The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 20
AUCKLAND
1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60)
Spot New Zealand's former prime minster on this week's New York Times bestseller list.
2 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
The un-put-downable alternate history that explores some of life's biggest questions, including what does it mean to have a soul? Can a human ever not have one?
3 Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (Serpents Tail, $30)
Auckland really loves this hectic mother-son roadtrip novel.
4 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38)
Everett's biggest book yet is his stunning, funny and profound retelling of Huckleberry Finn.
5 Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (Bloomsbury, $25)
Cosy and charming and perfect for a long Matariki weekend.
6 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin, $26)
This year's winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. One of the most exquisite novels you'll read this year: it is moving, sexy and surprising.
7 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (4th Estate, $35)
The smash hit novel based on a true crime story of a serial killer who lured her victims in with stunning food.
8 A Dim Prognosis by Ivor Popovich (Allen & Unwin, $38)
An utterly gripping, energetic memoir from Dr Popovich. Revealing! See The Spinoff this weekend to read an excerpt from this brilliant book.
9 Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Random House, $38)
Vuong's second novel.
10 King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Hachette, $38)
A fiery crime novel. Here's the blurb:
'Roman Carruthers left the smoke and fire of his family's crematory business behind in his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia. He is enjoying a life of shallow excess as a financial adviser in Atlanta until he gets a call from his sister, Neveah, telling him their father is in a coma after a hit-and-run accident.
When Roman goes home, he learns the accident may not be what it seems. His brother, Dante, is deeply in debt to dangerous, ruthless criminals. And Roman is willing to do anything to protect his family. Anything.
A financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, Roman must use all his skills to try to save his family while dealing with a shadow that has haunted them all for twenty years: the disappearance of their mother when Roman and his siblings were teenagers. It's a mystery that Neveah, who has sacrificed so much of her life to hold her family together, is determined to solve once and for all.
As fate and chance and heartache ignite their lives, the Carruthers family must pull together to survive or see their lives turn to ash. Because, as their father counselled them from birth, nothing lasts forever. Everything burns.'
WELLINGTON
1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60)
2 Towards Modernism: Walter Cook Collection at Te Papa by Justine Olsen (Te Papa Press, $75)
This handsome new publication celebrates the Walter Cook Collection of Decorative Arts (held at Te Papa) and the ceramic, glass and metal objects therein.
3 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
4 It's A Bit More Complicated Than That by Hannah Marshall (Allen and Unwin NZ, $25)
A brilliant new YA novel from a huge new talent. Here's the blurb:
'Zelle and Callum used to be best friends, but they haven't spoken in three years: not since the tragedy that wrenched them apart, and Zelle moved away. But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated. Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she's deeply annoyed at having to leave the city. Callum's future is thrown into jeopardy after both a disastrous uni interview and his budding romance turning sour. But they can't keep running from the past forever, and circumstances force them to examine their grief and guilt and find a way through.'
5 A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan (Allen and Unwin NZ, $37)
'Trevelyan's narrator is 10 years old. She's unnamed until the very end of the book (I won't reveal it here: best to find out for yourself). It's this naive perspective that makes A Beautiful Family both easy to read and impossible to put down. The narrator's innocence is pitted against several disturbing factors, all orbiting her summer in various shapes and shades, and it's that persistent dance of disturbances that creates the sustained and unrelenting tension in the novel.' Read more of Claire Mabey's review on The Spinoff, right here.
6 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin, $26)
7 Delirious by Damien Wilkins (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
'I don't want to say that Delirious is the pinnacle of what Damien can do because that would be like putting a curse on his future work. But I am going to say it's almost impossible for me to imagine how he could do better. I think this is a great book – Great with capital G.'
Even before Delirious won this year's Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Elizabeth Knox was rapturous about Wilkins' beautiful novel.
8 Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq (Scribe, $37)
Shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize. 'In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023, praised for their dry and gentle humour, these portraits of family and community tensions testify to Mushtaq's years as a journalist and lawyer, in which she tirelessly championed women's rights and protested all forms of caste and religious oppression.
Written in a style at once witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating, it's in her characters – the sparky children, the audacious grandmothers, the buffoonish maulvis and thug brothers, the oft-hapless husbands, and the mothers above all, surviving their feelings at great cost – that Mushtaq emerges as an astonishing writer and observer of human nature, building disconcerting emotional heights out of a rich spoken style. Her opus has garnered both censure from conservative quarters as well as India's most prestigious literary awards; this is a collection sure to be read for years to come.'
9 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $38)
10 The Māori Millionaire by Te Kahukura Boynton (Penguin, $35)
'Te Kahukura Boynton is Māori Millionaire, and her debut book is here to help. Learn how to make money by clearing debt, saving for an emergency, finding work and increasing your salary, and even starting your own business and investing in shares and yourself. With tips on building better habits with your money and your life, Māori Millionaire is the positive mindset change you might be missing.' So goes the blurb.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
New Zealand actor Erana James joins Alien franchise - and figures out the best way to die in space
'It was amazing, actually,' she says. 'We got to work with a movement coach who kind of helped us find what that physicality would look like, marrying the synthetic with those human features. We also worked with child psychologists, with military specialists, a bunch of people to kind of build what we all were going to be.' It's not the only renegade teen role James, 26, has excelled in as part of her diverse acting resume. She started her career as a supernatural saviour in the Margaret Mahy adaptation The Changeover and went on to play a stranded teen survivor on hit Netflix show The Wilds. Last year, she impressed critics and audiences with her performance as an oppressed young girl fighting against a broken system in the film festival favourite We Were Dangerous. 'That was a very different childlike innocence,' she says, reflecting on the two roles. '[But] Curly has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, so there's kind of like a little parallel there.' Erana James and Rima Te Wiata in Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu's debut feature We Were Dangerous (2024) which tells a fictional story about a rebellious trio of girls railing against the system in 1950s New Zealand. Photo / 818 Alien: Earth is set two years before the disastrous Nostromo incident of the original 1979 Alien movie and features a brand-new set of cast and characters dealing with a new threat to mankind. Hawley, of Fargo and Legion acclaim, pays tribute to the style of the films with a focus on physical effects and tactile visuals. 'The world-building was incredible,' James says of the shooting schedule in Bangkok. 'I'd never been in like a sci-fi universe before, so I think stepping onto set and seeing the world that's been created in front of us by the production designer, and then also seeing what the plan would look like down the line was amazing.' A longtime admirer of Hawley, James said the director's respect for the Alien IP was incredible, and he had done 'something very special with the franchise'. 'It's maybe something a little different to what people might expect. People should go in with an open mind,' she says. 'Hopefully, you'll have some of those feelings that you might have felt the first time you saw the Alien films, if you were a fan." Now coming up to 10 years in the acting business, James admits she still feels 'very new to the industry'. She credits acting coach and Kiwi theatre legend Dame Miranda Harcourt and her classes for helping fuel her passion from a young age. 'My mum enrolled me when I was a teenager, and we'd go there every Saturday,' she says. 'I think Mum and Dad probably wanted to get me focused on something rather than just being a teenager.' Erana James stars in The Changeover with Timothy Spall. Photo / Supplied Harcourt also helped get her into her breakout role in The Changeover. 'Honestly, it feels like what got me into acting was sort of The Changeover. I kind of didn't think too deeply about it, and then when it ended up happening, it just felt really cool. I didn't know if I could keep doing it or if I wanted to keep doing it, but then obviously here we are." James is based in Melbourne but grew up in a rural area of Whangārei, where her folks still live. Her love for her Northland home remains as strong as ever. 'It's an amazing place to grow up,' she says. 'I'm over in Melbourne now and I love it, but nothing beats the naughty north.' She's excited to see the series - and the on-screen sci-fi chaos - when it airs, but if she was living in the Alien universe, how would she like it all to end? 'Personally, I prefer [the act of death by] Xenomorph because of the drama. I think the adrenaline, the spike in all your cortisol, and like all of those reactions, it's quite iconic,' she says. 'But personal preference in terms of what I would rather experience? Facehugger, because you don't know what's going on, and you're done.' The first two episodes of Alien: Earth premiere on August 13 on Disney+. Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald's entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke's Bay Today.
The Spinoff
4 days ago
- The Spinoff
Gone By Lunchtime: Thoughts on the Jacinda Ardern film and book
In a bonus episode of Gone By Lunchtime, Madeleine Chapman joins Toby Manhire to discuss Prime Minister, which recently had its New Zealand premiere at the NZ International Film Festival. Hot on the heels of the publication of A Different Kind of Power comes Prime Minister, an enthralling new film that applies a genuinely gobsmacking lens on Jacinda Ardern's time in power. In this special edition of Gone By Lunchtime, Madeleine Chapman, editor of the Spinoff (and author of Jacinda Ardern: A New Kind of Leader), joins Toby Manhire to talk about the film, which has just had its New Zealand premiere at the NZ International Film Festival, and the autobiography, what they tell us about Ardern and what they don't.
The Spinoff
4 days ago
- The Spinoff
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending August 8
The top 10 sales lists recorded every week at Unity Books' stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Invisible Intelligence: Why Your Child Might Not Be Failing by Welby Ings (Otago University Press, $45) Ings argues for an education system that doesn't pin children into a narrow academic view of intelligence and success. Bravo! 2 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (Penguin, $24) One suspects #BookTok has something to do with pinging this 1947 classic near the top of the Unity charts. 3 Aroha: Māori Wisdom for a Contented Life Lived in Harmony With Our Planet by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin, $30) Timeless yet urgent. 4 The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin, $26) Perfect historical fiction. 5 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) A spooky old house, identical triplets, medicines, Margate … don't miss this latest ripping yarn from one of the country's best storytellers. 6 James by Percival Everett (Picador, $27) Another ripping yarn that's rippling all the way to Hollywood. 7 The Unlikely Doctor by Dr Timoti Te Moke (Allen & Unwin, $38) A powerful new memoir. Here's the blurb: 'The extraordinary story of Dr Timoti Te Moke who – having endured a horrific childhood of beatings and abuse, then gang life, stints in prison and an unsupported manslaughter charge – became a doctor at the age of 56 and is a staunch advocate for Māori.' 8 Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (Serpents Tail, $30) The road trip novel about intergenerational trauma. 9 Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Canongate, $28) Stunning memoir of animal-human connection and transformation. 10 Rabbit Heart: A Mother's Murder, a Daughter's Story by Kristine S. Ervin (Counterpoint, $44) A couple of curious patters in this here list: two invisibles, one hare and one rabbit. WELLINGTON 1 In the Hollow of the Wave by Nina Mingya Powles (Auckland University Press, $25) The beautiful second collection of poetry by award-winning Powles is a glorious weaving of words about living between shorelines, the qualities of material and domestic life, and making art with them. Also wonderful to see poetry at the top of the charts ahead of National Poetry Day on August 22. 2 Holding the Heavy Stuff: Making Space for Critical Thoughts & Painful Emotions by Ben Sedley (Little Brown, $35) An illustrated guide to coping with worry, low mood and feeling stuck. 3 Welcome of Strangers: A History of Southern Māori by Atholl Anderson (Bridget Williams Books, $70) This is an updated edition of Anderson's 1998 book. Here's the publisher's blurb: 'Professor Anderson traces the origins of early Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe, and the later migrations, conflicts and settlements of the hapū who became Ngāi Tahu. Drawing on tribal knowledge, early written records and archaeological insights, he details the movements, encounters and exchanges that shaped these southern regions. He shows how people lived seasonally from the land and sea, supported by long-distance trade and a deep knowledge of place. These were the communities that the first Europeans in Niu Tīreni encountered, as whalers, sealers and missionaries made their way around the coast.' 4 The Unlikely Doctor by Dr Timoti Te Moke (Allen & Unwin, $38) 5 A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan (Allen & Unwin, $37) 'A Beautiful Family is set on the Kāpiti Coast in the 1980s. We know this because Trevelyan is meticulous with her references to the time period: the child's prized possession is a Walkman through which she plays Split Enz; The Exorcist has aired on TV; there are Seventeen magazines with sealed sections; the child and her sister Vanessa get terrifically sunburned and only after getting blisters does their mother buy some SPF15. There is also casual racism at play in varying degrees of intensity. A Chinese family is talked about in grotesque terms; a Māori character is described as having 'skin the colour of burnt caramel'. It makes you grind your molars until you remember that this is the 80s and such clangers were horrifyingly commonplace.' Read more, right here. 6 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin, $60) Bumped from the charts in Auckland, still going strong in Wellington. 7 Underworld by Jared Savage (Harper Collins, $40) Savage's latest exploration of New Zealand's criminal underbelly. 8 Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Vintage, $26) Welcome back old friend! We can now start betting on the next Booker Prize winner as the 2025 longlist has been announced. 9 M ātauranga Māori by Hirini Moko Mead (Huia Publishers, $45) 'In Mātauranga Māori, Hirini Moko Mead explores the Māori knowledge system and explains what mātauranga Māori is. He looks at how the knowledge system operates, the branches of knowledge, and the way knowledge is recorded and given expression in te reo Māori and through daily activities and formal ceremonies. Mātuaranga Māori is a companion publication to Hirini Moko Mead's best-selling book Tikanga Māori.' 10 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (Faber & Faber, $28) Another classic! Who can forget Plath's description of eating a shrimp cocktail? A brilliant, unsettling first and only novel. The Spinoff Books section is proudly brought to you by Unity Books and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books online today.
