If you‘re well-read in the world of long-form investigative journalism these are all stories you‘ve heard before; the opioid crisis, the monetisation of public health, job losses from the outsourcing of labour and more. This book brings a new angle to these stories and is a strong reminder of how unfettered capitalism can lead us to be amoral at best and more consistently unethical. Shocking, interesting, extremely well done.

A quiet little gem about grief, belonging and otherness, identity, and connection. I don‘t think anything can say in my review would accurately capture how carefully, and subtly these ideas are explored. But the writing is measured, and pitch perfect, and this story is so alive in its depiction of people and places. A wonderful novel.

Any easy read and for some reason I stuck with it even though it was totally predictable and pretty lame.

Brooklyn is a gentle story about the challenges of being alone, far away from home, and making big decisions about the direction your life takes, who you want to be, and where you want home to be. I didn‘t always love, or even like Eilis Lacey. At certain points in the novel she‘s hopelessly naive, a bit prejudiced, thoughtless, or helpless. But I think that‘s what makes her such a real character and so I never begrudged Eilis these imperfections.

Sid and I LOVED reading The Wind in the Willows together. I‘d forgotten how beautiful and rich the writing is. Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad are such a spirited and diverse bunch of characters, and the novel manages many changes in pace and direction which really immerse the reader in the complex animal world, and deepen the characterisation of each of the central animals. Somehow Toad is more of a pest every time I read this.

Hughes made me think deeply about big ideas and problems, and challenged the way I might have thought about these things otherwise, while also drawing my investment into a cast of complex characters, their relationships with themselves, each other, and the world. what I mean to say is this is a novel that made me think and feel. I didn‘t see the ending coming but also it was basically perfect? Anyway, just read this, you won‘t regret it.

It‘s intense, it‘s sexy, it‘s obsessive, and it‘s VERY, VERY French. I LOVED it. As excellent on audio as I imagine it would be in print. I was edge of my seat right in the mind of the narrator for 6 hours. Pitch perfect ending. Love, love, love.

An extremely rich, character driven novel which reminded me of how much I love Jules‘ writing. Chenneville is a story that evokes a place and moment in history so strongly, while still remaining a really personal story about its central character. This is definitely an instance where reading in print rather than listening to the audio would have enhanced my reading experience. The narration here was quite flat which didn‘t do the story service

A fast-paced, atmospheric sunset-noir that was a propulsive read. El Flamingo is imaginative storytelling that really transported me out of my life, into a Central American redemption tale, full of extreme wealth, mystery, double agents, faking it until you make it, violence, and the constant threat of danger. It‘s not longs but its action from start to finish, and it was a treat to be transported into this vibrant world.

Funny Story was a fun story. As with all Emily Henry books it demanded nothing of my brain, but provided some light-hearted, and sometimes serious, romance, without too much cheese or smut. The perfect kind of popcorn read which relies heavily on banter as a mode of storytelling. You know what you‘re getting and you know if it‘s for you or not.

Look I love reality tv and I love a good background look into the drama. Better yet that there‘s some intense religious vibes and serious wrongdoing of many kinds here. An excellent recommendation from a friend that I greedily consumed on audio.

A funny, rich people drama, murder mystery. Fast paced, and quite tongue-in-cheek this was the easy read I needed.

A pretty compelling, fast-paced story about an accidental death in a Dunedin University flat (or is it?) Merriman has all the classic components of a good mystery here, a cast of characters including the likeable and unlikeable, rich and poor, mysterious and seemingly transparent. A classic story where nothing is quite as simple as it seems on the surface and that reminds us that none of us are good all the time.

A very interesting reflection on the challenges Domic has faced largely since the end of her playing career and the strategies she has put in place to work towards overcoming them. Definitely some self-help/gratitude vibes, but not overly so and they didn‘t detract from the experience for me. Dokic is vulnerable and reflective and her resilience and honesty is admirable.

I found the chapters in this novel all to be separately interesting stories but they didn‘t really hang together as a coherent whole for me and by the end it felt a bit like we were running over similar ground and the pacing was a little uneven. A vision that has potential but for this reader was not fully realised.

I found the chapters in this novel all to be separately interesting stories but they didn‘t really hang together as a coherent whole for me and by the end it felt a bit like we were running over similar ground and the pacing was a little uneven. A vision that has potential but for this reader was not fully realised.

Tom Lake is a bit of a slow burn to start with but it warms up so much, and really is a warm-hearted novel. Patchett writes beautifully about families, and this novel expertly blends the dynamics of a family with a story about growing up and being on the cusp of adulthood. As always, a story told with insight into decisions made, paths chosen and rejected, and how our lives are shaped piece by piece over time.

A compelling, readable story about class, ambition, desire, appearances, and blowing up your own life. For most of the novel I wasn‘t sure whether the obscurity of the key plot point was going to work, but in the end it did for me. This isn‘t a novel about what specifically happened, but rather how complicated and wrought it is to cross class boundaries, and to create a life that perhaps looks like what you desire, rather than feels like it.

An odd little novella/short story that was a bit more Christian spiritual musings than Beckett-esque rumination on the universe for this reader. Obscure and indirect in a way that didn‘t bother me- a worthwhile read, if not an entirely convincing or moving one for me.

Perhaps more like 3.5. Definitely not the strongest Grisham novel, in that lots of the action takes place off stage, and there‘s lots of narration of travel and movement, rather than of the mechanisms of the plot itself. Still relatively compelling but I could have been more invested in the details.

I have waited an age for a new Perkins novel, and goodness that patience has been rewarded. Perkins is as ever, pitch perfect in this story about MONEY- desire for it, the accumulation of it, the spending of it, the way it smooths the world for you when you have it, and the crushing weight of the potential, ever imminent loss of it. It‘s a novel that very clearly reminds us that money, indeed wealth, is the real source of power in New Zealand.

At an intellectual level it was really interesting to read a novel about the tensions of colonisation in a context more distant from my own. I know much less about French colonisation, particularly in places like Morocco, than I do other contexts. However, something about this novel kept me at a distance, so while I found the ideas interesting I never really felt like I was in the narrative, or connected to the characters.

The Thursday Murder Club books are much more wholesome than my taste normally abides and yet, I really do love them. This fourth instalment is perhaps not the strongest in terms of its central case (its number 3 for me). However the layers added to the characterisation in this novel are pitch perfect, nuanced, and written sensitively and yet with piercing insight. To balance humour with this more moving content is a skill. Loved it.

Great concept- messy, execution. Wanted so much more than I got here, which is disappointing although I shouldn‘t have been surprised based on reviews I‘d read in advance.

My rating reflects the fact that my pea-brain struggled to penetrate this narrative, rather than the quality of the book itself. I could see while reading that this is clever writing. I normally love a fever-dream-like story like this. But at the moment I found this, coupled with a complex cast of characters a bit difficult to keep track of. Lots to appreciate if you have the mental bandwidth (which I presently do not).

Not loving this book, am loving this quote, perhaps because I‘m nostalgic for the classroom

We‘ll team, it‘s Freida McFadden so you know you‘re getting a popcorn thriller with many twists. I‘d only read the Housemaid books before this and I was worried I wouldn‘t love the rest of her books, but this was great. An excellent, fast-paced mystery that made me want to sacrifice sleep to finish it. A good balance of twists and clues, this is the kind of easy reading I love and need right now.

The gang‘s all here for another heartwarming murder mystery. Can‘t get enough of these books and this was my favourite in the series so far. Not my usual cup of tea but for some reason these just really work. Rolling straight into the next one.

I‘m so late to this party that the universe really does not need my hot take on this crowd favourite. I went in expecting it to like not love it, and was pleasantly surprised. It‘s a really compelling story about a life that appears simple and privileged on the surface, but is much more complex than this below the surface. Its structure is a compelling framework for this very character driven narrative. I found it a pretty immersive read

A very confronting read that, through the framework of the legal process of trial by jury, has a lot to say about prevailing attitudes to sexual crimes. Using the perspectives of each of the jurors to unpack the case was a clever way to examine the challenges and flaws of legal process, and peers into the prejudices that impact our thinking about crime. Baylis reveals many more social prejudices, making this novel a broader social commentary.

The title of this book is right, we really do need to talk about Norman. An excellent, brief biography of New Zealand‘s forgotten Prime Minister Norman Kirk. Not a perfect leader but one of few who truly led for the people, and at the core of his purpose the betterment of the lives of people around him. Visionary in his goals for the country and understanding of our place in a changing world. I am ushering in a new deep-dive obsession.

Dolly Alderton really gets into the heads of her millennial characters and her portrayal of romantic disasters and the weaknesses of adult friendships in busy lives is apt to say the least. It was refreshing to read a novel about a man undone by his feelings, the likes of which I‘ve not read since High Fidelity. A really compelling story that‘s honest about flaws which will be recognisable to us all.

A very person-centred exploration of a challenging time in History. The New Zealand Wars sit very much in the background, a tension which underpins the experiences of the central characters. in many ways this makes this novel accessible, and appealing to a wider audience than it might otherwise. It‘s a novel that is very located in place, and Keenan does a good job of centring her story and bringing Taranaki alive. A bit history-lite for me.

A compelling premise, the alternate history undertones and noir storytelling vibes attracted my attention to this book. While this is ultimately an interesting story that unpacks some complex ideas about history, nations, and the ways that we exert social control over people, I felt like the intersection of three styles of storytelling and construction impacted the pacing and kept me a bit at arms length which was a shame.

It‘s just been a treat reading more about astrophysics and the universe with my small mate. He heard a lot more words about the universe, and I learned things too. This books is enthusiastically and authoritatively voiced, pitched perfectly at a young readership, and oozes joy at the wonder of space. It‘s beautifully illustrated, and the bite size stories are perfect for budding scientists.

Actually, a lot of bad things happen in this novel. I found this one of the most genuine and sensitively told stories of mental health struggles that I have read in some time. Very close to being pitch perfect in its depiction of an unstoppable spiral, and the complexities of the ways that mental health struggles touch relationships. The ending was a bit too ‘magical thinking‘ for me, but this is an excellent novel that‘s well worth your time.

Why have I been snoozing on this for so long? This was the crime novel I needed in my life right now- the perfect refreshing palate cleanser. While you have to have the ability to suspend a bit of disbelief to buy into the time loop concept that underpins this story, I found this original approach to storytelling about a crime both refreshing and compelling. It‘s a complex, twisty story that unravels why rather than who. Highly recommended.

It‘s dragon smut nonsense which will do the job if that‘s what you‘re looking for.

Sid and I loved this book about our hero Steve Irwin. Wonderfully accessible for the youth, informative about wildlife and Steve‘s life, and celebratory about his work. Sid‘s pretty gutted about the ending (chapter 9 is a bit intense). A very lucky community library find which will be a firm fave in Sid‘s library for years to come.

Another very interesting look at organised drug crime in New Zealand. Best read with a bit of distance from Savage‘s first book on this subject because ultimately I‘m not sure there‘s quite enough material here to fill a whole second book. Still a very interesting read.

Pearse has developed a complex lead detective in Elin Warner who has just enough of a back story to be interesting but not so much that it prevents the books in this series from really being read episodically. This mystery is complicated, lots of twists and turns, a good handful of red herrings, and isn‘t too obvious too soon. It‘s told in short chapters, full of action, and with a really atmospheric setting.

It turns out Judy Blume is as much a reliable author for adults as she is for children and adolescents. This is not a complicated novel but somehow it still gets just how complicated female friendships and families can be. Reading this felt like visiting an old friend in a nostalgic summer location.

I've landed somewhere in the middle on this one. There is a lot I really like about it- and after reading the acknowledgements at the end I really felt like I had a better appreciation for what McBride was aiming to say. I think the second half does a better job of realising that intent as well as being more coherent storytelling. It took me until halfway to really get into it, and get into what felt like a story being told. A flawed read for me.

Kick the Latch is a tight wee novella, told in vignettes about a horse trainer. It‘s easily the best book I‘ve read this year. Super tight, clean prose, excellent as both a character portrait and a story about the horse racing industry, excellent for readers that aren‘t interested in horses as much as those who are. Loved it.

DNF at 37%. I gave it 2 hours, the audio narration was annoying me, the narrative felt chaotic, and I didn‘t care about any of the characters or what was happening with them. 2024 is the year of not spending time on books that aren‘t working for me. ✌🏻

Jo Spain is so reliable for a twisty domestic mystery. The one was a bit more fast paced than some of her others and had more changes in direction. I didn‘t really connect with any of the characters but nevertheless it was a propulsive narrative. Entertaining, easy reading.

This second outing for Alice Veja and Max Caplan is a solid read. Luna seems to have settled into her central characters a bit as they are slightly less larger than life in this novel. It‘s an intriguing, slightly more complex mystery which comments more directly on social and political ills. A solid read which I found a smidge slower than the first in the series.

Big Swiss is a read for fans of Mosfegh or Melissa Broder, without being exactly the same as their vibes. It‘s quirky without being irritating, chaotic without being unruly or impenetrable, it‘s insightful in its examination of the human experience of chasing the feeling of being at home in your life and your body without being didactic. It‘s fun and funny. It won‘t be for everyone, but if it‘s for you, you‘ll love it.

Look team, is it more of the same? Absolutely. But if we‘re honest, the same is good, that‘s what we‘re all here for so no worries hey?

This is an expertly crafted novel which is, in a way, about the Israel-Palestine, specifically its impact on Palestinian identities. I thought it was really clever that Hammad set her protagonist‘s, Sonia‘s struggle to interpret the conflict, her Palestinian identity, and the way her family has been fractured by it, against the backdrop of the struggle she has to interpret Hamlet in Arabic.