Book Loving Kiwis discussion

I think this is the most exciting list in quite some time!

https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/01-02-...

In fact, the only book I definitely rule out is Birnam Wood as some of my friends on Goodreads & real life have been pretty tepid about it.

The ones that have already made it on to one of my to-read lists are Big Fat Brown Bitch
Fungi of Aotearoa: A Curious Forager's Field Guide I am a keen forager but have always been wary of mushrooms.
The Financial Colonisation of Aotearoa

Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "I think this is the most exciting list in quite some time!

https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/01-02-...

In fact, the only book I definitel..."

Not all of your GR friends. I really enjoyed Birnam Wood, Yes, it starts slowly as you meet the characters and setting, but it soon picks up the pace and delivers a thrilling finish. Different in plot from The Luminaries, but, as with The Luminaries, her writing requires concentration and thought.

Lesley wrote: "Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "I think this is the most exciting list in quite some time!

https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/01-02-...

In..."

Hi Lesley, I did say some! 😁

I just think Catton isn't for me (although I enjoyed her film adaptation of Emma!)

Phew! Finally finished entering these award nominees on to Goodreads.

I also don't want to read the one about Rugby League. Nothing against the book itself - it's just I hear (more than) enough about rugby & rugby league from my husband. But most of these look fascinating. I don't envy the judges.

Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "Phew! Finally finished entering these award nominees on to Goodreads.

I also don't want to read the one about Rugby League. Nothing against the book itself - it's just I hear (more than) enough ab..."

Good job! I used to put them on when I was working, but, alas I do very little GR librarian work here now. The last big effort I put in was ruined the next month with an Amazon dump. Somewhat deflated me :(

I am currently browsing two of the non-fiction nominees.
Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists by Baye Riddell

Our Land in Colour: A History of Aotearoa New Zealand 1860-1960 by Brendan Graham with Jock Phillips

Both are interesting.

Lesley wrote: "Good job! I used to put them on when I was working, but, alas I do very little GR librarian work here now. The last big effort I put in was ruined the next month with an Amazon dump. Somewhat deflated me :("

I'm not surprised. A lot of good volunteer librarians have stopped helping in the Librarians Group, thanks to the out of control Amazon bots. the current moderator is asking for examples.
Actually with Our Land in Colour I do have an example -I added Jock Phillips name & shortly afterwards a bot removed it.

I'll add it to Jaclyn's list when I get back home.

& the shortlist is out!

https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/06-03-...

Shows what I know, since Birnam Wood & the Rugby League book are still there!

I really don't get the hype around Lioness in the fiction section. Maybe I didn't "get it" but it's all over the place and the characters are annoying. With that being shortlisted, as well as Birnam Wood (which I liked but didn't love), sometimes I'm skeptical about the Ockham and don't always trust that books on it are actually worth the hype.

I did enjoy Our Land In Colour though :)

Erica wrote: "I really don't get the hype around Lioness in the fiction section. Maybe I didn't "get it" but it's all over the place and the characters are annoying. With that being shortlisted, as well as Birna..."

I've read Novel About My Wife & gave it 5★, yet I haven't read the other two Perkins books I own. Reading my review it appears that it was the ending that elevated the book that high.

I'm not really a literary reader as far as fiction goes. I depend on the Ockham's for my poetry & illustrated nonfiction fixes.

Erica wrote: "I really don't get the hype around Lioness in the fiction section. Maybe I didn't "get it" but it's all over the place and the characters are annoying. With that being shortlisted, as well as Birna..."

I agree with you about Lioness, Erica. I felt the author had taken a collection of ideas and forced them into some kind of story. The effect was something very disjointed and went nowhere. The characters were the most unlikable characters I've met in a book for some time.
I have to disagree about Birnam Wood though. I liked that very much. In fact, I found this easier to get into than The Luminaries which became more enjoyable the longer I read it.
I too thought Our Land In Colour was absolutely great. Enjoyable and spectacularly colourised photography.

Yeah I wonder if Birnam Wood for me was disadvantaged by the fact I was travelling, so my reading was a bit more disjointed than usual. I think I gave it 4*...compared to 2* for Lioness.

I bought Don Binney: Flight Path for my art loving/bird loving husband, and I bought the Ockham longlisted poetry book Biter for my poetry loving daughter. But apart from that, I have yet to read anything on the list (either the shortlist or the longlist). Am I a bad NZer?!

Kirsten wrote: "I bought Don Binney: Flight Path for my art loving/bird loving husband, and I bought the Ockham longlisted poetry book Biter for my poetry loving daughter. But apar..."

That Biter looks amazing!

Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I bought Don Binney: Flight Path for my art loving/bird loving husband, and I bought the Ockham longlisted poetry book Biter for my poetry loving da..."

It really is! And I just love that my 17yr old loves reading poetry!

It's a shame BFBB by Tusiata Avia didn't make it to the poetry shortlist - the others must be good! Big Fat Brown Bitch was so firy! The only one I read from the shortlist was Chinese Fish which was great (really captures Chinese immigrant experience) but also felt less like poetry and more like a disjointed novella.

In the fiction section, I've read Audition (great) and Birnam Wood (good). A Better Place and Lioness both don't really seem like things I would like.

I don't read much poetry but firy is a great description so maybe I'll have to check it out!

Zachary wrote: "It's a shame BFBB by Tusiata Avia didn't make it to the poetry shortlist - the others must be good! Big Fat Brown Bitch was so firy! The only one I read from the shortlist was Chinese Fish which wa..."

Welcome Zachary

I'm hoping to get to both BFBB & poetry from the poetry nominations. Unfortunately our library system doesn't carry Chinese Fish.

I keep wondering if sales of Fungi of Aotearoa: A Curious Forager's Field Guide were obliquely being helped by the case of the Mushroom Poisoner over in Australia! That case certainly piqued my interest in all things mushrooms! (not that I want to poison my family, or extended family, I hasten to add!!!!!!)

Kirsten wrote: "It really is! And I just love that my 17yr old loves reading poetry!"

Did she love this one? I only loved some of them.

Kirsten wrote: "I keep wondering if sales of Fungi of Aotearoa: A Curious Forager's Field Guide were obliquely being helped by the case of the Mushroom Poisoner over in Australia! That case certain..."

Maybe.

My library has a copy of this one & I'm intending to read it later in the year.

& the winners are out!

https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/15-05-...

Our library has the Don Binney one & I just don't think I can resist that cover! & I would like to read the Grace Yee one, which our library system doesn't carry.

The Emily Perkins - like I said before I own a couple of her books that I haven't read. Maybe I'll try one of them. The Lioness sounds too artsy literary for me though. I'm just not that sort of reader.

& I picked up the Don Binney one yesterday!

Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "& I picked up the Don Binney one yesterday!"

& I highly recommend it! Not just as a beautiful art work, but a very compelling biography.