And, here come the holidays. Ka pai! In between being outside, maybe getting ready to whakatōkia te kai (planting those veggies), mountainbiking, tramping, relaxing, whatever - spend some time with a book as well and make some time to pānui/read. It is super good for wellbeing. And there are so many entertaining books being published. Here is a wee Holiday Mix for you to check out.

A drop of hope / Keith Calabrese

This book was used for the National Readers Cup Competition - just been held in Auckland - and was their Star pick by the students. The story begins when two boys discover a hidden tunnel that leads to the bottom of a well. While they are down there, exclaiming over the amazing coin collection they have found, they hear a voice from above. It comes from someone they know and he is making a wish, and a new coin drops down. This begins the mission to help that wish come true and suddenly more people start coming to the Well to ask for help too. There are lots of wonderful characters in this story and a wide range of requests, dreams and hopes. Uplifting and hopeful.

City on fire / Don Winslow

Fancy a bit of crime in America? Don Winslow’s City on Fire is the first book in a new trilogy. Here he has blended legend with well, legend. We have two Mafia mobs, one the Italians, the other the Irish – you can sort of see where this might be going. Then we have a beautiful woman who enters on the arm of one young man and leaves on the arm of another, thus setting the scene for the Helen of Troy story comparison and characters. The Mobs have been in an uneasy truce, brokered years ago by the Heads of their respective family. Each controlling their different money earning areas of the City. But the younger men are wanting more; they are flexing their muscles, pushing the boundaries and this woman becomes the catalyst to all out Mob war. It’s dark and it’s gritty and it’s a page-turner.

Honeybee / Craig Silvey

“The only way you can break this cycle is to be brave. You have to ignore your doubts and risk failure. You have to try to achieve something that seems unachievable.” Vic

You may have read the book or seen the movie Jasper Jones. Honeybee is the authors next novel and follows the story of fourteen year old Sam Watson who, in a time of incredible crisis forms an unlikely friendship with an older man Vic who has lost his wife. The blurb sums it up best when it says that Honeybee is a heartbreaking, life-affirming novel that throws us headlong into a world of petty thefts, extortion plots, botched bank robberies, daring dog rescues and one spectacular drag show. I really enjoyed this book about a transgender teen living on the fringes of society. The personal journey he takes with the help of his new friend is inspiring. The characters are well drawn, and the book is a fast paced, satisfying read. Lisa.

*** Winner of the 2021 Indie Book Awards for Fiction 2021 ***

*** Shortlisted for the 2021 ABIA Prize ***

*** Winner of Dymocks Book of the Year 2020***

Bushline : a memoir / Robbie Burton

A picture paints a thousand words. That Robbie on the cover, has spent a lifetime of being in nature; tramping, skiing, mountaineering, and experiencing our great Aotearoa outdoors. Seems like the seed was sown young. Robbie Burton is one half of Nelson Publishers Potton & Burton, who are renowned for fabulous quality books on New Zealand. https://www.pottonandburton.co.nz/product-category/books/

It is highly readable, sometimes deeply personal, with great stories and adventures plus lots of local knowledge and some pretty cool photographs. Also contains nice backstories to some of his outdoor book publications. Warning: you may find yourself seeking out your boots and backpack and starting to plan a tramp.

Dirt Town / Hayley Scrivenor

Bonus 5th book because it’s the holidays – and sometimes nothing beats a solid crime mystery. This is the author’s debut book. Set in Australia. “My best friend wore her name, Esther, like a queen wearing her crown at a jaunty angle. We were twelve years old when she went missing. On a sweltering Friday afternoon in Durton, best friends Ronnie and Esther leave school together. Esther never makes it home. Ronnie's going to find her, she has a plan. Lewis will help. Their friend can't be gone, Ronnie won't believe it. Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels can believe it, she has seen what people are capable of. She knows more than anyone how, in a moment of weakness, a person can be driven to do something they never thought possible. Lewis can believe it too. But he can't reveal what he saw that afternoon at the creek without exposing his own secret. Five days later, Esther's buried body is discovered. Character-rich and propulsive, with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view, Hayley Scrivenor delves under the surface, where no one can hide. With emotional depth and sensitivity, this stunning debut shows us how much each person matters in a community that is at once falling apart and coming together. Esther will always be a Dirt Town child, as we are its children, still.” –back cover of book

And you can access the library website here at any time to see what else is new, search for items, reading lists and links to Research and Academic databases.