1. Bird Child and Other Stories by Patricia Grace (Penguin)
Patricia Grace’s new collection of short stories, published nearly two decades after her last, holds on to the No 1 slot.
As Paula Morris’s Listener review notes: “Patricia Grace’s first book, Waiariki, published in 1975, was a collection of short stories, the first published by a Māori woman writer. Almost 50 years later, she is still writing stories. If the pieces in Bird Child are her valediction, they express what Grace holds most dear as a writer: stories of her childhood and youth in a loving Māori and Pākehā family, and the Māori stories, ancient and modern, encompassing forest and freezing works, the pātaka and the Food Court, factory floors and hypocritical ministries with their endless reports and ignored recommendations.”
The collection can be divided into three sections: stories based around myths and legends; episodic, atmospheric stories about a girl named Mereana, clearly informed by Grace’s own youth; and stories largely written since Grace’s last collection, Small Holes in the Silence. “The deft and moving Matariki All-Stars is a stand-out example of Grace’s gift, evoking the complexity of family relationships and social issues in compressed short-story time. Her body of work is one of political activism as well as polished sentences, profound empathy and character-rich communities.”
2. The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner (Moa Press)
Another that’s been popular since its release last November is this historical novel, a “captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit”. Part of it is set in wartime London, when young teacher Ruth volunteers to accompany children to Australia and NZ. During the perilous journey, Ruth becomes friends with 9-year-old Fergus. Ruth’s attention is also diverted by Bobby, another volunteer. Then, in 2005, Hazel boards a plane to London, holding a book from her grandfather, Fergus, which will lead her to the truth.
3. Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins)
NZ Herald reporter Jared Savage’s latest tale of local mobsters, published in October, is holding its own in the bestseller list. It follows Gangland, an exploration of how organised crime in New Zealand has evolved in recent years, particularly around illegal drugs. Savage’s new book explores, in that fast-paced, breathless, newspaper style, how it has escalated – more drugs, more shootings, more corruption – driven by the arrival of “501″ deportees from Australia. Gangs have grown and new ones have sprung up, bringing a harder edge to the scene, he writes. “They have better connections with international drug syndicates, better criminal tradecraft and encrypted communications, and are more willing to use firearms to enforce their will.” Existing gangs have responded in kind, escalating their approach and making life harder for police, who have had to get more innovative and sophisticated to try to counter the threat.
4. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
Still in the top half of the top 10 is Eleanor Catton’s literary thriller, the highest-selling local novel for the past year, hands down. The story of a dastardly billionaire tech mogul doing bad things in the middle of the South Island, using a guerrilla gardening collective as cover, is many things. It is a genuine thriller, with deception and intrigue, chases by thugs and drones, and has an incendiary finale that – slight spoiler – veers towards horror. It’s a character study too, of several people, including the idealistic gardeners, a wannabe journalist, and our rich intruder, and contains within it a critique of left-wing politics and of New Zealanders, particularly our tendency to be complacent and even naive about corruption and bad actors.
5. The Stinky Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith & Katz Cowley (Scholastic)
Mega-selling equine-focused rhymester Craig Smith is back with a tale in which the Wonky Donkey asks his daughter Dinky about her toys: “Which animal do you like best?” Dinky likes reindeer, zebras, camels and antelopes, and her father notes that they all have hooves (though maybe not hippos). “You’re hoof-hearted.”
Then he asks her to pull his hoof…
All the animals are drawn beautifully in this very sily story that little kids will love.
6. Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin)
Fungi enthusiast Liv Sisson’s popular guide to foraging our fields and forests for mushroom morsels, which came out last May, is holding its own in the local bestsellers list. Sisson makes them sound delicious: “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.”
7. Rere Atu Taku Poi!: Let My Poi Fly! by Tangaroa Paul & Rebecca Gibbs (Oratia Books)
Rangi likes doing the haka but performing with poi is what he loves best – even though the kids at school say it’s just for girls. Then the lead poi performer falls ill and Rangi must take her place. Can a boy lead the poi? Written in te reo with English translation.
8. Patu: The New Zealand Wars by Gavin Bishop (Picture Puffin)
A beautifully illustrated, large-format account of the New Zealand Wars, aimed at younger readers but which clearly holds plenty of interest for adults, by the award-winning Bishop. The book explores key characters, movements, battle sites and defining moments in the early years of colonial settlement, honouring all those who played a part, including Bishop’s Scottish grandfather, born in 1847. The clues that enabled him to trace his whakapapa? His mother’s middle names: Irihapeti Hinepau.
9. Pee Wee the Lonely Kiwi Finds a New Friend by Blair Cooper & Cheryl Smith (Flying Books)
Bopping back and forth in the bestseller list is this children’s book about a kiwi looking for a friend, searching high and low, from sea to mountaintop. It was a top seller when it was first published in 2019 and now it’s popped back into the charts, for some reason. Will Pee Wee find a friend? You wouldn’t bet against it, though this one has something of a surprise ending.
10. This is ADHD by Chanelle Moriah (A&U)
A guide to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, written and illustrated by someone who was diagnosed with it at the age of 22 and decided there wasn’t a lot out there for ADHD adults.
(Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending February 10.)
