Our Land in Colour, by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham, Eat Up New Zealand: The Bach Edition, by Al Brown and The Bone Tree, by Airana Ngarewa. Photos / Supplied
Our Land in Colour, by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham, Eat Up New Zealand: The Bach Edition, by Al Brown and The Bone Tree, by Airana Ngarewa. Photos / Supplied
1. The Art of Winning, by Dan Carter (Penguin)
The All Black legend’s deep dive into leadership, strength and resilience has been at No 1 since it was released and won’t budge until every rugby fan and self-improvement type has got themselves a copy.
“For me, a growth mindset issimply the idea that we believe we are capable of being better than we were yesterday, and that we strive to make that improvement each and every day, so that it becomes habit. It often seems to come naturally to us as children, but as we get older, we need a growth mindset just as much if we’re to constantly evolve and improve. If we’re at all serious about achieving our potential, then it’s absolutely vital. But without our childhood innocence, that natural learning curve we’re all on as children, it can be more challenging. We have to approach it in a more conscious, concerted way. So, when I walked off the pitch with that thought, I want to be an All Black great, I needed to also ask myself: Okay, so what does an All Black great do?”
The Art of Winning, by Dan Carter. Photo / Supplied
2. Our Land in Colour, by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham (HarperCollins)
Two hundred historical photographs colourised by an expert with commentary from award-winning historian Jock Phillips in a beautiful 400-page hardback. A fascinating insight into how we worked, ate, dressed and got around, before we had cars and television and jet aeroplanes, and when most of us didn’t live in a few large cities.
Our Land in Colour, by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham. Photo / Supplied
3. Fungi of Aotearoa, by Liv Sisson (Penguin)
Fungus enthusiast Liv Sisson’s guide to foraging our fields and forests for mushroom morsels is still a bestseller after three months in the charts. A taste: “Here are some of the most interesting fungi foods I’ve come across in Aotearoa. Slippery jack mushroom burgers, grilled over charcoal, with a dash of pine oil, served over a bed of creamy mushroom-stock polenta. Mushroom mince dumplings. A porcini mushroom chocolate mousse Yule log. Those first two dishes come from Max Gordy, and the third from Vicki Young – both are top Wellington chefs. When we think outside of the ‘mushrooms on toast’ box, we find that fungi offer us untapped foodie potential.”
Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sissons. Photo / Supplied
4. The Bone Tree, by Airana Ngarewa (Moa Press)
Straight in at No 4 of the NZ-published list is the debut novel from Pātea author (and teacher) Airana Ngarewa. The novel covers the story of two brothers, born and raised in the shadow of Taranaki Maunga. Last week, we published an essay from the author about the origin of the story behind the novel, and an extract from the book.
The Bone Tree, by Airana Ngarewa
5. From the Pilot’s Seat, by Fletcher McKenzie (Penguin)
Also straight into the bestseller list is this account of Kiwi adventures in the sky. Fletcher McKenzie did his first skydive at 16, then bought a plane with some mates at 18. Here, he tells the fascinating stories of New Zealand pilots – including one of the original Dambusters, piloting Richard Branson’s private jet and getting into the F-18 from Top Gun – as well as his own tales of flying joy and danger.
From the Pilot's Seat, by Fletcher McKenzie. Photo / Supplied
6. Eat Up New Zealand: The Bach Edition, by Al Brown (Allen & Unwin)
Al Brown, creator of restaurants Depot and Federal Deli, has updated his top-selling cookbook for the Kiwi holiday house. He offers more than 150 recipes, including a stack of ideas for kai moana, as well as clever and tasty things to do with meat and veges and for dessert.
Eat Up New Zealand: Bach Edition by Al Brown. Photo / Supplied
7. This Is ADHD, by Chanelle Moriah (Allen & Unwin)
Chanelle Moriah’s personal yet practical guide to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is still in the top 10 three months after it was published.
This Is ADHD, by Chanelle Moriah. Photo / Supplied
8. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, by Lynley Dodd (Puffin)
Sales of the classic zoom on – already at an astonishing 11 million copies worldwide – with this latest spike the result of a 40th-anniversary search for lookalikes for Hairy and his canine friends such as Bottomley Potts and Hercules Morse.
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd. Photo / Supplied
9. Whakawhetai: Gratitude, by Hira Nathan (Allen & Unwin)
A gratitude journal! In English and te reo! Still in the top 10 after many weeks! Turns out we’re a very grateful nation.
Whakawhetai: Gratitude, by Hira Nathan. Photo / Supplied
10. Pearl in a Whirl, by Catherine Robertson & Fifi Colston (Picture Puffin)
The true story of one cat’s wild adventures during Cyclone Gabrielle, by bestselling novelist Robertson and writer, illustrator and Wearable Arts winner Colston, is still in the charts. Money from each copy sold goes towards the recovery effort.
