Read all about it

In this week's Read All About It I have two novels for the ladies - one by a local author and the other for those who have finished all the Shades of Grey books and are looking for something similar. I also have a book about bullies that I believe all children should read and we finish with some curious words.

I thoroughly enjoyed Charity Norman's first novel Freeing Grace so was looking forward to reading her second. The first page was a report from Hawke's Bay Today, the local newspaper, about The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter airlifting a five-year old boy from a coastal address after a fall from a balcony. I was hooked.

Norman then takes readers back nearly 12 months to the United Kingdom where Martha and her family are living. Martha's husband has lost his job. He's depressed and turning to the bottle for comfort. Desperate to save her husband and children (four-year old twin boys and a teenage daughter) from ruin, Martha decides to move the family to New Zealand. Norman does well describing the heart-wrenching scenes as the family prepare to leave. She peppers this with witty banter from twin boys who consider everything they do an adventure.

All goes well at first. However, trouble is lurking and it seems the family has fled one demon just to run into another. Norman captures the emotions of a family floundering to deal with an incident so terrible they can barely bring themselves to even talk about it let alone deal with it. This story is not all doom and gloom. There is plenty of humour and some good old-fashioned family fun.

Norman, a barrister specialising in crime and family law, moved her family from the northeast of England to New Zealand in 2002. She lives in Hawke's Bay and is working on her third novel. Second Chances is published by Allen&Unwin; and retails for $36.99.

Now for something a little bit steamy. Bared to You by Sylvia Day is a sexy story about Gideon and Eva. In the first book of a trilogy, Eva begins a new job as an assistant at an advertising agency. On the first day on the job, she spots a hot man who she can't stop thinking about. Eventually the two "bump" into each other and some very steamy scenes follow. However, it's not all smooth sailing for this couple as they both have their own demons to deal with. I am told on very good authority that if readers enjoyed the Fifty Shades of Grey books, they will love this. Published by Penguin, Bared to You retails for $19.99.

Nearly every week, there is a report in the media about bullying, whether it be in the school yard, the office or on Facebook. Fortunately, there are people with tools to help. One is Tim Tipene, an award-winning children's author and a youth and self defence counsellor. Tipene has re-released his novel Warrior Kids with a new title Bullies and Warriors.

Aimed at 9-to-12-year-olds, the story is about Sean and Mark. Sean hates going to school because Mark and his mates threaten him and push him around. When they join a school programme called Warrior Kids, they each learn about leadership and self-control. An excellent tool to teach children that it is unacceptable to bully or be bullied. Every child should read this book or have it read to them. Bullies and Warriors is published by Libro International and retails for $24.99.

Lastly this week, we have a wonderful word book by Max Cryer, Curious: English words and Phrases . Did you now that the phrase "few and far between" originated from a poem written in 1840? These days, says Cryer, it is often used in weather reports about intermittent showers. A great gift for anyone who wants to find out the where, the why, and the how, of our language. Published by Exisle, the book retails for $29.99.