Catherine Chidgey's The Book of Guilt holds fast at the top of the NZ bestsellers' list. Photos / Supplied
Catherine Chidgey's The Book of Guilt holds fast at the top of the NZ bestsellers' list. Photos / Supplied
1. (1) The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
Heading all the local charts for the third week running is Catherine Chidgey’s latest novel, which tells the mysterious, ominous story of three boys in an alternative 1970s Britain.
It’s a “tense,rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener/books/guilty-pleasure-catherine-chidgeys-the-book-of-guilt-reviewed/KFCCC3BP2VFBRC6XKHEFXK52GY/"> compelling, genre-fusing book”, said the Listener. “There is the hint of submerged identity; of aspiration and prosperity, rubbing skins with disappointment and neglect; a preoccupation with what is authentic and what is fraudulent; the self and truth only dimly visible … Calling on the deeply rooted psychological power of the storytelling rule of three, the novel is divided into The Book of Dreams, The Book of Knowledge and The Book of Guilt. Three women, Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night, care for a set of 13-year-old triplets in an all-boy’s orphanage. There are three main narrative perspectives: Vincent, one of the triplets; the Minister of Loneliness, a government minister in charge of national care institutions known as the Sycamore Homes; and Nancy, a young girl kept in seclusion by fastidious older parents. This attention to pattern also coolly embodies the quest for order and control, the troubling obsession at the core of the fictional investigation.”
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Photo / Supplied.
2. (NEW) Dr Libby Fix Iron First by Dr Libby Weaver (Little Green Frog)
“The one thing that changes everything,” reckons the subtitle of the latest book from Libby Weaver, which jumps straight into the number two spot.
Iron is essential for our health, and its lack is particularly common among girls and women. Menstruation, pregnancy and hormonal change can lead to iron deficiency, iron absorption can be an issue for some people, and it’s often a trial to eat enough iron-rich foods.
Weaver’s new book, Fix Iron First, aims to address this. As her website, which also sells iron supplements made from organic peas, notes that low iron doesn’t just make you tired: “It can alter your brain chemistry, slow your metabolism, impact your thyroid, disturb your sleep and lower your emotional resilience. It affects how you think, how you feel, how you show up in the world – every single day.”
Fix Iron First: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Dr Libby Weaver. Photo / Supplied
3. (3) Whānau by Donovan Farnham and Rehua Wilson (Moa Press)
This illustrated pocket hardback, ideal as a gift, aims to improve your te reo Māori one phrase at a time. Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham and Rehua Wilson offer up dozens of expressions, often with metaphorical or proverbial origins, such as “He toka tū moana” (stalwart) and “Kei mate wheke” (never surrender).
Whānau by Donovan Farnham and Rehua Wilson. Photo / Supplied
4. (10) The Bookshop Detectives: Tea And Cake And Death by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin)
The bestselling Bookshop Detectives, owner of Sherlock Tomes, have another mysterious case to solve.
From the publisher: “In this rollicking new adventure, Garth and Eloise (and Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, the Battle of the Book Clubs. As time runs out and the body count rises, it seems the bad actors are circling closer to the people and places they care about. Could Pinter, the infamous serial killer from Eloise’s past, somehow be involved? And when anyone could be a suspect, how can Garth and Eloise keep their customers, their small town and their beloved bookshop safe?”
From the Listener’s review: “Wilkins confronts the much-promoted glow of retirement and reveals some harder-edged truths, both personal and general. The distinction between expectation and reality is telling. Delirious has suspense and pace.
“Mary and Pete live in a large two-storeyed house with a view of Kāpiti Island over the beach dunes. Both are in their late 70s and the future now looms in their thoughts. The expectations of others are clear: the couple will downsize and move into a retirement village.
“But this is no ordinary novel. While the pace of life seems easy and pleasant, the past has a way of returning. Events seldom run to plan. Mary and Pete’s son died in an accident 40 years earlier, at the age of 11. A sudden call comes from Wellington CIB with the possibility of new information.”
From the publisher: “Vanya has built her reputation on simple, delicious, never-fail recipes. She knows what works in the kitchen when it comes to feeding a family and how to whip up the perfect dish for every occasion. Following on from the runaway success of Everyday Favourites and Summer Favourites, Everyday Comfort Food celebrates the colder seasons, with warming winter meals and nostalgic treats to keep the whole tribe happy — as well as more of the everyday winning dishes Vanya is known for. From hearty soups, tender slow-cooked lamb and flaky golden pies to sweet delights and indulgent self-saucing puddings, Everyday Comfort Food delivers 70 mouth-watering recipes that taste like home.”
Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull. Photo / Supplied
7. (6) See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (Moa Press)
Sydney-set thriller from Auckland writer features a Succession-style family gathering in their retreat after the patriarch dies. Tragedy ensues and, as the Listener noted: “the gilded family will fall … Some of the family will fall by dying. By poison. Others by other methods: loss of reputation, loss of fortune. Those golden sands turn out to be quicksand which swallows nasty rich people up. You have to applaud.”
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris. Photo / Supplied
8. (RETURN) No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins)
TV journalist Alison Mau’s new book promises to be an “inspiring, honest and intimate memoir about family, love and rising from the ashes”.
From the publisher: “From the age of 12, Alison Mau wanted to be a journalist like her father. He was a beer-swilling, straight-talking Aussie who was rough around the edges but could quote passages of Hamlet at will. He taught Ali everything – from how to skin a rabbit and throw a punch to how to craft a sharp sentence – and she craved his validation as she navigated the sexist badlands of Australian print and television journalism through the 1980s and ’90s.
“From Melbourne to London and Auckland, Ali built a glittering career and became a media darling – until an unexpected call from her sister brought her professional and personal lives crashing together with devastating force. As an investigative reporter bringing New Zealand’s #MeToo stories to light, she had to survey the wreckage of her family myth and ask herself, ‘Am I strong enough?’ and ‘Are there words for this?’”
No words for this by Ali Mau. Photo / Supplied
9. (5) Full Circle by Jenny-May Clarkson (HarperCollins)
Holding its place in the charts is this memoir from the TV presenter.
From the publisher: “From a childhood in rural Piopio, Jenny-May Coffin grew up to achieve international success as a Silver Fern and then began a stellar career on radio and television as a sports commentator and morning presenter. But outward success can often mask inner uncertainty, and Jenny-May lost her grip on the confidence her 10-year-old self possessed. The ups and downs of a full life, with tragedies as well as triumphs, left her in need of renewal. Here is the story of how she found self-confidence again, reclaiming strength and identity through her connections to te ao Māori, with the support of her husband, Dean Clarkson, and her close ties to her parents and siblings.”
Full Circle: A personal story of reconnection by Jenny-May Clarkson. Photo / Supplied
10. (3) Dreamslinger by Graci Kim (Penguin)
The first in a very readable series for older tweens/young adults from the Korean Kiwi about 14-year-old Aria Loveridge, who has a special genetic mutation that transports her to a magical realm in her sleep. It also gives her special powers, and when she heads to a tournament for dreamslingers in a Korea-like city state, she begins to find her community.
