1. Untouchable Girls by Jools & Lynda Topp (A&U)
Holding fast to the number 1 slot is the memoir from the beloved Topp Twins. As their interview with the Listener notes, when putting together this memoir they “made a list of significant periods in their lives, then worked their way through it non-chronologically. Eventually, they had 31 chapters that recall how the Waikato farm girls ran away to the army, stayed on in Christchurch, and found a new home among the increasingly vociferous local lesbian community, turned their country music-honed voices into protest songs … then somehow, via the magic of television and abundant charisma and their array of characters, became beloved mainstream entertainers. Oh, and in chapter 23, cancer.” Also in the book is a topic largely uncanvassed: the sisters’ sometimes roller-coaster love lives over the decades.
2. Smithy by Wayne Smith & Phil Gifford (Mower)
As a resurgent All Blacks head again into the final in France, one of our rugby greats has written his long-awaited memoir. Regarded as one of the best rugby thinkers in the world, “The Professor” Wayne Smith, with the help of eminent sports journalist Phil Gifford, gives his account of coaching the Black Ferns to victory in the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup. It’s full of insight and anecdotes from the man himself, but also talks to many of the women and men who took the team to a world title.
3. Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins)
NZ Herald reporter Jared Savage holds on to the No 3 slot in his first week with his latest book. Gangster’s Paradise follows Gangland, an exploration of how organised crime in New Zealand has evolved in recent years, particularly around illegal drugs. His 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 in size 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. Patu: The New Zealand Wars by Gavin Bishop (Picture Puffin)
The award-winning Gavin Bishop turns his attention to the New Zealand Wars of the 1800s in this large-format history. It’s a beautifully illustrated and painstakingly detailed account of the key movements of people and troops, battle sites and villages. The Listener said: “What makes the kaumatua of New Zealand children’s literature uniquely qualified to cover this turbulent period in our history is the personal connection: his Scottish grandfather, Benjamin “Banjo” McKay, born 1847, was one of the children of John Horton McKay and Irihāpeti Hahau, sister of the Māori King Tāwhiao.”
5. Little Ruby and Friends by Ruby Tui & Samoni Cavander (A&U)
Rugby star – and author of the bestselling memoir Straight Up – Ruby Tui has written a picture book. It’s about Little Ruby in the playground with all her mates, all of whom have different ways of sorting out their problems, and they help Little Ruby sort her own. As Ruby says: “Talofa, my friends! I wrote this book to show that everyone gets upset sometimes, and that can look very different for each of us. But the good news is there are also heaps of ways to feel better, and sometimes all we need to do is listen. I hope you love this book, too!”
6. Meet You At The Main Divide by Justine & Geoff Ross (HarperCollins)
Six years ago, having sold their successful vodka business, 42 Below, Justine and Geoff Ross decided to up sticks from inner-city Auckland and buy a 6500-hectare high-country sheep station near Lake Hāwea. Their plan was to see if they could make the place environmentally sustainable and profitable while managing 10,000 merino sheep. Even though both were born into farming families, it was hard yakka, but the authors of Every Bastard Says No aren’t people who fall at the first hurdle. And when Lake Hāwea Station was showcased on Country Calendar as the first certified carbon-zero farm and retreat, some in the farming community mocked their touchy-feely greeny aspirations. Did they care? Probably not so much.
7. Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Eve by Lynley Dodd (Puffin)
Just in time for the festive season, a lift-the-flap board book for the smallest Kiwis has broken into the top 10! In national treasure Lynley Dodd’s latest, it’s Christmas Eve and the sneakiest, most troublesome cat Slinky Malinki has stolen the tree decorations. Where has Slinky hidden them? Kids will have to lift the flaps to find the baubles and bells, trinkets and tinsel.
8. The Dressmaker and the Hidden Soldier by Doug Gold (A&U)
Still gracing the top 10 is this local thriller – it’s categorised as non-fiction, but it’s in the style of a novel – about the bold escape of a Kiwi prisoner of war, a Resistance heroine and a young Greek dressmaker, written by former radio mogul Doug Gold. “Peter braced himself. He gripped the side of the slatted timber door, took a deep breath and launched himself from the carriage. He leapt as far as he could, reminding himself to relax to cushion the impact when he hit the ground. But he stumbled as he landed, taking his weight first on his left foot and then twisting on to his right. As he turned, his right knee buckled, and he fell. A stabbing pain shot down his lower limb and he screamed in agony. Instinct then kicked in; he rolled away and pulled up several metres from the tracks. He saw Patrick rolling away, too. His friend had also made it. The piercing clatter of machine-gun fire and the screeching of brakes cut short any elation. The deep-throated growl of Dobermans, attack dogs kept on board to deter escapes or pursue those who tried, rose above the rat-a-tat of the Mauser machine guns and the rasping sound of metal on metal as the train wheels locked up. The German guards must have seen the first escapers jump and shouted orders to halt the train. By the time Peter and Patrick hit the ground, the train was slowing. But it was some distance away when it finally stopped and Peter lay still, hoping that his khaki uniform would blend in with the brown earth. Patrick lay a few metres away. The onslaught from the Mausers was incessant. Bullets whistled by and Peter dared not move. One ricocheted off a small boulder next to his left arm; he could almost feel the heat as it flew past. ‘Jesus Christ, that was close,’ he thought.”
9. The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press)
Giselle Clarkson combines her comics and conservation backgrounds for this cutely illustrated “handbook for mounting very small scientific expeditions” aimed at 7- to 11-year-olds. Observology, says Clarkson, is the study of looking, and specialists in the field make scientific expeditions every day. They notice fascinating details in the world around them, and are expert at finding tiny creatures, plants and fungi. They know that earthworms have bristles, that only female spiders make webs, and how to improve boring situations, like when an adult bumps into someone they know. Dozens of creatures and aspects of the natural world come under the microscope, from insects to fungi, seeds to bird droppings.
10. Whakawhetai: Gratitude by Hira Nathan (A&U)
Hira Nathan’s te reo Māori gratitude diary, released in May, has sold oodles, and has now made its way back into the top 10, in the process pushing out Dan Carter’s guide to success.
Why is a gratitude diary so popular? Here’s the publisher’s blurb in part:
“Kia ū ki te pai, kia whai hua ai. Hold on to what is good and good things will follow. An inspirational, bilingual gratitude journal, based on the Māori holistic approach to health, hauora. Discover the four dimensions of hauora: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental), taha wairua (spiritual) and taha whānau (family). No matter how difficult life can seem, there is always something to feel grateful for. Taking note regularly of the positives – no matter how small – in each of these areas of your life can have a huge impact on your health and happiness.”
(Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending October 21.)
