FICTION
1 The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin (Hachette, $37.99)
A free copy of the new thriller which I reviewed this week (“buy it, and allow yourself to be immersed in the dark world that Rankin creates”) was up for grabs in last week’s free book giveaway contest. It’s about bad things happening in the bush. Readers were asked to send in stories about bad things happening in the bush. The best story came from Neil, who wrote, “One of our gigs is volunteer wardening at a remote back country hut in South Westland. It’s tucked in under the big mountains and a full day’s walk from the road end, so trampers can enjoy being offline for at least 48 hours. This remoteness adds a little bit of potential menace. The overdue M8 earthquake is always lurking in the background.
“Three years ago one of our colleagues was confronted by an incident that underlined for us how far away help can be. At 3am trampers were awoken by frenzied shouting and hammering on their bunkroom doors. They were ordered out, so the disturbed man who was making the fuss could ‘clean their rooms.’ His behaviour next morning remained erratic and confronting enough for the hut warden to radio for police assistance.
“The thump-thump of the approaching helicopter spun the man out even further and he disappeared off upstream, electing to swim across a river swollen with snowmelt.
“They took two days to catch him, with rocks being thrown at hovering aircraft and multiple risky river crossings as he tried to evade the law…”
Good luck to that poor devil, and huzzah to Neil, who wins a free copy of The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin.
2 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
3 Julia Eichardt by Lauren Roche (Flying Books Publishing, $36.99)
The best historical novel of the year, set in the Queenstown goldrush.
4 Hooked Up by Fiona Sussman (David Bateman, $38.99)
Excellent crime thriller about a ridiculous premise – a serial killer is on the loose in Auckland – and the police investigation that tries to figure it out.
5 May You Always Know by Jessica Urlichs & Bethany Gale (Hachette, $24.99)
Woah. Jessica Urlichs is a poet who “started her journey on Instagram” and has written three poetry books on early motherhood. You Hung The Moon was an international no #1 bestseller, and she has sold 140,000 copies worldwide. Sample:
You won’t always get it right
And mistakes aren’t always wrong.
Life is full of learning,
Gaining wisdom is lifelong.
I swear I’m not making this shit up. Here’s what it looks like.
6 Tea and Cake and Death (The Bookshop Detectives 2) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)
7 Dead Girl Gone (The Bookshop Detectives 1) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $26)
8 See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (Hachette, $37.99)
9 1985 by Dominic Hoey (Penguin Random House, $38.00)
10 Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro (Allen & Unwin, $27.99)
NONFICTION
1 Saving Elli by Doug Gold (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
Blurbology: “In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank’s house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next.
“To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her in a secret space above the ceiling. With shrewd cunning and unflinching courage, they outwit the Gestapo, survive relentless searches and face betrayal from those they once trusted …”
2 Become Unstoppable by Gilbert Enoka (Penguin Random House, $40)
Motivational statements.
3 Ara by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin Random House, $30)
Spiritual contemplations.
4 Habits of High Performers by James Laughlin (HarperCollins, $39.99)
Motivational statements.
5 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $59.99)
Memoir by an ex-Labour MP.
6 Just a Mum’s Kitchen by Anna Cameron (Allen & Unwin, $45)
Recipes.
7 Anything Could Happen by Grant Robertson (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
Memoir by an ex-Labour MP.
8 Edible Weeds Handbook by Andrew Crowe (Penguin Random House, $35)
Last year I went on a guided foraging tour with investigative reporter Rebecca Macfie in Christchurch. We were shown what plants, weeds, leaves and roots that were good to eat. I have forgotten everything I learned that happy hour so am thrilled to see this newly published guide to edible weeds. Crowe’s list includes borage, miner’s lettuce, watercress, taro and acorns. (How is taro a weed?)
A free copy is up for grabs in this week’s giveaway contest. To enter, name your favourite edible growing thing that you can easily locate and pick in the wild (fungi is eligible), describe how to cook or prepare it, and what it tastes like if it has a taste, and email it to stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps FREE FOOD IS GOOD FOOD by midnight on Sunday, September 21.
9 The Unlikely Doctor by Timoti Te Moke (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
Memoir of an ex-gang member.
10 Leading Under Pressure by Ian Foster & Gregor Paul (HarperCollins, $39.99)
Ghosted memoir of an ex-All Blacks coach.