The opening of Jane Harris' second novel gives little indication of how dark it will become.

It's always been her defence. She was born this way. Born as an egg flanked by male strippers. A raw piece of meat.

Death casts a long, dark shadow across the fourth feature by the Mexican-born director of Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel.

That wimpy kid hasn't toughened up yet but he's back for another round of pre-teen embarrassments, reports Michele Manelis.

Alexandria in the 4th century is the setting for Oscar-winning director Alejandro Amenabar's latest drama.

What a great read. Frances Walsh's book is a fascinating work of New Zealand social history written with wit, intelligence and a refreshing lack of condescension towards the ideas and attitudes of the last century.

It is shorter, slightly less dependent on special effects, comes with vampire mermaids, and a story that can almost be explained. Almost.

This young rapper and production whiz has an ego the size of Kanye West's - and he's still only 20.

Chipper British synth pop might be a common description of new releases these days but Friendly Fires continue to keep it fresh on their second record.

The fact that a reality television show features in Camilla Lackberg's mesmerising new novel will mean little to New Zealand readers of this best-selling Nordic writer, but her fellow Swedes might discern a little score-settling.

A witty, irreverent and gutsy heroine carries this new novel.

Graham Reid considers Steve Winwood's career from teenage soul-boy to mainstream man.

Just as his latest television drama, Downton Abbey, hits our screens, so does writer and director Julian Fellowes' second feature film as director, the family-oriented period drama From Time to Time.

The work of Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes is now on screens both big and small. He talks to Peter Calder about the revived appetite for period drama.

Taylor and McGlone play P.J. and Ronnie, a modest suburban couple raising her teenage kids on his wages as a truckie and the proceeds of her small wedding dress business.