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First Lady: From Boyhood to Womanhood: The Incredible Story of New Zealand’s Sex-change Pioneer Liz Roberts. Alison Mau
The first New Zealander to undergo full sex-change surgery tells her story in this fascinating bigography. Born Gary Alexander Roberts in 1947, Gary pursued a career in the fashion industry, spending time in the London drag scene. Surgeon Peter Walker performed Liz’s sex-change operation in 1969.

The FIRE Economy: New Zealand’s Reckoning. Jane Kelsey
Jane Kelsey takes a look at how the neoliberal regime of capital accumulation, embedded in New Zealand by the 4th Labour government, has transformed the economy by placing the FIRE sector (Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate) at the centre of economic decision making. Kelsey looks at how the financialisation of the economy has impacted on our daily lives with the exponential rise of income inequality and reduced public services.

The Game Chef: Wild Recipes from the Great Outdoors. Angelo Georgalli
This is a very nicely produced and illustrated cooking book for the hunters and anglers amongst us. Originally from Cyprus, Georgalli successfully ran a string of deli cafés in Auckland before settling down in Wanaka.

How Bizarre: Pauly Fuemana and the Song that Stormed the World. Simon Grigg
The story behind Otara Millionaires Club frontman Pauly Fuemana and the smash hit How Bizarre that catapulted him to fame, as told by the owner of his record label, Simon Grigg. Fuemana died from the consequences of an auto-immune disorder when only 40 years old.

Kūpapa: The Bitter Legacy of Māori Alliances with the Crown. Ron Crosby
The English translation of the word kūpapa has changed dramatically over the last few decades from meaning neutrality in a conflict to signifying traitor. Crosby looks at the Māori who chose to ally themselves with the Crown during the New Zealand Wars and how they were often cynically used and manipulated in typical divide and rule fashion.

Remembering Christchurch: Voices from Decades Past. Alison Parr
This publication is based on a series of 19 interviews by the Remembering Christchurch Oral History Project, led by Alison Parr with the collaboration of Christchurch historian Rosemary Baird. The recordings are now deposited at the Turnbull library in Wellington for future research. Older Christchurch citizens’ memories help bring historic Christchurch back to life.

Rugby: A New Zealand History. Ron Palenski
Dunedin historian Ron Palenski has produced this extensively researched and wonderfully illustrated book about the history of our national game that looks set to be a touchstone for rugby enthusiasts for years to come.