The week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias
FICTION
1 Kāwai by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)
Now in its eighth week at number one. "I wrote this book as the result of an epiphany I had while overseas, in 2019," the author told Bruce Munro in an interview for the Otago Daily Times. "Everyone has something to do in this life. I believe part of my mission is to write the Kāwai series." The book, as Munro writes, "tells the story of Kaitanga (Kai) who was born in the 1740s on the East Coast of Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island. The eldest son of ariki Tawae, Kai is consecrated at birth to avenge the killing and eating of his grandfather and other warriors. In crafting the storyline, Dr Soutar, who is Ngāti Porou, Ngati Awa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Ngāti Kahungunu, drew on his own family’s oral traditions, of which he was made a custodian, as well as other pre-European histories gifted to him during years working for the Māori Land Court."
2 The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35)
A novel narrated by Tama the magpie. “Before the new subdivision went in behind our house," the author told Philip Matthews in an interview for Stuff, "it was quite rural and every morning when I got up to do my writing, I would open the window and the beautiful, melodious, fluid song of the magpies would be right outside my window…I would see them strutting around, just a couple of metres from my desk, and they seemed to have a real presence and attitude about them. They don’t hop, they walk like humans walk. Left right, left right. And there’s also something slightly sinister about them. That’s how Tama was hatched.”
3 Eddy, Eddy by Kate De Goldi (Allen & Unwin, $29.99)
4 The Doctor’s Wife by Fiona Sussman (David Bateman, $37.99)
5 Harbouring by Jenny Pattrick (Penguin Random House, $36)
6 Kurangaituku by Whiti Hereaka (Huia Publishers, $35)
7 A Rake of His Own by A.J. Lancaster (Camberion Press, $35)
Synopsis: "Marius Valstar doesn’t know which is worse: the dead body in his greenhouse or the naked fae prince on his desk. The only rakes of interest to Marius are garden tools. Not fae princes. Certainly not the arrogant, selfish fae prince he has the misfortune to have a history with."
8 Pounamu Pounamu by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $30)
The cover of the new 50th anniversary edition of Ihimaera's classic 1972 book of short stories is not exactly subtle, or imaginative, or artful, but certainly it's very green.
9 Poor People With Money by Dominic Hoey (Penguin Random House, $37)
I have assembled a panel of literary experts from the book trade and right this second they are drawing up all sorts of year's best books lists and I certainly expect Hoey's tight, funny, readable urban crime drama to feature among the top 10 works of fiction.
10 Tarquin the Honest: The Hand of Glodd by Gareth Ward (David Bateman, $34.99)
NON-FICTION
1 Wawata by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin Random House, $30)
2 Straight Up by Ruby Tui (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
Tui shifts to the wing this weekend when the Black Ferns take on France in the World Cup semi-finals this Saturday night, 7:30, at Eden Park.
3 Simple Fancy by Margo & Rosa Flanagan (Allen & Unwin, $45)
4 Rooms by Jane Ussher & John Walsh (Massey University Press, $85)
Over 300 photos of beautiful rooms in nice houses. Other kinds of rooms and other kinds of housing were highlighted in a shocking front-page story in the Herald this week by Joe Los'e. "A family of 13 has been living in two one-bedroom motel units for more than a year after a fire," he wrote. "Twelve months after their six-bedroom West Auckland home caught fire, the mum and 10 of her 12 children still remain at the same cramped emergency housing motel complex in Takapuna… The children are split between the two side-by-side motel units, she explained, with the older children in one and the younger kids with their mum in the other. 'There’s always bickering and arguing and now my children won’t go to school. They want to go back to their old school in Ranui,' she said." What a disgraceful way for the government to treat people.
5 Aroha by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin Random House, $30)
6 Dish Summer by Sarah Tuck & Claire Aldous (SGC Media, $45)
7 Here For a Good Time by Chris Parker (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
Look, amusing socks. Ha-ha.
8 She is Not Your Rehab by Matt & Sarah Brown (Penguin Random House, $35)
9 Ross Taylor by Ross Taylor & Paul Thomas (Upstart Press, $49.99)
10 Kai by Christall Lowe (David Bateman, $59.99)
Over 100 recipes of Māori cuisine by the Manawatu food stylist, including mānuka honey muttonbird and pūhā; rēwena bread; oven-cooked hāngī; creamy lemon garlic crayfish; burnt sugar-steamed pudding; and custard and rhubarb-filled donuts.
