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\u2019s novels set in Germany. All of Catherine\u2019s novels continue to \u201cfly\u201d, especially The Book of Guilt and The Axeman\u2019s Carnival.<\/p>\n
Maybe Baby by Emma Neale<\/p>\n
Written by award-winning Dunedin poet Emma Neale, the novel follows a man who becomes pregnant. Only an author of Emma\u2019s skill could make this so convincing and moving and beautiful.<\/p>\n
All Her Lives: Nine Stories by Ingrid Horrocks <\/p>\n
Horrocks\u2019 novel just won the prestigious Acorn Prize for Fiction in the Ockham NZ Book Awards – a powerful collection about women\u2019s lives that is absolutely brilliant.<\/p>\n
A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir, by Dame Jacinda Ardern.<\/p>\n
A Different Kind of Power by Dame Jacinda Ardern<\/p>\n
Ardern\u2019s biography continues to sell because her \u201cvoice\u201d and therefore her integrity, shines through. We\u2019ve sold 400 copies of the hardback and just over 20 copies of the recently released paperback.<\/p>\n
Everything But the Medicine: A Doctor\u2019s Tale by Lucy O\u2019Hagan <\/p>\n
This inspiring and candid collection of essays is from an experienced GP who attempts to better serve her M\u0101ori patients. Full of laughter and tears, and profound understanding of the complex relationship between patients and doctors.<\/p>\n
Jenna\u00a0Todd\u00a0of\u00a0Time\u00a0Out\u00a0Bookstore in Mt Eden. <\/p>\n
Time Out Bookstore – Jenna Todd, owner, and Nate Carroll, book buyer<\/p>\n
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 both about the sinister underworld on their doorstep, and about their son\u2019s secret world.<\/p>\n
Night, Ma by Elizabeth Knox<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The End and the Beginning by Karen Holdom<\/p>\n
An internationally published debut historical novel from Mt Eden\u2019s own Karen Holdom, based on a true story and perfect for fans of All the Light We Cannot See.<\/p>\n
Auckland Council Libraries <\/p>\n
A Different Kind of Power by Dame Jacinda Ardern<\/p>\n
Ardern\u2019s novel isn\u2019t just one of the top-selling books at The Women\u2019s Bookshop; it\u2019s also Auckland Library\u2019s most loaned non-fiction book. As of May, physical copies have been checked out 1247 times. As for why it\u2019s so popular, librarians say it highlights Ardern\u2019s strength in leading with empathy and kindness through major global and domestic events. <\/p>\n
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman <\/p>\n
Many of Auckland Library\u2019s most popular fiction books this year are mysteries, thrillers and historical novels. So, it\u2019s no surprise Richard Osman\u2019s 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 \u2013 Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim \u2013 work to solve a mysterious missing persons case, while navigating personal struggles of grief, family issues and aging.<\/p>\n
Lessons of Living, By Nigel Latta.<\/p>\n
Lessons on Living by Nigel Latta <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris.<\/p>\n
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris <\/p>\n
Paris isn\u2019t just a popular author (her novel is the third most popular fiction, checked out 923 times), she\u2019s also a local, hailing from T\u0101maki 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. <\/p>\n
Nobody\u2019s Girl by Virginia Giuffre<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Lamplight Books – Melanie O\u2019Loughlin, co-owner<\/p>\n
On The Calculation of Volume I-IV by Solvej Balle <\/p>\n
Who doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy<\/p>\n
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\u2019s destined to become a classic. <\/p>\n
A Month In Siena by Hisham Matar<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Creative Act by Ric Rubin<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is an engrossing and deeply moving novel set in Nazi Germany by a New Zealand woman called…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":488042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[35435,1558,3390,9442,489,244726,4731,38402,97190,5658,17628,71,6101,305,42,166816,100343,43,8476,425,8465,9831,244725,15403,41463,100,38666,131,107,6035,1961,21638,61,40,38,41,39,6923,14605,1316,102,379],"class_list":["post-488041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-becomes","tag-been","tag-best","tag-better","tag-books","tag-darken","tag-days","tag-drop","tag-elizabeth","tag-experts","tag-flying","tag-from","tag-good","tag-have","tag-headlines","tag-keefe","tag-knox","tag-news","tag-novel","tag-now","tag-patrick","tag-question","tag-radden","tag-read","tag-settling","tag-shelves","tag-temperatures","tag-than","tag-then","tag-things","tag-this","tag-titles","tag-to","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-what","tag-whats","tag-when","tag-with","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}