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1. (1) Tasty by Chelsea Winter (Allen & Unwin)
MasterChef NZ winner Chelsea Winter’s latest cookbook, chock-full of plant-based comfort food as it is, is holding fast to the top of the bestsellers’ charts. It’s been four years since the mega-selling Supergood, largely because Winter got pregnant while writing it. As she told the Listener: “Tasty is a plant-based book, but it’s not staunchly plant-based. I’ve designed it to be flexible. If someone wants to use a recipe as fully plant-based – great. If they want to sub in a bit of cheese and cream – perfect. If they want to serve it alongside a cut of meat or chuck some chicken or fish in one of the curries – perfect. It’s for every kind of eater.” She replaced refined sugar in recipes with the likes of coconut sugar after seeing the effects on her children. “Man, my children don’t need any more energy.” For recipes from Tasty, go here.
2. (2) More Salad by Margo Flanagan & Rosa Power (A&U)
The latest cookbook from sisters Margo Flanagan and Rosa Power, which promises more of the same tasty-looking food that delivered them previous bestsellers. Neither are vegetarian nor vegan, they just encourage moderation in all things. Recipes go from raw to pan to oven, as well as desserts. Included are swappable ingredients, tips and timesavers and pairing suggestions. You’ll find recipes from the book here.
3. (4) Atua Wāhine by Hana Tapiata (HarperCollins)
Writer Hana Tapiata (Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Waikato, Pākehā) is a mother and writer who lives by Māori philosophies “to explore wellness, self-determination and liberation”. From the publisher: “Atua wahine are the Māori goddesses who make up the world around us: earth, fire, water, the moon and more. From the earth mother, Papatuanuku, who sustains and nurtures us to the goddess of peace, Hineputehue, who transformed pain into beauty, and the misunderstood goddess of the underworld, Hinenuitepo, who created purpose and enlightenment from betrayal – this book is a treasure of knowledge and insight. Drawing on whakataukī (proverbs) and purakau (traditional stories), discover how the wisdom of 17 atua wahine can help us live with courage and confidence in the modern world. With guided steps, theseatua will inspire you to foster creativity, acknowledge cycles of change, and embrace self-determination.”
4. (NEW) The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner (Moa Press)
The new book from the bestselling Kiwi author of The Girl from London is a rewarding read, said the Listener: “In her second novel, Olivia Spooner shines a light on a little-known group of Kiwi women, known as the Tuis, who were sent first to Egypt and then on to Italy during World War II. The women were sent in support of the New Zealand Second Division, headed by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg. The Tuis were the brainchild of his wife, Lady Barbara Freyberg, and part of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps. In June 1942 the Tuis arrived in Cairo, when the Germans were winning the war in North Africa, played out in harsh desert conditions. The Tuis worked in the NZ Army clubs, often requisitioned hotels, where soldiers came for R&R during their breaks from fighting … As the story starts in Cairo, we’re quickly invested in the main characters. There’s Margot, a grief-stricken young widow from Masterton whose husband died in Crete. Bookish and quiet, she’s happiest working in the library at the club, talking with soldiers seeking a refuge. Addy, her roommate, is a beautiful livewire, delighted to have broken away from her conservative Auckland family and making the most of every new experience … The reality of a long cruel war far from home is well portrayed by Spooner. Her characters are richly developed and real, her descriptions of the locations, from Cairo to Bari, Rome and Florence, well drawn.” You can read that review here.
5. (3) Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment by Monty Soutar (David Bateman)
As the Listener’s review notes (you can read it here), Monty Soutar picks up the narrative where Kāwai: For Such a Time as This left off. “The advent of muskets placed the power of fire and death into the hands of any iwi with the cunning, the connections and the economic capacity to possess them. In so doing, the musket undermined the foundations of Māori society, including the mana of the tohunga, upending their command of magic and their bond with the spirit world through its blind disregard for the sacred pageantry of war, death and the interweaving of these things with all that is tapu. This in turn paved the way for European missionaries to bring stories of a different god, a new perspective on faith and the sanctity of life, and irrevocable change. Soutar uses this narrative to explore the power of words, both the writings of men who claimed to be holy and the fractious ink of te tiriti, whose intentions remain contested to this day.”
6. (6) Kataraina by Becky Manawatu (Makaro Press)
As predicted, Becky Manawatu’s long-awaited sequel to her award-winning novel Auē is staying steady in the charts. The Listener’s interview with Manawatu notes that a swamp, or kūkūwai, runs under and through Kataraina. “It is a shifting, changing body of water – an expansive wetland, a drained and lifeless bog, a deep lagoon. Like poet Seamus Heaney’s Irish bogs preserving Iron Age bodies in places where ‘there is no reflection’, it is a repository for memories of ancestral violence and retribution. As Aunty Moira says in the book, ‘That kūkūwai is all roimata. Tears.’
“Kataraina takes up the story of Kataraina Te Au, Aunty Kat. In Auē, she is a partially drawn character, seen through the eyes of the nephew she looks after, young Ārama, and feisty Beth. They see her spark, her love, her defensiveness, but also her bruises, meted out by Stuart Johnson, Uncle Stu, and never talked about. Never discussed.” You can read the full interview with Becky Manawatu here.
7. (10) Dear Moko by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin)
Smart illustrated hardback of Māori proverbs (whakataukī) from Elder adapted from her top-selling book Aroha aimed at younger readers.
8. (8) Wild Walks Aotearoa by Hannah-Rose Watt (Penguin)
Top-notch guide to the country’s best tramps by someone who has literally done the hard yards. It’s beautifully illustrated, and the amount of detail provided by Hannah-Rose Watt is impressive, from a personal measure of difficulty to a gear guide, first aid, maps and weather. And then there are the 59 walks. Divided into ones that can be done with kids, quick walks, multi-day and two levels of tough, they are mostly in the South Island, and it’s all written in a zippy, knowledgeable style.
9. (NEW) Zero to 60 and Beyond by Tony Quinn (Flying Books)
From the publisher: “Everyone’s got to live their own life, make the most of the cards they’re dealt, and write their own story. One of the gifts I was born with was the gift of the gab,” says Tony Quinn. From humble beginnings, turning waste from his father’s pet food plant in Scotland into his first business, Quinn built a multimillion-dollar empire in Australia. Known for iconic brands like VIP Petfoods and Darrell Lea, it was his passion for motor racing that made him a household name across Australia and New Zealand. This fully revised edition, featuring 10 new chapters, dives deep into Quinn’s transformative journey – from his marriage breakdown and high-speed crash to expanding his motorsport empire and starting his foundation. Quinn opens up about surviving the challenges of Covid-19, while sharing his secrets to success in business and life. Candid, inspiring and full of insight … a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to thrive, no matter what life throws at you.”
10. (5) Marry Me in Italy by Nicky Pellegrino (Hachette)
This, if we’re counting right, is the 15th novel from author and Listener writer Nicky Pellegrino, who manages to come up with fresh plots that combine food, wine and love in the sunniest, most picturesque spots of il bel paese.
From the publisher: “A dream wedding in Italy? It’s the chance of a lifetime! Skye has been with Tim forever and the last thing she’s thinking about is saying ‘I do’. It’s Tim who enters the dream wedding competition – he’s longing to win an all-expenses-paid trip to romantic Montenello. An escape to a beautiful Italian hill town might be just what they need to find love again. Ana definitely isn’t interested in getting married – she doesn’t need a man to make her happy. But when she loses her job at a glossy food magazine, she jumps at the chance of a new life, renovating a crumbling Italian farmhouse. Her handsome (and very distracting) neighbour definitely isn’t part of the plan.” You can read more about Nicky Pellegrino’s books here.
Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending November 2.
