RNZ's Nine to Noon: Jenna's Summer Reads / by Time Out Bookstore

Things to do when you're Goth in the Country
Chavisa Woods

Woods has given us eight tales of American small town grime. A major highlight was the story, A New Mohawk, where the protagonist wakes up one day to have a miniature version of the Gaza strip living in his mohawk.

Pachinko
Min Jin Lee

This is Roxane Gay's favourite read of 2017. An epic 500 page saga which follows four generations of a Korean family living in Japan over the 20th century. A fantastic read for those who love to learn about different cultures.

The Idiot
Elif Batuman

Hera Lindsay Bird's favourite read of 2017. This could be seen as just another university coming of age story, but it's so much more. We following Turkish American Selin in her first year of Harvard as she navigates classes, friends and this new fandangled thing called email. A very funny, crisp observation of language and what's lost in translation.