The Operator Gretchen Berg Hachette $34.99 This book held so much promise! It looked exciting in the publisher’s summary and I was so very happy to see a copy arrive in the office for us to read. I started just before COVID (and all that went with it) and I …

The Jacaranda House Deborah Challinor HarperCollins RRP: $36.99 Set in both Australia and New Zealand, this book drew me in instantly. Perhaps that’s because I like a sense of where something is happening, a time and space in which to place my thoughts. Because this novel is set in places …

To Kill A Man Sam Bourne Hachette $34.99 I have to admit that despite its flaws (and they’re not massive or insurmountable) I inhaled this book. So while I will outline some of the bits I didn’t love, remember that I tend to speed read when I enjoy a book! …

Catherine House Elisabeth Thomas Hachette RRP: $37.99 The cover boasts “Deliciously sinister. It’s almost impossible not to be seduced” and for the first quarter of the book I’d agree; but sadly, three quarters of the book remains and my love affair with Catherine House soon went from seduction to boredom. …

The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart Margarita Montimore Hachette RRP: $34.99 This is a topsy-turvy life story told with humour and skill; I enjoyed nearly every moment reading it. There’s no denying that this book borrows heavily from Audrey Niffenegger’s “A Time Traveller’s Wife” which was a big hit a …

When “this” (this = COVID 19) all started happening here in Aotearoa we all knew it would be just a matter of time until Aged Care services, especially care homes, would be in the spotlight. After all international reports showed that those over 70 years of age faced the worst …

As the COVID19 lockdown is in place across the country it’s given me (Esther Perriam, Director of Eldernet) some time to think about what we’ve done so far, and what we might yet have to do. It’s fair to say, that being a nationwide business based in Christchurch we’ve faced …

Louis & Louise Julie Cohen Hachette RRP: $34.99 Let me start with a bold claim. This was one of my highlight reads of the year. I really loved this book. The very idea of this novel – that you could explore a life lived as a woman, or a life …

Blood & Sugar Laura Shepard-Robinson Macmillan  RRP: $34.99 This book was obviously well researched! 18th century England dock life and the sugar trade has never been as fascinating! This novel straddles, very successfully, two classes of the time – the very rich and the very poor. Our ‘hero’ is tasked …

Imaginary Friend Stephen Chbosky Hachette RRP: $37.99 This book kept me on the knife edge for sooooooo long and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Honestly, about halfway through it started ‘wrapping up’ and I was left holding the book (which is HUGE) and wondering ‘How is this …