Relax and immerse yourself in one of our Book of the Month choices. From fantastic fiction to enriching history titles, these are a few of our favourite new offerings.
Peter Jerram
Bateman
$39.99
New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster is brought to life in vivid detail by one of the survivors of the ferry sinking. The Wahine claimed 53 lives and The Team That Hit The Rocks is the only book written by a survivor. This adds an extra layer of piquancy as Jeremy details the events of that fateful day and shares interviews and testimony from fellow survivors, including 14 teammates from his university cricket team. A truly fascinating read, which also details the problematic inquiry that followed.
Marie Connolly
Quentin Wilson Publishing
$37.99
Author Marie Connolly lives in Akaroa and has drawn on her knowledge of the region for this unexpected murder mystery. Set in Aotearoa’s beautiful Mackenzie country, the Dark Sky Reserve is at the heart of this tale of international intrigue, rivalries, and infidelities. From the opening page you’re drawn into an immediate mystery and the twists and turns keep coming. Not your typical murder – or your usual suspects.
The Antipodean Express
Gregory Hill
Exisle Publishing
$44.99
An unexpected runaway success, The Antipodean Express follows the true adventures of Author Gregory Hill, a professional French Horn player with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as he undertakes 89 days of travel on 33 trains through 19 countries. This epic journey from New Zealand to Spain is packed with fascinating railway anecdotes and photographs, allowing the reader to experience the essence of this rail journey through Australia, East Asia, and Europe.
Susan Devoy
Allen & Unwin
$37.99
If you’re at all familiar with Susan Devoy, you’ll know she’s a straight shooter and pulls no punches. These may be cliches, but this attitude is at the heart of her success as a world-class athlete and her career as Race Relations Commissioner, a chief executive, Dame, and a mother of four boys. Her fascinating story is infused with her characteristic honesty and sense of humour, offering a generous and open insight into her life and her indomitable attitude.
Kyle Mewburn
Bateman
$39.99
A stirring story of love and loss, this beautifully written story follows the journey of a 24-year-old German man, Wilhelm Erdinger, after he finds himself stranded in a remote New Zealand village. As he travels from alienation to acceptance, he discovers the power of biodynamics, the ecological theories of Rudolf Steiner, and manages to survive and even flourish. Author Kyle Mewburn is one of New Zealand’s most prolific writers and dives into relatable and thought-provoking themes.
Peter Darman
Exisle Publishing
$44.99
From camouflage techniques to deception tactics, this collection of stories spans incredible, ingenious, fascinating, and outrageous acts of subterfuge during WWII. Author Peter Darman has been writing about military history for decades and previously worked as a research officer with the Defence Intelligence Staff in Whitehall. Offering insights into a less-explored side of WWII, it includes stories of lesser-known military deceptions along with photographs and documents to support it.
Eric Chaline
Exisle Publishing
$44.99
From Antipodean heroes to the likes of Alan Turing and J. Robert Oppenheimer, this carefully curated book is a must for those who appreciate history, military tales, and strategy. Packed with photographs, backstories, anecdotes, and detailed accounts of spies, scientists, and other heroes of WWII, it’s a captivating collection of wartime heroism. Included here are two Kiwis: decorated servicewoman and SOE agent Nancy Wake and doctor Howard Florey who helped develop penicillin.
