The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Tag: Best Books
Chappy – Patricia Grace
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS “A deserter of the Japanese army stows away on a ship to New Zealand at the onset of WWII. Known as Chappy, he remains in the country illegally and marries a Māori woman. Decades later his grandson wishes to… Continue Reading “Chappy – Patricia Grace”
The Back Of His Head – Patrick Evans
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Trustees overseeing the estate of Kiwi Nobel laureate Raymond Lawrence discover more than they wanted to know while struggling to keep his affairs in order. A satire about the making and manipulation of literary fame. ➤ “When I read… Continue Reading “The Back Of His Head – Patrick Evans”
In A Fishbone Church – Catherine Chidgey
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Sonya Three generations of the Stilton family are affected by the truths in one man’s diaries of the 1950s. When Clifford Stilton dies, his son Gene protects his carefully kept diaries. They span continents and decades, from Berlin raves… Continue Reading “In A Fishbone Church – Catherine Chidgey”
Maori Boy – Witi Ihimaera
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS An honest, emotive work detailing not only Ihimaera’s childhood but also early life in rural New Zealand and Māori history. Ihimaera (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki) tells of the myths that formed his early imagination, and the real life experiences that influenced… Continue Reading “Maori Boy – Witi Ihimaera”
Maurice Gee: Life & Work – Rachel Barrowman
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Ten years in the writing, this biography sets out to reveal the life and all the secrets of literary great Maurice Gee. ➤ “I have read a lot of Maurice Gee’s work so was itching to read my autographed… Continue Reading “Maurice Gee: Life & Work – Rachel Barrowman”
The Invisible Mile – David Conventry
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS A reimagining of the 1928 Ravat-Wonder team from New Zealand and Australia who were the first English-speaking team to ride the Tour de France, then 5476 km of unsealed roads. A psychological journey in which the cyclists rode over mountains… Continue Reading “The Invisible Mile – David Conventry”
Genesis – Bernard Beckett
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks Anax sits an all-day exam for admittance to The Academy, the governing body of her utopian society. However, things are not as they seem and instead unresolved scientific and philosophical questions are raised. Unable to attribute misfortune to… Continue Reading “Genesis – Bernard Beckett”
Owls Do Cry – Janet Frame
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo Owls Do Cry is semi-autobiographical, recounting a character’s – and Frame’s own – time in a mental hospital in provincial, pre-1940s New Zealand. Protagonist Daphne Withers is mute, surrounded by uncaring carers, and begins receiving shock treatment. With… Continue Reading “Owls Do Cry – Janet Frame”
The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Jobless and homeless during world financial collapse, Charmaine and Stan sign up for a social experiment called The Positron Project. In it, no one is unemployed and everyone gets a comfortable, clean house to live in for six… Continue Reading “The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood”
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