All the finalists in the 2025 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

Announcing all the books – and their authors, illustrators, translators and publishers – in the running for this year's New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The winter months are an apt time to celebrate the creators of books that feed future creators of books. With long nights and days punctuated by weather, here's an opportunity to gather around the best Aotearoa has to offer and their promises of armchair adventure.
There were 156 entries to the awards this year (slightly down on 2024's 176). The judging panels were assisted by 450 reviews submitted by school students from 51 schools around Aotearoa. Among this year's finalists are books that, according to convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi, present 'big ideas from our past, present and possible dystopian futures are considered in absorbing and thoughtful ways, providing springboards for deeper discussion. Themes include identity, connection, mental health, our histories, traditional wisdom, indigenous languages, and the importance of being exactly who we are.'
Before we dive into some analysis of each category, a recap of what they are and the monies attached. There are six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te reo Māori. Winners are announced at a ceremony at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on August 13 and will each take home $8,500. Of those winners, one will be named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and will receive an extra $8,500. The Best First Book prize winner gets $2,500.
The Bookhub Picture Book Award finalists
Ten Nosey Weka by Kate Preece, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Bateman Books)
Titiro Look by Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa), translated by Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rereahu) (Gecko Press, Lerner Publishing Group)
You Can't Pat a Fish by Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia)
Picture books are an artistic collaboration. Words, text, design and format all have to work together perfectly. These finalists are all pros. Gavin Bishop, Ruth Paul, Juliette MacIver have all been here before, as have illustrators Lily Uivel and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White. Kate Preece is new to the awards with her first-of-a-kind counting book revolving around those curious, sneaky wee birds, the weka. In this interview with The Sapling, Preece explains how the book is tri-lingual and is the first to include Ta rē Moriori, the indigenous language of Rēkohu, where Preece now lives.
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award finalists
Brown Bird by Jane Arthur (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
The Apprentice Witnesser by Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)
The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin)
V iolet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff by Rachael King, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Allen & Unwin)
This is all very … strange, for me. I love writing. I love writing novels for young readers because at heart I am still a young reader. It's extremely odd to be writing with this books editor hat on about this award with my author hat on. But the books editor is saying well done to the author and the author is chuffed (if not quite awkward). Mostly because of the company my first novel is keeping here. Back for the second year in a row is the unstoppable Rachael King (who was also a finalist in 2024 for The Grimmelings); I adored Jane Arthur's self-described 'quiet novel' about a character who now looms large in my mind. Bren MacDibble is an absolute powerhouse writer whose work is admirable for its voice, its world building and its control. And Li Chen's Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat has stunning visual worldbuilding and a cute as leading cat. Note the mystery theme: definitely a trend I've noticed in international publishing. Young readers love intrigue just as much as anyone!
Young Adult Fiction Award finalists
Bear by Kiri Lightfoot, illustrated by Pippa Keel Situ (Allen & Unwin)
Gracehopper by Mandy Hager (One Tree House)
Migration by Steph Matuku (Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga) (Huia Publishers)
The Mess of Our Lives by Mary-Anne Scott (One Tree House)
The Paradise Generation by Sanna Thompson (umop apisdn press)
Writing for young adults is a tall order. Young adults (otherwise known as teenagers) can be a tough crowd. What all of these books do is simply tell a story, build worlds, with teenage protagonists at the heart of them. Kiri Lightfoot's Bear is akin to acclaimed Patrick Ness novel, A Monster Calls, in that it uses a metaphoric beast to represent Jasper's rage, fear and consuming emotional undertow. Steph Matuku (no stranger to these awards) has written a brilliant dystopian sci-fi that reflects our present-day conflicts all too well. The Mess of Our Lives by Mary-Anne Scott is a story of overcoming an extremely challenging home life; while Mandy Hager (also no stranger to these awards) has written a story that centres on themes of identity and inclusion. First-time author Sanna Thompson is the wild card here: you can read an excerpt from The Paradise Generation over on Kete Books.
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction Finalists
Black Magic by David Riley, illustrated by Munro Te Whata (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Makefu) (Reading Warrior)
Dear Moko: Māori Wisdom for our Young Ones by Hinemoa Elder (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāpuhi nui tonu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
Ruru: Night Hunter by Katie Furze, illustrated by Ned Barraud (Scholastic New Zealand)
The Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Ross Calman (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Kāi Tahu) (Oratia Books)
Tui Pea Luva by Mele Tonga Grant, illustrated by Luca Walton (Mila's Books)
Huge names! These books are so crucial for education at home and at school: they condense complex subjects and present them in fluid, learnable ways via text, image and design. I love Ruru: Night Hunter for its immersive journey through the nightlife of our little owls. Ross Calman's The Treaty of Waitangi | Te Tiriti o Waitangi is extremely useful: highly illustrated, clearly written, an all-ages text, really. Mila's Books are the only all-Pasifika publishing house in the world and they consistently put out books made by and for Pasifika children and families. Tui Pea Luva is Grant's poetry collection which passes down the wisdom of Pasifika women. David Riley's Reading Warrior is a multi-faceted organisation that publishes books, creates projects in collaboration with communities, runs workshops and puts student writing into print. Black Magic continues Reading Warrior's focus on sporting heroics with the story of how we got our all black uniforms with a silver fern.
Russell Clark Award for Illustration
Alice and the Strange Bird by Isaac du Toit (Isaac du Toit)
Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa), written by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki) (Huia Publishers)
Poem for Ataahua, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins, written by Alistair Te Ariki Campbell (Reading Warrior)
Sad Sushi, Anna Aldridge (Anna Aldridge)
You Can't Pat a Fish by Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia)
It's always amazing to me how illustrators find angles, perspectives, and wordless narratives that bring a text to life. Sarah Wilkins' illustrations for Poem for Ataahua first caught my eye on Instagram: they're stunning, ethereal. Wilkins is longlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2025 for this same work (selected from 5000 entries from 81 countries). I also adore Ruth Paul's bold style: there's such comedy in the images that work so well with Paul's rollicking rhyme (hard to do but Paul does it so well).
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award Finalists
A Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara by Witi Ihimaera (Te Whānau a Kai, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), translated by Hēni Jacob (Ngāti Raukawa) (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
*Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki), illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa) (Huia Publishers)
Ka mātoro a Whetū rāua ko Kohu i Rotorua by Hayley Elliott-Kernot, translated by Te Ingo Ngaia (Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Waikato-Maniapoto, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whānau-a-Karuai ) (Round Door Design)
Ko ngā Whetū Kai o Matariki, ko Tupuānuku rāua ko Tupuārangi by Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga), illustrated by Zak Waipara (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata), translated by Ariana Stevens (Poutini Ngāi Tahu) (Scholastic New Zealand)
* Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina by Qiane Mataa-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
* Indicates a finalist book originally written in te reo Māori
A specialist judging panel was enlisted to analyse the merits of these books either translated into te reo Māori or originally written in te reo Māori. Many familiar names here including Mirama Kamo and Zak Waipara (who were finalists in 2019 for Ngā Whetū Matariki i Whānakotia, translated by Ngaere Roberts); and Witi Ihimaera and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White who were finalists in 2023 with Te Kōkōrangi: Te Aranga o Matariki (translated by Hēni Jacob).
NZSA Best First Book Award Finalists
Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie by Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Sāmoa) (Allen & Unwin)
Play Wild by Rachel Clare (Bateman Books)
The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin)
The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs by Anika Moa (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri), illustrated by Rebecca ter Borg (Penguin Random House New Zealand)
The Writing Desk by Di Morris (Bateman Books)
I don't think many of us on this list ever expected to see our names alongside queen Anika Moa. I loved her book based on the character in her superbly creepy song. Shelley Burne-Field is a gorgeous writer (you can read about why she writes for children on The Spinoff). Di Morris' The Writing Desk is a stunning graphic account of the lives of colonial women; and Rachel Clare's Play Wild is a guide to having little adventures outside (reminiscent of Giselle Clarkson's The Observologist, though more geared towards using natural materials to aid imaginative play).
Thanks to the English and bilingual judging panel: Convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi, a Kirikiriroa-based writer; Don Long, a children's and educational publishing expert; Linda Jane Keegan, a Singaporean-Pākehā writer and reviewer; Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki), recipient of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2024 NZCYA awards; and Mero Rokx (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai), an education specialist who is on the English-language and bilingual panel, as well as Te Kura Pounamu panel.
And to the panel judging te reo Māori entries: Convenor Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia), a freelance artist, illustrator, writer and te reo Māori tutor based in the Motueka area; Justice-Manawanui Arahanga-Pryor (Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki), a kaitakawaenga / library programming specialist; and Maxine Hemi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne), a kaiako with over 30 years' experience teaching.
And praise be for those who make the awards possible: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council, BookHub presented by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, the Mātātuhi Foundation, and NielsenIQ BookData. The Awards are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa.

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The Spinoff

2 days ago

• The Spinoff

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 20

The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books' stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60) Spot New Zealand's former prime minster on this week's New York Times bestseller list. 2 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) The un-put-downable alternate history that explores some of life's biggest questions, including what does it mean to have a soul? Can a human ever not have one? 3 Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (Serpents Tail, $30) Auckland really loves this hectic mother-son roadtrip novel. 4 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38) Everett's biggest book yet is his stunning, funny and profound retelling of Huckleberry Finn. 5 Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (Bloomsbury, $25) Cosy and charming and perfect for a long Matariki weekend. 6 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin, $26) This year's winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. One of the most exquisite novels you'll read this year: it is moving, sexy and surprising. 7 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (4th Estate, $35) The smash hit novel based on a true crime story of a serial killer who lured her victims in with stunning food. 8 A Dim Prognosis by Ivor Popovich (Allen & Unwin, $38) An utterly gripping, energetic memoir from Dr Popovich. Revealing! See The Spinoff this weekend to read an excerpt from this brilliant book. 9 Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Random House, $38) Vuong's second novel. 10 King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Hachette, $38) A fiery crime novel. Here's the blurb: 'Roman Carruthers left the smoke and fire of his family's crematory business behind in his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia. He is enjoying a life of shallow excess as a financial adviser in Atlanta until he gets a call from his sister, Neveah, telling him their father is in a coma after a hit-and-run accident. When Roman goes home, he learns the accident may not be what it seems. His brother, Dante, is deeply in debt to dangerous, ruthless criminals. And Roman is willing to do anything to protect his family. Anything. A financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, Roman must use all his skills to try to save his family while dealing with a shadow that has haunted them all for twenty years: the disappearance of their mother when Roman and his siblings were teenagers. It's a mystery that Neveah, who has sacrificed so much of her life to hold her family together, is determined to solve once and for all. As fate and chance and heartache ignite their lives, the Carruthers family must pull together to survive or see their lives turn to ash. Because, as their father counselled them from birth, nothing lasts forever. Everything burns.' WELLINGTON 1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60) 2 Towards Modernism: Walter Cook Collection at Te Papa by Justine Olsen (Te Papa Press, $75) This handsome new publication celebrates the Walter Cook Collection of Decorative Arts (held at Te Papa) and the ceramic, glass and metal objects therein. 3 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) 4 It's A Bit More Complicated Than That by Hannah Marshall (Allen and Unwin NZ, $25) A brilliant new YA novel from a huge new talent. Here's the blurb: 'Zelle and Callum used to be best friends, but they haven't spoken in three years: not since the tragedy that wrenched them apart, and Zelle moved away. But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated. Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she's deeply annoyed at having to leave the city. Callum's future is thrown into jeopardy after both a disastrous uni interview and his budding romance turning sour. But they can't keep running from the past forever, and circumstances force them to examine their grief and guilt and find a way through.' 5 A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan (Allen and Unwin NZ, $37) 'Trevelyan's narrator is 10 years old. She's unnamed until the very end of the book (I won't reveal it here: best to find out for yourself). It's this naive perspective that makes A Beautiful Family both easy to read and impossible to put down. The narrator's innocence is pitted against several disturbing factors, all orbiting her summer in various shapes and shades, and it's that persistent dance of disturbances that creates the sustained and unrelenting tension in the novel.' Read more of Claire Mabey's review on The Spinoff, right here. 6 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin, $26) 7 Delirious by Damien Wilkins (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) 'I don't want to say that Delirious is the pinnacle of what Damien can do because that would be like putting a curse on his future work. But I am going to say it's almost impossible for me to imagine how he could do better. I think this is a great book – Great with capital G.' Even before Delirious won this year's Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Elizabeth Knox was rapturous about Wilkins' beautiful novel. 8 Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq (Scribe, $37) Shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize. 'In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023, praised for their dry and gentle humour, these portraits of family and community tensions testify to Mushtaq's years as a journalist and lawyer, in which she tirelessly championed women's rights and protested all forms of caste and religious oppression. Written in a style at once witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating, it's in her characters – the sparky children, the audacious grandmothers, the buffoonish maulvis and thug brothers, the oft-hapless husbands, and the mothers above all, surviving their feelings at great cost – that Mushtaq emerges as an astonishing writer and observer of human nature, building disconcerting emotional heights out of a rich spoken style. Her opus has garnered both censure from conservative quarters as well as India's most prestigious literary awards; this is a collection sure to be read for years to come.' 9 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38) 10 The Māori Millionaire by Te Kahukura Boynton (Penguin, $35) 'Te Kahukura Boynton is Māori Millionaire, and her debut book is here to help. Learn how to make money by clearing debt, saving for an emergency, finding work and increasing your salary, and even starting your own business and investing in shares and yourself. With tips on building better habits with your money and your life, Māori Millionaire is the positive mindset change you might be missing.' So goes the blurb.

Otago Daily Times

6 days ago

• Otago Daily Times

Get your teeth into macabre Scots tale

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was a fearsome cannibal clan who lived in a damp coastal cave in Ayrshire. Or maybe there wasn't. But I'll tell you the story anyway. Alexander "Sawney" Bean was the head of a cannibalistic family that inhabited a deep-sea cave on the South Ayrshire coast of Scotland. According to legend, every night Sawney, his wife and their myriad offspring would leap upon unsuspecting travellers on the nearby highway, dragging these poor hapless souls back to the caves, where they were torn limb from limb and devoured. What wasn't consumed on the spot was pickled. As the legend goes, over 1000 people were murdered and eaten by Sawney's clan over a period of 25 years. I must confess I was rather delighted when I stumbled upon the myth of Sawney Bean. My mother's maiden name, you see, is McBain, of the Clan McBain from Tomatin in Inverness-shire. According to some rather dubious-looking genealogy websites, the McBain surname may be traced back to Aberdeen, with a "Bean" who was a magistrate circa 1210. Sod illustrious ancestors (a great-great-many-greats-uncle was Admiral of the White in the Royal British Navy, and my grandfather's cousin was Chief Chief to the Queen), I was tickled to find that there was a crumb of a chance I was related to real, actual, cannibals. Considering all the rough-and-tumble, hair-pulling and biting my siblings and I engaged in, I wasn't surprised. Of course, the likelihood that Sawney Bean actually existed, let alone was related to me, is negligible, if not non-existent. But there's something delightfully fun about imagining what one's (dubious) ancestors might have done. The story of Sawney Bean and his ravenous family first appeared in The Newgate Calendar , a rather lurid crime catalogue of the 18th and 19th centuries loosely connected with Newgate Prison in London. According to this sensationalist paper, Alexander Bean was born in East Lothian during the 16th century. Bean tried to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a ditch-digger and hedge-trimmer, but swiftly realised he was not cut out for that line of work. Instead, Bean took up with an alleged witch called "Black" Agnes Douglas, and the pair embarked on their chosen trade of robbing and cannibalising people. They soon found the perfect piece of real estate: a coastal cave in Bennane Head between Girvan and Ballantrae, some 180m deep, with an entrance blocked by water during high tide, enabling the couple to live there undiscovered. Bean and Douglas got busy; they produced six daughters, eight sons, 14 granddaughters, and 18 grandsons (the grandchildren allegedly the products of incest between their children). Surely the local authorities must have been confused and horrified by the sheer number of people going missing in the area? Despite widespread efforts to scour the surrounding countryside in hopes of finding the vanished individuals or those responsible for their disappearance, no-one ever considered venturing into the dark recesses of Bennane Cave. Their crimes only came to light when the Bean clan botched an ambush on a married couple riding home from a local fair. The man was armed with a sword and pistol and as such was able to hold the clan off. His wife was not so lucky however; she fell off their horse, was promptly collected by the Beans and stripped and disemboweled on the spot. Thankfully for the man, a group of around 20 fairgoers came upon the chaos. A fierce skirmish broke out and for the first time, the Bean clan was outnumbered. Overwhelmed, they abandoned the attack and fled back to their coastal lair to regroup. The grief-stricken husband escaped to the local magistrate and recounted his upsetting tale to all who might listen. It wasn't long before an official posse of 400 men and several bloodhounds, led by King James himself, set off to investigate. The dogs sniffed out the Beans in their cave, and by torchlight, the searchers made a gruesome discovery — the numerous Beans surrounded by the grisly remainders of their meals, body parts strung up on the walls, barrels full of pickled limbs and masses of clothes and jewellery. Here, the story diverges into two versions of events. The first claims that the clan was captured alive and docilely transferred to the Tolbooth jail in Edinburgh, then moved to Leith, where they were promptly executed, being deemed as subhuman and therefore unfit for trial. According to the other version, the search party detonated gunpowder at the entrance of their cave, leaving the Bean clan to suffocate. In truth, there is very little to suggest Sawney Bean and his cannibalistic clan actually existed. Given the alleged widespread panic, one might expect to find some trace of this public alarm in contemporary family records, letters or personal memoirs. But none exist. It's likely that the story is fictional or exaggerated folklore, possibly borrowed from older European legends and amplified over the years. Dorothy L. Sayers, for example, penned a lurid account of the tale in Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror (1928), which became a best-seller in Britain. Tales of fearsome Scottish cannibals date back to the early 15th century, with the story of Christie Creek, who lived during a famine in the mid-14th century. It may be that the legend of Sawney Bean served as political propaganda to denigrate the Scots after the Jacobite rebellions. Bean and his family represented everything that the English feared about the "uncivilised north" — the barbarity of the Highlands, their lawlessness, violence and remoteness. Cannibalism is, after all, the ultimate taboo. Perhaps the legend was nothing more than a convenient morality tale used to justify English superiority and political control. In an interview with the BBC, Scottish historian Dr Louise Yeoman argued that the legend of Sawney Bean conveyed a "sinister subtext — the books it sold were published not in Scotland but in England, at a time when there was widespread prejudice against Scots". Whatever the reasons for the legend's genesis, you can't deny it's a fearsome tale, inspiring countless horror stories, novels and movies, such as Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and Jack Ketchum's novel Off Season . The tale of the Bean clan has persisted and evolved over the years, slotting nicely into Scottish gothic tourism alongside Burke and Hare, the haunted vaults of Edinburgh and the "Canongate Cannibal". What of the cave itself? I'd love to tell you I've been there, but sadly I have not. According to people who have been there however, the cave is indeed a couple of hundred metres deep, pitch black and rather chilly. Graffiti and pigeon droppings have replaced the carcasses and bones, but it still doesn't sound like a pleasant place — hardly a great spot for a seaside picnic. Whether Sawney Bean and his clan actually existed or not, the legend will persist as a reminder of what happens when a person turns his back on civilisation and retreats into the darkest, dampest, cruellest part of his very being. The cannibalistic bogeyman will continue to terrify and enthrall generations to come as a monster that embodies humanity's worst fears about themselves. Delicious. — Jean Balchin is an ODT columnist who has started a new life in Edinburgh.

The Spinoff

13-06-2025

• The Spinoff

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 13

The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books' stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 A Different kind Of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60) The former prime minister's reign continues! Do make sure you're buying the legit copy and not any of these AI fakes… 2 Delirious by Damien Wilkins (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) The moving, immersive novel about an ageing couple navigating how to be in the last segments of their lives. 3 The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Random House, $38) The second novel from celebrated writer Ocean Vuong. Here's the publisher's blurb: 'One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai's relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink.' 4 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Fourth Estate, $35) Did you know that former prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, has a podcast called A Pod of One's Own? Well now you do. And season seven, episode four is all about Butter. 5 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) The sinister and spectacular alternate history that raises a lot of philosophical questions … a gripping read perfect for these rainy, wintry days. Read a review of this brilliant novel right here on The Spinoff. 6 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38) The widely celebrated retelling of Huckleberry Finn. 7 Air by John Boyne (Doubleday, $35) The conclusion to Boyne's elements trilogy. Read Chris Reed's review over on Booklovers NZ. 8 There Are Rivers In The Sky by Elif Shafak (Penguin Random House, $26) Turkish writer and activist Elif Shafak's latest, moving novel about the connections facilitated by bodies of water. 9 Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (Profile Books, $39) A terminally ill mother and her son road trip around Europe and reckon with themselves. 10 Assassin's Apprentice #1 Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (HarperCollins, $23) One for the fantasy addicts. Here's the blurb: 'The kingdom of the Six Duchies is on the brink of civil war when news breaks that the crown prince has fathered a bastard son and is shamed into abdication. The child's name is Fitz, and he is despised. Raised in the castle stables, only the company of the king's fool, the ragged children of the lower city, and his unusual affinity with animals provide Fitz with any comfort. To be useful to the crown, Fitz is trained as an assassin; and to use the traditional magic of the Farseer family. But his tutor, allied to another political faction, is determined to discredit, even kill him. Fitz must survive: for he may be destined to save the kingdom.' WELLINGTON 1 A Different Kind Of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60) 2 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) 3 Terrier, Worrier by Anna Jackson (Auckland University Press, $25) An absolutely stunning new book from poet Anna Jackson. A long-form poetic sort-of memoir it is gorgeous to read and a meditation on daily life as much as it is about the clouds of thought that follow us day in, day out. 4 A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan (Allen and Unwin NZ, $37) A summer holiday you won't forget anytime soon. Here's a snippet from books editor Claire Mabey's review: 'Enter, the child. Trevelyan's narrator is 10 years old. She's unnamed until the very end of the book (I won't reveal it here: best to find out for yourself). It's this naive perspective that makes A Beautiful Family both easy to read and impossible to put down. The narrator's innocence is pitted against several disturbing factors, all orbiting her summer in various shapes and shades, and it's that persistent dance of disturbances that creates the sustained and unrelenting tension in the novel.' 5 What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter by Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman (Bloomsbury, $27) Winter seems a good time to contemplate this kind of inevitability? IDK. But here's the blurb: 'One sleepless night while she was in her early twenties, illustrator/writer Hallie Bateman had a painful realization: Someday, her mother would be gone. The prospect was devastating, and also scary – how would she navigate the world without the person who gave her life? She thought about all the motherly advice she would miss–advice that could help her through a host of future challenges that might arise, including the ordeal of losing a parent. The next day, Hallie asked her mother, writer Suzy Hopkins, to record step-by-step instructions for her to follow in the event of her mom's death. The list began: 'Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey and make some fajitas' and continued from there, walking Hallie through the days, months, and years of life after loss, with motherly guidance and support, addressing issues great and small–from choosing a life partner to baking a quiche. The project became a way for mother and daughter to discuss the everyday realities of grief, and to do so honestly, with humor, openness, and gratitude. It led to a book they hope will help other families have similar conversations.' 6 Delirious by Damien Wilkins (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) 7 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38) 8 Before the Winter Ends by Khadro Mohamed (Tender Press, $30) 'I pondered for a long time how I was going to write this review,' wrote Melissa Oliver in The Spinoff. 'I'd lost any sense of how to form a coherent thought or sentence. It is a book that completely took me away from my own life and my own ways of seeing the world. It's unlike anything I've read for a long time and will be a novel that a lot of people will not know they've been waiting for.' 9 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $30) The latest instalment from one of the most successful young adult series ever. 10 M āori Rafter & Tāniko Design by J. W. Phillipps (Oratia Books, $40) This is a republication of a classic book from 1943: 'This complete redesign of W.J. Phillipps' classic work introduces key patterns in an accessible manner with rich illustrations. Beginning with the koru, the book develops from analysis of drawings to real examples, including important meeting house designs. The beautifully rendered patterns gain new life in a generous layout that will be of value to students and experts alike.'