Book Loving Kiwis discussion

It's that time of year again - time to set up a challenge to read more books by kiwi authors, and about our country, its history and people.

I've set up the challenge - you should see it under the blurb on the Group's homepage. You can pick how many books you want to try and read for the challenge and enter a shelf name. When you finish a book, and mark as 'read' you can select that shelf as a 'tag' and it will count towards your challenge goal :)

Thanks Erica, I'm in for 10 again this year.

Yeah me too. I think that's a good number so I don't overwhelm myself haha :)

I'm wondering if I should reduce my NZ challenge number to 10. Couldn't hit 12 last year as I had two NZ DNFs. (& one didn't qualify as I had started the read in 2021)

Will ponder a bit more.

& I have made it 10 this year - surely I can hit that!

I've just started my first NZ read of the year: The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw. A memoir. Only 40 pages in and loving her stories and way with words already. Think it's gonna be a goodie, I recommend :)

Yes, I am up for 10 this year. I’ve just finished “The House Guest” by Barbara Anderson so that’s one down already (which I really liked). Has anyone read any more of hers & if so which ones? She was another of Bill Manhire’s students from his Creative Writing course & I really liked her character development. Will write a detailed review shortly.

Boadicea wrote: "Yes, I am up for 10 this year. I’ve just finished “The House Guest” by Barbara Anderson so that’s one down already (which I really liked). Has anyone read any more of hers & if so which ones? She w..."

I've got the Portrait Artist of a Women by her on my bookshelf (I think that's what it's called). Haven't got to it yet though.

I'm on board!

My first book Kaitangata Twitch by the late Margaret Mahy.

I prefer Mahy's books for younger children. This book made some good points, but I found it a bit muddled. 3★.

While volunteering at our local museum The Marae Visit Bilingual & a good, basic introduction for very young children. I liked the illustrations. 4★.

My third book was Station Life In New Zealand I've posted about it in the other challenge. :)

I've read four NZ books so far this year so off to a great start!

The Bookseller at the End of the World (memoir)

Harbouring (historial fiction, interesting but not Jenny Pattrick's best work)

Notes on Womanhood (memoir/essay-style, love her writing style and interesting thoughts)

Victory Park(contemporary fiction)

Hi there, I’m well on target, or a bit beyond, (skiting now)!
After Book 1. “The House Guest” by Barbara Anderson 4*,
Book 2 was Dan Davin’s “Roads From Home 3.5*, and then 2 of his short story collections which I’m meandering through, “The General and the Nightingale” (war stories) and “The Gorse Blooms Pale” (Southland stories and my favourite to date).
Book 5 has been “Loop Tracks” by Sue Orr which is a 4.5* read before I fell to the charms of “Auē” by Becky Manawatu which I adored.
So 6 books by the end of this month and a significant dent in my NZ TBR shelf, yeah!

Roundup to date is 7 books after completing the 2 Dan Davin short story collections as I finally read Lady Barker’s “Station Life in New Zealand”, which was 3.5*.

The pick of the Dan Davin books was “The Gorse Blooms Pale”, which is a fantastic collection of Southland-based short stories from a century ago and earned 5* from me. (Currently I’m visiting Invercargill so I’m wandering around the streets mentioned, now all in urban sections!)

The war story collection came after a fair bit of wartime reading and, whilst they are good, I have really had my fill! They earned 4*, as I felt it was me not the book that was the issue.

You've had a good run of NZ books Boadicea! :)

I am now (slightly) better than on track, as I just read Papatūānuku has a Tummy Ache! Beautiful artwork & a good message, but the text is a bit uninspiring. 3.5★ Finished 21/04.

Book #4. I'm going to (unofficially) up my target to 12 books as three of the books I have read have been children's books.

I've made it to 5 books read for this challenge so far. Great effort for me as my challenge is to read 10 this year. Ruby Tui's memoir was my latest read. Found it interesting but writing was a bit average, as is usually the case when a ghost writer helps out.

A friend has lent me comedian Chris Parker's memoir so that'll probably be my next read for this challenge.

Erica wrote: "I've made it to 5 books read for this challenge so far. Great effort for me as my challenge is to read 10 this year. Ruby Tui's memoir was my latest read. Found it interesting but writing was a bit..."
That's a coincidence! My daughter has loaned me Ruby's book. It will probably be my next read.

& Ruby's book was my next read. I loved it - & I don't like rugby. A few small errors with proofreading, but the main thing is that Ruby's spirit shone through. 5★ Finished 03/05.

Book #6 Jumping Sundays: The Rise and Fall of the Counterculture in Aotearoa New Zealand I wanted to like this one more than I did. The music parts were great. Some of the history was too, but a lot of it was a bit dry. 3.5★ Finished 26/06.

& I have read two more.

#7 Matariki Around the World The Cover & illustrations were amazing, & so were the legends but some of the text was a bit clunky. 4★ Finished 4/07

#8 How to Loiter in a Turf War Uneven but the good parts were really good. Great cover 4★ Finished 5/07

Jumping into this challenge a bit late but I think I can meet the 10 pledged by others! I only moved to NZ this year so I'm fully relishing the ease of access to NZ authors and stories that just are hard to come by in the UK.

I've read 4 books so far;

Pounamu Pounamu
Huia Short Stories 14
Gang Girl
Legends of Aotearoa

Sophie wrote: "Jumping into this challenge a bit late but I think I can meet the 10 pledged by others! I only moved to NZ this year so I'm fully relishing the ease of access to NZ authors and stories that just ar..."

Welcome Sophie! :)

Welcome Sophie :)

I've read 2 more kiwi reads since my last post: Here for a good time by comedian Chris Park. Actually enjoyed this more than I was expecting.
Also finished Eleanor Catton's new novel Birnam Wood. I liked this but didn't love it. Her first novel The Rehearsal remains my fav of hers.

meant Parker*

I'm on a roll now!

#9 Mokolife: Joni Brooking about a Māori tattoo artist. A spiritual journey - & the first book I have read that mentions the impact of COVID. Finished 9/7.

& I have hit my official total of 10 with an absolutely amazing memoir!

Other than Katherine Mansfield, Ruth Park is my favourite NZ writer! I have just read the first book of her memoirs A Fence Around the Cuckoo Stunning writing & very thought provoking. 5★ finished 12/08.

I'd never even heard of Ruth Park before. Will have to add her to my list to read :)

I just finished Ruin and other stories by Emma Hislop. A good collection

Erica wrote: "I'd never even heard of Ruth Park before. Will have to add her to my list to read :)"

She is amazing - far better known in Australia than here.

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& I have hit my official total of 10 with an absolutely amazing memoir!

Other than Katherine Mansfield, Ruth Park is my favourite NZ writer! I have just read the first book of her memoirs A ..."</i>

Well done! I've hit a stumbling bloke on starting;
[book:Nights in the Gardens of Spain
and have been stumbling to page 50 over the last 3 weeks. I've jumped onto an easy read this morning to get out of the reading slump before deciding on my next Kiwi read.

I've completed my challenge to read 10 books by NZ authors :)

My last two reads were Lioness by Emily Perkins (new release) and Mandarin Summer by Fiona Kidman (her second novel written many decades ago).

I was not a fan of Lioness. Liked her writing style as usual but just didn't like the characters and story didn't feel very cohesive.

Really enjoyed Mandarin Summer. It was a random find from one for the second hand book sales in Upper Hutt earlier this year. Only a short book - 177 pages. But loved the writing and the intrigue and how the story slowly unfolds. Possibly one of my top Kidman novels I've read to date. I have managed to nab a few of Kidman's older novels recently from an old family friend's estate so I'm looking forward to reading others from her back catalogue.

I still want to get to more kiwi reads before the end of the year - particularly Catherine Chidgey's latest novels the Axeman's Carnival and Pet. I've heard great things about both.

What kiwi reads have you all been reading lately?

Erica wrote: "What kiwi reads have you all been reading lately?"

I'm part way through Greta & Valdin I like some of the kiwi touches (tagging off the bus, student loans) but I'm having trouble connecting with the characters.

& I continued to have trouble connecting with the (many) characters in Greta & Valdin (my 11th book) some good prose there though. Hopefully Rebecca K• Reilly's next book will have either more structure or less characters. Finished 9/10. 3★

My 11th Kiwi read.

I just finished my 11th kiwi read too Carol. Mine was a random pick of my shelf. Wanted something more contemporary after reading lots of historical fiction. Was A Necessary Angel by C.K. Stead. His novel My Name Was Judas is one of my all time favs. This book had a more meandering plot and only vaguely interesting characters but somehow I was still drawn in and read it pretty quickly. 3*

I lie. It was called The Necessary Angel.

& my 12 read - but another children's read.

Those Magnificent Voyagers of the Pacific Stunningly beautiful book - but too much text for the age group it was aimed at. 4.5★ Finished 12/10.

So I'll have to read another adult book. I have two potential ones lined up.

& book number 13Park: The Biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, GCB, KBE, MC, DFC, DCL

The late Vincent Orange really knew how to write non-fiction. This very readable book is about a man whose legacy has been neglected - even in his hometown (where I'm from) finished 30/11 5★

I also just finished my 12th read: Our Land in Colour by Jock Phillips and Brendan Graham. Just published this year it's a beautiful coffee-table style book that features commentary and colourised photos from the period 1860-1960. I really enjoyed the glimpse into that period in NZ and loved the photos they selected. Would be a great Xmas pressie for any history buffs in the family. 5*

Erica wrote: "I also just finished my 12th read: Our Land in Colour by Jock Phillips and Brendan Graham. Just published this year it's a beautiful coffee-table style book that features commentary and colourised ..."

This looks really good - & a couple of libraries in our area do have this one, so I have put it on one of my to-read lists.

It's a nice one to dip in and out of in between reading fiction :)

& book number 13.
Fishing in the Styx by Ruth Park.
Second part of her autobiography. The structure wasn't perfect but it was still so readable.
Finished 12/12. 5★

Hoping to join you all again at least once a month. Church business
mostly settled. Legal bits coming later.

My book choices - I kindly didn't add the latest Cormoran Strike novel as it's a door stopper!

1 A Pocketful of Crows
2 Race the Sands
3 Winter's GiftsWinter's Gifts

Nice to see you pdr.

This is a different challenge though (Erica is hoping to set up the challenge I think you are thinking of next year)

This one we just set a target of how many Kiwi authors we could read in a calendar year. :)

Yep I plan on doing the next Book Pool challenge Feb/Mar next year :)

Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "Nice to see you pdr.

This is a different challenge though (Erica is hoping to set up the challenge I think you are thinking of next year)

This one we just set a target of how many Kiwi authors we..."

Erica wrote: "Yep I plan on doing the next Book Pool challenge Feb/Mar next year :)"

Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "Nice to see you pdr.

This is a different challenge though (Erica is hoping to set up the challenge I think you are thinking of next year)

This one we just set a target of how many Kiwi authors we..."

OOPS! Sorry Carol and Erica, I must need new specs.
Didn't I receive an email re 2024?

Well, I managed to crack my goal for 2023. I've had a lot less time and attention for reading this year, and probably half of what I read was aimed at a younger audience. Part of my job is to introduce texts and read alongside tamariki so I'm always looking for interesting texts that could work in a group setting.

Hot Money
Aroha: Maori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet
How to Loiter in a Turf War
Falling into Rarohenga
WhānauKai: Feel-Good Baking to Share Aroha and Feed Hungry Tummies
This Land, Book One: the Search for Maui
Pipi and Pou and the The Raging Mountain
Wawata - Moon Dreaming: Daily wisdom guided by Hina, the Maori moon
Matariki: the star of the year
A Māori Phrase a Day
The Astromancer
Pounamu Pounamu

Nice one Angie :)