Mystery and intrigue are rippling through a Lower Hutt community, where random letterboxes have been stuffed with romantic literature over the past week.
Erotica and romance – or smut – has been soaringin popularity among Generation Z, but the books being delivered to letterboxes from Eastbourne to Lowry Bay are no modern reads.
They mostly appear to be tales from the 1980s, like Lovestorm by Barbara Benedict, in which the protagonist is “stripped of her pride by a dashing rogue” and learns “the sweet fury of passion’s tempest”.
Recipients of the smut-dropper’s kindness have been throwing around theories about why they have been sharing the love.
“A lot of them seem to be romance novels, so maybe somebody’s fallen on hard luck in that area and has decided that they’re going to have a change of direction,” said Dawn Brannigan, who found Lovestorm in her letterbox in Eastbourne a few days ago.
“A new year, somebody may be decluttering and ... rather than throw the books away or put them in the recycling bin, decided that it would be much more fun to distribute them randomly around the neighbourhood,” she said.
Brannigan checked her security camera, but it did not capture the culprit.
“They’re obviously moving around the community and just spreading a bit of joy and love,” she said.
“Certainly fun and excitement and has created quite a bit of mystery in the community, but I would have to say that it’s definitely spreading joy.”
Brannigan had not read the novel, and donated it to the free community bookshelf.
But it was nowhere to be seen when RNZ visited on Tuesday – snapped up already.
Lower Hutt resident Dawn Brannigan donated the novel she received in her letterbox to the free community bookshelf. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ
Another Eastbourne resident, who did not want to be named, said she loved finding Midnight Masquerade by Shirlee Busbee in the letterbox.
“[I’m] currently reading All Fours by Miranda July, so it wasn’t totally off-brand,” she said.
But she had no idea who was behind the deliveries, either.
“They’ve been receiving them as far as Lowry Bay, so it’s quite the distance, I’m not sure if it’s a school holiday game, or, I don’t know, people trying to loosen up the community.”
But they were not all spicy, X-rated reads.
Lowry Bay resident Dianne Kemp received the book 'SOS Firestorm' in her letterbox. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ
Up the road about 5km in Lowry Bay, Dianne Kemp’s experience was a little different.
“This one’s more like ... a young boy’s adventure story, SOS Firestorm ... it might be a bit hot inside the volcano, but that’s about all.”
Anne Wood received Richard Branson’s Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You in Business School.
“Hilarious, as I would never have chosen it but now intend to read,” she said.
Whether the new postie is a teenage prankster or a local bookworm, they have managed to generate some chatter and a few laughs – and add some diversity to people’s summer reading lists.
