On the record by Steven Joyce, Hands in the Dirt by Leah Evans and Far North by David White & Angus Gillies. Photos / Supplied
On the record by Steven Joyce, Hands in the Dirt by Leah Evans and Far North by David White & Angus Gillies. Photos / Supplied
1. On the Record, by Steven Joyce (Allen & Unwin)
Tell-all from the Mr Fixit of the John Key years goes straight in at No 1. Not only the National Party’s campaign strategist but variously minister for transport, infrastructure, tertiary education and economic development – “He got stuff done,” saidBill English – the one-time radio network boss talks about his life in and out of Parliament, his opinions of key players, as well as revealing how politics actually works in NZ.
On the Record, by Steven Joyce. 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. The Art of Winning, by Dan Carter (Penguin)
The All Black legend’s deep dive into leadership, strength and resilience finally falls from the top spot, but is still selling in truckloads.
“For me, a growth mindset is simply 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
4. 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
5. The Bone Tree, by Airana Ngarewa (Moa Press)
Holding in the top five is the much-praised debut novel from Pātea author (and teacher) Airana Ngarewa. It covers the story of two brothers, born and raised in the shadow of Taranaki Maunga. Earlier this month, the Listener published a revealing 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. Photo / Supplied
6. From the Pilot’s Seat, by Fletcher McKenzie (Penguin)
Second week in 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. Far North, by David White & Angus Gillies (Upstart Press)
Knocking the likes of Hairy MacLary, Pearl in a Whirl and the ADHD guide off the top 10 list of books published here is this book version of a TV series starring Robyn Malcolm and Temuera Morrison that’s based on a true-life crime story. The job was straightforward: head up from Auckland, pick up 500kg of meth from Ninety Mile Beach and drive it back without getting noticed. But police, with the aid of sharp-eyed locals and a series of mistakes by the crims, foiled the deal.
Far North, by David White & Angus Gillies. Photo / Supplied
10. Hands in the Dirt, by Leah Evans (Allen & Unwin)
Practical guide to kitchen gardening in any size plot from Leah Evans, who lives with her family in rural south Rotorua and has been growing her own vegetables for nearly 25 years.
