A vivid portrait of a time and a place, I can see exactly why UK author Amanda Craig's sixth novel was longlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize.

Whitcoulls has entered the e-book fray with a new reader, as Amazon continues to ignore New Zealand with its popular Kindle.

To lose one personal fortune might be considered bad luck; to lose two looks distinctly careless.

I thought the first of these books put out under the auspices of the AA, 101 Must-Dos for Kiwis, was great.

Angels and the supernatural aside, Singh's books are each a unique emotional journey.

Marmon was one of many Europeans who jumped ship to live with Maori in the early days of contact.

Expat chef Robert Oliver is on a mission to promote real Pacific food, writes Peter Calder.

Dalrymple, a towering figure who spoke with the brio of a great orator, used imagery of paintings and photos to reinforce his compelling tale of the last Mughal.

The complicated and sensitive world of artists is explored in Sarah Thornton's new book. She talks to Stephen Jewell.

This memoir by New Zealand children's author William Taylor is, I am delighted to report, an endearing collection of his experiences.

Lionel Shriver and Charlie Higson tackle the sensitive topic of death in very different ways.

When Keith Richards announced he was going to write his autobiography, most people didn't believe the Rolling Stones guitarist could remember enough to justify the $5m fee.

Author Angela Lassig fills a much-needed gap by publishing a book on 25 New Zealand fashion designers.

Music month continues to take over drinking holes and town halls all the way from Ponsonby to Pukekohe this week.

Elizabeth Smither is a prolific and award-winning writer with 17 volumes of poetry, six novels and a number of short story collections published.

Charlotte Grimshaw once described her last novel, Foreign City, as a kind of "layer cake" of fiction, reality and fictionalised reality.

Writer Lionel Shriver tells Stephen Jewell how a friend's illness inspired her to take on the injustices of the healthcare system.

A sort of musical quest through the southern US to see if they're still producing the fresh, exciting, untamed roots music which once inspired the world.

Australian author Tom Keneally talks to Graham Reid about how criminals and the rich were thrown together when the country was founded.

A new book shines the spotlight behind the scenes of some of London's style gurus, focusing on their interior design at home.