What better way to wrap up my New Zealand book discussions than with a book recommendations list. Unfortunately, I can not add every novel, short story, poem, or collection written by a New Zealander to this list as there would be far to many to note. Instead, I have listed the ones I have read so far, the ones I plan to read this year, books I have gotten out of the library for my dad, and others that have piqued my interest. I have a range of genres for you, from non-fiction explorations into the history of Māori travelling the Pacific Ocean by the stars, to poetry by some of the loveliest authors you will meet. If you are interested in diving into New Zealand literature, I recommend saving this post in your favourites so you can come back to it on the regular and add more kiwi books to your tbr list. I would also highly recommend checking out the Ockham’s New Zealand Book Awards 2025 longlist for more exceptional New Zealand literature.

These recommendations will be broken down by genre and given in alphabetical order by last name. Any upcoming publications for series will be noted in brackets.

Crime Fiction/Thriller:

Bennett, Michael – Better the Blood, Return to Blood, Carved in Blood

Bublitz, Jacqueline – Before You Knew My Name, Leave the Girls Behind

Carlyle, Rose – The Girl in the Mirror, No One Will Know

Eskedahl, Madeleine – Blood on Vines, Rings on Water

Norman, Charity – Home Truths

Lea, Catherine – The Water’s Dead, Better Left Dead

Historical Fiction:

Keenan, Lauren – The Space Between

Spooner, Olivia – The Girl From London, The Songbirds of Florence

Soutar, Monty – Kāwai: for such a time as this, Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment

Literary Fiction/Memoir:

Chidgey, Catherine, The Axeman’s Carnival, Pet, The Book of Guilt

George, James – Wooden Horses

Grace, Patricia – Cousins, Potiki,

Hansell, Jessica (Coco Solid) – How to Loiter In a Turf War

Hulme, Keri – The Bone People

Ihimaera, Witi – Tangi, Pounamu Pounamu

Kino, Shilo – All that We Know

Ling Sidham, Emma – Backwaters

Makereti, Tina – The Mires

Meredith, Ineke – On Call

Shapiro, Josie – Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts

Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

Gong, Chloe – These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Foul Lady Fortune, Foul Heart Huntsman, Immortal Longings, Vilest Things

Holton, India – The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, The League of Gentlewomen Witches, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, (The Geographer’s Map to Romance is coming out April 2025)

Muir Tamsyn – Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth

Poetry, Essays and Short Stories:

Harvey, Siobhan – Ghosts

Morris, Paula – On Coming Home

Ngawera, Airana – Ngati Pātea/Pātea Boys

Collections and Anthologies:

Ko Aotearoa Tatou (2020)

Monsters in the Garden (2020)

A Clear Dawn (2021)

Middle Distance: Long Stories of Aotearoa New Zealand (2021)

Out Here: An Anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ Writers From Aotearoa (2021)

Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories (2023)

The Penguin New Zealand Anthology (2023)

Rapture: An Anthology of Performance Poetry From Aotearoa New Zealand (2023)

NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous Women (2023)

Non Fiction:

Brookes, Barbara – A History of New Zealand Women

Ihimaera, Witi – Navigating the Stars

Mackintosh, Lucy – Shifting Grounds

McLeod, Lorraine – Leave Your Big Boots at the Door

Renwick, James – Under the Weather

Rogers, Lindsay – Guerilla Surgeon

Soutar, Monty – Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War

Tapiata, Hana – Atua Wahine

Tolerton, Jane Make Her Praises Heard Afar