The Buried Giant
by Kazuo Ishiguro (Faber)
The first novel in a decade from British writer Kazuo Ishiguro is an extraordinary mix of fantasy, myth and Arthurian legend. It is set in an ancient Britain where ogres, dragons and pixies roam. Axl and Beatrice, an elderly couple, set out to find the son they only dimly remember. They have few memories of the past and are certain only of their love for one another and of a need to find safe haven with their son. Their journey on foot is slow but packed with adventure. Along the way they encounter an aged Sir Gawain clanking in his armour, sinister monks and great warriors, characters borrowed from Greek myths and people plotting to kill a fearful dragon. Ishiguro's incursion into the fantasy genre has produced a novel quite different from his bestsellers The Remains Of The Day and Never Let Me Go. It's an extravagant story told in restrained, careful prose and is enormously tender and profound. Ambitious, brilliant, unsettling stuff.
A Modern Way To Eat
By Anna Jones
Yes, it's filled with vegetarian recipes but this is not yet another book from some preachy clean-eater. It's the work of a cook who is passionate about good food and delicious eating. Jones trained with Jamie Oliver at Fifteen in London. Her thing is easy, affordable meals that impress and nourish, food to boost energy and which is also joyful. Among her recipes are suggestions for quick, healthy snacks - such as 10 ways with avocado on toast, a host of ideas to flash up humus or put together a vege-packed sandwich. Her ideas are not complex or daunting but this is one of the more creative vegetable books containing food influences from around the world. I can see myself making her fast restorative coconut broth when the weather cools and she's inspired me to use more miso paste in salad dressings and cooking. Jones has certainly evolved a modern way to eat. And for people who haven't yet forsworn all things sweet there are delectable desserts.
The Anzacs: An Inside View Of New Zealanders At Gallipoli
Auckland War Museum
Never-before-published images from the Auckland War Memorial Museum's catalogue are included in this largely pictorial account of the Gallipoli campaign. This is the human face of war, the troops marching up Auckland's Queen St as they mobilise, the mother saying goodbye, the landing and settlement in Anzac Cove, the men in trenches. Blurred and muddy though many of the images are, they remain powerful even in these days of taking crisp colour photos with a phone. There are grim scenes among the images but for me what resonates are the faces of the ordinary people caught up in conflict and the animals that served them. These are the moments of war between the fighting - the marshalling of supplies, the endless waiting, the filling in of time. There is a balance between glorifying history's great battles and making sure they are never forgotten. This book finds it.
