1. Untouchable Girls by Jools & Lynda Topp (A&U)
Holding fast to the No 1 slot for the fourth week is the memoir of the beloved Topp Twins. As their interview with the Listener notes, when putting together this memoir they “made a list of significant periods in their lives, then worked their way through it non-chronologically. Eventually, they had 31 chapters that recall how the Waikato farm girls ran away to the army, stayed on in Christchurch, and found a new home among the increasingly vociferous local lesbian community, turned their country music-honed voices into protest songs … then somehow, via the magic of television, abundant charisma and their array of characters, became beloved mainstream entertainers. Oh, and in chapter 23, cancer.” Also in the book is a topic largely uncanvassed: the sisters’ sometimes roller-coaster love lives during the decades.
2. Smithy by Wayne Smith & Phil Gifford (Mower)
Holding fast at No 2 is the memoir from one of our rugby greats, “The Professor” Wayne Smith. Regarded as one of the best rugby thinkers in the world, Smith, with the help of eminent sports journalist Phil Gifford, gives his account of coaching the Black Ferns to victory in the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup. It’s full of insight and anecdotes from the man himself, but also talks to many of the women and men who took the team to a world title.
3. Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Eve by Lynley Dodd (Puffin)
Rising to the No 3 spot, just in time for the festive season, is a lift-the-flap board book for the smallest Kiwis. In national treasure Lynley Dodd’s latest, it’s Christmas Eve and the sneakiest, most troublesome cat Slinky Malinki has stolen the tree decorations. Where has Slinky hidden them? Kids will have to lift the flaps to find the baubles and bells, trinkets and tinsel.
4. Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins)
NZ Herald reporter Jared Savage stays in the top five for the third week with his latest book. Gangster’s Paradise follows Gangland, an exploration of how organised crime in New Zealand has evolved in recent years, particularly around illegal drugs. His new book explores, in that fast-paced, breathless, newspaper style, how it has escalated – more drugs, more shootings, more corruption – driven by the arrival of “501″ deportees from Australia. Gangs have grown and new ones have sprung up, bringing a harder edge to the scene, he writes. “They have better connections with international drug syndicates, better criminal tradecraft and encrypted communications, and are more willing to use firearms to enforce their will.” Existing gangs have responded in kind, escalating their approach and making life harder for police, who have had to get more innovative and sophisticated to try to counter the threat.
5. Bookshop Dogs by Ruth Shaw (A&U)
Ruth Shaw, author of bestselling The Bookseller at the End of the World, which was about life and retail in her bookshops in Manapōuri in the far south of the country, has turned her attention to the dogs that visit. These are the hounds of locals and those who are holidaying or just passing through. Included is the story of Hunza, the german shepherd that worked alongside Shaw when she was a youth worker helping out troubled teenagers.
6. Patu: The New Zealand Wars by Gavin Bishop (Picture Puffin)
The award-winning Gavin Bishop turns his attention to the New Zealand Wars of the 1800s in this large-format history. It’s a beautifully illustrated and painstakingly detailed account of the key movements of people and troops, battle sites and villages. The Listener said: “What makes the kaumatua of New Zealand children’s literature uniquely qualified to cover this turbulent period in our history is the personal connection: his Scottish grandfather, Benjamin “Banjo” McKay, born 1847, was one of the children of John Horton McKay and Irihāpeti Hahau, sister of the Māori King Tāwhiao.”
7. Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin)
Fungus enthusiast Liv Sisson’s guide to foraging our fields and forests for mushroom morsels is still a bestseller after four months in the charts. She makes them sound delicious: “Here are some of the most interesting fungi foods I’ve come across in Aotearoa. Slippery jack mushroom burgers, grilled over charcoal, with a dash of pine oil, served over a bed of creamy mushroom-stock polenta. Mushroom mince dumplings. A porcini mushroom chocolate mousse Yule log. Those first two dishes come from Max Gordy, and the third from Vicki Young – both are top Wellington chefs. When we think outside of the ‘mushrooms on toast’ box, we find that fungi offer us untapped foodie potential.”
8. Whakawhetai: Gratitude by Hira Nathan (A&U)
Hira Nathan’s te reo Māori gratitude diary, released in May, is still selling loads. Why is a gratitude diary so popular? Here’s the publisher’s blurb in part:
“Kia ū ki te pai, kia whai hua ai. Hold on to what is good and good things will follow. An inspirational, bilingual gratitude journal, based on the Māori holistic approach to health, hauora. Discover the four dimensions of hauora: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental), taha wairua (spiritual) and taha whānau (family). No matter how difficult life can seem, there is always something to feel grateful for. Taking note regularly of the positives – no matter how small – in each of these areas of your life can have a huge impact on your health and happiness.”
9. Kāwai by Monty Soutar (David Bateman)
This epic tale of early life in Aotearoa from the respected historian is back in the charts, revealing the role of colonisation in shaping the country while not shying away from an honest and sometimes visceral depiction of the times. It has sold extremely well since its release; another in the series is due next year.
10. Critters of Aotearoa by Nicola Toki & Lily Duval (Puffin)
This homage to 50 of the country’s most curious creatures was written by Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki and illustrated by Lily Duval. These include the Antipodes Island parakeet, a green-headed variety that lives in the subantarctic in deep burrows and occasionally feeds on carrion, and the hagfish, which does the same, except with more face-smashing. Then there’s the blobfish, the Dog Vomit Slime Mould, the Giant Knobbled Weevil and the Horrid Stick Insect.
(Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending November 4.)
