Mybookshelf

My mumis a librarian by trade and has a passion for books — and by passion, I mean illness. Our house was always covered in books, from Mills and Boon romance novels to science fiction, the history of the ruling families of Europe and even medical books.

There was a never- ending procession of books that came in the door, spent a few days in my mother’s room, migrated to the bookshelf and finally ended up in piles in my father’s garage. Mumis not a bookworm; she is a book anaconda — and my father spends his evenings reading a book while channel surfing at the same time.

Yet my favourite book memory relates to when I was about 11 and my grandfather gave me a book about the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. I was fascinated by the images and how so much of the world’s history could be in one place. He told me I should go there one day, and in 2015 my family and I fulfilled this wish.

I have always enjoyed reading the works of Maori writers including Mason Durie, Ranginui Walker, Timoti Karetu, Linda Smith, Katarina Mataira, Patricia Grace and others. But Witi Ihimaera was the writer who inspired me most when I was young. His Pounamu Pounamu

short stories helped me to fall in love with books and made me believe that Maori could be authors. My favourite Ihimaera books include

Bulibasha, Whale Rider and The Matriarch ; then Living by the Moon by Wiremu Tawhai and all the works of Elsdon Best. Yes, I know, very unusual to include a Eurocentric ethnologist who did most of his work 100 years ago, but if you can strip back the colonial

undertones in his writing there are some real gems in his books. I also have to mention the book Bob Marley: In His Own Words — so inspirational.

I have read many of the classics including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Tale of two

Cities, Lord of the Flies, Treasure Island and The Count of Monte Cristo but I never found time to read War and Peace. I think the size of the book itself intimidates me and I would have used all of my leave and sick days just to get through it.

Another compilation I would love to spend time reading is the oral accounts of Maori in the many Maori land court minute books, especially the older records. Though these may not be seen as books or published works, there is a real rich, deep history contained in the evidence given by Maori at these hearings. Oh, to have time to read!

For me, Peter Benchley and Stephen King have much to answer for. Not only can I not swim in the ocean for fear of being bitten in half by a supersized great white shark, I also have an unfounded fear of clowns. The book It has ruined by ability to enjoy the circus or children’s parties. Curse you Stephen King!