Reviews
On this rare sunny morning in Tāmaki, Jenna visited the studio to talk about the 2023 Booker longlisted, In Ascension. A book that hits the depths of the sea and stretches into the wider universe, this is a book that explores the connection between science, humans and the environment.
For fans of Richard Powers!
Listen to Jenna’s chat with Rachel and Stella below.
Suri was in the studio this morning to talk about the coming-of-age tale, The Gospel of Orla, written by Northern Irish poet Eoghan Walls. Young Orla travels on her bike from England to Ireland to seek her Mother’s gravesite and meets a mysterious man named Jesus along the way.
Fable-like, filled with magic realism and reminiscent of the Booker longlisted, Treacle Walker, Suri recommends this strongly.
Jenna called in from a bustling Mt. Eden Village this morning to chat about the winners from the NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults. Listen to her chat with Rachel below.
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One of Suri’s favourite books for 2023 (so far!) A found classic from the 80’s, this book that explores the life of a teenager and her love of books in the time of political change in the Philippines.
Sexy, clever and surprising, listen to Suri’s great review with Rachel below.
Jenna called into the studio today to review the brand new novel by award-winning, Pip Adam - one the most inventive and exciting writers in Aotearoa.
In Audition, we meet three giants on spaceship. From here, the least you know about this book, the better. However, Adam stays true to form by pushing the boundaries of her narrative worlds to bring a strong social message to readers.
Listen to Jenna & Rachel chat below!
This morning, Suri reviewed the highly anticipated novel by Lorrie Moore. I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home is a tender and playful little novel about the hauntings of ghosts of the past - imaginary and literal.
Exploring the philosophies of love and joy and how people cope with grief, this is strange, clever and
highly recommended.
Listen to Suri’s review with Annabel below.
Tama leaves behind his life in Wellington, of Te Ao Pākeha to head home to Waituhi after the sudden death of his father. As the oldest son, it’s expected that he will return to take over the family farm.
Tangi was the winner of the 1973 New Zealand Book Awards and for its 50 year anniversary, this new edition
has been re-edited to celebrate. This piece by Emma Hislop (Kāi Tahu) explains more about Witi’s process of rewriting.
This incredibly moving novel has more than stood the test of time and is the perfect read for Matariki.
Suri reviews the new novel from Brandon Taylor, who was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for his novel Real Life.
A fun take on a campus novel, that explores class, sex, race and the moralities of fiction.
Want to know more? Listen to Suri’s review with Rachel below.
Big Swiss has quickly become a staff favourite at Time Out, nicely fitting alongside titles such as My Year of Rest and Relaxation and The First Bad Man.
Greta transcribes the therapy sessions of sex coach, Om, and becomes enamoured with a patient whom she calls Big Swiss. When she hears Big Swiss’ voice in the dog park, she introduces herself as Rebekah - leading to a very intense infatuation between the two.
Told with the darkest of humour - Big Swiss explores moral boundaries, trauma relationships.
A camp, satirical page-tuner that is the perfect post-exam read. Yellowface is a book about lies and identity, capturing the conversation of own voices and the sometimes brutal publishing machine.
Listen to Suri’s review with Rachel below.
Catherine Chidgey is back (already!) with her new novel, Pet. Brimming with 80’s nostalgia, questionable characters and an unpredictable ending, Chidgey has stayed on track after her recent win at the Ockham NZ Book Awards.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Rachel and Stella, with some bonus knitted jersey chat.
This week, Jenna reviews Josie Shapiro’s Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, which is the inaugural winner of the Allen & Unwin Commercial Fiction Prize.
Mickey Bloom is an underdog - small, dyslexic and bullied, she finds solace in running. However, this also comes at a cost. Set in Auckland, Everything is Beautiful explores big dreams and what happens if they’re not realised. Highly recommended.
Ruby Solly’s The Artist is already Suri’s favourite poetry book of the year. A kōrero between iwi, whānau & whenua, this collection’s whakaaro is that artist is ever and has always been present.
Listen to Suri’s fantastic review with Rachel below.
This week, Jenna previews the session she’s chairing at the Auckland Writer’s Festival this week.
Katherena Vermette is an award winning Red River Métis author, from Manitoba, Winnipeg. Her second novel The Strangers, follows Phoenix Stranger, a character from her first novel The Break, to continue her story alongside the story of her family and how she got to where she is now.
You can listen to Jenna, Rachel & Stella’s chat about the book below!
Katherena Vermette: It’s in the Bones is at 2.30pm on Friday.
Suri thinks there’s something that would interest everyone in The Big Con. Looking at the interconnection of private and public sections in the consulting industry, Mazzucato & Collington have put together a well researched and fascinating read.
Listen to Suri and Rachel’s chat below.
We think Dr. Emma Espiner’s debut memoir, There’s a Cure for This, is going to be a favourite for 2023.
"I don't know why medicine felt like coming home but, for some reason, it fits. I keep thinking about how the tohu, once awarded, can never be taken back. Better not fuck it up."
Through nostalgia, whānau & the grit of medicine this collection of essays explore being a mother, a daughter & a Māori doctor.
You can listen to Jenna, Annabel & Stella’s chat below!
Suri is back with a new review on 95bFM’s Loose Reads.
Prolific Chinese author, Yan Lianke explores secularism, money and faith in his new novel. This is a book to read if you want to take the pulse of what’s happening in China.
Listen to Suri and Rachel’s chat about Heart Sutra below
This week, Jenna visited the studio to talk about a current Time Out staff favourite, Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions for You.
A cross between The Secret History and Serial Podcast, this is a page-turning read that cleverly captures the zeitgest of the fascination of true crime, the #metoo movement and social justice.
You can listen to Jenna, Rachel & Stella’s chat below!
This morning, Suri reviewed Salman Rushdie’s new novel, Victory City.
Set in fourteenth century southern India, this novel gives context to the nation buidling myths of India.
By giving contemporary facets to his characters, Rushdie installs starting points for those who may want to understand India and its racial divide.
Listen to Suri and Rachel’s chat about Victory City below
Recently longlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize, Cursed Bread is already one of Jenna’s favourite books for the year. Small but perfectly formed and fable-like, this feels like an instant classic.
Jenna phoned into the studio, pre-stocktake day! Listen to her chat with Rachel below.
