The lessons continue as little Duck learns all the tricks of the trade to be a cat. From washing fur, to stalking prey, to climbing trees. Can little Duck do the same things the kittens do? This sweet simple story is the companion to Duck Goes Meow, which won the New Children's Best Picture Book Award 2023.  Author Juliette MacIver keeps it simple, using rhyme and rhythm to tell the story. It makes for a delightful read-aloud due to this, and there's plenty of opportunity for adult readers to add flair and excitement with their reading. While a simple story, there's ..read more

I approached this book as a ‘should read’ rather than a ‘want to read’, as my knowledge of economics is sketchy. Yet after the first few chapters I was engaged by the content and looking forward to learning more. New Zealand author Liam Dann does a terrific job of clarifying key terms and theories. Although I’m still unlikely to initiate conversations about economics at social events, I’m more confident now in my ability to understand news headlines and forecasts. BBQ Economics also prompts consideration of whose “rumours, stories and narratives” are influencing our perception of the econom ..read more

Marie Connolly has been an academic for over thirty years in university and government settings. An expert in child welfare she has published extensively, including twenty scholarly books, and has travelled the world undertaking research into child protection systems. She began her academic career at the University of Canterbury and has worked at senior levels of government in New Zealand. In 2010 she moved to Australia to take up a professorial Chair at the University of Melbourne.   In 2019 she retired and returned to Aotearoa where she continues to write academic non-fiction, and has ..read more

Peter Jerram is a Wahine survivor whose vivid writing immerses the reader in the story of the doomed voyage. Jerram captures the mood on the ship superbly – the passengers’ initial lack of concern, followed by disbelief, panic, terror and a desperate drive for survival – and the eventual “scene from hell” as a “mass of terrified souls” frantically tried to access the deck so that they could escape. The crew member who had to climb into the ship’s funnel and then over hot pipes to reach safety. The women who continued to clutch their handbags and hold on to their high-heeled shoes even as the ..read more

As her mother journeyed through surgery and chemotherapy for advanced colon cancer, Ineke Meredith was caring for others as a new consultant. In On Call, the Kiwi female general surgeon shares her personal stories of life, death and bravery.  From a man presenting with fishhooks in his stomach to being punched in the face by a patient, it’s all in a day’s work in the intense world of surgery. 'I started writing stories about the patients I was seeing. The funny, the good, but mostly the bad. Because this is really what we carry. The stories were important to me, because as a family m ..read more

During his time at the Otago University Medical School, John Gillies was conscripted for National Military Service and served in the Combined Services Medical Company in South Vietnam between 1969 and 1970. During his tour of duty and in his spare time, John painted portraits of Vietnamese civilians and military personnel, some of whom were patients in the hospitals in which he worked. During his long medical career, John maintained an active art interest, exhibiting regularly since the late 70s. In 1989, he established the New Zealand Association of Artist Doctors to foster creative activ ..read more

'How are you feeling?' It’s a question we’re often asked but may struggle to answer honestly in today’s increasingly fast-paced world. Thankfully, bestselling author Rebekah Ballagh returns with 101 Ways to Find Calm - how to use your body to soothe your mind.  'Many people feel like their body isn’t peaceful to live in and their lives are a source of overwhelming triggers and trials, it doesn’t have to be this way,' says Rebekah. A healthy nervous system doesn’t have to always be calm. It’s normal to experience the full range of human emotions, says Rebekah. However, a well-fun ..read more

Lee Murray's work, Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud, is a haunting and sublime bringing together of biography, mythology, and poetic prose. Interweaving the tragic tales of Chinese diasporic women in Aotearoa with the ancient legend of the nine-tailed fox spirit, this genre-defying book illuminates the shadows of our history and the silenced voices that call out from the margins. Blending fact and fable, Murray inhabits the lives of her characters - women who came to New Zealand seeking a new life, only to be met with isolation, prejudice, and untold suffering. We meet a sixty-year-old woman w ..read more

It's the beginning of the summer holidays in 1967 when 10-year-old Atama moves with his family into a new army base. His father, Atama's hero, departs for Vietnam, asking Atama to look after his mum and younger sister while he's gone. Atama is nervous about making friends at the new camp. But his father offers up his Koro's 1939-45 star medal. The talisman gives Atama the courage to make friends, but he's unprepared for what lies ahead. Author Claire Aramakutu's characters are well-defined and realistic. She understands people have flaws, and her characters do too. They are vulnerabl ..read more

My Food Bag has been a revolution in the dinner prep landscape for New Zealanders. While overseas, the concept of bagged meals for a week has long been a staple of supermarkets and pop-up brands; My Food Bag certainly made itself known when it arrived over 10 years ago. In that time, quintessential Kiwi chef Nadia Lim has taken the brand from strength to strength. Now, taking some of those tricks learned over that decade in the food prep business, the My Food Bag team brings out this newest cookbook: Dinner Done Better. Offering sections like ‘Fast & fuss-free’, ‘Foodie Favour ..read more