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 tight 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. (RETURN) Zero to 60 and Beyond (revised) 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.”
3. (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.
4. (3) 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.”
5. (RETURN) Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Books)
A brief, easily digestible guide to the basics of the Treaty of Waitangi written by a human rights lawyer and educator.
6. (6) Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun by Lynley Dodd (Picture Puffin)
Even before the school holidays, this Hairy Maclary book was in the bestsellers. Using the power of magnetism, kids can create their own stories thanks to figures of the mischievous mutts, including Hercules Morse, Bottomley Potts and the rest.
7. (9) View from the Second Row by Samuel Whitelock (HarperCollins)
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock’s memoir begins with 14 full lines of the injuries he’s suffered playing rugby, the outcome of which was five surgeries under general anaesthetic. And then deciding to play in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific final with an Achilles tendon injury. The most capped All Black in history speaks – with the help of sports journo Dylan Cleaver –about his career, which covers four World Cups and 153 appearances in the black jersey, his life and his family. Whitelock (he’s called Samuel by most of his family, Sam by his friends) knew when to toggle as captain between rooster and sheepdog, says ABs coach Scott Robertson in the foreword: leading from the front or guiding his flock. Whitelock has serious rugby lineage on both sides. He claims not to be a complicated guy: “family, footy and farming” are at the centre of his life.
8. (5) 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.”
9. (10) All Out by Neil Wagner (Penguin)
“Test cricket is a tough game, and tough characters have to find a way and they do. Neil Wagner is one of the toughest that I’ve come across,” writes Brendon McCullum in the foreword to this memoir.
From the publisher: “Neil Wagner is one of the greatest bowlers ever to play test cricket for New Zealand. His unique style and passion for the game made him a Black Caps’ fan favourite and earned him praise from every corner of the cricket-playing world.
“In this revealing memoir, he tells his story for the first time in his own words. From his humble beginnings in working-class Pretoria, to his move to New Zealand to chase his lifelong dream and his emergence as an integral part of the most successful period in Black Caps’ history, Wagner opens up about his triumphs on the field and personal challenges off it.
“His story resonates with determination, showcasing the grit and resilience that saw him not only survive but thrive as he navigated the high-pressure world of professional sport. Unexpectedly intimate, and beautifully told, this is more than a chronicle of cricketing prowess from one of the game’s most respected players; it’s an inspiring testament to the power of perseverance and the all-out pursuit of one’s dreams.”
10. (7) Woolsheds by Jane Ussher & Annette O’Sullivan (Massey University Press)
A loving coffee-table tribute to the classic Kiwi woolshed, centrepiece of our economic, social, cultural and architectural history, by way of portraits of 15 buildings spread through the country which date from the early days of sheep farming to the early-20th century.
Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending December 7
