Tag: Best Books

Milkman – Anna Burns

READ FOR BOOKERTHON A young woman is pursued by a renouncer terrorist in 1970s Northern Ireland. ➽ “The unnamed narrator in Milkman is the glue that holds the book together. She is the apolitical in a political novel, the every day logic amongst the… Continue Reading “Milkman – Anna Burns”

The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo A love affair and a crime amongst landladies and their tenants, set in post-war Britain. ➽ SPOILER ALERT “Sarah Waters wonderfully sets the scene with her detailed and easy-to-absorb descriptions of the physical and social environment. I really felt as if… Continue Reading “The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters”

When I Hit You: Or A Portrait Of The Writer As A Young Wife – Meena Kandasamy

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel An unnamed narrator tells a story of domestic violence and modern marriage in India through the beauty of literature. ➽ “Named for James Joyce’s debut novel, this book examines modern Indian marriages and brutality in a way not… Continue Reading “When I Hit You: Or A Portrait Of The Writer As A Young Wife – Meena Kandasamy”

Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel A teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, runs away from home to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy and search for his long-missing mother and sister. ◉ “One day in 2006 I bought this book new off the shelves in an… Continue Reading “Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami”

The Name On The Door Is Not Mine – C K Stead

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS A collection of short stories from literary giant CK Stead. The collection includes new, previously unpublished stories as well as older stories that have been reworked. Set in locations from the South of France, Zagreb, Oxford and back to… Continue Reading “The Name On The Door Is Not Mine – C K Stead”

Love As A Stranger – Owen Marshall

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Middle-aged strangers Sarah and Hartley meet by chance in an Auckland graveyard and arrange to have coffee. Sarah’s husband is undergoing cancer treatment. They begin an affair which soon turns into an obsession. ◉ “I loved this book from… Continue Reading “Love As A Stranger – Owen Marshall”

Billy Bird – Emma Neale

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Liam and Iris have a son called Billy, who is as clever and interactive as any other child of his age. However due to a tragedy in the family, Billy turns into a bird. He believes this completely. As… Continue Reading “Billy Bird – Emma Neale”

Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks Marco Polo describes the cities he visited on his expeditions to Kublai Khan, emperor of the Tartars. ◉ “A small strange little book that needs to be read slowly as if you have all the time in the world. Calvino packs… Continue Reading “Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino”

As The Earth Turns Silver – Alison Wong

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo The story and struggles of settler families in early 20th-Century New Zealand. Yung and Shun are immigrants from China. They become greengrocers in Wellington and know they must adapt to their adopted home. Englishwoman Katherine McKechnie struggles to… Continue Reading “As The Earth Turns Silver – Alison Wong”

The Childhood Of Jesus – J M Coetzee

READ FOR TEN YEAR BOOKCLUB REUNION Chosen by Rachel A haunting and surprising novel about childhood and destiny in which a boy and a man cross vast oceans to arrive in a new land. They are each assigned a name and an age, taught… Continue Reading “The Childhood Of Jesus – J M Coetzee”