Tag: Books

Nothing To See – Pip Adam

Read for NZ Book Awards The lives of friends Peggy and Greta are detailed in three different decades in this book. In 1994 they are aged 24 and breaking free of alcohol and a traumatic past; in 2006 they have jobs and are coping… Continue Reading “Nothing To See – Pip Adam”

Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

Chosen by Becks Political satirist George Orwell’s nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one man’s attempt to find individuality.. ⫸ “Winston Smith is both an anti-hero and an everyday man who re-writes history for a living. He lives in Oceania in an… Continue Reading “Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell”

Victory Park – Rachel Kerr

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Kara is a young widow, living in the Victory Park council flats with her young son Jayden. She makes a living by minding other people’s tamariki in her home but struggles to get by financially and emotionally. Her new… Continue Reading “Victory Park – Rachel Kerr”

The Swimmers – Chloe Lane

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Twenty six year old Erin is at the bach visiting her mum who has motor neurone disease, only to be informed her mother wishes to take her death into her own hands. Erin has walked away from a job… Continue Reading “The Swimmers – Chloe Lane”

Toto Amongst The Murderers – Sally J Morgan

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS ● In the 1970s, at age 21, Sally J Morgan was hitchhiking in Yorkshire and was offered a lift by Fred and Rosemary West. This close call inspired her novel Toto Amongst The Murderers, in which the protagonist, Toto, is… Continue Reading “Toto Amongst The Murderers – Sally J Morgan”

The Harpy – Megan Hunter

Chosen by Rachel A wife is permitted to hurt her husband three times after his affair is discovered. ⫸ “In Greek mythology a harpy is a half bird-half woman. As a bird of prey it has wide wings and sharp talons, yet the face… Continue Reading “The Harpy – Megan Hunter”

Bina: A Novel In Warnings – Anakana Schofield

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jo A disillusioned woman in her 70s writes on the back of envelopes about her life, dedicating her story to all the women who have had enough. ⫸ “Anakana Schofield was quoted as saying literature does not exist only to… Continue Reading “Bina: A Novel In Warnings – Anakana Schofield”

The Secret History – Donna Tartt

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jodie A group of Greek mythology students attempt to experience a higher level of being and in doing so carry out an evil act. ⫸ “There were many reasons why the The Secret History was such a hit with… Continue Reading “The Secret History – Donna Tartt”

Lost Children Archive – Valeria Luiselli

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks A family’s road trip across America collides with an immigration crisis at the southwestern border. ✚ “Lost Children Archive is not purely about immigrants crossing borders. More, it reflects on the histories of immigrants that have been lost… Continue Reading “Lost Children Archive – Valeria Luiselli”

Shuggie Bain – Douglas Stuart

READ FOR BOOKERTHON A story of addiction, love and hardship in a working-class Scottish family. The main character is Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down Glasgow public housing attempting to establish his true identity.  ✚ “I knew I… Continue Reading “Shuggie Bain – Douglas Stuart”