural family get to the front lines of radical political thought and then into the front benches of Parliament?\u003cbr\u003eHow did she become the first Green MP in the world to win an electorate seat?\u003cbr\u003eHow did she survive the brutal world of politics and get through the death of her co-leader Rod Donald?\u003cbr\u003eHow did the world's first national Green Party form in New Zealand, and what was Jeanette's role?\u003cbr\u003eWhat can we learn from her politics and what did she think of the Green Party that followed her?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFitzsimons lived a fascinating life, filled with moments of high political drama, and her example of how to navigate politics, adversity and triumph is more important than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiography\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGareth Hughes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e384 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 532 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ALLEN \u0026 UNWIN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41842427789462,"sku":"9781988547831","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-06-06T204424-072.jpg?v=1654505131"},{"product_id":"ice","title":"Ice","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Jan, Librarian at local School; I have just read ‘Ice’ by Susan Broker and enjoyed it. (July 22)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for animal lovers of years 5-6 - maybe even older but I imagine it would be a quick read for older kids. There is lots of action in it which moves it along quickly but it is also a story about the main character (Zac) and his troubled relationship with his dad. His dad is a real ‘action-man’ - hunting, fishing, shooting etc, while Zac likes to stay at home and play video games. Ultimately though, some of the skills Zac learnt gaming proves to be of use to him in the real world.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended - and a NZ title\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eNight was falling, dark and dank. The dog stood beside the wreckage, gazing up at the sky. Slowly a large red moon rose over the mountain, flooding the snow in bloody light. Ice lifted her muzzle to the moon and howled, long and sad. When Zac chooses the rescue dog with the startling ice-blue eyes, little does he know the danger and adventure that will unravel as the mystery around the tracking dog becomes a fight for survival against a terrifying enemy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAction and adventure stories\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSusan Brocker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e208 pages\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Scholastic New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41993505407126,"sku":"9781775437567","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-08-02T191911-142.jpg?v=1659425153"},{"product_id":"slow-roll","title":"Slow Roll","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Karen (retired Bookseller) O'Mally, a professional gambler, sometimes private investigator.  Unwittingly falls under the radar of drug dealers, gangs and police.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSet in Auckland, O'Mally finds himself in aggressive \u0026amp; life threatening situations. Claire, his intelligent and intriguing girlfriend, is the perfect partner to deal with trouble as the drama rapidly intensifies.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn intense, lively and very entertaining crime novel, I very much enjoyed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/2023-awards\" title=\"NZ Booklovers 2023 Winner\"\u003eClick here to visit www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/2023-awards\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNZ Booklovers 2023 Award Winner, \"Simon Lendrum’s The Slow Roll is a stunning crime novel with real emotional heft and a storyline that, aside from being ceaselessly engrossing, is surprising and often fun, making gambling (as the title nods to) both a plot driver and textural element. One of the best, most confident and polished local crime debuts in recent memory.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/the-slow-roll-by-simon-lendrum\" title=\"NZ Booklovers Review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit www.nzbooklovers.co.nz review of The Slow Roll\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClearance  price $20\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seemed a simple request. \"Can you find my daughter who has run away?\" But for professional gambler O'Malley, life isn't that simple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThere is the murder of one of his poker partners, the attention of drug dealers, money launderers, the police, the gangs, and just to top it all off there is his intriguing girlfriend Claire, who just seems to be better at part-time sleuthing than he is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo, nothing is simple for O’Malley.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eA brilliantly written and intriguing debut crime novel, set in Auckland and featuring two lead characters with intelligence and empathy who just leave you wanting more to read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrime and mystery fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Lendrum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e390 pages\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Upstart Press Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41995921162390,"sku":"9781990003578","price":20.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-08-03T224541-584.jpg?v=1659523744"},{"product_id":"the-perfect-golden-circle","title":"The Perfect Golden Circle","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpecial Price $28, rrp $32.99\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller); Benjamin Myers lastest novel, \"The Perfect Golden Circle\" is set in the south West of England during a long, hot summer, in 1989.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwo characters, one a SAS veteran, Calvert, who served in the Falkland war, and the other a very talented old hippy, Redbone.  Their mission to combine their skills and talents to create the perfect crop circles.  After meticulous planning they set out in the early evening to achieve their goal before sunrise, improving the complex design with each operation.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe writing is beautiful, entertaining, delightful, with descriptions of nature, of their lives, fears, frustrations, joy and humor, from beginning to end.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI loved this novel, the characters and their exploits that summer will stay with me.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eEngland, 1989. Over the course of a burning hot summer, two very different men - traumatized Falklands veteran Calvert, and affable, chaotic Redbone - set out nightly in a clapped-out camper van to undertake an extraordinary project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eUnder cover of darkness, the two men traverse the fields of rural England in secret, forming crop circles in elaborate and mysterious patterns. As the summer wears on, and their designs grow ever more ambitious, the two men find that their work has become a cult international sensation - and that an unlikely and beautiful friendship has taken root as the wheat ripens from green to gold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eMoving and exhilarating, tender and slyly witty, The Perfect Golden Circle is a captivating novel about the futility of war, the destruction of the English countryside, class inequality - and the power of beauty to heal trauma and fight power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe understated, plangent loveliness of Myers's storytelling is reminiscent of Mackenzie Crook's brilliant TV series Detectorists. Here is a strong, spiritual writer who sees and loves every dewdrop, old oak, soft little animal and buried sword, and offers them up to us like the precious treasures they are. The Perfect Golden Circle deserves top ranking in any list of the best books about rural England * THE TIMES *\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFantasy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBenjamin Myers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e256 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 216mm W: 135mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Circus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42044681879702,"sku":"9781526631404","price":28.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-08-22T221028-189.jpg?v=1661163205"},{"product_id":"the-four-winds-pb","title":"The Four Winds   (PB) - Tawa Recommended Read","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Rowena (Bookseller) This is a book I could read over and over again - if only I had time - Kristin Hannah has written a powerful piece of historical fiction, gripping, captivating, inspiring \u0026amp; heartbreaking - I'd highly recommend. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn epic, sweeping tale of love and loss set in the midst of the Great Depression in 1930s America, by the multi-million-copy global bestseller Kristin Hannah.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eShe will discover the best of herself in the worst of times . . . Texas, 1934. Elsa Martinelli had finally found the life she'd yearned for. A family, a home and a livelihood on a farm on the Great Plains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eBut when drought threatens all she and her community hold dear, Elsa's world is shattered to the winds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eFearful of the future, when Elsa wakes to find her husband has fled, she is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life. Fight for the land she loves or take her beloved children, Loreda and Ant, west to California in search of a better life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eWill it be the land of milk and honey? Or will their experience challenge every ounce of strength they possess?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eFrom the overriding love of a mother for her child, the value of female friendship and the ability to love again - against all odds - Elsa's incredible journey is a story of survival, hope and what we do for the ones we love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Four Winds is a deeply moving, powerful story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million-copy number one bestselling author of The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical fiction - American\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKristin Hannah\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e464 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 130mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PAN BOOKS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42089514827926,"sku":"9781529054583","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-09-03T203548-454.jpg?v=1662194975"},{"product_id":"the-arctic-railway-assassin","title":"The Arctic Railway Assassin","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Devon (Local Student, age 10); The Arctic Railway Assassin is a fast pace book, that will keep you on the edge of your seat right til the end.  It's a cleverly plotted book with lots of twists and turns.  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves crime novels.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe bestselling, prize-winning Adventures on Trains series embarks on a thrilling sixth adventure as Harrison Beck and Uncle Nat climb aboard the night train to Narvik, travelling to the Arctic Circle to see the northern lights for Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eBut as their train leaves Stockholm, Hal and Uncle Nat realize they're being followed by a sinister figure, and Hal's powers of observation are tested when Uncle Nat's past comes back to haunt him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eJourneying into the never ending night of the arctic winter, our railway detectives must outsmart an assassin in their most chilling adventure yet, in which nothing is as it seems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe Arctic Railway Assassin can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the award-winning Adventures on Trains series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdventure\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 9 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eM. G. Leonard, Sam Sedgman\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e256 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 130mm Spine: 19mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 233 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Macmillan Children's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42221362872470,"sku":"9781529072761","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-10-11T124009-095.jpg?v=1665617445"},{"product_id":"lost-found-discover-hidden-treasures-amongst-the-blooms","title":"Lost \u0026 Found: Discover hidden treasures amongst the blooms","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/life-style\/homed\/garden\/300764218\/author-zoe-field-overcomes-crippling-shyness-through-flowers\" title=\"Stuff Article 19Jan23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick here to visit the stuff.co.nz article 19th January 23\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRowena (Bookseller);\u003cem\u003e Lost \u0026amp; Found\u003c\/em\u003e is a wonderful coffee table book, that you can pick up, relax \u0026amp; enjoy - over and over again.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eLost \u0026amp; Found celebrates the joy and beauty of flowers throughout the seasons. A series of detailed and enchanting botanical flat lays will transport you into the world of 15 imagined creative characters, whose lives have all been shaped by nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eA grown-up version of the hidden-object game, this book offers a little escape from the day-to-day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eZoë Field\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLifestyle - Hobbies and Leisure, Gardening\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e176 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 300mm W: 230mm Spine: 22mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Koa Press Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42297222889622,"sku":"9780473634445","price":65.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-11-08T162300-434.jpg?v=1667877800"},{"product_id":"the-weather-woman","title":"The Weather Woman","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview by Karen (retired Bookseller); I found I was very quickly immersed in this delightful historical novel.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe action takes place in London between the Frost Fairs on the River Thames between 1789 \u0026amp; 1814.  This Regency period comes to vibrant life with the authors brilliant writing on the culture, fashion, architecture and underbelly of London.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThemes of the supernatural, weather, science, womens roles, gender, love, lose \u0026amp; devastation all make this novel so engrossing.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA unique cast of characters, who I found totally captivating, combine to make this novel entertaining \u0026amp; a joy to read.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe rich and atmospheric new novel from prize-winning author Sally Gardner, set in the 18th century between the two great Frost Fairs.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNeva Friezland is born into a world of trickery and illusion, where fortunes can be won and lost on the turn of a card. She is also born with an extraordinary gift. She can predict the weather. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn Regency England, where the proper goal for a gentlewoman is marriage and only God knows the weather, this is dangerous. It is also potentially very lucrative. In order to debate with the men of science and move about freely, Neva adopts a sophisticated male disguise. She foretells the weather from inside an automaton created by her brilliant clockmaker father. But what will happen when the disguised Neva falls in love with a charismatic young man? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time. Especially as a woman.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eNow Neva must find a way to disguise her true identity from those who would destroy her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical fiction, Romance, Fantasy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSally Gardner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e496 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 229mm W: 148mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Apollo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42327616815254,"sku":"9781838931698","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-11-18T104349-742.jpg?v=1668721515"},{"product_id":"catherine-called-birdy","title":"Catherine, Called Birdy","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead by Karen (Retired Bookseller); Catherine, called Birdy, a teen novel, was first published in 1994 and is available again following the 2022 release of the movie.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBirdy's journal tells her story over a year from 1290-1291 in medival England.  As a daughter of a landowning knight and Lady, she is expected to become a young lady, skilled in needlework, herbal medicine, good manners and prepare for a suitable arranged marriage.  However, as a boisterous, loud, fun loving 13 year old, she is much more interested in learning, nature, fun and the world beyond her village.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fascinating, funny and sometimes raw look at what everyday manor \u0026amp; village life might have been like, in a time, so far removed from our lifes today.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNow an Amazon Prime movie, written and directed by Lean Dunham, the creator of Girls. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShaggy Beard wishes to take me to wife! What a monstrous joke. That dog assassin whose breath smells like the mouth of Hell, who makes wind like others make music, who is so ugly and old! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCatherine's in trouble. Caught between a mother who is determined to turn her into the perfect medieval lady and a father who wants her to marry her off to much older and utterly repulsive suitor. Luckily, Catherine has a plan. She has experience outwitting suitors and is ready to take matters into her own hands. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA fun and vibrant coming-of-age novel about a 14-year-old girl's fight for freedom and right to self-determination.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical Teen\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKaren Cushman\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e240 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 129mm Spine: 15mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 172 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Macmillan Children's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42356196081814,"sku":"9781447293996","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-12-06T164242-283.jpg?v=1670298220"},{"product_id":"the-choice","title":"The Choice","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller); I loved this book, a hard to put down page turner from the first highly charged, emotional chapter.  A family drama with strong characters, excellent plot \u0026amp; thought provoking complex issues.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRenee Gulliver appears to have it all: a beautiful house overlooking a scenic estuary on England's East Coast; a successful career as a relationship therapist; three grown-up children; and a beloved grandson, Xavier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut things aren't always as they seem on the surface, as Renee is all too aware. And when Xavier vanishes after she fails to pick him up from school one day, the repercussions are manifold. Renee is wracked with remorse; her daughter Mia can't forgive her; the local community question her priorities; and her clients abandon her. But as long-held family secrets threaten to tear her world apart once and for all, those same secrets might also hold hope for the future - because it's not always the secret itself that has the power to destroy; sometimes it's the act of keeping of it . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Hannah Beckerman and Lucy Diamond, Penny Hancock's The Choice is a beautiful, haunting novel about family secrets and silences - and the power of love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFamily life fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Interior life, Thriller \/ suspense fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePenny Hancock\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MANTLE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42388522336406,"sku":"9781509867912","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-08-12T100230-884.jpg?v=1672280968"},{"product_id":"mocktails-cordials-syrups-infusions-and-more-over-80-delicious-recipes-for-alcohol-free-drinks","title":"Mocktails, Cordials, Syrups, Infusions and more: Over 80 Delicious Recipes for Alcohol-Free Drinks","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRowena (Bookseller); Brilliant recipes! we enjoyed a few over the festive season and looking forward to using more offen.  It's wonderfully written, a beautiful gift to give with great photos.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor too long designated drivers, detoxers and teetotallers have been left out in the cold when it comes to great drinks. Instead they are forced to sip on the same insipid fruit juices that make up most alcohol-free offerings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully help is at hand with Mocktails, Cordials, Infusions, Syrups, and More - a collection of delicious recipes that are welcome alternatives to the boring soft drinks or mineral water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese drinks prove that ditching the booze doesn't mean sacrificing taste. Exciting ingredients and flavour combinations such as strawberry and black pepper, mango and ginger, lemon and thyme, coffee and cardamom, or blueberry and elderflower will make your taste buds stand up and pay attention. And another bonus: no hangovers!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCookery \/ food and drink\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRyland Peters \u0026amp; Small\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e128 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 210mm W: 170mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 498 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ryland, Peters \u0026 Small Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42418675843222,"sku":"9781788795074","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2023-01-19T221313-611.jpg?v=1674120392"},{"product_id":"birnam-wood","title":"Birnam Wood","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Award, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlist Jan Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/www.nzbookawards.nz\/Images\/Assets\/47088\/1\/Ockhams%20Fiction%20Sampler%202024.pdf\" title=\"2024 Ockham Sampler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit 2024 Ockhams Sampler with an extract \u0026amp; Judge's comment.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbookawards.nz\" title=\"Link to Awards website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.nzbookawards.nz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNZ Listener Best Books of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/saturday\/audio\/2018877315\/going-online-is-not-an-innocent-act-eleanor-catton-on-how-technology-is-changing-us\" title=\"RNZ Author Interview Eleanor Catton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit rnz.co.nz, author interview with Eleanor Catton\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkusreviews.com\/book-reviews\/eleanor-catton\/birnam-wood-catton\/\" title=\"Starred Kirkus Review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit www.kirkusreviews.com starred review of Birnam Wood\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead by Karen (retired Bookseller); Birnam Wood is set in NZ's South Island in 2017.  Mira Bunting, a young idealistic woman, in charge of Birnam Wood.   An assorted group of anti-captalist gardeners, who aim to turn unused land into food gardens by whatever means necessary, sometimes unlawfully.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe first part of the novel begins with detailed, in depth descriptions of the many characters, their relationships and tensions.  Further on the pace of this thriller picks up with billonaires, espionage, politics and corruption.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA very contemporary read with climate change, the power and abuse of technology. Building to an extraordinary gripping and suspenseful read.  I was left breathless at the end.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn excellent literary thriller.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirnam Wood is on the move ...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA landslide has closed the Korowai Pass in the South Island of New Zealand, cutting off the town of Thorndike, leaving a sizable farm abandoned. This land offers an opportunity to Birnam Wood, a guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Birnam Wood is electric: a spectacular book. It has the pace and bite of a thriller. It has an iron-willed morality. It feels like the product of astonishing skill, and formidable love. It’s literally, physically breathtaking.’ – Katherine Rundell, author of Super-Infinite\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContemporary\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Catton\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrade Paperback pg 423\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Victoria University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42459737686166,"sku":"9781776920648","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2023-02-09T092705-781.jpg?v=1675888479"},{"product_id":"fritz-and-kurt","title":"Fritz and Kurt","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nvpOdeEoTWo\" title=\"You tube ReadingZone Bookclub UK\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick here to watch a youtube video of Jeremy Dronfield introducing Fritz and Kurt on Reading Zone Bookclub UK\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H4EGf-2Tges\" title=\"You Tube Penguin Books UK\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick here to watch a youtube video interview with Jeremy Dronfield \u0026amp; Kurt Kleinmann about the adult novel The Boy Who Followed his Father into Aushwitz.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Emma, Tawa student; This story is extremely engaging, yet it is devastating that these are events that some people had to go through.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI think that this is a great step for children who enjoyed reading the Once series particularly those who are aged between 11-13 or intermediate reading levels.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe incredible true story of The Boy Who Followed his Father into Auschwitz, written for younger readers. When everything is taken away from you, love and courage are all you have left.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIn 1938, the Nazis come to Vienna. They hate anyone who is different, especially Jewish people. Fritz and Kurt's family are Jewish, and that puts them in terrible danger. Fritz, along with his father, is taken to a Nazi prison camp, a terrible place, full of fear. When his father is sent to a certain death, Fritz can't face losing his beloved Papa. He chooses to go with him and fight for survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eMeanwhile, Kurt must go on a frightening journey, all alone, to seek safety on the far side of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIn this extraordinary true story, Fritz and Kurt must face unimaginable hardships, and the two brothers wonder if they will ever return home . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren \u0026amp; Places\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 8 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy Dronfield, David Ziggy Greene\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e384 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 129mm Spine: 26mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 310 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PUFFIN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42528832684182,"sku":"9780241565742","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket--1_5d150d36-679f-4516-8cc5-72b35b41a5b0.jpg?v=1679639208"},{"product_id":"the-last-overland","title":"The Last Overland","description":"\u003ch4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Singapore to London : The Return Journey of the Iconic Land Rover Expedition (with a foreword by Tim Slessor)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.lastoverland.com\/\" title=\"Last Overland\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick here to visit lastoverland.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Steve (retired Booksellers); I thoroughly enjoyed this book. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn 1955 six adventurist's set off to drive from London to Singapore, in two brand new Series 1 Land Rovers.  This book is about the return trip made in 2019, the aim to drive one of the original vehicles now 60 years old back from Singapore to London. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlex Bescoby, an adventurer and documentary maker, hatched a plan to complete that first journey by driving the return trip from Singapore to London in one of the original Land Rovers with 86-year-old, Tim Slessor, one of the original First Overlanders.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHis use of Slessor's account of the original expedition adds nuance, contrasting the world of 1955 with the one we know today. “We're safer than the First Overlanders,'” says one of the party, as they cross another Central Asian autocracy, “but much less free.”  The world has since changed dramatically politically.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn a vehicle that had no power steering, power brakes, cruise control, comfortable seating, etc, makes driving challenging.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBescoby is a likeable travelling companion and able storyteller, distilling the histories and current affairs of a range of nations in a concise, even-handed way while striking the right balance between what goes on inside the expedition vehicles and what happens outside. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is a thrilling true story that will appeal to all that enjoy travel and adventure, it is irresistible reading.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKaren read \u0026amp; reviewed (Retired Bookseller) I loved this amazing, exciting \u0026amp; mad Landrover Overland adventure.  It is packed full of lively, fascinating accounts of travel, people, places, countries, history \u0026amp; the authors very personal thoughts \u0026amp; experiences.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGreat writing with plenty of real danger, extreme weather, fustrations, beauty, humor, amazing team work, breakdowns, repairs \u0026amp; of course Landrovers, including the very special, one \u0026amp; only Oxford.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn uplifting, delightful read.  A great gift or treat yourself - you'll be glad you did.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIn 1955, a young TV producer named David Attenborough was approached by six recent graduates from Oxford and Cambridge universities determined to drive the entire length of Eurasia, as it was then known, from London to Singapore. It was the 'unclimbed Everest of motoring' - many had tried, none had succeeded. Sensing this time might be different, Attenborough gave The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition enough film reel to cover their attempt. The 19,000-mile journey completed by Tim Slessor and the team was told in Attenborough's Travellers' Tales, and captivated a nation emerging from postwar austerity. Tim's book, The First Overland, was published shortly after and soon became the Bible of the overlanding religion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eInspired by Attenborough's comment fifty years on that it was a journey 'that I don't think could be made again today', Alex made contact with now eighty-six-year-old Tim and together they planned an epic recreation of the original trip, this time from Singapore to London. With their improbable team and the prospect of getting the original 'Oxford' - arguably the world's most famous Land Rover - home to London, their goal was to complete the heroic journey started more than sixty years earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIn awe of the unstoppable Tim, and haunted by his own grandfather's deterioration due to tragedy and then dementia, Alex soon finds himself on the defining trip of his lifetime and discovers how the world has changed for better, and for worse, since the First Overland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTravel \u0026amp; Adventure\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlex Bescoby\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 23mm Spine: 23mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 425 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael O'Mara Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42534830145686,"sku":"9781789294774","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket--25_e05bb546-ba43-4857-80ab-dfa485f17c6d.jpg?v=1680070376"},{"product_id":"the-leonard-girls-paperback","title":"The Leonard Girls (paperback)","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Karen (retired Bookseller); The Leonard Girls is a captivating New Zealand novel set in 1969.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJo is a Uni student, parttime singer \u0026amp; member of a anti Vietnam group.  Her sister, Rowie, is a nurse and supports the governement stance on the war as do their parents.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen circumstances find both woomen in Vietnam, work, friendships, romance, loss \u0026amp; tragedy force them both to reconsider their views.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA large cast of characters, friends \u0026amp; whanau, add to the rollercoaster ride of emotions \u0026amp; provide a fasinating look at life in the sixties.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/interview-deborah-challinor-talks-about-the-leonard-girls\" title=\"Author Interview NZ Booklovers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to read an author interview on nzbooklovers.co.nz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eRowie's pro-war, her sister Jo's a protester. And they're both in Vietnam.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThe compelling new novel from the bestselling author of\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eFrom the Ashes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIn 1969, at the height of the Vietnam war, nurse Rowie Leonard is serving a 12-month tour of duty. She supports the war and is committed to caring for wounded New Zealand and Australian troops. After a few months, however, she realises that nothing at all about the conflict is as clear-cut as she'd assumed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eHer younger sister, Jo, is the opposite - a student at Auckland University, a folk singer and a fervent anti-war protestor. But when Jo falls for professional soldier Sam Apanui, home on leave to visit his ill father, she finds herself torn between her feelings and her convictions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eAs the three of them grapple with love, loss, and the stresses and sorrows of war, each will be forced to confront and question everything they believed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eAotearoa New Zealand, Historical fiction, Romance, Generational sagas, Family life fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeborah Challinor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e416 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 198mm W: 130mm Spine: 25mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 313 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42540653904022,"sku":"9781775541820","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket--61_9b42eb0c-4bbb-4f81-a56c-bd835e91fbe1.jpg?v=1680581480"},{"product_id":"apples-never-fall-1","title":"Apples Never Fall","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; reviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller): A gripping contemporay novel filled with wit, sadness, suspense - a real page turner.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eFrom the outside, the Delaneys appear to be an enviably contented family. Now that Joy and Stan have sold the family business they have all the time in the world to learn how to 'relax'. Their four adult children are busy living their own lives, and while it could be argued they never quite achieved their destinies, no-one ever says that out loud.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eBut now Joy Delaney has disappeared and her children are re-examining their parents' marriage and their family history with fresh, frightened eyes. Were things ever as rosy as they seemed in the Delaney household?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShort-listed for ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year 2022 (Australia)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiane Moriarty\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e496 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 198mm W: 131mm Spine: 32mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 374 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PAN AUSTRALIA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42545391108246,"sku":"9781760987374","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2022-09-22T204355-971.jpg?v=1680990193"},{"product_id":"going-zero","title":"Going Zero","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRemainer instock only, Clearance price $20,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; Review by Rowena (Bookseller); A great read, with twists \u0026amp; turns that I didn't see coming.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead \u0026amp; Review by Heather (Bookseller Family); I have to be honest it's been a few years since I've finished a book that wasn't for study or work. \u003cem\u003eGoing Zero\u003c\/em\u003e was that first book of pure entertainment.  The author is a screenwriter so it reads like a movie.  The beginning chapters warm you up and then it builds to a fast-pace.  It's action driven, so some of the minor characters are a bit 2dimensional, but the the story make up for that.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA great piece of escapism as an alternative  to sitting on the couch with the remote.  I recommend it!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbooklovers.co.nz\/post\/going-zero-by-anthony-mccarten\" title=\"NZ Booklovers Review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit Karen McMillan's review on nzbooklovers.co.nz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe excitement is in the chase, which builds steadily. . . This well-written yarn proves that you don't have to have a blood bath to have an engaging thriller - \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkusreviews.com\/book-reviews\/anthony-mccarten\/going-zero-mccarten\/\" title=\"Full Kirkus Review Going Zero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to read the full review on kirkusreviews.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note; The edition on Kirkus Reviews has a different cover.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eGoing Zero, a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Erase yourself. The hunt has begun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003ePerfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim and The Circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTWO HOURS TO VANISH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e Ten people have been carefully selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. Pioneered by tech-wunderkind Cy Baxter, FUSION can track anyone wherever they are on earth. But does it work?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONE CHANCE TO ESCAPE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e Each participant is given two hours to 'Go Zero' - to go off-grid and disappear - and then thirty days to elude the highly sophisticated Capture Teams sent to find them. Any Zero that beats FUSION will receive $3million in cash. If Cy's system prevails, he wins a $90 billion-dollar contract with the CIA to develop FUSION and revolutionize surveillance forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZERO ALTERNATIVES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e For contestant Kaitlyn Day, the stakes are far higher than money, and her reasons for entering the test more personal than Cy could have ever imagined. Kaitlyn needs to win to get what she wants, and Cy will stop at nothing to realize his ambitions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThey have no choice but to finish the game and when the timer hits zero, there will only be one winner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThriller \/ suspense fiction, Narrative theme: Politics\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthony McCarten\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm Spine: 25mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 382 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MACMILLAN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42552282579094,"sku":"9781529090222","price":20.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2023-04-15T105551-883.jpg?v=1681513803"},{"product_id":"better-the-blood-the-past-never-truly-stays-buried-welcome-to-the-dark-side-of-paradise","title":"Better the Blood (PB)","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e2023 Ngaio Marsh Award Winner Best First Novel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/www.nzbookawards.nz\/Images\/Assets\/44765\/1\/Fiction%20Digital%20Sampler.pdf\" title=\"Ockham Sampler PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit the Ockham Sampler PDF\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nzbookawards.nz\/new-zealand-book-awards\/2023-awards\/shortlist\/\" title=\"2023 NZBA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to nzbookawards.nz 2023 shortlist\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLonglisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReveiwed by Rowena (Team member); A great read!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBetter the Blood is a twisting, turning, action packed crime thriller.  The culture, te reo Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand setting made it a compelling read.  The last quarter was the hope and although a minor character, in this fast pace action book - the kuia of the Te Tini-o-Tai tribe - was the balance, strength \u0026amp; positive light in the darkness.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/ninetonoon\/audio\/2018859601\/scriptwriter-turned-best-selling-thriller-writer\" title=\"RNZ Nine to Noon Interview Sept 22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eClick here to visit the rnz.co.nz interview with Michael Bennett\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'A compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Maori culture' \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eVal McDermid\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA DETECTIVE IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH.\u003cbr\u003eA KILLER IN SEARCH OF RETRIBUTION.\u003cbr\u003eA CLASH BETWEEN CULTURE AND DUTY.\u003cbr\u003eTHE PAST NEVER TRULY STAYS BURIED.\u003cbr\u003eWELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF PARADISE.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDetective Senior Sergeant Hanna Westerman is a tenacious Māori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland's Central Investigation Branch. When she's led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she discovers a man hanging in a hidden room. With little to go on, Hana knows one thing: the killer is sending her a message.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs a Māori officer, there has always been a clash between duty and culture for Hana, but it is something that she's found a way to live with. Until now. When more murders follow, Hana realises that her heritage and past are the keys to finding the perpetrator.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEspecially when the killer's agenda of revenge may include Hana - and her family . . .\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrime and mystery fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Bennett\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e336 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 198mm W: 130mm Spine: 21mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42643483295894,"sku":"9781398512245","price":26.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2023-06-22T165006-674.jpg?v=1687409531"},{"product_id":"tom-lake","title":"Tom Lake","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRead \u0026amp; Reviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller); Author Bonnie Garmus has beautifully reviewed Tom Lake in one sentence, which I totally agree with.  So I have quoted Bonnie..\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Filled with the moments I live for in a story - careful, compelling insights into human nature, the most effortless humour, and the kind of vivid descriptions that reveal exactly how something is\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA beautiful story I highly recommend.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBonnie Garmus is the author of Lessons in Chemistry\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the spring of 2020, Lara's three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTom Lake\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnn Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaperback \/ softback  Trade paperback (UK)  320pp  h234mm  x  w153mm  Paperback \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BLOOMSBURY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42728709488790,"sku":"9781526664280","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2023-08-27T214816-995.jpg?v=1693129852"},{"product_id":"the-blonde-identity","title":"The Blonde Identity","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead by Rowena (Bookseller) \u0026amp; Karen (Retired Bookseller);  They both agree, The Blonde Identity is a highly entertaining, fast paced, funny, lightweight story.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGreat for the times when you want to chill out with an easy, exciting spy, romance romp of a read.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe only knows three things for certain: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe has a splitting headache. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople keep trying to kill her. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe doesn't know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there's only one explanation: obviously. . . she's a spy! Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she's not. She's a spy's identical twin sister. Too bad the only person who knows she's not the woman they're looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear. Which is easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLuckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they're lying their way across Europe-dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name. But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can't remember or the mysterious man she can't let herself forget. . .\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRomance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge: From 18 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlly Carter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e304 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 216mm W: 135mm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MACMILLAN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43110233669782,"sku":"9781035040063","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2024-02-08T161711-901.jpg?v=1707362342"},{"product_id":"the-postcard","title":"The Postcard","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRead \u0026amp; Reviewed by Karen (Retired Bookseller); The Postcard by Anne Berest, originally published in 2021 in French and now translated into English by Tina Kover.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA historical novel following the true story of Anne Berest's Jewish Family.  The story centres around the author's mother receiving a bizarre and very distrubing postcard.  During the long investigation into the postcard's origin and meaning, the reader is transported on an extraordinary journey to 1930's Europe, WW2 and the Holocaust, the oppression of Jew's in Nazi-occupied France, the dangerous work of the French Resistance movement and the chaos following liberation.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBut besides family history the author explores the pain of survival and generation trauma.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI highly recommend this insightful and extraordinary moving account of a horrific and deeply disturbing period of our history.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA moving novel from the bestselling author of How to be Parisian Wherever You Are\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJanuary 2003. The Berest family receive a mysterious, unsigned postcard. On one side was an image of the Opera Garnier; on the other, the names of their relatives who were killed in Auschwitz: Ephraim, Emma, Noemie and Jacques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYears later, Anne sought to find the truth behind this postcard. She journeys 100 years into the past, tracing the lives of her ancestors from their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris, the war and its aftermath. What emerges is a thrilling and sweeping tale that shatters her certainties about her family, her country, and herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt once a gripping investigation into family secrets, a poignant tale of mothers and daughters, and an enthralling portrait of 20th-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, The Postcard tells the story of a family devastated by the Holocaust and yet somehow restored by love and the power of storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnne Berest, Tina Kover\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e480 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 582 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Europa Editions (UK) Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43194197377174,"sku":"9781787705203","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket_d3cbb1b1-e756-4338-843b-be99015e90f7.jpg?v=1709798628"},{"product_id":"black-silk-and-sympathy-the-captivating-first-novel-in-a-new-historical-fiction-series-from-the-popular-bestselling-author-of-from-the-ashes-for-fans-of-jackie-french-tea-cooper-and-kirsty-manning","title":"Black Silk and Sympathy: The captivating first novel in a new historical fiction series","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Karen (Retired Bookseller) I really enjoyed reading Black Silk \u0026amp; Sympathy, a historical fiction novel by Deborah Challinor.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn engrossing look into colonial life in Sydney in the 1860's.  A strong, clever young woman, Tatiana Caldwell, overcomes lifes hurdles to become Sydneys first female undertaker.  \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI found the history and detail of the funeral business fasinating. The story was so absorbing from beginning to end and populated with many entertaining characters.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Silk \u0026amp; Sympathy is part one of a trilogy, I'm looking forward to reading more of Tatiana's adventures and colourful life in the future.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eA dazzling new series from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor, exploring the fascinating world of Victorian funeral customs and featuring Sydney's first female undertaker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Men have been undertakers for hundreds of years. Not women, men. You don't belong.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eSydney, 1865. Seventeen-year-old Tatiana Caldwell travels from London to make a new life. Her path leads her to Crowe Funeral Services, where she apprentices under the tutelage of Titus Crowe, the enigmatic owner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eTatty finds herself drawn to the fascinating conventions of the funeral trade - plumed horses and processions, mutes and mortuary trains, flowers and finery - as well as the more visceral new practice of embalming. Soon she marries, and after the sudden death of her husband, Titus, she becomes Sydney's first female undertaker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eHer hard-won stability is shattered when Elias Nuttall, a ruthless rival in the funeral trade, accuses Tatty of murdering her husband. Facing public scorn and legal peril, Tatty gathers an unlikely band of allies in a battle to clear her name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Silk and Sympathy\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a riveting and realistic journey through the front parlours and dark alleys of 1860s Sydney, from the Botanic Gardens in the morning to the cemetery at midnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e'In this expertly crafted novel, Challinor delivers a captivating tale of resilience, reinvention and determination ... [with] a thrilling twist'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBooks+Publishing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003ePraise for Deborah Challinor:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e'A master storyteller' Better Reading\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e'Perfectly blends fact and fiction'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNZ Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Narrative theme: Identity \/ belonging\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeborah Challinor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e384 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 235mm W: 155mm Spine: 25mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 385 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43216744546454,"sku":"9781460763667","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/products\/jacket---2024-03-14T162246-649.jpg?v=1710386613"},{"product_id":"the-bookshop-detectives-1-dead-girl-gone","title":"The Bookshop Detectives 1: Dead Girl Gone","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead by Rowena (Bookseller) and Devon (Local Student, 13yr)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRowena; a great cosy crime and brilliant weekend\/holiday read - love that its based in NZ and that its written by two different writers, who are very much their own personalities, however a tight team and it really works!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDevon;  The Bookshop Detectives series by Garth \u0026amp; louise Ward is a cosy crime set right here in New Zealand!  Garth \u0026amp; Louise write a chapter each from one of the main characters point of view.  The story is about marries ex police who own a bookshop in the Hawkes bay.  Their peaceful life is interrupted when they have a mystery to solve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI liked this book because it kept me guessing until the very, very end and there's lots of light hearted humour that made me laugh.  The main characters Eloise and Garth, each had their own personalities which you could see thoughtout the whole book.  This book has swearing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo small-town booksellers (and their cowardly dog) solve a decades-old murder-mystery in this witty debut novel, full of literary clues, sparkling dialogue, and comedic insights into the world of bookshops. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"When we opened Sherlock Tomes people warned us that we'd made a terrible mistake. People warned us that e-readers were taking over. People warned us that we'd never compete with Amazon. The one thing they didn't warn us about was the murders...\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIntroducing... the Bookshop Detectives! When a mystery parcel arrives at Sherlock Tomes bookshop in small-town Havelock North, New Zealand, husband-and-wife owners Garth and Eloise (and their petrified pooch, Stevie) are drawn into the baffling case of a decades-old missing schoolgirl. Intrigued by the puzzling, bookish clues the two ex-cops are soon tangled in a web of crime, drugs, and floral decapitations, while endeavouring to pull off the international celebrity book launch of the century. With their beloved shop on the chopping block and the sinister suspect who forced them to run away from Blighty reemerging from the shadows, have Garth and Eloise Sherlock finally met their Moriarty? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor once, the cover copy is no exaggeration - Diary of a Bookseller really does meet Thursday Murder Club meets Bookseller at the End of the World in this witty debut novel, full of literary clues, comedic insights and the kinds of Kiwis you only ever meet in bookshops. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'A page-turning joy, bursting with intrigue, fun and humanity.' - Charity Norman \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Fun and twisty. -the only two crime writers I know who have actually solved murders.' - Michael Bennett \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'At last! A book that kept me guessing until the end, and in the perfect setting. How could I, or anyone who loves bookshops, resist?' - Ruth Shaw \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Eloise and Garth are the book-selling, tea-drinking, crime-fighting duo that I didn't know I needed in my life! The Bookshop Detectives is a real treat for bibliophiles of all stripes.' - Jack Heath \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Warm-hearted, filled with wry humour, spiced up with suspense . . . captivating Kiwi cosy crime!' - Nicky Pellegrino\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrime and mystery fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGareth and Louise Ward\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e352 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 131mm Spine: 21mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 264 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books (NZ)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44702661345430,"sku":"9781776951307","price":28.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/jacket---2025-03-13T170017-098.jpg?v=1741838615"},{"product_id":"the-women-the-instant-number-one-bestseller-from-the-author-of-the-nightingale","title":"The Women (PB)","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead by Karen \u0026amp; Rowena; A very powerful and gripping novel set during the 1960's, the Vietnam war and the years that followed in America.  Following extraordinary journey of a young inexperienced nurse, Frances \"Frankie\" McGrath, who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrankie is plunged into the chaos, death and brutality of war.  Overwhelmed Frankie survives with the expectations and comradeship of fellow medics.  Following a two term service, Frankie returns to family \u0026amp; friends in America, more unexpected trauma \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003efollows as she attempts to resettle.  There was no welcome home for Veterans and many suffered irreparable damage.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis story is incredibly well researched, we found it a fascinating look at the incredible work undertaken by dedicated women operating in brutal conditions.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA very emotional read, that we highly recommend.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkusreviews.com\/book-reviews\/kristin-hannah\/the-women-hannah\/\" title=\"Click to read the full review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.kirkusreviews.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGoodreads 2024 Readers Favourite Historical Fiction Winner - 253,147 votes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is both an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and a story of a nation divided by war. It would be the journey of a lifetime . . . 'Women can be heroes, too'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances \"Frankie\" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Women is the story of one woman who goes to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm's way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has been all too often forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA novel of searing insight and lyrical beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define an era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKristin Hannah\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is an award-winning and bestselling author celebrated for her deeply emotional and beautifully crafted novels. With a background in law, Kristin turned to writing and has since become one of the most beloved voices in contemporary and historical fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 480 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 197mm W: 131mm Spine: 29mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 322 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PAN BOOKS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44919925014678,"sku":"9781035005697","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/jacket--78_61c74394-d235-4b26-b65f-72a5f7ec15ad.jpg?v=1743999583"},{"product_id":"good-boy","title":"Good Boy","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead by Karen (retired Bookseller), I love this extremely moving, powerful novel. A heartbreaking story of the extraordinary powerful connection between a man and his dog, a story that has stayed with me long after I turned the final page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's September 1997 and Cookie, an inmate in a minimum-security prison, is serving the last six months of his sentence when he signs up for a last-chance rehabilitation program for abandoned dogs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe's assigned Nigel-whom he renames Good Boy-an anxious soul with a talent for gnawing his way through walls. Cookie has his work cut out preparing him for the upcoming behavioural assessment that will decide his fate: pass, and Good Boy will be up for adoption and the chance of finding a loving home for the first time in his life; fail, and he will be put down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Cookie realises that Good Boy is almost certain to flunk the test, he decides to escape in a bid to save him. On the run, Cookie must evade detection until he can find someone to care for Good Boy. As their feet pick out new paths and their friendship deepens, the old bonds that shaped Cookie draw him back, revealing truths that leave him questioning his past and future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood Boy movingly explores the bonds between dogs and their humans, and how hope might move us beyond punishment and towards redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichelle Wright\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 352 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH: 234mm W: 153mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight: 406 grams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ALLEN \u0026 UNWIN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46382064337046,"sku":"9781761473159","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/files\/large_9781761473159.jpg?v=1778565987"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0587\/4978\/0118\/collections\/20221011_211134_e9d86b39-789d-461e-9184-0c8cf4e2602f.webp?v=1681004916","url":"https:\/\/www.tawabooksandpost.co.nz\/collections\/young-adult-books-read-reviewed.oembed?page=2","provider":"Tawa Books \u0026 Post","version":"1.0","type":"link"}