This is an engrossing and deeply moving novel set in Nazi Germany by a New Zealand woman called Karen Holdom who lives in Mt Eden. It reminds me of Catherine Chidgey’s novels set in Germany. All of Catherine’s novels continue to “fly”, especially The Book of Guilt and The Axeman’s Carnival.
Maybe Baby by Emma Neale
Written by award-winning Dunedin poet Emma Neale, the novel follows a man who becomes pregnant. Only an author of Emma’s skill could make this so convincing and moving and beautiful.
All Her Lives: Nine Stories by Ingrid Horrocks
Horrocks’ novel just won the prestigious Acorn Prize for Fiction in the Ockham NZ Book Awards – a powerful collection about women’s lives that is absolutely brilliant.
A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir, by Dame Jacinda Ardern.
A Different Kind of Power by Dame Jacinda Ardern
Ardern’s biography continues to sell because her “voice” and therefore her integrity, shines through. We’ve sold 400 copies of the hardback and just over 20 copies of the recently released paperback.
Everything But the Medicine: A Doctor’s Tale by Lucy O’Hagan
This inspiring and candid collection of essays is from an experienced GP who attempts to better serve her Māori patients. Full of laughter and tears, and profound understanding of the complex relationship between patients and doctors.
Jenna Todd of Time Out Bookstore in Mt Eden.
Time Out Bookstore – Jenna Todd, owner, and Nate Carroll, book buyer
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
The latest book from non-fiction sensation Patrick Radden Keefe, who was recently in Auckland for three sold out sessions at the Auckland Writers Festival. London Falling unearths the unsettling truths one family discovers – both about the sinister underworld on their doorstep, and about their son’s secret world.
Night, Ma by Elizabeth Knox
This gorgeously written memoir from New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox details a tumultuous period of her life beset by a series of personal tragedies. With characteristic generosity and transcendence, she guides us through time, illness, loss and the loneliness of unutterable experiences.
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
The latest in a new series by American author Elizabeth Strout, illustrating the beauty in ordinary lives. Very much a commentary on Trumpian America, this is her most political novel yet.
The End and the Beginning by Karen Holdom
An internationally published debut historical novel from Mt Eden’s own Karen Holdom, based on a true story and perfect for fans of All the Light We Cannot See.
Auckland Council Libraries
A Different Kind of Power by Dame Jacinda Ardern
Ardern’s novel isn’t just one of the top-selling books at The Women’s Bookshop; it’s also Auckland Library’s most loaned non-fiction book. As of May, physical copies have been checked out 1247 times. As for why it’s so popular, librarians say it highlights Ardern’s strength in leading with empathy and kindness through major global and domestic events.
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
Many of Auckland Library’s most popular fiction books this year are mysteries, thrillers and historical novels. So, it’s no surprise Richard Osman’s latest novel has been the most loaned fiction novel, checked out 1035 times as of May. In the fifth Thursday Murder Club instalment, four retirees – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim – work to solve a mysterious missing persons case, while navigating personal struggles of grief, family issues and aging.
Lessons of Living, By Nigel Latta.
Lessons on Living by Nigel Latta
After the passing of renowned broadcaster Nigel Latta in September 2025, his non-fiction book has become the second most popular in the category amongst Auckland Library readers. Checked out 662 times from January to May, the practical guide draws on psychology and real-life experience to help people navigate everyday challenges, emotions and relationships.
The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner
If you enjoy character-driven wartime stories, you can join the 952 other readers who checked out this well-researched and compelling historical novel, which is the second most popular library novel. Combining romance, friendship and hardship, the novel is heartfelt without becoming overly sentimental, as Spooner reveals the untold stories of women and their contributions to World War II.
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris.
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris
Paris isn’t just a popular author (her novel is the third most popular fiction, checked out 923 times), she’s also a local, hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau. In this psychological thriller, readers follow a wealthy family whose perfect world unravels after a poisoning leaves one person dead and another fighting to survive. Perfect for fans Liane Moriarty, expect long-buried secrets, lies and rivalries that test the characters and their family bond.
Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre
The third most popular non-fiction title (loaned 909 times as of May) is yet another powerful memoir by a resilient woman. Published posthumously in October 2025, just two months before the Epstein Files were released, the book details Giuffre’s account of being trafficked and abused as a teenager, and how that experience compelled her to become one of the most prominent accusers against Jeffrey Epstein. Named Book of the Year at the 2026 British Book Awards, it will appeal to readers curious about the Epstein story and broader conversations around abuse, power and accountability.
Lamplight Books – Melanie O’Loughlin, co-owner
On The Calculation of Volume I-IV by Solvej Balle
Who doesn’t love a mysterious series about an ever more resourceful woman trapped in the 18th of November, the same day Proust died. With translations of each volume popping up as the author dispatches this septology from a remote Scandinavian island, both profound and enjoyable, it is set to become a cult classic.
My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy
We just know this will be one of our books of the year, even though it is just out. Set in modern-day Paris, and rich in the warmth of female friendships, eating, walking and talking, along with a search for a missing cat, all seamlessly interwoven with the fascinating life of Gertrude and Alice B. It’s destined to become a classic.
A Month In Siena by Hisham Matar
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Return, comes a hauntingly beautiful account of his daily visits to bask in the beauty of the Sienese school of painting in Italy. Both a lesson in the joy of stopping to look for beauty, and when at nineteen, his father disappeared under the Gaddafi regime in Libya, the importance that visiting these works took on.
The Creative Act by Ric Rubin
The paperback edition is a vibe in its own right; with its chic design and curved corners, it has kept the word of Ric Rubin flying out our door. For a man with no formal music training, he sure shaped the last 25 years in the industry, and in this explainer on Ways of Being, if you wish your creativity to flourish, there is much to pay attention to.