LifestyleRosaleen Madigan's poignant and poetic commentary on lifeRosaleen Madigan loves her four adult children but, it has to be said, she has a pretty funny way of showing it.29 May 05:00 PM
LifestyleChristopher McDougall - parkour, paleo and energetic proseThose of us for whom the Great Outdoors is the walk from front door to car door need to read Christopher McDougall.29 May 05:00 PM
LifestyleBonding over bloodshedAward-winning Auckland writers Linda Olsson and Thomas Sainsbury tell Craig Sisterson why they’re collaborating on a thriller trilogy.29 May 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Satisfaction in meaty charactersSix of the best in stories starring oddballs and good sorts.23 May 11:55 PM
LifestyleBooks: Constellations of light in tale of tragedyIn her new novel we encounter Julian in a state of profound grief for his lover, Julia, and their daughter, Mira.22 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Many strands weave intriguing yarnFelicito Yanaque is a self-made man. He lives in the city of Piura, and is the owner of a small transport company that he has built up from scratch into a modestly successful enterprise.22 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Powerful debut set in seedy Irish underworldMeet the first novel by a Galway writer who blogs about life on a council estate under a name so forceful I can’t repeat it in a family newspaper. Meet also a terrific reading experience.22 May 06:00 PM
New ZealandBooks: Recent releases May 17Parisian feel-good tale amuses despite its implausible plot.16 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleMy, what big prospects she's got...Karen Attwood meets first-time novelist Kate Hamer, whose 21st-century Little Red Riding Hood is tipped to be a best-seller.15 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Exploring the dark side of utopiaNigerian author Ben Okri uncovers the dark side of Arcadia in his latest novel. Stephen Jewell chats to the writer.08 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Wait until it's rightSuccess has given Tim Winton, one of Australia’s best-loved authors, the luxury of time to craft his books into their ideal form, writes David Larsen.08 May 06:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Life's a messy businessA debut novel has readers curious about how they’ll be remembered when they die.25 Apr 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Life and love over the divideRegular flashes of brilliance in the prose don't entirely steady the wobbles in this second novel from UK actress and writer Emily Woof.28 Mar 09:34 PM
LifestyleBooks: How to build a lifeAustralian writer Kate Grenville’s new book is a homage to her mother Nance, an ‘ordinary’ woman who decided she wasn’t going to follow in her own mother’s footsteps. She talks to Linda Herrick.27 Mar 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Mildly amusing nonsenseI really like the actress Celia Imrie, one of the stars of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movies. So I wanted to like her debut novel, but I struggled at times.21 Mar 04:00 PM
TravelTravel book review: <I>Thailand's Best Street Food</I>There's nothing like a little local knowledge - someone who can point a visitor in the direction of the best pub or offer the inside word on where to find the least crowded beach spot and how to get a good price on tickets for the museum or gallery.19 Mar 04:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Mother's sad, mad declineIndian novels tend to be sprawling, colourful and chaotic affairs. Em and the Big Hoom is some of those things but not all.14 Mar 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: The boatman's callNever mind the name, Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the best British writers in the business, and his dazzling latest novel, The Buried Giant, may just be his best yet.06 Mar 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Out of violence comes loveSometimes, as a reviewer, it pays to wait a few days after finishing a book before beginning the review.06 Mar 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: An intriguing monsterYou can buy a deluxe edition of this new, independent New Zealand publisher's handsome production, with "Yulong cream paper ... Woodfree real leather ... foil stamping".27 Feb 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Will Smith is a Swiss army knifeKnown as an actor in TV satire The Thick Of It and as a comedy writer for Veep, Will Smith has written a mystery thriller set in the Channel Islands. It’s John le Carre meets Middlemarch, he tells Alice Jones.27 Feb 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: The illusion of controlS.J. Watson’s ambitious follow-up to his best-seller Before I Go To Sleep delves into the murky world of cybersex, he tells Stephen Jewell.27 Feb 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Secrets behind ordinaryUntangling the dramas of a seemingly normal family makes for an authentic read.21 Feb 05:00 PM
LifestyleBooks: Life after deathTo begin a novel with a character who is dead from the very first page is a risk.20 Feb 05:00 PM
