Book shelf
Reads to inform and inspire.
Māori Made Easy audiobook
Scotty Morrison, Penguin Random House NZ, $45 Now an audiobook voiced by Morrison, Māori Made Easy contains 28 step-by-step, user-friendly lessons that make learning te reo Māori fun, simple and relevant to anyone wanting to learn the basics.
A Life on Our Planet
David Attenborough, Ebury Press, $45 A legacy-defining book from Sir David Attenborough, reflecting on his life’s work, the dramatic changes to the planet he has witnessed, and what we can do to make a better future. Also available as an ebook and audiobook.
While the Fantail Lives
Alan Titchall, Devon Media, $25 A New Zealand story set at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 told through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy. It provides an insight into war stories not often spoken of, as well as revenge and reconciliation.
My Body My Home
Victoria Emanuela and Caitlin Metz, Hardie Grant, $28 An interactive guide, this workbook is a path to self-acceptance, resilience, and healing the disconnect between body and mind.
Drawn to the Wild
Nicolas Dillon, Potton & Burton, $60 A book combining many of Dillon’s drawings and watercolour sketches from life, with finished painting completed in his studio. A wildlife painter for more than 30 years, Dillon’s paintings are deeply considered observations of nature and the environment.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig, Allen & Unwin, $33 From the number-one bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive, Haig’s latest novel tells a touching and funny story about Nora Seed whose life has been filled with misery and regret until she finds herself in the Midnight Library, which enables her to live as if she had done things differently.
Wild Horses of the World
Kelly Wilson, Penguin Random House, $60 You may have spotted Wilson with her sisters in the TV series Keeping up with the Kaimanawas, which followed their work taming the wild horses that live there. Wilson has now written a book about the wild horses around the world that she has studied.
Channel Kindness
Born This Way Foundation with Lady Gaga, MacMillan Publishers, $40 A collection of 51 stories of kindness, bravery and resilience from young people all over the world.
Raw + Free
Sophie Steevens, Allen & Unwin, $45 Add some delicious plant-based recipes to your repertoire. Gisborne-based Kiwi Sophie Steevens reversed her autoimmune disorder (Graves’ disease) naturally by changing her diet to being plant-based, and it’s now enjoyed by the whole family.
Counting Creatures
Julia Donaldson and Sharon King-Chai, McMillan Publishers, $30 Brought to you by the creators of the award-winning Animalphabet, every page of this beautiful children’s picture book draws you further into the vibrant animal kingdom. Learn animal baby names as you count. It also has peep-through pages and fold-out flaps.
Period Queen
Lucy Peach, Murdoch Books, $33 A practical and humorous guide to harnessing your period superpowers by ‘period preacher’, cult folk singer and former sex education teacher Peach. The book looks at the four hormonal phases and how each phase bears its own gifts.
Railway Studios
Peter Alsop, Neill Atkinson, Katherine Milburn and Richard Wolfe, Te Papa Press, $70 This big, beautiful book brings together a treasure trove of stunning New Zealand tourism and product ads that appeared on railway-station hoardings and billboards throughout the country from 1920 to 1987.
Plant Lady Embroidery
Applemints, Quarto US, $33 Start a new hobby with Plant Lady Embroidery’s large collection of botanical motifs to get beginners and embroidery enthusiasts excited. This book is the ultimate alternative to not getting your hands dirty with their step-by-step tutorials.
Cohousing for Life
Robin Allison, Mary Egan Publishing, $49 The story of New Zealand’s first cohousing community, Earthsong, told by sustainable architecture practitioner Allison who was a key driver of the development and construction phase. Back in 1995, her vision was to create a thriving, sustainable housing development of 32 homes and common facilities.
An Exquisite Legacy
George Gibbs, Potton & Burton, $60 A compelling biography about George Hudson (1867 to 1946), a pioneering New Zealand naturalist who devoted his life to collecting and describing our insect fauna, writing and illustrating seven books. Now his grandson has written a book about him.
This One Wild and Precious Life
Sarah Wilson, MacMillan Publishers, $40 Dedicated to young people, Wilson (also the author of I Quit Sugar), takes the reader on a three year ‘odyssey’ to reconnect with the life she feels we are losing via a series of hikes around the world.