The Lightning Tree
By Emily Woof (Faber)
Regular flashes of brilliance in the prose don't entirely steady the wobbles in this second novel from UK actress and writer Emily Woof. Set in Newcastle, it is a love story of sorts, told in an intense and fanciful stream of consciousness style. Ursula grows up in a middle-class part of the city with an activist mother who's always off on rallies and an ever-present grandmother whose mind is in the past. Ursula falls for Jerry, who comes from the rough side of town, and they believe they'll be together forever. But Jerry goes to university and Ursula sets off to India where she has a mind-blowing, quasi-religious experience that their relationship can't survive. As adults, struggling with their lives, something seems always to be missing, and their paths continue to collide. Woof's talent as a writer shines most brightly in the earlier parts of this novel. There are duller moments as we speed through Ursula and Jerry's lives and an apparent attempt at tragi-comedy - in the character of grandma Mary - doesn't hit its mark. An ambitious novel about life and love that never quite lives up to its early promise.
The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman
By Mamen Sanchez (Double Day)
These days there is a genre of "quirky and charming" bestsellers. They tend to have extra-long titles and feature characters who aren't meant to be entirely believable and lots of gentle humour. This novel, a bestseller in Mamen Sanchez's native Spain, falls squarely into that category. Atticus Craftsman is a young Englishman who travels everywhere with a suitcase of Earl Grey tea, which he believes cures all ills. His father sends him to Madrid to shut down a small literary magazine that is failing to make a profit for the family publishing company. This task proves more complicated than he had imagined because of the feisty women staff who are determined to keep their jobs. They come up with a plot that results in the disappearance of Atticus and easily flummoxes the bumbling Spanish detective, Inspector Manchego. There's a mystery of sorts, love stories, characters battling heartache, literary allusions, cliched repressed English folk and hot-blooded Andalusians. A funny, friendly tale.
A Treasury Of New Zealand Baking
Edited by Lauraine Jacobs (Penguin Random House)
No matter what the wellness experts say, for most of us there will always be a place for a few sweet treats. This new edition of a modern Kiwi classic is packed with sugary delights from some of our top food writers. Treasured, "utterly reliable" family recipes and updated Kiwi staples, slices to fill lunchboxes, healthy bran muffins and rich chocolate delights, cakes filled with courgettes and carrot - all are here, temptingly photographed by Aaron McLean. A book to inspire non-bakers to give the art of dessert-making a go, plus satisfy long-time fillers-of-tins with fresh ideas and interesting twists. It's tough to pick stand-outs among so many stars but Fiona Smith's chocolate, custard and fruit pastries are calling to me. The royalties on this book go to The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.
Bridled Passion
By Margot Butcher (Bateman)
There are times when you'd be forgiven for thinking that rugby and cricket are the only sports this country excels at so it's good to see this tribute to some of our Kiwi equestrian stars. Margot Butcher has gathered 30 years of sporting history into one pacey volume. There's a big focus on eventing since that's the discipline where we've had our greatest triumphs - from the legendary Mark Todd who appears on the book's front cover to newer star Jock Paget whose fairytale rise up the ranks almost ended in scandal. But there's also a look at dressage riders Kallista Field and Louisa Hill. And naturally many of the equine champions - from Mark Todd's Charisma to Blyth Tait's Ready Teddy - are celebrated, too. All the drama of international horse-sports is captured with fabulous action shots and lively informed writing.
Eat The Sky, Drink The Ocean
Edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar and Anita Roy (Allen & Unwin)
A fantastic collection of short speculative fiction, Eat The Sky, Drink The Ocean is the perfect young adult book to dive into. Combining graphic stories with short writing from 20 artists and authors from India and Australia, this a unique book. The stories are fun, thoughtful, worrying and weird but they're all great reading. My particular favourites were Memory Lace by Payal Dhar and Swallow The Moon by Kate Constable and Priya Kuriyan. It is aimed at young adults but older adults will find this just as enjoyable.
Review by Ngaire Atmore Pattison who blogs about books online at: bookiemonster.co.nz
Anzac Ted
By Belinda Landsberry (Exisle)
In this picture book the Anzac legend is brought to life for young readers via a teddy bear who goes to war with a soldier and provides comfort. After the war, it's passed down to the soldier's grandson. The book talks about the teddy bear never winning a medal and looking a bit worse for wear - just as some of the diggers now do - but reminds readers that inside Anzac Ted is an unsung hero filled with courage and loyalty. This tale is told in rhyming text by Landsberry, a former primary school teacher and graphic designer. It's a good choice for 5-8-year-olds with a family member who has experienced war, or for parents wanting to discuss the concept of war with their children.
Review by Danielle Wright creator of award-winning children's books and the news site: newsmummy.com
Nicky's best read
Dishing up an alternative version of local news and culture, satirical website The Civilian never fails to raise a smile. Headlines such as "Mad Butcher's prices actually quite sensible" give some clue to what you're getting. It's smart and irreverent. Check it out at
Best-selling New Zealand novelist Julie Thomas' latest book is Blood, Wine & Chocolate (HarperCollins).
Book lover
The book I love most is ...
The Bible
, closely followed by Ken Follett's
The Pillars Of The Earth
and Thomas Keneally's
Schindler's Ark
.
The book I'm reading right now is ... Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Intertwining time-frames and stories, it's beautifully written.
The book I'd like to read next is ... When I'm writing I read for research. But after a book is finished I relax with a favourite crime novel. Murder And Mendelssohn, a Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood is waiting.
My favourite bookshop is ... Paper Plus in Cambridge, full of treasures, wonderfully knowledgeable staff and they do the best book launches.
The book that changed me is ... When I was 10 my Dad gave me a leather-bound set of Jane Austen and I read Pride and Prejudice. It might sound corny but I was already writing and it helped me to decide that one day ...
The book I wish I'd never read is ... I am rarely disappointed. I do remember reading The Da Vinci Code after seeing the movie and being disappointed.