The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Category: Literary fiction
The Last Living Cannibal – Airana Ngarewa
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Set in the 1940s Taranaki, The Last Living Cannibal is narrated by an old man, Koko, from both the present and afterlife. It examines muru or the restoration of balance within an iwi or community, and is put to… Continue Reading “The Last Living Cannibal – Airana Ngarewa”
Before The Winter Ends – Khadro Mohamed
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Set during a cold Wellington winter, Before The Winter Ends explores the immigrant experience via Omar, a teen whose grades are slipping and is losing connection with his best friend, and his mother who recalls her life two decades… Continue Reading “Before The Winter Ends – Khadro Mohamed”
Love is Blind – William Boyd
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Sally Brodie Moncur is a young Scottish piano tuner who moves to Paris for a job and to escape his tyrannical father. There, a fateful encounter with a famous pianist changes his future and sparks an obsessive love affair with… Continue Reading “Love is Blind – William Boyd”
2026: Timelines
In 2026 we are focused on the intersection of time, or what do we owe the past, and what do we owe the future? We have a new and evolving bookclub that is considerate of the past members and reading history but also focused… Continue Reading “2026: Timelines”
2025: End Of Year Thoughts
When we talk about the world being global, it’s easy to imagine overwhelming vastness and perhaps feel a little lost in it. When in fact the world is not stretching away from us, it’s coming to us. Wherever we are, we are surrounded by… Continue Reading “2025: End Of Year Thoughts”
As Rich As The King – Abigail Assor
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel Sarah is poor, but pretty and French, which gives her standing in Casablanca. Driss is older, quiet and not particularly good looking but he’s rumoured to be the richest guy in the city. Sarah decides she wants a life… Continue Reading “As Rich As The King – Abigail Assor”
Bookerthon – 2025
For our 25th Bookerthon, we hunkered down in Arrowtown, Central Otago, where fresh snow made for great photos against the blue skies and Spring blooms. The setting, as it turned out, mirrored the prose of this year’s Booker shortlist: crisp, clear and alive. They were… Continue Reading “Bookerthon – 2025”
The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny – Kiran Desai
READ FOR BOOKERTHON The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny follows two immigrants navigating the quiet ache of isolation in a globalised world. Sonia and Sunny are writers in America, out of tune with their partners and confessing to loneliness and homesickness for their native… Continue Reading “The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny – Kiran Desai”
Flashlight – Susan Choi
READ FOR BOOKERTHON One summer night, a man disappears while walking with his daughter on a Japanese beach. Born Korean, Serk has a complicated relationship with his past. His daughter and American wife become disorientated, facing the challenges of ordinary life all the while… Continue Reading “Flashlight – Susan Choi”
Audition – Katie Kitamura
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. She’s an accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere. He’s attractive, troubled, and young. Who is he to her, and who is she to him? In Audition, two competing but mirroring narratives… Continue Reading “Audition – Katie Kitamura”
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