The Blog: where all the good stuff happens.
I blame the pandemic for the increasing need to escape into other worlds, even ones that are riddled with dragons, demons and evil wizards. Perhaps it’s an ostrich approach to the state of the world, but here are some fantasy realms that I’ve been frequenting recently
Read MoreWell, rather like 2020, 2021 was another year where books provided shelter and escapism from the outside world, especially during the rolling lockdowns of the pandemic. I read very little non-fiction and instead fled into the pages of Middle grade and YA fantasy adventures or much loved gentle classics. Whittling down 153 books to a top 10 is never easy, but here are my are current favourites in no particular order
Read MoreHead just one hour north of Wellington and you reach the Wairarapa region which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite places to visit. Not only are there multiple independent bookshops spread across the region’s five main towns, but you can do anything from walking to wine tasting and seal spotting in a relatively confined area.
Read MoreI don’t know whether it’s being back in lockdown, but I seem to be happy spending a reasonable slice of my reading life on the British Homefront during World War II. It may be something to do with the “make do and mend” or the classic “keep calm and carry on” attitudes that pervade the four books that I’ll discuss
Read MoreWhen adulting gets a little too much and concentration is in short supply, I turn to middle grade fantasy. In the last two years alone, I have set sail on The Jolly Bonnet, caught a train beneath the sea, seen a Svart and had my first taste of Flurschen. The removal of reality in these books can create space to explore our slightly tender human spots in a safe way.
Read MoreI can’t believe that I didn’t like coffee until my mid-20’s. I still predominantly have the tastebuds of a toddler, but coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me and I enjoy both the taste and the social ritual of meeting friends for coffee. Hamilton may not be synonymous with coffee culture in the same way as Wellington, but we have a burgeoning coffee scene here and several brilliant local roasteries
Read MoreAs much as we might pretend it is, winter is not all hot chocolate, knitted mittens and s’mores Sometimes, it’s damp and grey and miserable and you long for a little sun on your face and a single patch of blue in the sky. If you find yourself looking longingly through your holiday snaps, here are three books to transport you to the height of summer at a holiday destination of your choosing.
Read MoreParnell is distinctly ecclesiastical in tone if you start out at the top of the hill near The Holy Trinity Cathedral, but I would coax you to the bottom of the hill past the bricked paths of Parnell village and the Chocolate Boutique where apparently Bill Clinton once stopped for in for a Hot Chocolate with Chelsea. (His thank you letter from the White House is framed on the wall.) As you pass the boutiques and cafes, just as the road threatens to turn you’ll spot Lamplight Books on the right-hand side of the road. The entrance is tucked away in the enclosed courtyard in the centre of the building and when you walk in, you walk into a space made of warmth, light and a love for books.
Read MoreThis took some serious discipline, but I have cheated slightly and given a further six books honourable mention for the period from January to July 2021. As you can probably tell from this list I am entirely unfaithful to any one genre. Typically, I also enjoy everything from middle grade to adult fiction, but so far this year, no middle grade or YA books have risen to the top of my list! I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these or if there’s anything that you think should be on the reading list for the rest of the year.
Read MoreIt’s always struck me as slightly odd that summer reading lists consistently hit the headlines when, for me, winter is my favourite season to hide under the blankets with a good book. As someone who reads according to my mood and the seasons, one of my greatest pleasures is sitting down each quarter to decide on my seasonal reads.
Read MoreOne for new books and two for old…….Head over the Harbour Bridge, avoiding rush hour, and make your way to the Northern suburb of Milford. Set on the beach with views over to Rangitoto, Milford is a lovely spot to escape the central city
Read MoreIf there’s one thing better than a room full of books it’s a barn full of books and sometimes in New Zealand it’s about knowing where to look as these huge secondhand bookshops are often tucked out of sight on industrial estates or in small towns that you might rattle through on a road trip to a bigger centre
Read MoreThe first weekend in May saw the population of Featherston swell with book lovers from all corners of New Zealand. This was the sixth annual booktown festival and was made particularly special because 2020’s line-up was cancelled due to Covid-19. With 55 events and 99 presenters, the programme was a logistical feat and, as an ambassador for the town, it was a huge joy to see a community of bookish folk come together for the weekend.
Read MoreWe’ve had Scandi Noir and Aussie Noir, but there’s a fine tradition of Kiwi crime fiction starting with Ngaio Marsh. One of the “Queens of Crime” alongside the likes of Agatha Christie, Marsh was an actor, interior designer and crime writer, publishing the first of thirty-three detective novels in 1934.
Read MoreCross the main town bridge and turn right and you’ll find yourself on Grey Street, the commercial hub of Hamilton East. There are more cafes than you can shake a stick at and a burgeoning shopping scene with independent shops and boutiques.
Read MoreIt started off with The Worst Witch, this bookish obsession of mine. Miss Cackle’s Academy, where you were given kittens in assembly and broomstick lessons were on the timetable, was so much more appealing than my boring run-of-the-mill primary school.
Read MoreI am a late bloomer when it comes to audiobooks. Despite growing up listening to taped stories at bedtime (does anyone else remember the slightly terrifying Sparky’s Magic Piano) I struggled to listen to novels in audio format because my attention would wander
Read MoreIn true Desert Island Discs style, I’d be unable to pick just one book off my shelves to “save from the waves” but if I was able to take an armful, these are some of the volumes that I would pick. Each of them is meaningful for me or reminds me of someone that I love. I tend to cluster these books on my favourites shelf so it would be an easy sweep to get them out of the door in event of an emergency.
Read MoreI never thought that I’d turn into someone who would plan my reading in advance at the beginning of each year, but two things happened
Read MoreRotorua is known as one of the adventure capitals of New Zealand. You can try your hand (or risk your limbs dependent on your POV) at luging, sky-diving and zorbing. There are also multiple sites of cultural significance and geothermal interest and a couple of wonderful bookshops to visit along the way.
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